Green Lantern movie might reboot

[Dream]

As we were just mentioning this afternoon, "Green Lantern" is a huge blemish and disappointment for Warner Bros. Launched just as WB were putting the finishing touches on their super lucrative "Harry Potter" series ($7.7 billion worldwide), the studio was hoping "Green Lantern" would be the beginning of a chapter in leveraging DC Comics super hero properties in the manner their competition (Marvel Studios) had already been successfully doing and beyond the likes of flagship characters like Batman and Superman. In fact, "Green Lantern" was very much akin to "Iron Man." A B-level character far from a household name, Marvel did the unthinkable, and remade the character into their A-list star property. Utilizing a similar, humor-filled approach, not so dark and brooding as Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises," "Green Lantern" seemed to take some of its basic cues from "Iron Man," only missing all marks by miles.

The film was rumored to cost around the $325 million mark (minus P&A domestically and internationally), and its net loss was $105 million making it one of the biggest box-office flops of all time (and certainly one of the biggest in 2011). Not only a creative and financial embarrassment, the series was a blackeye that totally derailed Warner Bros.' "Beyond The Dark Knight" phase 1 plan.

We've already heard that Warner Bros. has considered scrapping the already-written "Green Lantern 2" sequel and starting over from scratch, and it appears they're serious about a total overhaul. In a Variety piece about this very subject—WB's next phase and plan to exploit the DC Comics properties they own—the trade says the studio is still "figuring out whether to bring back Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern in a sequel to last year's actioner or relaunch the character in a completely new way." For Reynolds, who had a disastrous 2011 in his attempt to be a leading man, this is pretty grim news.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...-green-lantern-without-ryan-reynolds-20120607

Quickest superhero reboot ever!

They wouldn't have this problem if they hadn't made such an awful first GL movie.

Having John Stewart take over might be the best way to do this. It is super easy to just say there is a second GL for Earth. I always liked the character from the awesome JL cartoon.

Do you guys think a reboot should happen?

 

[TemporalFlux]

I would like a second movie with John Stewart. I think that my main problem with the Ryan Reynolds GL is that he lacked confidence. Hal Jordan should be brash and OVER confident; that's what makes the character fun.

Having John Stewart would allow a fresh break and give us someone confident from the start. The impression that modern John gives me is that he's bad ass; you don't mess with John Stewart. That's what the GL property needs in order to separate from the image of Ryan Reynolds thinking about how Daddy died every time things go sideways.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I haven't bothered with the movie because I can't stand Ryan Reynolds and the reviews were more than enough to put me off. I haven't read any of the comics but the concept has always intrigued me so I hope they do reboot the series and create something better.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Jordan or nothing.

Of course, Will Smith would make a great Hal Jordan.

 

[Shazam!]

OR... just get a good writer and director for GL2. There's a good film in that first one. It just got totally bogged down in daddy issues for EVERY CHARACTER and bollocks melodrama.

 

[JRoss]

Yeah, but you need to change actors.

 

[Gov Kodos]

I don't see why not, though I have more inclination to see a Marvel film. They've been more consistently entertaining for me than those with DC characters.

 

[Skywalker]

Not that I'm a terribly huge fan of Hal Jordan (or the movie), but there's no need to drop everything and start over. Just keep Reynolds and stick him in the JL movie, then use that as a springboard to a second GL movie. With both Batman and Superman together in JL, it's not like Reynolds' presence is going to scare people away.

 

[Relayer1]

I really can't see what was so awful about the first one. A better 2nd film is needed, but I don't think a complete reboot would work - it's way too soon.

Besides which, it's time to stop all this 'reboot' frenzy. I'ts too much - Superman Returns was fine - a more exciting follow up was required, but the cast and characters worked. We need a 4th Batman film bringing in the rest of the DC Universe, not a third '1st Batman movie' after Nolan quits. Don't start me on Spiderman...

 

[OmahaStar]

That's too bad. I enjoyed the Green Lantern movie. That I know of, I have yet to read any GL comics, so I went in without any expectations, just hoping it would be fun. And, it was. All the backstory I needed was presented in the movie, it did the whole origin thing, perfectly setting up a sequel.

I walked out of the theater hoping I'd get to watch more movies in the series. Still hoping.

 

[Sindatur]

That's too bad. I enjoyed the Green Lantern movie. That I know of, I have yet to read any GL comics, so I went in without any expectations, just hoping it would be fun. And, it was. All the backstory I needed was presented in the movie, it did the whole origin thing, perfectly setting up a sequel.

I walked out of the theater hoping I'd get to watch more movies in the series. Still hoping.

I rented it on Cable On Demand, and remember seeing him on Superfriends in the 1970s, and read a comic book or two back then, but, basically, I echo OmahaStar's sentiment. I had no preconceived notions except that he needed a Ring that made Green things, recharged it with a Green Lantern, and the basic look of the character. I enjoyed the fact, he treated the Hot Ring like a Hotrod at first, that was realistic for a Fighter Pilot who received a ring like that. In real life, it's far more likely someone would think of personal gain or fun first and not automatically think "I'll be a Goody-Goody Superhero with this Ring". I had no problem with him having to struggle through his personal Demons, considering the power of fear over the Ring's usage.

 

[DarKush]

I would prefer a total reboot. And using John or Kyle.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

The movie certainly had flaws, but I enjoyed it overall. I think a reboot is a safer bet than a sequel, and the best way to do a reboot is probably to put John Stewart in a Justice League movie and then spin him off into a solo movie if that was successful. A solo movie could perhaps also feature an older Hal Jordan as a legendary Green Lantern.

 

[Christopher]

I think the GL movie gets a bum rap. It's certainly flawed, but not actually bad. If it had come out eight years earlier, it probably would've been seen as one of the stronger superhero movies out there. But it had the misfortune to come out in the same season as three superlative superhero movies, X-Men First Class, Thor, and Captain America, and it paled in comparison to them. It was more a victim of timing than anything else.

That and a victim of bloated Hollywood budgets. The problem with big action movies these days is that they cost so insanely much to make that it becomes far harder to make a profit from them. So a performance that would be quite strong for a more modestly budgeted movie is considered a flop for a 9-figure production like this.

I actually liked Ryan Reynolds as Hal, and I feel his charisma as the lead was a large part of what made the movie work despite its story and structural flaws.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I really can't see what was so awful about the first one. A better 2nd film is needed, but I don't think a complete reboot would work - it's way too soon.

I loved it myself, but they didn't make enough profit to follow it up with a simple sequel.

They ought to go the "Hulk" route - rehab the character in the Justice League movie, then maybe do another GL movie. They should keep Reynolds, though - he was perfect for the part.

 

[Gojira]

I also enjoyed the GL film. My biggest problem with the movie was the lighting. It was too dark at times!! I thought the scenes off of earth and on the Planet Oa or in outer space were the best.

I am tired of origin stories!!! Spider-man and Superman are getting rebooted with new origin stories. If Batman gets another reboot they better not do another origin story!!!!

I would rather see them do a GL2 rather than another reboot. I thought Ryan Reynolds did fine as Hal/GL. But if they absolutely have to reboot GL just don't do another origin story!!!

 

[Christopher]

I also enjoyed the GL film. My biggest problem with the movie was the lighting. It was too dark at times!!

That's a consequence of the 3D process, which makes the 2D version look darker. Also, sometimes theaters forget to swap out the 3D lenses in their projectors when they run 2D films, and the thicker lenses absorb more light and make the movies look even darker on the screen. It's a common problem these days.

I am tired of origin stories!!! Spider-man and Superman are getting rebooted with new origin stories.

Although from the trailers of The Amazing Spider-Man, it looks as though the origin elements may be secondary to the story about Peter's search for answers about his parents. Which could be cool, since it wouldn't just be the same story beats over again.

 

[Gojira]

I also enjoyed the GL film. My biggest problem with the movie was the lighting. It was too dark at times!!

That's a consequence of the 3D process, which makes the 2D version look darker. Also, sometimes theaters forget to swap out the 3D lenses in their projectors when they run 2D films, and the thicker lenses absorb more light and make the movies look even darker on the screen. It's a common problem these days.

I am tired of origin stories!!! Spider-man and Superman are getting rebooted with new origin stories.

Although from the trailers of The Amazing Spider-Man, it looks as though the origin elements may be secondary to the story about Peter's search for answers about his parents. Which could be cool, since it wouldn't just be the same story beats over again.

Ah, I didn't know that the darkness was a problem associated with the 3D process. It makes sense though.

I do agree that the new Spider-Man movie does look like the origin is secondary and I hope that proven true. I hope they have done the same thing with Superman.

 

[Jax]

As a non GL fan (well I don't read any comics) I enjoyed the movie it was solid but clearly weaker than the Batman and Spiderman movies of this world. The problem with DC comics is outsode of Batman and Superman (Superman has issues in these times) audiences no little about them and consider them to be weaker than Marvel comics. Any GL reboot will flop IMO as will most of there other comic movies should they get made.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

The problem with DC comics is outsode of Batman and Superman (Superman has issues in these times) audiences no little about them and consider them to be weaker than Marvel comics.

Most of the general public doesn't differentiate much, if at all, between DC and Marvel, having only a vague idea, or no idea, of which characters belong to which publisher. All superheroes get lumped together in their mind. Iron Man was no more well-known to the general public than Green Lantern prior to 2008. It's just a matter of finding the right approach, the right cast and then executing it properly to make a successful superhero film (although even good movies can fail for any number of reasons). Third time's the charm is probably going to be the case for the Hulk in terms of solo movies in the post-Avengers setting.