DC Comics Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Shazam' Movie Still Has a Pulse at Warner Bros.
Filed under: Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
By: John GholsonScreenwriter John August declared the Shazam feature film completely dead in January 2009, unable to come up with a screenplay that seemed to satisfy Warner Bros. "By "dead," I mean that it won't be happening. I don't think it's on the studio's radar at all, " August stated in a blog post.
I'm happy to report that John August was wrong. Shazam is most definitely on Warner Bros radar, and they've tasked DC Comics scribe Geoff Johns and rookie screenwriter Bill Birch with a new version of the script. Birch spoke to CineFOOLS about the project, "The way the story is shaking out, Geoff and I see this not as 'dark' as Dark Knight but definitely as cool...Tonally, I think it's important to successfully find the balance of comedy and danger in the story. That's a major aspect I'm focusing on. Frankly, hitting the right tone is what's going to either get this made or keep it in development hell."
Read the rest over at SciFi Squad
'Sgt. Rock' Looks to the Future with Francis Lawrence
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », War »
Once upon a time, Sgt. Rock was in the hands of Guy Ritchie, and many an Easy Company fan was upset. But you'll undoubtedly wish that Ritchie and Joel Silver had made it to the finish line, because Sgt. Rock will not make it to the big screen in a form you'll recognize. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he has a new director in Francis Lawrence and a whole new space-time continuum. Joel Silver is still on board as producer, and he's bringing Akiva Goldsman on board to help. They've hired newcomer Chad St. John to pen the script. As you may or may not know, Sgt. Rock is a WWII soldier. He's always fought in WWII. The poor guy has never even gotten to leave the European theater. (It was rumored in Swamp Thing that he was transferred to the Pacific, but never confirmed.) Any attempt at a movie adaptation has always gone forward with this central idea of keeping him in his element. But budget, politics, and popularity has always been an issue, and no one believes you can make The Dirty Dozen in this day and age unless you're Quentin Tarantino. So Warner Bros has decided to bypass the drama, and put Sgt. Rock in the future. CG is cheaper than Nazis, and a nondescript soldier of the future is less problematic than an American fighting a good fight. (While no war is a good war, I do think we can all agree that fighting Nazis was a good thing.)
Nothing else is known about this storyline, so I hate to jump to a knee-jerk conclusion as to who or what Sgt. Rock will face there, or whether he will be transported to the future from WWII. But I think this is an unfortunate thing to do to a character who resides in WWII for a very specific and honorable reason. The last thing he should become is a Universal Soldier or Terminator ripoff.
Is Jackie Earle Haley the 'Green Lantern' Villain?
Filed under: Action », Casting », RumorMonger », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
By: John GholsonIt's strictly a rumor until he signs on the dotted line, but Ain't It Cool News reports that Jackie Earle Haley is the frontrunner to play Sinestro in Martin Campbell's upcoming Green Lantern movie. It's an interesting casting choice, but as a longtime Green Lantern fan, I think I pictured someone a little more slick--not as rugged as Haley--to play Green Lantern's arch-enemy.
For those that are unfamiliar with the character, Sinestro is a power-hungry member of the space-faring Green Lantern Corps, chosen to train Hal Jordan (played in the upcoming film by Ryan Reynolds). Sinestro eventually turns against the Corps and faces off against his pupil.
Read the rest at SciFi Squad
Five Vertigo Comic Titles DC Need To Make Into Movies
Filed under: Deals », Warner Brothers », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
If you're not a fan of comic book flicks, it's going to be an interesting couple of years at the movies for you. Between Marvel and Disney joining forces, and DC having started their own media conglomerate (as Elisabeth told us just last week), there is no escaping the ink and panel crowd. But there's an upside if you're especially sick of superheroes, because during a conversation between MTV and the head of the newly formed DC Entertainment, Diane Nelson, she hinted that DC is planning something a little different in the world of comic book movies. Splashpage recently spoke with the woman of the hour, and she told them that not only will DC be putting some lapsed titles back into the pipeline (leaving us to speculate on whether or not Wonder Woman will get her film debut), but that the so-called 'lesser known' titles of the Vertigo universe could be getting a big-screen makeover as well.
According to Nelson, Warners will be the main arm of the film component of the new initiative, but like most business dealings in the Dream Factory, Nelson was pretty light on the details. What she did say was the following: "Vertigo is an area of great interest to me. It is even less well tapped than other parts of DC, and could potentially offer amazing stories" Now, a few of Vertigo's titles are already in movie development (like Preacher and the occasional rumblings of a Constantine aka Hellblazer sequel), but most of those projects haven't made much progress.
After the jump: the trouble with Vertigo, and some of the titles I would like to see on the big screen...
Watch Out Marvel! Warner Bros Creates DC Entertainment
Filed under: Deals », Executive shifts », Distribution », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
The dust hasn't even begun to settle on the Marvel / Disney deal before DC Comics decided to engage in some major overhauling on their own. Deadline Hollywood Daily broke the news that Warner Bros had taken over DC Comics and created a new brand called DC Entertainment. DC Comics' president Paul Levitz will step down, and Diane Nelson will head up DCE. She's a name moviegoers wouldn't know, but you know her results, as she's the other woman who helped make Harry Potter such a worldwide phenomenon. While you might think the timing is a knee-jerk reaction to what Marvel and Disney just did, the truth is that Warner Bros and DC have been working on this revamp for a long time. That's apparent in the slow and steady changes we've seen lately, like the studio reaching out and bringing notable DC writers on board to oversee their movie development. According to Variety, one of the ongoing problems with Warner Bros developing DC titles was that they didn't have an executive "inside the comic book company with the right sensibility for producing tentpoles, or at least the experience of managing all aspects of a major franchise." Finke notes that the uneven relationship between the two companies produced all those pre-production stops and starts that annoy fans so much, and caused the Watchmen lawsuit that nearly delayed the film this past spring.
The Geek Beat: Crazy Comic Stories
Filed under: The Geek Beat »
I've decided to launch a new, semi-regular feature within The Geek Beat. As you can probably imagine, it's quite difficult to come up with a new geeky topic week after week, and news occasionally becomes scarce. Holiday weekends are especially rough for discussion topics, and a girl is forced to invent her own. So, I've decided to borrow a page from Guy Ritchie and Warner Bros, and launch something I'm calling "Adapt This!"
You see, there are characters within the universes of Marvel and DC that are just kind of ... off. You wonder what drugs people were on when they created them, and you subsequently wonder what someone might have to be on to option them for a movie. However, this is a day and age of geekdom when no holds are barred, when Lobo finds a teenage sidekick and Youngblood is considered a "Heck yeah, too cool!" property. So, I've decided to just comb through the comic archives, pick a character (nearly) at random, and present a case for adaptation. It's all tongue in cheek, though the wild west nature of optioning says you could see any one of these in a theater near you.
This week's selection: Granny Goodness!
You see, there are characters within the universes of Marvel and DC that are just kind of ... off. You wonder what drugs people were on when they created them, and you subsequently wonder what someone might have to be on to option them for a movie. However, this is a day and age of geekdom when no holds are barred, when Lobo finds a teenage sidekick and Youngblood is considered a "Heck yeah, too cool!" property. So, I've decided to just comb through the comic archives, pick a character (nearly) at random, and present a case for adaptation. It's all tongue in cheek, though the wild west nature of optioning says you could see any one of these in a theater near you.
This week's selection: Granny Goodness!
Nikolaj Arcel and Guillermo Del Toro Bringing 'Deadman' to Life
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
One thing I'm loving about Warner Bros and their DC collection is that they aren't neglecting the boys and girls of their Strange Adventures and Weird Western Tales in favor of flashier and more marketable superheroes. So, all should be suitably intrigued by Variety reporting that Warner Bros is bringing Deadman to the bigscreen. The studio has brought Nikolaj Arcel on to direct, and Guillermo Del Toro will produce alongside Don Murphy. Those who follow the exhaustive properties Del Toro has lined up for himself probably remember that he was eying the director's chair for himself a few years back.So, who is Deadman? Well, he's that pale fellow to your right, and was once a circus acrobat named Boston Brand. His happy life on the high wire was cut short by an assailant known only as The Hook, but he was given a second life courtesy of Hindu goddess Rama Kushna. She gave his spirit the power to possess any living person he chose in order to find his assailant, and assist in the ongoing battle against evil. With his circus past, he's naturally brushed crossovers with the unfortunate Graysons, and he's met up with lots of dead DC heroes. He's most recently popped up in that Green Lantern arc everyone's talking about, Blackest Night, and is helping fight the good fight. Despite not being that well known, Deadman is an intriguing, eerie hero and very movie worthy.
No start date has been set for Deadman, and I'm ashamed to say that I'm unfamiliar with Arcel's work. But with Warner Bros, DC, and Del Toro backing him, I'm expecting good things. They seem unable to do wrong at the WB.
The Disney Deal: Good News for Video Games Too?
Filed under: Deals », Disney », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Tech Stuff »
Disney's $4 billion purchase of Marvel means the gloves are coming off when it comes to comic books and all the possibilities for making money off of them, from toys and cartoons to movies and video games – and video game movies.
Disney is just one of the media conglomerates that's digging deeper into the video game world, and while that does include some rather unfortunate tie-in titles like "Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show," it also includes really good games like "Kingdom Hearts," a role-playing game featuring classic Disney characters like Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. And while I haven't played it myself, at least one video game girl professional told me I absolutely must play "G-Force." Seriously.
Right now Warner Bros. is definitely beating the other media giants, both with movie/comic book tie-ins like "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and innovative new games like "Scribblenauts." Now that Disney has its mitts on Marvel, we can expect plenty of Marvel superheroes and villains getting the Disney (well, hopefully Pixar) treatment. Is it possible that Disney will step up its game, so to speak, when it comes to competing with WB and DC's superior titles?
The Siegels Win Back Pieces of Krypton
Filed under: Deals », Warner Brothers », Celebrities and Controversy », Distribution », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Things are looking pretty grim for the Man of Steel, at least when it comes to his future on the silver screen. As you might remember, Warner Bros, DC Comics, and the Siegel family have been tied up in court over who is entitled to what when it comes to the Man of Steel. While Warner Bros tentatively won the first round, they only have until 2011 to make a Superman movie before being sued for damages.But a new ruling has cost Warner Bros and DC Comics pieces of the character. Superman is literally chopped into pieces between the Siegels, DC Comics, and Warner Bros which will do nothing but hurt in the long run. According to Variety, the Siegels have recaptured the rights to the first two weeks of the daily Superman newspaper strips, and portions of Action Comics and Superman comics. They apparently now control all depictions of Superman's origin story, which means they now own Krypton, its fiery destruction, Jor-El and Lora, and Kal El. In 2008, the Siegels recaptured the rights to the Superman character (which includes his costume and his alter-ego of Clark Kent), Lois Lane, the Daily Planet, its gruff editor, and their love triangle. DC still owns Jimmy Olson, his ability to fly, Lex Luthor, kryptonite, and Superman's expanded powers and origins.
Morgan Freeman Goes Top Secret For 'Red'
Filed under: Action », Thrillers », Casting », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
You know, I think Morgan Freeman likes playing in the comic book world. After turns in Wanted, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight, Freeman is currently in talks to join another DC production. According to Variety, he's in talks to costar with Bruce Willis in Red, an adaptation of Warren Ellis' 3-book series. Ellis' series centers on a former black-ops CIA agent named Moses. He's retired and enjoying the quiet life, and the CIA is happy to let him do so, until a new director is hired, and decides to pull up his file. When the director finds out what Moses actually did, he decides that he's a liability, and sends a high tech assassin to kill him. When the book was optioned last year, it was reported they'd added a love interest, and that Moses would be getting the old team back together. There would also be a generational divide as Moses contends with younger agents who rely on new and improved gadgets. Variety doesn't say whether all those new twists and turns have been kept, but I suspect they have, as three issues aren't quite enough to make a movie out of.
Red is one of the only DC Comics to jump the Warner Bros. ship, and is being produced at Summit Entertainment. Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber are penning the script, and the movie doesn't yet have a director. Maybe Freeman can lure in his Invictus boss, and break him into the comic book world?
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Robert Downey Jr. Wants to Retire?
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