Joel Silver thinks he will, and he would probably know. Silver gave a long interview with Moriarty over at AICN, where the long and torturous road of Sgt. Rock was brought up. And the answer was surprisingly optimistic: "I'm going to make that. I'm going to make that very soon. With Guy Ritchie, I think." When pressed for more details, Silver would only reply with, "I hope so."

First, does anyone else think it's crazy that DC Comics would deliver a movie about a humble soldier on-screen faster than the Green Lantern or Wonder Woman? When I think of must-see DC properties, Sgt. Rock doesn't come to mind -- but that might just be me.

And if you're unfamiliar with Sgt. Rock, Wikipedia has his long and glorious WWII history. The short answer is that he is the WW2 soldier to end all soldiers, having fought in every campaign there was. Depending on who you talk to, he either died in the war or lived on to perform covert operations for the United States.

If I asked you to name a half-dozen Marvel characters besides Spider-Man, Wolverine, and The Hulk, you'd probably have no problem. But if I asked you to rattle off six DC Comics superheroes besides Superman and Batman, your response might sound a little like this: "Well, The Flash, of course. And Wonder Woman. Oh, Aquaman! Um ... Green Arrow and Green Lantern, I suppose..." and then I'd rudely interrupt you with mentions of Hawkman and Martian Manhunter before you started shaking your head in either confusion or disbelief in my nerdiness. (I can never tell which is which.)

I know all about the Justice League movie problems and the inability to get Wonder Woman flying, but really: After seeing how well-received Iron Man was -- and after hearing about Marvel's plans regarding The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers -- I'm starting to feel a little bad for DC Comics' movie division. But here's the thing: As a character of popular culture, Iron Man (born 1963) is not exactly a Spider-Man or even close to a Superman -- and still Marvel and Paramount were able to bang a really excellent blockbuster out of the guy. (And let's not forget that a relatively obscure Marvel character called Blade pretty much kick-started this comic-flick renaissance.) Does anyone doubt that a character like The Flash could have similar results? Given the right cast and crew, I'm thinking The Flash could be one hell of a fun flick. So let's get moving already!

Last Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the estate of Jerome Siegel was entitled to claim a share of the United States copyright to all things Superman. Siegel created the character with his partner Joseph Shuster in the 1930's before selling the copyright to Detective Comics (which later became DC Comics, now owned by Time Warner) for a whopping $130. Siegel has been fighting to reclaim a portion of the copyright basically ever since, though all he ever won was a $30,000 annuity that stopped in 1999. Now, 11 years after his death, it looks like he's been vindicated, pending an appeal by Time Warner. You can find more details in this New York Times article.

No one seems sure about what specific implications this will have, and I'm no expert on copyright law, but everyone seems to agree on two things: 1) Time Warner may owe the Siegel estate a lot of money from use of the character since 1999, and 2) this may have thrown at least a temporary wrench into Warner's plans for a follow-up to Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Ordinarily, news that legal squabbling is holding up production on a favorite franchise would lead to a lot of cursing from fans who are shocked -- shocked! -- that money and greed would stand in the way of filmmaking. But this time it's a "little guy" who's causing all the trouble, not a faceless corporation, and it seems churlish to complain.

My prediction: Time Warner will pay the Siegels off. There's too much money in Superman for something like this to halt the assembly line for very long.

Unfortunately, David S. Goyer doesn't have a lot to tell us about any of the many projects he's working on, but most of us will no doubt settle for even the tiniest updates. So, just as I was, you'll probably be satisfied with the little interview he gave to Wizard magazine, in which he was asked about the hottest things he's got in the pipeline. First up is Magneto, the X-Men spin-off/prequel that he scripted and will soon be directing. All he could say is that he's been scouting locations and right now it looks like he'll be primarily filming in Europe and Argentina. He also hinted that he's going to have to budget wisely to get the thing in for a cheap enough price (meaning he wrote some expensive-to-do scenes or Fox doesn't see good reason to spend too much on this one).

Of further interest to comic geeks, Goyer shared that his script for Super Max (aka the Green Lantern Arrow prison movie*) features a number of obscure, "third-tier" super villains, including Icicle from the comic JSA. He says that he gave DC a list of villains he wanted to use and then the comic publisher weeded out the ones it didn't want appearing in the movie. Speaking of DC, Goyer also told Wizard that he's returning to comic books soon with his JSA writing partner Geoff Johns. All he could reveal is that it takes place following the upcoming Final Crisis series.

Goyer isn't all comics, though. He shared with Wizard his inspiration and basic idea for The Invisible Man, which he sees as sort of a sequel to H.G. Wells' novel, and mentioned that he also played loose with the young adult books that Jumper is based upon. The most exciting thing he had to say, at least for Heroes fans, is that he's really interested in scripting an episode of Heroes: Origins. I don't know how he has the time to tackle all of these things right now -- all I can think of is that his real name must be Jamie Madrox -- but I'll just have to patiently await each one in due time.

[ Thanks to ComingSoon.net for the tip. ]

*You know, I think if I had actually been a DC fan, I still would have confused the two Green characters. Apologies to the fans and readers.

Well, we might be getting a big screen version of DC Comic's Justice League sooner than we thought. Robert Sanchez at IESB reports that sources at Warner Bros. confirm that "execs behind the Justice League of America want it to be in production as early as February/March 2008 to be ready for a summer of 2009 release." Last June, Erik reported that a completed script for the film had been turned in by Kiernan and Michele Mulroney. IESB's sources now say Warner was so happy with the result, the studio decided to set an early start date for the film.

We've already heard talk that George Miller (Mad Max) will be signed to direct, but, the big question still remains: With new installments of Batman and Superman on the way, will WB be able to create a crossover with Christian Bale and Brandon Routh reprising their respective roles? Routh seemed more enthusiastic about the idea than Bale, but if WB is in a rush to get Justice League off the ground, the studio will have to start making some decisions. Casting Routh or Bale could cause serious delays with either a potential third Batman film or the next Superman film, The Man of Steel -- which are two pretty big franchises for WB to gamble with. On the other hand, Justice League could launch a franchise all its own. Plus, the film offers the chance for tie-ins with upcoming big screen versions of Wonder Woman and The Flash. So far nothing is official, so stay tuned for JLA updates as they come our way.

I'm guessing that it did not take long for the numbers to roll in on 300 before studios were looking for the next graphic novel to turn into a CGI blockbuster. IESB has reported that there is now talk of a bidding war for Jeff Krelitz's upcoming comic series War In Heaven. Trac2 Media will be developing the film adaptation and according to IESB, DC Comics along with several unnamed studios and comic book publishers are vying for the rights. The comic series is being produced by Krelitz, with co-writing duties going to Craig Hernandez and Keith Giffen (Legion of Superheroes). Giffen's name might ring a bell to fans of Justice League as the author of the international version of the series made in the 80's.

There aren't many details on the story yet, but what is known is that is the story will focus on Lucifer leading a rebellion at the pearly gates. The bad news is that the comic hasn't been written yet, so a film version is pretty far off. IESB is also hosting an sneak peek at some artwork, but they cannot promise that the will be up for long. So if you can't wait for the finished product, you might want to head over now.

Here's how you know I'm a moron: When I first started reading this story, I immediately scratched my head and thought, "Wait, they're remaking that horrible Shaquille O'Neil movie?" Yes, I'm an idiot ... and this is a disability I live with each and every single day. That movie was Kazaam, but this one is Shazam! -- you'll notice the latter has an 'S', an extra 'A' and an exclamation point at the end to let you know it means business. New Line is adapting the DC Comics series for the big screen, and just attached John August to pen the script. Peter Segal will direct, as well as produce alongside Michael Ewing.

By this point, it's pretty obvious I'm not all too familiar with Shazam! The story (which sounds pretty damn cool) revolves around a teenager named Billy Batson who becomes the superhero Captain Marvel when he utters the magic word ... which, of course, is Shazam! The project has certainly made the rounds; at one point, William Goldman and Bryan Goluboff were brought on to pen drafts. However, Segal was interested in August's natural ability to tell big, ambitious stories set in fantastic worlds without sacrificing character. Says August, "What's terrific about the character is that he looks like this superstudly superhero but is really a 13-year-old boy. And to approach everything that is great about a superhero movie from a 13-year-old boy's perspective was a unique way in."

Known for helming a string of very successful comedies (including 50 First Dates, Anger Management, The Longest Yard and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps), it will be interesting to see how Segal approaches a superhero flick. There's no doubt August will turn in a larger-than-life script, and if Segal can stay the course and do what he does best, Shazam! should explode at the box office once it hits theaters. But here's the big question: Who do you get to play the kid and the adult? (And please don't say Ben Affleck.)

One movie we can all thank God didn't happen is McG's Superman movie. But he's been given another chance to upset comic book fans, though not on as big a scale. According to IESB.net, McG has replaced Peter Berg as director on The Losers, an adaptation of the DC/Vertigo title that was a remake of an old WWII-based comic. The updated version features a group of anti-hero ex-special forces soldiers who go to war against the CIA after being betrayed and abandoned. Yes, this sounds a bit like The A-Team, and there is even mention of the similarity on the comic's Wikipedia page. Maybe 20th Century Fox can get their A-Team movie going and the two titles can compete against each other.

As if one studio signing McG isn't enough, IESB.net also reports that Fox is looking to hire the Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle director for the remake of The Fantastic Voyage. For those unfamiliar with the original, a sci-fi classic, it follows the story of a submarine crew shrunken small enough to enter the body of a dying diplomat in order to save him. It also won two Oscars, for visual effects and for art direction, which the new version will probably not receive. Currently, McG is also attached to the comedy Me and My Monster, which is sounds a bit like Little Monsters.

While Warner Bros. continues to be slow with comic adaptations of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and The Flash, it has decided to go ahead with a Justice League of America movie, which could feature all four of these characters as well as Batman and Superman. The studio has officially gotten the project started by hiring the married writing duo Kieran and Michele Mulroney (Mr. & Mrs. Smith; the upcoming Mirrors) to come up with a first draft.

The idea of a Justice League movie is both exciting and difficult to imagine because it would consist of more superhero star power than audiences are used to (Marvel has a similar idea going on with a possible Avengers movie). One big question sure to be driving DC Comics fans mad is will Batman and Superman appear in the contexts of their respective franchises, or in other words will they be played by Christian Bale and Brandon Routh? Maybe Warner Bros. is even thinking of doing the JLA movie in order to launch the franchises for the other four characters (so far we've seen no love for Martian Manhunter at the studio).

My guess is the WB is hoping for a 2010 release, following The Dark Knight in 2008 and Superman: The Man of Steel in 2009. Then, they will get to the spin-offs. And eventually, I'm hoping, there will be some sort of crossover movie that pits the JLA against The Avengers. See, I just can't ever be satisfied. As long as the studios keep producing my dream comic book adaptations, I will have to keep coming up with bigger dreams.

Can you imagine any post-WWII literature being remade and re-imagined as much as the classics of the 19th and early 20th Centuries? Maybe it's just too early. Maybe when I'm an old man, there will be countless adaptations of the Harry Potter books in the way there are presently many versions of Stoker's Dracula, Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Burroughs' Tarzan.

The constant reworking of classics, like Tarzan, likely has something to do with earlier films being too safe or censored. This accounts for remakes being sold as being truer to their source or as being an edgier revisit to something that exists as too innocent and simple in the consciousness of pop culture. The stories of Tarzan have been depicted as everything from childish adventures to mature drama, but Warner Bros. believes there is still another way to tell the tale of the man brought up in the wild.

The studio is looking at John Collee to write a script -- hopefully with Master and Commander in mind more than Happy Feet -- and Guillermo Del Toro to direct. The Pan's Labyrinth filmmaker would possibly be interested in taking on the project following the making of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Del Toro doing Tarzan? We know you have an opinion on this one ...