Justice League of America

[goldenboy]

It's Official: Justice League Moving Ahead at WB

Warner Bros. is moving aggressively ahead with the big screen adaptation of DC Comics' Justice League of America, with George Miller (Happy Feet) on board to direct, reports Variety.

The project, which is in the initial phases of casting, is a pre-strike priority for the studio, which needs a superhero tentpole in 2009.

Still, making all the pieces fit has been complicated by overlapping superhero projects in the pipeline, since "Justice League" features a pantheon of superheroes, including Superman and Batman.

Batman and Superman are active properties for the studio, though the next installment in the Superman franchise has taken a backseat to "Justice League" in part because Warners is so keen on the "Justice League" script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney.

"Justice League" will likely feature the characters of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman.

The project is so complicated -- and casting dependent -- that even those deeply involved in the project are holding their breath until production begins.

"They're working very hard to get it to happen," said one party close to the project. "But there are so many characters it's complicated."
It's Official: Justice League Moving Ahead at WB - Superhero Hype! (http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=6321)


So, if this doesn't have Routh or Bale and it's live action, it's gonna be kind of strange. George Miller also directed the Mad Max movies, so the action shouldn't be a problem.

[Vilandra]

I don't think it should have Bale or Routh - that would make it the Batman-Superman movie and it shouldn't be that. imo :)

[goldenboy]

Point taken. So WB/DC may have a JLA franchise and Bats and Supes ones, all with separate continuities. I guess it's fine. All the Marvel movies are distinct and separate, so far.

[Black King]

I think its for the best if they keep all their movies separate continuity wise. the more they try to interconnect the movies the less time they'll focus on showcasing the others rather then Batman and Superman IMO.

[prydain]

I agree with Vil completely, it should have a completely unique cast and should not be intertwined with any of Warner Bros.' other superhero movies. I think if they tried that route people would feel cheated and confused anyway.

[goldenboy]

I don't know why it didn't connect with me. They're shooting this in Sydney. George Miller's an Aussie. Apparently, they just hired Owen Paterson for the production design (Matrix, V for Vendetta).

And allegedly, the Aussie actress Victoria Hill recently read for the part of Wonder Woman.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/09/08/macbeth_narrowweb__300x447,0.jpg

[Vilandra]

Hmmm I'd rather have her than some known teeny bopper actress lol

[goldenboy]

This kinda bums me out if true...

Jessica Biel in talks for 'Justice' (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972674.html?categoryid=13&cs=1)

I mean, she's gorgeous, but I think an unknown's better, yeah.

[goldenboy]

OK. Be warned, the following piece is filled with spoilage (unless it's complete BS).

Justice League of America - Exclusive Leaks (http://movieblog.ugo.com/index.php/movieblog/more/bhc_exclusive_spoiler_details_on_the_jla_movies_st oryline/)

So, this is based on existing storylines? You DC people would know.

[Black King]

It sounds like they doing a cross between the story line of JLA Tower of Babel and The OMAC project. the point of both being Batman paranoid as he is comes up with counters to every member of the league/was to spy on them all over earth and they get stolen.

If i had to guess the villain is probably Ra's Al Ghul

So happy about the Green Lantern news :)

[goldenboy]

Biel Passes on Wonder Woman role

Sep 27, 2007, 09:34 PM | by Sean Smith

EW has learned that actress Jessica Biel has decided to pass on playing Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. live-action adaptation of Justice League of America. The former 7th Heaven star had been in early talks to play the Amazonian princess. She's currently shooting the drama Powder Blue with Forest Whitaker. —Nicole Sperling
Biel Passes on Wonder Woman role | Hollywood Insider | Blog | Movies | Music | TV: Entertainment Weekly (http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2007/09/biel-passes-on-.html)

[prydain]

I'd turn down an offer to play Wonder Woman too.

But oh wait. I don't have a va jay jay so I couldn't anyway.

[goldenboy]

Wonder if it was the money. Or she had to sign a 3 picture deal or something.

[Vilandra]

Or she was afraid it would kill her career if it bombed...

[goldenboy]

Green Lantern JLA Candidate #2: Tyrese Gibson - Exclusive

Posted by Patrick on 09/27 at 04:17 PM

Transformers star Tyrese Gibson is in the running to play the part of Green Lantern John Stewart in the Justice League of America movie. I learned this information from a source who added the preference that Tyrese is merely one of several potential candidates that Warner Bros. is considering for Green Lantern. Whether or not Tyrese lands the part remains to be seen.

After having an importing role in this summer’s biggest movie, Transformers, Gibson may very well be in a bright position to be hired as DC’s emerald protector. Remember that the talk concerning who will play the roles of Superman, Batman and the rest of the League members began as unknowns having a the edge over established names like Christian Bale (Batman Begins), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Tom Welling (Smallville). Earlier this week Variety reported that Jessica Biel was a candidate to play Wonder Woman. That was immediately after a story surfaced that an Australian actress named Victoria Hill had also audition for the part of the Amazonian princess. It seems that both lesser known and higher profile actors are all either auditioning for the JLA parts or being considered.

The movie’s makers could decide to cast the seven JLA members using a mixture of recognizable and up-and-coming talent or go with established names. Certainly Tyrese Gibson and Jessica Biel are higher profile Hollywood actors than T.I. and Victoria Hill—but that doesn’t mean a thing until we know what the JLA filmmakers have in their minds. The recent past track record for WB superhero movies doesn’t really help us out much either: for Batman Begins WB made a decision to go with Christian Bale, by no means an unknown actor but also not an A-list star; and for Superman Returns the biggest career credits that the man that eventually got the job to play the Man of Steel were guest appearances on Will and Grace and The Gilmore Girls. It seems that everyone except the biggest name actors in show business (the Brad Pitts, the George Clooneys, the Leonardo DiCaprios, etc.) are up for membership in the JLA—most likely in effort to keep the budget for this summer tentpole more manageable.
Tyrese Gibson may play Green Lantern in the JLA movie | Back Row Chatter | UGO.com (http://movieblog.ugo.com/index.php/movieblog/more/green_lantern_jla_candidate_2_tyrese_gibson/)

[Vilandra]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[prydain]

Ugh! What a horrible casting decision.

[goldenboy]

I've never seen Tyrese act. Is that something he can actually do? lol.

I wish they'd just go with unknowns, great thespians. Assuming she can act, I want that Victoria Hill chick for WW...

[goldenboy]

OK, I guess EW may be a more reputable source for...rumors.

'Justice' Is Served

What's the deal with ''Justice League of America''? -- EW has the scoop on the Warner Bros. film that could give ''Watchmen'' and ''Dark Knight'' a run for their money

By Nicole Sperling

Holy blockbuster, Batman! Geeks everywhere are aflutter over the news that the Caped Crusader and his superhero cohorts Superman and Wonder Woman are finally flying to the big screen together in a live-action film version of the comic-book classic Justice League of America. ''Except for The Watchmen and Dark Knight, nothing is causing more nerd excitement than Justice League,'' says comic-book writer Brad Meltzer, who relaunched the franchise for DC Comics last year. ''Like X-Men, this is the comic-book creator's crown jewel.''

Though the studio will still not officially confirm it, Warner Bros.' League feature is scheduled to begin production in Australia next February under Happy Feet director George Miller. But some Hollywood power players aren't taking it too well, given that the movie could hinder future plans for DC Comics film franchises, including the ongoing Batman and Superman series, and long-gestating theatrical takes on Wonder Woman and the Flash. Sources say that Warner Bros. was prompted to move quickly on Justice League by three factors: a screenplay that ''they flipped out over''; an open spot in their summer 2009 calendar; and the increasing probability of an industry-wide strike that would shut down all productions by next July. EW has obtained an early version of the script — which was written by Kieran and Michele Mulroney — and what we've seen remains faithful to the comic book that first appeared in 1960. (Stop reading if you're spoiler-phobic.) All seven original members of the Justice League — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter — are featured in an origins story about the superhero conglomerate. The plot revolves around villainous businessman Maxwell Lord and involves cyborgs called OMACs (One-Man Army Corps), who can take over humans and turn them into killing machines. There are epic battle scenes between Superman and Batman, as well as Superman and Wonder Woman, and League could spawn a slew of additional franchises if it's successful.

But what about the existing franchises? Christian Bale is not expected to star as League's Batman, and many in Hollywood are wondering whether this continuity breach will distract audiences who turn out for Knight next July. Director Christopher Nolan is reportedly unhappy that the studio is making League. (Nolan is currently ''knee-deep'' in production and unavailable for comment, according to his reps.) Sources close to director Bryan Singer say he had to be reassured that Superman: Man of Steel wouldn't be affected. (The film is still in development, and Singer has the option to bow out if the script is not up to par.) And while Brandon Routh has said he would gladly reprise his role as the Man of Steel for League, it's not clear if Warner Bros. wants him for the film. The studio declined to comment for this story, but according to one source familiar with their plans for League, ''Warner doesn't believe they are cannibalizing [these other franchises] partly because it's unlikely Brandon and Christian will be in it. They believe the movies can live in parallel universes.'' Whether Justice will jump-start or derail the Wonder Woman and Flash films is unclear. Sources say that concerns about hurting individual franchises are what kept Warner Bros. president and COO Alan Horn from greenlighting a multi-superhero movie for years.
What's the deal with ''Justice League of America''? | Justice League of America | Movie News | Movies | Entertainment Weekly (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20058967,00.html)

[N4H]

I never got the feeling there was any real concern as far as continuity with who plays what character in the DC franchise. I think that's all just more to build up buzz.

Hey, if they call Superman "the caped crusader" in the film, the Muslims won't like that. I wonder how that translates in Arabic. Does he become the caped Jihadist?

[goldenboy]

Was it Superman that was the Caped Crusader? Maybe Batman. Whoever it was can expect a terse letter from CAIR I'm sure...

[teentitan]

I think Henry Simmons would be a good choice for the Green Lantern role.

[goldenboy]

More alleged plot details. Implies this isn't an origin story...

More Exclusive Story Info About the Justice League of America Movie! (http://movieblog.ugo.com/index.php/movieblog/more/more_exclusive_story_info_about_the_justice_league _of_america_movie/)

[prydain]

I sort of like origin stories but oh well.

[goldenboy]

Justice League of America has Been Delayed!

Written by Robert Sanchez
Monday, 07 January 2008

Justice League of America will not start shooting as originally planned.

I get the emails daily from our readers asking what is going on with JLA, yes there has been an incredible amounts of delays and there wasn’t much of answer coming from our sources, until today.

There hadn’t been much of a slowdown as preparations were still underway over at Australia's Fox Studios as artists, set designers and other crew were busy prepping the film before the Holiday break but why hasn’t the cast been officially announced?

“Justice League is indeed in danger of not starting production on time and maybe even getting scrapped altogether” is what a studio source told the IESB last week. "The concerns are that the script is not ready to go in front of cameras, and also that the budget is getting a bit out of control, the WGA strike has proven to be Kryptonite to Superman and friends."

So while the cast is apparently locked, the studio has had to go back to the actors and extend their holds. IESB was told that at least two high level studio execs headed to Australia right before Christmas to try to resolve these issues and get the film get back on schedule.

“George Miller really wants this movie to be way big but the cast is 100% unknowns,” our source continues.

Another problem we are hearing is that some upper level execs including the new big boss Jeff Robinov is not too sure if the timing is right for JLA. Most of it has to do with the Nolan camp not being happy with the decision of moving forward with the JLA film considering the positive buzz surrounding The Dark Knight.

So what is going to happen? “The cast for Justice League is mediocre, the execs know it's mediocre, it's going to go down to wire on this one, this movie cold be huge but right now it's plagued with a couple of big issues and the WGA strike isn’t making things easier,” our source tell us.

So what's the final verdict on Justice League? I was having dinner this evening when I got a call from one of our moles over at Warner Bros. who told us, "Justice League has been pushed back to at least April or May and possibly a start date as late as June or July…that is of course if the movie doesn't get scrapped altogether."

IESB.net - Movie News, Reviews, Interviews and More! - Justice League of America has Been Delayed! (http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4059&Itemid=99)

[Black King]

Blog@Newsarama Justice League film shelved (http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/01/16/justice-league-film-shelved/)

Not surprisingly, Variety reports that the Justice League movie has been officially shelved for a couple of reasons, one being the current writer’s strike:

Warner Bros. has let the options lapse on the young cast that director George Miller chose to play DC superhero staples. The move made it clear that the project is no longer eyeing a spring start. It most likely won’t get underway until late summer or fall at the earliest.

Castmembers were informed late Tuesday that their options would not be exercised, but they were also told that the studio is determined to make the film, with them in it. Unfortunately, there were insurmountable problems that made a delay the best option. The studio’s reasons included not getting the official response it needed on tax breaks from shooting in Australia. And while WB execs like the script they got from Kieran and Michele Mulroney, it would benefit from a little more work, something that isn’t possible because of the writer’s strike.

Some were surprised that the studio didn’t exercise cast options anyway. The deals gave WB the flexibility to exercise the deals immediately, or in July, and the actors will be making salaries in the low six-figure range. While Adam Brody, cast as The Flash, has a track record, most of the cast is comprised of newcomers like Armie Hammer Jr., who plays Batman, and Megan Gale, who will play Wonder Woman.

If the script needs work, better they wait than to try moving forward.

:(

[Cordelia Chase*]

Wow! A justice league movie would be amamzing but what about all th other characters? When i watch the cartoon or the comics i like seeing everyone. and in Justice league, batman and Superman are not my favorites. I love Wonderwoman, Flash, Green Lanturn, Martain Manhunter

[Vilandra]

Agreed - it the other characters that make it good :)

[Cordelia Chase*]

Yep...and Tyrese as G.L.! Um..im not feeling that. And im a very big Tyrese fan. He can act but I dont see him playing Green Lantern

[goldenboy]

Justice League

Aussie helmer George Miller has mounted a public campaign to pressure the Oz government and its screen finance mandarins to change their minds and let him tap the new rebate for "Justice League Mortal," which would give his production company a 40% refund on qualifying below-the-line costs.

The director of "Happy Feet" is threatening to lense the WB-backed superhero blockbuster in New Zealand or Canada if the Film Finance Corp. Australia, which issues provisional certificates, does not award one to the project.

In mid-January, WB put "Justice League" into turnaround and let thesp options lapse because the script was not ready and negotiations with the FFC were not finalized.

A provisional certificate would guarantee eligibility for the rebate so long as the project then adhered to its production plan.

In radio and newspaper interviews Wednesday, Miller said: "We don't know officially that we've been knocked back, but it's not looking good. It's taken too long to make a decision, and the film's going overseas now, which is incredibly wasteful for the Australian film industry."

The Oz industry is split about whether the rebate should fund all films made by Aussie filmmakers in Oz or only those that tell Australian stories and genuinely originated there.

"Justice League" was developed by Warner Bros. and originally titled "Justice League: America."

The legislation is being interpreted in favor of the "Aussie story" model, but the FFC could not confirm this because it has a policy of not discussing individual projects.

"That shows how rigid the thinking is here in Australia; that's working to a paradigm that's 30 years old and brought down the Australian film industry," Miller said.

He added the rebate is being interpreted subjectively. "That thinking dooms us to making small films that not even Australians want to see.

"I'm dancing as fast as I can with the studio to have them hang on here. We're going to appeal (if the FFC doesn't grant the certificate) because it's not just 'Justice League' -- we have other films with Australian directors."

Miller wants to lense the pic in Sydney at his new joint-venture facility with Omnilab.
George Miller fights for 'Justice' - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982652.html?categoryid=13&cs=1)


Assuming this movie actually gets made...they aren't really gonna call it Justice League Mortal, are they? Horrible. I don't care if it's referencing something critical in the story. Ugh.

[teentitan]

I believe this is the real reason for the delay in starting this movie...


Could a legal victory banish Superman to Hollywood's phantom zone?

That's a possibility after a recent court ruling gave the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel a share of the U.S. copyright to the character. The lawsuit also means the studio will potentially have to pay the family millions in profits from 2006's Superman Returns.

Siegel sold the superhero for a paltry $130 to DC Comics in the 1930s. Decades later, around the time of the Christopher Reeve movies, Siegel and co-creator Joe Shuster were compensated for their work, but those payments still paled in comparison to the true value of the character. Siegel died in 1996.

Presumably, the ruling could give Warners pause about revisiting the comic-book icon in either a sequel to Superman Returns or a Justice League movie.

Of course, even before the decision, the studio hadn't settled on which Superman filmgoers would see next: Brandon Routh's version or a fresh face in League.

"I hear they're talking about script ideas for a sequel (to Returns)," says Kevin Spacey, who would return as Lex Luthor.

Adds his co-star Kate Bosworth a.k.a. Lois Lane, "We're always the last to hear."

Asked about this nerd-tastic news, rapper-turned-actor Common, who is signed to play Green Lantern in Justice League, will only say that, "I can't really talk about that situation, to be honest. I wish I could."


So is it dead or will the studio pay up? I think the sequel and JLA movie will be on the shelf for a few years because the studio will want to recover from the writers strike and the possibility of the actors strike to come.

[goldenboy]

Had you guys ever heard about this one?


Justice League of America: Pilot (1997) TV Review

By Joseph Savitski • | August 8, 2004 (4:30 am) | ShareThis

After the disaster that was “Batman and Robin”, DC Comics tried to regain face with a live-action television pilot of their popular super team, the Justice League of America. Unfortunately, the finished product only made matters worse and was quickly shelved, never to see the light of day. But eBay shoppers and convention attendees can easily obtain this failed effort, and at the very least satisfy any curiosity about how the team looks in flesh and blood.

The citizens of New Metro live under the protection of several powerful heroes: Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lantern, Fire, and Captain Atom. Our heroes are needed when a mysterious super villain known as the Weatherman (Miguel Ferrer) attacks the city using meteorological means. Can the team stop the villain in time, all the while helping a woman to discover that she has super powers of her own?

Credit should be given to David Ogden Stiers and Miguel Ferrer, as Martian Manhunter and The Weatherman, respectively. As veteran actors, they know a turkey when they see one, but it never dawns on them to phone in their performances. Both are excellent in a show that simply doesn’t warrant such excellence, and their work ethic should be applauded. The rest of the cast just meanders through their roles, delivering lines blandly and without enthusiasm. Superheroes ought to inspire excitement, but this team is so dull they only inspire drowsiness.

The script credited to Lorne Cameron and David Hoselton is poorly written and frequently borders on the absurd. TV pilots are supposed to showcase the show’s strengths in order to attract new viewers, but if this is the best they can come up with you’d shudder to think what subsequent episodes would have been like. The writers also manage to emasculate the heroes, forcing them to recite wince-inducing dialogue.

Helmer Felix Enriquez Alcala doesn’t contribute much either; he seems to have realized he was in charge of a sinking ship and didn’t see much point in expending any effort. He does the bare minimum, moving the production from one scene to another, but any attempts to quicken the pace or add any visual flourishes are absent. Film director Lewis Teague also tried to lend a hand, but couldn’t find a way to salvage things and wisely requested to remain unaccredited.

Great special effects and costumes can mask a multitude of sins in a bad comic book film. Too bad “Justice League of America” doesn’t have either of those. The effects by Digital Magic and Vision Crew Unlimited are amateurish and hardly believable. The costumes are equally bad, looking like something the producer’s Mom made in an effort to save money. It’s sad to see that while the show lacks any substance, the producers cared so little they couldn’t even be bothered to add any style.

There really aren’t enough words in the English language to express just how bad “Justice League of America” is. It joins “Catwoman” and the aforementioned fourth “Batman” film in the pantheon of trauma-inducing efforts. Although the CBS network, horror stricken at what they created, shelved this pilot, it is still available on eBay and at comic book conventions. Only the most curious or die-hard comic fans should consider purchasing this.

Be warned: no matter how low a price you pay, you’ve paid too much.

Justice League of America: Pilot (1997) TV Review | BeyondHollywood.com | Asian, Foreign, Horror, and Genre Movie Reviews and News (http://www.beyondhollywood.com/justice-league-of-america-pilot-1997-tv-review/)



Looks like it's all on youtube, in chunks.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=v4DUQgzTz1c&feature=related

[goldenboy]

Megan muscles in on LA

April 14, 2008 10:00pm

Going global ... Megan Gale.

SHE has been camera ready for years, now Tinseltown is getting an up close and personal look at aspiring actor Megan Gale.

The David Jones darling has jetted into Hollywood to start her assault on movie stardom, meeting with casting agents and studio powerbrokers.

Gale will spend two weeks wooing filmmakers and auditioning for a number of projects set up by her Sydney agents.

Having inked a deal for her breakthrough role, playing Wonder Woman on George Miller's Justice League of America, Gale is also expected soon on the Canadian set of the flick - which was delayed after Australian funding for the film fell through last year.

Already trim and taut from her modelling days, Gale has spent months in gruelling training, being whipped into greater shape to play the lasso-wielding super heroine.

Focused on her switch from catwalk queen to big-screen babe, the former fashionista enlisted a crack team to make her big break happen.
Megan muscles in on LA | NEWS.com.au Entertainment (http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23539111-5013560,00.html)


So is this BS or what? Any local buzz in Vancouver N4H?

[N4H]

I haven't heard any mainstream buzz, on the Justice league filming around here, but there is this message board for Hollywood North.

HNR Forums - The Hollywood North Report Message Boards (Powered by Invision Power Board) (http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/forums/)

I didn't click around there looking for anything, but I have in the past, and I know there's this little group of people who network to follow the film sets around. They even take pictures. I remember they were going nuts when the last X Men was filming.

As far as that Wonder Woman girl goes I was talking to some Australians, and they were saying there was a lot of buzz about what's her name getting the part. I checked around a bit then, and it appeared to be pretty kosher. I think there's a quote from Miller somewhere on it.

[goldenboy]

Not sure I get DC/Warner's overall game plan if all this stuff is actually true. There's this, from a few weeks ago:

WB mulls redraw of DC Comics plan (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia50cdcb373435f1b7a1569d16f760546)

And this:

"Green Lantern" Green Lit (http://www.filmfodder.com/scifi/archives/2008/08/green_lantern_g.shtml)

And this:

Warner Takes Aim At David Goyer's SUPER MAX (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/articles/4901.asp)


And JL: Mortal is going back into production?

Justice League movie 'will resume filming next year' says director

By David Bentley on Aug 5, 08 01:11 PM in Hot rumours

IT MAY be called Justice League Mortal but it's still very much alive, according to director George Miller.

Miller, who also helmed Oscar-winning animated movie Happy Feet, says production on the troubled DC comics superhero team-up movie - earlier said to have been shelved - will restart next year, but not in Australia where the project failed to get vital tax concessions.

He added that he was dazzled by the audition given by Aussie supermodel Megan Gale (pictured above), who was chosen to play Wonder Woman in the movie. He is convinced she is perfect for the role of the Amazon princess.

The 5ft 10ins fashion model apparently "blitzed the opposition", Miller told Australia's Herald Sun (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24109597-2902,00.html) newspaper.

"She got the job because she blitzed her screen test. I mean, I had no idea she was so good," Miller said.

"She walked into our office in Sydney and read the part. She has done some Italian movies, but I didn't think she would be as good as she was. But once she read we all looked around at each other and said, 'Well, there's no question'."

Miller (right) revealed that the 32-year-old 'glamazon' had only a few hours of acting training before her audition.

Justice League Mortal had been slated to be filmed in Australia Miller conceded production had been moved offshore, with a plan to resume filming next year.

In June, trade magazine Variety had reported: "The studio [Warner Bros] is likely to revisit a gross deal it made a long time ago for director George Miller to direct Justice League, expected to go into production soon."

In the film, Wonder Woman and the other Justice League members - Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter - join forces to stop evil businessman Maxwell Lord, who has mind-control powers. In the comicbooks, Lord died but he was resurrected when his consciousness was downloaded into a robot.

Canadian actor Jay Baruchel (left), rumoured to be playing a young version of Maxwell Lord, or one of his henchmen, has just told a Canadian movie website he was keen for the movie to go ahead.

"I really, really hope it happens. It was the coolest thing in the world for a nerd like me," says 26-year-old Baruchel, who is best known from last year's Knocked Up, Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby and the TV series Undeclared. "It was going to be awesome."

"Everyone on the internet was hating our movie," Baruchel says, responding to fanboy fears about the project's lack of major stars and the fact it would have cast a new Batman and Superman rather than featuring Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns).

He added: "But you know us cast members were psyched that everybody was gunning for us because it would have only meant people would have been blown away that much more.

"We knew the bulk of the detractors would have been silenced."
http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2008/08/justice-league-movie-will-resu.html

[goldenboy]

Latest rumor—George Miller pulled off Justice League; possibly directing Green Lantern:

IESB Exclusive: Green Lantern Story Details Part 1 and Justice League Intel!
(http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5319&Itemid=99)

[goldenboy]

Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies

By LAUREN A.E. SCHUKER
August 22, 2008; Page B1

Emboldened by this summer's success with "The Dark Knight," Warner Bros.' movie studio is setting a new strategy.

The Time Warner Inc. unit, like some other Hollywood studios, is planning to release fewer films into the crowded marketplace. But the studio, known for making more big, expensive movies than most rivals, plans to make even more of those -- some centered on properties from its DC Comics unit, such as Batman.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov wants the studio to release as many as eight such movies a year by 2011. "The long-term goal of the studio is to take advantage of what has become a very global market by focusing on bigger films that require a bigger commitment," he says. Warner Bros. films released last year grossed $2 billion internationally, about 42% more than their $1.4 billion domestic take.

Mining the comic-book franchise is central to the success of Warner Bros.' strategy. Its lineup of "tent poles" -- Hollywood-speak for big movies that are the foundation of a studio's slate -- has thinned. Warner Bros. has been slow to capitalize on DC, and it now faces a rival in Marvel Entertainment Inc.'s Marvel Studios, the company behind box-office gusher "Iron Man."

Superhero films based on comic-book legends, like "The Dark Knight," have emerged as some of the strongest players in the global market, in part because they're natural candidates for tie-ups with consumer products and games that can also be marketed globally.

"Superheroes are more global than ever in today's commercial world, existing in 30 languages and in more than 60 countries," says Paul Levitz, president and publisher of DC Comics. The characters are "a world-wide export," he says.

Marvel's 'Iron Man,' was a big success at the box office. Warner has been slower to capitalize on its DC Comics characters.

"Films with our DC properties have the opportunity to support other divisions in the company in a way that our other movies don't," Mr. Robinov says, for example, with products such as a Superman game or toys. By 2011, Mr. Robinov plans for DC Comics to supply the material for up to two of the six to eight tent-pole films he hopes Warner Bros. will have in the pipeline by then.

While big ambitions can result in a huge payoff, they can also end in huge losses. Warner's car adventure "Speed Racer" bombed at the box office in May. The film, said to have cost as much as $150 million, has taken in only $43.9 million in the U.S. Some other big-budget Warner films, such as spy comedy "Get Smart," also have failed to meet expectations.

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. shut its two art-house labels, Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures. The studio currently releases 25 to 26 films a year. By 2010, Mr. Robinov plans to pare production to 20 to 22 movies a year.

A movie referred to internally as "Justice League of America," originally said to be for next summer, was planned as one of the studio's major releases. With that film, starring a superhero team, Warner hoped to spark interest in DC characters like Green Lantern who haven't yet attained the level of popularity of Batman. But script problems, among other things, have delayed the movie.

The studio said last week that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," originally slated for November release, would come out next July -- on the same weekend that "The Dark Knight" opened this year. The Batman sequel made more than $150 million in the U.S. that weekend. "We just needed a July movie," said Alan Horn, president of the studio, at the time.

Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes -- known as "Batman vs. Superman" -- after the $215 million "Superman Returns," which had disappointing box-office returns, didn't please executives. "'Superman' didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," says Mr. Robinov. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned." "Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009," he adds. "But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."

One of the studio's other big releases planned for 2009, "Watchmen," is the subject of a high-profile copyright lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox.

Based on the premise that superheroes are real people grappling with their own problems, "Watchmen" is an apocalyptic vision of their world. Fox says it is seeking an injunction to enforce its copyright interest in the film. Last week, a federal judge ruled that it may have rights to the property. News Corp. is the parent of Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co.

With "Batman vs. Superman" and "Justice League" stalled, Warner Bros. has quietly adopted Marvel's model of releasing a single film for each character, and then using those movies and their sequels to build up to a multicharacter film. "Along those lines, we have been developing every DC character that we own," Mr. Robinov says.

Like the recent Batman sequel -- which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far -- Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well.

The studio is set to announce its plans for future DC movies in the next month. For now, though, it is focused on releasing four comic-book films in the next three years, including a third Batman film, a new film reintroducing Superman, and two movies focusing on other DC Comics characters. Movies featuring Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are all in active development.

Many of the studio's directors credit Mr. Robinov for taking Warner Bros.' films in a darker and deeper direction. Christopher Nolan, who directed "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," says Mr. Robinov "really encouraged the logic of the villain" from "Batman Begins." That led to focusing heavily on the Joker in the sequel. "At the script stage, Jeff really wanted us to be very clear on the Joker's lack of purpose," he says.
Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121936107614461929.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)


It still seems like Warners/DC are floundering for a strategy here. Going darker and "evil" for Superman and Wonder Woman? Sounds like they're putting all their eggs in the Dark Knight basket.