Possible Future Films From DC*
Batman 3
While the date hasn't been announced yet, its 95% certain the eagerly awaited sequel to The Dark Knight will hit in Summer 2012. After a four year wait, audiences will be salivating. Not sure who the villains will be, but going with the realistic theme Riddler and/or Catwoman have to be the front runners. Please NO Penguin.
Back in 2007, development of a movie focusing on a wrongly accused Green Arrow's efforts to break out of a supervillain prison, was announced. "Super Max" had a lot of potential for supervillain cameos including-Riddler, Lex Luthor and the Joker-and also offered something different than the tired origin tale. Since the original announcement, Green Arrow has continued to enjoy increasing exposure on Smallville and in animation appearing in The Batman and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
According to script writers, "We're in a world where instead of just trying to contain a guy who's really big, you're trying to contain a guy who can — in the case of Icicle — who can freeze things. What kind of a cell would a guy like that need in order to have his powers neutralized? So to escape from Super Max they have got to go through the most elaborate heist we've ever seen, involving superpowers. Because the prison itself kind of has superpowers!"
I am all for this movie, but no official "green" light yet.
Other possible DC movie are pure speculation with hopes that a phoenix will rise from the ashes of many recently abandoned projects:
Wonder Woman
For a while there, a Wonder Woman film was getting under way and looked likely to happen. Then in February 2007, it fell apart. Director Joss Whedon announced:
We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. Non-sympatico. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did. Everybody knows how long I was taking, what a struggle that script was, and though I felt good about what I was coming up with, it was never gonna be a simple slam-dunk. I like to think it rolled around the rim a little bit, but others may have differing views.
Word is, WW is still being mulled around, but nothing firm.
Flash
The day after the Wonder Woman debacle, director David Goyer announced:
I am sad to say that my version of The Flash is dead at WB. The God's honest truth is that WB and myself simply couldn't agree on what would make for a cool Flash film. I'm quite proud of the screenplay I turned it. I threw my heart into it and I genuinely think it would've been the basis of a ground-breaking film. But as of now, the studio is heading off in a completely different direction. I expect you'll hear of some new developments on that front shortly.
...Still waiting on some new developments, but I have to assume Flash is on a short list of next in line projects.
Justice League: Mortal
In 2007, efforts were made to rush out a Justice League movie before the writers strike could kill it. A script was written, a director hired, and casting begun with a $220 million budget. Due to script concerns, the film was put on hold. At the time, Adam Brody had been cast as Barry Allen / The Flash, D. J. Cotrona as Superman, rapper Common as John Stewart / Green Lantern, supermodel Megan Gale as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, Armie Hammer was cast as Batman. The character of Ra's Al Ghul's daughter Talia was also rumored to be in the film.
Fans hated the idea of a teen / early 20's league and hated the idea of a separate Batman from the one established in Batman Begins. The success of The Dark Knight put the final nail in this coffin though A Justice League film may eventually happen if solo DC hero projects are successful (the Marvel Avengers model).
Captain Marvel AKA Shazam!
And another one bites the dust. In January 2009 the long in production lighthearted action comedy Shazam! movie featuring Captain Marvel died. Screenwriter John August said:
In retrospect, I can point to two summer Warner Bros. movies that I believe defined the real issue at hand: Speed Racer and The Dark Knight. The first flopped; the second triumphed. Given only those two examples, one can understand why a studio might wish for their movies to be more like the latter. But to do so ignores the success of Iron Man, which spent most of its running time as a comedic origin story, and the even more pertinent example of WB's own Harry Potter series. I tried to make this case, to no avail.
The above quote is pretty insightful as to what is going on with DC properties at Warner Brothers. They have a ton of great properties to work with but want every one of them to be a huge success. Unfortunately, you don't get your Iron Man's without your Ghost Rider's too. Hopefully a hit with Green Lantern will inspire more DC heros to get off the bench and into the game.
The Doom Patrol
In 2006, word broke of a possible Doom Patrol movie. For the uninitiated, the Doom Patrol team consists of several DC outcasts and has been seen in the animated Teen Titans series. No word on this project for over a year.
As recently as last week, word of a Constantine 2 continues to trickle forth. Not sure who is clamoring for that, but if he beats Flash out of the gates, I will not be happy.
Also no word yet about Aquaman, The Wonder Twins, The Atom, or the The Teen Titans. Any other DC dudes worthy of a feature film?
Up Next: The Infinite Potential for Sequels, Prequels, and Reboots
*Prequels, Sequels, and Reboots Not Included
DVD, or you can just watch the embedded YouTube clips here for free.
