In 1943,
A Mad Scientist created a Super Solider Serum
For the allied powers ,
That would turn the tide of the Second World War
But the serum has an unfortunate side effect of turning it's subjects Into Werewolves
Now , The caped crusader must stop a werewolf which romes the streets of Gotham
With a quench for blood, and vengeance.
BATMAN : KNIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF (2006)
Director : Guillermo del Toro
15 years ago,
Wonder Woman left the World of Man ,
and Returned to Paradise Island
She took up the thrown,
She became the Queen
Now ,
When the world is threatened by an older,
and radicalized Donna Troy,
Intent on Ruling man's World
Diana must return to face her one time protege' and friend
In addition to facing old foes ,
And reconnecting with the one man she loved, In order to save the World, one last time
DIANA : THE LAST AMAZON (1999)
Director : Ridley Scott
The Cast
Wonder Woman / Queen Diana Prince : Sigourney Weaver
BATMAN REBORN (2000)
Director : Tim Burton
Screenplay : Andrew Kevin Walker and Wesley Strick
Project History
After the Critical and Finiacel failure of Batman and Robin, Warner Brother Studios decides to let go of Joel Schumacer and attempts to woo back Tim Burton.
Burton is hesistant given his parting of ways with the studio over Batman Returns . However, with Superman Lives remaining in Limbo , and having completed Sleepy Hollow, Burton is intrigued by the idea of returning to the Batcave.
However, if Burton is to return, he has several conditions, including creating a Batman film that would be a sequel to his films, not Schumacers . Meaning, that Clooney, O' Donnell, and Silverstone would be out , and Keaton would return to being a Batman who works alone .
In essence, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin would be out of continuity, and the story would pick up several years after Batman Returns.
The film would also return to the darker approach of his first two films with the trade mark quirky Burton Humor , typical of all his films.
Further, Burton demanded to recast Keaton in the role, which would be no small feat .
The studio agreed Burton's terms.
While the studio wouldn't let him run rough shod, they also were willing to let him have space to tell the Batman story he wanted to tell.
Scripts
With Burton now on the project , Mark Prostovich's Batman Unchained script goes through extensive rewrites .
Andrew Kevin Walker and Wesley Strick take on the writing duties in the spring of 1998 , with a 1999 filming start date
And a Halloween 2000 release date in mind.
Casting
Keaton while is reluctant to come back , he is reassured after meeting with Burton ,and reading the script.
The story would focus on Batman as a central figure and how his choices would come back to haunt him.
After signing Keaton, Burton turned to cast his long time collaborator and friend Johnny Depp to play The Scarecrow.
He turned to British actress Helena Bonham Carter to play Harley Quinn, the relatively new, yet popular, Batman villain.
To play Bruce's love interest, he turned to Geena Davis who had worked with Keaton twice on Beetlejuice and Speechless.
She was to portray comicbook love interest Silver St. Cloud.
In this version's , Silver is Bruce's ex fiancee, whom he abandoned when he decided to become a vigilante
The Rest of the cast would be filled with Burton regulars and notably, Joaquin Phoenix as the Young Bruce in Flashbacks and Martin Landau as Jonathan Crane's sadistic professor , father.
The Cast
Batman / Bruce Wayne : Michael Keaton
Scarecrow / Jonathan Crane : Johnny Depp
Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel : Helena Bonham Carter
Silver St. Cloud : Geena Davis
Bruce Aged 25 : Joaquin Phoenix
Alfred : Michael Gough
Gordon : Pat Hingle
Jonathan Crane's Father in Flashbacks : Martin Landau
BATMAN REBORN (2000)
Director : Tim Burton
Screenplay : Andrew Kevin Walker and Wesley Strick View attachment 71048
Project History
After the Critical and Finiacel failure of Batman and Robin, Warner Brother Studios decides to let go of Joel Schumacer and attempts to woo back Tim Burton.
Burton is hesistant given his parting of ways with the studio over Batman Returns . However, with Superman Lives remaining in Limbo , and having completed Sleepy Hollow, Burton is intrigued by the idea of returning to the Batcave.
However, if Burton is to return, he has several conditions, including creating a Batman film that would be a sequel to his films, not Schumacers . Meaning, that Clooney, O' Donnell, and Silverstone would be out , and Keaton would return to being a Batman who works alone .
In essence, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin would be out of continuity, and the story would pick up several years after Batman Returns.
The film would also return to the darker approach of his first two films with the trade mark quirky Burton Humor , typical of all his films.
Further, Burton demanded to recast Keaton in the role, which would be no small feat .
The studio agreed Burton's terms.
While the studio wouldn't let him run rough shod, they also were willing to let him have space to tell the Batman story he wanted to tell.
Scripts
With Burton now on the project , Mark Prostovich's Batman Unchained script goes through extensive rewrites .
Andrew Kevin Walker and Wesley Strick take on the writing duties in the spring of 1998 , with a 1999 filming start date
And a Halloween 2000 release date in mind.
Casting
Keaton while is reluctant to come back , he is reassured after meeting with Burton ,and reading the script.
The story would focus on Batman as a central figure and how his choices would come back to haunt him.
After signing Keaton, Burton turned to cast his long time collaborator and friend Johnny Depp to play The Scarecrow.
He turned to British actress Helena Bonham Carter to play Harley Quinn, the relatively new, yet popular, Batman villain.
To play Bruce's love interest, he turned to Geena Davis who had worked with Keaton twice on Beetlejuice and Speechless.
She was to portray comicbook love interest Silver St. Cloud.
In this version's , Silver is Bruce's ex fiancee, whom he abandoned when he decided to become a vigilante
The Rest of the cast would be filled with Burton regulars and notably, Joaquin Phoenix as the Young Bruce in Flashbacks and Martin Landau as Jonathan Crane's sadistic professor , father.
At the moment, I'm trying to piece together what an HBO Max version of Superman & Lois might have looked like. I love the premise of Superman as a father, though I'd limit to only Jon Kent (I think the CW show has two sons?).
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN ( 2004)
Director : Wolfgang Peterson
Script : Andrew Kevin Walker and David Koepp
Project History
After several years Batman and Superman scripts in various stages of development, Warner Brothers Studios ,finally decides ,that the best way to revive the two languishing properties ,is the proposed Batman vs Superman crossover film.
Director Wolfgang Peterson is tasked to bring the script by Andrew Kevin Walker to the big screen , with filming set to begin in 2003 with a release date aimed for Summer 2004.
Script
Though the script goes through a couple of rewrites by David Koepp, the basic story remains the same , with it's focus on a Clark( whose relationship with Lois has reached a breaking point) and a Bruce (whose retired as Batman and is ready to settle down).
When Bruce's Bride is murdered by the Joker , He resumes the mantle of Batman in order to kill the Joker .
Clark , being Bruce's best friend, is caught between a psychopathic killer and stopping his friend from becoming a killer.
Unlike previous drafts, however, the final draft abandons the concept of the film being a loose sequel to the Keaton and Reeves films.
Instead, the film serves as a reboot, which would form the foundation for future spin off films , set in the same universe.
Alfred is also alive in this script in addition to the inclusion of Lois Lane who is absent in the previous drafts.
Joker is not a clone, but the actual Joker , thus severing any ties to Batman 89.
All the while , Lex is the puppet master CEO, pulling the strings.
Casting
With the reboot now established , it's clear that none of the previous Batman or Superman casts would return, and the casting call would go out for a new Dark Knight and Man Of Steel.
Peterson decides to go with well establish thespian actors and actresses , with several outside the box choices which end up being polarizing and controversial.
In a particular, the castings of Colin Farrell ( Minority Report) and Jude Law ( The Talent Mr. Ripley) , as Batman and Superman , respectively, intrigue Cinefiles, but are met with derision and skepticism by fans online, with speculation that the film will be another " Batman And Robin" style, mess.
The castings of Matt Damon as Lex Luthor, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as The Joker, fair much better with fans and the media alike.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Minnie Driver take on the iconic roles of Lana Lang and Lois Lane, and the cast is rounded out by British thesp, Bill Nighly as Alfred, and Saffron Burrows as the doomed Bride of Bruce Wayne.
Ultimately, the productions plan is to cast actors on the younger end, with hopes of using them for future sequels
Release
After a juggernaut ad campaign, and a good Amount of Buzz , the film hits theaters in the Summer of 2004 , following closely behind the box office totals of Spiderman 2.
The critical reception is positive overall , though there is still some confusion , among the general audience , about whether or not the film is a sequel to Batman and Robin and whether or not the film is connected to the WB series Smallville.
While Farrell and Law surprise many of their critics , the constant critique of the film is that the cast is " Too Young" , for the story that's being told.
The film is also criticized for contriving a means of pitting the two iconic heroes against each other, in an attempt to " Sell Movie Tickets".
Other critics however, defend the bold casting ,and the bold decision to deal with, the topical issues of Terrorism, Vengeance, and Justice.
At the end of the day, the film successfully revives both heroes franchises, and WB greenlights solo Superman and Batman films, starring Law and Farrell.
WONDER WOMAN ( 2009)
Director : Martin Campbell
Script : Paul Haggins, Ted Elliot and Terry Russo
Project History
Like several other DC related projects, A live action Wonder Woman film remained in development limbo in the early 2000s.
In 2006 Joss Whedon turns in a draft which is ultimately rejected .
As the project seems like it's destined to go the way of other shelved projects , The Mask Of Zorro and Casino Royale director, Martin Campbell expresses interest
in making a Wonder Woman film.
Campbell pitches his idea of a film with the nostalgia and charm of Zorro mixed with the edge of your seat action of Casino Royale.
The filming commences in New Zealand in the fall of 2008 with a 2009 release.
Script
At the end of the WGA strike, Campbell enlists Casino Royale and Crash writers Paul Haggis , Ted Elliot , and Terry Russo to pen the film.
Campbell and the writers agree that the film should focus on Steve Trevor's first encounter with Diana, Paradise Island, Hippolyta and The Amazonian society. Once the pair leave Paradise Island, the film would shift to become a sweeping WW2, swashbuckling, espionage , thriller.
The dialog between Steve and Diana very much mirrors the snappy back and worth's between Zorro and Elena and Bond and Vesper .
The villain of the script is the old Wonder Woman nemesis The Baroness, whose last live action appearance was the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series.
Casting
When casting Wonder Woman , The director and the studio decide to go with a name actress as opposed to an unknown.
Though Catherine Zeta Jones is briefly considered for the role of Diana , the producer instead decide to skew a bit younger, and approach fellow Academy Award winner Charlize Theron for the iconic role.
After much negotiations, including script approval , she signs a two picture deal ,with a percentage of the back end profits .
Brad Pitt is cast in The Role of Steve Trevor in a casting coup , which further bolsters media and fan interest in the film.
The main cast is rounded out by two other high profile actresses with Cate Blanchett taking on the wrong of the villainous Baroness and Sigourney Weaver
taking on the role of Hippolyta .
GREEN ARROW : ESCAPE FROM SUPERMAX ( 2008)
Director : Doug Liman
Screenplay : David S. Goyer
Project History
With the success of Wolfgang Peterson's Batman vs Superman and with Wonder Woman finally being fast tracked to production,
WB feels confident in giving the greenlight to David Goyer's Green Arrow script, and hires director Doug Liman to helm the film.
The Script
The hope is for the film to be the Bourne Identity meets The Dirty Dozen , with the lead protagnoist being framed by the Govermental organization Checkmate,
then forced to escape the Supermax Prison to clear his name, and bring the real culprits to justice.
The intention of the film is to serve as a spin off from Batman vs Superman , with the cameos of Lex and Joker confirming that the films and characters all exist in the same universe.
The film will serve as an introduction of the Green Arrow character to Audiences who would then make subsequent appearances in other DC films, including a JLA film down the line.
Casting
Much like the castings of BvS and WW, The Studio and the directors goal, is to assemble an all star cast to play the heroes and villains of the film.
Matthew McConaughey beats out several actors to take on the mantle of the Green Arrow .
McConaughey recommends his popular on screen costar Kate Hudson to play the iconic Black Canary , Oliver Queen's on again and off again lover.
Hudson eventually excepts the part , having seen the success of Spiderman , X Men, and Batman vs Superman film.
Edward Norton is cast as The Riddler, who in this film plays an ambiguous ally in Queen's escape, with his own agenda.
Samuel L Jackson signs on to play DC assassin Deadshot , whom Queen has a long bitter history with.
Viggo Mortensen , who tested for the role of Queen, is instead chosen to play Queen Arrow's Darker half, The Dark Archer.
Michael Rooker is among several character actors who make up the rest of the C and D list villains who Queen assembles for the great escape.
Veteran character actor Alfre Woodard signs a 3 picture deal to appear as the main antagonist, Amanda Waller
SUPERMAN : LAST SON OF KRYPTON( 1991)
Director : Richard Donner
Producer : Jon Peters and Peter Guber
Story by : Cary Bates
Screenplay : Tom Mankiewicz and Sam Hamm
Project History
After the disappointing performance of Superman 4 : The Quest For Peace , The Salkinds still have plans for another installment in the franchise.
However , plans for a 5th Superman remain stagnant , and the project seemingly has no movement.
With the success of 1989's Batman, and the rights to the character firmly back with Warner Brothers.
The studio looks to capitalize on Batman's success with a rejuvenated, Superman franchise.
With the Salkinds much reduced role in the franchise , the studio decides to approach Lethal Weapon director, Richard Donner, to return to the director's chair.
With the Salkinds out of controlling authority, and with Donner having become a director with clout, he agrees to return to the franchise, after a decade's absence.
The plan is to go into production at London's Pinewood Studios , in addition to shooting in New York and Los Angeles for a new , updated look on Metropolis.
The filming commences in the Spring of 1990 , with a Christmas 1991 release date.
Script
For years, Producers had planned on introducing Brainiac as a potential foe, only choose other villains.
The film would also feature Lobo , playing a much more sadistic and menacing bounty hunter hired by Brainiac to capture The Last Son Of Krypton .
The final script would also incorporate supporting characters who featured prominently in Superman magazine such as Emil Hamilton, Cat Grant,
and Sam Lane, in addition to returning supporting cast members such as Perry White and Jimmy Olsen.
The plan is for the film to return to the heart and grounded emotions of the first two films, while also leaning into the modern day comics .
The film would finally resolve the on again off again Superman and Lois relationship , and would force Clark to confront the prospect of denying himself a happily ever after with Lois, particularly as tensions between the two grow .
All the while, the emergence of Brainiac and Lobo serve as reminders of the path he has chosen , a path, which may end costing him everything.
While the return of Lex Luthor is briefly considered , the idea is quickly abandoned in favor of showcasing the two new adversaries.
Casting
With Donner back on board Reeve and Kidder quickly follow , and with a much stronger script than 3 and 4, the pair feel confident that the production will get it right this time.
While a wide variety of actors are considered for the role of Brainiac , Donner ultimately decides go with British actor Alan Rickman,
hot off the heels of Die Hard and currently film Robin Hood : Prince Of Thieves.
The Part of the Brash yet menacing Lobo goes to Beauty And The Beast actor Ron Perlman after Mel Gibson declines the role .
The rest of the cast is filled out by Alan Arkin as Emil Hamilton and veteran actor Robert Mitchum, as General Sam Lane , and Christine Baranski ,as Lois Lane's office rival Cat Grant.
THE FLASH ( 2008)
Director : JJ Abrams
Screenplay : David Goyer , Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Project History
With The Green Arrow film getting fast tracked , WB also gives the greenlight to Goyer's other pet project The Flash.
While Goyer is unable to take the directors chair , Goyer recommends hit tv show runner and filmmaker JJ Abrams for the directing duties.
Goyer feels Abrams is the perfect director to take on his story of an unlikely man, burdened with the weight of a legacy , he's ill prepared for.
The production begins in the Summer of 2007 and ends up finishing the spring of 2008 , for a late 2008 release.
Screenplay
Abrams dispatches his writers Kurtzman and Orci to punch up the Goyer script.
Despite rewrites, The Goyer Script largely remains in tact with the addition of a love interest in the form of Patty Spivot.
Wally West picks up the mantle of the Flash after the apparent death of Barry Allen .
The film features The Turtle and speedster Professor Zoom as the films antagonist, and Iris West , as a supporting character
Casting
Ryan Gosling is Abrams only choice to play the Wally West version of the Flash.
Abrams feels he has the right amount of Levity yet vulnerability to play Barry's wayward Brother in Law
House actor Olivia Wilde is cast as CSI Patty Spivot, taking the place of comic love interest Linda Park in the film.
The roles of The Turtle and Professor Zoom go to character actors in Brendan Gleeson and Stephen Lang respectively.
Timothy Olyphant is cast as Barry Allen , while Felicity actress Keri Russell is cast as Iris West , Wally's sister and Barry widow.
He in 2003-05 probably would be my second choice to play Batman right after Bale, he had and was getting a lot of momentum from strong roles (didn't like Alexander but that was pretty much it and not his fault).
A handful might say he's too British or just too artsy to play Superman but most would give him a chance and like him, I would like him but prefer him as Joker especially given his angular features.
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