DC Films The DC Studios News and Discussion Thread

[Nemeres]

How fun. I hope Shazam the Wizard was Kryptonian too

 

[Iceman]

Unfortunately most entertainment execs (including gaming) are dumb and the literal definition of suits who might know business but don’t know their product - that makes a terrible exec and they’d be fired in other industries. I’m hopeful with how CBMs are now mainstream that execs in future will have grown up around it and be genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about this stuff, as well as having good corporate/business skills. Then they will be better placed to guide creatives and know better where to place limits and where to give freedom.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I think there's an important distinction between letting a filmmaker "run amok" with their own creation, and allowing them to do so with an existing IP. I am all for filmmakers getting to let their imaginations run wild with their own original stories and ideas. But with these IP's, above anything else they are hired to be the temporary stewards of a legacy. A legacy that already belongs to the hearts and minds of millions, not just them. Which means they have to put that before their own creative ego. The #1 thing a studio needs to do when choosing that steward, is making sure they respect that legacy in the first place.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Snyder wasn't Nolan or WB's first choice for Man of Steel, right? I seem to remember reading Nolan favoring Duncan Jones.

 

[Iceman]

Snyder wasn't Nolan or WB's first choice for Man of Steel, right? I seem to remember reading Nolan favoring Duncan Jones.

I remember talk of Duncan Jones back then yeah. I’d love to have seen what he might have done.

 

[Iceman]

How fun. I hope Shazam the Wizard was Kryptonian too

Anyone not Kryptonian now is out of the cool club.

 

[dhandler01]

It's not an exact science I don't think, a studio having too much say is harmful just as much as letting a director do whatever he wants.

Having a director/writer just allowed to run amok, particularly with these sort of characters with a lot of heritage & background.. well they produce ideas like the one Snyder spouted which would have probably went down like a lead balloon had it been properly thought out, somehow made it as far as filming, filmed & made it into 1 of the DCEU movies.

An even better example when you let a director basically put every idea he has into a film & film it is Taika Waititi's Thor: Love & Thunder, which was awful.

On the flipside if you've too much & input from the studio you basically end up with the DCEU which was all over the place in terms of tone & overall direction. Basically I think the studio should know who they're hiring, what they're getting beforehand, what they're aiming for to try & get on the same page, then mostly leave them be.

Oh I dont want studios with ultimate power either...they are run by money hungry ego maniacs. You need both. Checks and balances baby!

 

[dhandler01]

I'd say this is an over-corrective stance. Studios are notorious for both butchering classics and making bad movies even worse. You can point to the Kryptonian thing and say, "See? Aren't studios great?" But that same studio is directly responsible for Josstice League.

So I just think it's more nuanced than what you're suggesting. You need a bit of both ultimately. And through all that chaos you just try your best to make a movie.

I agree. Though I think flickchick said it best overall.

 

[dhandler01]

Snyder wasn't Nolan or WB's first choice for Man of Steel, right? I seem to remember reading Nolan favoring Duncan Jones.

He was like 10th or something.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

He was like 10th or something.

Snyder?

Yeah, big blunder hiring him for Man of Steel. He was always the wrong fit for Superman.

 

[Da-Scribe]

I agree. Though I think flickchick said it best overall.

That's definitely valid. Personally, I don't mind filmmakers running wild with existing IP, but that's just because I don't mind disliking a particular creative effort. The passionate, but misguided big swing is more interesting to me than the panel-for-panel adaptation. I hate WW84, but I appreciate what Patty was going for and am pretty bummed she won't get to round out her trilogy. On the other hand, I love Winter Soldier but find most of what the Russo brothers have done to be pretty gahdamn boring and by the numbers. That's just me and I recognize I'm in the minority with these views though.

That said, and I think I said this back when this was just a rumor, the Kryptonian would've just shrunk the universe and wouldn't have added anything narratively. For the best narratively that it didn't come to pass.

 

[Kane52630]

What could have been.

 

[emielaen]

The Red Flags were always there WB, why have you not seen them?
This man should never have been hired.



If that would be enough.
But we are at this point where these movies have to be more or they go down.
Look at Black Adam, Shazam or any other comic book movie that underperformed.
Most of them are fine, but that is not enough.

A movie can be very good or great and not do what Citizen Kane or Star Wars did is all I'm saying lol not fine, but a good motive, like how Top Gun is good. or Mission Impossible. It doesn't need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Iceman]

I don’t think it needs to reinvent the wheel, but at the same time standard-fine CBMs are no longer must-watches and the genre has matured past the point of getting freebies. I think this Superman film needs to be a minimum 8 out of 10 rather than a 7 to get people out of their seats.

 

[LifesEnd]

unexpected rumour of Margot Robbie as Sue storm going around. Nothing from the trades etc but yea would be interesting to see how it pans out and what it means for Harley.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

unexpected rumour of Margot Robbie as Sue storm going around. Nothing from the trades etc but yea would be interesting to see how it pans out and what it means for Harley.

I'd be happy if Robbie was done as Harley. I'm ready to see a new take.

 

[Iceman]

I enjoy her as Harley a lot, especially after the first SS where her material wasn't as good. But I guess they will be starting again with the DCU. Hopefully Gaga's version rocks too.

 

[dhandler01]

That's definitely valid. Personally, I don't mind filmmakers running wild with existing IP, but that's just because I don't mind disliking a particular creative effort. The passionate, but misguided big swing is more interesting to me than the panel-for-panel adaptation. I hate WW84, but I appreciate what Patty was going for and am pretty bummed she won't get to round out her trilogy. On the other hand, I love Winter Soldier but find most of what the Russo brothers have done to be pretty gahdamn boring and by the numbers. That's just me and I recognize I'm in the minority with these views though.

That said, and I think I said this back when this was just a rumor, the Kryptonian would've just shrunk the universe and wouldn't have added anything narratively. For the best narratively that it didn't come to pass.

I dont mind directors taking big swings and trying something new. In fact I applaud it. (this is why I never got into the MCU) There is a difference though between shaking things up and trying to fundamentally change the character or story. Also, some properties lend themselves to more out of leftfield choices than others do.

The problem with taking chances though is if it doesnt work it backfires horribly. Its the risk reward situation.

 

[Iceman]

What could have been.

Reeves wow! Trying to imagine what his Superman would have been like. A World's Finest by Reeves combining his Batman and Superman would have been a very different prospect to BvS.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The problem with taking chances though is if it doesnt work it backfires horribly. Its the risk reward situation.

True, and in a situation like this one it doesn't just backfire on the bankability of one character's movies. It can taint the reception of films with no connection other than that they're set in the same universe. Not with everybody, obviously, but they won't want that to happen with anybody. They need the DCU to connect on as many fronts as it can.

 

[B]

The thing about the whole Kryptonian WW angle in fairness to Snyder, it seemed like it was something just at the thought process as opposed to an idea that actually had any legs under it. I can even appreciate his point of view as his sort of reasoning for the thought, he's just completely wrong though & his sort of viewpoint really speaks of someone who doesn't know nor care for the character's history.

It wouldn't be the first time though a character has made it to the big screen or TV & had substantial changes made, particularly to their origin story. Hela is a more recent example, I'm not heavily into the Thor comics or history but I don't recall her ever being Thor's sister/Odin's daughter from any I had as a child although someone else perhaps can correct me if I'm wrong.

None the less if that is the case, it's perhaps more forgivable because Hela wouldn't be as well known a character as Wonder Woman.

 

[TheScarecrow]

I'd be happy if Robbie was done as Harley. I'm ready to see a new take.

I don't see Margot giving up Harley, and I don't see Gunn making her.

The only way I could see it happening is if Harley was deemed to not be "movie-worthy" and Margot wouldn't do a streaming show.

I also don't see Margot signing on to the MCU. She likes an element of creative control these days. Plus, Sue Storm just seems like a bit of a bland role for her.

 

[Iceman]

If not Robbie there are plenty of other good candidates. And if they reached out to Robbie at all I would be at least impressed that they are taking F4 seriously. Ideally I want her to stay as Harley whatever else she chooses to do, but not sure that’s happening.

 

[LifesEnd]

So writers strike is seemingly going ahead. Dc are cursed for real

Hope issues get resolved and otherwise that Dc have some scripts done already somewhat.

 

[titansupes]

So writers strike is seemingly going ahead. Dc are cursed for real

Hope issues get resolved and otherwise that Dc have some scripts done already somewhat.

As I said in another thread, I believe because Gunn is also the director of the movie he's allowed to keep writing on it. At least that's how it worked last time, someone correct me if I'm wrong.