CBR: The New Year: Comic Book Movies

[CBR News]

Having looked back on the year that was, the CBR News staff looks ahead to the
year that will be, focusing in this installment on the many comic book movies to be
released in 2009. But what’s with the controversy about Ryan Reynolds?


Full article here.

[stealthwise]

There's not a single movie highlighted there that I want to see. I'm totally burned out on crappy superhero movies, and nothing in that slate makes me think things will change. Whiteout would be promising if it didn't have Beckinsale, whom I can't stand.

[Agent Wax]

Jeez, some of these guys came off as being a bit "COMIC BOOK GUY".
Haven't read Kick Ass? It's like the hottest book out there!
Never read Whiteout!? It's an Indy Classic!
Talking crap on the Wolverine trailer? It looks sick! Did you not see Gambit whippin ass, or the tease of the Logan Vs Creed fight? Man.
At least everyone can agree Watchmen looks amazing. I'm excited for that one...if it actually comes out.
Stupid Fox.
BTW is there actually going to be a movement to boycot Wolverine?
If the comic nerd community banded together, they could do some damage...thats all I'm sayin.

[ManofTheAtom]

Though nothing new has been said in some time, hopefully Paramount Pictures will start production on VALIANT Entertainment's Harbinger movie sometime this year.

http://valiantfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20168

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982173.html?c=13

Ratner eyes Valiant's 'Harbinger'
Paramount adapting comicbook series into film
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to turn the Valiant Comics series "Harbinger" into a live-action feature that will be developed as a potential directing vehicle for Brett Ratner.
Alexandra Milchan will produce with Ratner and Jay Stern. The project may be branded under the MTV Films banner.

Created by Jim Shooter, the "Harbinger" comicbook series became a hit when published in the 1990s. Harbingers are humans with powers that can be unlocked by "omega" harbingers. Teenager Pete Stanchek finds himself on a collision course with an older "omega" who used his gifts to become an evil industrialist.

"The movie is in the vein of a young 'Blade Runner,' as this 17-year- old gifted kid helps other kids tap into these parts of their brains," Milchan said.

Ratner, who directed "X-Men: The Last Stand," was looking for an opportunity to start a superhero franchise from scratch. Project will be scripted while Ratner continues work on other directing projects, including "Playboy," the Brian Grazer-produced film about Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner for Universal.

Valiant Comics is being relaunched by Valiant Entertainment Group, a privately financed company headed by CEO Jason Kothari and chief creative officer Dinesh Shamdasani, both of whom will be co-producers on the film.

Valiant Comics developed a strong following by launching hero franchises that had interconnected storylines (much like DC and Marvel titles). Company, which sold 80 million comicbooks and 8 million videogames, was sold to vidgame company Acclaim Entertainment in 1994 for $65 million but had done little recently as that company hit the financial rocks.

Kothari's group bought the Valiant library last year after Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Its plan is to republish its best titles and begin generating new issues by year's end. Valiant signed with WMA to make movie deals for the franchises.

[togeteiku42]

Jeez, some of these guys came off as being a bit "COMIC BOOK GUY".
Haven't read Kick Ass? It's like the hottest book out there!
Never read Whiteout!? It's an Indy Classic!
Talking crap on the Wolverine trailer? It looks sick! Did you not see Gambit whippin ass, or the tease of the Logan Vs Creed fight? Man.
At least everyone can agree Watchmen looks amazing. I'm excited for that one...if it actually comes out.
Stupid Fox.
BTW is there actually going to be a movement to boycot Wolverine?
If the comic nerd community banded together, they could do some damage...thats all I'm sayin.

Wait. Who is trying to boycot Wolverine?

[americocaine]

Reynolds look like a complete douche as Deadpool in the Origins trailer. He has NO MASK. Its just him holding 2 swords dressed in a ninja uniform. Another fine example of Hollywood using "realism" to make comics work in the movies.

[Trey]

the key to a good superhero movie is to just jump in. Never, ever do the origin as part of the plot. Just pretend the heroes have been doing it for years and plunge the audience into film/setting.

Then do the comic book tie-in as an origin. Some movie-goers may then wonder about the setting and seek out the comics.

There's no excuse for DC/Warners to not have 5-6 big time movies per year.

[The Zapper]

the key to a good superhero movie is to just jump in. Never, ever do the origin as part of the plot. Just pretend the heroes have been doing it for years and plunge the audience into film/setting.

Batman Begins begs to differ.

[Chiasm]

Wait. Who is trying to boycot Wolverine?

Fox sued Warner over control of Watchmen and won as such the future of the Watchmen movie is up in the air right now. There is a call to boycott Wolverine, a Fox movie, in protest.

[Rene Narciso]

I'm not sure if the reviewers are kidding about the grim'n'gritty phase of comics in the 90s being replicated in the movies? Guys, contrary to popular wisdom, I think action movies, cyberpunk, and MTV had a lot more influence in 90s grim'n'gritty comics than Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns ever did.

The zeitgest now is simply different. Even if Watchmen and Dark Knight usher in a slew of dark superhero movies, they won't be similar to 90s superhero comic books. For one, I don't think the cyborg, gun-toting action hero is something that can be seen as new and exciting in Hollywood any longer.

Characters like Cable were actually much inspired by Hollywood icons like the Terminator. Cable was hot in comics in the 90s, but in Hollywood in the 00s, he is old news.

[Fordie]

"Then again, pretty much any movie based on a great novel has turned out to be a disaster of dull turgidity" What a moronic thing to say, you reach this conclusion how then? How about David Lean's film of Great Expectations for starters or One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mocking Bird maybe. Shall I go on? Ok yes, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Atonement, A Clockwork Orange, Trainspotting, Fight Club or maybe closer to home Lord of The Rings!
So open mouth and insert foot please...

[kalorama]

Batman Begins begs to differ.

As do Spider-Man and Superman: The Movie.

[benbacca37]

But what's with the controversy about Ryan Reynolds?

What controversy? All the panel said was they liked him and are interested in seeing him in them movie. Did I miss something?

[Jmacq1]

As do Spider-Man and Superman: The Movie.

Don't forget Iron Man.

[Jmacq1]

There's no excuse for DC/Warners to not have 5-6 big time movies per year.

Sure there is: The fact that Warner Brothers is a traditional movie studio that produces a lot more than just superhero movies, and have only so much money to go around. 5-6 "big time" superhero movies (because I assume you're referring to superhero movies given the rest of your post) would basically mean they don't have the money to produce much of anything else, and they're not guaranteed to all be successful, which could put them in dire financial straits if they're putting all their eggs in one basket. While it's unlikely, if Thor and/or especially Iron Man 2 bombs for Marvel Studios, the "cinematic Marvel Universe" may end up stillborn.

That having been said, Warner Brothers usually does have at least a couple "big time movies" per year...they're just not necessarily superhero films (unless you count Harry Potter as a superhero franchise). WB isn't "DC Studios."

That, and there's still that lingering speculation that the "Superhero Bubble" is going to burst on Hollywood soon. I'm not so sure about that, myself, but it's always a possibility. Warner Brothers is just being extremely gun-shy and conservative, likely due to Superman Returns not meeting their expectations (though contrary to popular belief, it wasn't nearly the bomb that some make it out to be).