You're given £400 million

[PKO]

With that kind of money you could make three huge blockbusters. I think I'd do something like this:

1. Reboot Batman movie that has a characterization and film style that lends itself more to a team-up (you can see where this is going).
2. Reboot Superman movie. Something that does not involve his origins but is not too far into his career either.
3. Superman/Batman movie. It'd have the appeal of a team-up movie like The Avengers but much simpler than doing something like Justice League. Maybe throw in a cameo for Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, or Aquaman if you want tease a future Justice League movie (or standalone movies for any of those mentioned).

I guess the first two steps aren't much of a surprise; that's probably how anyone would start. But I'm of the opinion that a Justice League movie is too difficult to do. It's hard to put my finger on it but it seems like The Avengers was possible because it's easier to write those characters into a live-action movie since most of their powers simply rely on hitting and shooting. The powerset of the Justice League members is so diverse and unique that it'd really take alot of work to write something that's not really lame. But that's just my opinion; maybe someone will prove me wrong one day.

[adkal]

I would spend roughly 200 Million on a Superman, Wonder Woman & Batman movie, setting them up in the same universe with the aim of doing JL, like Marvel did. Only I'd actually have them encounter each other along the way, i.e. Superman shows up in Wonder Woman and both of them show up in Batman.

On each or in total?

(I have a somewhat similar approach)

Then for the Justice League movie (which would be made from the money of the others), it would focus on the three of them and reintroduce GL, and have the villains be whoever killed Abin Sur. Have them come to earth to reek havoc while our new GL learns to ring sling (which he would have to do on earth this time on his own or with the trinity rather than be officially trained at first). Eventually I'd have Mongul show up as the big bag and have the 4 of them fight him off, and have GL go off to the corps at the end for training.

After that I'd do a Flash movie and continue on...

hmm...not too sure about having a JL movie being so GL-centric, personally...

[adkal]

With that kind of money you could make three huge blockbusters. I think I'd do something like this:

1. Reboot Batman movie that has a characterization and film style that lends itself more to a team-up (you can see where this is going).
2. Reboot Superman movie. Something that does not involve his origins but is not too far into his career either.
3. Superman/Batman movie. It'd have the appeal of a team-up movie like The Avengers but much simpler than doing something like Justice League. Maybe throw in a cameo for Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, or Aquaman if you want tease a future Justice League movie (or standalone movies for any of those mentioned).

An understandable approach (personally, I'd flip 1 and 2 ;) )

I guess the first two steps aren't much of a surprise; that's probably how anyone would start. But I'm of the opinion that a Justice League movie is too difficult to do. It's hard to put my finger on it but it seems like The Avengers was possible because it's easier to write those characters into a live-action movie since most of their powers simply rely on hitting and shooting. The powerset of the Justice League members is so diverse and unique that it'd really take alot of work to write something that's not really lame. But that's just my opinion; maybe someone will prove me wrong one day.

I think there are a number of stories which would translate well into a movie - New World Order being one, for example - but for an established League.

[Dr. Hurt]

1) Wonder Woman movie.

or

2) Dickbats and Damian movie

or

3) JL movie.

[Dr. Hurt]

With that kind of money you could make three huge blockbusters. I think I'd do something like this:

1. Reboot Batman movie that has a characterization and film style that lends itself more to a team-up (you can see where this is going).
2. Reboot Superman movie. Something that does not involve his origins but is not too far into his career either.
3. Superman/Batman movie. It'd have the appeal of a team-up movie like The Avengers but much simpler than doing something like Justice League. Maybe throw in a cameo for Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, or Aquaman if you want tease a future Justice League movie (or standalone movies for any of those mentioned).

I guess the first two steps aren't much of a surprise; that's probably how anyone would start. But I'm of the opinion that a Justice League movie is too difficult to do. It's hard to put my finger on it but it seems like The Avengers was possible because it's easier to write those characters into a live-action movie since most of their powers simply rely on hitting and shooting. The powerset of the Justice League members is so diverse and unique that it'd really take alot of work to write something that's not really lame. But that's just my opinion; maybe someone will prove me wrong one day.

Brofist!!!

[americanwonder]

The ones who provided the funds would hunt you down and...

So don't run ;)

For 400 million pounds I can have a LOT of fun running. But, I'll play along:

- Justice League. I'd go for it. $300 mil US. Batman and Superman together are enough to get people to pay attention. An "Ultimate Alliance" type video game would be released at the same time.

- Wonder Woman movie with tie-in cartoon.

- Begin a new Batman triology.

- Animated Batgirl: Year One.

- GL2 (rainbow boogaloo)

- Death.

[_Pandora_]

Superman/Batman: Crisis on Infinite Earths

Cast:
1. Christian Bale as Batman
2. Michael Keaton as Batman
3. Val Kilmer as Batman
4. George Clooney as Batman
5. Adam West as Batman
6. Burt Ward as Robin
7. Chris O'Donnell as Robin
8. Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon
9. Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon
10. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman
11. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman
12. Halle Berry as Catwoman
13. Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face
14. Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face
15. Tom Welling as Clark Kent
16. Dean Cain as Superman
17. (CGI) Christopher Reeve as Superman
18. Brandon Routh as Superman
19. Henry Cavill as Superman
20. Erica Durance as Lois Lane
21. Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane
22. Amy Adams as Lois Lane
23. Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
24. Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
25. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor

[Flash Gordon]

I'd spend it on a Superman film, and likely set it up as a trilogy. No cross characters, just Superman and his world. I don't care about shoving Batman or Green Lantern into a film that doesn't really fit them at all. Unlike 'The Avengers', DC wasn't created as a shared universe!

I'd also have a cartoon series running, maybe two. The cartoon would be heavily based off of Morrison's Action Comics, with a mixture of All Star.

[Flyattractor]

LOBO AND ETRIGAN THE DEMON DESTROY THE UNIVERSE!

A love story.

[Goggindowner]

Doom Patrol

I feel like the nature of the character's powers would require a substantial budget to pull off. Film would be a little darker than most super-flicks, and have more of an adult tone.

The first movie would open with Cliff Steele's accident, and the movie would use Robotman as the audience's vehicle into the already existing, though small, Doom Patrol. Robotman would be the most relatable and human character in the movie, and the Chief, the only normal human being in the group, would be the most robotic and inhuman in nature. I would use this difference to create tension in within the team. The outward tension would be with The Brain, once a former colleague of the Chief who blames him for the loss of his body. This wouldn't be about stopping a villain from achieving a goal, this would be a conflict where the team itself was the target of destruction.

Characters would be:

Robotman
Elasti-Girl
Negative Man
Chief

Villain:
The Brain w/ Mallah

At the end of the movie, something would happen to cause the Negative Man's energy being to become unstable, and Cliff's mind would experience a mental breakdown as he continues to try and come to terms with his new reality.

Doom Patrol 2

This would introduce Crazy Jane, and would see Negative Man transformed into Rebis. Cliff is once again the central character, as his mental state improves enough to return to Doom Patrol HQ, once again acting as the audience's vehicle within the films insane tapestries.

The villains would be the Brotherhood of DaDa, lead by Mr. Nobody, who are attempting to destroy the order of everything in subtle ways. This time, the movie would end in a way that a sequel wouldn't be obvious.

[Green Griffin]

The Flash - Starring Garrett Hedlund as Barry Allen, Kristen Connolly as Iris West, and Willem Defoe as Captain Cold

Barry Allen is a simple forensic scientist with a lovely fiancées, Iris West. Leonard Snart on the otherhand is a old man who claim to fame is a failed experimental freeze compound that could stop Global warming. Barry Allen world is changed when he is doused with chemicals and struck by lighting causing him to become the worlds fastest man alive. Barry has a hard time getting use to his new found powers. (Time moving slow, traffic lights, etc.) Snart decides it's time he finish his experiment by robbing the first national bank of Central City. Unfortunately for Snart is, that Iris West happens to be at the same bank he is holding hostage. Barry gets word of and dons a costume made of material that combats the friction he feels when he is running. Barry saves the bank and arrest Snart, but also gives him the final piece that Snart needed to finish his cold solution. Barry must overcome great odds when Snart fully becomes the man known Captain Cold.

Ending - Captain Cold is stopped by The Flash and sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary where in his cell he has posted to the wall four news articles (Meteorologist murdered, brother suspect. Man goes missing at hall of mirrors. Man steals Casino jackpot using Boomerangs. Wild Fire claims five more.) End on shot of Snart smiling to himself.

Bonus Scene features Iris introducing Barry to her nephew, Wally West (played by Anton Yelchin)

[Dr. Hurt]

400 million is enough for 2 big films. The Avengers and TDKR cost about 220, so yeah it's roughly 2 films. So anyway, writer-director Dr. Hurt reporting for duty!

Batman Reboot.
(green parts potential inclusion of Robin)

Arkham City aesthetics and level of realism with the new 52 suit. Dr Strange, head of Arkham, as the villain who is launching a psychological attack on Batman to destroy him and make himself the hero of Gotham. Strange is in command of an elite squad of Tyger guards who guard Arkham Island. He got them by convincing the Mayor that it would stop the lunatics from escaping so easily. Yes i'm kind of ripping off AC, but i'm keeping the Asylum... in the Asylum. AC was an idea just to facilitate you going around gotham with all the rogues running around. Strange also releases Garfield Lynns, Firefly. Firefly is supposed to burn down Gotham and make Batman look bad. The Tyger guards also sneak into Gotham undetected and carry out Strange's plans, even attacking Batman. But Batman cant prove it or if he can, Strange just says "well i only wanted to help the police catch Firefly".

The movie delves into Batman's psyche and we get many hallucination scenes like the ones in Begins or AA (scarecrow levels) or AC (Mad Hatter and Ras levels) because Batman's mind is breaking down because he's secretly being dosed drugs as Wayne and given subliminal messages about him not doing the right thing for Gotham, wasting his life, that his parents wouldnt condone his actions, etc. Firefly's actions are used to underline all that and show how ineffectual Bruce is. I dont know but perhaps i could merge this with Robin's origin. Bruce takes up Robin and right as he is about to allow him to tag along in missions he breaks down because of Strange and stops being Batman. Dick carries on by himself until the end where his escapades make the news and Bruce is pushed to wear the cowl again so that Dick will stop. Perhaps it would cramp up the movie with too many plot threads.

Strange's endgame is to break down Batman and force a police state on Gotham with him as the ruler. He believes he is doing the right thing for the city, he's being altruistic, not selfish.

At the end Batman beats Firefly and goes to Arkham to find Strange. Strange has dressed his guards into batman's rogues and with all the brainwashing i mentioned, batman hallucinates a nightmarish Gotham with all his rogues taunting him. In reality it's just the guards pointing his guns at him. In his mind he is reduced to kid Bruce who's standing over his dead parents:



He then finds courage by remembering about Alfred, Gordon and Robin (if i could fit him in the movie, i dunno) who support him and his mission, so he becomes batman again and fights the guards. The transformation happens like this: A swarm of bats flies around kid bruce who slowly ages. His little coat becomes batman's cape and he stands up as batman as the bat swarm flies around him. In reality he pressed the button under his boot and actually called the bats. So it sort of happens both in his hallucination and in reality. As the battle goes on, his mind begins to clear and he finally comes back to reality. Robin, Gordon and the police have been saving people from fires and they just now arrive in Arkham. Movie ends with Batman taking Robin back and Gordon accepting him after his earlier reservations about a kid fighting crime.


Justice League movie.
I would like to make a WW and a Flash movie before that and copy Marvel's plan for the Avengers, but hey, you only gave me 400 million so i'm jumping straight to the main course.

[adkal]

400 million is enough for 2 big films. The Avengers and TDKR cost about 220, so yeah it's roughly 2 films. So anyway, writer-director Dr. Hurt reporting for duty!

You don't have to 'go big' straight away. Batman Begins' budget was 'only' USD150 million. Note: £400 million is close to USD650 million - so at least 3 'big films' ;)

I would like to make a WW and a Flash movie before that and copy Marvel's plan for the Avengers, but hey, you only gave me 400 million so i'm jumping straight to the main course.

As per 'vampiric_cannibal':

and wait for the first two to make shit tonnes of money to make sequels and more niche series

In other words, money made from the movies will be put back into further productions...

Get the franchises right and, basically, they could be 'paying for themselves'.

For example, you could ear-mark USD150 million for each of the 'Trinity' starter movies, with the remainder for marketing and a couple of side-projects. If each of the 'Trinity' movies drew in an average of USD400 million you'd have your funding available for the sequel (through licensing, etc., you'd have additional income streams which could be added to the budgets for the second movies in the three franchises).

Tech developed for various special effects in the initial movies could be utilised and/or enhanced for subsequent movies - for example, certain 'speed scenes' in a Superman movie may utilise tech etc that would make for great 'speed scenes' in a Flash movie.

These 'preliminary' movies could then lead to 'the big one' - the JLA movie (or even a 'crisis' movie which leads to the JLA movie) which, based on the springboard of the preceding movies, would make 'the big return' and potentially lead to the aforementioned 'side-projects' to come to light.

So many options - think free ;)

[Dr. Hurt]

Wait, that's pounds? I thought it was dollars. Why pounds?

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

Six-movie plan over four years.

Aquaman. Add Kaldur from the get go. Ignore the origin story and jump right in, and assume the audience is smart enough to catch on. (We don't see origin stories for police dramas. Stop starting every super-hero movie by wasting an hour explaining why X is a superhero. The public understands superheroes just as easily as they do cops. Jump to the real story.) Have part of the movie set on the surface to establish AQ's place in the world. Most of the movie is set underwater. Imagine the Gungan city from Phantom Menace, minus the Disney cartoon characters. Add royal intrigue as AQ's brother plots to over throw the King with Black Manta. Freely rip off the visual style of Kaldur's magic weapons from Young Justice cartoon since they got it 100% right.

Wonder Woman. The story from the current comics has generated more interest in WW than since Lynda Carter's ample bosom pushed teenagers of the 1970s thru accelerated puberty. Adapt it, but lose some of the gore, like the birth of the centaurs from issue #1. It can be shown in shadows and won't lose it's impact. Keep the Greek gods in the modern world angle. Keep Diana's trip to Hades to free her friend.

Reboot Batman with Robin already his partner. Don't retell the origin. We already know it. Establish that they have been active for years.

Man of Steel 2. Superman vs Cadmus.

The Flash. Introduce Wally, not yet KF. CSI-style criminal investigation in Barry's job, pepper the movie with "Flash Facts".

Seed all five movies with hints of Cadmus and the Secret Society, led by Luthor and Ra's Al Ghul.

Year Four: Cadmus and the Secret Society team up to take down the heroes, one by one. Add Green Lantern and Hawkgirl as established heroes. Have the Martian Manhunter unite them all. Let the individual plots merge into the final act as the heroes meet for first time to stop the Society and save the Earth.