Warner Bros. Finds "Justice League" Screenplay Writer

[CBR News]

Warner Bros. has hired screenwriter Will Beall, who is already writing the studio's "Lethal Weapon" and "Logan's Run" reboots, to pen its big screen "Justice League" adaptation.


Full article here.

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

saw this one coming

[Skyrider]

Word of advice to Warner Bros:

Don't. Just don't.

You're not going to make the money Avengers is. You're not going to be able to make a movie that good, so just don't bother.

Stop trying to rush out crappy superhero movies that disgrace the intellectual property you own. Stop making Superhero movies, take some time to actually develop a really good one. When you've learned to make ONE good one, then start trying the world-building development that Marvel has been doing. THEN and ONLY THEN should you try for a Justice League movie.

[NotSuper]

You're not going to make the money Avengers is. You're not going to be able to make a movie that good, so just don't bother.

Are you kidding? Done right, a JLA movie could eclipse the Avengers. A movie with JUST Batman and Superman in it could eclipse the Avengers, never mind a team of even more characters.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Ha. This is like a race, where Marvel started five years ago with a plan, and they just crossed the finish line with Avengers. And now DC/WB is like "Hey everybody! we just started the engine on our racecar! wheeeee!"

Everybody in the movie going world, besides about 50,000 comic readers, is going to see Justice League as 100% derivative of Avengers. Except without the half dozen solo movies leading up to it.

[Bo-Man]

I am excited to hear this. I knew it was coming. I agree with you NonSuper , if done right it could very well eclipse The Avengers. Batman and Superman are icons! I could see it!
Everyone thinks Green Lantern was a flop, so this will... look Marvel had flops with Daredevil and Elektra... but look what happened later with other hits! By the way Green Lantern was very respectful to the source material, there was just too much in the film. Give JL a chance first !

[Kevinroc]

This isn't terribly shocking. Especially after the success of The Avengers. Frankly, if WB didn't at least do this, it would have royally pissed off their shareholders.

But this ultimately doesn't mean anything. Studios commission scripts all the time. Doesn't mean a movie will be made. Let's wait to hear if things are are little further along before we have any kind of reaction.

[Skyrider]

Are you kidding? Done right, a JLA movie could eclipse the Avengers. A movie with JUST Batman and Superman in it could eclipse the Avengers, never mind a team of even more characters.

Key words are "if done right". I don't believe they have the ability to do it right. They haven't shown it, and they clearly have no long term plan in place.

[Alex]

Have no faith in this, Green Lantern sucked.

[RedHood087]

I could see this working out. If you take into account that Nolan has told his story and is moving into a position to be the "Godfather" of these movies, helping them move along like he is the new Man of Steel, I can def see this working out.

[Nissus]

Ha. This is like a race, where Marvel started five years ago with a plan, and they just crossed the finish line with Avengers. And now DC/WB is like "Hey everybody! we just started the engine on our racecar! wheeeee!"

Everybody in the movie going world, besides about 50,000 comic readers, is going to see Justice League as 100% derivative of Avengers. Except without the half dozen solo movies leading up to it.

I totally agree.

Everyone thinks Green Lantern was a flop, so this will... look Marvel had flops with Daredevil and Elektra...

Those films were made ​​nearly a decade ago, and not by Marvel but for Fox, a totally different company. Warner is the parent company of DC and should have more respect for the development and a better understanding.

Besides, between Daredevil and Elektra, Warner made Catwoman, one of the worst films ever made and, unlike Daredevil and Elektra, failed to regain his budget.

[Toonimator]

Are you kidding? Done right, a JLA movie could eclipse the Avengers. A movie with JUST Batman and Superman in it could eclipse the Avengers, never mind a team of even more characters.

He's not kidding. Given WB's track record, there's not a lot of confidence that they'll actually make a good JLA film, let alone good enough to eclipse Avengers. Marvel's had missteps, but that's partly because they just signed away rights to any studio and never had a gameplan of any sort. WB's always been the one holding DC's IPs, and that gave us a descending spiral of rubber-suit Batman films, going from quirky gothic Burton to the blacklit weirdness of Schumacher... the craptacular Catwoman... the Donnerized disappointment of Superman Returns... and the thankfully-aborted train-wreck that would've been Superman Lives (whether it was the Jon Peters/Kevin Smith version or the Tim Burton/Nic Cage version, or any other). And then there's Green Lantern, where they tried too hard to put too much into it, coupled with some poor art direction (the CG suit concept where Hal, Sinestro, Abin Sur, and other human-ish GLs had a skinless-body look to their suits), and the LOUSY setup of Sinestro as a future villain (he was underused in the film, so his post-credit taking of the yellow ring wasn't set up properly).

Anyway... aside from the Nolan Bat-films (which are completely their own thing), WB/DC's track record isn't that great. Superman's still to come, but his suit--in the few released pics anyway--still looks bizarre (not that it'll necessarily determine the quality of the film). I think a lot of us just don't have much hope they can live up to what Marvel's accomplished. And DC's had the advantage of a single-studio focus for decades now! They COULD have planned things as well as Marvel has with the Avengers lead-ins... but they never did. They always seemed to look at each property as a franchise in itself, never looking at the big picture potential of a shared universe aside from the occasional verbal nod like a mention of Superman in "Batman & Robin", or whatever crap mythology they cooked up to justify "Catwoman".

On the bright side, if expectations are as low as mine, there's a greater chance of being pleasantly surprised! :)

[gbshabo]

I'm starting to see a common theme amungst posters here. DC has made some stinkers along with some successes. Therefore, DC should just give up and not make any more movies. That's a brilliant response I say (insert sarcasm emoticon here).

[Katbelle]

I am excited to hear this. I knew it was coming. I agree with you NonSuper , if done right it could very well eclipse The Avengers. Batman and Superman are icons! I could see it!
Everyone thinks Green Lantern was a flop, so this will... look Marvel had flops with Daredevil and Elektra... but look what happened later with other hits! By the way Green Lantern was very respectful to the source material, there was just too much in the film. Give JL a chance first !

Was it coming? Yes. Yes, of course. Will it be done well? I, personally, doubt that. There simply won't be enough screentime to introduce the characters, to establish them as individuals with problems, concerns and agendas, to create a believable conflict and execute it. That's what made The Avengers a great movie - all the characters already existed prior to that; in The Avengers, they just came together, and not without problems and conflict. Marvel has four characters who had their own movies, who have their own stories and whose existence is not only limited to a team-up movie. They also have two characters who appeared as supporting in others' movies, but who have enough potential to carry their own story.

What does DC have? Nolan's Batman - which is already said not to ever be in any continuity with potential JL movie - and Green Lantern. Yes, they have Man of Steel coming out soon, but really - do we believe that any cornerstones for JL will be included there? I don't. Therefore, the Justice League movie doesn't seem promising to me.

Additionally, Marvel Studios didn't have flops with Daredevil and Elektra since those movies were produced by Fox. Marvel Studios - a FILM PRODUCING company - has only six release up to date. Out of them I think I could call The Incredible Hulk a flop, but only if pressed and mostly because I just dislike that movie.

And the final note. For a comic book fan it is nice to have a movie that sticks close to the source material. Yes, it is nice. But what works in comics doesn't necessarily work on screen; sticking TOO close to source material is, in my opinion, one of the biggest flaws of Green Lantern. Marvel Studios did a great job of dissecting their comics and taking from them only what could work in real life. Marvel tries very hard to create a world that - if not possible - is at least plausible.

[gbshabo]

Was it coming? Yes. Yes, of course. Will it be done well? I, personally, doubt that. There simply won't be enough screentime to introduce the characters, to establish them as individuals with problems, concerns and agendas, to create a believable conflict and execute it. That's what made The Avengers a great movie - all the characters already existed prior to that; in The Avengers, they just came together, and not without problems and conflict. Marvel has four characters who had their own movies, who have their own stories and whose existence is not only limited to a team-up movie. They also have two characters who appeared as supporting in others' movies, but who have enough potential to carry their own story.

What does DC have? Nolan's Batman - which is already said not to ever be in any continuity with potential JL movie - and Green Lantern. Yes, they have Man of Steel coming out soon, but really - do we believe that any cornerstones for JL will be included there? I don't. Therefore, the Justice League movie doesn't seem promising to me.

Additionally, Marvel Studios didn't have flops with Daredevil and Elektra since those movies were produced by Fox. Marvel Studios - a FILM PRODUCING company - has only six release up to date. Out of them I think I could call The Incredible Hulk a flop, but only if pressed and mostly because I just dislike that movie.

And the final note. For a comic book fan it is nice to have a movie that sticks close to the source material. Yes, it is nice. But what works in comics doesn't necessarily work on screen; sticking TOO close to source material is, in my opinion, one of the biggest flaws of Green Lantern. Marvel Studios did a great job of dissecting their comics and taking from them only what could work in real life. Marvel tries very hard to create a world that - if not possible - is at least plausible.

That's not really true. The avengers introduced 2 main characters. DC will have to introduce 3- Green Lantern, Superman and Batman are done. Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman will need to be introduced. If either of those characters get a fast track, then, Dc will have to only introduce 2 characters to introduce.