LA Times: WB to shoot Justice League next year and release it Summer 2015

[Jabare]

The big problem with any film that requires filming on the high seas or underwater is weather and tidal conditions. And then there is the insurance for the cast and crew which is also expensive. And God forbid someone's oxygen tank fails or a tide sweeps someone or something (like camera equipment) out to sea.

The cost overruns on shooting any underwater movie are always bad. Just look at what a total nightmare filming was for Spielberg's Jaws or Cameron's The Abyss. That's the whole problem with aquatic superheroes like Aquaman and Sub-Mariner: they are insanely expensive and incredibly dangerous. The problem isn't that studios don't want to do them. The problem is they can't do them on the cheap and if they bomb in theaters, it's a total loss.

It is a miracle how very profitable Pirates Of The Caribbean turned out to be. Because those undersea epic budgets just burn through piles of cash.

They don't actually have to be out in the water for a lot of the scens a la JAmes Bond,



Lighting and camera angles can do a lot for you. The ocean isn't necessary for every scene.

CGI some stuff for Atlantis or something along those lines, do a few scenes by the beach or in the ocean, but ones that don't have nearly the amount of risk or insurance costs attached to them. It can be done

[Zionite1]

LOL, I can't post it publicly. Sorry. And I've already started getting P.M.'s asking me about it.

I will say (and this is easy to figure out) that the use of Thanos in Avengers has pretty much killed any chance of Darkseid getting used in the first film (maybe in a sequel is still possible). The possible Plan B I heard was really out of left field, but so brilliant that I am praying with all my might that they'll do it.

CRISIS.Only left field thing I can think off.

[Alan Smithee]

Amazons Attack! for the win. Or the Grant Morrison/Frank Quitley masterpiece where the Kandorans defeat the multiverse by confusing everybody.

[Robotman4]

ok so no Darkseid (tear drop) and an invading alien army was done in Avengers so maybe they could go up against a super villain team up. the Legion of Doom or if they went with Grant's New World Order storyline the Hyperclan would be pretty great if they could pull it off. it's an alien invasion but in a much different way. one on one combat as opposed to fighting an army.

[Flashpoint]

ok so no Darkseid (tear drop) and an invading alien army was done in Avengers so maybe they could go up against a super villain team up. the Legion of Doom or if they went with Grant's New World Order storyline the Hyperclan would be pretty great if they could pull it off. it's an alien invasion but in a much different way. one on one combat as opposed to fighting an army.

Yeah. Thanos c0ckb10cked Darkseid. It sucks, but it's true.

With the election now over, hopefully a few announcements will come in the next 6 weeks. Cross your fingers!

[Flashpoint]

*** I'm re-posting this here so as to include potential directors in my original thread... ***

You need a Director who believes in the project or at least a director who WB can sell on the idea--like how Paramount sold J.J. Abrams on the idea that he was their man to guide Star Trek back to pop culture commercial relevance.

The list of those who people continually insist should direct JL is constantly filled with directors who are simply not available in any capacity:

Peter Jackson
... Currently working on The Hobbit trilogy.
James Cameron
... His plate is completely full with multiple Avatar sequels and then Battle Royale.
J.J. Abrams
... Nothing but Star Trek and his own personal projects.
Brad Bird
... One of my personal favorites, but he's already got multiple irons in the fire such as 1952 so he's out, too.
Matthew Vaughn
... Left X-Men sequel to make The Secret Service with Mark Millar to prevent other screenwriters trying to rip off their idea; he's out.
Christopher Nolan
... WB has done everything they can to get him on JL, but he said no and he meant it--it's never going to happen.
Ben Affleck
... I was told right after he was initially announced by people who work with him that he'd never do it--and he told AICN as much.
The Wachowskis
... No word on how they feel about JL, but they're already committed to sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending for 2014; so they're out.
Ruben Fleischer
... Mentioned mainly because he works closely with JL writer Will Beall; frequently proposed by Bleeding Cool as a candidate, but Sony has greenlit Zombieland 2 so they have first dibs on him so he's probably out, too.

The list of directors fans want to see direct it has got to change. Fans have got to start being realistic.

Some names not mentioned nearly enough:

Duncan Jones
*FILMS: Source Code, Moon
... Jones currently only has one film in the works--an Ian Fleming biopic due for release in 2013. He was also one of the finalists on the short list for Man Of Steel.

Neill Blomkamp
*FILMS: District 9, Elysium <--scifi pic w/ Matt Damon set for 2013
... Blomkamp is finishing up Elysium so presumbly he'd be available. District 9 was a big hit for Sony and buzz on Elysium is good. If he's not on WB's list? He ought to be.

Rian Johnson
*FILMS: Looper
*TV: Breaking Bad
... Rarely mentioned by fans. However, after the red hot box office and glowing reviews from critics for Looper, Johnson absolutely should be on WB's list as well. Plus, it appears he is not working on anything right now which means he's available.

Sam Raimi
*FILMS: the original Spider-Man trilogy; Evil Dead movies; Oz The Great and Powerful set for 2013
...Never mentioned for any of WB's DC films despite his regular patronage of Los Angeles-area comic book shops and a rumored love of Green Lantern. His exclusive deal with Columbia Pictures expired 3 months ago. Only hitch is he just signed on to direct the Poltergeist remake so depending on when the studio wants it, he also is probably locked up (for now). Any talk of a Flash movie or GL reboot should automatically include Raimi. Period.

Jon Favreau
*FILMS: Iron Man; Iron Man 2; Cowboys & Aliens
...Also never mentioned for any of WB's DC films despite his impressive track record with Marvel movies. Then again, he is still contractually signed to a bit part in the Iron Man franchise and still maintains a close relationship with Marvel. That probably eliminates him, but his schedule doesn't appear totally booked and his success as a director shouldn't be ignored by WB regardless of his close relationship with Marvel.

Kenneth Branagh
*FILMS: Thor; Dead Again
...Another former Marvel director whose name never comes up, but really should. Given his success with Thor and its complex Norse mythology, he'd probably be a better choice for a Wonder Woman movie. Nonetheless, he's got a good track record with ensemble casts and a successful superhero movie under his belt. He should be considered by WB for at least 1 of their DC films.

Peter Weir
*FILMS: Witness; Dead Poets Society; Master & Commander; The Truman Show
Weir does well with ensemble casts and fantastic elements. The whole premise of Truman is that a corporation built a mini-Dyson sphere in the Hollywood Hills with an artificial sun and moon in a world controlled remotely by computer! Some may be shocked at the idea, but similar thinking went into Fox's decision to hire Bryan Singer for X-Men and X2 and those films were terrific. Perhaps that is what is needed here: real out-of-the-box thinking that considers directorial candidates who might not have made superhero movies before.

Gore Verbinski
*FILMS: The Lone Ranger (2013); Pirates Of The Caribbean; The Ring
To be honest, Verbinski is the guy I most want to make an Aquaman movie given his extensive experience filming on the high seas and underwater. However, Justice League needs to happen first *and* be a hit so why hold off on considering Verbinski? He's got tons of experience with magic and the supernatural (POTC; The Ring) and just directed his first big name hero flick (Lone Ranger). Plus, he's an expert at juggling large ensemble casts with multiple stars and their competing egos. Visually, he'd make a stunning JL movie

Those are the directors fans should give much more serious consideration to--and so should Warner Brothers.

[Lotech]

On VH1 this morning, at the bottom of the screen on the scroll, Disney said they've narrowed their Star Wars 7 director search to "a couple of choices". Star Wars 7 got greenlighted in October, Justice League in June, and SW7 will probably have its director first. Does this seem odd to anyone else?

[Namtab]

On VH1 this morning, at the bottom of the screen on the scroll, Disney said they've narrowed their Star Wars 7 director search to "a couple of choices". Star Wars 7 got greenlighted in October, Justice League in June, and SW7 will probably have its director first. Does this seem odd to anyone else?

Not "odd" per se, but yeah, Disney had the had the big announcement of obtaining Lucasfilm and going forward with SW VII, so it would be nice for WB to step up and make an announcement about Justice League's director.

[Flashpoint]

I am sharing this page with everyone here who is obsessed with every single detail of Justice League movie development. Click on the link and feel free to peruse all the Hollywood lingo:

http://www.tempdiaries.com/p/hollywood-dictionary.html

Absolutely priceless in multiple ways--and more than enough juicy tidbits about the realities of working in Hollywood. And yes, most of it is fairly accurate.

But here is one example that is absolutely hilarious...

DICTIONARY

"PRODUCER" The son of a Saudi oil sheik and with a net worth of $3.2 billion. This person drives an Audi R8, goes to Sundance, Venice, Toronto, Cannes, Tribeca, SXSW and E3 but never actually attends a screening because he's hung over from P. Diddy's party. When his father threatens to cut him off (a relative term) if he doesn't start making movies, he options the rights to a random graphic novel he saw at Comic-Con. After throwing $10 million at Robert Rodriguez to direct it and Gerard Butler to star, the flick makes $500 million and spawns three sequels and a spin off.

[EricAD]

It is interesting that Sam Raimi's name never comes up in regards to a Justice League movie. I think he'd be a good choice in many ways, but my one fear is that a JL movie will have at least five main leads, and whoever your villain is. One of the most accurate complaints about Spider-Man 3 is that it buckled under the weight of its own excess. I love Raimi to death, but sometimes his stuff leans heavily towards camp...often in a good way (Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Drag Me To Hell) but I don't even want a remotely campy JL movie. If they announce Raimi, I'll be intrigued...but I won't breathe a giant sigh of relief the way I did when they announced Whedon for Avengers.

[Flashpoint]

It is interesting that Sam Raimi's name never comes up in regards to a Justice League movie. I think he'd be a good choice in many ways, but my one fear is that a JL movie will have at least five main leads, and whoever your villain is. One of the most accurate complaints about Spider-Man 3 is that it buckled under the weight of its own excess. I love Raimi to death, but sometimes his stuff leans heavily towards camp...often in a good way (Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Drag Me To Hell) but I don't even want a remotely campy JL movie. If they announce Raimi, I'll be intrigued...but I won't breathe a giant sigh of relief the way I did when they announced Whedon for Avengers.

I don't think Raimi is in contention for any DC movies which I find utterly bizarre. I mean, he's not even mentioned for a Vertigo film--and after Drag Me To Hell and the Evil Dead, you'd think a Vertigo comic would be right up his alley.

I was watching The Truman Show last night and it occurred to me that
Peter Weir (FILMS: Witness; Dead Poets Society; Master & Commander; The Truman Show) does well with ensemble casts and fantastic elements. The whole premise of Truman is that a corporation built a mini-Dyson sphere of sorts in the Hollywood Hills with an artificial sun and moon in a world they controlled remotely by computer! Some may be shocked at the idea, but similar thinking went into Fox's decision to hire Bryan Singer for X-Men and X2 and those films were terrific.

Perhaps that is what is needed here: real out-of-the-box thinking that considers directorial candidates who might not have made superhero movies before.

One name I can't believe I didn't think to also add to my previous list...

Gore Verbinski
FILMS: The Lone Ranger (2013); Pirates Of The Caribbean; The Ring
To be honest, Verbinski is the guy I most want to make an Aquaman movie given his extensive experience filming on the high seas and underwater. However, Justice League needs to happen first *and* be a hit so why hold off on considering Verbinski? He's got tons of experience with magic and the supernatural (POTC; The Ring) and just directed his first big name hero flick (Lone Ranger). Plus, he's an expert at juggling large ensemble casts with multiple stars and their competing egos. Visually, he'd make a stunning JL movie.

Oh, and Bleeding Cool had some fun this morning sharing a diagram on how to get a movie greenlit in Hollywood from a screenwriter who had a deal with J.J. Abrams which appears to have fallen through. It's totally a spoof, but like all good spoofs there's more than a bit of truth to it:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/forums/f...rspective.html

[EricAD]

Here are a couple of pretty well thought out and well written articles on the difficulty in making a JL movie. I honestly hope the folks at Warner Brothers read some of the articles written online, because most of these fan written pieces are actually really good free advice (including one I wrote...just sayin') and the suits would be smart to take heed.

Why ‘Justice League’ Can Successfully Launch a DC Movie Universe

Justice League Movie: 3 Major Issues Writers Will Have To Overcome

[Doom85]

My confusion about the first article is at one point he acts like WB might actually keep the Nolan continuity in-continuity with the JL movie (and future Batman movies, I suppose). That's VERY unlikely to happen. I can't really say why (not everyone here has seen TDKR after all), but yeah. Also, the claim that the JL movie is "all taking place in a story that requires absolutely no homework or lead-ins to understand and appreciate" is a bit presumptuous, especially since we still have no idea which specific JL-ers and villain(s) they intend to use. And yes, you didn't to know about Hulk before seeing Avengers because Whedon actually re-explained him in the movie (presumably since Hulk's movies performed the weakest in box office so movie-goers are less knowledgeable about him), but Thor? Yeah, the conflict mostly made sense without seeing Thor but it felt like seeing Empire Strikes Back without seeing A New Hope if you saw Avengers without seeing Thor. I would imagine "okay, this one hero's brother is a villain, um, should I care?" would be most people's reaction to the Thor/Loki dynamic in Avengers if they never saw Thor.

And yeah, I personally can wait for Justice League. They're acting like 2015 isn't rushing it, but for a project like this it feels like rushing to me. At least with Marvel we were constantly getting the cast assembled as the years went on, with WB they can't even definitively say if Henry Cavill will be in it. That is not a good sign.

The second article once again brings out the tired argument of "copying Avengers will affect the movie's success". I HIGHLY doubt it. I mean, did you know anyone who refused to see Alien vs. Predator because they were "copying" Freddy vs. Jason? Seriously, it's some of the most iconic heroes ever together on the big screen, I doubt a significant amount of people will boycott the movie "in defense" of Avengers. The sort of people who would have that sort of geeky passion about it would already know about the Justice League's history in comics and wouldn't make such a silly assumption. Not to mention, in terms of comic adaptations' shared universes, the DCUA predates the Marvel Cinematic Universe, just saying. Also, some really odd choices, in addition to having to properly introduce Flash and Wonder Woman, the writer wants MM, Zatanna, and even a new GL (since the article mentions nothing about a GL sequel, so you'd have to explain why someone completely different is using a ring). The other article mentioned X-men: First Class, but come on. Those characters have the same origins for their powers (which have had FOUR prior movies to explain anyway) and only Magneto and Xavier really had much background to them. Sure, you could argue (though I will disagree) that Flash and Wonder Woman's casts, locales, etc. should be saved for post-JL solos for those two, but MM and Zatanna? Those two aren't getting solo movies most likely, so you WOULD have to go into detail about them, as well as the new GL. This isn't X-men, you don't get to say, "hey, evolution did it!" for the whole cast, and I'm pretty sure after all the superhero movies making it very clear where all the characters' powers come from that a JL movie saying, "they all have different powers for whatever reason, just roll with it" would not sit well with quite a few moviegoers. Since most people know that Superman has an explanation for his powers (my fave mainstream explanation comes from Matchbox 20: "from some other planet, I'd get this funky high on the yellow sun!" Classic stuff) it's a fair assumption to say they would expect other superheroes in a movie with him to have an explanation for their powers as well.

Also, the second article seems to think Batman's accurate characterization is still godlike, ugh. In terms of combat in the movie, Batman should be movie-Captain America level, maybe a tad higher. If he starts soloing godlike beings or whatever in the movie, expect to start shaking my head in disgust regardless of however much "planning" took place. Batman can use his brilliance to help make the TEAM able to take on anything, but Batman himself needs to be kept at a reasonable level in terms of fighting the villains.

[geoff2005]

Since they will probably make an announcement soon, i would suggest most people don't think about this or stress out about it. since we have zero information you'll just be speculating too much.

[Lotech]

Since they will probably make an announcement soon, i would suggest most people don't think about this or stress out about it. since we have zero information you'll just be speculating too much.

Speculation will drive a person crazy, but since I'm on the way, I'll speculate that WB won't announce a director until after the first of the year. Season's Greetings.