Looks like the stand alone DC JL film directors are bailing...

[Hector]

Director Seth Grahame-Smith just left the Flash project...

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/29/the-flash-movie-director-seth-grahame-smith-leaves-over-creative-differences

Now Aquaman director James Wan might be next...

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/29/aquaman-rumor-james-wan-may-be-next-dc-director-to-exit

Not looking too good in the Warner Brothers DC universe...

[enyawd72]

^No wonder. As much as BvS was meh...at least I wanted to see it. I have ZERO interest in Aqua-Conan, and that horribly miscast Flash. I'll stick with the TV version.

I'm betting most of WB's plans for DC will collapse, and at most we'll get a couple more Batman films with Affleck and maybe Wonder Woman before another DCU franchise wide reboot.

By that time Marvel will have made another dozen movies and be moving on to phase four.

[Earth 2 Chris]

WB was in too big of a hurry to get a Marvel-like franchise off the ground, and hitched their wagon to Zack Snyder before the tepid response to MoS really sank in. And even when it did, rather than try to steer him in a more audience-friendly direction, they let him continue in the same direction that divided fans in the first place.

As the article points out, Wan was distancing himself from BvS BEFORE IT EVEN HIT THEATERS. Never a good sign.

Chris

[Nostalgiabuff]

not a good sign for the future of the DCU. it's a shame and really shows how far removed from the characters the brass at WB are. they really do not get it and have no respect for the rich history of their characters. Unlike Marvel, who totally get it and relish in it, which is why the MCU thrives

[enyawd72]

not a good sign for the future of the DCU. it's a shame and really shows how far removed from the characters the brass at WB are. they really do not get it and have no respect for the rich history of their characters. Unlike Marvel, who totally get it and relish in it, which is why the MCU thrives

Yep. Even with their golden boy Batman, they have yet to really bring the truest version of the character to the screen. I would literally THROW money at WB if only they'd produce a film version of Neal Adams' Batman complete with Robin the BOY Wonder. Batman NEEDS Robin to balance all that darkness with a little light and levity.

I can't believe it's been almost 30 years since we've seen Batman with a yellow oval on his chest...and 50 years since we've seen him wear blue.
THIS is the Batman I wanna see...totally classic and totally badass!
Classic Batman.jpg

[hedrap]

Look...it's over for WB.

We're entering another major consolidation phase, which is what usually happens in media when economics look shaky. Comcast, i.e - NBCUinversal - overpaid for the remains of Dreamworks, who just four years ago bought Classic Media. Harveytoons, Dell/Gold Key, Filmation and UPA are now owned by NBCU. NBCU paid 3.8 billion for Dreamworks. Disney got Marvel for 4 billion.

Batman alone is arguably worth 2 billion. WB has proven they cannot capitalize, so a merger is coming. Disney can't do it because they would become a monopoly in several markets and it would make them prime for a federal breakup. WB is going to merge with someone, I would say within a year.

In 2016 alone...

1. Deadpool: 60M budget with an 800M return. Squad went from having no real comparisons to a full 1:1 Joker v Deadpool. Even if that's not really accurate, it's going to be how it's portrayed.

2. Favreau's Jungle Book demolished the WB version just as production commenced. WB has no idea wth to do now, so they moved it into 2018.

3. BvS has already maxed its returns.

4. Civil War is on path to break every record.

5. It's only May.

6. Squad comes out in August

7. Strange hits in November

The current rumor - Squad is actually a Batman movie told from the villain's POV - is the only chance they have in catching Deadpool. If they can't, than Strange is going to beat Squad, tracking will show that in Sept/October and that's when the current heads at WB and most DC are let go.

If the merger is with Fox, then they will have to release all Marvel rights just to get the deal done.

[enyawd72]

^I think you're right on all counts. I also think Dr. Strange is going to surprise everyone and do GotG numbers.

Holy crap...we just agreed on something AGAIN.

It's a madhouse! A MADHOUSE!!

[emeraldknight47]

MIB41 and I were joking about BvS and I mentioned, only half-jokingly, that WB/DC should sell all characters movie rights to Disney/Marvel in order to get the films made properly. Then I had to laugh again when, in the course of reading one of the CA: CW reviews on RT, the reviewer commented that DC/WB should farm their films out to Disney/Marvel. Would it be weird and ironic the see the MARVEL Studios logo come up onscreen before the DC logo? Yeah, a little, but I'll bet that the films would make some $$$$ and finally give fans the versions of the characters they've been longing to see on the big screen.

[Hedji]

[huedell]

MIB41 and I were joking about BvS and I mentioned, only half-jokingly, that WB/DC should sell all characters movie rights to Disney/Marvel in order to get the films made properly.

But, it's not a joke.

It's all about the money and the survival of the business entity. "Strange bedfellows" and all that. Hey: At one point Marvel comic books were being distributed by DC's distributors TO SURVIVE. It was a point I was making in the other thread.

This kind of "crazy" stuff happens.

It happened when Spider-Man was dropped into Marvel movies & onward Avengers in Spidey movies (property-wise, in "movie-land", Spidey might as well have BEEN a DC character)---- and it will happen many times into the future... inevitably culminating in a "DC vs. Marvel" live-action movie.

That's right.... Huedell News... you heard it here first.

[Hector]

This is getting more intense, folks.

Snyder butting heads with Warner Brothers already...

http://batman-news.com/2016/04/30/zack-snyder-warner-bros-fight-justice-league/

What the heck are the WB head honchos waiting for?

FIRE ZACK SNYDER NOW!!!

[huedell]

I'll tell ya, if they fire Snyder, it'll not only be one of the greatest publicity marketing moves WB could make, but it would also aid me in recovering from my "Well, this is odd" vibe I got when I started watching the decidedly ***ahem*** "restrained" Batman Begins way back when.

Hey, I truly/sincerely love Ledger's TDK (just about) as much as the next guy, but, overall, I've been at odds with DC live-action films since WB decided to reboot Superman.

[Blue Meanie]

Warner/DC is having MAJOR problems right now. They just fired the editor in chief of the Vertigo lines and it was revealed that they have"Harassment Issues" with one of the members of DC's upper echelon that managed to keep HIS job even though he's known as a perv for years at the DC offices. Things are not so pretty for that company right now. The only good thing they have going is that the TV stuff has not suffered. Hopefully it won't. About the only DC thing I am looking forward to is Killing Joke when it comes out on DVD/Blu Ray. Still haven't seen Supes/Bats and have no desire to see it. Again, waiting for it to come out and then go to the $5 bin at Walmart/Target/Best Buy. Suicide Squad began re-filming stuff so that tells you it's not "all good". Just an absolute mess. I never ever thought I'd say this because I am and always was a DC fan before Marvel...Thank God for Marvel/Disney. I thought for sure that Disney was going to cut Marvel off at the legs...but so far they have let them do what they want and it's worked. They've also maintained decent artists and writers on their books.

[MIB41]

It's not surprising directors are leaving the solo projects attached to this film. When you get this kind of universal condemnation from critics which is reinforced by the public with two of the biggest consecutive weekend drops in the history of the genre, that's a hint and a half that people don't want to see more of the same. So when the studio and director react as if they are tone deaf to these enormous criticisms, it begs the question of survival for those not attached to the Justice League who desire NOT to go down with this sinking ship. Warner Bros stock would go up ten fold if they fired Snyder. But it's sad that it's taking other directors to leave these projects to open their eyes to the inherit problems that exist within.

[johnnystorm]

I think Disney has always had a handle on protecting their characters and brand, and maintaining a status quo for them, while finding a way to continue marketing them through the illusion of change. They keep the core of the character intact, updating the look, style, etc. But in the end, Mickey Mouse is still the same Mickey every generation knows.
Look at Star Wars...first thing they did was zero in on the original series and jettison all the extras.
But DC- Warners doesn't get that. Once upon a time DC jealously protected the characters. Older comic readers will recall the days when editorial would paste Curt Swan Superman heads over the art of Jack Kirby and Alex Toth so he remained stylistically "correct". That's all gone now. The higher ups think they need to create new versions, as if the old ones are somehow bad. Probably the oddest part is that the comics and movie divisions absolutely do not get what the characters are, but the tv and animation really do. Look at the Justice League cartoons & the Flash tv show. Teen Titans is a great example...a popular version done in a different way but still keeping the core intact.