Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Sequel Still in Development But is “Years Away”

    Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Sequel Still in Development But is “Years Away”

    We’ve all been excited when we got the announcement that Matt Reeves‘ The Batman was getting a sequel. Not only was the first film quite the global hit during the pandemic with $770M, but it also set up a new trilogy with an expansive franchise being built around it. HBO Max would feature a Penguin-focused series with Colin Farrell set to return in the role. That was not all, as there was also an Arkham Asylum project in some form of development. Yet, Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent shake-ups have made their future quite unknown for many.

    In a new piece by Variety, they offer some insight into what the future looks like even if it remains quite the mess. According to them, The Batman is still in development but doesn’t have a greenlight yet. As such, the project isn’t likely to see the light of day for a few years. This does add some uncertainty if whoever takes over DC Studios in the future has the patience to let Matt Reeves do his thing while he works on the sequel for an extended period of time. Plus, who knows if the spinoff series is as safe as some reports seemingly hinted at.

    It’s bizarre they aren’t trying to fast-track this project, especially if they are keeping up with the multiverse angle as Joker’s sequel is in active development. Plus, Reeves’ own little pocket universe offered something that made it stand out in the blockbuster landscape, and yet Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to create a unified universe. So, who knows if this might become an issue down the line with many visions colliding at some point.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Joker’ Sequel Will Receive Massive Budget Increase From First Entry

    ‘Joker’ Sequel Will Receive Massive Budget Increase From First Entry

    Here’s quite the surprise but it looks like the upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux will have a twice as large budget as the previous entry. While it did surprise many when it pulled in over a billion at the international box office in 2019, it seems that the ambitious sequel will have quite a higher investment than the previous entry. The first was reported to have a budget between $55M to $70M, and it now seems that the latest entry will be closer to a high-budget Marvel film in scope.

    According to Variety, the film will have a budget of $150M due to the high salaries of Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips, who are expected to get $20M. Lady Gaga, the long-rumored addition show as recently confirmed, will get $10M. That is not all, as the production costs will get raised quite a bit due to the complicated musical sequences that are planned for the project, even if Variety hints that it’s closer to A Star is Born than In the Heights.

    We’ll have to see just where the budget will go, especially if the project is mostly taking place at one location. Perhaps they plan to have the dance sequences break the mold of reality and add interesting showpieces to the two dance sequences. It does seem curious how the budget ballooned for the sequel after Phillips statements in regards to keeping the project “smaller and more personal” in the past but we’ll see how the Joker sequel will turn out.

    Source: Deadline

  • Shelving ‘Batgirl’ but Not ‘The Flash’ Isn’t Protecting the Brand

    Shelving ‘Batgirl’ but Not ‘The Flash’ Isn’t Protecting the Brand

    David Zaslav, the new President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, blamed the shelving of Batgirl on wanting to protect the DC brand. And yet, The Flash movie is still on the studio’s slate as they seek to determine what to do with the film following the countless allegations and arrests surrounding its star Ezra Miller. For a studio intent on protecting its brand, the decision to react slowly to Miller’s actions is a poor one.

    None of us know if Batgirl was good and now with the film being shelved in favor of a tax write-down, it’s likely we’ll never know, which is bizarre. After all, this is the same studio that released Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman 1984, films that while still successful was far from critical darlings. Batgirl was developed as an HBO Max film, with rumors later circulating that, like with Blue Beetle, the Leslie Grace film would actually get a chance to grace the big screen in a theatrical release. It had two promising directors at the helm – a duo that directed some of the best episodes of Ms. Marvel for Marvel Studios – and a rising young star in the titular role.

    Let’s not forget, that it also managed to secure the incredibly talented Michael Keaton, who was set to return as Batman, and Brendan Fraser as the film’s villain. Even if it wasn’t an “event film” as the studio had hoped, there was plenty to be excited about with Batgirl. Instead of releasing it, the studio decided not to put any more money into it and try to recoup its cost with a write-down. So, why then has The Flash continued to move along with no problem?

    Ezra Miller, who was once a promising actor in Hollywood, has quickly seen his star dim in recent years due to their actions. It all began with a video surfacing of Miller allegedly choking a fan in a video in April 2020. Somehow, despite the video circulating all over social media, nothing seemed to become of it, and it was quickly swept under the rug. Flash forward – pun intended – to March 2022 and Miller was arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar. A couple of weeks later, Miller was then arrested again for assault after he was said to have thrown a chair, resulting in the injury of a 26-year-old woman.

    As if that wasn’t bad enough, in June the actor was accused of grooming a child and a protective order was put in place against him. The problem? Miller was said to be on the run with the teen. Later reports would suggest a mother and her three children had moved into the actor’s Vermont farm in a “roommate situation” that was concerning because there were said to be unattended guns and drugs on the property. Then the actor was charged with “offense of felony burglary into an unoccupied dwelling” in Stamford, Vermont earlier this week. And that’s just a simple summary of everything.

    To say your studio wants to protect its brand all while bringing an actor with so many allegations back for reshoots? I mean, that seems quite ludicrous. The fact that the future of The Flash still remains in question is just downright absurd. If it’s okay to pull the plug on Batgirl, a $90 million film, ya know, one where the leading lady wasn’t at the center of a troublesome media storm? Then surely the same can be done with The Flash.

    Canceling Batgirl was cruel to those who worked on the project. There was a sense of pride and passion in Batgirl that was evident by all involved. There’s no reason Batgirl couldn’t have at least been put on HBO Max and given a chance to be seen. Grace and directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi deserved to have their work seen. And while The Flash director Andy Muschietti is talented, and his cast impressive, they ultimately have to carry the weight of Miller’s troubles into the promotion of the film and that’s not fair to them. Purely removing Miller from marketing the project isn’t enough because the cast and crew will still be asked to answer for their actions.

    Sure, The Flash has a hefty budget and could play a huge part in the DC cinematic universe moving forward, but at what point is the line drawn? You can’t claim you want to protect the brand and then release a film starring someone with such a worrisome list of allegations against them. Actions speak louder than words.

  • Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    As Ezra Miller’s very public downward spiral continues, Warner Bros. is now reportedly weighing their options with how to proceed with their $200M+ Miller vehicle, The Flash. After being charged with felony burglary, Miller was in the news again when it was reported that a mother and her three children who had been staying with Miller are now missing and being searched for by child’s services in Vermont. With Miller continuing to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, Warner Bros. is said to be considering three options with The Flash.

    According to THR, while it is not the studio’s first choice, they have come to the realization that should Miller’s erratic and headline-grabbing behavior continue, they will have to bury the film and eat its massive budget. While this is not their first choice nor their preferred option, it is the first time during Miller’s spree that reports out of the studio indicate it’s a possibility. At the other end of the spectrum, should Miller seek help and come forward with a public apology, the studio is willing to move forward with the film and allow Miller limited opportunities to promote it. In between those two ends is an option where the studio releases the film and keeps Miller away from press entirely, and then recasts the character moving forward, a move that has been the subject of fan speculation and discussion for months.

    According to the report, a recast and reshoot for The Flash would be impossible because Miller plays several characters in the film and “is in almost every scene.” Even as Warner Bros. has canceled several projects and looks to the future, their decision to move forward with The Flash, which was first announced in 2014, seems informative. Fans of long speculated that the movie could serve as an opportunity to “reboot” the continuity of the existing DC Universe and with the studio’s newly announced direction, it does seem a likely option.

    Source: THR

  • Walter Hamada Was Planning ‘Crisis On Infinite Earths’ Film Event

    Walter Hamada Was Planning ‘Crisis On Infinite Earths’ Film Event

    The hierarchy of power at Warner Bros. Discovery is changing, and the future of DC Films will never be the same. As has been widely reported over the last week, new WBD CEO David Zaslav has been busy making a series of drastic alterations to the company’s film slate. Batgirl, along with several other potential projects, received an unexpected axing, and nothing that’s been previously announced is still set in stone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this includes projects that were never publicly revealed but planned as major announcements by DC Films President Walter Hamada. Perhaps the biggest idea that will likely not see the light of day? An adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which was reportedly being staged by Hamada before Zaslav changed the game.

    One of the most popular comic book tales to ever exist, Crisis follows the heroes of the DC multiverse as they come together to prevent its destruction at the hands of the all-powerful Anti-Monitor. The series concluded with the defeat of the Anti-Monitor, and resulted in the entire DC multiverse condensing into a single Earth. It seems likely this event could have been Hamada’s plan to converge the many tones and timelines presented throughout DC’s most recent films. With Zack Snyder’s original vision for the DC Extended Universe not panning out, the success of Joker and The Batman proving stand-alone worlds could still be profitable, and The Flash set to introduce the multiverse concept to the franchise, a Crisis-type situation did feel like a natural solution to all the chaos. After all, the comic is notable for its willingness to kill off characters and reset storylines for the sake of audience understanding.

    It’s worth noting that Marvel Studios just announced an adaptation of Secret Wars in its plans for the Multiverse Saga, the 2015 version of which is pretty similar in concept to Crisis. While this is entirely conjecture, it does make one wonder if Zaslav wanted to avoid comparison and opted for the hard, sudden reboot instead. For those who would still like to see a Crisis adaptation, The CW produced one a few years back with a major crossover of all its Arrowverse television series. That was well-received by fans and should be able to quench the Crisis thirst until a film is inevitably made in the apparently not-so-soon future.

    Source: THR

  • Development Has Been Halted on ‘Static Shock’ and ‘Supergirl’

    Development Has Been Halted on ‘Static Shock’ and ‘Supergirl’

    Warner Bros. Discovery might be moving full-steam ahead with The Flash, however, a new report from The Hollywood Reporter suggests plenty of other DC projects have been shelved – at least temporarily.

    In a new piece breaking down the status of projects in varying stages of development at Warner Bros. Discovery and DC, THR has suggested a slew of projects haven’t necessarily been canceled, but development has slowed. Per the outlet, Supergirl, Green Lantern Corps, Static Shock and a Superman film from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates have all seen their development come to a halt with no directors attached to any of the projects.

    Reports that Supergirl hit a speed bump first surfaced last week, with Rolling Stone stating the Flash spinoff was no longer moving forward. This report from THR suggests the project isn’t necessarily canceled, but rather, not a priority at the moment. That could potentially change depending on how The Flash is received upon release next year. As for Static Shock and Coates’ Superman, this marks the first news regarding the projects since they were initially announced, so it’s not entirely surprising that development has stalled on both.

    A Static Shock movie was first teased in August 2020 as part of DC’s FanDome event, with news coming a few months later that Michael B. Jordan would produce the project for Warner Bros. along with Reginald Hudlin on the film. The project looked to be gaining steam after hiring Randy McKinnon in March 2021 to pen the script. Unfortunately, that was the last bit of movement on the project since its initial announcement – the same goes for Coates’ Superman film with producer J.J. Abrams.

    With Warner Bros. Discovery viewing Superman as a viable franchise for its DC brand, it remains to be seen whether or not the studio opts to bring back Henry Cavill or opt to introduce a brand-new Man of Steel. Either way, it seems likely Superman will fly again, it just remains to be seen which Superman it’ll be.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Birds of Prey’ Spinoff Still in Development as Warner Bros. Discovery reshuffles DC Line-Up

    ‘Birds of Prey’ Spinoff Still in Development as Warner Bros. Discovery reshuffles DC Line-Up

    The future of Warner Bros. remains in shambles, as many have no idea what future DC projects are in some form of development or another. The random cancelation of Batgirl has left many scratching their heads about what exactly it means for many of the projects currently in some form of development or another. Among them was the Birds of Prey spinoff that would focus on Jurnee Smollett‘s Black Canary.

    The project is going to be written by Mischa Green, who has worked with Smollett on other projects in the past. As many DC projects are getting taken down or at least their future in question, there are a lot of questions about how they’ll handle their projects. They are seemingly moving away from HBO Max movie releases, which might mean Black Canary might be a theatrical release.

    Of course, they may turn it into a TV series and find a new home over at HBO. Yet, it’s difficult to say with just how they are going to approach these projects moving forward. There’s also the question if it not having started thee project could give them the pivot to find the fitting home for it moving forward. Here’s hoping the wait isn’t too long for an official update on the project.

    Source: TV Line

  • Zazie Beetz to Return in ‘Joker’ Sequel

    Zazie Beetz to Return in ‘Joker’ Sequel

    When the Joker sequel was announced, all eyes were on the fact that not only was it going to be a musical but also Lady Gaga is very likely taking on the role of Harley Quinn. We still don#t know any details about the project, but we did get a confirmation that she is definitely joining the project in an unknown role. In a surprising twist, it seems that a familiar face is going to return to the project from the first entry, as Zazie Beetz will take on the role of Sophie Dumond once again.

    While there have been hints that Joker: Folie à Deux will mostly take place in Arkham Asylum, the ending did keep a lot of questions open on how much of the story was actually Arthur Fleck’s experience or in the character’s mind. Carried mostly by Joaquin Phoenix‘s performance, the project played with the viewer’s perception of what is and isn’t real. As such was the story arc of Beetz‘ Dumond. While it seemed that she was slowly falling in love with Fleck, it turns out it was all in his mind.

    There’s no word on how her character might tie into the story, perhaps they’ll play around with the idea that she’s an inmate or someone that is still haunting Fleck’s subconscious. It would be strange if she returns for a brief appearance or generally if they want to further explore his actions as he fully became the Joker. Perhaps we get to see Gotham from her perspective as everything has gone insane after Fleck accidentally led a faction into trying to overtake the city. Whatever may be, we’ll have to wait and see.

    Source: Deadline

  • Idris Elba Confirms DC Project In Development 

    Idris Elba Confirms DC Project In Development 

    Idris Elba is one of the few actors getting to play in both the Marvel and DC sandbox at the moment. Now a household name, Elba has starred concurrently as the Asgardian warrior Heimdall in Marvel’s Thor films and the ruthless mercenary Bloodsport in Warner Bros.’ The Suicide Squad for the last few years. Thor: Love and Thunder brought the former character back after a long absence, while the latter character’s journey has seemingly only just begun. However, since each of his last comic book-based projects was released, his future with either company has been up in the air. That is, until now.

    During a recent interview with Erik Davis, the actor confirmed he’s in the process of cooking up something big for DC right now. Davis took to Twitter to share the news ahead of the interview’s release. Without any further information, it’s impossible to say exactly what it is Elba is working on. That being said, director James Gunn has been teasing the exciting future of his work with HBO Max creating DC television series. The creative already produced Peacemaker, a spin-off of The Suicide Squad, and has stated he’s developing more unrevealed spin-offs as well. Deductive reasoning would indicate Elba might be returning to his Bloodsport role in one of Gunn’s shows, but without any official word, that should still be considered simple conjecture. Hopefully, more information comes sooner than later.

    Elba’s next picture, Beast, in which the actor battles a ferocious lion, hits theaters on August 19th.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kevin Feige, Edgar Wright, and James Gunn Reached Out to ‘Batgirl’ Directors Over Sudden Cancelation

    Kevin Feige, Edgar Wright, and James Gunn Reached Out to ‘Batgirl’ Directors Over Sudden Cancelation

    It’s been a tough week for Batgirl‘s creative team. Warner Bros. Discovery has pulled a bizarre move by writing the entire film off for taxes, which costs $90M to produce and was nearly finished. Given their work on Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel, it seemed bizarre for many that a film directed by Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah wouldn’t be able to live up to any standards. Still, Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav saw the “right” decision to protect the DC brands.

    What wasn’t the right decision was that the team wasn’t even informed until the news first broke through the New York Post. Even Walter Hamada, the CEO of DC Films, only found out as the decision was already made during a screening of Black Adam without even being consulted. Now, director Adil El Arbi shared an e-mail they received from Marvel Studios director Kevin Feige on the matter painting a very big contrast between the way it’s being handled by executives of different corporations.

    Feige sending out this e-mail is definitely a showcase of a closer relationship with talent over at Marvel Studios, but also simply a showcase of kindness that anyone would need if their passion project is just pulled to save money. The film business has always found a balance between the two sides, but Warner Bros. Discovery current moves are certainly more business than artistic, adding pressure to future talent potentially joining any future project.

    He wasn’t the only one to reach out, as it seems that the Batgirl director’s were also given support by James Gunn and Edgar Wright, who famously lost their own passion projects. While for different reasons, there are always going to be moments where things just don’t come together creatively as intended. But, this case is less a creative difference but a bizarre move by a company to save as little money as possible.

    Source: Twitter, Variety