The shelving of Batgirl for tax reasons is something that left quite the bitter taste with many long-time fans of DC films and Warner Bros. Under new leadership, David Zaslav has been taking a hammer to most every prominent project they have with one controversial decision following the next. Now, it turns out that DC Films president Walter Hamada was just about to exit the studio over the recent decision.
While he’s agreed to stay, it does seem like it’s going to be short-lived as he’ll supervise the release of Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam in October. He’s not made a comment in regards to this current development but it does seem to lack the last pieces are falling apart at Warner Bros. Discovery. There’s still some questioning on their decision to not even give the film a chance theatrically, as it seems it was deemed “not strong enough” for that kind of release.
The big reveal is that Hamada has not been consulted about the decision and simply found out during a test screening for Black Adam. He naturally was worried bout those heavily involved with the production who haven’t really been informed either until the news was first released by the New York Post, which stated that low test scores were one of the reasons.
Hamada has been a highly discussed figure in the DC realm due to decisions surrounding Justice League back in 2017. Internally, there was a lot of pressure of setting a path for these projects and creating their own shared universe like Marvel but things have been bumpy along the way, even if The Suicide Squad, The Batman, Aquaman, Peacemaker, and more still shined bright. If he’ll truly leave the company we’ll have to see once the Black Adam releases.
In the beginning many were frustrated to see Warner Bros. rushing through the DC Extended Universe, jumping the gun to catch up with Marvel Studios. The course correction never really came and since 2017, its been an uphill battle for fans. With the Discovery merger the new heads seem to be dedicated in expanding and pushing the DC property to its fullest potential with quality content.
Quote of the Day for DC fans: "There will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC. It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney – David Zaslav #WarnerBrosDiscoverypic.twitter.com/u9oRuXghMW
During the Q2 earnings call for Warner Brothers Discovery, David Zaslav announced that DC is one of their highest priorities in getting situated. On top of the announcement that DC would be becoming its own studio within the company, Zaslav has confirmed that they’ve put a team together to run said studio and have put together a ten-year plan, mentioning outright it is similar to what Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have built over at Disney.
No word has been made on what exactly this “10-year-plan” entails and it’s unknown if WBD will announce a slate anytime soon. Another interesting part of this announcement is what’s going to happen with the current universe. Could the new plan be set on the foundations of the old one, with The Flash mentioned during the call and Zaslav saying he thinks the studio can make the film better? This could possibly hint at reshoots for the film and maybe allow them to alter the ending so that it could allow another new DC Universe to be born of it as a result, as it seems Zaslav is not a fan of the Keatonverse idea.
Zaslav: We have seen Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2. "We are very excited about them. We’ve seen them. We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better."
The third time’s the charm, as many say, but this might even be closer to their fourth. No matter what, let’s just hope that they can get it right this time and the DC universe is able to thrive the way everyone knows it can.
A day after an official release date was given to Joker 2, aka Joker: Folie A Deux, director and co-writer Todd Phillips took to social media to confirm Lady Gaga‘s casting. News that Gaga would be joining the Joker sequel first hit in June, with Deadline revealing she was in talks to portray Harley Quinn in the film. While news has continued to hit regarding the Joker sequel, this marks the first official confirmation that the singer/actress is set to co-star alongside Joaquin Phoenix.
In the video below, we see a silhouette of Phoenix’s Joker as he looks to be dancing with a cigarette in his mouth, followed by a silhouette of Gaga with what appears to be a heart on her cheek. The silhouettes then come together in a pose before confirming the Oct. 2024 release date.
Production on Joker: Folie A Deux is expected to begin this December, with a good chunk of the story reportedly set within Arkham Asylum with some musical elements involved. Little else is known regarding the film, however, it’s possible the sequel could take cues from the Mad Love comics storyline. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all comes together.
Joker: Folie A Deux will hit theaters on Oct. 4th, 2024.
Following the news that Warner Bros. Discovery has opted not to release Batgirl, the film’s leading lady, Leslie Grace, has finally spoken out. Grace took to her Instagram page late Wednesday evening to talk about the abrupt move.
“Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland,” she wrote. “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!””
Grace also included behind-the-scenes images from the film that fans will now never get to see come to life. In some of the images, Grace can be seen sporting Batgirl’s purple and yellow costume with plenty of dirt on her face, while in other clips the cast can be seen goofing around while waiting to film.
Grace’s comments come after directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbireleased their own statement earlier in the day, revealing they were “saddened and shocked” by the news. “As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was not finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves.”
While earlier reports suggested DC was keen to work with Grace and Fallah and Arbi again outside of Batgirl, it remains to be seen whether or not that does happen down the line. For now, it’s evident that all involved in the project are clearly passionate about Batgirl and are sad to see fans won’t get to see their hard work.
In perhaps the most shocking film news of the year, Warner Bros. Discovery made the move to cancel HBO Max’s Batgirl after it had already completed filming. The project was axed alongside Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, an animated sequel to 2020’s Scoob!, which was also nearly finished with its production process. These decisions came as the result of a change in leadership at the company, with new CEO David Zaslav making drastic modifications to Warner Bros. Discovery’s project output in an attempt to save the business money. Other such changes include the removal of multiple previously released HBO Max Originals, such as The Witches and An American Pickle, from the streaming service for the sake of partial tax write-offs.
A new article from The Hollywood Reporter indicates more release alterations may be coming, specifically to the company’s slate of upcoming DC films. While fans are mostly concerned about projects that have yet to begin marketing, like Angel Manuel Soto‘s Blue Beetle or Andy Muschietti‘s The Flash, THR reports that imminent entries on Warner Bros. Discovery’s schedule could be in motion as well. Shazam!: Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are both listed as projects that might see a change in release dates in the near future. Fury of the Gods, which just had a grand showing at San Diego Comic-Con and recently dropped its first trailer, is currently set for a December 21st release, while The Lost Kingdom is supposed to hit theaters on March 17th, 2023.
No reason was given for any potential shift, but THR did note that Aquaman may be undergoing some changes in its Batman department. Michael Keaton was reportedly set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne from the original Tim Burton films, The Flash, and Batgirl, replacing Ben Affleck from the Zack Snyder universe as the Caped Crusader going forward. However, a recent video posted to Jason Mamoa‘s Instagram seemed to hint that Affleck would indeed return. The cancellation of Batgirl and uncertainty surrounding The Flash could mean the switch to Keaton has been undone, with THR also noting that Keaton’s original scene as Batman in The Lost Kingdom caused confusion among early test audiences. Warner Bros. Discovery has an earnings call on Thursday, and all eyes are directed toward Zaslav for answers.
According to The Wrap‘s Umberto Gonzalez, it seems that most of the upcoming films will take place in Arkham Asylum. So, it hints that it’ll set up right after where the first film ended and potentially follow the storyline known as Mad Love from the comics. The story revealed how Harley Quinn was actually Joker’s psychiatrist that would create a unique bond with him during her interviews with the inmate.
Lil scoop nugget for y'all…according to an insider with knowledge of the project, a lot of the Joker sequel takes place inside Arkham Asylum!https://t.co/QnQkX8FiPI
It’ll be interesting to see how the project will come together, and it does seem likely that it’ll involve a lot of musical dream sequences throughout. It may be a way to add a different background as they explore the character’s bonding. We’ll have to see if they make an announcement on the casting in the near future, especially if they already set a release date.
While Warner Bros. Discovery continues to re-evaluate HBO Max and the projects being developed for the streaming service, the studio is moving full steam ahead on the theatrical front. Deadline has reported that the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux has nabbed an official release date. The film will be hitting theaters on Oct. 4th, 2024.
The news comes a day after Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would be shelving the nearly complete Batgirl, which was meant to hit theaters next year. That project was said to be shelved as a tax write-off after the studio felt it wasn’t enough of an event film. The October 4th date was originally being held by Warner Bros. Discovery for an untitled DC event film, so the news isn’t entirely surprising. The first film managed to surprise with $96.2 million when it opened in October before going on to earn $1.07 billion at the box office – making it the highest-grossing R-rated film ever.
While Joker 2 was in development prior to the merger, it managed to avoid being canceled because the studio viewed the film and director Todd Phillips as a good way forward for its DC films. In fact, back in June, reports suggested Phillips was being considered to help guide DC and Warner Bros Discovery. It remains to be seen whether or not that ends up being the case.
Production onJoker: Folie a Deuxis expected to kick off this December. Leading man Joaquin Phoenix returns as the Joker, while Lady Gaga is reportedly in talks to portray Harley Quinn in the film that is being described as a musical. Todd Phillips co-wrote the sequel with Scott Silver and will return as the director.
As far as Comic Con’s announcements go, the easiest thing to say would be Avengers: Secret Wars. The truth is Kevin Feige’s plan on display for us to see is the kicker. This universe is expanding and we’ve all been wondering how it will continue to do so. As a fan, it was gratifying to see all of the projects lined up. There’s definitely fun in trying to figure out where the MCU is going on its own but to see it laid out is awesome.
It gives us all something to look forward to. If you want your street heroes and miss Daredevil…you got him back. Did you want to see how Sam Wilson’s journey will continue? We now have a title and a date. From team-ups to solo projects what we got was a reminder that the talk about the MCU was silly. Going forward, the expectation will be to see how tv gets better structurally. Otherwise, the road to what’s coming is here and we can actually enjoy the now of the MCU again. See you soon Kang.
Torbjorn Frazier
After having the pleasure to attend this year’s San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) festivities, it remains an arduous task to find just one top revelation from the weekend. While part of me wants to think outside of the box (I want to give special mention to Star Trek’s Hall H panel and them laying out a strong framework for their future on Paramount Plus), I can’t help but acknowledge that Marvel Studios were the runaway winners of the weekend.
With that in mind, I will focus on the triad of major revelations that were exclusive to the audience at Hall H. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion, and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 all showcased first-look trailers for their respective projects. And the three Marvel Studios projects all left extremely strong first impressions that should all have fans excited for the start of 2023. Quantumania’s trailer highlighted how this film will certainly be the highest stakes of the Ant-Man franchise through the introduction of a Jonathan Majors Kang the Conqueror variant, but still keeping the comedic tone from the original core ensemble and the addition of Bill Murray. Meanwhile, Secret Invasion seemingly will provide the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with its first paranoia thriller since Captain America: The Winter Soldier (and I’d argue the series will lean much more into the genre than the film if the trailer is any indication). And to top it off, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3’s trailer was the largest revelation from the panel. James Gunn very much has established this film will mark the conclusion of his run on the Guardians; franchise, and he is pulling all the stops to make this ending as epic as possible in terms of both plot and cinematic scope. There are many distinct talking points coming away from it, but the largest certainly is the highly emotional arc in store for Rocket Raccoon and his origins at the hands of the High Evolutionary.
If there’s ultimately a singular major revelation from SDCC, it’s that fans could be in store for a highly exciting beginning to MCU’s Phase Five in 2023.
Dalbin Osorio
My favorite reveal, hands down, was the announcement of the next Avengers films: Secret Wars and Kang Dynasty. My guy AC called out the fickle fans who sit online all day consistently complaining about Marvel and the “no direction” post-Endgame, but anyone paying a modicum of attention to Loki could tell a) who the big bad of this saga was and b) what they were building towards. You don’t populate the world with heroes and then just leave them as such, and Kevin Feige pulling the curtain back on the conclusion of the now-aptly named Multiverse Saga confirmed what we knew. The big bad is Kang, and we are headed towards the only story that can both top Endgame and simultaneously reset the universe to a point where it makes sense that mutants other than Kamala Khan exist and that the Avengers do have to pay for their machinations of time. You see, just because He Who Remains’ TVA was ok with them messing with time doesn’t mean that all the other Kang variants and their TVAs (should they have them) will be. Kang’s line to Ant-Man (you’re an Avenger? Have I killed you before) is the first salvo in the war to come ahead. A secret war, if you will, and seeing that confirmed was pretty damn exciting.
MTF III
My favorite reveal from Marvel’s SDCC panel was the official announcement of Daredevil: Born Again. Although Charlie Cox’s return to the role in the MCU was no secret (shoutout to #SavedDaredevil), the extent of Daredevil’s role in future Marvel projects was still held close to the vest. And even after confirmation of appearances in Echo and She-Hulk: Attorney AtLaw, the official announcement of his Disney Plus series was universally well-received. But no one could have predicted that the series would get 18(!) episodes to tell its story.
I recently advocated for longer seasons of the Marvel Disney Plus series, because the six-episode season structure wasn’t adequately serving them, so tripling that output assuages all of those concerns. Daredevil: Born Again is 5 episodes longer than what fans were used to getting from Netflix, which should provide its narrative with more than enough time to breathe so that the show can service multiple character subplots, conclude several arcs, and overall, do the necessary world-building to truly establish the MCU’s Street Level.
Will we see any of the former Defenders pop up? Will we get a split season of 9 and 9 with a break in between? Will the “canon” questions be definitively answered? So many questions were raised by the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again, and I can’t wait to discover all the answers.
Hunter Radesi
Not sure if this is a surprise to anybody, but my favorite reveals from San Diego Comic-Con were probably Spider-Man: Freshman Year and Daredevil: Born Again. These are two of my all-time favorite characters, and to see both of their names pop up in Hall H, headlining projects, was a dream come true. I’ve been craving a solid new animated Spider-Man project for years, and it looks like Jeff Trammell is getting ready to deliver. Learning Freshman Year is going to be a full-blown variant series, as opposed to a mini-MCU prequel, was so exciting. I haven’t been satisfied with a Spidey show since The Spectacular Spider-Man, but this one looks to have everything I could want from a web-head adaptation. Diverse supporting characters, classic bad guys, a unique animation style, and a passionate creative team working behind the scenes. As for Born Again, that one doesn’t take much explaining. Who wouldn’t be pumped about another season, a full 18 episodes, of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio doing their thing? My eyes will be on Disney+ for the next couple years.
DC League of Super-Pets is off to a decent start. The animated flick pulled in $2.2 million in Thursday night previews from 3,200 theaters. Industry estimates have had the film eyeing a $25-$30 million opening this weekend when it opens across 4,300 theaters. That would prove to be a strong opening for the film, it would also be ahead of 2018’s Teen Titans GO! To the Movies which only opened to $10.4 million.
Of course, DC League of Super Pets will have some stiff competition going into the weekend. While it is expected the film will dethrone Nope from the top spot at the box office, Top Gun: Maverick is still performing well and Minions: The Rise of Gru is still doing decent business at the box office. In fact, The Rise of Gru recently passed the $300 million mark at the domestic box office – an impressive feat, especially given it is an animated flick released during the pandemic.
The film, which was reportedly produced for $89 million, follows Krypto the Super-Dog, Superman’s dog who is voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is tasked with rescuing his owner, along with Kevin Hart’s Ace. While reviews have been mixed and the film is currently sitting on a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, that likely will not hinder the film’s box office potential, especially with Johnson and Hart attached.
Nope, which topped the box office with $44 million last weekend, is expected to pull in between $17-$18 million in its second weekend. Of course, as word of mouth continues to grow for Jordan Peele’s third feature film, it’s possible those numbers could go higher. Should that be the cast, Nope could stop League of Super-Pets before it truly gets a chance to take off at the box office.
DC League of Super-Pets is now playing in theaters.
Here’s a surprise that very few might’ve expected but a new post by Jason Momoa may have hinted that Ben Affleck‘s Bruce Wayne is back in the DC Extended Universe. There’s been no word on where exactly the multiversal storyline is heading with Michael Keaton‘s arrival heavily teased (even though it was confirmed long ago) in The Flash. Now, it looks like the current Batman is making his return ahead of that film’s arrival as a new batch of set photos for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hints at his return.
It’s a bit surprising that he’d just flat-out reveal this potential cameo. So, they could also just be playing around with viewers but he does seem to be wearing a very Bruce Wayne-esque suit. Not just that, but the video at the end reveals that “B.A.” has his own trailer with the DC films’ production title “Necrus” on it. So, it does seem likely we could see the return of his version of Bruce Wayne before Keaton takes over ahead of The Flash going into Batgirl.
His inclusion could be another sign that this is a move to streamline some aspects before breaking apart the DC multiverse. They may have planned on including scenes of a Batman but with The Flash pushed back quite a bit, they may have wanted to add a familiar face for audiences. Plus, he is set to appear in the Ezra Miller-led project, which would help boost that film’s box office knowing that he’s going to tie it all together. Who knows what exactly their plans are moving forward, but it’s going to be exciting either way.
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