Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Warner Bros. Discovery

  • Jesse Eisenberg Would be Shocked if He’s Brought Back as Lex Luthor

    Jesse Eisenberg Would be Shocked if He’s Brought Back as Lex Luthor

    With Warner Bros. Discovery looking to revamp its slate, fans can expect plenty of changes to occur in the coming months. We’ve already seen multiple changes to the studio’s DC slate, from the cancellation of Batgirl to the Joker 2 officially receiving a release date, and yet there’s still plenty that remains unknown. Recent reports have suggested outside of Joker: Folie à Deux, no other DC film has received the green light, even the previously announced sequel to the critically acclaimed The Batman. So, it shouldn’t be too surprising then that the actors previously involved within the DC Extended Universe are unclear as to whether they’ll return. One actor unsure of his future within the DC Universe is Jesse Eisenberg.

    During a recent appearance at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival to promote his directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg was asked about a possible return to the DC world. In his response, Eisenberg noted that while he wasn’t a comic book fan, he enjoyed playing Lex Luthor. Should he be given the chance to do so again, Eisenberg would gladly do so, but he’s not holding his breath.

    “I’d be shocked if I wound up in a DC movie, but it would be a pleasant shock. Listen, I’m not a comic book fan. To me, it was not playing a role that I’d envisioned since childhood. To me, it was a chance to play this great character that this great writer wrote, and I loved doing that. So, to play it is a joy, and to not play it isn’t something that I’m going to be ashamed to tell my kids about, because that is not an important genre in my life, even though I loved doing that movie.” 

    Jesse Eisenberg

    While it might not be an important genre in his life, the actor is still willing to partake in another superhero film, whether it be DC or Marvel. As he explained, just because superhero films are “commercial films,” it doesn’t mean they don’t often come with great roles. “Because as an actor, you do all kinds of different things, and sometimes great roles show up in really commercial things and sometimes terrible roles show up in independent films.”

    Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, hit theaters earlier this year. Up next for him is A Real Pain, which he’ll direct and co-star in alongside Kieran Culkin.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Warner Bros. to Distribute MGM Films Internationally Except for the Next ‘James Bond’

    Warner Bros. to Distribute MGM Films Internationally Except for the Next ‘James Bond’

    It looks like MGM has found a new distribution partner in Warner Bros. Discover for its international releases. There is, however, one massive surprise in the form that James Bond‘s next film is not part of that very deal. This deal is a move away from their usual partnership with Universal, who was behind the releases of House of Gucci, Licorice Pizza, and the previous James Bond installment, No Time to Die.

    As of this deal, the upcoming releases of Bones and All as well as Creed III will be distributed through Warner Bros. International. Universal isn’t out of the deal completely, as they are still set to distribute MGM and Orion’s upcoming release of Till, as well as 2023’s Woman Talking. They also have the rights to distribute the next James Bond film,w which was part of their original agreement.

    This multi-year deal not only includes theatrical distribution of non-US countries (which will also include China) but also means they will collaborate on marketing, publicity, and exhibitor relations. It does open up the question of what it might also mean for their US distribution, especially with Amazon purchasing MGM for $8.5 billion earlier this year.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Warner Bros. Discovery is Hopeful to Keep Leslie Grace as Batgirl

    Warner Bros. Discovery is Hopeful to Keep Leslie Grace as Batgirl

    When Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Batgirl was being shelved earlier this month, the studio suggested it was still keen to work with leading lady Leslie Grace and the film’s directors, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi. While it remains to be seen whether Bilall and Adil reteam with the studio on another DC property, a new report from Variety reaffirms the studio is trying to find a way to keep Grace on board as Batgirl – even if it isn’t in her own film.

    According to the outlet, the newly installed Warner Bros. Pictures Group chiefs, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are currently looking to mend fences with the actress. They are said to be considering the possibility of having Grace continue to play Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, in a future DC film. Variety notes this doesn’t necessarily mean in a Batgirl film, either. Grace‘s Batgirl could appear in a future DC film — or the studio could simply find a role for the actress in another Warner Bros. production.

    With an uncertain slate, though, it’s unclear just where Grace could pop up as Batgirl. After all, the only DC film that has an official greenlight is the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. While the sequel to The Batman, the Black Canary spinoff, and Wonder Woman 3 is still very much in development, none of them have received a green light from the new Warner Bros. Discovery board. There’s also the matter of if Grace is ready to don the cape and cowl so soon after her film was shelved. Either way, fans eager to see Grace as Batgirl should be excited that there’s still a possibility her Barbara Gordon will show up… somewhere down the road.

    Source: Variety.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • James Gunn’s DC Projects and ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Still in Development

    James Gunn’s DC Projects and ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Still in Development

    There’s been a lot of discussions about what exactly the future has in store for Warner Bros. Discovery’s various DC Comics adaptations. The sudden cancelation of Batgirl raised the question of whether other projects might face a similar sudden cancelation. There’s still no word on what exactly the future looks like–besides a tease of a ten-year plan–but luckily it seems that some projects are definitely safe moving forward. James Gunn took to Twitter to confirm that Peacemaker‘s upcoming second season will be safe.

    The director has also gone on record to confirm that his other secret projects are still in development at this point. While they haven’t been announced outside of one that’ll focus on Viola Davis‘ Amanda Waller, it’s good to know that Warner Bros. isn’t shooting everything to the curve at this point.

    That is not all, as The Wrap‘s Brandon Katz has also taken to Twitter to hear that the upcoming The Batman spinoff series focused on Colin Farrell‘s Penguin is also safe. So, luckily those excited to further explore that new corner of the DC adaptation’s multiverse won’t have to worry much longer.

    It’s definitely a relief that these projects are safe, especially with the potential surrounding them. Peacemaker was a sleeper hit for HBO Max and there’s quite a bit of excitement surrounding the other projects he’s working on. While he’s still busy on the third entry of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s got a slate of projects in some form of development over at Warner Bros. and DC. Plus, Matt Reeves is also spearheading his own mini-universe that might offer something very grounded in contrast. So, it seems they aren’t just throwing everything out just yet.

    Source: Twitter

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    The 45-release window was a controversial one, as many feared that streaming demands are pushing films out of theaters. While some films revel in their long-running theatrical release, it has offered the opportunity for others to not only pull in a strong box office run but also a high view count to boost the various streaming offerings. While Disney+ is seemingly sticking to it, Warner Bros. Discovery may have other plans moving forward.

    To say that the shake-ups over at Warner Bros. Discovery have been bizarre is to only paint one picture. While the previous group strongly focused on growing its new streaming service with HBO Max, the current one is moving away from the foundation that was laid out. A part of that is the reveal that they are no longer guaranteeing that they will adhere to the modern 45-day release window. So, we might see many big-budget projects make use of a longer running time as much as possible.

    Streaming hasn’t run its course just yet, but we are seeing some bumps along the way. More and more competitors have entered the market creating some concerns among investors. We’re likely seeing a realigning of strategies due to the events that have unfolded since the pandemic died down. The post-pandemic era has set a new precedent and we’re seeing many business decisions hit a snag along the way. It’s not uncommon and with Netflix losing its subscribers for the first time since it started, we’re simply seeing a new era as people slowly embrace leaving their homes once again.

    Source: Decider

  • Walter Hamada Almost Left Warner Bros. Due to ‘Batgirl’ Controversy

    Walter Hamada Almost Left Warner Bros. Due to ‘Batgirl’ Controversy

    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.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Working on 10-Year Plan for DC Franchise

    Warner Bros. Discovery Working on 10-Year Plan for DC Franchise

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Supergirl’ Rumored to Cancelled by DC Films

    ‘Supergirl’ Rumored to Cancelled by DC Films

    In what comes as a continuation of DC Film’s slate being upended in massive turnaround from Warner Bros Discovery, it has now been rumored studio will stop development on their Supergirl film. According to a report from Rolling Stone, insider sources have told the publication that the Sasha Calle-led project is unlikely to be moving forward at the studio.

    Sasha Calle is currently scheduled to appear as the character in The Flash, which is currently slated for a June 2023 release. That appearance was intended to serve as the launching point for the solo Supergirl film. The Flash is not without its problems as its star, Ezra Miller, has already been a major point of controversy on a number of different levels already. Miller has been embroiled in various arrests due to their erratic behavior, forcing Warner Bros Discovery to deal with the important decision in relation to whether or not the studio will have to pull the plug on this project. The Flash is still scheduled for its 2023 release, but Miller is seemingly no longer involved with future DC related projects. The whole ordeal has especially been difficult as the film is slated to be a critical lynchpin for the future of DC’s cinematic plans.

    If Supergirl is indeed canceled, it will be in line with the array of projects getting nixed from the major comic book company’s film division. Notably, Batgirl was scrapped despite it being in the post-production process and $78 million already being spent on it. Wonder Twins, a project slated for HBO Max, was also canceled by the new Warner Bros Discovery regime earlier this year. And at the pace in which David Zaslav has been clearing house in terms of previously announced projects in development, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think more potential films will meet an untimely end before they move any further.

    Source: Rolling Stone