ROTTEN TOMATOES: Plans for a "Darker" Teen Titans Movie Comments

Plans for a "Darker" Teen Titans Movie

by Scott Weinberg | July 27, 2007

Summary

Screenwriter Mark Verheiden spent some time at the Comic Con talking about his upcoming projects, and he shared a few ideas for his upcoming Teen Titans movie. Back to Article

(1-39 of 39 posts) | Reply

Bigbrother writes:
on Jul 27 2007 10:38 AM

Sounds like he's going to completely ignore the cartoon series and kinda go with his own thing. I'm not a huge fan of TT's, but Nightwing and Arsenal and those guys were never those characters while they were with the TT's were they? I thought that came many years later when they weren't really teenagers anymore.

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CannibalPenguins writes:
on Jul 27 2007 10:51 AM

I smell [b]Fail[/b].

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Sputnik99 writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:07 AM

Man, I want TEEN Titans, not VERHEIDEN's Titans! This sucks! There was no reason for why they pulled the cartoon off TV, and there will be no reason behind letting Verheiden have his own way with what is already a well-established, proven-that-it-works storyline.

Dammit I hate it when studios do this...

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evanset6 writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:12 AM

Ugh I don't know what you people's problem is... the cartoon was dumb as hell and campy... it'll be nice for someone to take the material seriously finally.

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wallstreet_jony writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:17 AM

Actually, it seems like the appropriate treament. Who the hell wants to see a 4 foot robin and a purple/green goblin looking kid fight crime? It sounds like Sputnik99 does. Thats who!

Seriously, who wants a kids movie? If you do, then transcreating the cartoon onto film is probably your kind of thing. It will look just like FF but oh yeah, even moe ridiculous.

A film version needs to have a "film" treatment, its already on cartoons.

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Chim writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:23 AM

"there will be no reason behind letting Verheiden have his own way with what is already a well-established, proven-that-it-works storyline.

Dammit I hate it when studios do this..."

That's the problem with studios. Always giving directorial freedom. ****ing studios.

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Mr. Kong writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:34 AM

Awesome. NOW I can't wait for a Teen Titans movie where the titans bust an underground hooker ring while spouting off ****ty one-liners.

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TeaWhyEllieAre writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:40 AM

In reply to this comment (#979636)
You, sir, are all too true.

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DeathByRabbit writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:52 AM

All comic book movies take liberties, even the successful ones. I'd say wait and see what he has in mind before you make any conclusions.

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Brad 3000 writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:56 AM

Great, so replies still list comment numbers, but the original comments don't? How the hell are we supposed to tell who is replying to whom?

Also, how seriously are we really supposed to take a bunch of costumed teens fighting super-villains? It's Teen Titans, not Crime and Punishment.

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clotho writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:57 AM

For god's sake, it's at COMICON. Of course they're talking about the actual Teen Titans, which WAS dark, not your popped up anime-derivative dribble. (Which, okay, I actually liked.) But for the love of god, there have been hundreds of kid's series based on comics; but nobody gerned when superman got serious- and look at batman! I mean, for crying out loud that's where the concept of Robin originated, and you really don't get much darker than some of those comics. I for one welcome the change. I mean, alright, they'll have to seriously de-camp some of the characters, otherwise it'll be a total joke, but this really has got potential.

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Elixor writes:
on Jul 27 2007 01:41 PM

*yawn* ....... *thud*

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Paul_Is_Drunk writes:
on Jul 27 2007 01:52 PM

So, some of you people realize that the anime derived cartoon was a re-imagining of the source material, right? Just like this movie will be?

If you're a fan of the cartoon, demand more of the cartoon.

But... yeah... this will probably suck. Sounds like this joker has no idea about the core ideals of the comic (which the cartoon did have), and just wants to make a comic book movie since they're so en vogue. *cue Madonna*

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sickofitall writes:
on Jul 27 2007 02:53 PM

In reply to this comment (#979474)
i smell troll

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Sputnik99 writes:
on Jul 27 2007 03:30 PM

"Holy poop splatting the fan, Batman!" I've never been crapped on so many times. (Dang, I wish I knew what # my comment was...)

Look, change can be good. I'm hip to that. But when it's done by someone who has no knowledge of the material, THAT'S when I get worked up. It's just like what's happening to he G.I. Joe movie (a subject that I am a passionate fan of) and now it is happening to Teen Titans.

They wouldn't even be making this movie if it wasn't for the sake of the "4 foot robin and purple/green goblin" being so dam popular, so I think there is something to be said about sticking to the cartoon series' formula.

If they want to take a different look at Teen Titans, fine. But I would only make ADDITIONS to the stories, like they did to the Superman and Batman movies. (crystals, Bruce the ninja). But think about if they were to change the basic Batman or Superman stories even one microbe. There would be a lot of super-pissed-off people in this world. I think Nightwing as a Teen Titan is too big of a change.

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iakobos writes:
on Jul 27 2007 05:22 PM

Here's my $.02. I never was in to Teen Titans much but as I recall the original comic was more serious than the one everyone is familiar with now. Originally, it was not anime but drawn just like the other DC comics. I don't know anything about the modern incarnation of TT but the original took itself very seriously. So, if that is what Verheiden is going back to then count me in.

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ComicCONartist writes:
on Jul 27 2007 08:26 PM

is this new movie going to be animated or is it going to be a live action?

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wallstreet_jony writes:
on Jul 27 2007 08:38 PM

Sputnik99 you should sign up for the petition going around begging for a SPY KIDS 4.

the green/purple golblin and 4 foot robin running around with capes and Hoodies = Spy Kids part 4.

Nightwing in Teen Titans is perfect.

The cartoon is inferior to the original comic drawn teen titans. Darker and more human.

If you get your way though, Antonio Banderas is apparently looking for work.

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Armless Penguin writes:
on Jul 27 2007 10:08 PM

In reply to this comment (#980469)
Sputnik99, you have no idea what you're talking about, do you? Try reading THE JUDAS CONTRACT, from NEW TEEN TITANS VOL. 1. You know what happens in that story? Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing. Then head on over to NEW TEEN TITANS VOL. 2, where he's Nightwing from the first issue. Then maybe check out THE TITANS, where, again, he's Nightwing.

Also, Bruce as a "ninja" has been highly ingrained in the canon of BATMAN. Hell, he was trained by people like Kirigi, a master of Ninjutsu, and David Caine, a professional assassin, and even has a (supposed) kid with Talia al Ghul.

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Maven writes:
on Jul 27 2007 11:40 PM

Personally, I think the world would be a better place (and movies, at least, would be better) if Directors stopped worrying about being "dark" and "edgy" and instead just focused on making decent movies.

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Sputnik99 writes:
on Jul 28 2007 12:05 AM

wallstreet_jony: You're a dickhead.

armless penguin: Thank you for the info. I concede to you.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 28 2007 12:13 AM

In reply to this comment (#979703)
completely agree with Brad 3000, i truly am lost with this stupid new format. why the

hell did they change it, we really can't figure who's who now?! Jeez r.t. really let

everydown big time. thank you for being one of the great ones and pointing this out.

everyone should start complaining to the big tomatoe about this immediately.

And, this movie sounds awesome and like i said before, starfire better be smokin hot,

cyborg cool, and dick grayson as a great heroic example why this team was as in demand

as the x-men were in the 1980's comic book scene or this movie wil fail, unfortunately.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 28 2007 12:18 AM

In reply to this comment (#979707)
right on! this comic bok rocked like no other in the eighties and it still does pretty well today! the titans have an incredible comic book lore that should provide dare we say it... the next successful SUPERHERO TEAM franchise because x-men is dead now,quality and integrity, thanks to RAT-ner. and JLA and Avengers still seem a long time away from hitting the big screen.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 28 2007 12:24 AM

In reply to this comment (#980828)
i'm pretty sure its live action and that's the way it should be. hey, if they can make four guys in turtle suits into a great movie in the original tmmnt then they should with anything worthwhile let alone the titans where the question should not even be asked frankly. this will rock, folks. sign me up as a believer!

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FEENXFIRE writes:
on Jul 28 2007 01:38 AM

You people realize Nightwing was CREATED for Teen Titans, right? Tales of the New Teen Titans #44? Verheiden's not pulling him out of a hat. And the Titan's most iconic story involves one of the members' having underage sex with a super-villain. Not exactly light-hearted fare...

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Krisjohn writes:
on Jul 28 2007 02:49 AM

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Huntressmoon13 writes:
on Jul 28 2007 05:25 PM

In reply to this comment (#981105)
*Snap Snap Head Swivel* Armless Penquin :)

I enjoyed the anime and even the lighter nature of the Teen Titans, but as I've read more into comic and the history of the characters I too would like some of the darkness to return (backstories of Starfire or Raven, anyone?)

Hopefully, they won't make it out to be some X-Men-meets-Dawson's-Creek crap. We'll see...

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moviemonkey2 writes:
on Jul 28 2007 05:36 PM

Clearly making one DC title darker proved successful. Therefore the formula will work for any and all other DC titles. As long as its dark, people will like it. Obviously.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 28 2007 09:43 PM

In reply to this comment (#982270)
do happen to know these two characters, because as a big fan of teen titans i would like to know. i do believe it might have been ARSENAL(initiallly SPEEDY) and JINX? Like to know if you do, just hoping.

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Mayansoul1 writes:
on Jul 28 2007 10:51 PM

FIRST OF ALL, if you want a Frosted flakes, Beanie babies, Saturday morning cartoon cereal box movie, save your proof of purchase coupons and get a free Teen Titans cartoon dvd version. I am a a HARD CORE MARVEL comics fan but the one DC comic that always brought me to the other side was the Marv Wolfman/George Perez version of the Teen Titans. Outside of the version John Byrne/Claremont X men, that had just conluded at that time, the Teen Titans seemed to have the some of the most three dimensional envisioning of human relationships in a comic book. They took the Dick out of Dick Grayson when they reinvented him as Nightwing. The story of Raven and Trigon could be a separate movie in itself. Donna Troy? This comic made me forget about her superhero name. Starfire and her sister... another epic story! Vic Stone and Garfield....the backstorys...I mean i picked up this book at a time when you couln't pay me to open a DC comic. To me names like Robin, Kid Flash, WonderGirl translated as one word: CORNY! Wolfman and Perez transformed them and made them almost real. I even read an interview with Perez where he and Marv always would write and go "No, this character wouln't do that" like they had real personalities. That's why when Mark says he is writing them with the same attention, i say AWESOME!
It's funny in a way because thinking back to the way these characters interacted and where fleshed out, it sometimes parallels they way characters interact on shows he has been affiliated with(BSG,Smallvile). I wouldn't be surprised if at times there wasn't some inspiration derived from those books. I love those two shows and what his input has helped to bring out in the re imaginings of Clark Kent and StarBuck.
To the people who want the Cartoon type ninja turtle type Titans movie, go to the video store. This one is going to be for the true believers

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Mayansoul1 writes:
on Jul 28 2007 11:01 PM

.......AND YES, STARFIRE BETTER BE $#@#@! SMOKING HOT!!

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monkeytot writes:
on Jul 29 2007 07:52 AM

not every superhero has to be DARK! that's waht completely ruined the FF movies.

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Bigbrother writes:
on Jul 29 2007 10:35 AM

In reply to this comment (#986704)
The FF movies were dark? Really? I actually kinda liked the second one. Far from the best comic book movie ever made, but it could get an award for most improved.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 29 2007 08:43 PM

In reply to this comment (#985668)
thank you, someone understands the importance of this alien princess" hotness factor.

hottest alien princess ever, STARFIRE. STARFIRE'S real name, which i often forget and

pronounciate incorectly, is Koriand'r and she hails from the proud warrior planet of

Tamaran. let's just hope someone does her justice physically but also emotionally. And

whoever gets to play her love interest dick grayson, aka the original robin/nightwing

is one lucky fella.

oh, and i found out who had the passionate underage affair in the comics and i was

partially right. it was Speedy but it wasn't jinx but actually CHESHIRE AKA JADE

NGUYEN. She debuted in NEW TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #2 [1983]. Vietnamese orphan Jade Nguyen

learned to survive in the Far East through the study of martial arts and the craft of

poison. Taking the name Cheshire, she became a feared and famous international

assassin. Jade later had a daughter named Lian, the product of a brief yet passionate

affair with Speedy according to a great comic info website called titanstower.

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Matthew writes:
on Jul 29 2007 11:17 PM

The Teen Titans comic during the classic Perez/Wolfman run had realish characters but but there was still a soap opera element to it's stories. Romances, betrayals, humour etc...

Batman Begins style doesn't really sound like the way to go. There's drama but also fun and yes a frothy-ness.

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Mayansoul1 writes:
on Jul 30 2007 05:44 AM

In reply to this comment (#988987)
That's also true Mathew, it's cool to hear from more fans that were into the "classic Perez/Wolfman" era. .....LOVED that BOOK!!

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Mayansoul1 writes:
on Jul 30 2007 05:55 AM

In reply to this comment (#988987)
From what the writer has done on BSG though, I doubt the Titans will fall victim to the "fun" "frothyness" factors
...at least i PRAY not, unless we're talking about...... STARFIRE!

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the_don_of_yreka writes:
on Jul 30 2007 04:17 PM

holy crap. a darker Teen Titans? I should read the Marv Wolfman/George Perez version of Teen Titans. alothugh, i am a huge fan the cartoon series. im not ready for another dark comic book movie. im down with the dark stuff with the dark kinght comming out next year. i can understand that there is some love for a dark Teen Titans, but cant we just start out with robin first? i swear to god, i want to make this movie. i want to put Mark Verheiden Screenplay on hold. i love to do Nightwing, but i really think we to flesh out the backstory on how Robin became Nightwing. one set of films dealing the arc of Robin. another set of dealing with Nightwing and the brotherhood of evil. i already know the story on robin came to be, but i want to set the story on where the Teen Titans began. i mean this a live action movie. there are gonna be some new fans wanting to know who are Teen Titans. someone find me a agent. i dont want to see my Teen Titans do down in flames.

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sincerity07 writes:
on Aug 12 2007 12:39 AM

When I heard they were making Teen Titans live action, I got worried. Protective, almost. For some reason, I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of translating some of my favorite people into flesh-n-blood actors. I mean, they're all iconic in the most basic sense, and their distinctive traits haven't changed even with the many changes in style the titles held. Nightwing, for one better be on point, because otherwise I don't think I could take it seriously.

I was reminded, later on, that other superhero stories had been made into film. Maybe it was because I'd been raised watching Batman change faces every other movie, or never got to see the original Superman until I thought it was classic, but corny; it could also be that I just got into the Titans period and their comics now are drastically different. The tv show was relatively new before it went off air, the comics are getting deliciously darker, but a movie? When it was announced the Judas Contract was being made, I was happy, because it was to be animated. Somehow that clicked. When this new "darker" story was announced, said arc was all I could think of.

Anyway, though I can't really say I'm comfortable (at all) with them following in the Batman Begins line of story-telling, I'm glad they're not following the cartoon versions. We'd already had one of those movies out and it was...disappointing. I'm glad it's maturing but there'll be a lot of work going into making sure the comic fans don't chew it up. Not to mention there are a lot of kids out there who won't know who Nightwing IS, really is. I guess I'm just one of those fans who can accept X-Men and a new Superman, only because it's been on TV before, but will still get upset about Gambit not showing up or Superboy being replaced so abruptly. I'll just have to get over the fact they're trying to immortalize peole like Raven, Roy, and Dick in a way I'm not used to seeing.

There will be a realistic air about it, from the sound of it. He's going to try and humanize all of them and showcase their struggle. For some reason DC's "freaks" have a better time around civilians; and I'd love to see the ease the team dynamics should already have play out in both drama and humor.

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