ROTTEN TOMATOES: Justice League of America Back on the Fast Track

Justice League of America Back on the Fast Track

Warner Bros. has a fever for the flavor of a tentpole.

by Jeff Giles | February 28, 2008

Not long ago, George Miller's Justice League of America was rumored to be locked in development deep-freeze, a casualty of the writers' strike -- but now that Hollywood's scribes are back to work, Warner Bros. has JLA back on track.

The fast track, specifically. According to Variety, Warners has JLA slated for a 2009 release. The report says the studio allowed the cast's options to expire when it put the project on indefinite hold, but that's apparently not a problem; the stars "have been advised to keep training for their superhero roles," and Miller is already back to work, doing pre-production in Australia.

And how about that cast? Up 'til now, most of what we've heard has been unconfirmed, but here's Variety's partial rundown:

Adam Brody, cast as the Flash, is the biggest star in the superhero lineup. Rapper Common nabbed the Green Lantern role; other roles went to lesser-known thesps such as Armie Hammer Jr. (Batman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman).

Variety notes that Warners' '09 schedule is sparsely populated: the studio lost the auction for Roland Emmerich's 2012, and doesn't have anything lined up beyond Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, Zack Snyder's Watchmen, and Where the Wild Things Are.

Source: Variety

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Celeb:	Roland Emmerich
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(1-20 of 54 posts) | Reply

Elixor writes:
on Feb 28 2008 05:43 AM

Put in back into freeze, then forget about it.

Maybe since the Warners lost out on another expensive garbage heap Emmerich flick, they'll have more funds to support Watchmen and T4. Two movies that I really want to work, but am worried won't deliver.

(Reply to this)

John Z. Delorean writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:05 AM

I'm with you, Elixor. If you can't do JLA on a grand scale then just leave it alone it's not needed with all the individual heroes getting their own movies anyway. Let's go Watchmen not so much T4 tho.

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romsy writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:14 AM

omg, i was so happy when i heard they were freezing and retooling this project. but i guess they are moving forward with this poorly casted hunk of junk. man i cant wait to see this bomb next summer. Marvel i tip my hat to you guys for going about brining the Avengers to the big screen correctly. DC... Christian Bale is saving your butts for the next few years but what are you going to do when Nolan's Bat-trilogy is done?

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Shatter24 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:15 AM

Good grief! Why won't you die, "poorly devised, hip teeny-bopper, no-name Justice League hack" of a movie? The Avengers, when Marvel finally releases it in 3-4 years, will blow this movie out of the freakin' water. Despite a few Marvel misses, overall introducing individual characters in their own movies and then bringing them together for a big crises is prefereable to whatever the hell DC is trying to do.

Crash and burn, baby. Even if it wins whatever weekend it comes out, it will likely go the trajectory of Superman Returns, barely making back its costs and leaving any follow-up in permanent limbo.

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TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Feb 28 2008 06:49 AM

Not really adding anything new here, but I have such passionate contempt for this project it's worth it for me to largely repeat what Shatter just said.

When this disgusting, arrogant, misbegotten corporate sh#t-stain of a project bombs--and by every single piece of info I read about it being 'fast-tracked' or 'youth-cast' I become more sure that it will--I want people fired. I want egg-on-faces, I want public embarrassment, I want studio chiefs ridiculed. I want fat, middle-aged CEO's thrown out in the street. I want THIS to be the movie that stops the shameless whoring of ideas for the sake of a quick buck.

And while i'm imagining my perfect world, I want a pony.

..with Rachel McAdams and Lena Headey riding it.

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Bob* writes:
on Feb 28 2008 07:03 AM

Oh shut the *beep* up! I am so damn tired of all of you stupid comic book geeks! How do you know if this movie would be good or bad if isn't made YET?! And who the hell told you that because they will make this movie they won't make more Superman/Batman films (because let's face it, characters like Flash and Green Lantern doesn't work as standalone movies).

I think that they can make a fun good movie. And even if they make it "bad" so what?! At least they tried! All your comments are so arrogant and idiot that I am just fed up of you! If you don't want to watch then don't! But that doesn't mean that they shouldn't do it!

(Reply to this)

dahluzz writes:
on Feb 28 2008 07:20 AM

Batman is being played by some kid named Armie Hammer Jr.? bwahaha. what a LOSER. they should have cast him in GI Joe or something.

but rest easy george clooney, you will no longer have the distinction of being the most embarassing incarnation of the caped crusader. This guy is going to look a complete goon.

fine hollywood, make your stupid movie. and fat cats, keep assuming that people will watch anything that involves costumes and powers. i'm looking forward to how big a disaster this is going to be.

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Shatter24 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 07:21 AM

Ditto on TombstoneLawDog, a pony w/ hotties riding on it is the way to go. I'll go see that instead of "teen" Justice League.

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TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:10 AM

In reply to this comment (#1607000)
Wow. Methinks we've hit a nerve...

'At least they tried'

...Let's see what else this applies to:
> AT LEAST THEY TRIED to introduce Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin
> At LEAST THEY TRIED to make a Catwoman movie
> AT LEAST THEY TRIED, three times, to make Larry the Cable Guy a movie star.

Sorry man, I'm not buying. Half-assed isn't trying. And if you calm down for a second and read WHY people hate this project, it's because it bares all the earmarks of the studio *NOT* trying but rather ramming something together because they think this is the moment it will sell.

Here's the thing I always add (find my other posts for proof): I would LOVE to be wrong, because then we all get a great movie. I just happen to be pretty dam# certain I'm not wrong about this. I guess I'll trust you to be there if I am to let me know.

(Reply to this)

Dark Knight jr. writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:12 AM

... I'm ashamed to be a fan of DC Comics when they pull this fodder from their anus'. Damn morons!

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Gimy writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:24 AM

haha...i love the "star" studded cast they keep raving about. if adam brody(no offense to him, i actually like the actor) is your "biggest star"...you have no stars. i think i'm back to being pumped about this. i love "what the h3ll was i thinking" movies and this being said to be on the FAST TRACK is a huuuuuuuge mistake. i hope its as entertainingly bad as Catwoman and Ghost Rider. i have a feeling with it being an ensemble...it'll be worse. c'mon, what guys...Paris Hilton couldn't be cast? that'd make this the ultimate hunk of sh3t...

and "bob"...you're right, this COULD be good. but look at how long its taken to get under way and the delays. how many times do you see this kind of drama even BEFORE shooting...and the movie turns out to be awesome?

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xenogears writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:37 AM

In reply to this comment (#1607416)
Agreed. I love DC but they need to take tips from Marvel when it comes to movies. So sad. And TombStoneLawDog, Great points.

To Bob* = You can't give brownie points for trying and it is a farely easy art to predicting ("pre" as in before, as in before the movie comes out because it is not made yet as you pointed out) a terrible film when it comes to these comicbook movies and so far they have hit all the points to make it suck.

1)Poor casting (essential when dealing with iconic characters known the world around, though not all are poor choices).

2)Terrible plot ideas (if killing off Superman and kicking out Batman ever crosses your mind for the first JLA movie plot you are mentally inferior to ants).

3)Bad timing (they haven't develpoed enough of the characters backgrounds to do the "team up" film yet as Wonder Woman, one of the main 3 heroes, has not had her own film yet).

Note how Marvel has created Spiderman, Hulk, Iron man, and even A Thor movie on the way Giving background to 4 main players and paving way for there "team up" movie Avengers.

All I'm saying is if you are going to do it and spend a large sum of money on it, do it right. This so far is not right. Besides these are our opinions and if you don't like them then don't read the comments section.

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ol92fordtempo writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:41 AM

so if they added big name stars like brad pitt or denzel washington, this would automattically change the project from "boo, no-name stars" to "this is going to be the best superhero movie evarrr". i don't get it. seems like all this complaining is redundant until the movie actually comes out. i think it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

(Reply to this)

dedalus7 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:50 AM

This will undoubtedly be the GREATEST CINEMATIC ACHIEVEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF FILM!!! Take that Lawrence of Arabia! Eat it Citizen Kane! Roll over in your decrepit grave Battleship Potemkin! This will change movies in ways no one has yet forseen, no, it will change the way we look at the world. It will move us to tears, challenge us to stand up for the little man, make us better human beings in general. This movie is the second coming! It is time for reckoning people! Wake up and bask in the glory that will be Justice League of America!

Or not.

(Reply to this)

salsafish writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:54 AM

Megan Gale's face looks way too ditzy for Wonder Woman, who (in the modern) shares more characteristics with Batman than she does with any other hero: conservative, cautious, vengeful.

If you don't understand how Batman getting kicked out is par for the course, you might want to read more JLA. He's always a fringe element, and frequently does things which angers the entire group. He keeps a robust file on how to defeat every other JLA member, for example.

I said it before: tell us more about Hawkgirl! The awesomeness of this character is that it is more like a real person than any other JLA member: Not much ego, not much moral preference, not much loyalty, has very commonplace opinions, has served as a double agent for Thanagar, but also is friends with the JLA members, and generally wins battles by yelling real loud and swinging a mace around. This is a superhero.

(Reply to this)

Skittleman writes:
on Feb 28 2008 08:58 AM

I Wish they would stop making these rubbish films. it's kind of embarrassing. Especially when there casting abilities are about as good as a book on how to read.

(Reply to this)

ajmk123 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 09:03 AM

Yeah the fagtastic black lantern is back on, instead of the far superior Hal Jordan, a character that you can make an awesome series with. Hawkgirl is not a major character salsafish, why use a e level character, the cartoon only used her because the creator has no understanding of the source material.

(Reply to this)

RoadDogXVIII writes:
on Feb 28 2008 09:13 AM

xenogears is right. Marvel (the film corporation at least) seems to be taking the correct way and sticking with the Marvel Movieverse, bringing all the actors - who played the roles of their respected superheroes - in the "Avengers". That is, if Jon Favreau is handpicked to direct. HE SHOULD!

Of course, the plot does have some resemblance of the comics. Superman was killed off by Doomsday, and Batman has done things to anger the group. REGARDLESS, that plot line a good film doesn't make.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 28 2008 09:26 AM

I hope this is good ittl probably suck, but Im optimist I mean come on it is George Miller.

(Reply to this)

Bob* writes:
on Feb 28 2008 09:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#1607456)
Yeah that reminded me when Michael Keaton was casted as Batman in the 80's and the comic weirdoes like all of you wanted to boycott the film.

Again NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. And yes they are your opinions but THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE RIGHT.

(Reply to this)

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