Happy Feet Director To Helm Justice League of America?
Possible characters and -- gasp! -- a death?
While The Dark Knight works toward its scheduled 2008 release, and the Superman Returns sequel waits in the wings for 2009 (we think), Warner Bros.' latest potential franchise-in-waiting, Justice League of America, continues to sprint past production hurdles with Flash-like speed. Just over a month after JLA screenwriters Kieran and Michele Mulroney turned in their script, rumors of a director are making the rounds -- and this rumor's intriguing, to say the very least.
Collider and Latino Review are reporting that none other than George Miller -- director of Mad Max (as well as, um, Happy Feet and Babe) has been approached by Warners, and is considering taking on the project. Some members of the fan community are bound to find fault with the idea of Miller taking the JLA reins, but even a cursory look at his track record proves he's equally adept at hard-boiled action and family-friendly fare, a combination that's bound to come in handy with a film whose commercial success will likely depend on its ability to walk both sides of the PG line.
The first question for any Justice League project is, of course, which heroes will be involved. Collider reports:
I've heard...which superheroes might be in the running for the first big budget team-up movie. They would be Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern.
Superman and Batman? Aren't they off making their own movies right now? Not to worry, says Collider:
I've also heard from sources that the Justice League film is more of a priority for WB than the sequel to Superman, so don't be surprised if you see Brandon Routh in Justice League first.
Collider also offers yet another tidbit of grave significance:
"One of the superheroes in "Justice League" wouldn’t see a sequel. Yup, WB is planning a death. And while I can go further… I’ll stop there and let you wonder who won’t make it."
Plenty of things can (and will) change for Justice League of America between now and post-production, so all of this should be taken with a giant grain of salt...but it's still grist for some interesting conjecture, no?
Source: Collider
Source: Latino Review
Collider and Latino Review are reporting that none other than George Miller -- director of Mad Max (as well as, um, Happy Feet and Babe) has been approached by Warners, and is considering taking on the project. Some members of the fan community are bound to find fault with the idea of Miller taking the JLA reins, but even a cursory look at his track record proves he's equally adept at hard-boiled action and family-friendly fare, a combination that's bound to come in handy with a film whose commercial success will likely depend on its ability to walk both sides of the PG line.
The first question for any Justice League project is, of course, which heroes will be involved. Collider reports:
I've heard...which superheroes might be in the running for the first big budget team-up movie. They would be Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern.
Superman and Batman? Aren't they off making their own movies right now? Not to worry, says Collider:
I've also heard from sources that the Justice League film is more of a priority for WB than the sequel to Superman, so don't be surprised if you see Brandon Routh in Justice League first.
Collider also offers yet another tidbit of grave significance:
"One of the superheroes in "Justice League" wouldn’t see a sequel. Yup, WB is planning a death. And while I can go further… I’ll stop there and let you wonder who won’t make it."
Plenty of things can (and will) change for Justice League of America between now and post-production, so all of this should be taken with a giant grain of salt...but it's still grist for some interesting conjecture, no?
Source: Collider
Source: Latino Review
Related Items
| Movie: | Mad Max |
| Superman Returns | |
| Happy Feet | |
| The Dark Knight | |
| Celeb: | Kieran Mulroney |
| George Miller | |
| Brandon Routh | |
| Michele Mulroney |
(1-20 of 37 posts) | Reply
on Aug 02 2007 10:05 AM Whatever. They can do whatever they want as long as they leave Batman alone. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 10:32 AM Yeah, somehow I can't see Bale's Batman and Rouths Superman blending well in the same movie. In the words of Comic Book Guy "You're from two different worlds...oh I've wasted my life" (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 10:39 AM routh can be in it...bale can't. i like routh but he's not established enough and doesn't have that onscreen dominance that bale has in EVERY movie he's in. i don't see it working with bale as a supporting role. i'm really worried that bale will HAVE to be in this because of his contract, that'll sort of ruin the freshness of the batman franchise if they make him do it. the reason its better than the other comic movies is because its not corny and dumb. hopefully they don't mess with a good thing but...we all know how $ talks this could be a nice way to see if Ryan Reynolds would be any good as the Flash though. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:02 AM I've never been a big fan of team-up stuff, but I think this could possibly work. The downside (for some) for this to work however would be to leave Batman and Superman out of it. I think that those two characters presence is too strong to share the screen and i agree with the comment about Christian Bale as an actor. I can't really see him as a supporting character and I won't bring myself to see him in a role like that. I think Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern could work, maybe even bring in Martian Manhunter, but I just don't see Batman and Superman in this with each of their own thriving franchises. (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 11:03 AM Bale and Routh I think would play off each other well. The Boy Scout Superman and the brooding Batman would make a nice bit of interaction between the two characters. Ryan Reynolds as the Flash is also an interesting choice. Then again...these are all just rumors right now and fanboy/girl wishes. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:11 AM God, what kills the imagination faster than to put grown men in tights and spandex, capes and cowls and actually feed off each other in a serious manner, pretending the world they live in is in ultimate peril. Superhero films work, in one level or another when they all seem to be part of a particular mood and theme. So while X-men works on screen, crossing heroes over and making their world interchangeable with another doesn't work. If only for the reason that each character is too larger than life. So while we might suspend our belief for Bale as Batman in his own film. Or Routh as Superman in his series, crossing them over really gives weight to the contrast, the differences and how meke each one is to the next. Point is, these heroes are larger than life and the people portraying them, once together will show this. I wish studios would have faith that a JLA film would work outside the current continuity of each hero film and do the entire JLA film as a CGI animation, like the new Beowulf film. Sadly, they won't. And they will continue to chug out these abysmal ideas and get eaten up by the audiences at large. (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 11:11 AM I don't see why they couldn't make a 3d Batman movie, a sequel to Superman and the both actors to be in JLA. Personally I think it will be an interesting mix. I just hope they don't end making a kids flick :/ (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:19 AM In reply to this comment (#1003373) This wins for smartest post of the day. Sadly, though, I expect a million "OMG F.U. comix movies werk! Batman shood ware tights underwear!!!" in response to a person making so much sense. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:24 AM Bale's badass Batman would kick Routh's sensitive and loving Superman's ***. I bet Flash is the one who doesn't make it. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:39 AM i bet this movie won't happen. the script for the third batman is already being written, spacey is confirmed to return as lex in the man of steel and speaking of that, the script is about to be turned in from michael dougherty and dan harris. so i'm not gonna believe any of this until i actually see a trailer. (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 11:45 AM The Justice League has worked for decades as a comic book and a cartoon series. Transferring it to a movie screen will naturally be a bit harder, but I imagine that it can work live-action as well. Once X-Men hit it's stride it was good. I never felt the X-Men movies were "Corny" or "cheesey." Compare them to anything made 30 years ago. They cleaned themselves up pretty well for the modern generation. I'm sure JLA will, too. Even if Superman and Batman have to share a chunk of the spotlight, I doubt it will be in a movie like the crap our parents watched. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 11:53 AM I don't know. I never liked JLA. It's like they just shoehorned a bunch of superheros into a group together. JLA is comprised of personalities that, though they work phenomenally well as individual characters, tend to become muddled and boring when put together. How can you have a 2 hour movie that includes all the of these legendary DC properties and not make it seem like you're not giving them short shrift? X-Men works because they're a unit. Always have been. JLA? I don't know. It would have to be four hours long. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 12:32 PM I would rather they wait until Superman and Batman have had their run in the cinemas. When both have a trilogy under their belt and maybe a wonder woman movie, then lets bust out the JLA and launch movie franchises off Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Flash. Also if we wait, Bale and Routh will have aged abit which will make them look more fitting for their JLA roles. Both look too young to be starting the JLA at the moment... (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 12:46 PM "Boy Scout Superman and Brooding Batman" I was thinking the same thing. They could really play that love/hate relationship nicely. Maybe they should ask Frank Miller on how Batman should handle Superman. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 01:11 PM $20 says they'll kill off flash. also, why no Martian Manhunter? (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 01:46 PM Because Martian Manhunter simply lacks name recognition. We could ask "Why no Hawkman/girl" or "Why no Black Lightning!?" "Why no Vixen or Red Tornado?" But the answer would be the same... they're not as popular to those who are more unfamiliar with the DC universe. Although it is pretty odd that Aquaman isn't up there. I'll bet he dies. By drowning. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 03:46 PM man but the director is really great. (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 03:47 PM My guess is that Green Lantern will die since there has been the least progress has been made for making a movie on it's own for GL (Reply to this) |
on Aug 02 2007 04:32 PM In reply to this comment (#1003942) ha,ha,ha now thats sort of funny Baccus83 but i'm afraid to say Aquaman has to be in this movie because he was the leader of the original team. someone's gotta start respecting the king of the seven seas, people. well, besides the boys at entourage. someone should tell those guys to make an actual one and i wouldn't mind seeing Adrian Griener as Arthur Curry. of course, he would have to dye his hair. but SERIOUSLY Baccus83 stop the hating on Aquaman, respect the legend because he doesn't like those surface dwellers too much. (Reply to this) |
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on Aug 02 2007 04:40 PM oh, and flash would die if someone has to die because, hell, when has a flash not sacrifice himself to save the dc universe. plus, barry allen is the least important character of the five they picked. no one really cares who wears the scarlett speedster because someone different is always wearing it. i think there has been at least SIX flashes(three from the earth one= barry allen, wally west, now bart allen) and three from earth three( jay garrick and the other two escape me at the moment). and now, i hear how bart has been killed as well in countdown!!! (Reply to this) |
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