Warner Brothers will be heating up your future summers with superheroes
'The Watcher' has been keeping a close eye on the ol' Bros., especially on how they're re-evaluating their
superhero/comic book projects. With most of the big spandex projects mired in conceptual quicksand (like the next
Superman film or
Batman 5), or the dark Vertigo projects still in their embryonic
stages (such as The Sandman, his sister Death,
or House of Secrets), there remains a cluster of other projects
that may step up in the meantime...
Wonder Woman -- without a screenwriter but Ivan (Ghostbusters) Reitman is still shepherding the
nascent project. It remains to be seen how Deborah Joy Levine's recently-announced plans for a Wonder Woman TV
series on NBC next fall will impact the feature project. One thing's for sure: Xena's Lucy Lawless has
publically stated she's not interested in playing Diana, and it broke my heart...
The Flash -- currently one of the hot superhero books at DC (thanks to the longtime writing contribution of Mark Waid and most recently
Grant Morrison and Mark Millar), the scarlet speedster is also being considered for devleopment due to the current critical and public success of the comic.
Green Lantern -- Joel Silver is attached as producer. You belong in one of two camps: you're a Superman fan, or a GL fan. It's amazing this
one's never really took off before, because there's a TON of people out there who'd pay to see Hal Jordan take names and kick alien ass. Joel -- if you're
reading today, hook up with me for fifteen minutes and I'll break this one open for ya. $100 mill box office guarantee if you handle it just right...
The Justice League -- Word from 'Watcher' is that a think-tank has kicked around the notion of doing a Magnificent Seven-like
superhero film with the founding seven members (Supes, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman.) Before
I get a flood of email from people worldwide who'd also love to drop $8.50 to see it in 70mm, keep in mind that even though the idea gets batted around,
two of the group already have new films in the planning stages for their home franchises. But if the handshakes were to happen, it'd be one of those
event films you'd have to see.
The Invisibles/Doom Patrol -- Another rumor floating around is due to Grant Morrison's success on JLA, Warners may option his Vertigo
comic series The Invisbles. The BBC has just started casting for its own mini-series based on Morrison's psychadelic/conspiracy-laden work of
art. But my fav is the rumor that someone in WB suggested turning Morrison's The Doom Patrol into a film. Gentlemen, ladies, if we
may have a moment to speak our thoughts on such a suggestion: DAMN STRAIGHT YOU SHOULD DO IT!
The Spectre, The Ray, The New Gods, Plastic Man, Shazam have all been tossed around in hopes of becoming The Next Franchise but so
far, nothing's gone farther than the wishing stage. With such a richly-filled universe to draw material from, you think there would be an explosion of
caped crusaders these days, but if anything, it's farther away from that than every before. The critical and box office dissapointment of Batman and
Robin, as well as irking the fans with the controversial Superman Lives decisions have done serious damage to DC film adaptations. If the studio
isn't careful, it's likely to find its fans' attentions turning towards the many Marvel projects approaching fast on the
horizon.
Speed Racer now up...
Details on the project can be accessed on its page, Speed Racer. Now, let's hope
we'll get to see it before the turn of the century.
Patrick Sauriol
Creator, Chief Content Writer & Director
Coming Attractions
Enter the world of Technopolis!
Aliens, gangsters and flying roadsters from the 50's
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