CW series “Supergirl” is beefing up its “Superman“-adjacent ranks, with notorious villain Lex Luthor set to make an appearance sometime during the show’s just-launched fourth season.
The network announced on Thursday that it will begin casting soon for the role of Luthor, weaving him into the story of the titular heroine, a.k.a. Kara Danvers (played by Melissa Benoist). Luthor has been mentioned since season one of “Supergirl,” though this will be the first time that he’s seen on screen.
“We’re beyond excited to introduce iconic villain, Lex Luthor, to ‘Supergirl’ and to weave him into our story this season,” said executive producers Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller said in a joint statement. “We’ve talked about having Lex on the show since it’s inception and we’re excited to have him finally arrive. We can’t wait for him to shake things up in National City and watch him go toe-to-toe with not only Supergirl, but his sister, Lena Luthor.”
“Supergirl” has already introduced Kara’s more famous older cousin (played by Tyler Hoechlin), and is also set to feature Lois Lane (the recently-cast Elizabeth Tulloch) during the upcoming Arrowverse crossover event. It’s unclear exactly when Luthor will be showing up, but a rep for The CW notes that it will not be during the crossover.
Whoever takes on the role has some big shoes to fill, since the juicy part has been played numerous times on screens both big (Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenbeg) and small (Scott James Wells, Sherman Howard, John Shea, and Michael Rosenbaum). Stay tuned to see who lands the coveted part this time around.
After his high-profile firing from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise this summer, James Gunn is officially switching comic powerhouse teams: Multiple outlets are reporting that Gunn is in talks to write, and possibly direct, the upcoming “Suicide Squad” sequel.”
TheWrap was the first to claim the exclusive on the news (followed closely by Deadline), reporting that the filmmaker is currently negotiating to come on board the DC sequel, writing the script and potentially directing as well. According to TheWrap, Gunn’s vision will be “a completely new take on the property.”
That’s in keeping with the director’s style, which changed the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he debuted the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” flick back in 2014. The film’s irreverent tone was a breath of fresh air, and helped shape the landscape of the current MCU.
But Gunn’s connection to Marvel was officially severed back in July, when he was abruptly fired from “Guardians 3” by parent company Disney over a series of old, offensive tweets, which were dug up by conservative trolls who had an ax to grind with the director. Disney wanted to distance itself from Gunn’s tasteless remarks (for which he profusely apologized, insisting he had grown and changed as a person), and despite the cast’s unwavering support, the studio refused to reconsider its decision. (Disney did, however, agree to keep Gunn’s “Guardians 3” screenplay, no doubt to Dave Bautista’s relief.)
The director was immediately a hot commodity in Hollywood, and was heavily rumored to be courted by Warner Bros. and DC for a rival superhero project. While “Suicide Squad 2” may not be considered a prime choice for Gunn’s big return (the first flick was widely-panned — save for Margot Robbie‘s electric performance as Harley Quinn — and didn’t connect at the box office), it may also make the most sense for his filmmaking sensibilities. After all, if anyone can make an entertaining movie about a rag-tag bunch, it’s him.
No word yet on when production may get off the ground. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
Aquaman says it best himself around the 4:24 mark of the video below:
“That was awesome!”
Yep. It took DC/Warner Bros. and “Aquaman” director James Wan a long time to prepare the first trailer, shared during Comic-Con. But they made it up to fans with this five minute — really 5 minute, 17 second — extended look at the upcoming DC Extended Universe film.
The trailer may be long but it doesn’t spoil the entire movie. It does, however, give us some quality banter and partner action between Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard). Mr. and Mrs. Curry looking STRONG out there. Plus, Arthur’s mom Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) gets to do her own slaying.
There’s definitely a lot more going on than badass underseas warfare. It feels we’re getting some Indiana Jones and Jason Bourne/James Bond action, too.
Here’s the extended video:
So far, DC fans seem pretty pumped — and very hopeful. In James Wan we trust.
Here’s more on the film and production crew:
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.
The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as the vengeful Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna; as well as Ludi Lin (“Power Rangers”) as Captain Murk, Atlantean Commando; and Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.
Wan directs from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“The Conjuring 2”) and Will Beall (“Gangster Squad,” TV’s “Training Day”), story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger. The film is produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.
Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films), and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy, “The Amazing Spider-Man”) and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Safran Company Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film is set to hit theaters on December 21, 2018, in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Will you be heading to the theater on December 21?
Can you believe “The Simpsons” has been on for 30 seasons? Ay, caramba.
Last night (9/30) was the premiere, with several guest stars — including “Wonder Woman” herself, Gal Gadot, auditioning to play Lisa Simpson in a movie about Bart Simpson’s near-death experience.
The premiere, “Bart’s Not Dead,” featured Bart botching a dare stunt and getting out of it by pretending he almost died and saw heaven and Jesus. That led to a Christian group funding a movie on what happened. For the movie, stars had to audition to play members of the Simpsons family.
Gal Gadot came in to read for Lisa, but Homer couldn’t remember any movies she was in. When told she was Wonder Woman, he quipped, “As soon as I see the DC logo I immediately fall asleep.”
D’oh!
Gadot also wouldn’t let Homer used the Lasso of Truth to kidnap Gene Hackman and force him to play Homer.
(Lex Luthor as Wonder Woman’s father would’ve been pretty amazing.)
Gal Gadot was so excited for her animated appearance:
This family was a huge part of my childhood. And now it's so cool that I get to be apart of the Simpsons' Season 30 premiere episode 😱🙆♀️ Airing tonight!…. pic.twitter.com/3XwmHLhiAy
The upcoming female-centric DC flick “Birds of Prey” has officially landed on a release date.
Warner Bros. announced on Monday that the film — starring Margot Robbie, who’s reprising her immensely popular Harley Quinn character from “Suicide Squad” — will hit theaters on February 7, 2020. As Deadline notes, that’s a pretty crowded month for new releases, with that week in particular also housing the debut of “Peter Rabbit 2,” followed by the bow of the recently-moved “Bond 25” the next weekend.
It will be hard to wait so long to see the finished product, but we’re glad to have an official premiere date to look forward to. 2020 can’t come soon enough.
A few weeks ago, a select group of journalists shuffled into a darkened edit bay on the Warner Bros. lot to view new footage from their highly-anticipated comic book adaptation “Aquaman.” There, we also chatted with director James Wan about the scenes shown and his larger vision for the movie. And, let me tell you, the footage made a splash. (Sorry not sorry.)
We were shown three sequences and the sizzle reel from San Diego Comic Con (but, we were promised, a more finished and polished version of that footage). The reel gave us a great sense of the movie’s scope and what its influences are. There were moments that were heavily reminiscent of something like Indiana Jones or Steven Spielberg‘s “Adventures of Tintin,” while other moments were more operatic and had the feeling of a Jules Verne romp.
The second scene was the beginning of the movie (the title card reads “Amnesty Bay, Maine, 1985”), which starts with a lyrical, almost fairly-tale vibe as it tells the story of an oceanic woman (Nicole Kidman) being rescued from the sea, and how she interacts with a lowly human fisherman (Tamuera Morrison). These two characters, of course, fall in love and end up producing Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) aka Aquaman. And this sequence was super charming (there’s a great moment when Kidman encounters a dog for a first time) and goofy, and punctuated by a killer fight sequence where the camera booms up above the action and hangs there so you can see everything. (It’s very James Wan.)
For the next sequence, we saw a huge fight scene between Arthur and Orm (Patrick Wilson), the ruler of Atlantis and the movie’s heavy. It’s basically a gladiatorial match happening on the side of an active volcano and it’s super intense but also quite fanciful. (Aquaman’s octopus pal, Topo, makes an appearance playing the drums, as octopuses often do.)
The scope and scale of everything was immense and even in unfinished form, my jaw was on the floor.
The final sequence they showcased can be glimpsed in both the trailer and in the Comic Con sizzle reel. It involves Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) as they hunt for some lost Atlantis artifacts in the middle of the desert. This was meant to showcase their budding relationship and the bickering, back-and-forth way they talk to each other. It had some definite “National Treasure”-y vibes that audiences should enjoy.
Overall, the movie may share some narrative similarities with something like “Thor,” since it concerns an outcast returning to a magical kingdom to unseat an unworthy successor and reclaim the throne. But, visually, it’s very different. Wan seems to really embrace the pulpy, comic book nature of the property and fills it with all sorts of incredible vehicles, creatures, and settings.
What’s more, Wan chatted with us in between the showcased scenes, which was highly illuminating. Here are a few of the things we learned from those conversations.
WB
1. Wan Didn’t Approach “Aquaman” as a Superhero Film
Wan said that “Even though it’s a superhero character, my approach wasn’t as a superhero film.” Instead, he says, “I wanted more of a fantasy approach.” This can be seen throughout.
2. Spielberg and Zemeckis Were Touchstones …
When it came to filmic reference points, Wan was very clear with where his inspiration came from. And, as it turns out, a lot of them were in the 1980s.
“I’ve pulled influences, all the way from [pioneering stop motion animator] Ray Harryhausen, to more traditional, earlier Spielberg stuff,” Wan explained. “I’ve mentioned a bit about my love for [Robert Zemeckis‘] ‘Romancing the Stone’ and the way that those characters interact.” Wan then enthused: “It’s a bit of a mixture. And the really cool thing is that this property allowed me to take a stab at a lot of different flavors and using the mythology of Aquaman to pull it all together.”
Watching the footage, it’s easy to spot these hallmarks, particularly the “Romancing the Stone” influence on the Arthur/Mera stuff.
3. … As Were Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
The character of Aquaman has a rich comic book history, first appearing way back in 1941 (in “More Fun Comics” issues #73) and has taken on many permutations in the decades that followed. But Wan drew specifically from different eras for his own interpretation, creating a kind of mix-and-match approach to the undersea adventurer. Especially from the dynamic works of writer Geoff Johns and illustrator Ivan Reis.
“I’m a big fan of what Ivan did and what Ivan and Geoff did together,” Wan said. “And the umbrella spirit [of the] story were inspired by Geoff Johns’ run in the New 52.” But that isn’t where Wan’s influences started and stopped. The director continued: “I was very inspired by the Silver Age stuff. I felt that I’m not going to shy away from it and embrace it. I loved that retro quality that the original comic book had.” He even said that “Super Friends”-era Aquaman was partly an inspiration; it’s all going into the bouillabaisse.
4. Aquaman’s Underdog Status Drew Wan to the Character
Early on, James Wan described his “Aquaman” as “a retelling of a character that has somewhat become a joke over the years.” Making the movie posed a philosophical question: “How do I make him cooler and more relevant for today’s world?”
It was a question that ultimately drove a lot of his decisions and took on its own metatextual quality when it came to the movie itself. “I really enjoyed the underdog nature of his character, the underdog quality of how we perceive this guy,” Wan explained. “To me, it’s more special to do something unique with a character like that, instead of doing it with Batman, where you’ve seen many versions of him. The fact that I can come in and do something unique, and nobody has seen it on the big screen before, was really exciting to me.” That kind of unbridled excitement was very clear in the footage that we saw.
5. Choreographing Underwater Battles Was a Huge Pain in the Ass
Wan admitted that when he thought of underwater action sequences, his first thought was the underwater sequence from “Top Secret.” But he said that was the wrong approach.
“You’re thinking like a surface dweller. That’s not who we are,” Wan said. “So for them, they’re way more powerful when they’re underwater. We all thought that the characters should move like how they would move in a normal environment. They’re supercharged in a lot of ways.” On the technical standpoint, this meant that they had to figure out a lot of logistics.
“There’s a lot of planning. Working with the stunt people to design rigs that the actors can move in,” Wan explained. Not that anything was easy about the movie. “Nothing is straightforward in this movie. Not even two people talking. CGI hair, costumes, all of that,” Wan sighed (the end may be in sight, but December probably still feels like a long way away). “It’s such a nightmare. It’s such a difficult movie to make from a technical standpoint.” At least he’s honest!
6. There Are a Bunch of Really Long Shots
In the Comic Con Sizzle Reel, there’s a moment where Mera and Arthur are being chased by Black Manta and some of his goons and it’s accomplished in this one, whirligig, computer-assisted tracking shot that is totally amazing and awesome. This isn’t a surprise to fans of the director, who know that he’s been experimenting with expertly-done oners for as long as he’s been making movies. So I asked how long that shot was and if it’s the longest in the movie. Wan shot back coyly, “I will say this: that is only half of the oner. It’s a much longer shot. And there are a bunch more.”
Not only is this exciting to hear from a film geek standpoint, but it’s also proof that Wan’s signature style has clearly not be diluted while working in the big budget Hollywood machine.
7. There Will Be Monsters
Considering this is a James Wan movie, and the filmmaker got his bonafides working in the horror genre, yes, there will be a bunch of monsters. Wan summed it up thusly: “The ocean is a really magical place, but it can also be scary as well.”
There are different underwater civilizations that we’ll visit in the movie, from more human-looking characters to folks like the “Brine Kingdom, where they’re giant crustaceans.” Of course, “the other kingdom is the Trench and there are these monsters.” (You can see a little bit of them in the trailer.)
But what big screen monsters inspired Wan?
“I’m a big fan of Toho, giant kaiju movies growing up. I’m a big fan of Godzilla,” the filmmaker explained. “So definitely that, and just all of the magical and wonderful Ray Harryhausen creatures. I tried to bring a bit of that sensibility here.” At the very end of our chat, Wan said, “My favorite part is that I get to create this big, fantastical world, but instead of going to outer space or another dimension, it’s taking place right here on earth. I think that’s the coolest thing.”
Now we can see the Joker in “full white” makeup. This may not be his final look, since “Joker” is an origin story about Arthur finding his crazy self. Plus, they just started filming.
In the first set photos, we saw Phoenix’s Arthur have some kind of altercation with a clown. That could be where he picks up the idea for this new look.
Phillips has been doing an A+ job teasing out “Joker” photos so far — just enough — so hopefully he keeps this up without going overboard by the time the film releases in theaters on October 4th, 2019.
Now The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the reported frontrunners who have tested or been considered for key roles in the supervillain film.
Warner Bros. will be making casting decisions within the next two weeks, THR reported, since filming is expected to start in early 2019, with Cathy Yan as director.
Deadline also added their two cents — seconding that Huntress, Rene Montoya, and Black Canary would be a part of Harley Quinn’s all-girl gang. “They take on Batman villain Black Mask, with the help of Cassandra Cain.”
According to @THR, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Justina Machado & Cristin Milioti have tested for Black Canary & Huntress for Cathy Yan’s BIRDS OF PREY pic.twitter.com/nuSDVlswrj
NEW: THR reports that Gugu Mbatha-Raw & Jurnee Smolett-Bell are reportedly being eyed for the role of Black Canary, with Janelle Monaè being said to also be up for the role #BirdsOfPreypic.twitter.com/LTuihjcxws
According to THR, two of the stars being considered are “Black Mirror” alumni Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“San Junipero”) and Cristin Milioti (“USS Callister”).
Mbatha-Raw is said to be in the running for Black Canary, along with Jurnee Smolett-Bell (“Underground”) and possibly Janelle Monae.
Cristin Milioti, also known from “How I Met Your Mother” and “Fargo,” is said to have tested or read for the role of Huntress. She’d be up against Margaret Qualley (“The Leftovers”) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“10 Cloverfield Lane,” “Fargo”). Deadline also added Sofia Boutella ( “The Mummy”) to the list of Huntress candidates.
For the role of Gotham City detective Renee Montoya, THR said Justina Machado (“One Day at a Time,” “Six Feet Under”) and Roberta Colindrez (“Vida,” “I Love Dick”) both tested.
THR said Warner Bros. is looking to cast Cassandra Cain — who took on the role of Batgirl for a while — as a 12-year-old girl. The character is of Asian decent in the comics, and they are looking to cast a young Asian actress in the role.
That’s a tough lineup to choose from. No one has asked for our feedback yet, but anytime you can get Mary Elizabeth Winstead in something, do it. Pair her with either Gugu Mbatha-Raw or Janelle Monae (or find a way to add both), plus Justina Machado and Margot Robbie, and we’re ready to go.
This official photo comes in tandem with Just Jared’s new gallery of set photos, showing Arthur Fleck with a clown. He takes the clown’s red nose, and apparently irritates the guy:
It looks like Joaquin Phoenix has started filming as the Joker for the standalone #Joker movie! https://t.co/0uwG4l34o0
Here’s some background and speculation from Screen Rant:
“Some clown makeup is included as Phoenix antagonizes a clown in an alley, after visiting Ha-Ha’s Talent Booking in Amusement Mile. The talent agency Phoenix visits is likely the one run by Marc Maron’s character. For all fans know, it’s the clown in the set photos that eventually influences Arthur to don a similar look.”
Maybe. “Joker” is now filming, so this should be the start of many official and unofficial photos, and — eventually — trailers.
This DC/Warner Bros. standalone movie is separate from the DCEU of Jared Leto‘s Joker, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, etc. “Joker” is scheduled for release in theaters on October 4, 2019.
Did you flash the Bat-Signal? Someone must have, ’cause DC is coming to rescue the streaming world on Batman Day.
DC Universe is the new subscription streaming platform hosting original series, a daily talk show, digital DC comics, and a backlog library of DC TV shows and films.
DCUniverse.com just announced that it will officially launch on September 15, aka Batman Day.
The service will cost $7.99 a month or — if you want to save a few bucks — $74.99 for a full year.
While the service will start September 15, the first original scripted series to arrive will be “Titans,” which premieres October 12. Episodes will be released weekly for 12 weeks. (You must’ve seen the trailer, where Robin says “f*ck Batman.”)
On the daily side, there’s a new daily show coming called “DC Daily” hosted by Kevin Smith, which “will cover news about all things DC, including original series, comics and more. Tiffany Smith will anchor DC Daily, which will also feature John Barrowman, Samm Levine, Harley Quinn Smith (Smith’s daughter), Sam Humphries, Hector Navarro, Clarke Wolfe, Brian Tong, Markeia McCarty and John Kourounis.”
Future original series in the works include “Doom Patrol” in 2019, plus “Swamp Thing,” “Young Justice: Outsiders,” “Harley Quinn,” “Stargirl,” and “Metropolis.”
DC now joins the growing streaming world of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Acorn, Crackle, Facebook Watch, etc. They will also soon be joined by Disney’s streaming service, which expects to scoop up all of the Disney/Marvel/Lucasfilm titles for itself starting next year.
