Moviefone Editorial

Tag: DC

  • ‘Aquaman’ Called ‘a Phase 1 MCU Film Through and Through’ After Test Screening

    ‘Aquaman’ Called ‘a Phase 1 MCU Film Through and Through’ After Test Screening

    Aquaman
    Warner Bros.

    ‘Cause that’s what every DC fan wants — their film to be compared to Marvel. Especially when one comparison is to “Thor: The Dark World,” which its own star just called “meh.”

    DC’s “Aquaman” is coming out in late December, and every few months we get a new update on how it’s (supposedly) going. There was an early test screening back in February that seemed to go well, with a comparison to the tone of “Wonder Woman.” Reports cited the humor and drama, but with more emotion, and elements of horror — befitting director James Wan.

    That was long before the first trailer was even released. That happened at Comic-Con in July. Now it’s late August, and there are fresh reports off another test screening.

    According to these new reports, fans found “Aquaman” good but not great, and one viewer compared it to a Phase One film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To refresh your memory, here are Marvel’s Phase One films:

    • “Iron Man”
    • “The Incredible Hulk”
    • “Iron Man 2”
    • “Thor”
    • “Captain America: The First Avenger”
    • “Marvel’s The Avengers”

    “Thor: The Dark World” is actually a Phase Two film, but it got name-dropped in further comments. Take a look:

    “Aquaman” — starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, and Ludi Lin — is scheduled for release in theaters December 21st.

    [Via: CinemaBlend]

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  • ‘Awkward’ Jensen Ackles Red Hood Suit Photo Has Fans Pushing for Jason Todd Project

    ‘Awkward’ Jensen Ackles Red Hood Suit Photo Has Fans Pushing for Jason Todd Project

    Supernatural, Jensen Ackles
    The CW

    Get this man a shield, er, suit!

    Jensen Ackles is best known for playing Dean Winchester on The CW’s “Supernatural.” But he also voiced the character of Jason Todd/Red Hood in the animated movie “Batman: Under the Red Hood.”

    Ackles just shared a photo next to the Red Hood suit, staging an “awkward” meeting between his two alter egos:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmy9T4Wgrzc/

    It was just a cute dual character meet-up, but fans are now hopeful that this could lead to a live-action Jason Todd/Red Hood project for Jensen Ackles.

    He is already part of The CW, which has its own huge Arrowverse of DC characters. Jason Todd is a DC character.

    So there’s an obvious partnership opportunity there.

    https://twitter.com/JAcklesCrew/status/1032686477145251840

    Or he could skip the small screen and go straight to whatever DC/Warner Bros. is ever doing with itself on the big screen. We already have the DC Extended Universe, plus the DC Universe new subscription streaming platform. And there’s some kind of new banner of projects separate from the DCEU where Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker movie is landing.

    Long story short, there are plenty of places a Jason Todd/Red Hood project could land, if anyone wanted to make one.

    That said, it looks like the DC Universe is already jumping on that train with “Titans,” with Curran Walters said to be playing Jason Todd/Red Hood in the upcoming streaming show.

    THAT said, DC is no stranger to having multiple people play roles on different platforms.

    THAT said, Jensen Ackles is 40-years-old, and some fans think he might be too old for this role.

    THAT said, Robert Downey Jr. is 53 and he’s still crushing it as Iron Man — which he was cast in 10 years ago when he was in his early 40s. Ryan “Deadpool” Reynolds is 41. Keanu “John Wick” Reeves is 53. Age is just a number, now more than ever.

    For now, Jensen Ackles has “Supernatural.” Season 14 premieres October 11 on The CW.

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  • Ruby Rose Couldn’t Stop ‘Spontaneously Crying’ After ‘Batwoman’ Casting

    Ruby Rose Couldn’t Stop ‘Spontaneously Crying’ After ‘Batwoman’ Casting

    The Tonight Show/YouTube

    The CW is poised to make TV history when it introduces Batwoman into its DC show fold, marking the first time an LGBT hero has fronted a live-action superhero series. And the significance of that moment has not been lost on the actress who will be playing the iconic heroine.

    In a sit-down with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” on Wednesday, Ruby Rose — whose casting was announced earlier this week — reflected on what the part meant to her personally, as well as how it will hopefully help her inspire other young people.

    “It’s a game-changer,” the actress said of landing the high-profile part. ” … I kept spontaneously crying and I feel like I’m probably going to do it now.”

    Rose did indeed tear up a bit while discussing the representation that Batwoman will bring to the small screen. The character is based on a revived version of the comics starring Kate Kane, described as “an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter” who’s taking on the villains of Gotham.

    “I feel like the reason I kept getting so emotional is because growing up watching TV, I never saw somebody on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero,” the actress, who also self-identifies as LGBT, explained to Fallon.

    She went on to say that one of her mottoes throughout her career has been, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” Now, she has the opportunity to do just that.

    ” … Not only can kids watch this growing up and relate to it and feel empowered and think that they can be a superhero, but also I can go and do these things like visiting hospitals and kids and people in need,” Rose said. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”

    Rose — who’s currently starring on the big screen in “The Meg” — will make her debut as the character during The CW’s Arrowverse crossover this fall. If all goes according to plan, she’ll be suiting up for her own “Batwoman” series on the network sometime next year.

  • A ‘Supergirl’ Movie Is in the Works at Warner Bros.: Report

    A ‘Supergirl’ Movie Is in the Works at Warner Bros.: Report

    DC Comics

    She’s been headlining her own series on the small screen for several years, and now, Supergirl is poised to take flight in theaters: Warner Bros. is reportedly working on a movie based around the heroine.

    That’s the word from Deadline, which says that the project is still in the early stages of development. According to the trade, Warner Bros. and DC have already hired a writer, Oren Uziel (” 22 Jump Street,” “The Cloverfield Paradox,” the upcoming “Sonic The Hedgehog”), who’s currently crafting a script, though there’s no producer in place just yet.

    As Deadline notes, it might seem odd on the surface odd that Warner Bros. would want to tackle Supergirl now, since we still don’t know when we’ll next see her cousin, Superman, hit the big screen. The trade says it’s unclear if Henry Cavill‘s character — whose last standalone was 2013’s “Man of Steel” — will be appearing in this new flick, but adds that recent rumors that the studio and DC “are looking to create a new template for future Superman movies” may make the upcoming “Supergirl” the “likely place to hatch a new persona.”

    Supergirl will almost certainly be a new persona, too, since Warner Bros. has largely ignored the DC-verse that’s been portrayed on the small screen on The CW. Sorry, Melissa Benoist. (She and TV’s “The Flash” star Grant Gustin can commiserate together.)

    Stay tuned.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘The Batman’ Aims for Spring 2019 Filming, Not an Origin Story, Ben Affleck ‘Still Involved’

    ‘The Batman’ Aims for Spring 2019 Filming, Not an Origin Story, Ben Affleck ‘Still Involved’

    Ben Affleck, Batman
    Warner Bros.

    “The Batman” is still out there, almost ready to emerge from his Batcave.

    Ben Affleck was originally going to direct, star, and co-write “The Batman,” but now Matt Reeves has the directing job. He’s had the job for a while, but he just offered some updates during the TCAs, where Reeves was promoting his Fox show “The Passage.”

    Reeves said (via /FILM) he was working on getting a script draft submitted in the next couple of weeks, with the hope to start filming this coming “spring or early summer, something like that.”

    Reeves shot down any rumors of doing “Year One,” or any particular comic:

    “We are definitely not doing Year One. It’s just exciting to be focused very specifically on a tale that is defining for him and very personal to him. Obviously we’re not doing an origin tale or anything like that. We’re doing a story that is definitively Batman, though, and trying to tell a story that’s emotional and yet is really about him being the world’s greatest detective and all the things that for me, since I was a kid, made me love Batman.”

    Reeves emphasized that his film will be “a very point of view noir-driven definitive Batman story in which he is investigating a particular case and that takes us out into the world of Gotham.” In case you were delusional, he added, “There’s no continuation of the [Christopher] Nolan films. It’s very much trying to find a way to do this as something that for me is going to be definitively Batman and new and cool.”

    There have been rumors that Ben Affleck won’t be returning as Batman. The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline both had reports in June about DC rebooting this story to focus on a young Caped Crusader. There was talk that “The Batman” might be a standalone with no connection to the DCEU.

    However, Affleck had said he was looking for a “graceful and cool way to segue out” of playing Batman, to hand it off to the next actor. That may be why Reeves seemed to leave the door open Affleck to be involved:

    “There are ways in which all of this connects to DC, to the DC universe as well. We’re one piece of many pieces so I don’t want to comment on that except to say that I’m focused very specifically on this aspect of the DC world.”

    According to Deadline, Reeves added that Ben Affleck “is still involved” in the project, but it was too early to say more.

    It’s possible, as /FILM speculated, that Ben Affleck could be involved in a bookend storyline, showing up at the beginning and the end of a feature more focused on a different Bruce Wayne.

    But there are still a lot of question marks, and you can never be too sure what’s going to happen in the DC world until cameras start rolling. But as of now Reeves still plans to shoot the film in the first half of 2019. Best of luck with that.

    Meanwhile, Ben Affleck is preparing to direct his buddy Matt Damon in that high-profile McDonald’s scam movie.

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  • Robert De Niro in Talks for Joaquin Phoenix Joker Movie

    Sony Pictures Classics

    Yet another Oscar-winning actor is poised to join the DCEU: Robert De Niro is reportedly circling Joaquin Phoenix‘s upcoming Joker spinoff.

    Both The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline are claiming the exclusive (we’ll let them duke it out over who found out first), but both major trades are saying essentially the same thing: De Niro is in talks to play a talk show host who is a key figure in the Joker’s (Phoenix) transformation into a supervillain.

    While that’s a pretty vague description, the other big trade in the game, Variety, has an additional detail about DeNiro’s involvement that sounds pretty intriguing:

    Insiders say the script has ties to De Niro’s recent comedy “King of Comedy,” about a failing comedian who kidnaps a popular talk-show host to gain fame. In this case, the roles would be reversed, with De Niro playing the smug host.

    Since the flick is reportedly taking direct inspiration from a De Niro flick, it seems likely that the celebrated actor’s casting is all but a sure thing. It would be pretty great to see Phoenix go toe-to-toe with a great like De Niro, and we’re eager to have this deal become official.

    The as-yet-untitled Joker project, from writer-director Todd Phillips, is set to begin production in September.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety]

  • First ‘Aquaman’ Trailer Washes Ashore

    First ‘Aquaman’ Trailer Washes Ashore

    Warner Bros/DC

    Even though the character has appeared in two DC Extended Universe entries, whether or not Aquaman could carry an entire movie has been one of the biggest questions hanging over the entire interconnected series. Well, today during the Warner Bros panel at San Diego Comic Con, we finally got our first look at “Aquaman,” the stand-alone film hitting theaters this holiday season. And it is not at all what you were probably expecting.

    This trailer is positively epic, with sea creatures, underwater civilizations, and some kind of breakthrough technology that makes actors’ hair look all wavy and underwater-y. Jason Momoa returns once again to play Arthur Curry aka Aquaman, who this time has to defuse a potential underwater civil war. This thing looks huge, like a combination of “Gladiator” and “Avatar,” with genuine visionary James Wan orchestrating the whole thing brilliantly. The star-studded cast includes Willem Dafoe, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren (!), and Nicole Kidman. If “Aquaman” wasn’t on your radar (sonar?) before, chances are it is now.

    “Aquaman” splashes into theaters on December 21st.

  • ‘Deadpool 2’ Star Zazie Beetz in Talks for Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Movie

    ‘Deadpool 2’ Star Zazie Beetz in Talks for Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Movie

    Deadpool 2, Zazie Beetz, Domino
    20th Century Fox

    Zazie Beetz is still feelin’ lucky. The Domino actress is fresh off “Deadpool 2” and now she’s ready to join another superhero/villain movie.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Atlanta” actress is in talks to join Joaquin Phoenix‘s “Joker” origin movie, from director Todd Phillips.

    She would play “a single mother who catches the interest of the man who will become the ‘clown prince of crime.’”

    “Joker” has been compared to a dark crime thriller, described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”

    It’s meant to have a lower budget than the DC Extended Universe movies, since it’s not part of that world. (Jared Leto is still the current Joker in the DCEU, and he may still get his own movie.)

    “Joker” — the official title — is scheduled to start filming in New York in September.

    Meanwhile, Beetz’s career is still flying high. She’s an Emmy nominee for her role as Van in “Atlanta,” and she has several films coming up beyond “Joker” — including “Finding Her,” “Slice,” “High Flying Bird,” “The Undiscovered Country,” “Against All Enemies,” and “Pale Blue Dot.” She’ll also be back for more fun with Ryan Reynolds in the eventual “X-Force” movie.

    “Joker” was just given a release date of Oct. 4, 2019.

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  • James Wan Had the Best ‘Foockin’ Responses to ‘Aquaman’ Poster Critiques

    James Wan Had the Best ‘Foockin’ Responses to ‘Aquaman’ Poster Critiques

    Aquaman
    Warner Bros.

    It’s “Aquaman” week, and director James Wan is here as DC’s resident swim coach/lifeguard/snarky shark.

    The first trailer will debut this Saturday during San Diego Comic-Con. The first poster just came out yesterday.

    James Wan tweeted it out himself, and also fielded some questions from fans. Some of those questions earned some pretty classic replies, hinting to a really fun promotional circuit once this thing gets going. Just picture Jason Momoa and James Wan entertaining fans and re-trolling trolls one interview at a time.

    Here’s James Wan replying to fans with questions on Aquaman/Arthur Curry’s leather pants, his underwater look, and the non-trident trident. (It’s not meant to be a trident, it’s a quindent, and the movie will explain how it once belonged to his mother, Nicole Kidman’s Queen Atlanna).

    https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/1018941905961246720

    https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/1019048689426313217

    https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/1018933551440453634

    Haha. When he’s not busy replying to fans, he’s busy tweaking the film:

    https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/1018702099725479936

    “Aquaman” will open in theaters December 21.

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  • ‘Shazam’ to Move ‘Away From the Darkness of Prior DC Movies’

    Shazam
    Warner Bros.

    Check the brooding, growling, and glaring at the door to “Shazam!”

    The upcoming new entry to the DC Extended Universe will be bringing more, much needed lightness, following in the tonal footsteps of “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman.”

    “It’s ‘Superman’ meets ‘Big,’” star Zachary Levi told Entertainment Weekly.

    The titular superhero starts off as ordinary 14-year-old Billy Batson, who can transform into an adult with super powers by saying “Shazam!”

    “From my perspective, ‘Shazam!’ represents the next step in the evolution of the DC brand,” producer Peter Safran explained. “You had ‘Wonder Woman,’ then ‘Aquaman’ [opening Dec. 21] is another big step, then comes ‘Shazam!’ — all different movies, but all have a unique tone that moves away from the darkness of the prior DC movies.”

    EW also unveiled a new image from the movie. Certainly, the pic featuring the superhero and friend Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) projects a sense of wonder and fun.

    Shazam image
    EW via Warner Bros.

    “It’s complete wish-fulfillment — if you scour all of DC and Marvel there are very few characters that are actually stoked to be a superhero,” Levi added.

    “They’re not brooding, they’re not put out, like ‘Oh dammit, I gotta save the world again!’ Billy Batson is like Peter Parker, they’re thrilled to have these powers and can’t wait to try them out.”

    “Shazam!” opens in theaters April 5, 2019.