Moviefone Editorial

Tag: DC

  • The ‘Birds of Prey’ Lineup Will Include Black Canary, Huntress, More: Report

    Warner Bros.

    There’s still plenty of secrecy surrounding upcoming DC spinoff flick “Birds of Prey,” but a new report claims to shed some light on just who will be joining the titular gang of female heroes and villains.

    TheWrap is reporting that it knows which characters from the comics will be appearing alongside Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn in the flick. According to the site, that lineup will include Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya.

    Here’s the breakdown of each character, per TheWrap’s report:

    -Black Canary, aka Dinah Laurel, is a fantastic hand-to-hand combatant who comes from a family of crime fighters. Her father, Larry Lance, was a police officer, while her mother (also named Dinah) was the original Black Canary.

    -Helena Bertinelli, aka Huntress, is a vigilante operating out of Gotham City.

    -Cassandra Cain is one of the world’s greatest martial artists, and also a vigilante.

    -Renee Montoya is a detective working for the Gotham City Police Department. Montoya is openly lesbian, and during The New 52 comics she takes on a costumed identity, becoming the Question.

    Making the film as diverse as possible is an important goal of filmmakers, according to Robbie. In an interview earlier this month, the actress said that she wanted the onscreen characters to reflect the fact that “real life isn’t … one specific image.”

    In addition to the lineup scoop, TheWrap is reporting that “Birds of Prey” will feature a villain from the “Batman” comics “who has never before appeared on the big screen.” (So, not the Penguin, then.) We’ll keep our fingers crossed that we get some more scoop about the flick during Comic-Con this weekend.

    [TheWrap]

  • ‘Aquaman’ Poster Teases Jason Momoa’s Underwater World

    Warner Bros.

    The filmmakers behind upcoming DCEU flick “Aquaman” have been teasing the movie’s impressive underwater effects for months, and now, fans have yet another look at some of those visuals with a new poster.

    The one-sheet features the titular hero, played by Jason Momoa, perched on a rock in his vast below-surface kingdom. It’s a bit hard to make out exactly what that kingdom entails, though, because its buildings are almost entirely obscured by a gigantic, eclectic collection of aquatic life.

    Warner Bros.

    Dozens of great white sharks, hammerheads, killer whales, dolphins, manta rays, swordfish, and sea turtles are crammed into the frame, swirling around the mischievous-looking Aquaman. We think we even spy a couple humpback whales lurking in the distance. It’s clear that this hero is in control of his realm, and pretty pleased with himself over it.

    That’s about to change, though, as the standalone flick explores new challenges Aquaman faces for his throne. We’ve already seen some photos teasing a battle that employs some of this poster’s great white sharks, and we imagine our hero has even more tricks up his sleeve when it comes to employing the ocean’s bounty.

    “Aquaman” also stars Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson, and Nicole Kidman. It’s due to swim into theaters on December 21.

  • Margot Robbie Says ‘Birds of Prey’ Will Feature Diverse Leads, New Harley Quinn Costume

    Warner Bros.

    Margot Robbie has been instrumental in shepherding the upcoming DC spinoff flick “Birds of Prey” throughout its development process, and that’s going to continue in the casting of the film, too.

    In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Robbie offered a few behind the scenes updates on the project, which sounds like it is still in its early stages. The flick recently secured its director, Cathy Yan, who is only the second woman — and first Asian woman — to helm a DC film.

    Robbie advocated for hiring Yan, and she confirmed to Yahoo! that it was also a priority for her that the film be diverse in front of the camera, too.

    ” … [R]eal life isn’t so one specific image,” Robbie explained to the site. “We’ve got to reflect that onscreen.”

    “Birds of Prey” is focused on the female villains of the DC-verse, and as the actress previously explained to Moviefone, it will be an “R-rated girl gang film.” Though the specific members of that gang are unknown right now, Robbie’s “Suicide Squad” breakout, Harley Quinn, will be front and center — and getting a makeover.

    ” … [T]he costumes haven’t been designed yet, but yes, she’ll have new looks,” the actress told Yahoo! of her onscreen alter ego. “There will be new Halloween costumes out there, one day.”

    We can’t wait.

    [via: Yahoo! Entertainment]

  • ‘Aquaman’ Producer Says ‘Extraordinary’ Movie Puts DCEU ‘On the Right Path’

    It will be a while before fans get to see upcoming DC standalone flick “Aquaman,” but according to the team behind the film, it will be more than worth the wait.

    In a series of interviews with Entertainment Weekly, producers and Warner Bros. executives touted the Jason Momoa flick, and director James Wan‘s vision in particular. Warner Bros. chief Toby Emmerich praised the “incredible job” that Wan and his team have done on the film, which is “imagining the underwater world in a way you haven’t seen before.”

    The labor-intensive effects that went into the flick have been duly noted (and are at least partially responsible for all of the delays that have plagued the project). But it’s the film’s eclectic tone that will really set it apart from other DC Extended Universe offerings, producer Peter Safran told EW.

    “[The film has] the great action you expect, it’s got a lot of great humor, it works on so many levels … it’s a testament to James’ unique vision,” Safran explained. “I think it’s an extraordinary step in [the] DC Universe that sets it on the right path.”

    That should certainly be music to DC fans’ ears — and have them eager to open their wallets. “Aquaman” is due in theaters on December 21.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly]

  • Penguin May Be the Villain in ‘The Batman’ or ‘Birds of Prey’

    While we still have no idea when “The Batman” is hitting the big screen, we may now know who will be antagonizing the titular hero.

    Variety reporter Justin Kroll has been tweeting about a new rumor floating around the DCEU, focused on the Penguin. The villain is apparently currently the main choice to appear in director Matt Reeves‘s spinoff flick, according to Kroll’s sources.

    The reporter cautions that fans should “Take this with a grain of salt as things are constantly changing in the DCEU,” but the word on the street is that studio Warner Bros. is very keen on including Penguin in some fashion on the big screen, “sooner rather than later.” If the villain doesn’t ultimately end up in “The Batman,” there’s a very good chance he’ll star in the “Birds of Prey” spinoff, fronted by Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.

    That’s certainly some intriguing scoop, and we’re curious to see how another actor portrays the quirky character, who was previously memorably played by Danny DeVito in Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns.” (And is also featured on Fox’s prequel series, “Gotham.”)

    Of course, as Kroll noted, this is all speculation right now, since Reeves clearly isn’t anywhere close to shooting, and we don’t even have a release date yet for “The Batman.” And then there’s the question of who exactly is going to play the Caped Crusader, since Ben Affleck is heavily rumored to be looking for a way out of the DCEU ASAP.

    Fans will likely have to wait a while for answers. In the meantime, feel free to dream cast who you would want to play the new version of the Penguin.

    [via: Justin Kroll/Twitter]

  • 11 Comic Book Movie Sequels You Loved More Than the Original

    11 Comic Book Movie Sequels You Loved More Than the Original

  • Joss Whedon Bails on ‘Batgirl’ Movie: ‘I Really Didn’t Have a Story’

    Looks like Batgirl will have to wait a while longer to see her story told on the big screen: Writer-director Joss Whedon has left the high-profile project.

    In a surprisingly candid statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon explained his decision to bail on “Batgirl,” chalking it up to essentially a nasty case of writer’s block. Here are his full remarks:

    “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story. I’m grateful to [DC president] Geoff [Johns] and [Warners Picture Group president] Toby [Emmerich] and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”

    Whedon caused some major whiplash among comic fandoms when he signed on for “Batgirl” back in March of last year, switching teams from Marvel (for which he directed “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) to DC (for which he helped finish “Justice League“). But it seemed like he was a natural fit for the project, excitedly discussing his vision and sharing his hope that he could cast an unknown actress in the iconic part.

    There were some early roadblocks, though, with THR reporting that Whedon “could not crack the code” for the film, and was perhaps a bit overshadowed by the monster success of last summer’s “Wonder Woman,” putting more pressure on the project — and him.

    THR writes:

    Industry sources add that even as Whedon faced story issues, in today’s cultural entertainment environment, a male filmmaker may have faced greater public scrutiny if he were to have tackled a movie with such feminist importance such as Batgirl or Wonder Woman, much like a white filmmaker would have seen backlash if they were to take on the Black Panther movie.

    So perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. Here’s hoping Warner Bros. and DC continue to pursue a “Batgirl” feature anyway (and maybe hire a female filmmaker this time around).

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • ‘The Batman’ Director Clarifies Standalone Comments: ‘Of COURSE’ Movie is Part of DCEU

    After his comments about the upcoming standalone Batman flick sent DC fans into a frenzy, Matt Reeves, director of “The Batman,” is clarifying those remarks, insisting that the flick is indeed part of the comic powerhouse’s extended film universe.

    In a series of Twitter posts on Thursday, Reeves tried to set the record straight about the statement he made in a recent interview with Los Angeles radio station KCRW, in which he said, “When [Warner Bros.] approached me [to direct ‘The Batman’], what they said was, ‘Look, it’s a standalone, it’s not part of the extended universe.’”

    Reeves noted in his Twitter spree that the very presence of the Batman character made the flick a DCEU property. Instead, the director said, the comment about the flick not being in the extended universe meant that there wouldn’t be any characters from other DC superhero properties in the movie, nor would “The Batman” be part of an elaborate set-up for future DC flicks.

    “Just to be clear: Of COURSE Batman will be part of the D.C. Universe. Batman will be BATMAN,” Reeves wrote on Twitter. “In my comments from a while back about not being part of the DCEU, I was talking about The Batman being a story specifically about Batman…not about the others in the Universe. That it wouldn’t be filled with cameos servicing other stories — that it would be a BATMAN story.”

    That definitely makes sense, and certainly fits with DC’s trajectory for its other heroes, who’ve gotten their own standalone features that weren’t filled with Justice League member cameos. (Think “Man of Steel” and this year’s “Wonder Woman.”) Sure, events from “The Batman” may serve as a jumping off point for more movies, but it sounds like it will be its own thing — an individual slice in the whole DCEU pie.

    “The Batman,” starring Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader, doesn’t have a release date yet. Production is scheduled to begin sometime next year.

    [via: Matt Reeves]

  • Marvel Star Karen Gillan Wants to Play DC’s Joker

    2017 Maui Film Festival At Wailea - PortraitsThe Marvel and DC fandoms may be sworn enemies, but that doesn’t mean that an MCU star can’t have some fun dreamcasting herself as an iconic DC villain.

    “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Karen Gillan found herself in just such a position earlier this month during an appearance at Florida SuperCon, where she was asked to dish about her roles in projects ranging from beloved cult sci-fi series “Doctor Who,” to her upcoming turn in “Jumanji,” to her current gig as part of Marvel’s “Guardians” crew. But when asked about who she’d want to play if she could join “another fandom,” Gillan had a surprising — and pretty awesome — answer.

    “Oh, can I say something DC?” Gillan responded. “Okay, I’m going to say something DC, and I’m going to play the Joker. Maybe a female Joker.”

    When told that there is, in fact, “an alternate reality” in the DC comics where such a scenario exists (check out ComicBook.com’s explainer on the subject here for more info), the actress was pretty excited.

    “This is my calling!” a visibly excited Gillan told the crowd. “Somebody make a call for me and let them know I’m available.”

    While we doubt Gillan will actually be trading in her Marvel credentials for a role in the DCEU, we can’t help but think the actress would be perfect for the part. Maybe once Jared Leto is done with the character, Gillan can take a crack?

    [via: Cosplay and Coffee, h/t ComicBook.com]

  • ‘Wonder Woman’ Soars to $400 Million Domestic Haul

    “Wonder Woman” is continuing its super run at the box office, officially crossing the $400 million threshold at domestic theaters and marking several more impressive milestones along the way.

    The flick, starring Gal Gadot as the titular DC Comics heroine, hit $400 million on Tuesday, adding to a haul that has already edged out “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” to become the most successful domestic property among Warner Bros.’s recent DC Extended Universe releases. And it shows no signs of slowing down: “Wonder Woman” is now the studio’s third-highest grossing flick domestically overall, beating “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” ($381 million) to stand behind only Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” ($534.9 million) and “The Dark Knight Rises” ($448.1 million).

    Earlier this summer, the Patty Jenkins flick soared past “Mamma Mia!” to become the highest-grossing live-action film ever directed by a woman, and now has a whopping $795 million in global ticket sales. Domestically, it’s the highest-grossing movie of the summer, and the second-highest grossing female-fronted domestic flick of the entire year so far, behind only “Beauty and the Beast” ($504 million).

    “‘Wonder Woman’ has become a phenomenon, the must-see movie of the summer,” said Sue Kroll, president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Warner Bros., in a statement. “Audiences have embraced this character and her story in such a spectacular fashion, and we couldn’t be happier for everyone involved in bringing this incredible property to life and to cinemas across the country.”

    After so much success, it’s no surprise that “Wonder Woman 2” is already a go, slated for release on December 13, 2019. By then, the first flick will likely have made even more history.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]