Moviefone Editorial

Tag: DC

  • ‘Wonder Woman’: Warner Bros. Nixes London Premiere After Manchester Attack

    After Monday’s tragic and deadly attack in Manchester, England, Warner Bros. has decided to cancel the London premiere of “Wonder Woman.”

    The announcement came Wednesday, a week before the event, which was set to have stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Robin Wright in attendance, along with director Patty Jenkins, Variety reports. Given current safety concerns, the studio had to reevaluate.

    “Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent tragedy in the UK,” Warner Bros. said in a statement. “In light of the current situation, we will not be proceeding with our plans for the ‘Wonder Woman’ premiere and junket activities in London.”

    The situation is certainly tense. The attack Monday left 22 dead, and police determined that another U.K. attack could be “imminent,” according to the New York Times. In response, British Prime Minister Theresa May raised the country’s threat level to its highest alert on Tuesday.

    Not surprisingly, Warner Bros. didn’t want to take the risk. The film will make its international debut as planned in Los Angeles on Thursday, but the studio is now foregoing a European premiere.

    “Wonder Woman” hits theaters June 1 in the U.K. and June 2 stateside.

    [via: Variety]

  • ‘Justice League’: Fans Support Zack Snyder As He Steps Back From Film After Family Tragedy

    Director Zack Synder Promotes 'The Man Of Steel' In TorontoDirector Zack Snyder has gotten his fair share of harsh comments from DC fans over the years, but they recently gave him a lot of love.

    The “Justice League” director announced Monday in a THR interview that he was stepping back from the film to cope with his daughter Autumn’s March suicide, inspiring a wave of heartfelt tweets. His decision was clearly not an easy one, and Snyder admitted that he and his family have been struggling. Although he had initially taken a two-week break and then returned to work, he came to realize it would be better for him and his family if he handed over the reins.

    “I’ve decided to take a step back from the movie to be with my family, be with my kids, who really need me,” Snyder told THR. “They are all having a hard time. I’m having a hard time.”

    While Warner Bros. was reportedly willing to push the film back, Snyder and his wife, Deborah, one of the film’s producers, opted to let others take over. Fortunately, the project is being left in good hands; Joss Whedon is stepping in for Snyder.

    Like the studio, many fans felt for Snyder and understood his decision. Supportive tweets rolled in, wishing the director and his family the best during this horribly difficult time.

    “Justice League” is still on track to open Nov. 17.

    [via: THR; Twitter]

  • ‘The Batman’ Needs a New Director After Ben Affleck Gives Up the Job

    Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Live By Night'Ben Affleck is stepping out of the director’s chair for his upcoming superhero flick “The Batman.”

    The actor-director will still star in and produce the film, but another filmmaker will now helm the project, Variety reports. There had been rumors suggesting that he planned to hand off the job, and now he has made it official. The news comes on the heels of his film “Live by Night” making a poor showing the box office, but sources tell Variety the decision is unrelated.

    As Affleck explains it, stepping down allows him to give playing an iconic hero like Batman the attention it needs.

    “There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions,” Affleck said in a statement. “Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require.”

    It sounds reasonable enough. He’s not superhuman, after all; he just plays one on the big screen.

    Affleck and Warner Bros. are on the hunt for a replacement, and Variety sources say they already have a shortlist. The only name mentioned was that of Matt Reeves, director of “War for the Planet of the Apes.” We’ll find out who steps in to save the day in the coming months.

    In the meantime, we have Affleck’s role in “Justice League” to look forward to. The film opens on Nov. 17.

    [via: Variety]

  • Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Shazam!’ Role Has Grown Into a ‘Black Adam’ Movie

    AFI FEST 2016 Presented By Audi - Premiere Of Disney's 'Moana' - Red CarpetVillain or not, “Black Adam” gets to be the hero of his own movie when Dwayne Johnson is playing him.

    New Line has reportedly split the “Shazam!” project it has long in the works into two films. Rather than just having Johnson in a supporting role as the superhero’s rival, he’ll play the complicated Black Adam in his own film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently, network execs wanted to take advantage of Johnson’s surging star power.

    The decision makes sense, particularly following a year that saw other unconventional heroes emerge, including in “Deadpool” and “Suicide Squad.” Black Adam will have his chance to do good, while still being a bad guy of sorts. We don’t know any plot details yet, though, because the project doesn’t have a writer or filmmaker attached yet.

    In the DC Comics stories, Black Adam battles Shazam, a superhero originally known as Captain Marvel. Although once very villainous, Black Adam has started to become more of an antihero. It sounds like he may get a chance to redeem himself on the big screen.

    [via: THR]

  • ‘Justice League’ Is ‘A Lot More Fun’ Than ‘Batman v Superman,’ DC Writer Says

    After taking a critical beating for its last two flicks, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad,” DC is hoping to turn around public opinion with its next slate of releases, including this summer’s “Wonder Woman” and this fall’s “Justice League.” And according to one writer working on the DC Expanded Universe, there’s a huge tonal shift coming with the latter film.

    That’s the word from screenwriter Will Beall, who’s hard at work on the script for the upcoming “Aquaman” standalone feature, which is due out in 2018. Beall, who also wrote an early (and ultimately scrapped) version of “Justice League,” recently spoke with Collider about DC’s next big screen outings, and said a significant change was in store for fans.

    Here’s what he told Collider:

    ” … [W]hat you’re going to see — I hope I’m not going to get in trouble for saying this — but it’s much more fun, much poppier, than … I haven’t seen ‘Wonder Woman’ yet, but ‘Batman vs Superman’ was a little more somber. But ‘Justice League’ is a lot more fun. And I think that feels to me like the direction those movies are heading now.”

    That’s certainly a diplomatic way of putting things, and should excite DC fans who were disappointed by the unrelenting darkness of “Dawn of Justice.”

    “Justice League” is due in theaters on November 17.

    [via: Collider]

  • Ezra Miller: ‘The Flash’ Losing Two Directors Is Like ‘a Tragic Relay Race’

    “The Flash” director is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The job is cursed.

    Ezra Miller is still set to play Barry Allen/The Flash in DC’s solo film, currently scheduled for a March 2018 debut. At this point, the film needs a new director, after losing Seth Grahame-Smith and then, just recently, Rick Famuyiwa. They both left due to “creative differences,” which is the Hollywood version of “irreconcilable differences.”

    It’ll be interesting to see how the film’s focus and tone shift going forward, since the director usually has a pretty big say. Collider talked to Ezra Miller while he was promoting “Fantastic Beasts,” and he had a thoughtful take on the departures:

    “These processes are complicated, and I think it can — from afar — appear to be, as you say, something interpersonal or dramatic. That is rarely the case. These are groups of people taking the development of projects extremely seriously, and the teams are changing all the time. There’s often a lot of flux in who the team of the production of a film is before that production starts, and in this case, you hear about it, because it’s a critical figure — the directors that have been coming on and leaving. For me, it’s sort of a tragic relay race, and we’ve had a couple really incredible people carry this baton, and their marks are left on that baton, and the work that they’ve given to the project will certainly be represented in whatever the final product comes to be.”

    “Tragic relay race” is such a lovely way to put it.

    Miller’s The Flash was first seen briefly in “Batman v Superman” and “Suicide Squad,” and the “Justice League” trailer previewed his larger role in that film, which arrives this time next year. And then hopefully DC’s “The Flash” can keep to its current schedule to make its March 16, 2018 release date.

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  • Here Are the Villains of The CW’s DC Superhero Crossover

    The CW has revealed the main villains who will face off with DC’s superheroes on the network’s upcoming four-show crossover event, and the event is focusing heavily on characters that have been part of the DC-verse since the 1960s.

    Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” and “Legends of Tomorrow” will throw down with the Dominators, who were first introduced to comics fans back in 1967. Here’s a breakdown of the quirky characters, per a report from Deadline:

    “Dominators are members of the alien empire known as the Dominion, a rigid caste society in which social status is denoted by the size of a red circle on one’s forehead. Emotionless and calculating, Dominators are masters of genetic manipulation who seek to enhance their abilities to aid in their conquests. … Notable for tall, lanky frames, yellow skin and sharp teeth and nails, the aliens provide the strangest looking villains yet for [the] shared universe.”

    Marc Guggenheim, the executive producer of “Arrow” and “Legends,” explained to TVLine that he’s “taking inspiration from a DC crossover from the late 1980s known as ‘Invasion!,’” and plans to address the villains’ odd appearance through the use of some unique tricks.

    “We’re using cutting-edge prosthetics and computer effects to achieve a feature film-quality look, which is faithful to ‘Invasion!’ artist Todd McFarlane’s interpretation of the characters,” Guggenheim told the site.

    Fans will get to see the Dominators in action later this season on The CW. “The Flash” premieres on October 4, “Arrow” premieres on October 5, “Supergirl” premieres on October 10, and “Legends of Tomorrow” premieres on October 13.

    [via: TVLine, Deadline]

  • Meet the Newest Faces in the DC Extended Universe

    Meet the Newest Faces in the DC Extended Universe

  • ‘Man of Steel 2’ Is Reportedly in ‘Active Development’ at Warner Bros.

    After the disappointing box office performance of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” many DC fans wondered if that meant that Superman wouldn’t be getting another standalone film. But according to a new report, a sequel to “Man of Steel” is indeed in development, though there’s no word yet on when it may see the light of day.

    TheWrap reports that “Man of Steel 2” is “going into active development” at studio Warner Bros., reaffirming DC’s plan to give Superman another standalone flick. Here’s the scoop from the site:

    Despite Superman’s battle with Batman, DC has been silent on a sequel to “Man of Steel” featuring Superman solo, leading many frustrated fanboys to believe that another film wasn’t going to happen. But a person close to the project told TheWrap that Superman is a top priority for the studio and getting the character right for audiences is of tantamount importance.

    DC fans certainly had reason to worry, since the comic powerhouse’s foray onto the big screen hasn’t been as successful as it had hoped. Fans and critics alike were divided on “Man of Steel,” “Dawn of Justice,” and the most recent release, “Suicide Squad,” and some feared that the years-long radio silence on the subject of “Man of Steel 2” meant that that flick would never materialize. And while “disappointing” may be a relative term when discussing a movie that pulled in $872 million worldwide, “Dawn of Justice” was expected to easily surpass that (it was eyeing somewhere north of $1 billion), leading some to speculate that DC was moving on from the idea of another Superman standalone flick.

    While “Man of Steel 2” was originally slated for a May 2018 release date, that seems very unlikely to hold now. Though TheWrap’s report notes that there’s no word on a replacement release date yet, it’s likely to come out after the upcoming standalone Batman movie, which also does not have a release date.

    Stay tuned for more intel as it becomes available.

    [via: TheWrap]

  • 6 Things You Need to Know Before You See ‘Suicide Squad’

    The DC Extended Universe is taking a major step forward with the release of “Suicide Squad.”

    “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” established some of the biggest heroes in the DCU, but now it’s time for the villains to get their due. This violent romp will introduce moviegoers to characters like Deadshot and Harley Quinn and, hopefully, deliver a wild romp along the way.

    If you’ve never heard of the Suicide Squad before, don’t worry. Here’s a breakdown of the six essential things you need to know before watching DC’s latest superhero epic.

    1. It’s Basically ‘The Dirty Dozen’ but With Supervillains
    If you’ve seen the classic war film “The Dirty Dozen,” you basically know what to expect here.

    Ruthless government operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, pictured) is in charge of a clandestine team known as “Task Force X.” This team (which is made up of convicted metahuman criminals) is charged with carrying out highly dangerous and politically sensitive missions that the U.S. government can’t officially involve itself in. Because these missions carry a high probability of death, Task Force X is affectionately dubbed “The Suicide Squad.”

    2. The Squad Has a Very Deep Bench
    “Suicide Squad” will introduce moviegoers to a great roster of characters who have never gotten their due on the big screen before. Among Waller’s recruits include: Marksman/assassin Deadshot (Will Smith), Joker’s ex-girlfriend/all-around psycho Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), drunken sleazeball Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who’s pretty self-explanatory.

    The two common threads linking all these characters is that they’re extremely dysfunctional and very dangerous. And word ’round the campfire is that not all of them will survive this movie.

    3. There Are Good Guys, Too
    While this movie is very much about celebrating DC’s colorful cast of supervillain characters, there will be a handful of (anti) heroes. Contrasting the aggressively amoral Waller will be the Squad’s field leader, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). This career military man agrees to lead the team, but he doesn’t seem especially fond of Waller’s methods. He’ll be joined by Katana (Karen Fukuhara), the only Suicide Squad operative who’s there by choice rather than being forced into service.

    4. Batman and The Flash Have Cameos
    Even The Dark Knight is getting in on the fun. Ben Affleck will reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, possibly in a flashback sequence depicting how Bats apprehended Joker and Harley. (It’s been in the trailers since minute one, so no spoilers here.)

    However, this film will showcase Batman from the point of view of the criminals he hunts, meaning he’ll be seen as a terrifying force of nature rather than a protagonist. Hopefully he got his fill of casual manslaughter in the last movie.

    And Ezra Miller‘s The Flash shows up, too — presumably very early in the film according to reports. You can’t have a DC movie without a few members of the Justice League.

    5. It’s a Follow-Up to ‘Batman v Superman’
    “Suicide Squad” will seemingly build on the events of “Man of Steel” and “BvS.” As we’ve seen from the trailers, Waller assembles her team in response to a growing fear about the unchecked power of heroes like Superman. And given that every time Superman has a bad day, entire sections of Metropolis are leveled, maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have a contingency plan.

    The film will also take advantage of the fact that Batman has been active for many years. Because the Dark Knight has already clashed with villains like Harley and Croc in his long career, these characters will be firmly established and ready for action as the film begins. Though it appears that “Suicide Squad” will focus quite a bit on Harley’s tragic back-story and her connection to a certain Clown Prince of Crime.

    6. Expect to See a Very Big Bad
    Even with the Suicide Squad being made up of supervillains, they’ll have villains of their own to battle in this film. One of those will be Joker (Jared Leto), who will get free from Arkham Asylum and possibly embark on another wild crime spree. Expect Harley’s quest to free herself from Joker’s twisted influence to be a major part of her story.

    However, it doesn’t appear that Joker will be the main villain of the film. That role may instead fall to Enchantress (Cara Delevigne), an ancient sorceress inhabiting the body of an archaeologist named June Moone. It’s not clear whether Enchantress is initially a member of the Squad, but — based on the trailers — we’re guessing that she’s the source of the supernatural threat the team will confront.

    “Suicide Squad” hits theaters this Friday.
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