Moviefone Editorial

Tag: DC

  • Margot Robbie to Star in Harley Quinn Movie With More Female DC Characters: Report

    Based on all the buzz surrounding upcoming DC villains team-up flick “Suicide Squad,” it makes sense that sequels would eventually follow. But one character in particular has already so seized audiences’ imaginations that studio Warner Bros. reportedly wants to build a film specifically around her, while also highlighting other female heroes and villains from the comics-verse.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Margot Robbie is currently developing a spinoff starring her “Suicide Squad” alter ego, Harley Quinn, though it won’t exactly be a Quinn solo flick. Instead, THR says that the project would “focus on several of DC’s female heroes and villains,” including rumored participants like Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.

    A script is already in the works, with a female writer, though THR’s report says that details about the project are so shrouded in secrecy that not only is the plot being kept heavily under wraps, but not even the screenwriter’s name is known. Robbie herself is shepherding the project at Warner Bros., and will produce the flick as well.

    According to THR, the actress is extremely passionate about Harley Quinn, and the DC Comics universe in general:

    Sources say that Robbie was the impetus for the project, adding that when she got the part for [“Suicide Squad”], she dove deep into the comics to learn as much as possible about the character. In the process, she fell for DC’s female characters. She brought on the writer to help develop the project and brought it to Warners, which snapped it up.

    As excitement for “Suicide Squad” continues to grow ahead of its August bow, it makes sense for Warner Bros. to strike while the iron is hot. And after the disappointing dearth of female-centric Marvel movies, DC is certainly poised to snap up a new quadrant of the superhero movie market, thanks to this project and the upcoming “Wonder Woman.” Here’s hoping with Robbie’s support, this film can get off the ground.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

    Photo credit: Warner Bros.

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  • J.K. Simmons Joins ‘Justice League’ as Commissioner Gordon

    US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-AWARDS-SPIRITJ.K. Simmons is trading in one iconic comic book supporting character for another: After originating the role of newsman J. Jonah Jameson in Marvel’s first three “Spider-Man” flicks, Simmons will now play Batman ally Commissioner James Gordon in DC’s upcoming “Justice League” film.

    The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that the Oscar winner has joined up with the rival comic powerhouse, quashing fans’ hopes that he would reprise his Jameson role in Marvel’s upcoming threeboot of the “Spider-Man” franchise. But Simmons didn’t earn that Oscar for nothing; the chameleonic actor will no doubt shine as Gordon, a key figure in Batman’s storyline.

    The importance of that Batman connection is perhaps one of the reasons why Simmons nabbed the part: He recently co-starred with current Bruce Wayne actor Ben Affleck in the action flick “The Accountant,” which is due out this fall. Though no official word has come from either actor, it would make sense if Affleck encouraged Simmons to take the Gordon role if they enjoyed working together before.

    However he wound up as part of the production, Simmons’s presence in the ensemble adds another level of gravitas to the heavily-anticipated epic, which also co-stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher. We can’t wait to see him in action.

    “Justice League: Part One” starts production in April. It hits theaters on November 17, 2017.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

    Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

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  • Casper Crump Is Glad to Show People Who Vandal Savage Really Is on ‘Legends’

    2016 Winter TCA Portraits You’ve haven’t seen the half of just how awful Vandal Savage can be, promises actor Casper Crump.

    When the extremely long-lived supervillain made his DC TV debut on a crossover between “The Flash” and “Arrow,” audiences got a taste of Savage’s particular brand of nastiness, but Crump says there’s so much more villany to come now that the Egyptian priest-turned-modern-day crimelord is the Big Bad of the spinoff series “Legends of Tomorrow.”

    Crump sat down with Moviefone to reveal how he found his way into the role of a 4,000-year-old character with over 70 years of accumulated comic book history behind him.

    Moviefone: The bad guy never thinks he’s the bad guy–

    Casper Crump: Of course not.

    So, have you figured out why Vandal Savage thinks he’s doing the right thing, in his mind?

    Well, clearly, he doesn’t know that he’s not doing the right thing! But for me, as an actor, I have to sort of take responsibility for him and his actions. And I think in every human being, we have that villainous kind of side, the dark side. I mean, it’s all around us. You see it every day, and that was a part of my research. I read a lot of comic books on Vandal Savage, and I saw the daily news.” I was like, “Alright, there are villains all over, dressed up as politicians or writers or pop stars or whatever. “

    But why? If he knew, he probably wouldn’t do it. If he knew he was wrong, if he had to sort of find a reason for him to make that decision right, he probably wouldn’t do it.

    There have been so many incarnations of Vandal Savage in the comics over the decades. Tell me about the things about him that you zeroed in on?

    I, of course, looked at his physical appearance. Even when I auditioned, I was like, “Sometimes he’s portrayed as huge!” Like, massive muscle stuff, and I’m like, “OK, guys, you want me to work out?” And they were actually like, “No, no. We don’t need that.” And in other books, he looks like me more, and I sort of lean towards that.

    But doing a comic character, it’s just a gift in all these comic books at your disposal. You’re like, “Oh, I can actually look at him and I can see his posture, the way he walks and stuff.” And I sort of got very much inspired by that. I pulled out all the pages and put them on my wall. I don’t want to copy that, but I’m very much inspired by what I read in the comic books and trying to make it my own thing.

    Acting-wise, who have you had a lot of fun crossing swords with?

    Oh, mostly, I had great chemistry with the whole cast, but I must say, later on you will see, of course, he meets Rip Hunter, and the scenes that I did with Rip Hunter turned out really good, I think. We just had a really fun time doing it. And Falk [Hentschel, the show’s Hawkman], by the way, we were like best buddies, and we were just having a blast while we were shooting, fighting, killing each other off. Oh, great fun!

    Are you the actor who starts leafing through the script for his action scenes?

    No, but I do like action scenes. Not that that’s something that I look for. I first read the script, I don’t do the “Bulls–t, bulls–t, bulls–t, my line, bulls–t, my line…” I don’t do that [laughs]. I read the whole script, of course. I go into my own stuff, of course, and I have told the stunt coordinators, “Let me do as much as possible of my own stunts.” And they let me do that. They can’t like pull me through a window or like throw me off a building. They can’t do that. But all of the choreographies and the fighting, I do that.

    What’s been interesting when continuing to play a bad guy through the entire season?

    It sort of leans towards another question: How is it playing a guy that has been around for thousands of years? And I was like, even with my creativity as an actor, no. I can’t imagine. But what I can imagine is that every single scene he knows, no matter how tough and tense the situation gets, he can’t be killed. And as an actor, this is just a great note to have in the back of your head. It gives him an arrogance, and it gives him like he’s over the others. Superior.

    Did you read comics at any point in your life?

    I actually read a lot of Lobo. Still hoping to do a Lobo show. I want to play him, probably can’t now, anyway. I didn’t read a lot. I read a lot of Lobo really, a lot of Spider-Man when I was younger. And when I booked this job I started looking into the whole culture again, which is impossible to do. And I tried to understand it.

    I thought, actually, I was a Marvel fan, but when I started reading and I thought back to what I had been reading all my life I found out, “Well, I kind of like Lobo. I like Batman. I like all the DC guys!” I’m not saying that Marvel isn’t fantastic, but, yeah…

    Is there anything that Geoff Johns or any of the producers told you about Savage that clicked and made you say, “I know exactly what I need to do now?”

    I called them, actually. I called them and said, “Look, help me out here, or just tell me where do we want to go with this character.” It wasn’t anything specific. I’m still working on it, I think. And I think it’s important to keep doing through the whole season. And if they use me next season, I don’t know. Just keep working, keep exploring your character, because if you know, well, this is how he is, I think that shows in your acting.

    Tell me about the experience knowing that the audience knows there’s going to be a “Legends” series when you show up first in the other shows, “Arrow” and “The Flash.” What was the reaction that you got from that?

    Well, it was very positive. People really liked the episodes. But there have been questions after: “But you died in ‘The Flash.’ Has Malcolm Merlin had something to do with that?” Which we don’t know. He collects the ashes. That’s what he does. I think people, I hope, are excited he’s coming back to “Legends” because the first two crossovers from Vandal’s perspective were very two dimensional. He comes in. He throws knives. There’s not much story to him, so I’m glad I get the chance to show people more of who he really is.
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  • 9 Things You Need to Know Before You Watch ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’

    After months of mouth-watering trailers and backdoor stage-setting, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” is finally upon us. The series, which pulls characters from “Arrow” and “The Flash” and sets them adrift in time, premieres this Thursday on the CW.

    Moviefone recently screened the two-part pilot and -– spoiler alert -– it’s tremendously fun.

    Understandably, there are a lot of moving parts. Not only must “Legends” introduce a brand new protagonist in time master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), but the series also has to show him wrangle together a large group of colorful heroes and villains from the CW’s other comic book shows. The premiere does a great job of weaving in each new character without ever slowing down the narrative, but there is much to digest.

    How does the whole time travel thing work exactly? Does “Legends” feel more like “The Flash” or “Arrow”? And what about guest stars -– are there any of them? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.

    Here are the only 9 things you need to know about “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” premiere:

    1. ‘Legends’ Is Bigger and More Ambitious Than ‘Arrow’ or ‘The Flash’
    From the very beginning, this show feels like more than just a “Flash” and “Arrow” spinoff. For starters, “Legends” is decidedly more ambitious. It’s been fun watching Barry and Ollie protect their respective cities from countless Bad Guys of the Week, but Rip Hunter and his motley crew are tasked with something bigger: defending all of time and space from the immortal villain Vandal Savage.

    The world of “Legends” also feels more fleshed out than its predecessors. “Flash” and “Arrow” are filled with DC Comics references aplenty, but, aside from Cisco Ramon’s (Carlos Valdes) occasional pop culture riffs, those worlds feel mostly self-contained. “Legends,” on the other hand, pays homage to quite a few genre shows and movies that have nothing to do with comics or superheroes.

    From Rip’s time-hopping spaceship, which borrows heavily from “Firefly,” to his people, the Time Masters, who pretty much resemble “Doctor Who’s” time lords, this feels more like a standalone sci-fi show in some ways than it does a DC Comics spinoff. There’s even a clear shout out to “Back to the Future” when one character, who may have disrupted his timeline, stares at a ring on his hand as it phases in and out of existence. These are minor hat tips, to be sure, but they help the series come into its own.

    That said…

    2. If You Had to Compare Them, ‘Legends’ Is More ‘Flash’ Than ‘Arrow’
    “Legends” may already be standing on its own legs, but there’s no escaping the fact that the series borrows elements from the CW’s other superhero shows. With the exception of Rip Hunter, all of the show’s main characters were first introduced on the network’s other properties, with six of the eight debuting on “The Flash.” Likewise, the tone thus far is more “Flash” than “Arrow.” The stakes are high, but so is everyone’s mood. It’s more light-hearted than “Arrow”; these characters are too busy engaging in witty banter to brood about their inner-demons.

    “Legends of Tomorrow’s” action style draws pretty evenly from both shows. “Arrow’s” trademark fight choreography rears its head during White Canary’s melees, while “The Flash’s” colorful effects take center stage whenever Firestorm appears. The other characters dabble in both hand-to-hand combat and VFX-generated freeze rays or energy blasts. Atom’s fighting style, in particular, has evolved since his days on “Arrow.” There he fought like Marvel’s “Iron Man,” but here his style is much more similar to Ant-Man,” which is more fun to watch. The premiere’s most memorable action sequence is a bar brawl, actually, that’s far removed from anything DC’s other superhero shows have ever done. But more on that in a bit…

    3. A Quiver of ‘Arrow’ Cameos
    One place where “Arrow” gets an edge is in the guest cameo department. Black Canary, aka Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), and Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), both appear where they help former “Arrow” heroes transition over to “Legends.” Laurel encourages her reincarnated sister Sara
    (Caity Lotz) to “step out of the shadows” and become White Canary, while Ollie teams up with Atom for a fun mini-adventure.

    4. Even Fictional Characters Can’t Escape ‘Star Wars’
    These days everyone has a case of “Star Wars” fever, even fictional TV characters. So, when the “Legends” crew is hunted by a time-jumping bounty hunter who looks suspiciously like a lovechild of Boba Fett and the chrome trooper from “Force Awakens,” they point out the obvious. Sure, “Flash’s” resident pop culture guru Cisco has name-checked “Star Wars” before, but this time it feels like it’s actually part of the story.

    5. Rip Hunter Is Used Sparingly
    The one brand new character that “Legends” introduces, time master and de facto chaperone Rip Hunter, seemingly gets the least amount of screen time of all the regulars. Certainly the creators see value in doling out his backstory sparingly, but I expected him to be the frontman for the Time Traveling All-Stars and he instead comes across as more of a conductor for the Time Traveling Orchestra. Still, he gets some great lines in.

    6. ‘Time in a Bottle’ Gets a Run for Its Money
    Even people who didn’t much care for “X-Men: Days of Future Past” recognized genius in one particular scene: Quicksilver’s slow motion assault on the Pentagon, set to Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.” Well, DC tries one-upping that with a wonderfully constructed bar brawl juxtaposed against another under-appreciated ’70s song (this time from Captain and Tennille). The whole sequence is just… epic.

    7. Heat Wave Gets the Biggest Upgrade
    Heat Wave — a disgruntled firefighter-turned-arsonist — made for a decent enough villain of the week on “The Flash,” but bringing him over to “Legends” as a regular seemed risky. For starters, the group has another fire-spewing badass in Firestorm, so what role could Heat Wave even fill? As it turns out: comic relief.

    On “The Flash,” Heat Wave frequently took a backseat to his literal partner in crime, Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), but here Dominic outshines his former “Prison Break” costar, getting almost all of the pilot’s best lines. Purcell is hilarious throughout, thanks to both sharply written one-liners and his perfect delivery.

    Another character that shines brighter on “Legends” than he did on “The Flash” is Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber), AKA Firestorm’s older and more curmudgeonly half. Dr. Stein plays a major role in the premiere and he’s never been funnier or more endearing.

    8. Someone Gets Knocked Out With a Giant Glass Bong
    Seriously. And it works. It’s just that kind of show.

    9. It Doesn’t Overdo the Whole Time Travel Thing
    Unlike most time travel and trans-dimensional shows (“Quantum Leap,” “Doctor Who,” “Sliders,” etc.), “Legends” doesn’t seem inclined to switch eras and locations every single week. Aside from the future-set intro and a quick montage in 2016, the two-part premiere takes place almost entirely in the mid ’70s. And at the end of the two-parter, we’re left with the impression that we might be sticking around the Disco Days for another episode or two.

    It’s a smart decision for several reasons. First, it allows the writers to take a deeper dive into each time period, which should eventually serve to set “Legends” apart from the aforementioned period-hoppers. Instead of a token Nixon mention, for instance, we get music from Earth, Wind, & Fire and a snippet from “Welcome Back Kotter.” Second, staying in the same decade for a few episodes at a time will save producers a few bucks on sets and wardrobes, freeing up more cash for the costly but necessary stuff, like high-end visual effects and “Flash,” “Arrow,” and possibly even “Supergirl” guest stars.

    And, for those time travel aficionados wondering whether “Legends” time-space continuum is fixed or malleable, it looks like we’re getting a mixture of them both.

    “Time is like cement,” Rip informs his crew. “It takes a while to harden and become permanent.”

    “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” premieres Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8pm ET on The CW. Part two of the pilot airs Thursday, Jan. 28.

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  • The New ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’ Trailer Is Going to Make You Very, Very Happy

    dc's legends of tomorrow logoThe wait is FINALLY over.

    The CW has released the first substantial footage from the upcoming, highly anticipated “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” and it packs a quite a wallop. The “first look” — more like a trailer, really — lays out the story clearly: Time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter (cool name, bro) travels back in time to assemble an elite group of heroes (and a couple of not-quite heroes) to stop an utterly bleak future. Witty one-liners, action-packed shenanigans, and some seriously cool crossover potential ensue.

    Among his recruits are Sara Lance (White Canary), Jay Jackson (Firestorm), Ray Palmer (The Atom), Hawkgirl, Captain Cold, and Heat Wave. With a lineup like that and coming from the network that brought us “Arrow” and “The Flash,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” has serious potential to be your new favorite show.

    You can find out when “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” premieres January 21, 2016, on The CW. Watch the trailer.
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  • 6 Comic Book Movies We Can’t Wait to See in 2016

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    If 2016 is any indication, comic book movies are here to stay.

    While directors like Steven Spielberg might predict the imminent demise of the superhero movie genre, it’s clear studios won’t be slowing down their superhero output anytime soon. Next year is going to bring a new wave of big-budget epics, featuring costumed do-gooders waging war against the forces of evil (or in some cases, each other).

    From “Batman v Superman” to “Captain America: Civil War,” these are the six superhero movies we’re excited to see next year.

  • Here’s Your First Look at Hawkman & Hawkgirl in ‘Legends of Tomorrow’

    hawkman, hawkgirl, dc, legends of tomorrowDC has released the first image of Hawkman and Hawkgirl from its upcoming “Arrow” and “The Flash” spinoff, “Legends of Tomorrow,” and the characters look just as cool as you’d hoped.

    The photo, featuring newcomer actress Ciara Renée as Kendra Saunders (Hawkgirl) and actor Falk Hentschel as Carter Hall (Hawkman), shows off the two heroes’ sleek leather costumes and funky bird-like masks, which evoke both a sense of mystery and a hint of whimsy — exactly what a comic book adaptation should do. But don’t be fooled by Hawkgirl’s small smile on display here: this twosome is tough, and ready to spring into action. (Hawkman’s mace is certainly menacing.)

    Here’s the official synopsis for the series, per the DC Comics site:

    With powers derived from the ancient Egyptian hawk god, Horus, Kendra and Carter are destined to reincarnate through time as winged, helmeted warriors. On DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Hawkgirl and Hawkman will fight alongside the Atom, Firestorm, White Canary, Captain Cold and Heat Wave against the immortal Vandal Savage. Look for them to initially debut in this season’s Arrow and The Flash crossover episode before moving on to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

    Sounds super to us. Stay tuned for an official “Legends of Tomorrow” premiere date, and until then, check out the full photo below.
    [via: DC Comics]

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