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Tag: peter-safran

  • ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ has Undergone More Reshoots

    Jason Momoa on the set of 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.'
    Jason Momoa on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Photo courtesy of Jason Momoa’s Instagram account.

    ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ already had some pressure attached to it. As the sequel to 2018’s ‘Aquaman’ it had to live up to an original movie that earned more than $1.1 billion.

    Which for someone like director James Wan, who is also responsible for giant horror franchises such as the ‘Saw’ films and particularly the ‘Conjuring’ franchise, might not be quite as daunting as for others.

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    But there were lots of other factors in play around the new movie –– it was greenlit by a former Warner Bros./DC regime (to be specific, Toby Emmerich and Walter Hamada) back when the DC Extended Universe originated by movies such as ‘Man of Steel’ and ‘Justice League’ was still a going concern and Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa was one of its big breakout stars.

    But with principal photography completed in January 2022, the rough waters for the movie were just beginning to swirl.

    What happened with ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’?

    Jason Momoa on the set of 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.'
    Jason Momoa on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Photo courtesy of Jason Momoa’s Instagram account.

    According to a new story in The Hollywood Reporter, the movie started to face issues almost immediately. The initial test screenings for the movie indicated that audiences weren’t reacting well to the movie.

    The studio authorized two rounds of reshoots, but it appears that nothing produced was helping the test scores. Incoming Warner Bros. bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy got involved, and Abdy led a new cut, but that tested even less successfully.

    Yet with a lot invested in the movie, Warners kept moving on, authorizing an unprecedented third round of reshoots –– which reportedly went very well, Wan able to complete what was needed in less time than planned.

    A big issue for the film’s process were several delays, including work traffic jams at VFX companies requiring that ‘The Lost Kingdom’ jump around the schedules.

    Not helping matters was a killer combo of changing fortunes for DC movies –– Hamada would be gone before the movie ever saw screens and DC Studios changed hands to James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    But both were committed to helping Aquaman keep swimming; Safran in particular because he’s a producer on the film.

    And then, there’s the Batman issue.

    Related Article: Jason Momoa Reveals Ben Affleck will Cameo in ‘Aquaman 2′

    How does Batman fit in?

    Ben Affleck and Jason Momoa on the set of 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.'
    (L to R) Ben Affleck and Jason Momoa on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Photo courtesy of Jason Momoa’s Instagram account.

    While the movie largely sees Momoa’s Arthur Curry struggling with a new threat to his underwater kingdom (one that will force him to team up with half-brother and former rival Orm, played by Patrick Wilson), there was supposed to be a cameo from Batman.

    But which Bruce Wayne? When ‘The Flash’ looked to be kickstarting a universe where Michael Keaton’s Bruce is sort of a Nick Fury-style connective character between other heroes, a cameo for his Batman was filmed. When those plans changed, Ben Affleck’s Wayne was subbed in (that reshoot was “accidentally” revealed by Momoa to a studio tour group).

    And now? ‘The Flash’ is a flop and other Keaton-featuring projects such as ‘Batgirl’ have been shelved. Gunn and Safran are reportedly nervous about connecting the film to a movie universe that is effectively over or making promises about crossovers that may never come to pass now that Gunn has his own big plans for the future.

    The mood is still positive around ‘The Lost Kingdom’, though, but we’ll see how it performs when it lands in theaters on December 20th.

    Jason Momoa in 2018's 'Aquaman.'
    Jason Momoa in 2018’s ‘Aquaman.’

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    ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Atomic Monster, The Safran Company, and DC Films. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on December 20th, 2023.

  • Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Ed Gathegi Join ‘Superman: Legacy’

    (Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios' 'Rosaline,' exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.' (Left) Edi Gathegi in 'Aporia.'
    (Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Rosaline,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ (Left) Edi Gathegi in ‘Aporia.’

    Now that he has found his key cast members for ‘Superman: Legacy’ in David Corenswet (as Clark Kent/Superman) and Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), James Gunn has gotten on with the business of building the ensemble around them.

    Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi are the new recruits (though in Fillion’s case, we somewhat suspect Gunn had been looking for a role for his regular collaborator before he even started the search for Supes.)

    They’ll be playing Guy Gardner (a Green Lantern), Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific, respectively.

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    Who is Guy Gardner?

    Green Lantern Guy Gardner.
    Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Courtesy of DC Comics.

    Fillion (who has appeared in many of Gunn’s previous movies, including ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’) will be Gardner, one of the main ring bearers of the Green Lantern corps. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, he first appeared in the pages of Green Lantern #59, published in March 1968.

    According to Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican, who broke the news of the latest casting, he’ll stay true to his comics background: Gardner is known as an abrasive, sometimes obnoxious presence (something we know Fillion can do while still be remaining fun). The character is known for his iconic bowl cut haircut, which will be a part of the actor’ look in the film.

    Who is Hawkgirl?

    Hawkgirl from DC Comics.
    Hawkgirl from DC Comics. Courtesy of DC Comics.

    Merced, known for playing Dora The Explorer in ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ is on to play Hawkgirl, a warrior who favors swords, spears, and maces. She’s been seen on TV in ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’, but this is a new actor and take on the character.

    Who is Mister Terrific?

    Mister Terrific (Michael Holt).
    Mister Terrific (Michael Holt). Courtesy of DC Comics.

    Finally, we have Gathegi (seen in the ‘Twilight’ movies and most recently on Apple TV+’s space drama ‘For All Mankind’), who has been cast as Mr. Terrific. Also known as Michael Holt, he’s not only a skilled combatant but one of the world’s most brilliant inventors and tacticians, orbited by the floating T-Sphere weapons he designed.

    Related Article: David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan to play Clark Kent and Lois Lane in ‘Superman: Legacy’

    What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?

    (Left) David Corenswet in Netflix's 'The Politician.' (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.'
    (Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’

    Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.

    Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:

    “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”

    ‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to land in theaters on July 11th, 2025 –– that’s right, just about two years from now. So, if long waits are your kryptonite, we can only apologize.

    Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn and Superman.
    (Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.

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  • Andy Muschietti Directing New Batman Movie

    'The Flash' director Andy Muschietti at a Canada-Fan Screening event.
    ‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at a Canada-Fan Screening event. Photos by Sam Santos.

    ‘The Flash’ is set to speed into theaters next week and the word is very positive on director Andy Muschietti’s first stab at the DC comic book universe. And if a new report from One Take News works out, he’ll be hanging around that universe for a while to come as he’s set to direct ‘The Brave and the Bold’.

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    What is ‘The Brave and the Bold’?

    Announced by DC Studios co-CEO/filmmaker James Gunn, ‘The Brave and the Bold’ will represent one of the key tentpoles of Gunn and Peter Safran’s initial phase taking over the comic book movie universe at Warner Bros. Discovery.

    It’s a Batman story that revolves around a character from the comics that has appeared in other mediums but would be making is live-action movie debut here.

    Gunn said this about the movie,

    “This is a story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman’s actual son, who we didn’t know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s a little son of a bitch. He’s my favorite Robin, based on the Grant Morrison comic books run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs, and we are putting that all together right now.”

    There are no other details out about the movie for now –– no word on who might be writing it, and that’s something likely to wait regardless given the current writers’ strike. It’ll also represent a casting challenge as, yet another actor will be filling the cowl as Batman, with the movie planning to introduce more of the so-called “Bat family” of characters around Bruce Wayne/the Caped Crusader.

    'The Flash' director Andy Muschietti at CinemaCon 2023.
    ‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at CinemaCon 2023. Photos by Eric Charbonneau.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘The Flash’

    Muschietti, of course, is no stranger to Batman –– there are two (that we know of at this point) in ‘The Flash’, as trailers have already heavily shown both Ben Affleck’s take on the character and, even more prominently, Michael Keaton’s. The latter reprises his iconic version first seen in the 1989 game changer ‘Batman’ and 1992’s ‘Batman Returns’, both directed by Tim Burton.

    And from the sounds of it, ‘The Flash’ has been figured out so as to create some sort of link between the current DCEU as kicked off by Zach Snyder and Gunn’s future plans for the DC Studios Universe. Which sounds like quite the feat to pull off for one movie.

    Assuming it comes through, this would mark the third director to board a DC Studios project. Gunn has already announced that he’s directing ‘Superman: Legacy’, which will be a fresh take on the Superman story, while James Mangold is attached to make a ‘Swamp Thing’ film.

    ‘The Flash’ will be in theaters on 16th June. ‘The Brave and the Bold’ does not yet have a set date.

    Ezra Miller as The Flash, Michael Keaton as Batman and Ezra Miller as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure 'The FLASH,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Ezra Miller as The Flash, Michael Keaton as Batman and Ezra Miller as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure ‘The FLASH,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

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  • James Gunn Begins ‘Superman: Legacy’ Casting Process

    (Left) David Corenswet in Netflix's 'The Politician.' (Center Left) Nicholas Hoult in 'Renfield.' (Center Right) Emma Mackey in Netflix's 'Sex Education.' (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.'
    (Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Center Left) Nicholas Hoult in ‘Renfield.’ (Center Right) Emma Mackey in Netflix’s ‘Sex Education.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’

    With the movie set to properly show what DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran have planned for the comic book adaptation world, all eyes are naturally on ‘Superman: Legacy’, which Gunn has been writing to direct.

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    And thanks to many of his duties regarding ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ being complete now, the filmmaker is fully focused on his Superman film.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the casting process is in full swing, with various candidates being considered.

    David Corenswet in Netflix's 'The Politician.'
    David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’

    Who could be Gunn’s Superman?

    The Reporter’s story mentions ‘Pearl’s David Corenswet among the front-runners for the main character, a role that has been played in the past by the likes of Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill and, on smaller screens, Dean Cain, Tom Welling and Tyler Hoechlin.

    Corenswet has apparently impressed Gunn enough that he’s moving forward to the screen test phase, though of course there is plenty of competition for that role in particular. Names such as ‘Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi and British actors Tom Brittney and Andrew Richardson have been in the mix, but it’s still very early days and none of those are apparently in serious contention.

    Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.'
    Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’

    Related Article: James Gunn Confirms He’ll Direct ‘Superman Legacy’ in Emotional New Message

    The search for Lois Lane

    Since the film takes place during Clark/Superman’s early days as reporter at the Daily Planet and how important star reporter Lois Lane is to his story, hers is naturally a vital role to find. Rachel Brosnahan, the Emmy-winning star of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ reportedly rocked her audition but might be seen as too old at the grand age of 32! (The roles are apparently being targeted at 20-somethings).

    So, a more likely choice, at least give age-wise, is ‘Sex Education’s Emma Mackey, who will be seen this summer in ‘Barbie’.

    Also in consideration? ‘Bridgerton’ Season 1 star Phoebe Dynevor and ‘Ready or Not’s Samara Weaving, last seen in ‘Scream VI’.

    None of the actors for Lane have screen tested yet –– that’ll happen later this month and early in June.

    Nicholas Hoult and Joseph Mikel in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.
    (L to R) Nicholas Hoult and Joseph Mikel in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Who else is involved?

    Then we have the villain, and from the sounds of it, ‘Legacy’ will feature the most famous Superman opponent, Lex Luthor. And if the Reporter’s story is to be believed, ‘Renfield’s Nicholas Hoult is currently the front-runner for the role. He’s nowhere near official yet, of course, but the word on him is positive.

    Hoult has comic book experience, of course, having starred in several ‘X-Men‘ movies. And he was in consideration for Batman in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ but lost that role to Robert Pattinson.

    There are also other classic DC characters involved, so expect a slew of casting stories once the actors are locked in.

    Gunn, in typically open –– but still private –– style, took to twitter to reiterate that he won’t be commenting on any casting rumors.

    ‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11th, 2025.

    Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn and Superman.
    (Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.

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  • UPDATE: Frank Grillo Cast in DC Universe’s ‘Creature Commandos’

    Frank Grillo in DirecTV's 'Kingdom.'
    Frank Grillo in DirecTV’s ‘Kingdom.’

    While it seems that director and co-chairman of DC Studios James Gunn makes news almost every day when answering questions on Twitter about his upcoming plans for the DC Universe, he has yet to announce any cast members for ‘Superman: Legacy,’ which he will also write and direct. But that doesn’t mean that Gunn hasn’t already cast some actors in a few roles.

    Now, in an exclusive interview with Moviefone for his new movie ‘One Day as a Lion,’ which was released in select theaters on April 4th and will be available On Digital and On Demand April 7th, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ and ‘The Purge: Anarchy’ actor Frank Grillo has hinted that he will soon be working with James Gunn on an upcoming DC Universe project.

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    What did Frank Grillo say about Working with DC?

    While speaking with Grillo for ‘One Day as a Lion,’ we asked the actor what project he was excited to work on next and the actor dropped this bomb:

    “I’m excited to go play with James Gunn in the DC Universe, believe it or not. He’s got some great ideas and we’re going to go and have some fun there. That’s about as much as I can say without getting fired, I think. James Gunn and Peter Safran they got some great things happening over there, and James called me and said, “It’s ready for you. We’re ready for you to come work at DC and we have a great project.” It is a really cool thing and some amazing people are attached to it. I think James and Peter are going to rock the world with DC.”

    We followed up by asking the actor if the project he is talking about will start shooting soon, and if we can expect official casting announcements shortly:

    “I think so, as we gear up to do it, which is in the next month, they’ll probably release more. And those guys are the opposite of Marvel. They’re like, “Let’s talk about it. Let’s get it out there. Let’s have fun.” It’s far less constricting. I almost got fired from ‘Captain America’ at least a dozen times because I didn’t know the routine. But these guys are much cooler.”

    Frank Grillo in car
    Frank Grillo in ‘A Day to Die.’

    Related Article: James Gunn Directing ‘Superman: Legacy’

    Will Frank Grillo be in ‘Superman: Legacy?’

    While the actor was vague about what DC project he would be working on, simple deduction says it’s probably ‘Superman: Legacy,’ since he mentioned the project should start shooting next month, and that is the first film planned for the new DC Universe. It’s also easy to think Grillo is referring to ‘Superman’ because he specifically said, “I’m excited to go play with James Gunn,” who is writing and directing ‘Legacy.’

    However, since Gunn is also the co-chairman of DC Studios, and in theory would be involved in any project they are planning, Grillo could be referring to another DC Universe project. Maybe the upcoming TV series ‘Waller’ with Viola Davis or even the movie ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ which will center on Batman and Robin, and Grillo would make a fantastic Dark Knight.

    There is also a strong possibility that Grillo has been cast in the HBO Max animated series ‘Creature Commandos,’ which could be starting production shortly as well. If that is the case, then it will only be a voice role at first, but Gunn’s plan is for the same voice actors to also play their characters in live-action eventually.

    Fuel was added to this theory when Grillo recently posted to Instagram that he and ‘Hellboy‘ actor Ron Perlman “did a little film together a while back,” over an image of a DC casting rumor article continuing to say, “Could this be two,” indicating that he and Perlman have another project coming soon that may be DC related. Rumor is that Grillo would voice Rick Flag Sr., father of Joel Kinnaman‘s Rick Flag Jr. from ‘Suicide Squad‘ and Gunn’s own ‘The Suicide Squad,‘ with Perlman voicing Eric Frankenstein.

    However, Grillo’s post specifically indicates that his DC project with Perlman is there second “film” together, which would rule out the series ‘Creature Commandos,’ so its entirely possible both actors are attached to a DC Universe movie, and again, ‘Superman: Legacy’ is the obvious choice.

    In one last effort to get Grillo to spill the beans, we asked the actor if the project he was talking about involved a character that was from another planet and sent to Earth as a baby (clearly referring to Superman). Grillo replied:

    “You might be on the right track … or you might not.”

    Frank Grillo as Pauly Russo in the action/thriller, 'One Day as a Lion,' a Lionsgate release.
    Frank Grillo as Pauly Russo in the action/thriller, ‘One Day as a Lion,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

    Who is Frank Grillo?

    Frank Grillo has been a fixture on television and in films for over two decades. You’d recognize him from such popular TV programs as ‘The Shield,’ ‘Prison Break,’ ‘Kingdom,’ and ‘Billions.’

    The actor has also appeared in countless movies including ‘The Mambo Kings,’ ‘Minority Report,’ ‘Edge of Darkness,’ Warrior,’ ‘The Grey,’ ‘End of Watch,’ ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ ‘Gangster Squad,’ ‘Homefront,’ ‘Copshop,’ ‘A Day to Die,’ and ‘Paradise Highway.’

    But Grillo is probably best known for his work in two extremely popular franchises, ‘The Purge’ and Marvel Studios. He played Sgt. Leo Barnes in ‘The Purge: Anarchy’ and ‘The Purge: Election Year,’ and in the MCU portrayed Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

    Whether or not Frank Grillo will really be in ‘Superman: Legacy’ is truly yet to be known, but it will be interesting to see if the actor makes the move from Marvel to DC.

    UPDATE: 

    The mystery has been solved! We now know, via The Wrap, that Grillo will in fact be voicing Rick Flag Sr. in the ‘Creature Commandos’ animated series that James Gunn has planned as part of his “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters” initial phase of the new DC movie and TV universe.

    ‘Creature Commandos’, which features a motley crew of beasts and others who go on missions, a little like an even weirder ‘Suicide Squad.’

    And talking of, Rick Flag Sr served in the original Suicide Squad, a World War II unit, and later joined Task Force X after the war. He is a highly skilled soldier and strategist, with a strong sense of duty and loyalty to his country. Flag is often portrayed as a no-nonsense, by-the-book type of character, who is willing to make tough decisions in order to achieve his objectives.

    Not too much is known about the series so far, save that Gunn has written all the episodes and it’s in production now. His brother Sean Gunn will be voicing –– if the guttural sounds he makes can be said to be a “voice” –– Weasel from the ‘The Suicide Squad’ and we can expect more casting news in the coming weeks and months.

    And Gunn is looking to have actors play the roles across animation and live-action, so chances are Grillo will be showing up elsewhere in the DC universe in future.

    DC's 'Creature Commandos'
    DC’s ‘Creature Commandos’ Photo: DC.com.

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    ‘One Day as a Lion’  is now available in select theaters and will be available On Digital and On Demand on April 7, 2023.

    To watch our video interviews with Frank Grillo, director John Swab, and screenwriter and actor Scott Caan about their new film ‘One Day as a Lion,’ please click on the video player below.

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  • Dwayne Johnson Reportedly Vetoed ‘Black Adam’ Characters for ‘Shazam’ Sequel

    Dwayne Johnson in 'Black Adam' and Zachary Levi in 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods.'
    (L to R) Dwayne Johnson in ‘Black Adam’ and Zachary Levi in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods.’

    There are new revelations coming to light about what has been happening behind the scenes of DC movies. But before we go any further, we should specify that there are spoilers ahead for one of the end credits scenes of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’.

    According to various sources, Dwayne Johnson –– star, producer and PR figurehead behind the ‘Black Adam’ movie –– vetoed the appearance of ‘Adam’ characters from the Justice Society of America showing up at the end of the Zachary Levi-starring superhero sequel.

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    What was supposed to happen at the end of the ‘Shazam!’ sequel?

    Here’s where we get into spoiler territory: in the first of two end credits scenes, Levi’s Shazam was supposed to be approached by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and at least one other member of the Justice Society to join their team.

    In the final film, it’s actually Agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) from ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Peacemaker’ who show up to drop word that the Society wants Shazam. It’s a little more confusing, since that pair have nothing to do with the Justice Society, but the swap was necessary when the Rock blocked the original plan.

    Director David F. Sandberg offered the first word on the change when talking to The Hollywood Reporter.

    Here’s what Sandberg said,

    “There were supposed to be characters from the Justice Society, but that fell apart three days before we were going to roll cameras. So, Peter Safran, who produced this movie and ‘Peacemaker’, made some calls, and thankfully, Jen Holland and Steve Agee were able to come by on very short notice.”

    Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Black Adam.'
    Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Black Adam,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’

    The Wrap has since dug into the matter further, pushing the concept that Johnson was doing everything he could to promote ‘Black Adam’ at ‘Shazam’s cost.

    It’s also worth noting that Levi posted the Wrap’s headline to an Instagram story with the caption “The truth shall set you free”.

    Johnson, of course, was attached to the role of Black Adam for more than a decade before the movie actually arrived last year. While the original plan had been for the historic Shazam antagonist (who has moved closer to anti-hero status as the years have gone by) to show up as the villain in the first ‘Shazam!’ movie, Johnson pushed for him to get his own film.

    And in advance of ‘Black Adam’, he began focusing more on the idea of Adam going up against Superman rather than Shazam, with Henry Cavill (who, when he was still scheduled to return as the character, showing up in a post-credits scene in ‘Black Adam).

    Of course, all of that was planned before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over running the DC Studios arm of Warner Bros. Discovery and have largely decided to wipe the slate clean and start over. And it’s worth pointing out, before ‘Black Adam’ underperformed at the box office.

    The studio is naturally hoping there will be less of this sort of chaos now that Gunn and Safran are on board and overseeing more of the connections between movies and characters, but time will tell.

    Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla and D. J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla and D. J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

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    ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ is produced by New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, and DC Films, and is scheduled for release on March 17th.

  • James Gunn Directing ‘Superman: Legacy’

    Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn and Superman.
    (Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.

    While making his big reveal of the various projects he and fellow new DC Studios CEO Peter Safran are planning for the company, James Gunn announced that he was at work on a new movie featuring Superman.

    Titled ‘Superman: Legacy’, Gunn dropped word that he was writing the script for the new movie but didn’t confirm then whether he was directing it.

    He’s now made it clear that he is indeed going to be overseeing it.

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    Why is James Gunn directing ‘Superman: Legacy?’

    Taking to Twitter, Gunn offered an insight into the thought process that went into his decision to direct.

    Here’s part of what he said:·

    “It has been a long road to this point. I was offered Superman years ago –– I initially said no because I didn’t have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved. Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in, in many ways centering around Superman’s heritage; how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes. So I chose to finally take on writing the script. But I was hesitant to direct, despite the constant pestering by Peter Safran and others to commit (sorry, Peter). Just because I write something doesn’t mean I feel it in my bones, visually and emotionally, enough to spend over two years directing it, especially not something of this magnitude.”

    You can read his full twitter thread, including the movie’s emotional connection to his father, here:

    What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?

    Here’s what Gunn had to say about ‘Legacy’ when first announced:

    “With our stories, we want to take it away from good guy vs. bad guy. There are really good — almost saintly — people and Superman is among them. There are really terrible villains like Gorilla Grodd or the Joker. And then there’s everybody in between them, so there are all these shades of gray which allow us to tell complex stories.”

    Though the exact plot is still a mystery, Gunn has previously said that ‘Legacy’ will feature a younger Superman (but will also skip the origin story this time).

    Henry Cavill as Superman.
    Henry Cavill as Superman.

    Related Article: Dwayne Johnson Talks Henry Cavill and DC

    Is Henry Cavill coming back to star?

    Henry Cavill fans were disappointed to learn that, after having the chance to announce his return to the Superman suit on social media, the actor was unceremoniously let go.

    But short answer: no, Cavill is no longer part of the plan for DC under Gunn and Safran (though who knows whether they’ll find a place for him going forward).

    The search is no doubt already on for someone to play the part, one that we’re sure will be highly sought after by young rising stars and heretofore unknowns. It could be a star-making role for whoever plays Clark Kent/Kal-El.

    ‘Superman: Legacy’ is currently scheduled to fly into theaters on July 11th, 2025.

    Director James Gunn and actress Jennifer Holland at the World Premiere of 'Thor: Ragnarok.'
    (L to R) Director James Gunn and actress Jennifer Holland at the World Premiere of ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’

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  • Dwayne Johnson Talks Henry Cavill and DC

    Dwayne Johnson arrives on the red carpet of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
    Dwayne Johnson arrives on the red carpet of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

    Last year, before ‘Black Adam’ arrived on screen, Dwayne Johnson was in typically bullish PR mode, extolling the virtue of the character. And shortly after it landed in theaters, he was also talking up the presence of Henry Cavill’s Superman (in a post-credits cameo that leaked before the film was released), signaling that it meant big things for the future of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Studios arm.

    Unfortunately for Johnson, it didn’t work out that way for either Cavill or his own plans. Despite Cavill being given the greenlight to announce his return, a change at the top of DC Studios –– with filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran being installed as co-CEOS –– meant that there was a new plan going forward: Cavill was out as Supes and, at least according to Gunn’s initial plan, Black Adam was nowhere to be seen.

    Of course, ‘Black Adam’ didn’t exactly soar at the box office –– it made $392 million worldwide, but that was off of a $195 million budget. And despite Johnson planting stories to suggest it would be profitable, the DC team hasn’t so far considered it a hit or worthy of future use.

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    There were the initial, good-natured and curated responses from both sides –– “James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters,” said The Rock.

    Now, though, in an Oscars red carpet interview with Variety ahead of him presenting Best Animated Feature, Johnson has opened up a little more about the change.

    Henry Cavill Officially Returning as Superman.
    Henry Cavill as Superman.

    Related Article: James Gunn Says Henry Cavill Won’t Return as Superman

    What did Dwayne Johnson say about the DC/Henry Cavill situation?

    Here’s what Johnson had to say about the switch:

    “It’s almost like when you have a pro football team and your quarterback wins championships and your head coach wins championships and then a new owner comes in and says, ‘Not my coach, not my quarterback. I’m going to go with somebody new.’ ”

    The Rock also commented on the reception for ‘Black Adam’ itself, which was not as positive as he might have preferred:

    “All that I can do, and all that we could do when we were making ‘Black Adam,’ was to put our best foot forward and surround ourselves with the best people and deliver the best movie we could. Our audience score was in the 90s. Critics took a couple shots, but that’s just the business of it.”

    Which is not to say that Adam won’t one day be seen again, but it’s highly doubtful at this point. Gunn has his plans for DC, while Johnson has other franchises he can keep nurturing, including Netflix’s ‘Red Notice’ and a potential sequel to Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’. Next up for the actor/producer/tequila promoter, however, is Holiday adventure film ‘Red One’.

    Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Black Adam.'
    Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Black Adam,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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    ‘Black Adam’ was produced by New Line Cinema, Flynn Picture Company, Seven Bucks Productions, and DC Films and was released on October 21st, 2022.

     

  • James Mangold in Talks for ‘Swamp Thing’ Movie

    DC Comics' Swamp Thing.
    DC Comics’ Swamp Thing. Photo courtesy of DC.com.

    Just yesterday, DC Studios Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran made the first of what will likely be several big announcements about the future of DC movies, TV series and video games, which they’re aiming to link together in one unified universe (excepting the likes of ‘The Batman’ and ‘Joker’, which will exist as ‘Elseworlds’ titles).

    While Gunn didn’t go into many details about other filmmakers who will be involved in crafting the movies and series in his actual announcement, he did drop a few names. “Tom King has been my partner throughout all of this. He was giving me answers to shit before I took the job,” said Gunn in a presentation. “So me, him, Christal Henry who worked on ‘Watchmen’ and is doing ‘Waller,’ Christina Hodson who wrote ‘The Flash,’ Drew Goddard, and Jeremy Slater, who just did ‘Moon Knight.’ That group of people we’ve been meeting with and, you know, putting all of this together.”

    One name he didn’t drop was James Mangold, but the director dropped a teasing hint about his potential collaboration by posting a ‘Swamp Thing’ image on social media.

    That immediately sparked speculation that he might be involved in the movie, which was one that Gunn mentioned in his announcement. And now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he’s in early talks to write and direct the ‘Swamp Thing’ film but wasn’t brought up because the deal isn’t done yet.

    “This is a film that will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing,” Safran said on the DC blog the day of the announcement. It’s intended as a horror movie, but Swamp Thing will end up interacting with other characters down the line.

    As a character, Swamp Thing was created by writer Len Wein and horror artist Bernie Wrightson, first appearing in a stand-alone story in 1971’s ‘House of Secrets # 92.’ The character proved popular enough that he got his own book soon after, although it was short-lived. Swampy achieved his peak in the 1980s during a seminal run written by Alan Moore and drawn by John Totleben and Stephen R. Bissette and has since gone on to become a key figure in the darker side of DC, spurring the creation of the Vertigo imprint.

    ‘Swamp Thing’ first appeared on screens in 1982 in a movie directed by Wes Craven, while ‘The Return of Swamp Thing’ landed in theaters in 1989. There was a live-action TV series that ran for three seasons in the 1990s, an animated series and a short-lived live-action show on the equally short-lived DC Universe platform.

    Mangold, meanwhile, has form with comic book based movies with ‘The Wolverine’ and the acclaimed ‘Logan’. Next up for him is ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, headed to theaters on June 30th this year. And after that’s complete, he still intends to make a film about Bob Dylan’s early life starring Timothée Chalamet.

    James Mangold arrives on the red carpet of The 90th Oscars®
    Oscar® nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay, James Mangold arrives on the red carpet of The 90th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Photo: Ross Costanza Photography.
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  • Will Smith Officially Confirms Fourth ‘Bad Boys’

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFkzJDpP39/

    “Bad Boys, Bad Boys, wotcha gonna do?” If you’re Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, apparently you’re gonna make a fourth movie in the successful action comedy franchise.

    Yes, with Will Smith seemingly persona grata again despite that little incident at last year’s Oscar ceremony, the actor took enthusiastically to Instagram for a new video which included him driving to Martin Lawrence’s house to announce that a fourth ‘Bad Boys’ is indeed now in the works.

    Featuring a funny moment where the pair realize that it might have been a mistake to call the last movie ‘Bad Boys for Life’ (since ‘Bad Boys 4 Life’ would really work for this one), it’s mostly the excited actor teasing fans about what he’s actually announcing.

    Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett and Will Smith as Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene 'Mike' Lowrey in 'Bad Boys for Life.'
    (L to R) Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett and Will Smith as Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene ‘Mike’ Lowrey in ‘Bad Boys for Life.’

    But whatever it ends up being called, the fourth film will see the return of directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who oversaw that last movie, which ended up being one of the few movies released in 2020 ahead of the incoming pandemic and making more than $426 million worldwide. So of course Sony and producer Jerry Bruckheimer would want to try and get another going.

    ‘Bad Boys For Life’ saw an older Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence) tackling their latest case, a mother-son drug trafficking duo who proved to be a dangerous threat.

    Nothing is yet known about what the cops will be dealing with this time, but the script will come from ‘For Life’s Chris Bremner. And we’re all but guaranteed cars crashing and things blowing up, plus comedy squabbling between our heroes. Will anyone be slapped? Let’s find out!

    It’s certainly better news for the directors, who have had mixed fortunes of late. Following the praise and box office bonanza of ‘For Life’, they were in demand, squeezing in indie movie ‘Rebel’, worked on episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ (which boasted a fun visual style) and also cranked out ‘Batgirl’ with high hopes for more cinematic success.

    eslie Grace, co-director Adil El Arbi, and Michael Keaton on the set of 'Batgirl.'
    (L to R) Leslie Grace, co-director Adil El Arbi, and Michael Keaton on the set of ‘Batgirl.’ Photo courtesy of Adil El Arbi’s Instagram.

    Yet ‘Batgirl’ not only fell victim to Warner Bros. Discovery cost-cutting, consigned to the shelf when still in post-production.

    And the knocks have kept coming. The movie, which stars Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, J.K. Simmons, and Michael Keaton has now been described as “ not releasable” by producer and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran. Having spent a couple of months figuring out the future of the DC movie, TV and video game universe with James Gunn––who outlined their plans yesterday––Safran was doing press for the big new announcement when he was asked about the ‘Batgirl’ situation.

    “I saw the movie,” he said. “There are a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera in that film, but that was not releasable. It happens sometimes. “I think [Warner Discovery CEO David] Zaslav and the team made a bold and courageous decision to cancel it, because it would have hurt DC and those people involved. I spoke to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah last week. We’d love to be in business with all of them.”

    It’s an unusually candid answer for a controversial subject, especially about a movie that plenty of fans still want to see. But perhaps El Arbi and Fallah will get a do-over at DC. Once they finish wrangling Smith and Lawrence, that is.

    Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
    Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
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