The All-New All-Different Justice League of America

Readers may recall that when I first started this blog back in 2007 there was a glut of comic book movie news. Chief amongst those rumors was a live action film based on DC Comics’ flagship superteam The Justice of America utilizing state of the art CGi animation similar to what was used on Beowulf. Happy Feet and Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome producer George Miller was set to helm the project, a casting call was made to fill the parts of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash (rumored at the time to be played by Ryan Reynolds) and two unknowns cast as Batman and Superman. The movie was gearing up for production in Australia, but the WGA writer’s strike killed the project.

Fast forward to 2010 when the newly formed DC Entertainment has stated that they had no plans to produce a movie based on the JLA and seemed miffed that reporters were comparing the project to Marvel’s Avengers franchise.

Just this week, all of that changed. Apparently the JLA movie is back in the works along with a reboot of Superman and Batman (post Batman The Dark Knight Rises).

There is currently a tentative 2013 release date.

The Justice League of America (by Alex Ross)

Via CBR.com:

Erasing doubts about the Justice League movie mentioned in its profile of incoming Warner Bros. President Jeff Robinov, the Los Angeles Times reports a new script is the works, with the aim to have DC Comics’ top characters together onscreen in 2013.

That film would potentially serve as a launching point for other superhero movies — an approach mentioned in 2007, before director George Miller’s Justice League was shelved — including The Flash and Wonder Woman, a character whose NBC television pilot is being shot at this moment. Robinov doesn’t see the David E. Kelley revival as a conflict, though, pointing out that Superman Returns coexisted with Smallville.

But perhaps even bigger than the Justice League is Robinov’s acknowledgment that Warner Bros. will “reinvent” the Batman franchise following the release next year of The Dark Knight Rises — with Christopher Nolan and wife Emma Thomas remaining involved as producers.

It sets Nolan up as the architect, or godfather, of DC’s big-screen “universe” — he’s already producing Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot — a role that stands to benefit everyone involved.

As we noted earlier, Warner Bros. pulled the plug on Justice League even as it neared production in early 2008 because of a confluence of issues: the writers strike, Australian tax-credit uncertainties, the possibility of an actors strike and, the LA Times adds, concerns that another version of Batman might conflict with Nolan’s films. Some of the central cast was already in place, including Adam Brody as The Flash, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and a then-relatively unknown Armie Hammer as Batman.

Additionally, there’s this missive from MTV’s Splash Page confirming that Warner Bros. is thinking of a complete reboot of Batman after the next Chris Nolan film:

The Many Faces of Batman

“We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman,” Jeff Robinov (president of the Warner Bros. motion picture group) told the L.A. Times. “Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is.”

Could Batman be headed for yet another reboot? It certainly seems that way.Nolan has made it clear on various occasions that “The Dark Knight Rises” will be his last Batman film behind the camera, but the filmmaker doesn’t appear to be done with Gotham’s vigilante. Robinov’s comment would seem to indicate that Nolan will replicate his role in the upcoming “Superman” reboot, and serve as a producer and shepherd to whatever big-screen incarnation of Batman follows his blockbuster three-film franchise.

Still, it’s worth noting that this timeline doesn’t leave much room for a new Batman to be introduced to audiences ahead of the “Justice League” team-up in 2013. While current “Superman: Man of Steel” star Henry Cavill might be persuaded to return for “Justice League,” it’s unlikely that Ryan Reynolds’ schedule will allow for another turn as Green Lantern — especially if “Green Lantern 2” gets the (*ahem*) green light.

All things considered, it looks like one fact is abundantly clear: fans should probably prepare themselves for a new Batman in a few years.

Green Lantern 2 and the Flash movie news

Marvel Comics certainly held court at the San Diego Comic Con this past Summer, they even had a massive throne from their Thor movie to complete the moment! This made their Distinguished Competition look a little flat in the motion picture department despite their development on Green Lantern, a film that promises to give a much-needed shot in the arm to the house of Superman.

Despite the major success of the two Chris Nolan Batman movies, their more super-powered project Superman Returns was something of a flop with audiences and a major disappointment to executives. The box office clamor over Iron Man has changed the landscape of comic book movies, though, and DC/Warner is looking for a contender… which may be Green Lantern (read more about who Green Lantern is here).

DC Entertainment (as they have rebranded themselves) has been very hesitant to announce anything past Green Lantern as the failure or success of the ring-slinging action flick will determine the future of any other potential Justice League-themed movies.

However, Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern, Flash, Young X-Men) has recently broken the silence on the subject, stating that not only is a second Green Lantern movie planned (the film just wrapped filming) but also a Flash movie is in the works.

Much like his green-hued compatriot, the fleet-footed scarlet speedster has enjoyed something of a renaissance lately with the revival of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen. No doubt the Flash would make an ideal candidate for a motion picture treatment, in fact there have been rumors dating back a few years that it was in the works, with Ryan Reynolds rumored to play the wise-cracking Wally West (Flash #3).

Three Flashes? Confused? Read more about the Flash here.

But it sounds like we may have to wait a bit longer before fans are assaulted with Flash-themed movie tie-ins and the like as once again, Warner Bros. is very reluctant to bank on a horse that isn’t a sure thing.

Marc Guggenheim said: “We’ve turned in the treatment for ‘Flash.’ And we’re talking about ‘Green Lantern 2.’ It would be a quality problem to have, to think about a third [‘Green Lantern’ right now]. But one step at a time. I think it’s very hard to talk about these characters in a closed-ended, sort of non-sequel way, especially characters like The Flash and Green Lantern, which have such rich, long histories. You can’t help but talk about the characters and go, ‘Oh, I really want to do the movie where we get to this moment, or that moment.’ So you’re always talking in terms of sequels, but no, nothing’s planned. We haven’t even written the script yet for ‘The Flash.’ It’s very much one step at a time for ‘The Flash.'”

More here.