The new year has brought with it a gaggle (a herd, a murder?) of movie news for the DCEU. Today we’ve got a round-up of the news, rumors, and tweets to obsess over every tiny detail of until we inevitably hear conflicting information next week. Without further ado, let’s dig in.
Let’s start with news that impacts the entire DECU, Warner Bros. has brought on Walter Hamada to oversee the DC films, replacing Jon Berg. According to Variety:
The move comes as DC is looking for more quality control of its big-screen efforts — the studio captured acclaim and box office bonanza with last summer’s “Wonder Woman,” but was savaged by critics for “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League.” There is widespread frustration over DC’s failure to match the popularity of Marvel movies.
Hamada himself worked previously as a production executive at New Line and had a hand in the success of “It” and “The Conjuring” and will work with Geoff Johns, who serves as the creative director, to steer the DCEU back on course. With Aquaman filming already complete, we can expect to see a creative shift on future movies such as “Shazam” and “Batgirl.”
On the subject of Joss Whedon’s in development Batgirl film, a new actress has thrown her name into the ring. The infamous redhead herself, Lindsay Lohan has tweeted that she’s definitely interested in the part. She says:
RT if I should star in the new BATGIRL movie and everyone tell @joss 😘❤
— Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) January 6, 2018
Obviously “interest” does not equate to “in the running” so for now we’ll wish Lohan the best of luck in campaigning for the part.
Next up is rumor that a duo of DCEU films are not going to be happening in the foreseeable future, if at all. Cinemablend is reporting that Lobo and Deadshot movies are, for all intents and purposes, dead. While Will Smith has proven with the Netflix film “Bright” he still has the star power to bring in an audience, we shouldn’t expect to see him in the DCEU until the sequel to Suicide Squad 2. As for the Lobo film, there was never any firm news on development or even the usual amount of rumors and speculations that normally accompany DCEU films.
If you aren’t already doing so, you need to start following the directors of DCEU films on Twitter. Chris McKay is always offering updates on Nightwing and now “Shazam” director David F. Sandberg is joining the fray. In response to a tweet that we should steer clear of Shazam until a DCEU reboot, Sandberg responded:
Not to stop you from having an opinion about something that doesn’t exist yet, it’s the internet after all, but as I designate a movie the obligatory Best/Worst Ever!! I find it helpful sometimes to have more info than a few character names. https://t.co/jqDZg7mvbN
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) January 1, 2018
Sandberg also went on to respond to another tweet and managed to sum up exactly how the internet works in regards to creating a lose/lose situation for those involved in comic book films and express their excitement for the project they’re attached to:
Yeah because if I direct a shitty movie but refrained from tweeting anything the internet will be all like “You know what, you gave it your best. That’s all that matters David. Hugs and kisses – the internet”. 🙂 https://t.co/MKUaQkgHwk
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) January 3, 2018
That statement alone earned a click of the “Follow” button from me.
Now it wouldn’t be a DCEU news round-up without at least a brief mention on the state of The Batman, and this week we have actual forward momentum on the flick. In an interview withe Jeff Goldsmith, director Matt Reeves said “I am outlining. I have the story worked out, and I am outlining.” That counts as an update, right? I have a feeling we’re a long way off from seeing Batman return to the big screen.
How about some actual good news? Wonder Woman is arguably the powerhouse of the DCEU in terms of box office and critical reception so everyone has pretty high expectations for the sequel. Fear not, because returning director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot are just as excited to make the film as we are to see it. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Jenkins said “We’re actually making a totally different film with a lot of the same, similar like things that we love, but it’s its own movie completely, so it’s not ‘two’ to us. It’s an entirely new adventure together that we couldn’t be luckier [to do].” Gadot, meanwhile, added how much the character means to her own daughter “She loves it,” Gadot told ET. “She didn’t watch the movie yet, because I’m the mother and I just try and protect her and give her normal things, but she will definitely. She’s very proud. She’s very, very proud… She’s already asked me if she can take over when I’m older.” And it isn’t just young girls that are responding in a positive way toward the character. Jenkins’ nine year old son has connected with the character just as strongly as he does other superheroes.
My son doesn’t care about what I do that much, but he plays with superheroes and he cares about those things and watching my own child’s transformation of being like, ‘Oh, I need that Wonder Woman doll, OK cool’ – she became a serious character to him. He loves Wonder Woman, and it’s been amazing to watch this character come back to that generation in such an authentic way and everything she stands for, right alongside all these other great characters.
We sometimes forget that these movies are not just made for us fanboys and girls, and there is a whole generation of young viewers that should fall in love with the characters in the same way we did when we were growing up. It’s heartening that Jenkins and Gadot get that and will remember that as they move forward.
That’s all for now, but check back frequently because as long as these films keep getting made, we’ll be here to sort through and straighten out all the news and rumors that come along with them.
