Honey, I’m Chrome: Marvel prepares to take over TV with WandaVision
Last year, the notoriously secretive Marvel Studios did something unprecedented: It opened its set to visitors. WandaVision, the six-hour series about Elizabeth Olsen’s reality-altering witch and Paul Bettany’s charming android, takes inspiration from beloved TV comedies, from campy 1950s classics to the zany family shows of the ’90s. So for its premiere episode, Marvel’s first Disney+ TV show went full midcentury sitcom, filming in classic black and white in front of a live studio audience (all of whom signed very, very strict NDAs). Crew members came to set in ’50s-era clothing, and used period lenses and lighting to capture that dreamy vintage glow. The special-effects team employed wires and camera tricks straight from Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie, making wine bottles appear to pour on their own and household appliances zoom about like magic. And when Vision’s familiar maroon skin didn’t look quite right in grayscale, the makeup artists painted Bettany blue instead.
Wonder Woman 1984 will be released on HBO Max the same day it’s in theaters for no extra cost
One of 2020’s last big blockbusters, Wonder Woman 1984, will simultaneously be released in theaters and on HBO Max on December 25th. A press release from Warner Bros. confirms the film will be available for one month, and premiere in theaters in international markets on December 16th. After the one month period is over, the film will play exclusively in theaters, The Verge has learned at this time. Following that, the film will enter a traditional windowing period. That means it will head to digital retailers like Amazon and iTunes, before likely finding its way back to HBO Max. Unlike Mulan, Wonder Woman 1984 won’t cost anything extra beyond the monthly subscription fee. HBO Max subscribers will have the opportunity to watch the film directly from home. The streaming service costs $14.99 a month. The move comes as uncertainty grows over whether theaters will remain open as cases surge across the United States. Even if they do remain open, however, it’s uncertain whether people will actually attend screenings. This way, WarnerMedia can boost its HBO Max subscribers and still give people around the world (where HBO Max is not available) the ability to watch it in theaters.
The Snyder Cut will have “2 and 1/2 hours of unseen footage”
Zack Snyder is talking a lot lately about the Snyder Cut, his expanded version of 2017’s Justice League, the DC superhero team-up movie complete by Joss Whedon after Snyder had to leave the production due to a family crisis. And some of what he’s said seems contradictory. For instance, just the other day in an interview, he said that the movie would have “four or five minutes of additional photography…for the entire movie.” But then, talking about the movie on his Vero account, it sounds like there was a lot more new stuff coming our way. “I’m excited for you guys to see the giant amount of movie that you have coming your way, he said. “It is probably a solid 2 and 1/2 hours of unseen footage in this movie. I would imagine, something like that.”
‘The Batman’ Spinoff Needs a New Showrunner
Just four months after the show was first announced, the untitled TV spinoff of the upcoming DC Comics TV series The Batman is facing some creative upheaval. The series, which chronicles the lives of Gotham City police officers, was supposed to be a collaboration between The Batman director Matt Reeves and Terence Winter, a longtime television producer and writer with an incredible track record. Now Winter has left the project, and this Gotham PD show needs a new showrunner. According to Variety, Winter is no longer involved as showrunner after “creative differences” behind the scenes, and is now working on a Dial M For Murder series instead. At the time of this post, he has not yet been replaced. It will not be easy to find someone with Winter’s resume and experience.
‘Wonder Girl’ TV Series With Latina Lead From Dailyn Rodriguez & Berlanti Productions In Works At the CW
The network is developing Wonder Girl, a drama series based on the DC characters created by Joëlle Jones. It hails from Queen of the South executive producer/co-showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez and Berlanti Productions. Written by Rodriguez, Wonder Girl centers on Yara Flor, a Latina Dreamer who was born of an Amazonian Warrior and a Brazilian River God, learns that she is Wonder Girl. With her newfound power must fight the evil forces that would seek to destroy the world. This would mark the first Latina superhero title character of a DC TV series. Rodriguez, who is the daughter of Cuban immigrants, is executive producing with Berlanti Prods.’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden. Berlanti Productions produces in association with Warner Bros. Television.