Suicide Studio: The Ticking Clock That Is Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe Movies
How long can Warners continue to disappoint superhero fans? Judging by early critical response to Suicide Squad, it’s looking possible — if not likely — that it’ll end up following the lead of the studio’s earlier Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice with a successful opening weekend fueled by fan excitement and curiosity, followed by a quick drop-off as word of mouth spreads. To put things mildly, that’s not a good look for Warner Bros.’ attempt to use the DC Entertainment properties to build its own version of Marvel Studios. When 2013’s Man of Steel is factored in, it will mark three successive movies that ended up defeating their own pre-release buzz through bad reviews and a divisive product. (And the less said about 2010’s Green Lantern, the better.) It’s clear that Warners and DC are aware of the problem — Geoff Johns and Jon Berg taking the reins for future projects and the behind-the-scenes drama of Suicide Squad are two indicators that the studio knows that something isn’t right — but less so that there’s a solution on the horizon. Sure, the trailers for Wonder Woman and Justice League look good — but trailers can be deceptive, according to those disappointed in Suicide Squad.
Producers confirm Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them sequel… three months before the film hits cinemas
Five years since their last wizarding fix Harry Potter fans now have not one, but two, fantastic films to look forward to. Producers have announced that work on a darker sequel to the David Yates directed film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is under way – before the new story has even hit the screens. The first installment in the Harry Potter spin-off, starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Ezra Miller, is out on November 18 and will be JK Rowling’s screenwriting debut. The sequel will see Rowling continue her long association with film-maker Yates, whose previous directorial credits include Harry Potter films Order Of The Phoenix, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows parts one and two. Based on her 2001 novel by the same name, the story follows Newt Scamander, a “magizoologist” on a mission to catalogue otherworldy creatures in New York.
Warner Bros said the second outing for Redmayne’s Scamander will also be penned by the author and is expected to have a “darker edge”, but fans will have to hold on for two years before the sequel reaches cinemas on November 16 2018.
The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman Developing Chronicles Of Amber For TV
While Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead continues the march towards its much-anticipated season 7 premiere, the popular creator has another series in his sights. Kirkman is teaming up with his Skybound Entertainment partner Dave Alpert, along with Vincent Newman Entertainment, to develop a new television series based on the incredibly successful book series The Chronicles of Amber. The novels were written by author Roger Zelazny, and have gone on to sell more than 15 million copies (via THR). The series has even been credited as a source of inspiration for the wildly successful Game of Thrones. Chronicles of Amber is one of my favorite book series of all time, and one of my main inspirations for working in film and television,” Skybound CEO Alpert said. “Getting to produce this project is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I can’t wait to share this amazing story with a new generation of fans.”
New Star Trek TV Show’s Setting Was Hidden in Ship Name
With Star Trek: Beyond now in theaters, next on the radar for fans of the long-running sci-fi franchise is Star Trek: Discovery, the new TV show set to premiere in early 2017. It has now been reported that the series will take place prior to the events of the original ’60s series. Speaking to AICN, showrunner Bryan Fuller teased the setting of Discovery. “There’s a big clue in the number of the ship [NCC-1031] that indicates when we’re set,” he told the site. The number of the Enterprise in the original show was NCC-1701, implying that the new series would be set some time earlier. The title of the show was announced at San Diego Comic-Con last month, together with a new teaser that revealed the ship itself. Star Trek: Discovery is to premiere in January 2017, with production beginning this fall in Toronto. Last month it was reported that Netflix had picked up the show for streaming outside of the US and Canada. It can be seen in 188 territories within 24 hours of every new episode premiering in the US.
‘Han Solo’ Comic Book Artist Says George Lucas Asked to Buy His Originals: “Surreal Is an Understatement”
The ‘Star Wars’ creator just paid artist Mark Brooks quite a compliment. Talk about a Star Wars superfan’s ultimate fantasy. Comic book artist Mark Brooks took to Facebook Tuesday to reveal that George Lucas was interested in purchasing the original pages from Marvel’s Han Solo No. 1 and No. 2, for which he provided the illustrations. “Surreal is an understatement,” Brooks, an avid Star Wars fan, said of the news. Brooks has previously drawn Marvel’s Ultimate X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man. Asked about the logistics of why Lucasfilm would be the ones contacting him about the work, Brooks explained on Facebook, “George gets first right of refusal on all Star Wars artwork.” “The artwork goes through Lucasfilm,” added Brooks, saying Lucasfilm sends the art to Lucas for optioning. “Guess it was in his contract when he sold the property [to Disney].”
That Flatliners remake is actually a sequel, will still star Kiefer Sutherland
It’s been about five years since Sony announced its plans to remake Joel Schumacher’s psychological horror flick Flatliners, during which time you could be forgiven for thinking it was just another proffered remake that would ultimately collect dust on some producer’s shelf. But the project began to show new signs of life last fall, when Ellen Page was cast as one of the medical students whose experimentation with life and death isn’t an official part of the curriculum. Page was soon joined by Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, and Kiersey Clemons in the proposed blatant disregard for institutional review boards. The remake got a little more cachet when erstwhile flatliner Kiefer Sutherland boarded the film early last month. His role wasn’t disclosed at the time, probably to leave room for the possibility that he was a ghost all along. Don’t worry, we haven’t spoiled the remake for you, because it turns out the production is more of a sequel than anything. In an interview with the U.K.’s Metro, Sutherland reveals that he’ll be playing a “professor at a medical university” in the new film.
