There are, once again, major shakeups at Warner Bros. regarding the DC film universe, but this time it feels like things are actually going to stick. While the studio began its DCEU with essentiallyZack Snyderat the helm of the series of DC films, that approach was abandoned after the disappointing reception ofBatman v Superman. They tried elevatingGeoff Johnsto a more hands-on role, but he’snow leaving DC Entertainmentfor a simple producing deal at Warner Bros. The new person in charge isWalter Hamada, who successfully carved out a number of hits at sister studio New Line, includingThe Conjuringuniverse, and details on his DCEU plans are starting to surface.
As part of a lengthy report over atTHR, it’s revealed that Hamada has spent months sifting through the potential DC projects to decide how to proceed. One project that he has seemingly elevated isTodd Phillips’Joker standalone movie, which may starJoaquin Phoenix. THR says that film could start shooting as early as this fall, and it’ll carry a budget in the range of $55 million—a fraction of what DC films likeWonder WomanorAquamancost. It’s part of a new label at WB/DC that will allow filmmakers to create unique takes on DC characters without worrying about the shared universe, and THR says it could go by the name “DC Dark” or “DC Black.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom, as THR saysThe Flashmovieis finally on track to begin filming in early 2019, and the project has gone through a significant evolution since it was first announced. The “somber themes” it had been expected to explore have now been abandoned, and the film is looking towardsBack to the Futureas a touchstone. This makes sense given that WB hiredGame NightandVacationfilmmakersJohn Francis DaleyandJonathan Goldsteinto take the helm, and it sounds like perhaps theFlashpointstoryline—in whichEzra Miller’s Barry Allen goes back in time to save his mom’s life—has been abandoned, or at the very least lightened up.
As forThe Batman, wellMatt Reevescontinues working on the script, but THR says his current plan is for the story to focus on a “young caped crusader,” which meansBen Affleck’s days as the Dark Knight are likely over.
Refreshingly, THR says Hamada willnotbe assembling writers rooms to help craft future DC films. That practice has now become common at studios, with places like Paramount assembling a team of writers to hash out storylines and films for theTransformersfranchise and then choosing how to proceed afterwards. It’s the same track that Universal took on itsDark Universeof monster movies, and by the looks of things it hasn’t really worked out as expected for either studio.
Instead, it sounds like Hamada is focused on finding interesting filmmakers—likeCathy Yanon the female-centricBirds of Prey—and allowing the to put their stamp on the material. Whether it fits into the DCEU likeThe Flashor is more suited to a lower budget Joker movie like Todd Philips’ film, it sounds like Hamada is making plenty of room to explore.
Hamada has also reportedly lobbied successfully tonotannounce released dates for a slew of films in advance, something he and his team think worked against the DCEU after the release ofMan of Steeltriggered an announcement of a series of DC films planned through 2020. So, uh, don’t hold your breath for that Cyborg movie.
So stay tuned, folks. It sounds like maybe, possibly, the DCEU is about to get on track. For a full list of DC movies in development,click here.
