by Andrew Kiess

According to a new report from Deadline, a Joker movie is in development with Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover in talks to co-write with Scott Silver (The Fighter) and direct, with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese to produce. The film will reportedly take place in the 1980s and have the feel of an 80s crime drama, like the kind Scorsese is famous for.

The film will not feature Jared Leto as the lead actor, but the report did confirm he will return to the role for both Suicide Squad 2 and the Harley Quinn spinoff (presumably Gotham City Sirens). This film will focus on telling an origin for the character before he became the Clown Prince of Crime.

This new film will not fall under the DC Films label run by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. This new label, yet to be named, will provide Warner Bros. an opportunity to tell stories outside of the continuity of the connected universe films.

I have some misgivings about the prospect of a Joker origin film. I don’t see the necessity of it and risks over saturating the market by double-dipping on a character in the same medium for mass audiences. This does not mean that I do not think it will be good–it has a great chance to be just that–but I would prefer Warner Bros. to remain committed to the shared universe of DC Films by supporting the filmmakers and producers involved within it. With the upcoming launch of the DC streaming service, it makes me wonder why Warners wouldn’t use that as a place to tell this story.

But, it appears that this film is on its way, and so, as a fan of these characters, all I can do is wait and hope that it turns out well.

Source: Deadline

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by Drew Kiess

We all know the success that Wonder Woman is having at the box office. It has crossed $400 million in the States, and is preparing to cross $800 million worldwide, with Japan yet to open the film. With this kind of success, it should comes as know surprise that Warner Bros. will be trying to capitalize on that success and use Diana as a central figure in the DCEU moving forward.

We won’t have to wait long to see Diana on the big screen again with Justice League just a few short months away. We also recently heard that Wonder Woman II is scheduled for a December 2019 release. And now, according to Forbes’ own, and friend of Shanlian on Batman, Mark Hughes that Diana is expected to appear in Flashpoint, which could be hitting theaters in 2020.

This is great news for fans of the great DC event Flashpoint, as it is one step closer to getting the adaptation of the book that we deserve, and until we’re told otherwise, we may be able to assume that the other characters from that book will also be showing up, including Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne/Batman (please).

My one big question about this news is whether or not general audiences will go along with this elseworlds version of Wonder Woman. This will be a new concept for live action films, and while this would be Gal Gadot’s fifth outing as Wonder Woman, audiences may be a bit taken aback by this character going from the inspiring hero she is known as to the anger-driven warlord of the Flashpoint timeline. I believe such a transition is going to need a masterful director (paging Mr. Zemeckis) and a tight script. This is a powerful story, and if done right, I think audiences will go along with it. But this is an ambitious project, and the creative team is going to be key. Thankfully, it is looking like this will have an amazing cast, and amazing casts attract amazing filmmakers.

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source: Forbes

By

Drew Kiess

For three decades, fans of DC Comics have been gifted with some amazing performers voicing our favorite characters. One of the primary reason for that has been Andrea Romano, who has announced her retirement from animation.

Romano began her career with a little remembered DC cartoon in 1985 titled The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. She went on in that decade to work on revitalization of classic animations such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo and Yogi Bear. She also worked on the 80s Smurfs series as the casting director. She would go on to success in the 90s as the casting director of Batman the Animated Series, helping to put in place what would forever be known as the voices of Batman and the Joker in Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. She would also serve as the voiceover director and casting director for most of the DC animated properties moving forward, including Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Static Shock, Justice League Unlimited¸ and the many movies that spun off from these properties and that also followed.

Romano was also attached to classic Warner Bros. animations such as Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. She also served as casting director for recent favorites such as Ben 10, Voltron, and Ratchet and Clank among many others.

The torch is ready to be passed on at Warner Bros. animation, and I do not envy whoever must stand in her shoes. Romano has certainly left her mark on the popular culture conscious of the last three decades and that work will stand the test of time. It is sad to see Romano leave animation after providing such a stellar body of work, but we wish her happiness in her retirement!  

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The countdown to November 17 is continuing to shrink, and we will soon be watching for the first time a live action Justice League! 

As we inch closer, fans will be on the lookout for merchandise hitting stores near them. Well, that time may have already arrived. Apparel showing off the world’s greatest heroes may be for sale at your local Wal-Mart right now.

The next few weeks may see even more merchandise hitting shelves as we rocket towards November, so be sure to keep your eyes open for all the Justice League goodies coming to a store near you!