Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction Films
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From the luxurious Cinefantastique Online studios in NYC, Dan Persons brings you up-to-date on what’s happening in the world of fantastic film & TV.
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According to the L.A. Times, the underperforming GREEN LANTERN movie may yet garner a sequel.
Warner Brothers’ chief Jeff Robinov had the following to say:
“We had a decent opening, so we learned there is an audience.
To go forward, we need to make it a little edgier and darker with more emphasis on action…. And we have to find a way to balance the time the movie spends in space versus on Earth.”
Theres’ already a sequel outline by GREEN LANTERN writers Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim. However, the site says insiders tell them that the studio would likely have the story revised to make it more in line with Robinov’s ideas, if not starting over from scratch with a new script.
They also feel that Warner Brothers Pictures would likely go with another director, as they felt that Martin Campbell (CASINO ROYALE) was ultimately not a good fit for the cosmic superheroics of the hero and the galaxy-spanning police corps.
In terms of tent-pole superhero prictures, Warners has THE DARK KNIGHT RISES coing out in 2012, and MAN OF STEEL for 2013. The studio would like to have another DC Comics character film for 2014, and Green Lantern might fit that bill, although apparently they also have a FLASH screenplay that Robinov thinks is “solid”.
Jeff Robinov has long been a supporter of a JUSTICE LEAGUE movie, which might also be a good way to restart a new BATMAN franchise, now that the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale trilogy is coming to an end.
The website GeekTryrant has some interesting udpates from GREEN LANTERN co-writer/producer Greg Berlanti on the scripts for THE FLASH and GREEN LANTERN 2.
He hints that while GREEN LANTERN has its down-to-Earth scenes, and others of epic space opera, the FLASH movie will concentrate a bit more on crime and forensics than comic book readers might expect.
“Though Barry Allen was a little lighter in the comic, I think because of the nature that he was a CSI and moved in this world of crime before this stuff happened. I think it’s tonally somewhere in between ‘GL’ and ‘DARK KNIGHT.’ It’s actually a little bit darker than when we were working on (‘GL), because you’re dealing with somebody who is already a crimefighter in a world of those kinds of criminals and that kind of murder and homicide.
I find you talk a lot about different films when you’re working on a film, and we spend a lot more time talking about SE7VEN or THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS as we construct that part of Barry’s world, then I thought when we got into it. It helps balance a guy in a red suit who runs really fast.”
Berlanti describes the tone as being like the MATRIX films, and also mentions alternate dimensions, and the the comic book meetings between the Barry Allen and Jay Garrick Flashes, and the multiple Earths.
Regarding GREEN LANTERN 2:
“We are working on the treatment for the second film actually, we just started working on that with the same guys who I did the original with. (Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim) Those two guys are also writing a script based on a treatment we wrote for ‘THE FLASH,’ so that’s my involvement with DC right now is the script for ‘THE FLASH’ and the treatment for ‘GL2’.”
I assume the “we” Greg Berlanti is talking about is Michael Goldenberg. Berlanti did not rule out the possiblity of directing THE FLASH, but that he hasn’t given much thought to the idea while writing the script.
According to The Hollywood Reporter Warner Brothers has hired Greg Berlanti (NO ORDINARY FAMILY), Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim to write screen treatments for GREEN LANTERN 2 and THE FLASH.
The first GREEN LANTERN is still shooting under directer Martin Campbell in New Orleans, but the studio is apparently excited enough to being developing a sequel.
The trio had written a screenplay for the film currently in production, but Campbell brought in Michael Goldenberg (HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX) to alter the script to his liking.
The article states Berlanti & Co. will write storylines for both films and that they’ll be commissioned to write a full screenplay for one or the other, depending on reactions.
THE FLASH film is one that writer/DC Entertainment executive Geoff Johns is very interested in, and the storyline will reportedly be inspired by his comic book work, featuring the silver age Barry Allen version of the character.
Today’s Time Warner Investor’s meeting has provided some further genre tidbits.
THR’s Georg Szalai writes that Warner Bros. announced a December 16th, 2011 release for SHERLOCK HOLMES 2, a sequel to the Robert Downey Jr. starring vehicle.
Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer also confirmed a July 20th, 2012 release for Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film, and a 2012 “holiday season” Superman movie.
Nolan, as previously reported, is also attached in a supervisory role on brother Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer’s SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL (working title).
Meyer mentioned that the studio is very close to green-lighting DC’s The Flash as a feature, and that Wonder Woman and Aquaman remain in development.