The New York Times examines the difficulties faced by George Miller’s Justice League – or is that Justice League: Mortal? — first in the form of the Hollywood writers’ strike, and now the looming actors’ strike.
That’s to say nothing of online response to casting, the potential problem of Batman and Superman existing “in two parallel movie universes without making the audience uneasy,” or the rebate squabble with the Australian government.
According to The Times, Warner Bros. wants to push Justice League into production by mid-April in order to make a summer 2009 release. However, negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild means a summer or fall start is more likely.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 am
Please, please, please… can’t this ill-advised movie just die already?
An actor’s strike would mean more production problems and delays for LOST (and that would suck, considering how awesome that show has been this season), but maybe it could finally kill the JLA project. I’m not sure how to feel about the possible strike now.
I just wish the WB execs would grow brains, let the Nolan Bat-franchise have the room it needs to breathe, work on rebooting Superman for the 21st century, and take its time developing quality films for Wonder Woman, GL and Flash before rushing “JLA 90210″ into theaters.
Oh, and get some writers who actually know and care about these characters. Is it too much to ask for some actual comic writers — and I mean good ones — to be involved in writing these movies? Co-writers, script advisors, SOMETHING!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
Again, I ask this question.
Why do you call this “JLA 90210″?
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 am
Jason, I know you’ve read other discussions/articles about this film too… I think it should be obvious at this point. I’m not the only one to refer to it as JLA 90210, or Justice League Babies, or (as the NYT article makes reference to) comparing this cast to “The OC.”
I’m aware not everyone in this cast is in their early 20’s. But there’s also no question that it’s a younger, certainly younger LOOKING cast that seems to have walked straight off the set of Dawson’s Creek or some other WB/CW show.
It seems an odd choice, given that the JLA got together after most of the main characters (certainly Supes and Bats) had long established themselves. Yet this film will try to sell a younger Bats and Supes than the ones in their own respective film series, film series that are still active (I wasn’t aware that another Supes film was still in the works, but the NYT article says it is).
I can’t speak for everyone, but I want actors who have some maturity about them. Actors who have gravitas, and can pull off the look of iconic heroes. Not actors who look like they go to frat parties in their down time. Based on most of the fans comments I’ve read here and elsewhere, seems like a lot of people agree.
If nothing else, articles like this one reinforce the notion that WB is working feverishly to rush this film into theatres, and that is almost never a good sign. X3, anyone?
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:39 am
I forgot to mention… Actors ages, or perceptions of age, aside, there’s the fact that this is pretty much an unproven cast. At least unproven in terms of carrying a film of this scale. I think that’s adding to the problem.
No, I know Chris Reeve was an unknown in 1978. But Batman had Michael Keaton, and later Christian Bale. Bale wasn’t a household name then, but he was a well-respected, acclaimed actor who was somewhat known. X-Men had Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellan, and Halle Berry. Spider-Man had Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, and Alfred Molina. Iron Man has Robert Downey. The Hulk reboot offers several quality, veteran people. JLA has… Adam Brody? A guy named “Armie”?
Big-time actors don’t guarantee quality (look at Daredevil or Ghost Rider), but with something as epic as JLA should be it would certainly help.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Shaun, just because you’re not the only person to say something that is wrong doesn’t mean it isn’t wrong.
It’s not just that “not everyone in the cast is in their early 20s.” It’s that only *one* person from the JLA cast is in his early 20s! Everyone else is actually *older* than the characters were when they joined the JLA!
And who isn’t that looks younger than the characters? Brody? He’s playing Wally West, who is supposed to be and look young. Wonder Woman is being played by a 31 year old woman who does *not* look like a teenager. John Stewart is being played by a 35 year old who doesn’t look remotely like a teenager.
Heck, D.J. Cotrona is two years older than Christopher Reeve did in the 1978 Superman movie! And he looks it, too. Have you ever seen the casting tape for Reeve? He bulked up massively before the movie started. He looked much more like a gangly kid than Cotrona did.
People keep repeating “JLA 90210″ without actually looking at the cast to see if it is true. It isn’t.
And that’s not the only thing ridiculous thing. The movie has to have comic writers to be good? Christopher Reeve’s Superman didn’t have any comic writers. Not one. Paul Dini never wrote a comic before Batman the Animated Series. Sam Rami never wrote comics. Yet those people managed to make something good.
I’m not saying the movie is guaranteed to be great. I’m not even saying that there are no rational arguments against it. I think there are some inherent problems in the project. But can we at least base our arguments on facts?
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
” there’s the fact that this is pretty much an unproven cast.”
Before Superman, the main thing Christopher Reeve was known for was a soap opera. If the internet had been around in 1977 and you’d been on it, how would you have reacted to the news that a skinny soap opera star was going to be Superman?
You can’t just shrug that off as no big deal. Hugh Jackman and Lynda Carter weren’t big names either, but they turned out great. Meanwhile Ben Kingsley was the villain in Bloodrayne and that was a horrible movie.
All I’m saying is, we don’t know yet. People are bashing the movie because of trivial stuff. A young cast? Reeve was younger. Non comic writers? Didn’t hurt Batman: The Animated Series. Let’s wait and give this movie a chance before we bash it.
And if it’s crap, I’ll be right there beside you saying that it is crap.