Keith
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Post by Keith on Aug 8, 2012 17:33:53 GMT -5
It's going around today on a few different sites, variety, CBM and some others that WB is looking at Ben Affleck to be in the Directors chair for the upcoming Justice League movie.
What you guys think about this? I don't know enough about Affleck's directorial work to form an opinion, so I'm kinda at the "Huh.. what?" stage.
Affleck is usually one of the stars in the movie he's directing as well, so does that mean Affleck will be donning some tights?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2012 18:04:30 GMT -5
Uh....whoa.
I dunno. Honestly, my instinct is that this is an incredibly inspired choice. Having only seen The Town, I'm completely convinced that he is absolutely capable of making a good superhero movie. For DAMN sure. The Justice League, though? That's a big one. I don't know about that, but...I really truly feel okay with this.
The next movie he did that's coming looks terrific. Gone, Baby, Gone is quite good, I hear. Fuck yeah. Benny? Do it! Let's have it!
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Post by Valentine Smith on Aug 8, 2012 18:05:58 GMT -5
Not the choice I'd immediately think of, but then again, neither was Whedon or Favreau.
Why not?
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 8, 2012 18:17:48 GMT -5
If its true maybe WB is looking at him for some of the same reasons Marvel looked at Favreau for Iron Man. Its a lot bigger than Iron Man though. I've heard good things about Gone Baby Gone and The Town but to me actually CHOOSING a director--and Affleck taking it--all feel a bit too soon. Maybe they should see how the JL script turns out? Or how MOS does first?
Doesn't matter if they go the Avengers route through building up or go with a standalone JL first; a film of this size, scale and importance should take a while to make creative decisions on. It shouldn't be rushed. It should take at least three or four years to make this. No need to rush it.
And if this is true it just feels to me like WB is rushing it. Its fine to consider someone like Affleck right now (among MANY others) but to actually try to make the choice? Now?
I'd rather wait and see it done right than see the film out in two years and not be what it could be.
I just get this bad vibe that WB WILL give this to someone like Wiseman or Ratner or McG (guys who will do what they are told to and make some big CGI sequences rather than shooting a good story) instead of a more competent and creative director (like Branagh or Johnston) who might not be a big name but know how to create drama.
I don't know. Maybe Affleck could make a good JL film. I just think WB shouldn't be so gung ho to make the deal without thinking about how to make this happen a little more.
I'd rather see JL built up to the way Avengers was (not exactly the same mind you just shared universe in individual films) since that was half the fun. not only seeing them together but seeing the characters I'd grown to like together. But it seems like WB might not want to wait for that. If Cavill is good I'd rather see his Superman in this than a totally unrelated Superman.
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Post by Jor-L5150 on Aug 8, 2012 19:50:38 GMT -5
Totally cool with this as long as cavill is superman I have no problem with affleck directing.
heck - he's been associated with superman for years now. He was george reeves in hollywoodland- kevin smith wanted him for superman before nic cage got it...hecks he's been daredevile with favreau in it!
He was offered man of steel but begged off.
Article at superman homepage suggests affleck might want to cast himself as one of the heroes....
!!
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Post by Jor-L5150 on Aug 8, 2012 19:53:21 GMT -5
I politely submit that this thread could be on the superman media forum...
...if it happens it will have superman so...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2012 20:13:39 GMT -5
Well, he did play George Reeves. He didn't look too shabby in a padded Superman costume. Just sayin'.
Edit to add: What if the JL movie didn't have Superman or the Batman, but relied on the secondary heroes. After all, Avengers didn't feature Spider-Man or Wolverine, etc. I know that's a different matter in terms of rights, but does a JL movie have to have the big two? Not if it's done well. Or maybe WB is impressed enough with MOS as it stands right now to put some confidence in carrying on with Cavill reprsing the role. Then all you have to do is recast the Batman.
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Post by Scissorpuppy on Aug 8, 2012 20:14:09 GMT -5
huh... Wasn't he one of WB's choices for Man Of Steel and he turned them down? I wonder if this is wishful thinking on WB's part.
Gone Baby Gone was good from what I remember.
The Town was excellent, except for the ending. Eh, I guess the ending was not all that bad. Just that the star also directed it, I guess to me it felt like the star/director didn't want to go out on a downer rather than take the more natural/likely ending.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Aug 8, 2012 20:22:26 GMT -5
Well, he did play George Reeves. He didn't look too shabby in a padded Superman costume. Just sayin'. Affleck would have been a GREAT Superman for Smith's Superman Lives. While I could never get my head around the idea of Burton directing that screenplay, I loved the idea of Affleck, circa 1997 or so, as Superman. While I don't think he could have carried a franchise (and certainly would have been no threat to Reeve's legacy), I think he woulda pulled it off and looked great in the costume. |
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 8, 2012 22:22:46 GMT -5
If Affleck were to play a DC superhero I always thought he would be a better fit for more of an everyman character. He could have (and still could) be a decent Hal Jordan. I think he'd at least fit that part more than Superman or Batman. Edit to add: What if the JL movie didn't have Superman or the Batman, but relied on the secondary heroes. After all, Avengers didn't feature Spider-Man or Wolverine, etc. I know that's a different matter in terms of rights, but does a JL movie have to have the big two? Not if it's done well. Or maybe WB is impressed enough with MOS as it stands right now to put some confidence in carrying on with Cavill reprising the role. Then all you have to do is recast the Batman. A lineup of GL, Flash, WW (or Black Canary), Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow COULD make for a good movie. I just think a segment of the more knowledgeable fans (and even some of the casual public who might vaguely know the JLA) would cry foul and wouldn't accept it as easily. I think the best way to sell JL to the broader public is with Superman and Batman though. They are the most recognizable members. huh... Wasn't he one of WB's choices for Man Of Steel and he turned them down? I wonder if this is wishful thinking on WB's part. Thats what I was thinking. What would be his chances of taking JL if he turned down MOS? I'd imagine JL will be a lot more work. |
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Post by Paul (ral) on Aug 9, 2012 10:50:19 GMT -5
According to Deadline I’m calling bullshit on this big Variety scoop today that implies Warner Bros will get Ben Affleck as director of its Justice League film. This is a story I checked out days ago, and didn’t run when Affleck’s reps stated that it was not going to happen with him. Just because the studio wants Affleck doesn’t mean he will do the movie, and several sources tell me he might take a meeting, but that’s it. m.deadline.com/2012/08/ben-affleck-on-justice-league-his-camp-says-no/ |
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 9, 2012 11:41:45 GMT -5
If I were WB I'd take my time. People seem to have no patience to wait for the thing.
If by some chance Justice League was a failure or disappointment how does that affect the cinematic hopes for all the other characters afterwards? The one thing that Avengers did show is that while The Incredible Hulk wasn't a big hit Marvel could still carry on thanks to Iron Man being a big hit.
Why doesn't WB go after someone like Brad Bird to direct? Couldn't he do a good job wrangling a movie like this? He's proven he can handle heroic stories and a team of characters.
I'd see what MOS does first then go from there all the while considering directors. Maybe use JL to do a soft reboot on Green Lantern and use that film to reintroduce him.
Batman is a big question mark right now. If they reboot maybe that should be done Hulk/Punisher style too. No need to do a whole new full on origin movie. Maybe he could be reintroduced in JL too even though I think it would be better to do a Batman movie first.
With Afflecks success directing crime dramas maybe Marvel should consider him for the Daredevil reboot? He might not accept but if he did...wouldn't that be a kick?
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Post by starchild on Aug 9, 2012 13:58:06 GMT -5
I'm kind of skeptical about the whole thing. I really do not think that there will be a Justice League Movie in my lifetime and I'm terribly disappointed in most of the Warner's Bros work in this Genre.
If doesn't come out in 3-5 years members; I consider it a dead project for Warner's Bros. I just don't have faith in that.
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Post by Jor-L5150 on Aug 9, 2012 16:10:17 GMT -5
i guess he's turned it down- likely same reason he turned down MOS- he just isnt interested. know what? thats perfectly cool. affleck is a lefty looney hollywood type as much as any of them- but he IS a GOOD director and he just just do his thing. i don't want someone coming in to the project with a "oh..if i HAVE to" attitude. GOT to be someone who WANTS it. btw- already a BIG fanboy lobby for JJ abrams to take it up when he finished abrams trek II. not sure if i like that or not. he'd def get the "tone" of avengers (slapstick and near-parody in trek plastered on JL= whedon's BAYvengers) Edit to add: What if the JL movie didn't have Superman or the Batman, but relied on the secondary heroes. After all, Avengers didn't feature Spider-Man or Wolverine, etc. I know that's a different matter in terms of rights, but does a JL movie have to have the big two? Not if it's done well. Or maybe WB is impressed enough with MOS as it stands right now to put some confidence in carrying on with Cavill reprsing the role. Then all you have to do is recast the Batman. totally cool. good characters are good characters. a good story is a good story. harry potter didn't need batman. LOTR didn;t need batman. but i HIGHLY doubt they have the BALLS to do it that way. X-MEN first class was a movie i NEVER thought i'd see- an x-men movie w/out wolverine (shut. up. it was a cameo. not a role.) so a JL w/out superman batman? plausible- and frankly appropriate. but they are on defence- no way they don't anchor it with a version of batman or cavill as superman. -incidentally- a JL movie COULD be put together for release the same summer os MOS II assuming there IS a MOS II |
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botz1
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Post by botz1 on Aug 9, 2012 18:29:59 GMT -5
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cypher85
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Post by cypher85 on Aug 10, 2012 12:40:57 GMT -5
Sounds like Affleck is already looking to pass on the film. I actually think affleck could be a pretty cool choice. I have really enjoyed his films. Gone baby gone was gripping, and The Town was really really excellent (all except for the last shoehorned perfect ending shot).
Though I do think that anyone coming onto this film has an uphill battle. I can't see a single movie where you introduce the entire JL working as well. Avengers was really able to be the movie it was and breath because there were 5 films setting it up.
The screenwriter is the key, the script needs to be amazing to make this work.
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 10, 2012 16:29:32 GMT -5
Yeah JL will essentially have to introduce a lot where Avengers didn't have to work nearly as hard doing the same.
If Affleck turned it down I can't blame him. Its a huge undertaking. He'd potentially be devoting more than 2 or 3 years of his life to just this depending on WB's plans right now.
Does WB want a gun for hire (Campbell) or will they let him do what he wants (Nolan)? Another issue to weigh.
I agree with cypher the script must be as good as possible before they even begin to make certain choices.
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Post by Valentine Smith on Aug 10, 2012 16:49:47 GMT -5
If they don't make it an "origin" movie, that might work. Look at a movie like Predator. That's an elite team of badasses at the beginning of that movie, and we didn't have to spend half the movie learning what makes each one of them special, or how they got the team together. Audiences are now familiar enough with the superhero concept, and especially superhero teams thanks to X-Men and Avengers, that they can just hit the ground running with a Justice League that's already together.
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 10, 2012 17:05:24 GMT -5
Even X-men had to have a way to get a lot of the exposition out of the way. People know the JLA but you've still got at least 4 other characters where you have to do something to explain some things about some of them.
There's the question of why these heroes have to be together at all when you've got Superman around.
The X-men were created as a team. The JLA weren't. Major different right off the bat. The X-men have common elements that helps that team mesh and helps to explain just why they are all together. The JL doesn't really have a central theme like mutant bigotry in the background.
The mutant thing also explains every superpowered character in the movie and you only have to explain what mutation is once.
Not like "I got doused with electrified chemicals" or "I was made out of clay and the gods gave me powers" or "My dad fucked a Tuna fish." I know I know...I kid.
Its probably why they might try to stick Token Cyborg in the movie. A new member who can get shit explained to him like Rogue. One tired old trick I didn't miss from Avengers.
One thing I'll miss from Avengers is how the route Marvel took made the movie and the team seem like SUCH a big deal. An already estableshed League with no build up just seems very everyday when I'd love to see it built up as a big deal.
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Post by warfield on Aug 10, 2012 18:01:20 GMT -5
www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34833As already posted, this link reports that Affleck has turned the project down. But it also says that Snyder has stated that Cavill's Superman will have no part in it. So that could mean that they will be going with the lesser known characters or a recast. If that's the case: What about Brandon Routh?
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Aug 10, 2012 19:21:49 GMT -5
If the No Cavill in JL thing is a mandate from WB it seems kind of silly to me for them to make that choice so soon. What if MOS is a hit and Cavill is well received? It just seems like WB wants this movie out ASAP and wants nothing to get in its way.
I'm split on Routh. Part of me thinks JL should have a clean slate from stuff already released. All DC cinema should now that The Dark Knight trilogy is over and Superman is rebooting. MOS should be the jumping on point if its good.
But I liked Routh. He got hosed and was the least of SR's problems. Plus it gives JL at least one familiar superhero face. I think WB will go in a different direction with a new actor but thats just my gut feeling. It just seems the way Hollywood goes even when the actor WANTS to come back. Its even happened with Marvel movies.
Maybe they'll change their minds on Cavill. JL doesn't have to tie into MOS directly but if people like his Superman having him in the Justice League movie is a plus.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Aug 10, 2012 19:45:32 GMT -5
If it has to be an actor/director---
Choices that would pique my interest: (Dunno if it would be any good, but I would have some curiosity about it right away)-
#1: Kevin Costner (the one that did "Dances with Wolves", not the one that did "The Postman"). He had a great eye on making something epic with "Dances"--- if he wanted to do the same with JLA....
#2: Mel Gibson. Regardless of what's going on with him personally, I found the movies he's directed to be AMAZING. (He has done probably less than a full handful, but still)
#3: Ron Howard. Solid storyteller, moments of brilliance (particularly imo "Apollo 13"). Probably far more consistent than Costner or Gibson, but then again, "Dances" and "Passion" have been pretty extraordinary imo. Whereas Howard has done films that have been good, but rarely exceptional imo.
#4: Kenneth Branaugh. Loved "Henry V", was a bit annoyed by the silliness of "Thor"- though the stuff with Thor and his family I loved. I would imagine... and he does know how to make epic moments, could be a great plus for JLA....
Anyhow, the choice of Affleck made me think on these, if WB is leaning towards an experienced actor/director.... (presumably to guarantee good performances in addition to spectacle...)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 20:26:03 GMT -5
If Cavill isn't going to be in the Justice League movie, Superman should not be in it. At all. It would be so fucking stupid to have a different actor playing Superman while the Superman franchise is going on at the same time.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 20:33:01 GMT -5
Fuck doing a Justice League film if their going to recast Superman again, that would be idiotic.
Gazer would be rubbing her hands though at another shot for Routh! which wouldn't be a bad thing
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 20:41:34 GMT -5
Yeah, but would you really want that? Routh in a Justice League movie and Cavill in a Superman movie? At the same time?
That idea is putrid.
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