Justice League Movie in 2013 & a Post-Nolan Batman Reboot?

Back in August 2008 while riding still riding high on The Dark Knight goodness, Jeff Robinov (#2 big-cheese at Warner Brothers) boldly told the Wall-Street Journal an entire slate of DC cataloged films were planned including a third Batman installment with Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale, a Superman "re-invention" flick, Green Lantern and The Flash, and so on. An official announcement dishing out all the gory details were promised.

Then nothing ever came of said promise.

Plenty of things transpired moving the DC film unit ahead, despite that. Green Lantern got going with Martin Campbell directing and Ryan Reynolds headlining as Hal Jordan (due out this June) and Nolan is actively doing double-duties as he preps The Dark Knight Rises to direct and producing the Zack Snyder-directed, Henry Cavill-starring Superman: The Man of Steel; both will hit in 2012.

Between that initial WSJ interview and today however, there's one big difference with Robinov. He got handed the keys to the WB kingdom and, most important of all, greenlight authority. What started off as a minor blurb in the Los Angeles Times has exploded with the studio's future plans for their DC-on-film lineup.

Chatting it up with Hero Complex (a genre-oriented subsidiary of the LA Times), the new #1 at WB Robinov elaborated on their intentions confirming a script for a Justice League film is being typed as we speak for an unspecified 2013 release, and the Batman franchise will once again hit the "Reboot" button post-TDKR with Nolan and his wife/producing-partner Emma Thomas staying onboard as producers.

Interesting.

Well for one, why not simply bring Christian Bale's Batman back into the equation for JL? TDKR will bring that story to a close, yes. But his committment to Terminator: Salvation shows he hearts money and it ain't always about "the art." Maybe he just doesn't want to or maybe Bats bites the dust at the end of TDKR? The latter could certainly explain the need of a new Bats.

I'm also not buying a JL flick dropping in two years. To go from the first, in their hopes/intentions a series of, Superman (that's hitting at the end of 2012, no less) and final-Nolan-anchored Batman to seeing Cavill in the red-and-blue suit again, Reynolds as Green Lantern and a new actor as Bats 6 months-to-a year later is definitely on the jarring side. There's also the problem of what happens if GL and TMOS under-perform. They're jumping the gun on this one, and it feels like this is their way of riling up fandom. Once reality settles in, a more firm (read: realistic) release will get set out.

Orginally Posted On ThinkMcflyThink.Com

Joanne Siegel Goes Wordsmith On Time Warner

As this court case involving Time Warner & the heirs of Siegel and Shuster gets deeper and deeper and more confusing, another interesting curveball has surfaced courtesy of TOLDJA! The keyboard sleuths were able to get their hands on a letter from Joanne Siegel to the biggest fish over at The Brothers Warner.

December 10, 2010

Jeffrey L. Bewkes
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Time Warner Inc.

Dear Jeff,

I am Joanne Siegel widow of Jerry Siegel, creator of Superboy and co-creator of Superman with Joe Shuster. It has always been my policy to be in touch with the Chairmen of the Board of your company going back to when Steve Ross formed Warner Communications.

Steve Ross knew how to take care of large vexing problems. He paid the price, whatever it was, then went on, and the company prospered. He was gracious and friendly when my late husband Jerry and I met him at a stockholders meeting after he sent Jerry, Joe, my daughter Laura and me company stock. He also phoned me to say if we needed anything I should just pick up the phone and call him. He said if he could not be reached for some reason, one of the top officers in the company, Deane Johnson, would handle things personally. Laura and I believe if Steve were alive our copyright ownership matter would have been successfully resolved long ago.

Jerry Levin was also reachable and thoughtful. He sent my husband and later me, cases of grapefruit at the holiday season. He remembered Jerry’s birthday with a Superman sculpture. When my Jerry passed away, Jerry Levin told Laura and me that we are part of the Time Warner family, part of its history. Unfortunately he retired before our rights issues were resolved. He had given his attorneys too much power so that negotiations were unsatisfactory and a settlement was impossible. Dick Parsons, on the other hand, was not friendly and, under him, the attorneys hired by the company were arrogant and pro-litigation.

Now you are Chairman and CEO. Because we are in litigation I held off writing to you. I now believe had we had contact early on, things might not have gone so far off track.

My daughter Laura and I, as well as the Shuster estate, have done nothing more than exercise our rights under the Copyright Act. Yet, your company has chosen to sue us and our long-time attorney for protecting our rights.

On December 1st I turned 93. I am old enough to be your mother. I have grown grandchildren. Unfortunately I am not in the best of health. My cardiologist provided a letter to your attorneys informing them that I suffer from a serious heart condition and that forcing me to go through yet another stressful deposition could put me in danger of a heart attack or stroke. I am also on medications that have side effects which force me to stay close to home and restrooms. Nonetheless your attorneys are forcing me to endure a second deposition even though I have already undergone a deposition for a full day in this matter. As clearly they would be covering the same ground, their intention is to harass me.

My dear daughter Laura too has painful medical conditions including multiple sclerosis, arthritis, glaucoma, spine disorders, and fibromyalgia. She has already had her deposition taken twice by your attorneys while in pain. Her doctors have given written statements saying she should not be subjected to a third deposition, yet your attorneys are insisting on re-taking her deposition in an effort to harass her as well.

So I ask you to please consider – do these mean spirited tactics meet with your approval? Do you really think the families of Superman’s creators should be treated this way?

As you know, DC and Warner Bros. have profited enormously from 72 years of exploiting Jerry and Joe’s wonderful creation. Superman is now a billion dollar franchise and has been DC’s flagship property for all this time.

As for this letter, the purpose is three-fold:

To protest harassment of us that will gain you nothing but bad blood and a continued fight.

To protest harassment of our attorney by falsely accusing him of improper conduct in an attempt to deprive us of legal counsel.

To make you aware that in reality this is a business matter and that continuing with litigation for many more years will only benefit your attorneys.

This is not just another case. The public and press are interested in Superman and us and are aware of our and your litigations.

The solution to saving time, trouble, and expense is a change of viewpoint. Laura and I are legally owed our share of Superman profits since 1999. By paying the owed bill in full, as you pay other business bills, it would be handled as a business matter, instead of a lawsuit going into its 5th year.

Even though you will no doubt pass this letter on to your attorneys, the final decision is yours. Your image as well as the company’s reputation rests on a respectable and acceptable outcome, and I hope you will get personally involved to insure this matter is handled properly.

The courtesy of a friendly and meaningful reply from you will be most appreciated.

Sincerely,
Joanne Siegel

Amy Adams Official Press Release

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Amy Adams will star in the coveted role of Lois Lane in the new Zack Snyder-directed feature film

Snyder remarked, "Second only to Superman himself, the question of who will play Lois Lane is arguably what fans have been most curious about. So we are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful

Amy Adams will star opposite Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, as Martha and Jonathan Kent.

Amy Adams was recently honored with her third Oscar nomination in five years, for her performance in the true-life drama "The Fighter," with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. She previously earned Oscar nominations for her work in the acclaimed films "Doubt" and "Junebug." She has also starred in such diverse hits as "Enchanted," "Julie and Julia," "Charlie Wilson's War," and "Catch Me If You Can." She will next be seen in Walter Salles' "On the Road" with Viggo Mortensen and "The Muppets."

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

The new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Amy Adams Is Lois Lane

When you think of Superman, you think of specific things: the phrase "Truth, Justice & the American way," his power of flying, the iconic red-and-blue suit, and Lois Lane.

For as difficult a role to pull off the title character is, the same applies for Lois. It's a part that requires displaying the toughness and spunk being a hard-ass reporter, the wit supplied by the humor and one-liners and, most importantly, the chemistry with both the Man of Steel and his Clark Kent persona. You have to believe the person arguing with Perry White is the same one reduced to a wide-eyed, vulnerable girl when he's in front of Superman.

Hero Complex says Zack Snyder has found that actress, and it's the kind of casting that I can get behind. Amy Adams is the new Lois Lane.

Some will argue the age difference between her and Henry Cavill; she's 36 years-old and he’s 27. That shouldn't be a concern. If we're gonna nerdy about it, some of the comic-interpretations state that his being Kryptonian makes him physically age slower than human beings when he's actually quite older. On the other hand, and in a better and more basic way to put it, Lois needs to have a few extra years on Superman. She has the experience of living out in the real world where he's spent his youth on the Kent Farm in Smallville.

Check out her performances in Enchanted, Julie & Julia, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, and The Fighter (Hell even Night at the Museum 2) and tell me she's not a great choice.

Originally Posted On ThinkMcflyThink.Com

Superman Gets "Brave & Bold"

Superman made an appearance in last nights episode of "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" which aired on the Cartoon Network. Check out the clip from the episode "The Battle of the Super-Heroes!" below for a taste of what The Man Of Steel brought to the show.