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Variety: Warner Bros. to launch "auteur-driven" DC banner with "unusual story angles"

L

LordOfLore

Banned
Link.

Phillips’ planned Joker film would be the first under a new, untitled DC banner that won’t be constrained by the continuity that holds together DC’s extended universe, featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and other characters. The banner is intended to give the studio the chance to expand the canon with unusual story angles, according to those with knowledge. A spokesman for Warner’s declined to comment for this story.

DC’s approach appears to be more in line with Warner’s reputation as an auteur-driven studio that has spawned distinctive superhero adaptations like Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight.” As the studio has labored to distinguish itself from Marvel, it has been actively entertaining pitches from directors around town. The likes of James Wan and Robert Zemeckis have made the trek to Burbank to sell the studio on their vision for the spandex set. Or take the case of Joss Whedon. The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator is now developing a “Batgirl” movie for DC; it’s one that the studio hadn’t planned on doing until Whedon confessed to his love of Barbara Gordon and her masked alter ego.

Whedon’s film, however, isn’t part of the new DC banner, which is expected to create one-off films set outside the larger-budget tentpoles of DC’s current cinematic universe.

Some DC fans are intrigued, but the new banner has also inspired some negative reactions, in part because DC’s critical and commercial film hits have been uneven. “Wonder Woman” became a cultural milestone this summer, topping $800 million worldwide and bringing the studio a much-needed smash that critics and audiences alike embraced. Meanwhile “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” grossed $873 million and $746 million, respectively, but suffered from scathing reviews. DC will try to build on the success of “Wonder Woman” with next fall’s “Justice League.”

“‘Wonder Woman’ catapulted the brand,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with comScore. “Why not change the rules a little bit in an effort not only to create their own identity but to have even greater success in the marketplace?”

While Marvel has arguably set the gold standard, there’s a case to be made in going your own way rather than imitating the competition. By granting directors more control, DC is signaling that it’s less focused on creating an all-encompassing universe where films have to fit together like puzzle pieces and more concerned with keeping the genre fresh for audiences.

“‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Guardians’ all really confirm that it’s not just about putting something out,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “It’s more about taking a fresh approach.”

Directors may find themselves on a tighter leash if DC’s bets don’t play off. As Slashfilm.com’s Peter Sciretta notes, pleasing die-hard fans is great, but blockbusters are built by reaching the broadest possible audience. “Great performances, complicated writing — that’s what audiences want,” he said. “It’s maybe not what fanboys want, but I think that when we see more auteurs doing genre films at that level, we’re going to see bigger box office numbers.”
Click to expand...

More at the link.
 
B

BoogieWoogie

Banned
“Great performances, complicated writing — that’s what audiences want,” he said. “It’s maybe not what fanboys want, but I think that when we see more auteurs doing genre films at that level, we’re going to see bigger box office numbers.”
Click to expand...

Oh fuck off
 
K

kmax

Member
4Vvbx.gif
 
S

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
It's a smart move... if they shut down the shitshoe AKA the DCEU. Otherwise, it's may be confusing for that 'general audience' they're going after.

Alienous said:
Wasn't Suicide Squad 'auteur-driven'?
Click to expand...

Straight into a wall. WB execs have a tendency to get quite hands-on according to an editing buddy of mine.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
If audiences wanted great writing and performances why didn't they give us that to start with?
 
C

caliph95

Member
Well I guess they are actually going to be serious (Or so they say) about being aueter driven instead of "aueter driven"
 
R

Regiruler

Member
There's no difference except everybody not in the script is explicitly said to be dead and the main character has a month to live.
 
B

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
There's just no way WB suits will ever be able to restrain themselves enough for this to work.

It's not happening.
 
Strangelove77

Strangelove77

Member
People just want good movies. Period.

They could have easily started this way and little by little inched their way into connecting some or all of it instead of just jetpacking into a fucking wall with Snyder's films.
I'm all for not doing things like others are doing, but not when it's to the detriment of your work.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
“Great performances, complicated writing — that’s what audiences want,”
Click to expand...

How about you get some of that in non Wonder Woman blockbusters first, and since when was "complicated writing" a good thing?
 
M

MadLaughter

Member
If they have the budget and schedule for ten movies, I'd rather have 10 connected movies than 5 connected ones and 5 one-offs with different actors. Comics fit the elseworlds/one-shot mold better because there's always a dozen comics in the main canon coming out the same week. Movies are too costly and time-intensive.

I don't think the DCEU is particularly great, but I'd rather see it salvaged than half-assed the rest of the way. This just seems like them wanting to make DC movies and DC movie cash without putting in the work to make them part of something bigger.

New and fresh aren't automatically good. You can have good and bad movies in either standalone or connected situations.
 
K

Karkador

Banned
The "auteur" wording suggests predominantly male director picks, which seems to ignore one of the reasons why Wonder Woman turned out well.
 
dream

dream

Member
Stinkles said:
How about you get some of that in non Wonder Woman blockbusters first, and since when was "complicated writing" a good thing?
Click to expand...

I think that might just be bad phrasing. I read "complicated writing" as meaning intricate plots that offer more than just rudimentary binary oppositions.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Soooo, make a good movie? The description of this theoretical film is hilarious amd makes you realize just how much execs at WB must look down on comic book fans.
 
D

Dysun

Member
This is a good thing, there is plenty of room for stories that aren't and shouldn't be connected to a larger DCEU. Glad to see they aren't hanging their hat on the excuse of confusing audiences with two Batmans/Supermans any longer
 
D

Dalek

Member
Oh for Christ's sake.

How hard is it to just do a DC Cinematic Universe?

EDIT: Eh-I misread the article. I'll see how it plays out.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Searching for the Next Nolan: A DC Story

I'm not against the new banner idea. One of those ideas we'll just have to wait and see on how it plays out. If they wanna get nuts, let em get nuts.
 
N

Neophant

Member
Sounds like a dope idea. I'd rather have movies that can exist on its own than have to shoehorn tie-ins to prior films that shouldn't have really been there or needlessly made the plot more convoluted. If WB can successfully manage having both kinds of movies out there in the release schedule and giving both the DCEU and this new banner room to breathe, that's a way to appeal to everyone.
 
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