WB/Amazon Consider Lord of the Rings Show

If you liked this article, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and please consider Donating to keep the blog going

As the decade dwindles, it’s becoming increasingly clear that WB is finding themselves more and more left by the wayside in the age of global franchising.  The hard truth of the matter is that times change and more in more having a popular series of films matters less than having a film series that can stick around as part of the pop culture atmosphere.  The peculiar alchemy of turning online interest into hype into engagement has become the order of the day and that is a game WB really doesn’t seem to know how to play.  That’s why, despite the twin success of The Conjuring film series and the Kaiju-verse, WB is still chasing a return of their older franchise stalwarts- Batman, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. 

We already saw their attempts at branding a Batman for the new decade in last year’s disastrous Batman v. Superman while their attempts at a Harry Potter prequel in Fantastic Beasts were met with a resounding “meh,” which was at least a better response than the loud cry of “BOO!” the Hobbit films engendered.  Now, WB looks to the world of streaming to reverse its fortunes as they’re reportedly inching towards a deal with Amazon for a Lord of the Rings streaming series. 

6 Actors Who Should Play Nightwing

If you liked this article, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and please consider Donating to keep the blog going

By now you’ve probably seen the LEGO Batman movie, especially if the box office reports are to be believed.  It’s a monster success, a second major hit for WB’s LEGO brand, and pretty much the first major win for a Batman adaptation since Arkham City back in 2011.  We’re probably going to see a ton of takeaways from this endeavor on what’s required to make a good LEGO movie, but the more important one for superhero fans is what message this flick sends about making Batman films.  The heart of LEGO Batman is to embrace the extended Batman family and a lighter, funnier take on the hero and it seems pretty clear WB has heard received that message as they’ve already tapped the director, Chris McKay, to direct a Nightwing movie. 

For those who don’t know, Nightwing was the identity adopted by an adult version of the first Robin, Dick Grayson, after he stopped being Batman’s sidekick and branched out on his own.  Given that this movie’s now entered DC’s sites I figured it’d be fun to have a look at all the interesting and compelling actors who could and should play Dick Grayson before they announce some mediocre white guy none of us have heard of. 

The Man Who Killed Aquaman's Son: Black Manta Revealed as Aquaman Villain

If you liked this article, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and please consider Donating to keep the blog going

Edited by Robert Beach

One of the more frustrating elements of the so-called “DC Entertainment Universe” is that WB’s general apathy as producers means that the slow drip of information about their various projects is even slower and sparser than their competition. Where Marvel usually sets up bad guys or McGuffins in other films or designs a long stream of character reveals and posters, WB tends to favor stand-alone movies with little fanfare to the various characters revealed within them. That is unless they’re trying to turn audience opinion around. 

That’s why WB was so happy to dump Doomsday in the central trailers for Batman v. Superman or told everyone Wonder Woman was in the movie, or why the marketing for Suicide Squad was ALL about the quirky tone and nothing else. That same casual indifference reared its head again this week as James Wan and WB announced the villain of their upcoming Aquaman movie will be the long-time Aquaman villain Black Manta.

J.K. Simmons Cast As Commissioner Gordon

Edited by Robert Beach 

As March dawns, we must accept the fact that we seem to be barreling head first towards the inevitability that the DC movie universe will 1) be happening and 2) be guided by the unwavering hand of Zack Snyder. Between the pretty terrible kick-off of Man of Steel and the ongoing train wreck that’s been the Dawn of Justice marketing campaign, this hardly seems like a march towards quality than a slow descent into mismanagement and insincerity. 

However, one thing that has consistently buoyed this downward spiral is the presence of top-quality actors in various roles sprinkled across the films. Ben Affleck, Jared Leto, and Jeremy Irons are all Oscar winners for a very good reason. Now, the powers that be at WB have added a fourth Oscar winner to the line up with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

Batman v. Superman Empire Cover

As we continue the rising tide of build up for the new starting point to DC Comics cinematic universe Empire has devoted their latest cover to Superman and Batman.  This is in conjunction with Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice, one of the dopiest and most misspelled titles this side of Star Trek Into Darkness.  This cover marks the first time any official media has put the two stars side by side in addition to a much better static look at Batman then we’ve seen in any of the promotional stills.  There’s been the occasional trailer moment of clarity but this is different.  This cover is DC and their WB handlers putting their best forward with this film and introducing us to the designs and visuals of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel.  And they look…kind of dopey and ridiculous, much like this entire production.