What's going on, guys? Today I'll be doing something a little different with my blog discussing some entertainment news happening that has fans wanting to explode in rage, since this is the Internet, or questioning their life's existence. Now, before I jump in I just want to make it known that I don't plan on posting about every single bit of movie news that comes out every day. I never sought out to make a blog about movie news, but what I do want to do is occasionally talk about specific topics I have a lot to say about and this bit of news is...something.
NOTE: I was also going to discuss the confusion about the Matt Reeves directed The Batman starring Ben Affleck, but I feel that's fitting for another discussion because so much has changed already.
Okay, so here we go:
So, quite a few days ago sources broke that Warner Bros was developing an origin story about the most iconic villain in all of DC Comics, The Joker. This film has Todd Phillips attached to write and direct, who's best known for directing The Hangover trilogy, and co-writing with him is Scott Silver who famously wrote 8 Mile starring Eminem. Not only that, but legendary filmmaker Martin Scorcese is attached as a producer. So, there's something there, but if you read the title of this editorial, this is a film planned not to be a part of the current DC Comics shared universe coined the DC Extended Universe.
Now in that shared universe they already established a Joker character in 2016's Suicide Squad and he was portrayed by Jared Leto. Then, as if it doesn't get weirder, they announce yesterday as I'm writing this that Warner Bros is also developing a Joker and Harley Quinn film with actors Jared Leto and Margot Robbie returning as The Joker and Harley Quinn respectively. That film will be part of the DC Extended Universe.
First off, I have no idea what Warner Bros is thinking and that they're already thinking about moving away from a franchise they already got going on. I'm in the minority of people who really enjoys this new DC shared universe and am excited to see what else they'll do with it and what characters they'll soon introduce. Also, I liked this interpretation of The Joker in Suicide Squad. He wasn't my favorite incarnation by any means, but I thought Jared Leto did a solid job making him a very entertaining villain on screen.
If this Joker origin movie is a planned idea way down the line, maybe I wouldn't be as confused by it. Yet if they're already planning on developing it so soon, what is Warner Bros trying to pull off here? Why not worry about other productions that could happen in the current DC franchise they got going on now?
I'm not totally against a Joker origin movie because of statements that it's going to be a "hard-boiled crime film" taking place in the early 80s and that the tone would resemble Scorcese's Taxi Driver and King of Comedy. The intent of how they're approaching it sounds extremely cool, but with the combination of Todd Phillips, Scott Silver and Martin Scorcese involved to make this film, I find it a very bizarre team so far and wonder how this will be pulled off. It's not that I don't like who's behind it, but I just never expected the director of The Hangover, the writer of 8 Mile and legendary director Martin Scorcese would be attached to the same project.
Also, I find it strange that this story dropped followed by news about the Joker and Harley Quinn movie with Crazy Stupid Love filmmakers attached. That project will be a part of the current shared universe, so that makes sense that this topic would drop now with this current franchise going on. I'm definitely looking forward to that movie because the characters of Joker and Harley were a couple of my favorite aspects about Suicide Squad. So we get news about a Joker movie disconnected from the DCEU one day and then the next day a Joker movie connected to the DCEU. So many questions right now...
If the plan is to make another shared universe under Warner Bros with a new world of Batman with new incarnations of Batman, The Joker and other characters that's where I start to draw the line. I'm not saying this film won't be good and for all I know this could be one of the greats in the comic book genre, but if the idea is to make another universe and to just sell more from the DC franchise, then that's where it loses me. I don't want these movies to set up other movies. I just want there to be that intent of making great films period. I want there to be focus on just being their own great movies. So if The Joker is a great standalone movie then you got me, man!
Another thought, they could be announcing all this because maybe the studio heard complaints about some of the recent DC films like Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad. Both rated very poorly by critics and even Man of Steel had mixed reactions as well. They were probably discouraged by how these films were received critically and also financially, in regards to not making as much of a box-office profit as they intended because those 3 films I mentioned didn't even crack $1 billion worldwide. With this new Joker film in mind maybe they were probably thinking, "Look. People don't like how we're presenting these characters so far in the DCEU, so let's wipe the slate clean and give fans what they want."
However, I feel the studio would be a little more encouraged by this DC franchise because of how well received Wonder Woman was and because of that a sequel is planned with director Patty Jenkins so close to returning. For that matter the studio hasn't cancelled planned films such as Aquaman, Flashpoint, Shazam, Cyborg, Batgirl, and Justice League Dark. The reasoning behind another slate of new DC movies is just so friggin bizarre at this point in time.
Also, I did just mention Flashpoint, so maybe in that film The Flash will alter time and cause the franchise to wipe the slate clean again, but then again, why would that lead to the idea of a Joker origin story? For those who don't know just look up the Flashpoint story about the alternate DC world. A friend of mine also thinks this could involve the popular storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I won't go too in-depth. Admittedly, that's not a storyline I'm very familiar with, but I encourage you to research and even read these stories on your own time.
All and all, I think Warner Bros has a good thing going on with its current DC franchise. I'm looking forward to what they got down the line and have enjoyed the films they've released thus far. If they have other ideas for films that don't connect with their current slate I say they should just shelve those ideas for a future occasion and announce them when the time is right. Let's let this current DC franchise breathe, so that viewers can really take it again. Let's stop adding confusion about newer films in a different franchise with different actors so soon and focus on now. Stop worrying about the future and focus on the now because to me "the now" has been pretty darn good.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this editorial! As always see some movies and all that good stuff!
Take care. :-)
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