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It's Official: Justice League Movie on Indefinite Hold!

by Alex Billington
January 16, 2008
Source: IESB

On Monday we ran a rumor from Hollywood Insider that said the Justice League movie might get canned. An update was expected by today as the source said the studio had to make a final decision by January 15th. As promised an update has arrived, and it's confirmed - the Justice League movie is on indefinite hold! Comic book fans rejoice, this is a great day! If you find anyone that was actually excited for Justice League, I'll give you a prize, because no one I know was looking forward to this disaster project.

Our friends at IESB first broke this news with a report from a crew member on the set. It was confirmed later today by Variety as well. Although Warner Brothers won't exactly say their reasoning, the rumor is that the script still needs some tweaks and that they didn't get the tax breaks they wanted from Australia yet. Given the writers strike is still in full force, it's likely that this won't get back underway until late summer or fall at the very earliest, if ever. The crew has been given notices that they won't have work and most are already searching for other jobs.

First-time husband and wife writers Michele and Kieran Mulroney wrote the original script for this Justice League. I haven't heard of anything about the script, but given the film is featuring a group of younger actors as the superheroes, I'm guessing it really wasn't that great. The studio is hoping that all of the actors, which includes Adam Brody as the Flash, Armie Hammer Jr. as Batman, and Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, will keep their later half of the year open incase Justice League does go into production. But I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that it never does.

If you're still wondering why I'm so supportive of this film being canceled, the reasoning is quite simple. With Batman Begins / The Dark Knight and Superman Returns, creating a new Justice League movie from scratch with different (and younger) actors playing the same characters really does not sound good. Beyond that I really do not like Happy Feet's George Miller as the director. I don't personally know him and have never met him, but I have never trusted his abilities in the comic book movie realm and he just doesn't seem like a comic book / Justice League of America fan, which I think is certainly necessarily for this kind of movie. And beyond that, a real Justice League movie needs to be much more epic and enormous than what this project sounded like it would become.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

JNYCE

thanks go..... go iron man and hulk go avenger movie.... woot woot
CSpuppydog

Yes... thank you God... I knew some higher power out there existed!
John Madden

Does it count that I started off excited? Do I get a prize for that? A *good* Justice League movie - that is with a decent cast, decent script, appropriate tone and NOT screwing with the mythology (including that from Chris Nolan's Batman) would have been incredible. For the brief period when it looked like we might get that, I was genuinely excited. But I'm glad to see the back of this one. Maybe start crossing them over slowly? Like the rumored 'Hulk' and 'Iron Man' shared scene from the upcoming movies.
Stacy

I was excited for this film. All my friends were excited. Then we heard the cast list and that excitement just shriveled up and died. Superman Returns and the guy in that was sort of crap, so nobody minded recasting Superman. Bale is perfect, but most likely going to stick with just Nolan's trilogy. So, everybody was open to a recast, BUT we were kind of thinking more along the lines of Gerard Butler and James Caviezel or even Tom Welling and less along the lines of TEEN BATMAN (OMFG!?!) and SHORT LATINO SUPERMAN (WTF?!). Seriously, was this a joke? Was it April Fools Day? What was this madness?????
Nathan

Lookout world, someone at Warner Brothers has developed a functional brain! Whatever you do, WB, promote this person and whoever greenlit "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight."
Daniel

Glory Hallelujah!
http://www.feoamante.com Feo Amante

Alex are you kidding me? You were worried about George Miller? Seriously? You "have never trusted his abilities in the comic book movie realm"? The guy who directed all three MAD MAX movies? Besides Lorenzo's Oil, what movie has he ever directed that DIDN'T have a comic book sensibility? And what, before BATMAN BEGINS, did Christopher Nolan ever direct to make you trust his abilities in the comic book movie realm? Before XMEN, what did Bryan Singer direct to make you trust his abilities in the comic book realm? George Miller could pull it off without breaking a sweat! That said, from a comic fan's pov, the whole concept behind the Justice League movie was seriously flawed for most of the reasons you mentioned. Except it wasn't George that would have wrecked it.
Zerge

I'm not to keen on the idea of a movie, however I liked the animated series of J.L. So maybe done in the same style as "Beowulf" with a good script it could work for me...
ALmighty13

If their going to make this movie than they need to use the actors from batman and superman, and not a bunch of new faces. New faces would be fine for the other super heroes but for the main roles you need stars that know how to act. Watching the Batman movie and then watching some new guy in JLA play Batman would piss a lot of people off. Especially me. Thank god their not going through with this movie, yet... But if they can come up with a good storyline and use the right actors I'll be going to see it. And I was actually excited about this... but not now, so I guess I get half of a prize?
Aaron Johnson

I have to say this only because I think it's funny, but on February 23, 2007 in reference to the Justice League movie Alex Billington wrote "There are a few out there who are skeptical on whether this may actually even happen, or whether this is just an early marketing gimmick to get people a bit more interested in DC and WB's latest offerings. Only time will tell, but I will tell you I'm damn excited! Just the idea of these groups coming together and what may be capable in a movie is mind-boggling. Hopefully it all comes together, hopefully!". Then on the above article written on Jan. 16th 2008 about the Justice League movie Alex Billington wrote "As promised an update has arrived, and it's confirmed - the Justice League movie is on indefinite hold! Comic book fans rejoice, this is a great day! If you find anyone that was actually excited for Justice League, I'll give you a prize, because no one I know was looking forward to this disaster project." So... does this mean that I get a prize? Nice contradiction Alex.
Zen zenatti

I'm a big fan of Smallville. I watched the whole eight seasons under a month time. I feel so well, when I see Tom Welling as Superman, because he has the motivation of fitting into the character. He is a natural. Watching the Batman movie with Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, then watching some new guy in JLA play Batman would piss a lot of people off. Especially me. Thank god their not going through with this movie, yet… But if they can come up with a good storyline and use the right actors I'll be going to see it. And I was actually excited about this… The IESB might even be saving us a surprise. Sure we all prefer to wait a while to get the best actors (Christian Bale as Batman, Tom Welling as superman, Adam Brady as the Flash, Hugh Jackman as The green lantern, Famke Janssen as Wonder Woman, Peter Green as J'oon J'onzz the martian man hunter and finally Justin Hartley as aquaman). But it'a important that this project is completed, so that the public can get their "4 hours" long, Justice League movie (movie of the century). And as for the non fans with the above statement :"If you find anyone that was actually excited for Justice League, I'll give you a prize, because no one I know was looking forward to this disaster project." I am very much looking for this movie to be successful, so I'll take that prize. When the movie is referred to under your terms, I just get the feeling it's getting closer to becoming a great success. And most importantly a promise to be delivered. Thank you.