Producer/director George Miller (“Happy Feet,” “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”) will move into the center chair for Warner Bros. big screen, live-action adaptation of the DC Comics series “Justice League of America.”
Casting is underway, locations have been scouted and pre-production is getting serious. The fly in the ointment? A possible writer’s strike that could shut down production as quickly as it has begun. If the strike happens but is over quickly, the desired 2009 release date is doable. However, if the strike hangs on for an extended time, then 2010 or 2011 is more likely.
Of course the big question is — Can Warner get Brandon Routh and Christian Bale to play Superman and Batman for this project, or will they settle for other actors? The problem with getting others for the role is credibility. There is no question in any fan’s mind that Routh and Bale now own those roles. And Warner has to be asking themselves how readily fans might accept others in those costumes.
Variety is stating that sources close to the project are indicating that Routh and Bale will probably bow out of this film. The next Superman film has been placed on pause until “Justice League” is done (Bryan Singer is also currently involved with Tom Cruise’s “Valkyrie” in Germany), and it is well known that director Chris Nolan and actor Christian Bale have voiced displeasure at the idea of the “League,” if it causes any kind of delay in the next “Batman” film, which is well underway at this point.
Of course the other fly is Wonder Woman. A film showcasing the superheroine is currently still on the boards even though Joss Whedon is no longer attached and without Wonder Woman there is no “Justice League.†Also part of the team are Aquaman and Flash.
“They’re working very hard to get it to happen,†said one source involved with the “Justice” production in a statement to Variety. “But there are so many characters it’s complicated.â€
I’m not at all attached to Routh or Bale. I’m very accustomed to different actors playing Batman, and with only one outing so far, Routh is just “some actor besides Reeve/s that played Superman.”
Looking forward to JLA, I really enjoy superhero teamwork on-screen.
I too couldn’t care less if they get Routh/Bale to do the film, I can accept other actors as long as they’re appopriate to the roles. And they don’t really need the “big” superheroes to be in the movie anyway. Over the years there have been many members of the JLA, this movie coould be a great chance to show some of the lesser known heroes from the DC universe that could never get their own movie.