Broken Frontier

Warner Bros. Unveils Superhero Strategy

Following the record-breaking theatrical reign of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. Pictures will be leaning heavily on its DC Comics properties through 2011, The Wall Street Journal reports. Taking a cue from Marvel Studios’ recent success with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the studio will focus on individual adaptations focused on single characters that will eventually build to multicharacter films. Previous ensemble projects such as Warners’ Batman vs. Superman and the long delayed Justice League of America are currently stalled for the time being.

Aside from next summer’s anticipated release of Watchmen, which is currently the subject of a high-profile copyright lawsuit filed by Twentieth Century Fox, plans include a third Batman film, at least two movies focusing on DC Comics characters who have yet to be featured on-screen such as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or Flash and a reboot of the Superman film series. Superman Returns, which was meant to reintroduce the character to in 2006, was not deemed successful enough at the box office to warrant a direct sequel. 

“[Superman Returns] didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov told The Wall Street Journal. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had [Superman Returns] worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009.” He added, “"But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."

Falling right in line with the dark, somber tone of Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel—the highest-grossing film of 2008 so far—fans can expect a similarly serious treatment for future adaptations from the DC Comics stable that explore these characters’ dark sides.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the studio is set to announce its plans for future DC Comics adaptations in the next month. 

Spielberg to Direct First Film in Tintin Trilogy

Steven Spielberg confirmed that he will direct the first installment in a Tintin movie trilogy, which will be the director's next project after this summer's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Reuters reports.

While Brussels-based Herge Studios, which owns the rights to the comic strip character, claims that Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson will direct the character's screen debut, representation from Jackson and Spielberg both affirm that Spielberg will direct. Jackson will direct its sequel and will produce the first film, which will be based on two of the character's books: The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackman's Treasure.

According to Reuters, the film—written by Doctor Who scribe Stephen Moffat—will be animated using motion-capture technology and will star 18-year-old Thomas Sangster as Tintin and Lord of the Rings alum Andy Serkis (Gollum) as the character's friend, Captain Haddock.