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Update: June 27, 2023
It's Official: David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan Cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane in James Gunn's SUPERMAN: LEGACY
James Gunn has found his Superman and Lois Lane. After a lengthy search, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will star in Superman: Legacy, the film that will launch DC’s new universe under writer-director Gunn and his co-DC Studios boss, Peter Safran.
Corenswet and Brosnahan were among six actors who vied for the lead roles, with Gunn filming screen tests over the June 17 weekend with Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney also in contention to play Superman/Clark Kent and Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor in the running for Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane.
Few roles are as coveted — or come with as much pressure — as Superman. That’s doubly true in the current landscape, as Corenswet will anchor a new universe as DC attempts to re-invent itself after a streak of misses with October’s Black Adam, March’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods and the recent The Flash.
Superman: Legacy has a release date of July 11, 2025, with Gunn expecting to film early next year. The casting search will now continue for characters such as Lex Luthor and the superheroes The Authority, who are expected to debut in Legacy before toplining their own film.
The Superman project will be the first film fully produced under Gunn and Safran’s tenure. The Flash was released under the newly minted studio heads; that movie, which was plagued by the poor publicity incurred by star Ezra Miller, earned a disappointing $55 million during its opening weekend.
Legacy marks a massive career shift for Corenswet, not only coming in at No. 1 on the call sheet on a studio film for the first time but doing so as one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes. The actor first broke out in Ryan Murphy series The Politician, which was followed by a starring turn in another Murphy-backed Netflix series Hollywood. Other credits include HBO series We Own This City and A24 horror sequel, Pearl. Up next there is the Apple series Lady in the Lake and Twister sequel, Twisters.
Brosnahan is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her acclaimed series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She rose to prominence with House of Cards, which earned her an Emmy nomination. Three actors have previously played Lois Lane on the big screen. Margot Kidder gave a defining performance full of intelligence and spunk 1978’s Superman and its three sequels, in which she starred opposite Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth played Lois in one film, 2006’s Superman: Returns, while Amy Adams brought the character to life in Man of Steel (2016) and also starred in in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).
“I completely relate to Superman because he’s everything I am,” Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter in April for a cover story. “He’s somebody who is an outsider who feels like an alien, but also the ultimate insider, because he’s fucking Superman. And that’s kind of like what I feel like.”
‘Superman: Legacy’ Finds Leads with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan
____________________________________________________
Update: December 14, 2022
SUPERMAN Reboot Written by James Gunn Will Focus on the Younger Years of the Hero; Henry Cavill Not Returning
James Gunn is making his first big move at DC and will pen a Superman movie. The project will focus on the younger years of the hero, and thus he will be played by a new actor rather than Superman veteran Henry Cavill.
Gunn and his DC Studios co-chair and co-CEO Peter Safran recently met with Cavill to share the news, and to discuss ideas for potentially collaborating in the future on something else, perhaps a different role.
At this stage, Gunn is merely writing the script, though he could potentially direct depending on where his services are needed at DC Studios, according to insiders.
“Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” Gunn wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
Though this Superman will be on the younger side, he won’t be living in Smallville but rather will be Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, according to insiders.
The news may be a surprise to fans who expected Cavill to return as Superman in the near future. Cavill appeared in a post-credits sequence in Black Adam, released in October, and the Monday after the film opened, posted a message on Instagram announcing he was back as Superman. According to sources, that Instagram message was sanctioned by Warners brass, before Gunn and Safran were hired, thus the change in plans.
Cavill, who announced his departure from the Netflix series The Witcher following his return as Superman, reflected on the change in an Instagram post, writing, “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to [Gunn and Safran’s] hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
Warners has also been developing a Black superman film written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams, and Gunn’s new movie is said to not have an impact on that project, with Coates still working on the script.
Warners has long wanted Gunn to tackle a Superman movie. In 2018, after Gunn departed Marvel Studios for DC when he was temporarily fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, then-Warners studio boss Toby Emmerich pushed for Gunn to take on Superman. Gunn opted to write and direct The Suicide Squad instead. That movie also paved the way for Peacemaker, the HBO Max spinoff starring John Cena, and gave Gunn a taste of worldbuilding in the DC universe.
Still, Superman has long been a favorite of Gunn, who has been thinking about this new movie since his early days at DC four years ago. Over the weekend, Gunn marked the anniversary of the 1978 film by Richard Donner, sharing the poster and reminiscing about seeing it in theaters in Missouri as a child. Wrote the filmmaker and exec: “I loved it and it rivaled Star Wars for me. And the score blew my mind.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...man-movie-in-the-works-james-gunn-1235282481/
____________________________________________________
Update: December 7, 2022
Patty Jenkins' WONDER WOMAN 3 Not Moving Forward; BLACK ADAM 2 Is Unlikely; Jason Momoa Possibly to Play Lobo
Call it DC Rebirth or DC: Genesis. Maybe call it Identity Crisis or Flashpoint. These titles of past DC comics event series aptly describe the state of Warner Bros.’ DC movies, which are on the cusp of a new era but not before a potentially messy transition period.
A cleaning of the slate is common when a new executive team is put in place to run a studio or division but there is likely little precedent for the amount of Clorox James Gunn and Peter Safran could spray as they prepare to launch DC Studios and guide superhero movies for the next half decade and beyond.
The duo in recent days flew back to Los Angeles from the snowy city of Aspen, Colorado, where they were huddled in deep planning, and now like holy figures coming down from the mountaintop, have sets of commandments or a DC Bible in hand. Or at least a working blueprint.
Gunn and Safran are expected to meet next week with David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO who is radically reshaping the media company and who hired the duo in October to lead a newly launched film and TV division. The pair will unveil to Zaslav a plan that is expected to lay out their vision. Although much of their plan, which insiders paint as still a work-in-progress and one that has yet to be approved, is being kept deep in the Batcave, details of several possible paths forward are trickling out. And at least one path not being taken has also been revealed.
Multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 is not moving forward and is considered dead in its current incarnation.
Sources say that Jenkins recently submitted her treatment, co-written with Geoff Johns, and that Gunn and Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, broke the news to the filmmaker, telling her the project — as it stood — did not fit in with the new (but still unfolding) plans. Jenkins directed and co-wrote the previous two movies, starring Gal Gadot and released in 2017 and 2020. No decision has been made about next steps.
And while costs are not a factor — insiders say that DC Studios will not have any overburdensome financial restrictions — the studio could end up saving tens of millions of dollars by not making the third installment. Gadot, according to sources, was on track for a $20 million payday for Wonder Woman 3 while Jenkins would have received $12 million. Those figures don’t include any possible backend bonuses.
It is unclear how any future Wonder Woman movie, and Gadot’s portrayal of the hero, would fit into the new DC plan. In a bit of head-scratching timing, Gadot tweeted out of the blue a thank you to fans on Tuesday, saying she was grateful to be allowed to play the heroine and role model, adding, “Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you.” It was unclear whether or not the actress knew the project was being toe-tagged.
The rest of the DC slate remains in flux, or at least being kept deep in a pocket of Gunn’s own utility belt but there are several rumors and possible scenarios to consider ahead of next week’s meeting.
Also unlikely is a sequel to Black Adam. Despite the hype surrounding the movie of launching a new corner of DC, a lot of it led by star Dwayne Johnson, the movie has only grossed $385 million worldwide and insiders at the studio say the movie, which cost more than $190 million to produce (two sources peg the actual cost at $230 million, not including marketing), will be lucky to break even, even considering ancillary revenue. Even if the movie does eke out a minimal profit, any follow-up’s inherent rising costs dim the prospect of a sequel.
Johnson hoped to carve out his own piece of the DC pie, but multiple sources say his playing up of a returning Cavill and his own involvement with DC may not be endearing him to the new management. Johnson and Cavill are both managed by Dany Garcia, who is also Johnson’s producing partner. The perception of Adam turning a profit or not is a conflagration now being waged in public, with Johnson tweeting the movie would net over $50 million after a Variety story said the movie would lose over $50 million theatrically.
Momoa, meanwhile, could emerge as a pivotal figure into the new plans, according to several sources. In one scenario, the actor would wrap up his days as underwater hero Arthur Curry with Lost City, due out Dec. 25, 2023, which would be the final movie released that was made by the previous regime. But it would not spell the end of the actor’s involvement with DC, with sources saying the actor would lead another movie or franchise. The character of Lobo, a foul-mouthed cigar-chomping intergalactic bounty hunter, has been mentioned in connection with Momoa.
Whether or not Momoa does play everybody’s favorite bastich, Lobo emerging as a rising character early on in the conversation may point to the kinds of characters the Gunn-Safran team may be focusing on. The character is an outsider, an anti-hero, and is keeping in line with Gunn’s specialty of taking the off-beat and quirky and flipping it into crowd-pleasing fare.
Observers are convinced the plan calls for an interconnected story universe and there is rumblings of the establishment of a creative brain trust. The brain trust may be already rolling in some capacity as sources say that Safran had in recent weeks been meeting with writers at his Los Angeles home in an effort to hone the presentation, gathering feedback and ideas for the plan.
One part that the Gunn-Safran agenda seems likely not to touch, at least for now, is the Matt Reeves Batman universe in which Robert Pattinson dons the cowl of the Caped Crusader. Reeves is writing the sequel to The Batman, which opened in March 4. The filmmaker is also overseeing the launch of two Batman series that spin out of his movie, including The Penguin.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...an-3-not-moving-forward-dc-movies-1235276804/
It's Official: David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan Cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane in James Gunn's SUPERMAN: LEGACY
James Gunn has found his Superman and Lois Lane. After a lengthy search, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will star in Superman: Legacy, the film that will launch DC’s new universe under writer-director Gunn and his co-DC Studios boss, Peter Safran.
Corenswet and Brosnahan were among six actors who vied for the lead roles, with Gunn filming screen tests over the June 17 weekend with Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney also in contention to play Superman/Clark Kent and Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor in the running for Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane.
Few roles are as coveted — or come with as much pressure — as Superman. That’s doubly true in the current landscape, as Corenswet will anchor a new universe as DC attempts to re-invent itself after a streak of misses with October’s Black Adam, March’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods and the recent The Flash.
Superman: Legacy has a release date of July 11, 2025, with Gunn expecting to film early next year. The casting search will now continue for characters such as Lex Luthor and the superheroes The Authority, who are expected to debut in Legacy before toplining their own film.
The Superman project will be the first film fully produced under Gunn and Safran’s tenure. The Flash was released under the newly minted studio heads; that movie, which was plagued by the poor publicity incurred by star Ezra Miller, earned a disappointing $55 million during its opening weekend.
Legacy marks a massive career shift for Corenswet, not only coming in at No. 1 on the call sheet on a studio film for the first time but doing so as one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes. The actor first broke out in Ryan Murphy series The Politician, which was followed by a starring turn in another Murphy-backed Netflix series Hollywood. Other credits include HBO series We Own This City and A24 horror sequel, Pearl. Up next there is the Apple series Lady in the Lake and Twister sequel, Twisters.
Brosnahan is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her acclaimed series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She rose to prominence with House of Cards, which earned her an Emmy nomination. Three actors have previously played Lois Lane on the big screen. Margot Kidder gave a defining performance full of intelligence and spunk 1978’s Superman and its three sequels, in which she starred opposite Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth played Lois in one film, 2006’s Superman: Returns, while Amy Adams brought the character to life in Man of Steel (2016) and also starred in in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).
“I completely relate to Superman because he’s everything I am,” Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter in April for a cover story. “He’s somebody who is an outsider who feels like an alien, but also the ultimate insider, because he’s fucking Superman. And that’s kind of like what I feel like.”
‘Superman: Legacy’ Finds Leads with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan
____________________________________________________
Update: December 14, 2022
SUPERMAN Reboot Written by James Gunn Will Focus on the Younger Years of the Hero; Henry Cavill Not Returning
James Gunn is making his first big move at DC and will pen a Superman movie. The project will focus on the younger years of the hero, and thus he will be played by a new actor rather than Superman veteran Henry Cavill.
Gunn and his DC Studios co-chair and co-CEO Peter Safran recently met with Cavill to share the news, and to discuss ideas for potentially collaborating in the future on something else, perhaps a different role.
At this stage, Gunn is merely writing the script, though he could potentially direct depending on where his services are needed at DC Studios, according to insiders.
“Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” Gunn wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
Though this Superman will be on the younger side, he won’t be living in Smallville but rather will be Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, according to insiders.
The news may be a surprise to fans who expected Cavill to return as Superman in the near future. Cavill appeared in a post-credits sequence in Black Adam, released in October, and the Monday after the film opened, posted a message on Instagram announcing he was back as Superman. According to sources, that Instagram message was sanctioned by Warners brass, before Gunn and Safran were hired, thus the change in plans.
Cavill, who announced his departure from the Netflix series The Witcher following his return as Superman, reflected on the change in an Instagram post, writing, “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to [Gunn and Safran’s] hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
Warners has also been developing a Black superman film written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams, and Gunn’s new movie is said to not have an impact on that project, with Coates still working on the script.
Warners has long wanted Gunn to tackle a Superman movie. In 2018, after Gunn departed Marvel Studios for DC when he was temporarily fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, then-Warners studio boss Toby Emmerich pushed for Gunn to take on Superman. Gunn opted to write and direct The Suicide Squad instead. That movie also paved the way for Peacemaker, the HBO Max spinoff starring John Cena, and gave Gunn a taste of worldbuilding in the DC universe.
Still, Superman has long been a favorite of Gunn, who has been thinking about this new movie since his early days at DC four years ago. Over the weekend, Gunn marked the anniversary of the 1978 film by Richard Donner, sharing the poster and reminiscing about seeing it in theaters in Missouri as a child. Wrote the filmmaker and exec: “I loved it and it rivaled Star Wars for me. And the score blew my mind.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...man-movie-in-the-works-james-gunn-1235282481/
____________________________________________________
Update: December 7, 2022
Patty Jenkins' WONDER WOMAN 3 Not Moving Forward; BLACK ADAM 2 Is Unlikely; Jason Momoa Possibly to Play Lobo
Call it DC Rebirth or DC: Genesis. Maybe call it Identity Crisis or Flashpoint. These titles of past DC comics event series aptly describe the state of Warner Bros.’ DC movies, which are on the cusp of a new era but not before a potentially messy transition period.
A cleaning of the slate is common when a new executive team is put in place to run a studio or division but there is likely little precedent for the amount of Clorox James Gunn and Peter Safran could spray as they prepare to launch DC Studios and guide superhero movies for the next half decade and beyond.
The duo in recent days flew back to Los Angeles from the snowy city of Aspen, Colorado, where they were huddled in deep planning, and now like holy figures coming down from the mountaintop, have sets of commandments or a DC Bible in hand. Or at least a working blueprint.
Gunn and Safran are expected to meet next week with David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO who is radically reshaping the media company and who hired the duo in October to lead a newly launched film and TV division. The pair will unveil to Zaslav a plan that is expected to lay out their vision. Although much of their plan, which insiders paint as still a work-in-progress and one that has yet to be approved, is being kept deep in the Batcave, details of several possible paths forward are trickling out. And at least one path not being taken has also been revealed.
Multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 is not moving forward and is considered dead in its current incarnation.
Sources say that Jenkins recently submitted her treatment, co-written with Geoff Johns, and that Gunn and Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, broke the news to the filmmaker, telling her the project — as it stood — did not fit in with the new (but still unfolding) plans. Jenkins directed and co-wrote the previous two movies, starring Gal Gadot and released in 2017 and 2020. No decision has been made about next steps.
And while costs are not a factor — insiders say that DC Studios will not have any overburdensome financial restrictions — the studio could end up saving tens of millions of dollars by not making the third installment. Gadot, according to sources, was on track for a $20 million payday for Wonder Woman 3 while Jenkins would have received $12 million. Those figures don’t include any possible backend bonuses.
It is unclear how any future Wonder Woman movie, and Gadot’s portrayal of the hero, would fit into the new DC plan. In a bit of head-scratching timing, Gadot tweeted out of the blue a thank you to fans on Tuesday, saying she was grateful to be allowed to play the heroine and role model, adding, “Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you.” It was unclear whether or not the actress knew the project was being toe-tagged.
The rest of the DC slate remains in flux, or at least being kept deep in a pocket of Gunn’s own utility belt but there are several rumors and possible scenarios to consider ahead of next week’s meeting.
Also unlikely is a sequel to Black Adam. Despite the hype surrounding the movie of launching a new corner of DC, a lot of it led by star Dwayne Johnson, the movie has only grossed $385 million worldwide and insiders at the studio say the movie, which cost more than $190 million to produce (two sources peg the actual cost at $230 million, not including marketing), will be lucky to break even, even considering ancillary revenue. Even if the movie does eke out a minimal profit, any follow-up’s inherent rising costs dim the prospect of a sequel.
Johnson hoped to carve out his own piece of the DC pie, but multiple sources say his playing up of a returning Cavill and his own involvement with DC may not be endearing him to the new management. Johnson and Cavill are both managed by Dany Garcia, who is also Johnson’s producing partner. The perception of Adam turning a profit or not is a conflagration now being waged in public, with Johnson tweeting the movie would net over $50 million after a Variety story said the movie would lose over $50 million theatrically.
Momoa, meanwhile, could emerge as a pivotal figure into the new plans, according to several sources. In one scenario, the actor would wrap up his days as underwater hero Arthur Curry with Lost City, due out Dec. 25, 2023, which would be the final movie released that was made by the previous regime. But it would not spell the end of the actor’s involvement with DC, with sources saying the actor would lead another movie or franchise. The character of Lobo, a foul-mouthed cigar-chomping intergalactic bounty hunter, has been mentioned in connection with Momoa.
Whether or not Momoa does play everybody’s favorite bastich, Lobo emerging as a rising character early on in the conversation may point to the kinds of characters the Gunn-Safran team may be focusing on. The character is an outsider, an anti-hero, and is keeping in line with Gunn’s specialty of taking the off-beat and quirky and flipping it into crowd-pleasing fare.
Observers are convinced the plan calls for an interconnected story universe and there is rumblings of the establishment of a creative brain trust. The brain trust may be already rolling in some capacity as sources say that Safran had in recent weeks been meeting with writers at his Los Angeles home in an effort to hone the presentation, gathering feedback and ideas for the plan.
One part that the Gunn-Safran agenda seems likely not to touch, at least for now, is the Matt Reeves Batman universe in which Robert Pattinson dons the cowl of the Caped Crusader. Reeves is writing the sequel to The Batman, which opened in March 4. The filmmaker is also overseeing the launch of two Batman series that spin out of his movie, including The Penguin.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...an-3-not-moving-forward-dc-movies-1235276804/
