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Do James Gunn’s constant updates about Superman Legacy seem a little odd to you? There’s a reason for that

And the reason is that the film is going to be canceled. David Corenswet will not play Superman onscreen, adding another fascinating chapter to the character’s tortured casting legacy, and Nicholas Hoult will not play Lex Luthor, another notch in that actor’s unusual streak of bad luck.

There are two reasons I think it’s going to be canceled. The first reason is that the two-pronged strikes pushed production back by months, it’s now almost 2024 and it still hasn’t started production.

April 2024 is approaching. In April, Comcast is going to announce its acquisition of Warner Bros. Studios and its integration into Universal Studios. Anything from WB that is not on camera within a matter of weeks will probably be canceled unless Universal really likes it.

Which brings me to my second reason. Donna Langley. Donna will preside over the combined studios, becoming the most important woman in Hollywood history since Lucille Ball (and eclipsing her.) Donna Langley is from Britain and has very specific tastes. Look at everything Universal has released in the past decade.

James Gunn’s hypercomedic style is so far from Donna Langley’s taste that he will not continue as the head of DC Studios (it will be a Brit; my money is on Matthew Vaughan). Donna will relaunch DC under filmmakers chosen with her sensibilities.

The problem for James Gunn is that he announced this was going to be an extended universe launching film. If this was a standalone Superman film it might survive, but he insisted on an extended universe. Donna won’t want the public to have any memory of James’s version of the DCEU once she begins building her own franchises. If a DCEU film begins shooting early next year, it would have to be released in 2026. Universal will be releasing it. They will not want to. They want a clean break.

So the film will be canceled within a couple of weeks. No reason will be given other than creative differences, but everyone will know why.

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by Anonymousreply 23December 20, 2023 6:48 PM

Superman is so bland. He's the Verdana of comic book characters.

by Anonymousreply 1December 20, 2023 3:52 PM

[quote]Donna will preside over the combined studios, becoming the most important woman in Hollywood history since Lucille Ball (and eclipsing her.)

More important than Kathleen Kennedy, even?

These are some bold predictions going into 2024, we'll see if any of this comes to pass.

by Anonymousreply 2December 20, 2023 3:53 PM

She has horrible taste!

[quote]Langley has positioned Universal as a leader in the marketplace by successfully expanding and reinvigorating its core franchises including Fast & Furious, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World, Pitch Perfect, and Illumination’s Despicable Me/Minions—the biggest animated franchise of all time —as well as Fifty Shades of Grey, Mamma Mia!, Halloween and The Purge. In 2023 alone, with an unparalleled focus on building a diverse slate portfolio, Langley led the motion picture group through the birth of new franchises, including M3GAN, Violent Night, Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, and more.

💩

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by Anonymousreply 3December 20, 2023 3:57 PM

I wish Corenswet had a bigger and rounder ass. I like the Cavillass.

by Anonymousreply 4December 20, 2023 4:05 PM

He is going to be legendary.

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by Anonymousreply 5December 20, 2023 4:08 PM

Infinitesimally more important than Kathleen Kennedy. Donna was given control of all of Universal’s film and television operations this year. Kathleen Kennedy just controls LucasFilm which is one of Disney’s many brands.

by Anonymousreply 6December 20, 2023 4:10 PM

Grew up on the Isle of Wight, ran off to L.A. where she started off as a hostess at The Roxbury on Sunset Boulevard... to this. What a story.

by Anonymousreply 7December 20, 2023 4:18 PM

Not only that r7, but adopted. Her biological father was Egyptian.

She’s already been made a Dame of the Realm.

by Anonymousreply 8December 20, 2023 4:21 PM

Oh and David Zaslav being David Zaslav, don’t be shocked if it’s canceled between Christmas and New Years. He wants the write off on this year’s books.

by Anonymousreply 9December 20, 2023 4:24 PM

Do you want to know why James Gunn announced his minor character actor brother Sean Gunn would be playing a major role, Maxwell Lord, in future DCEU films?

NOBODY ELSE WOULD AGREE TO DO IT. Everyone knows it’s going to be cancelled. James Gunn didn’t even give Sean Gunn major roles in Guardians, and suddenly he’s going to be playing a big bad? Please.

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by Anonymousreply 10December 20, 2023 4:31 PM

And you know why this casting was even announced?

Because Hoult tested for Superman. If he tested for Superman, he would still be under a test contract from before the strike. If Gunn began a new casting search for Lex Luthor, no big name would agree to it, because by November it was already quite obvious the film would not go into production before the merger.

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by Anonymousreply 11December 20, 2023 4:39 PM

r8 Yeah, I saw the adopted part in an article about her weekend place on Ojai, but didn't think it was a circumstance worth mentioning as lots of people are adopted. It's not really a hindrance you need to overcome to be successful anymore.

by Anonymousreply 12December 20, 2023 4:40 PM

I have doubts, but I could see this happening. Superman is not the box office draw that Batman or Spider-Man are, and superhero films are on the decline. The box office of the upcoming Aquaman sequel will likely play a role in determining the film's fate -- and it's not looking good for Aquaman.

Also, Zaslav is a big enough asshole to sell off WB and its properties for pennies if it gives him a better payday.

by Anonymousreply 13December 20, 2023 4:44 PM

[quote] Infinitesimally more important than Kathleen Kennedy.

So in other words, the difference in importance is so slight that it’s not even noticeable/measurable?

by Anonymousreply 14December 20, 2023 4:47 PM

[quote] through the birth of new franchises, including M3GAN,

M3GAN is a “franchise?”

The movies she peddles are mostly trash. Shame that Gunn can’t catch a break. He’s very inventive and creative — his superhero movies are the only ones that are actually mildly entertaining. Well, if they cut him loose, it’d be interesting to see what he makes that’s not superhero-ish.

by Anonymousreply 15December 20, 2023 4:52 PM

Yes M3GAN is becoming a franchise. The character is so iconic looking she’s be around forever, like Chucky.

by Anonymousreply 16December 20, 2023 5:34 PM

What makes you think Zaslav is selling WB off for pennies? Zaslav will make a fortune selling WB for a good price, and becoming a major shareholder in the combined entity. Like how the Murdochs are now some of the biggest shareholders in Disney.

by Anonymousreply 17December 20, 2023 5:37 PM

Also at the time of James Gunn’s hiring, either Variety or THR said he was only hired because he was the only one approached who was willing to do it. Nobody else wanted the job, because they knew they would be replaced when Warner Brothers was sold. He was a useful idiot.

But he’s not braindead, he knew that this film wouldn’t get made if it didn’t begin production quickly. But he wasn’t counting on the actors and writers strike to last as long as it did. If it had only lasted a couple of weeks, the film would probably be shooting right now.

by Anonymousreply 18December 20, 2023 5:43 PM

James Gunn is a moron.

by Anonymousreply 19December 20, 2023 5:46 PM

Does he think we’ve forgotten his tweets about fucking children or dressing up as a priest at a pedophile-themed party?

by Anonymousreply 20December 20, 2023 5:47 PM

[quote] Shame that Gunn can’t catch a break. He’s very inventive and creative

Said no one ever. If you really believe that then you’re a moron.

by Anonymousreply 21December 20, 2023 5:49 PM

There’s going to be a merger? When? With whom?

by Anonymousreply 22December 20, 2023 5:50 PM

Interestingly if this film is shut down it will become the fourth Superman film in 30 years to be shut down in preproduction (Tim Burton’s Superman Lives, Wolfgang Petersen’s Batman Vs Superman, and Brett Ratner’s (and then McG) Superman Flyby.

Only Burton’s got through the casting stage (Nicholas Cage); IIRC that film was also cancelled because of an upcoming merger, Time Warner’s purchase by AOL (that still makes me laugh.)

by Anonymousreply 23December 20, 2023 6:48 PM
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