Monday, September 17, 2012

Top 5 Steps to Make The Justice League Movie


In 2008, the young Marvel Studio shook the world of both films and comics a like with the announcement of The Avengers. For fours years, the idea of the Marvel Team Up would circles the likes of fandom and movie going.  The wait finally came to an end this summer was The Avengers which kicked off the summer, and  after four years of waiting, the turnout was better than anyone could of imagined. “The Avengers” has become one of the highest grossing films of all time as well as becoming one of the only times where I can officially say that I geeked out in the theater. After the dust had settled, two thought rose into my mind: the first was the impending sequel that  is on its way and the second thought was how many studios were going to jump on the Superhero team up bandwagon. Well I seem to right on both fronts as not only does The Avengers 2 have a release date, but Warner Bros has decided to form the iconic team on DC comics. After so many years at having superheroes in its arsenal, at long last Warner Bros finally plans to make a Justice League film. 

Now normally, I would be thrilled of the idea of Batman and Superman in the same film, however in this case, the idea of excitement just does not come to mind. May be it just the cynicism in me, but the idea of the Justice League’s first cinematic appearance seems as more of a counter than it is anything else. It is still early to tell where the Justice League film will go, but until more information is released, I feel there are five things that filmmakers behind this team up need to address if they want this film to be a success.

5. Don’t Ignore The Avengers:  This is one is a given and you will more about this film in this piece due to its relevance. The Avengers is the whole reason why this movie is being brought up in the first place. The people behind Justice League have a difficult task ahead of them. The Avengers set the bar for not only the concept of team ups, but superhero films in general.  Marvel Studios found a way to not only create a new kind of film, but manage to create an entirely new cinematic universe. If Justice League ever hopes to compete with Marvel’s Iconic Team, the filmmakers are going to have find a way to try something new while respecting what has already been done.

4. The Studio’s Involvement:  The characters of DC have not translated well to the big screen (with the exception of Batman). There are several factors that can play in the reason why, but there seems to be one that is always in the center: Warner Bros. Studios.  I am saying the Warner Bros is a bad film studio? No; but in the case of the superhero genre, they do tend to make a lot of mistakes, such as caring more about how good Green Lantern looks on paper oppose to the details to the film. In this case, Warner Bros best bet is to treat this film like it is something from Christopher Nolan; in other words:  the studio needs to be loosely involved. They can promote the film all they want, but when it comes to the filmmaking, leave it to the filmmakers.

3. The Proper Build-Up: In 2008 at the end of Iron Man, the road to The Avengers began. However, rather than just releasing the film as soon as they could, Marvel Studios would feature four other films about three other members to the team.  When The Avengers finally hit theaters, audiences did not need to worry about character development because most of the characters were already developed. Justice League does not seem to be following the same footsteps. Rather than building up the team, the people behind the film just seem to aiming to making this team-up film. Maybe it is a way for the filmmakers to differentiate between their Marvel counterpart, but if that is the case, then that idea could hinder the film. Fans are going to expect their favorite characters get the screen time they deserve. With no doubt that this film will feature an enormous ensemble; there are ways to make sure every character gets their time on screen, like having enough runtime or getting the right writer. However even if the film has that going for it , it is still going to be a task to have good build up, especially if there is nothing going into the movie.

2.The Right People:  To make a Justice League film requires more than interpretation. You need to have the right people.  There has already been word that the studio has been looking into big time directors to helm this superhero film, such as Ben Affleck and the Wachowskis. Though these choices may look great on paper, you have to wonder if these minds are right for a comic book movie. Once again looking towards The Avengers, no example would be greater in this issue than the man in chair: Joss Whedon.  Not only is Joss Whedon a major director in both film and television, but he has been a part of the comic world as well.  I am not saying that Warner Bros should search the globe for a Whedon clone. They just need to find someone who can understand both films and comics. A great example would be someone like Bruce W.Timm, one of the minds behind the DC Animated Universe. Whether it is a producer or director,   Justice League just needs someone who can  bring the team to life both in a cinematic sense and  in a comic book sense.

1.Creating A New Universe:  Much like the film that has been mentioned over and over again, Justice League has a chance to be something bigger. If this film is successful, then there may be a chance to not just have a sequel, but build an entire universe.  There is major opportunity here for everyone involved, but it is only going to happen if they manage to do it right; and that might be the most difficult challenge of all.

There is a lot riding on this idea from Warner Bros. Not only will the studio have to deal with the likes of The Avengers, but they have chance to create a new franchise that will keep Warner Bros’s momentum going for years to come. However, this is only if WB can build a perfect formula that will not only please moviegoers, but comic book fans as well.  Then again,if the movie does fail, than I can safely say this: well at least there is The Avengers.  


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