Here we go again....
I'm not going to describe everything that the DC Extended Universe has been through once again. I've told this story enough times. I even wrote an entire piece on it earlier this week, giving my thoughts on the matter and posing the idea of a new direction for the universe. But every time that it seems like we know what's going on at DC, something new comes along to screw everything up, dropping a bomb on the sense of stability at Warner Bros. So let's just jump right into it.
Remember the Joker standalone movie from director Todd Phillips and producer Martin Scorsese? The one that will be set in the 1980s and inspired by Taxi Driver? The one that has apparently no connection to the rest of the DCEU as a whole? Yeah, okay- so Warner Bros. wants Leonardo DiCaprio to star in it. As the Joker. According to The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters and Borys Kit, the studio wants the most famous actor on the planet to star in a movie that most people think is a ridiculous cash grab.
Per THR, WB is now shifting towards a different idea with these DC films- the concept that they can make high-quality films that double as potential awards contenders. They're hoping to create an alternate universe where filmmakers and talented people can make comic book movies outside of the typical confines of the genre, allowing for distinct voices to shine through. The article also notes that sources say Ben Affleck won't be the star of Matt Reeves' The Batman, but that's a whole different issue. Oh, and Jared Leto is supposedly pissed about this whole thing, complaining to his agent about the concept of multiple Jokers. But all of this is just fluff distracting from the fact that for some astonishing reason, Warner Bros. thinks that a Joker movie is worthy of the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio is the last of the movie stars. He is one of the few actors on the planet who can attract audiences based on his name alone. He turned an adaptation of a difficult classic novel into a summer blockbuster, a 3 hour-long, explicitly sexual financial comedy into a global smash, and a gory film about frontiersmen into an Oscar-winning bonanza. He has worked with Scorsese, Nolan, Tarantino. He's one of the few guys who can make anything he wants. Why the hell would he do a Joker movie? Unlike some others, I've been fairly lenient on this project so far- I think it could be interesting, and I'm all for WB allowing prestige filmmakers to put their stamp on the comic book genre. If WB and DC are committing to making movies that are similar to what Fox did with Logan, I'm all for it. But reaching for DiCaprio reeks of desperation. He doesn't need them and he doesn't need this movie- but by going after a star who is way out of their league, it shows an incredible lack of confidence in this project by WB. I'm going to give this movie the benefit of the doubt until I see something that proves me wrong. But it's getting harder and harder to defend Warner Bros. when they keep making asinine moves like this.
The DCEU will continue on November 17 with the release of Justice League.
Poster courtesy of Warner Bros.
Image: Fox/IMDB
I'm not going to describe everything that the DC Extended Universe has been through once again. I've told this story enough times. I even wrote an entire piece on it earlier this week, giving my thoughts on the matter and posing the idea of a new direction for the universe. But every time that it seems like we know what's going on at DC, something new comes along to screw everything up, dropping a bomb on the sense of stability at Warner Bros. So let's just jump right into it.
Remember the Joker standalone movie from director Todd Phillips and producer Martin Scorsese? The one that will be set in the 1980s and inspired by Taxi Driver? The one that has apparently no connection to the rest of the DCEU as a whole? Yeah, okay- so Warner Bros. wants Leonardo DiCaprio to star in it. As the Joker. According to The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters and Borys Kit, the studio wants the most famous actor on the planet to star in a movie that most people think is a ridiculous cash grab.
Per THR, WB is now shifting towards a different idea with these DC films- the concept that they can make high-quality films that double as potential awards contenders. They're hoping to create an alternate universe where filmmakers and talented people can make comic book movies outside of the typical confines of the genre, allowing for distinct voices to shine through. The article also notes that sources say Ben Affleck won't be the star of Matt Reeves' The Batman, but that's a whole different issue. Oh, and Jared Leto is supposedly pissed about this whole thing, complaining to his agent about the concept of multiple Jokers. But all of this is just fluff distracting from the fact that for some astonishing reason, Warner Bros. thinks that a Joker movie is worthy of the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio is the last of the movie stars. He is one of the few actors on the planet who can attract audiences based on his name alone. He turned an adaptation of a difficult classic novel into a summer blockbuster, a 3 hour-long, explicitly sexual financial comedy into a global smash, and a gory film about frontiersmen into an Oscar-winning bonanza. He has worked with Scorsese, Nolan, Tarantino. He's one of the few guys who can make anything he wants. Why the hell would he do a Joker movie? Unlike some others, I've been fairly lenient on this project so far- I think it could be interesting, and I'm all for WB allowing prestige filmmakers to put their stamp on the comic book genre. If WB and DC are committing to making movies that are similar to what Fox did with Logan, I'm all for it. But reaching for DiCaprio reeks of desperation. He doesn't need them and he doesn't need this movie- but by going after a star who is way out of their league, it shows an incredible lack of confidence in this project by WB. I'm going to give this movie the benefit of the doubt until I see something that proves me wrong. But it's getting harder and harder to defend Warner Bros. when they keep making asinine moves like this.
The DCEU will continue on November 17 with the release of Justice League.
Poster courtesy of Warner Bros.
Image: Fox/IMDB
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