The Green Lantern Gets A Director
Yesterday wereportedthat David Dobkin (Fred Claus) had signed on to direct a big screen adaptation ofThe Flashcomic book. Dobkin revealed that his film would be set in the same universe as theJustice League of Americamovie which is now being cast. This brought us to the conclusion that Warner Bros is hoping to quickly capitalize on the success of the superhero team-up film, with a new solo franchise. Well it now appears thatThe Flashis not the only film getting a fast track into production.
Greg Berlanti (The Broken Hearts Club) has signed on to direct a live-action big screen adaptation of The Green Lantern. Berlanti is penning the script with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green. So what else has Berlanti done? He executive produced Dirty Sexy Money, Everwood, and Brothers & Sisters. But Warner Bros is saying “Who cares if his only experience is a $1 million indie romantic comedy, he could probably handle a big screen superhero film!” Are they on crack? I was a little miffed when David Dobkin announced his Flash plans yesterday, but at least he has a filmography. Sure they were comedies, but he can make a movie, if anything, I know that. But the Berlanti is very perplexing to me.Varietysheds some light on how Berlanti may have earned this gig:
“Guggenheim, who works with Berlanti as a writer-producer on Brothers & Sisters, wrote the Marvel comicbooks Amazing Spider-Man, Wolverine and Blade. Green, the “Heroes” co-exec producer who worked with Berlanti on Everwood and Jack & Bobby, wrote the Marvel Comics title Superman/Batman and was a writer-producer on Smallville.”
Networking (Who you know) trumps talent or experience in Hollywood. Apparently, Berlanti met with DC Comics senior vice president Gregory Noveck a year ago about bringing Green Lantern to the big screen.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against Warner Bros making a Green Lantern film, or a Flash movie for that matter, I just want them to be done right. Because if a film like Daredevil teaches us anything, it is that a movie studio will only give a franchise one chance (Of course,The Incredible HulkandThe Fantastic Fourmight be the only exceptions).
The Hollywood Reporterhas the following quote from Greg:
WithThe FlashandThe Green Lanternspin-off movies in the works, it makes me seriously wonder if Warner Bros will announce that the Bryan Singer’s Superman sequel,The Man of Steel, is no more. It seems to me that the studio sees more benefit in a Superman film, which is an offshoot of the Justice League movie.
The Green Lantern character was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16, published in July 1940. The Green Lantern possesses a power ring that gives him control over the physical world as long as the wielder has sufficient willpower and strength to wield it.
