A new article in the Hollywood Reporter today talks about how, in the wake of the departures of Diane Nelson and Geoff Johns, Walter Hamada, the new president of DC Entertainment film production, is trying to sort things out.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...-moves-1119489

An insider claims, "He walked into a shitshow, and he's trying to clean it up"

"According to insiders, Hamada has spent months going over the projects in development, culling certain ones, elevating others, keeping an eye on the big marquee heroes while also developing lesser-known characters that could pop big."


Among items stated in the article:

- There are two potential Joker features — one to star Jared Leto, who played the character in 2016's Suicide Squad, and another, starring Joaquin Phoenix, that Todd Phillips will direct. Phillips' movie, expected to begin shooting in the fall, is budgeted at about $55 million, a fraction of most superhero pics, and may be launched under a new label that could be branded with a name like "DC Dark" or "DC Black."

- The Flash, which will finally begin production in early 2019 with Ezra Miller starring, has abandoned the somber themes it had been expected to tackle. The film now has the Game Night team of John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein on board, and it's looking to Back to the Future as a touchstone.

- Margot Robbie, who brought a manic energy to Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, figures in the female-centric Birds of Prey, a Quinn spinoff film that is moving along with Sundance filmmaker Cathy Yan attached to direct.

- a Batgirl movie, which had been in development with Joss Whedon before losing the director in February, is currently on track with Bumblebee screenwriter Christina Hodson penning a script.

- The big question mark going forward is the future of Batman. Writer-director Matt Reeves turned in the first act of a new screenplay during the Memorial Day weekend. It's said to focus on a young caped crusader, and while the studio would not comment, it's unlikely that Ben Affleck, who has played Batman in three features, will again don the cowl.

- One thing the exec will not be doing is convening a writers room, say insiders. Certain studios have taken that tack, such as Paramount and Hasbro with their toy-based properties, Universal with its monster universe, and Legendary with its creature features. “Walter is philosophically opposed to that approach," says one insider.

- Hamada and his boss Toby Emmerich, sources say, also are not looking to date upcoming titles in advance, something they're convinced has bedeviled the DC movies since 2013's Man of Steel. "Walter has a specific design for the universe," says one insider familiar with his thinking. "He has a plan."


Well, it seems this latest development gives more credence that Matt Reeves' Batman will indeed NOT feature Ben Affleck.

I just wish there were more news as to whether DC Films will be a connected universe or if that has been abandoned. It may depend on how well Aquaman and Shazam do, but even though DC does need course correcting in its film division, it would be a shame to lose the things that work like the casting. I don't see any update about a new Superman movie, and I would hate to lose Cavill. I also don't think that the audience wants yet another reboot of Superman.

I do hope that Hamada's "plans" include keeping what works and just making subtle tweaks to it to make it more palatable to the mass audience rather than throwing the past 5 movies away and starting from scratch. That would be too confusing for the general public. I think the best solution would be to keep the continuity that's been established in the 5 DCEU movies, but just change the tone.

So, what do you think of the latest news? Are you confident in Walter Hamada to steer the ship? I'm thinking that Diane Nelson's and Geoff Johns' departures were more "getting fired" than "left voluntarily." Johns has basically been put back in the role of comics writer, but with the consolation prize of being an independent Hollywood producer with a first-look deal at Warners. Even though he's set to write/produce a Green Lantern Corps movie, it seems his new status doesn't ensure that it will actually get made.