DC/WB Films/Worlds (No Spoilers)

[achilles]

Saw an interesting article ostensibly about Scar Jo's suit against Disney, but it winds up being a much broader theme, hitting on the future of the movie business, and concluding that from a star's perspective it's going to look an awful lot like the old studio system, with huge multi-year deals with outfits like Netflix and Amazon, or HBO Max and Disney Plus. YMMV.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rangers-3b-...023457294.html

I'm guessing this sort of thing will mean streaming only for the more marginal DC properties WB tries to develop, and theatrical releases for the more major properties, (without streaming co-release).

[Badou]

The Pandemic is a big factor, but this Suicide Squad movie didn't have the Joker or Batman in it. The first one had them both in the marketing, especially the Joker. So that takes out a big chunk of your box office right there compared to the first. Then they decided to make it an R rated movie, which then eliminates the whole kid audience that is another big chunk. So you are left with the Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn, and James Gunn as brands to then sell the movie. I don't really know how big the Suicide Squad brand is on its own, it feels like WB/DC overestimates it sometimes, and given the failure of the Birds of Prey movie Harley doesn't have the box office pull some were hoping despite her character being able to sell a TON of merch. Then you have Gunn who is probably the biggest pull for many with him coming over from Marvel, but when he did Guardians and used a lot of lesser known characters Marvel had that foundation already set where audiences just wanted to see the new Marvel movie.

I imagine the HBO Max numbers will be fine for it, new releases always are on these streaming services, but while I am surprised at the lower than expected performance at the box office I guess thinking about it some more maybe it isn't that surprising.

[abetterday]

I think that the safest bet would be to make PG-P13 movies. The Suicide Squad is a hard R. A PG Cyborg movie would be ideal since he's the most popular and visible Teen Titan outside of the tv shows.

[Badou]

I think that the safest bet would be to make PG-P13 movies. The Suicide Squad is a hard R. A PG Cyborg movie would be ideal since he's the most popular and visible Teen Titan outside of the tv shows.

I think Suicide Squad is a property that fits R rated movies, but you have to really make them on a budget unless you are going to have some bigger name characters in it to help sell it. Like the Joker in the last one. Characters like Joker or Deadpool are big enough brands I think where they are so popular they can overcome an R rating, but there aren't too many characters like that I think.

Given Gunn's style I can't believe he wasn't looked at for a Teen Titans movie. That feels like something that would be right up his alley if you look at the lineup from the cartoon. Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven, but maybe that would be too similar to Guardians for him.

[Shimbo]

I saw the movie in theaters yesterday (thank you vaccination and NYC) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The only disappointing thing for me was how few people were in the theater. Maybe 15, 20 max. Including children, lol. But everyone was into it, roaring with laughter and people even clapped when a certain someone gets hit in the back of the head haha.

It's such a bummer this movie is so deeply in the red. I understand the pandemic is a huge factor, the first one burned audiences the first time, and there was no Batman, Joker, or Will Smith. But I hope that WB are assuaged with the critical acclaim and hand him a different property with perhaps a much reduced budget haha. Starro was fucking great and terrifying but I can only imagine the cost of the entire 3rd act.

[Veni]

I find it pretty weird that if a film doen't have Will Smith as one of it's stars that it will automaticaly bomb or underperform. Will Smith isn't the leading man he once was. His last 2 movies (Gemini Man and Spies in Disques (which also starred Tom Holland) were released at the end of 2019 ( before the pandemic started and everything was normal) and bombed. His only successes during the last decade were Aladdin ( only financially) , the fist Suicide Squad (only financial but overyone hates that film) and Bad Boys 3.

[Veni]

The Pandemic is a big factor, but this Suicide Squad movie didn't have the Joker or Batman in it. The first one had them both in the marketing, especially the Joker. So that takes out a big chunk of your box office right there compared to the first. Then they decided to make it an R rated movie, which then eliminates the whole kid audience that is another big chunk. So you are left with the Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn, and James Gunn as brands to then sell the movie. I don't really know how big the Suicide Squad brand is on its own, it feels like WB/DC overestimates it sometimes, and given the failure of the Birds of Prey movie Harley doesn't have the box office pull some were hoping despite her character being able to sell a TON of merch. Then you have Gunn who is probably the biggest pull for many with him coming over from Marvel, but when he did Guardians and used a lot of lesser known characters Marvel had that foundation already set where audiences just wanted to see the new Marvel movie.

I imagine the HBO Max numbers will be fine for it, new releases always are on these streaming services, but while I am surprised at the lower than expected performance at the box office I guess thinking about it some more maybe it isn't that surprising.

Joker made a billion dollars at the box office because it was a really amazing movie. Everybody loved it. People didn't go to see they movie because of The Joker , they went to see it because it was well made movie. I agree about Harley. She isn't that popular among the general audience ( unlike Deadpool). When the first Suicide Squad was released in 2016 , many young people (especially teenage girls) began dressing up as Harley because she was Joker's girlfriend and eye candy in the film. They glamorized the abusive Joker-Harley relationship and even posted pictures on social media saying it was the best/ideal relationship. Harley was always seen as a crazy pretty face by the general audience .

[Beantownbrown]

James Gunn Isn’t Done With the DC “Villain-Verse” After The Suicide Squad

[Frontier]

James Gunn Isn’t Done With the DC “Villain-Verse” After The Suicide Squad

I'm not sure the Squad counts as a villain-verse even though it's a team of villains. Like, they're forced to be good guys by default.

[I'm a Fish]

Joker made a billion dollars at the box office because it was a really amazing movie. Everybody loved it. People didn't go to see they movie because of The Joker , they went to see it because it was well made movie. I agree about Harley. She isn't that popular among the general audience ( unlike Deadpool). When the first Suicide Squad was released in 2016 , many young people (especially teenage girls) began dressing up as Harley because she was Joker's girlfriend and eye candy in the film. They glamorized the abusive Joker-Harley relationship and even posted pictures on social media saying it was the best/ideal relationship. Harley was always seen as a crazy pretty face by the general audience .

Not everybody.

(Not me, lol)

[I'm a Fish]

I'm not sure the Squad counts as a villain-verse even though it's a team of villains. Like, they're forced to be good guys by default.

Half of them where in their for stealing. Feels less like “villain” and more like “average criminal but with a gimmick”.

[Vakanai]

Plus Birds of Prey finally found an audience on VOD and HBO (it’s one the most watched movies on HBO).

It has? That's really great to hear - been a fan of that movie the day I saw it in theaters, but it got ragged on so much around here. Glad it's finally doing well, and hope this means maybe those Gotham City Sirens and BOP VS GCS follow up films they talked about back then might still happen some day.

I’m also not a Snyder fan but ZSJL was also pretty well received and not divisive. The brad is being built up, all that’s required is more connectivity, which Gunn says Hamada and WB are doing with future projects

Eh, I don't really need them to put in more connectivity. Kind of like the solo project approach they've taken since JL bombed. Just keep doing good movies and leave the connections pretty low. Just because it's a shared universe doesn't mean everyone needs to show up in big crossover pictures. MCU has done enough of that for one generation.

[Veni]

Not everybody.

(Not me, lol)

In Europe people loved it. People were discussing /analysing the movie in schools and universities here. We are more likely to watch R-rated movies than most Americans.

[Vakanai]

James Gunn Isn’t Done With the DC “Villain-Verse” After The Suicide Squad

I'm not sure "Villain-Verse" is the right word. It's a villain franchise, but it's just the Suicide Squad (and Peacemaker series). Villain-Verse kind of implies they have a bunch of non-SS villain focused films all planned and lined up, but if that were the case we'd have heard of something I think.

[Frontier]

Villain-verse sounds like a Geoff Johns idea .

Next we'll see The Rogues get their own movie instead of a Flash sequel...a Luthor film...Cheetah spinoff...Harley Quinn/Amanda Waller is the new Nick Fury...