As the movie business continues to suffer major disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Warner Bros has announced a new round of film release changes, according to a report on Deadline.
Matt Reeves' Dark Knight reboot The Batman has been delayed from June 25, 2021 to October 1 of the same year. The movie was in mid-production when worldwide lockdowns began and was forced to halt work.
The solo debut of The Flash, starring Ezra Miller has surprisingly moved up in the schedule, to fill spaces vacated by other movies. Originally planned for July 2022, Warner Bros. now has it earmarked for June 3, 2022. There's been some question of the film's fate as Miller has been in some hot water for some seemingly bad behavior caught on video this month. The report does not indicate if the plans remain for the actor to reprise the role he's played in past DCEU films.
Finally, Shazam! 2 moves from April 1, 2022 to November 4 of the same year.
The report does not discuss Wonder Woman 1984 (which has already been rescheduled to August 14 of this year), The Suicide Squad (still set for August 6, 2021), Black Adam (previously announced for December 22, 2021) or Aquaman 2 (pegged for December 16, 2022).
The Batman is the 2022 feature film adapting DC Comics' flagship character of the same name.
Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, War for the Planet of the Apes) directs the latest iteration of Batman, this time starring Robert Pattinson (Good Time, The Lighthouse) as the Dark Knight.
Warner Bros. provides this synopsis: Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál.
The movie has endured a tumultuous development effort. It was originally announced as a vehicle for writer/director/star Ben Affleck (who played the character in Batman v Superman and Justice League). A short time later Matt Reeves replaced Affleck as director. Reeves' plan was to focus the film around the Dark Knight's early years, contrasting with Affleck's portrayal as a senior superhero in the DCEU. Reeve's take was also described as "noir," and leveraging Batman's detective skills. Eventually Affleck dropped out and Pattinson was cast.
According to a press release, Reeves and Dylan Clark are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers. Reeves' behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser, his Planet of the Apes production designer, James Chinlund, editors William Hoy and Tyler Nelson, Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon, Oscar-nominated SFX supervisor Dominic Tuohy, Oscar-nominated sound mixer Stuart Wilson, Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran and costume designers Glyn Dillon and David Crossman, hair designer Zoe Tahir and Oscar-nominated makeup designer Naomi Donne.
The Flash is the 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery film spinning out of the 2017 DC Extended Universe film Justice League. It is based on the DC Comics speedster character of the same name.
Ezra Miller, who played the character in Justice League and had a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, reprises his role as the multiple versions of DCU's scarlet speedster.
According to press materials: Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no superheroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian albeit not the one he's looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The cast also includes rising star Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) as Zod, Ron Livingston (The Conjuring) as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdú (Elite) as Nora Allen, Kiersey Clemons (Zack Snyder's Justice League) as Iris West, Antje Traue (Man of Steel) as Faora and Michael Keaton (Batman) as Batman.
Andy Muschietti (It, It: Chapter Two) is attached to direct from a script by Christina Hodson (Birds Of Prey) from a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Joby Harold (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) which reportedly features a storyline that draws from the Flashpoint comics.
The film is produced by Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco. Executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Marianne Jenkins.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the 2022 New Line Cinema live-action feature film based on the DC Comics character once known as Captain Marvel who now goes by the name Shazam. It is a direct sequel to Shazam!
The film continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word SHAZAM!, is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. The movie stars returning cast members Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez and Djimon Hounso as Wizard. Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren.
Also returning are the first film's director David F. Sandberg working from a script by Henry Gayde and Chris Morgan.
The movie is produced by Peter Safran with executive producers Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns.
The film began production in May of 2021. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is slated to be released after the 2022 Black Adam which finds Dwayne Johnson (who is also a producer on the series) starring as Captain Marvel's nemesis. It's possibly the pair will meet in this sequel.
