Following news that the upcoming Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace as the titular superheroine and Michael Keaton reprising the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman has been shelved following early test screenings, the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery has announced a 10-year plan in hopes of emulating Marvel Studios' success.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said:
"You look at Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman - these are brands that are known everywhere in the world," he said of some of the company's biggest characters.
Haven't DC fans (myself included) been here before with Zack Snyder?
"We have done a reset. We've restructured the business where we are going to focus, where there is going to be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC."
He added: "We believe we can build a much more sustainable business."
An estimated $70 million (£57.6 million) had already been spent making Batgirl for HBO Max. HBO Max will be merged with Discovery+ in 2023.
I suspect the streaming wars will witness rapid consolidation as consumers face a protracted recession and cost of living crisis. Apple TV+, Disney+ and Paramount+ will continue to gain ground on Netflix.
Do you think Warner Bros. Discovery will revitalise the DC brand? Do you care? Let me know in the comments below.
I think the world might be ready for a few fresh ideas. If they keep on showing the Batman origin story for the 23th time, I am not here for it. The super hero genre was born at a time before the internet, before we understood quantum physics, before we had landed on the moon and before iPhones and Social Media trolls. I think it would be nice to see if a creative mind like Favreau or Vilneuve or even Luc Besson would jump in and "reboot" the genre with today's understanding. To some extent, Iron Man has done that for Marvel, but Batman still lives in his cave and is angry about his parents murder and tries to have fisticuffs with somewhat crazy bad guys in his home town. I think it's unlikely to happen, but it would be interesting to see what they can pull off.
ReplyDeleteAll along, the company has had no strategy and now it's been forced to rethink whereas Marvel Studios continues with Phase 4, 5 and 6.
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