Warner Bros. has had a rough few years. Enviously eyeing the MCU’s success, they decided there was no reason they couldn’t do the same with their stable of DC heroes. The end result of that experiment was the crushing critical and box office failure of Justice League. Since then, though, they’ve been steadily bouncing back.
Aquaman was a huge success and while Shazam! maybe could have made a bit more money, it was still a great movie. But the recent cherry on top of their cake is Joker. Made on a slim $55 million budget, the film has now pulled in $938 million at the box office, smashed the record for the highest-grossing R-rated movie and is widely expected to receive nods during awards season. And if you’re doing something right, why stop?
Sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us a Green Lantern show was in development, and that Jonah Hill and Mahershala Ali were both circling The Batman, before they dropped out – say that Joker has turned so many heads that Warner Bros. are actively pushing for more films in the same vein. That means more R-rated movies and more adventurous takes on classic characters. We’ve also heard that they’re now pushing for more diversity in their projects, something we’ve already seen in casting Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman in The Batman.
It’s nice to see that Warner Bros. has finally found their own groove rather than trying to emulate Marvel Studios. Plus, the promise of a wave of interesting takes on DC characters in mid-budget director-led movies tickles me pink. I’d love to see some of the more esoteric aspects of DC get the big screen treatment, too.
How about an Animal Man movie taking inspiration from Grant Morrison’s classic early 90s run, or an adaptation of the Vertigo title Shade, the Changing Man? And heck, if they’re sticking with the whole villainous thing, I’d love to see a Lex Luthor movie made with the same sensibilities as Joker as well.