Many thought that the departure of director Guillermo del Toro from the project alternately known as Dark Universe or Justice League Dark which would have brought many of DC Comics’ supernatural-based superheroes together on the big screen pretty much meant the film was dead. But according to a report over at The Tracking Board, the film has a new producer in the form of Scott Rudin, who is adamant in getting the project in front of cameras next year.
Sources confirm that Rudin is moving quickly on this one, making updates to the script and approaching directors. The project is now a priority for Warner Bros., with our sources also reporting that the studio is looking to shoot the superhero team-up film in 2016.
Although del Toro left the project to concentrate on Pacific Rim 2, he still retains a producer credit.
The Tracking Board had this to say about the film’s storyline –
While the film’s plot has generally been kept under lock and key, we’re hearing that it involves a series of ancient tomes stolen by a madman hellbent on the destruction of humanity. When he learns of this, occult detective John Constantine seeks out a group of heroes that specialize in the mystic and arcane in order to save the world. Though the film’s heroes have not yet been announced, save for Constantine, Del Toro had mentioned that Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna, and Etrigan The Demon will likely make up the team.
The Tracking Board notes that this film would exist within the same shared universe that Warners established in 2013’s Man Of Steel and which will be expanded upon in next spring’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and several other upcoming films over the next few years.
Although Justice League Dark could start shooting next year at some point, Warner Brothers has yet to add it to its release schedule, so we should still consider all things as tentative.
Best case scenario would have the film debuting in 2017, with Warners already having Wonder Woman set for a June 23rd release and Justice League, Part One set for November 17th that year. Unless the film gets a further title change or reverts back to its original Dark Universe title, I don’t see the studio releasing two films with Justice League in their titles in the same year. Nor do I see them releasing this film with the Justice League Dark title after the Justice League Part One and the June 14, 2019 release of Justice League Part Two.
With the studio still developing Blue Beetle And Booster Gold, Sandman and The Legion of Superheroes films, I would bet we’re going to see a shakeup of Warner’s release schedule at some point.
