JLA News & Discussion

Good find Olea. Money is tight in EVERY industry, if anyone in accounting got involved, I could see JLA being pushed back until ducks were lines up better.

This could mean that the release date is going to be pushed back as well, instead of having to rush things for 2009. More time to iron the script, do some re-casting (hopefully), move to a new location etc.

... and if some of us are lucky, chances are looking better regarding Welling's casting as Superman. I know wishful thinking but hey... a gal can dream

The site is coming along quite well so far with a lot of positive feedback and great suggestions from everyone. Keep spreading the word on other forums/websites. Tell your family and friends. Email the Board of Directors at Time Warner, WB, DC Comics. It's a great start, but the fight has just begun!!

- Steve

Steve,

are there any news on the JLA front? If the fight choreographer knows about it then they have already started informing people. Someone must have more info on this.....

There is stuff going on. I don't think he we was supposed to say anything. Regardless, myself and most of the entertainment world should be getting news very soon. From what I've been able to find out, any monetary issue is due to the Aussie decision. The tax break was apparently promised to financial backers. Obviously that was a dumb move if it's true. Unfortunately, Dan Lin bet his job on this project and it may have backfired big. If Justice League is delayed past July, it will be for positioning only and Superman will fly solo first in my opinion.

- Steve

It would suck if it gets delayed even longer. I was mentioning this on shh a little while ago. I do hope they can get everything solved and get filming in a few months. Either miller should just take the dam 15% he can get in Oz currently or got to Nz/Canada where they can possibly get a little bit more then 15%. I just wish all this crap would end and they start filming the dam thing. I am just plain sick of the only news coming on the film is tax rebate this tax rebate that.

^ Archangel

Thanks for the small update on JL. I really hope you all hear something soon... positive or negative.

I REALLY hope the comment about the tax break promise to financial backers is BS. In fact, I can't even imagine an intelligent investor who would be making a 6-7 (or 8) figure investment would not do their due diligence aside from what they're being told by the people they're investing in. A phone call (or internet search) would have given them the full list of requirements for the tax break as well as the ability to consult with outside (disinterested) parties about the chances that the project would qualify for such a break. Based on that, I would imagine they at worst invested $ with a ROR that would account for the possibility of the 15%-40% differential. They probably get a less favorable ROR in the 40% case and a more favorable ROR in the 15-25% case.

I'm willing to bet the farm that this is going to either go forward soon in NZ with Miller or delayed with someone else as director in Canada. They won't close the door on doing this movie for too long -- too much to gain from it if they can get the stars (pun intended) aligned.

Does anyone know what is the current status of tax rebate in Canada? What does JLA qualify for, if they move to Canada?

Any one see this:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/04/10/jason-reitman-turns-down-justice-lea...
Jason Reitman Turns Down Justice League
Posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 8:03 pm by: Peter Sciretta

Juno director Jason Reitman was also on the Howard Stern Show today and revealed that he turned down an offer to direct Justice League of America for Warner Bros. Howard’s first question was “How’s the script?”

“Good, FINE… You know, I mean. I had to sign something, they send me the script and it comes on this spy paper which cant be xeroxed,” revealed Jason Reitman. “They have a time when I have to have the script back to them and the script is fine and I could be spending…” Jason later continued: “What am I going to do with Justice League of America? So Basically I’ll make a movie that is not as good as X-Men, then I’ll be the guy who made a movie not as good as X-Men. Where just like you talking about, going to smaller stations, if I make another small movie, and it’s really good, it performs well…” “Right now I’m thought of as a particular type of director. I’ve got an oscar nomination. I’ve made two indie films that play film festivals that are considered thoughtful. I want to stay in that world, I like making those type of films.”

Reitman later let it slip that the budget for Justice League would have been $150 million.

Discuss: Would You have wanted to see a Jason Reitman directed Justice League movie? If not, who would be your dream director?

Hmm interesting they are looking at different directors huh? I wonder when he turned it down? Was this a recent turn down or a long time ago? If recent what happened to Miller?

Yea article doesnt say if it was recent or if it was before miller was picked. My guess it would have been before miller unless emi/steve or jay(hollywoodmole) have anything to say about it.

Just texted Jay. He says he can't comment on when it was. Not yet anyway. So I asked him if I should take that as in it was recent and he simply said, "Maybe. Maybe not." and proceeded to change the subject. I inquired about the budget and he eluded to $150mil being a new budget should it move because they may have lost a financial backer, but wouldn't give a straight answer. I'm getting the feeling that something happened but less than a handful of people know at the moment.

- Steve

Well thanks for your update steve, by chance whats your feelings on if reitman was the director.

Well the no comment says a lot I think. Jay is being very noncommittal. Can he tell us anything at all?

I want to hear that it is moving to Vancouver, and some of the cast is being recast. No Controna, No Hammer..pretty much can live with the rest.

I am sorry that the budget was cut to 150mil, but it could possibly with the inclusion of a certain actor be able to get more financial backing?

Just thinking and typing....makes for more questions than answers doesn't it.

My thoughts? Thank God he turned it down. That about sums it up.

Although, giving it more thought, he would probably have a great cast. Just not a great movie. And the X-Men could have been FAR FAR BETTER than they were so I don't know what the hell he's worried about. It's Marvel vs DC so it doesn't matter anyway.

If by some chance it moved to New Zealand and not to Canada, I'd want Peter Jackson to direct, Weta still doing costumes, and ILM doing FX. That's my opinion. But honestly, if the budget is $150mil now, only Michael Bay has the ability to stay with that budget and deliver an "explosive" FX heavy film. He proved it with Transformers. I think that type of film and not the crap he usually does is where he should leave his mark. And I am NOT a big fan of Michael Bay.

- Steve

Yea i hope we hear news soon too saying move to canada is official, miller is off the film and then their is some recasting(cotrona and Hammer) i have always been fine with brody, common, and gale i just cant see batman and superman in cotrona and hammer.

Well hopefully I'll get the interview I just requested today with Richard Norton. I still haven't heard anything from Welling, but I also sent questions to Gerard Christopher from Adventures of Superboy. I really want to get some interviews going on this site to give it more legitimacy in the eyes of newcomers. Not everybody knows about Emily or me.

- Steve

Might have more luck with Welling interview now with Gough/Millar out of the way. I would be interested in the Gerard Christopher interview too. That would be cool.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop Archangel.

If anybody is curious about how Common might do, his movie with Keanu Reeves, Street Kings, opens today. I'll be seeing it this weekend.

My impression about the JLA budget is that it was always supposed to be around $150M, but then they told Miller, that if he could get the 40% rebate, WB would plow that back into the budget. I think that is how the estimated budget went from $150M with Slade to ~$210M with Miller. (150M x .40 = 60M; and 60M + 150M = 210M) Now that the rebate is gone, I'm sure the budget goes back down to ~$150M.

YEa most likely and since miller has been a problem with the script rewrites and not getting them the big rebate like they thought they might finally cut him loose and get someone else on the film and get it going already.

Just texted Jay. He says he can't comment on when it was. Not yet anyway. So I asked him if I should take that as in it was recent and he simply said, "Maybe. Maybe not." and proceeded to change the subject. I inquired about the budget and he eluded to $150mil being a new budget should it move because they may have lost a financial backer, but wouldn't give a straight answer. I'm getting the feeling that something happened but less than a handful of people know at the moment

I was wondering if Reitman was one of the 3 directors as the WB's plan B that Jay was alluding to few weeks back. If I remember correctly, he said one of them is not right for this project, the second is ok and the third is the one that should have been asked from the beginning. But we never got an answer.

Good memory Olea. In my personal opinion, you're right. And I would say he wasn't right for the project. However Jay might see him as "Ok". Hopefully he'll open up a bit more soon.

- Steve

Bad news folks. Jay won't be able to help much for a while. In a way it's my fault for saying his name on Emily's blog and I feel like shit about it. Someone figured out who he was and he's in some real deep shit right now. Hopefully it will work itself out, but it's not looking good.

- Steve

I guess that answers the question of whether studios pay attention to the blogosphere.

Too bad, having an inside was fun, unfortunate to have him burned.

Bad news folks. Jay won't be able to help much for a while. In a way it's my fault for saying his name on Emily's blog and I feel like shit about it. Someone figured out who he was and he's in some real deep shit right now. Hopefully it will work itself out, but it's not looking good.

As in fired deep shit?

Oh My. But he hasn't given us any real info so far. If they read his posts, they'll just see that he's speculating like the rest and not really sharing anything important.

When you're saying, it doesn't look good, what do you mean? What have you heard? I'm not being nosy, just worried cause we pushed him hard few times.

Why didn't he apply the three basic rules for these situations: Deny, Deny, Deny!!!

I hope your friend doesn't get fired over random movie gossip. That would be horrible. Like Olea said, it's time for him to go into full denial mode: Deny, Deny, Deny! "I never even heard of the internet, let alone ever posted anything on it!" Saving his job has to be priority number one right now.

Jay's been moved lower on the totem pole, out of the loop of anything that is confidential, but that's the extent of it at this point. Apparently Emily's blog was being watched for quite some time on an anonymous tip. This pisses me off. I'm betting it was someone who came to the blog starting trouble and sticking up for Singer, but got bashed himself. Ridiculous.

I hope Warner Bros is watching this site...very closely...

The revolution is coming Mr. Horn!!

- Steve

My thoughts? Thank God he turned it down. That about sums it up.

I dunno. I dunno about the rest of you but I've always wanted to see a JLA movie where a confused Wonder Woman gets knocked up by the Flash and considers giving her baby up for adoption to Superman and Lois. Then Superman can realize he doesn't really love Lois after all and divorce her after trying to make some moves on Wonder Woman.

Hmm. Well, maybe not...

Jay's been moved lower on the totem pole, out of the loop of anything that is confidential, but that's the extent of it at this point. Apparently Emily's blog was being watched for quite some time on an anonymous tip. This pisses me off. I'm betting it was someone who came to the blog starting trouble and sticking up for Singer, but got bashed himself. Ridiculous.

It doesn't really surprise me that the blog was actually been monitored. Anyone from IESB to Superhero Hype to Counting Down knew about Emi's new blog and visiting it to see what it was all about. If they're monitoring at all any of the big sites, they would have no doubt found a link to the blog at some point.

However, he didn't disclose all that much. All the juicy stuff we wanted to know, he refused to tell us. But he did kept us going and speculating, when a lot of us were ready to give up on the movie because of the lack of any official announcement. It is getting frustrating. They might think, it's the mystery that keep s going but they're wrong. People are using this as an excuse to put the movie down and other have just given up. Period.

They're truly idiots.

So I'm guessing, we won't be seeing him back here ever again, are we? Shame....

Hope everything works out Hollywood Mole =(