Voices From Krypton

WORLD'S FINEST: Superman/Batman Movie in Development?

The website Thinkmcflythink.com (gotta love that name!) is reporting that Warner Bros., which had made note that a Justice League movie was on the table, is developing a Superman/Batman film. States the story, "The studio is also quietly developing a Batman/Superman team-up movie. Similar to Justice League, the Brothers Warner has wanted to get their two biggest superheroes on the same screen together for years. The closest it came to fruition was Batman vs. Superman with Wolfgang Peterson-directing from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker. That fell apart as we all know, but executives loved that script. In a classic case of covering your ass, what we're hearing is two separate incarnations are being tooled. One version where the World's Greatest Detective is firmly established and helps mentor an up-and-coming, fresh-faced Supes and vice versa. Essentially, they're hoping they can woo Christian Bale back into the cape-and-cowl for a fourth time and in case the Oscar-winner tells them, 'No thanks, I'm done!', they'll go for a new actor altogether. Both versions would feature Henry Cavill's Last Son of Krypton."
   Editorial Note: While an intriguing notion, any possibility of a Superman/Batman movie would be years away. At least it would seem so, given that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises hits theatres summer 2012 and Zack Snyder's Man of Steel the following summer. Still, this would be such a preferable idea to the notion of a Justice League movie; it would just be that much more realistic... if that's not too weird a word given the context.

MARVEL COMICS: Appearing at Disney's D23

Marvel and Disney have announced their plans for Marvel's presence at Disney's D23 convention — which is rumored to be part of the reason that there was such a relatively low-profile presence for Marvel Entertainment at San Diego Comic-Con.
   On Sunday, August 21, at 10:15 a.m. in the Arena, join them for Marvel: The House of Ideas, an exclusive and unprecedented experience that will take you through the evolution of Marvel from its first comic book in 1939 to its current position as one of the most important creative forces in the world. During this presentation, which will include interactive Q&A segments, you will not only get an inside glimpse of the history of Marvel and its iconic Super Heroes but also discover why Marvel truly is the House of Ideas. This session will be hosted by Joe Quesada, Marvel's Chief Creative Officer and one of the most respected and sought-after writers and artists in the entertainment industry.
   “We’re thrilled to be a part of the one-of-a-kind show that is Disney’s D23,” said Quesada. “Whether attendees are new to the world of Marvel or longtime fans, they’re going to love what we’ve planned for them!”
   Also, be sure not to miss Marvel’s own President of Production Kevin Feige as he joins some of the top names in film on Saturday, August 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the Walt Disney Studios panel to discuss Marvel Studios’ plans for 2012, including the hotly anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers!
   Tickets to D23 Expo 2011 are available at http://www.D23Expo.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for three full days of festivities. Admission is $42 for a one-day adult ticket and $32 for children 3-12. Three-day passes are $121 for adults and $91 for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission as well as early entry to each day of the D23 Expo for themselves and their guests. More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting www.D23Expo.com, as well as by following "Disney D23" on Twitter and Facebook.

AVATAR: Building the Brand

Kathy Franklin has been named President of Franchise Development at Lightstorm Entertainment. Announced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, the hire signifies Lightstorm's commitment, in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox, to building the franchise and brand of AVATAR beyond the traditional licensing and merchandising avenues.
   Cameron commented, “Anticipating the exponential growth of the Avatar universe, we looked for someone who could lead a team that will cement Avatar as a world class brand across all platforms and markets. Kathy’s experience, coupled with her drive and vision for what Avatar can be, made her the right choice.”
   Franklin is a seasoned leader with a proven record of designing and implementing industry-leading branding, growth and communications strategies. As Vice President of Global Studio Franchise Development for Disney Consumer Products, she led the strategies that drove the Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Cars and Toy Story franchises while building integrated partnerships with film, television, and online divisions of The Walt Disney Company. Before that, Franklin was Vice President of Disney Worldwide Outreach, during which she ran marketing and communications for all corporate philanthropic outreach and charitable giving. Franklin's first position at Disney was Director of Disney Learning Partnership, a philanthropy focused on supporting creative approaches to teaching and learning, which she helped launch and for which Franklin created DisneyLearning.org and executive produced "The Creative Classroom Series," an award-winning set of videos and educator guides.
   "Bringing Kathy onboard at Lightstorm further reflects the unique creative and business relationship shared by Fox and Lightstorm on the Avatar franchise," said Oren Aviv, Twentieth Century Fox's Chief Marketing Officer, and Tony Sella, Fox's Chief Creative Officer. "Jim Cameron created an amazing universe of mass appeal and we're confident that with Kathy in place, this partnership will further capitalize on the tremendous opportunities inherent in this awesome property."
   "Kathy has proven herself to be a forward thinker who possesses the ability to bring new ideas to life," said Landau. "With Kathy's leadership, in collaboration with the team and infrastructure at Fox, I'm confident our franchises will grow in innovative ways that remain consistent with the quality and themes of our films."
   "From the beginning, Jim and Jon have viewed AVATAR as a franchise whose storytelling has global reach and impact across multiple platforms. I look forward to leading this exciting new phase in the evolution of the franchise and to working with the team at Twentieth Century Fox to drive AVATAR's continued growth," said Franklin.
   Franklin will be based at Lightstorm's Santa Monica headquarters.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: Sequel Talk (Beware Spoilers!)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes has defied Hollywood's box office expectations by grossing an astounding $54 million in North America, plus another $23 million overseas. Given word of mouth on this one, it wouldn't be surprising if the grosses didn't drop all that much next weekend. Speaking of word of mouth, VFK editor Ed Gross recently chatted with Rise director Rupert Wyatt and the conversation turned to a potential sequel. One point that was made is the notion that language would likely play a much larger role in the next entry.
   "I think so," replied Wyatt. "The thing is, apes don't have a voice box -- well, actually they don't have an Adam's Apple, but they do have a voice box. Their larnyx is set far lower in their throat, hence the reason why they cannot speak. Through genetic enhancement you could elevate that. We actually had a scene, which we cut, where Caroline the veterinarian [Freida Pinto] sees that there's something different about Caesar's throat, but the trouble with that was, then the audience would say, 'Oh, I know where that's going.' So we had to be very careful and decided not to use that. But in the next film we could do that; we could see how they're taught to speak and how they evolve. That would be great."