|
Post by Lord Death Man on Nov 30, 2022 0:33:13 GMT 1
WB deserves credit for making Black Adam, but honestly, I don't think the project would have materialized without Dwayne Johnson (and Boss Logic). As much as I enjoyed the film based on it being a Dwayne Johnson superhero film, we must acknowledge that the film is far from a faithful adaptation of the character. Black Adam's pivot from villain to anti-hero was weak in the comics and catastrophic on the big screen. The movie made me realize how much Black Adam's story, when taken out of the context of the Shazam mythos, isn't compelling and probably doesn't make much sense. Black Adam was the wizard's mistake. Shazam was his remedy. There is nothing that anyone on the face of the earth can do about Black Adam, but so long as Shazam exists, the scales will always be balanced. Divorcing him from the Marvel family saga was a critical mistake. You can't tell Black Adam's story without including the Wizard and Shazam. Black Adam was old, angry, and cynical when he received his powers; Billy is the opposite of that, he embodies hope, joy, and never ending optimism. Casual fans probably did not notice or care about the omissions, but they certainly responded to the weaker storyline. Another problem with their bold move here is that they've poisoned the pond too much. For every one good DC film since 2010, there's been at least three bad ones, and audiences WILL take notice of that, especially if it's been the trend for a full freaking 12 years. I'm sure the execs at WB thought they could probably pull a Jon Favreau's Ironman and kickstart a soft reboot of the DCU with a movie about an unknown character, but unfortunately, this isn't 2008 anymore. Comic book movies in both camps already had their chance for a fresh start in the eyes of paying customers. For Marvel, Ironman was the shot in the arm needed after just two disappointments, from which the situation was still very recoverable. Black Adam is coming after a decade of non-starters movies like Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, the entire freaking DCEU except Wonder Woman, etc., middling attempts like Man of Steel, Shazam, the first Suicide Squad movie, and complete disasters like everything Snyder touched after Man of Steel with so little in the way of outright winners, how could audiences just extend Black Adam the same benefit of the doubt people gave Ironman back in 2008? And the reason Ironman had a fighting chance in 2008 was because the media landscape was still ripe for the picking and comic book movies didn't have a solidified reputation or status yet in the eyes of early 21st Century film goers. Ironman was more or less a clean slate because it could be, because thankfully, those Marvel movies from back then weren't connected. Black Adam will forever be bogged down by WB's other failures from the 2010s, marking DC films as "the bad one" in the eyes of many. The Rock should have humbled himself and let himself appear in the Shazam sequel first, because even some of the MCU's characters needed to win hearts before they could take on the box office by themselves. Agreed, especially with the Rock appearing in Shazam first. That was more than a mistake, it was a missed opportunity to organically set up a longstanding, powerful rivalry. Circling back to it now will just seem anticlimactic.
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Nov 30, 2022 0:51:01 GMT 1
Another problem with their bold move here is that they've poisoned the pond too much. For every one good DC film since 2010, there's been at least three bad ones, and audiences WILL take notice of that, especially if it's been the trend for a full freaking 12 years. I'm sure the execs at WB thought they could probably pull a Jon Favreau's Ironman and kickstart a soft reboot of the DCU with a movie about an unknown character, but unfortunately, this isn't 2008 anymore. Comic book movies in both camps already had their chance for a fresh start in the eyes of paying customers. For Marvel, Ironman was the shot in the arm needed after just two disappointments, from which the situation was still very recoverable. Black Adam is coming after a decade of non-starters movies like Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, the entire freaking DCEU except Wonder Woman, etc., middling attempts like Man of Steel, Shazam, the first Suicide Squad movie, and complete disasters like everything Snyder touched after Man of Steel with so little in the way of outright winners, how could audiences just extend Black Adam the same benefit of the doubt people gave Ironman back in 2008? And the reason Ironman had a fighting chance in 2008 was because the media landscape was still ripe for the picking and comic book movies didn't have a solidified reputation or status yet in the eyes of early 21st Century film goers. Ironman was more or less a clean slate because it could be, because thankfully, those Marvel movies from back then weren't connected. Black Adam will forever be bogged down by WB's other failures from the 2010s, marking DC films as "the bad one" in the eyes of many. The Rock should have humbled himself and let himself appear in the Shazam sequel first, because even some of the MCU's characters needed to win hearts before they could take on the box office by themselves. Agreed, especially with the Rock appearing in Shazam first. That was more than a mistake, it was a missed opportunity to organically set up a longstanding, powerful rivalry. Circling back to it now, will just seem anticlimactic. You'd think a former Wrestler would recognize the necessity for a good on-screen rivalry. The fact he had some memorable ones in the ring is part of what made his original career.
|
|
|
Post by Lord Death Man on Nov 30, 2022 1:18:29 GMT 1
Agreed, especially with the Rock appearing in Shazam first. That was more than a mistake, it was a missed opportunity to organically set up a longstanding, powerful rivalry. Circling back to it now, will just seem anticlimactic. You'd think a former Wrestler would recognize the necessity for a good on-screen rivalry. The fact he had some memorable ones in the ring is part of what made his original career. He did have a rivalry in mind; it was just with the wrong superhero. The embarrassingly low box office numbers mean Cavill's cameo did absolutely nothing for this film. Safran and Gunn inherited a mandate to continue using Cavill's Superman in more 'joyous' solo projects. They might want to walk that back. We're almost a decade from Man of Steel, and Cavill, at least for my money, has aged out of the role in a weird way. His opportunity to pull off joyous, optimistic superman might have passed.
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Nov 30, 2022 1:40:33 GMT 1
You'd think a former Wrestler would recognize the necessity for a good on-screen rivalry. The fact he had some memorable ones in the ring is part of what made his original career. He did have a rivalry in mind; it was just with the wrong superhero. The embarrassingly low box office numbers mean Cavill's cameo did absolutely nothing for this film. Safran and Gunn inherited a mandate to continue using Cavill's Superman in more 'joyous' solo projects. They might want to walk that back. We're almost a decade from Man of Steel, and Cavill, at least for my money, has aged out of the role in a weird way. His opportunity to pull off joyous, optimistic superman might have passed. Which of course means they'll be forced to try anyway, because that's what WB does. And yes, I am accounting for the change in management with that comment. I'll believe Zaslav will do any better when he does better.
|
|
|
Post by Merv on Nov 30, 2022 1:56:37 GMT 1
It was a bold move for WB to green light a 200 million + film based on a character that isn't a household name, or even a hero in the comics for that matter. Their budget for Black Adam was at least twice as large as that of Shazam and those two characters are about on the same page popularity wise, I would guess. This wasn't Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman. This wasn't even Green Lantern or Flash. They didn't even do themselves a favor by building on the potential groundwork that Shazam had set and making sure to include him in this. I'm honestly not sure how they expected this to be as profitable as they did. What it achieved was solid, and should have been the expectation. WB deserves credit for making Black Adam, but honestly, I don't think the project would have materialized without Dwayne Johnson (and Boss Logic). As much as I enjoyed the film based on it being a Dwayne Johnson superhero film, we must acknowledge that the film is far from a faithful adaptation of the character. Black Adam's pivot from villain to anti-hero was weak in the comics and catastrophic on the big screen. The movie made me realize how much Black Adam's story, when taken out of the context of the Shazam mythos, isn't compelling and probably doesn't make much sense. Black Adam was the wizard's mistake. Shazam was his remedy. There is nothing that anyone on the face of the earth can do about Black Adam, but so long as Shazam exists, the scales will always be balanced. Divorcing him from the Marvel family saga was a critical mistake. You can't tell Black Adam's story without including the Wizard and Shazam. Black Adam was old, angry, and cynical when he received his powers; Billy is the opposite of that, he embodies hope, joy, and never ending optimism. Casual fans probably did not notice or care about the omissions, but they certainly responded to the weaker storyline. That was the problem coming in. Imagine Black Adam as a Shazam villain...who can also go toe to toe with Supes...and then in a few years give him a 'face' turn. He'd be the Stone Cold Steve Austin of the DC, just kicking everyones ass. It could have been great. But they needed patience and trust...which is something WB maybe never has. It's why you get another Batman movie every 3-5 years instead of one of the THOUSANDS of other heroes in DCs universe.
|
|
|
Post by Merv on Nov 30, 2022 2:00:30 GMT 1
Agreed, especially with the Rock appearing in Shazam first. That was more than a mistake, it was a missed opportunity to organically set up a longstanding, powerful rivalry. Circling back to it now, will just seem anticlimactic. You'd think a former Wrestler would recognize the necessity for a good on-screen rivalry. The fact he had some memorable ones in the ring is part of what made his original career. Rock no doubt saw the JSA as Farooq and Superman as his Stone Cold....but Superman isn't Stone Cold, Superman is Triple H. That means Shazam is Mick Foley and Im guessing The Flash is XPac at this point because everyone just hates him.
|
|
|
Post by Lord Death Man on Dec 9, 2022 2:19:31 GMT 1
For the first time ever, I can smell what the Rock is cooking.
Desperation soufflé.
|
|
|
Post by Indiana Jones on Dec 9, 2022 19:57:57 GMT 1
It will be on streaming by December 16.
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Dec 9, 2022 21:00:18 GMT 1
For the first time ever, I can smell what the Rock is cooking. Desperation soufflé. With a touch of delusion.
|
|
|
Post by Lord Death Man on Dec 9, 2022 23:05:39 GMT 1
For the first time ever, I can smell what the Rock is cooking. Desperation soufflé. With a touch of delusion. LMAO! And a large side of crow. He and the "financiers" were slaving over a hot stove all day before they served up this turkey.
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Dec 10, 2022 0:12:46 GMT 1
With a touch of delusion. LMAO! And a large side of crow. He and the "financiers" were slaving over a hot stove all day before they served up this turkey. And this is not the kind of profits a studio wants to see. Zaslav will not be happy, especially.
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Dec 10, 2022 23:26:07 GMT 1
For the first time ever, I can smell what the Rock is cooking. Desperation soufflé.
|
|
|
Post by Merv on Dec 11, 2022 17:43:59 GMT 1
For the first time ever, I can smell what the Rock is cooking. Desperation soufflé. I always thought it was pie.
|
|
|
Post by Grandmaster on Dec 13, 2022 19:25:37 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Dec 13, 2022 23:25:27 GMT 1
Holy shit, this looks bad. So glad I skipped this. I don't even want to hear about any female characters being a Mary Sue when Black Adam is apparently invincible even by superhero standards.
|
|
|
Post by Indiana Jones on Jan 5, 2023 16:40:11 GMT 1
A recent report from Variety detailed some of the behind-the-scenes discussionn that occurred in the lead up to and aftermath of "Black Adam." In particular, before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the new co-heads of DC Studios, Johnson made a pitch to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO that would have involved a new vision for the DCU beginning with his ill-fated anti-hero flick. The report explains: Not long after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger closed in April, Dwayne Johnson directly pitched CEO David Zaslav on a multiyear plan for Black Adam and a [Henry] Cavill-led Superman in which the two properties would interweave, setting up a Superman-versus-Black Adam showdown. Producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn were also said to be part of Johnson's braintrust as the people attempting to take DC in a new direction. That didn't exactly pan out for anyone involved, it seems. The report also notes that this move ruffled feathers at the company, given that Johnson sort of went over everyone else's heads in an effort to make this happen. Yikes. Read More: www.slashfilm.com/1156737/dwayne-johnson-pitched-a-multi-year-plan-for-black-adam-to-battle-henry-cavills-superman/
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Jan 17, 2023 18:13:58 GMT 1
Has everyone gotten their DVD/Blu-Ray?
|
|
|
Post by AQUA RAPTOR! on Jan 18, 2023 5:10:34 GMT 1
A recent report from Variety detailed some of the behind-the-scenes discussionn that occurred in the lead up to and aftermath of "Black Adam." In particular, before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the new co-heads of DC Studios, Johnson made a pitch to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO that would have involved a new vision for the DCU beginning with his ill-fated anti-hero flick. The report explains: Not long after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger closed in April, Dwayne Johnson directly pitched CEO David Zaslav on a multiyear plan for Black Adam and a [Henry] Cavill-led Superman in which the two properties would interweave, setting up a Superman-versus-Black Adam showdown. Producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn were also said to be part of Johnson's braintrust as the people attempting to take DC in a new direction. That didn't exactly pan out for anyone involved, it seems. The report also notes that this move ruffled feathers at the company, given that Johnson sort of went over everyone else's heads in an effort to make this happen. Yikes. Read More: www.slashfilm.com/1156737/dwayne-johnson-pitched-a-multi-year-plan-for-black-adam-to-battle-henry-cavills-superman/Please tell me I'm not the only one getting tired of the "heroes fight each other" thing. Like, isn't that why the villains exist?
|
|
|
Post by Grandmaster on Jan 19, 2023 8:46:05 GMT 1
Has everyone gotten their DVD/Blu-Ray? No.....
|
|
|
Post by Indiana Jones on Aug 12, 2023 1:58:02 GMT 1
In a just-released clip from his Peacock show Hart to Heart, Kevin Hart asks Dwayne Johnson why, given what Hart sees as a successful opening and “an appetite from your fan base,” Black Adam didn’t get a sequel. “I think that Black Adam got caught in a vortex of new leadership,” Johnson answers, adding that it “got knocked down a bit” because of Covid-related stoppages. Johnson then moved back to issues with leadership. “It was so many changes in leadership. Anytime you have a company, a publicly-traded company, and you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who creatively, fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with, philosophically.” Last December, Johnson took to social media to relate a conversation with DC Studios co-head James Gunn that Black Adam wouldn’t be a part of the first phase of DC’s new plans. “However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters,” Johnson wrote. He then made clear, “These decisions made by James and DC leadership represent their vision of DCU through their creative lens.” That followed the much-discussed decision by then-new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to scrap the nearly-completed Batgirl film that cost that cost $60 million-$70 million. With some time between then and now, Johnson tells Hart, “I think Black Adam is one of those movies that got caught in that web of new leadership. And that will always be one of the, one of the biggest mysteries I think, not only for me and us on our end, but also throughout our business.” Black Adam per our sources didn’t lose much money — and we stick by that. Johnson says he and others wonder why, given that performance and other positives despite the headwinds the film faced, Black Adam was not included in the new DCU. “That was a question out of Wall Street, that was a question out of Hollywood: ‘Wait a minute. You had the biggest opening of your career. Sure, no China. That could have been maybe $100m, maybe 200m more dollars. You’re establishing a new superhero. You want to grow out the franchise. You bring back Superman and Henry Cavill. The world went crazy.’ And also, too, we created a diverse superhero portfolio…” Johnson seems to be at peace that he kept the main thing the main thing, even if the studio may not have done so. “As business-minded people, you and I, who are always thinking ‘audience first,’ yes we look at and respect the bottom line economically, but also when you think about opportunity and creating opportunity and creating things that are fresh for our audience – which is our number one boss – when that wasn’t looked at through that lens, it makes things a little more challenging for guys like you and I.” Johnson, as he often does, compared it to sports where a new team owner wants to put his stamp on a franchise, no matter what. “You know what it is? It’s like new ownership coming in and buying an NFL team going, “Alright. Not my head coach. Not my quarterback. Doesn’t matter how many times we won the Super Bowl. Doesn’t matter how many rings we got. I’m going with somebody else.” deadline.com/2023/08/dwayne-johnson-black-adam-sequel-vortex-of-new-leadership-warner-bros-dc-1235455563/
|
|