Wonder Woman 1984 being released at theaters and HBO Max on same day

[Thomas Veil]

Yeah, I've heard that Warner is not interested in less profitable businesses like comic book publication--never mind that they are the bread and butter that gave us the movies and TV series.

This news, however, is incredible. I never saw this coming. (And I still think things might go back to normal when Covid is less of a threat.) Bottom line for now, though, is this is the only way Warner stops postponing its movie releases and starts making money again.

It's got to leave theater owners ambivalent, however. Obviously they lose their exclusive window, but at least they'll have something to show again. OTOH right now Covid is raging in my state (and probably yours) and people are being strongly urged to just stay the fuck home. Right now I don't see many people going to theaters if they can get the same product on TV.

...With the boom in films never translating to a boom in their source material, a drive began this year to move away. You can expect fewer books at first, using arguments about diversity tanking sales ( as opposed to sub par product ), followed by a move to digital, then collecting that digital material into trade paperbacks for the struggling book store market.

I think you're probably spot-on with that evaluation.

 

[Alli]

And NOW, it won't be alone

Caught that on social media earlier today. Made me do the happy dance. I hate going to the theater. I would gladly pay more for HBO if they guaranteed release to stream at the same time as to theaters.

 

[Thomas Veil]

The thing is, even if it's only digital, the comic book industry needs to live on because it's those writers who have given us the basis for so much of what we've seen on the screen: the Riddler, the Court of Owls, Ra's al Ghul, Doomsday, Darkseid, etc. The Batman movies relied heavily on the comics for inspiration. Gotham lifted (and did their own take on) all kinds of Batman stuff, such as Gotham City being all but destroyed and isolated from the mainland.

Make no mistake, some film writers have done wonderful things elaborating on rather sparse comic book origins (e.g., Wonder Woman). But even the upcoming Batman movie sounds a lot like the 1980s "dark detective".

 

[Edd]

Very disappointed in the new WW film. Whew, it was bad!

 

[Alli]

Very disappointed in the new WW film. Whew, it was bad!

It wasn't that bad. It did have that one cute scene mirroring the original in the clothing shop.

 

[leekohler2]

Very disappointed in the new WW film. Whew, it was bad!

It dragged in the middle, but overall I enjoyed it.

 

[User.45]

Caught that on social media earlier today. Made me do the happy dance. I hate going to the theater. I would gladly pay more for HBO if they guaranteed release to stream at the same time as to theaters.

To me this release just reiterated one thing:
I don't care to spend the time or effort it takes to watch a "fresh" comic book adaptation even if it is "free" and 2 clicks away on my couch.

 

[Eric]

Very disappointed in the new WW film. Whew, it was bad!

My thoughts too and I was careful to watch before the reviews came out. The story was too far fetched and disconnected from the first one that it made little sense, why did they go into a completely different childhood for Diana like that? By the two hour mark it just got so embarrassing and over the top that it was hard to finish. The action scenes were so cheesy that we did more laughing than anything.

The first one was fantastic and had a much more compelling story, I would encourage anyone to watch (or watch again) but this sequel was just terrible.

Just my .02

 

[JayMysteri0]

The thing is, even if it's only digital, the comic book industry needs to live on because it's those writers who have given us the basis for so much of what we've seen on the screen: the Riddler, the Court of Owls, Ra's al Ghul, Doomsday, Darkseid, etc. The Batman movies relied heavily on the comics for inspiration. Gotham lifted (and did their own take on) all kinds of Batman stuff, such as Gotham City being all but destroyed and isolated from the mainland.

Make no mistake, some film writers have done wonderful things elaborating on rather sparse comic book origins (e.g., Wonder Woman). But even the upcoming Batman movie sounds a lot like the 1980s "dark detective".

With the new ATT management it's seen as 'bean counters' first, how those beans were gathered 10th or 12th. Physical printing is a cost loss that's done out tradition. At least graphic novels CAN make money, which usually does better at book store chains or online retailers. Independent comic stores are just not financially reasonable consideration for the short sighted make a buck/save a buck now executives.

The comic book industry is an arcane industry that was on the verge of dying a few decades, so like some literary trope it of course comes back raging in another form which is movies. Unfortunately the movies success has done absolutely NOTHING for comic book sales. Comic books are just farm for tilling ideas inexpensively to be exploited for great profit later. When a larger industry is all about making more money this year over last year gets involved, you can't expect things to end well.

WIth the pivot to digital releases and NOT telling the people who's products you decided to pivot, you're telling everyone that the company's profit matter most and everything else last. It's the new model for the company. They better hope this short sightedness doesn't end the same way it did last time when the concern for themselves over anyone else.

 

[Edd]

My thoughts too and I was careful to watch before the reviews came out. The story was too far fetched and disconnected from the first one that it made little sense, why did they go into a completely different childhood for Diana like that? By the two hour mark it just got so embarrassing and over the top that it was hard to finish. The action scenes were so cheesy that we did more laughing than anything.

The first one was fantastic and had a much more compelling story, I would encourage anyone to watch (or watch again) but this sequel was just terrible.

Just my .02

I’m speculating that how the film turned out is a big reason they released it direct to HBO. They know it’s a dud. My expectations were in check, too.

 

[Eric]

I’m speculating that how the film turned out is a big reason they released it direct to HBO. They know it’s a dud. My expectations were in check, too.

I was wondering about this too, they usually know ahead of time. However, they did the same with Mulan and it was really good (IMO) but they actually still charged their subscribers a pretty high price for it in addition to their monthly fee as to where HBO did not.

 

[Thomas Veil]

It wasn't perfect, but I found a lot to like about it. It was only when it was over and it went back to the HBOMax menu that my wife read the copy that said it was 2 hours and 32 minutes. Usually with films that long I end up looking at my watch, but this didn't feel like it.

As usual, the personal moments were the best ones, whether they were for humor or pathos.

A few riffs borrowed from the comics:

Spoiler: Movie AND comic book details

There were little nods to other DC characters like Simon Stagg, who is an unrepentant rich jerk in the comics but comes off more as a scam victim in this film.

Max Lord gaining powers but bleeding when he uses them--that's all from the comics. (In DC lore, Max does start out something of a con artist but does become a benevolent billionaire before turning to evil. His power, however, is that he can control minds. He takes over Superman's mind and sends him on a rampage until Diana traps Max in her lasso and asks him, "How do I stop you?" and he answers, "Kill me." Whereupon she breaks his neck to save everyone. Ironic result: she's shunned by her peers because she committed a murder.

I liked the movie. And everyone is right: the mid-credits cameo scene is absolutely perfect. I can't see how anyone could not love it.

 

[Alli]

I’m speculating that how the film turned out is a big reason they released it direct to HBO. They know it’s a dud. My expectations were in check, too.

I had that same thought.

I just felt they refused to do the right thing with the ending and have Diana kill the Mandelorian Max. Having each person give back their wish was ridiculous - not to mention the fact that not everyone DID give up their wish.

 

[JayMysteri0]

For anyone wondering about the side discussion about ATT and DC Comics 'new' approach to things, here's a small look at how they are handling things nowadays...

The Week Several DC Comics Creators Realised They Were Out Of Work

Bleeding Cool understands that this month a number of DC Comics writers and artists realised that their upcoming work for DC Comics may not be quite as

bleedingcool.com

Bleeding Cool understands that this month a number of DC Comics writers and artists realised that their upcoming work for DC Comics may not be quite as upcoming as they thought. They discovered this, in some cases, by reading the DC Comics solicitations* for March 2021. The reduction in the number of titles, as well as contracts being previously signed with creators who were meant to be working on the 5G line, have meant that a number of creators without such contracts have been jettisoned from their titles. And with editorial numbers being decimated over the last year, it seems that whoever was meant to inform such creators of the change in upcoming work may have not told everyone.

Cue a number of phone calls, email threads and even an occasional WhatsUp shout out with longtime DC creators looking for work, with a flurry of editors at Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, Boom, Dynamite and the like receiving "hey, I'm suddenly available" messages. Expect to see a few creators who are all but only known for their work at DC Comics popping up in solicitations in months to come.

It also doesn't help that while DC Comics has created more anthology titles, and titles with back up strips, the number of titles and the total page count of work being created has dropped dramatically.

In March this year, DC Comics solicited 62 new items, totalling 2,632 pages (though the amount of artwork generated is less, as this includes advertising and editorial pages) costing $281 made up of 49 $3.99 and 9 $4.99 titles

In December, DC Comics was soliciting 52 new items, totalling 2,352 pages costing $286, made up of 29 $3.99 comic book and nine $4.99 titles

In March 2021, DC Comics has solicited 39 items totalling 1,896 pages, costing $221, made up of 16 $3.99 and 12 $4.99. Dubbed "Stepping Over The Line At $4.99!"

While other publishers have also seen reductions, DC titles number have dropped by over a third in a year – and the $4.99 price point has jumped. And those creating that art have to find somewhere else to go.

Working at DC since they closed their offices in NY and moved everything to Burbank hasn't made for the most secure of times, as waves of employees who did make the move, have been slowly shedded.

But hey, in 'good' news...

‘Wonder Woman 3’ Being Fast-Tracked Following Sequel’s Current $85M WW To Date; Patty Jenkins & Gal Gadot Will Be Back

Wonder Woman 3 is being fast-tracked, Warner Bros. announced today. The news comes as the pic has amounted to $85M WW after a $16.7M domestic debut. The threequel will be written by Patty Jenkins, who is attached to direct, and starring Gal Gadot. The pic was released on HBO Max in the states...

deadline.com

Wonder Woman 3 is being fast-tracked, Warner Bros. announced today. The news comes as the pic has amounted to $85M WW after a $16.7M domestic debut.

The threequel will be written by Patty Jenkins, who is attached to direct, and starring Gal Gadot.

The pic was released on HBO Max in the states and in theaters this past weekend. The sequel was in its second weekend abroad, grossing $19.4M from 42 markets. Combined with US/Canada, WW1984 made $36.1M.

*Solicitations is a listing of work that is coming out 3 months from now. It's how store owners know how & what product to buy for their stores. So certain creators expecting to see their projects listed for March release/sales, didn't see their projects being listed at all. I.E. They didn't know they weren't working on anything, even though they might have actually been doing work on a project that isn't being done anymore.

FFS

 

[Thomas Veil]

We’re so focused on the daily chaos coming out of the White House that it’s easy to forget this kind of incompetence (or callousness?) occurs in a lot of other places as well.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Fell asleep halfway through. Rewound to about where I thought I started snoozing and it really wasn’t worth the effort. Chris Pine possessing some other guy made absolutely no sense in a sea of other things that didn’t make sense. As one reviewer put it, So “handsome man” didn’t have a life before he got possessed? No friends, family, or job?

 

[Thomas Veil]

Warner announced that the official title of what has been known thus far as “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” will be...

(long drum roll)

...”Justice League - Director’s Cut”.

Be still my beating heart.

 

[DT]

Fell asleep halfway through. Rewound to about where I thought I started snoozing and it really wasn’t worth the effort. Chris Pine possessing some other guy made absolutely no sense in a sea of other things that didn’t make sense. As one reviewer put it, So “handsome man” didn’t have a life before he got possessed? No friends, family, or job?

Ported over from the movie thread ...


WW'84 was a bit of a disappointment.

The Good:

The opening scene on Themyscira
The 45-60 minutes5 or so (including the above), the opening mall heist, though that's tonally way different, the whole 1984 thing became a silly prop gag
Gal Gadot definitely owns the role
Pine is funny/charming
Pascal is excellent, strikes the right tone
Wiig till the last 35-40 minutes
That "Oh, I can do this!" scene towards the end, beautiful (I'll even give it a pass for using, yet again, the amazing Adagio in D Minor)


The Bad:

Runtime, needs a good 30-40 minute edit
Gal Gadot when it's just 45 minutes of really nothing, she needs more plot
Wiig in the last 1/4, ugh ...
The major message issue with a movie based on a character about female empowerment, really sitting around because, need man[?]
And one spoiler-y thing, I'll be vague: given the mechanism of how Steve come back, yikes, really? You're actually kind of ... and it's not really ... WTF.

In general it just lacked the magic of the first film, didn't have the sprawling cosmic plot of the Avengers, lacked any kind of energy and fun (after the opening 45 minutes) in the entire middle hour, even the action sequence in the ME (beyond being extremely tone deaf ...) felt like it was just sandwiched in - some core character concepts seems way off, too long, boring middle section, just not a great movie.

Original I'd give a solid B+, really close to an A- (lost 1/2 a letter grade from the noisy, chaotic ending ... the "No Man's Land" sequence is as good as any scene in any comic book movie).

This one? Er, probably a C-.

 

[Thomas Veil]

...Chris Pine possessing some other guy made absolutely no sense in a sea of other things that didn’t make sense.

The moral dilemma and acting as if it didn’t matter...yes, that bothered me as it did many others.

But how it happened, in addition to Barbara’s transformation...I’m hearing a lot of confusion as to those things allegedly not making sense. Yet it’s mentioned, albeit briefly, that the artifact functions like the literary “monkey’s paw”—those wishes come with unintended, negative consequences.