It seems Doug Liman is itching to make a superhero movie. For a while, he was attached to “Gambit” starring Channing Tatum over at 20th Century Fox, but with that movie delayed as they reconfigure the project, and “get it right,” Liman has moved onto other things. He’s got the Tom Cruise-starring “American Made” in the can, and this summer he quietly shot the thriller “The Wall” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, which is now in post-production. Now, Warner Bros. has snared him for a long brewing gig.
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Variety reports that Liman will helm “Dark Universe,” which is the new name for “Justice League Dark,” with Scott Rudin on board to produce. Guillermo del Toro had originally been slated to helm the movie, which is basically a “Suicide Squad“-esque group of antiheroes of sorts, though with a more supernatural bent. Det. John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna, and Etrigan the Demon will be part of the crew assembled here, with the movie, for now, using del Toro’s draft, but given Warner Bros. strategy of throwing a half dozen writers at everything, I will not be surprised if they put someone else on it, especially considering “Dark Universe” is now expected to play a “major role” in the DC Cinematic series. Del Toro had previously stated his vision of the movie took place in a “different universe.”
No word yet on where in WB’s timeline this movie will fit, given there are still planned out with pictures through 2020. But if that “Cyborg” movie still happens, I’ll eat my hat. However, if you need a taste of “Justice League Dark” sooner rather than later, WB’s animated division is releasing a standalone picture this fall on home video.
