Warner Bros. Discovery will have to continue its search for a “Kevin Feige” for its DC film franchise. Talks with frontrunner Dan Lin have broken down, reportedly over his commitment to his production banner Rideback and the recently launched nonprofit Rideback Rise. WBD proposed becoming a major stakeholder in those endeavors, but it sounds as though they weren’t offering enough for Lin to relinquish control over his passion projects. WBD also wanted someone in this role that would devote all of their attention to the DC films and not be distracted by outside projects.
Lin was a producer of the Lego franchise, the Sherlock Holmes flicks, and both It movies, so he has a track record of delivering hits for WB. The It movies were directed by Andy Muschietti, who has since helmed the beleaguered The Flash movie. Dan Lin was also involved with the George Miller scrapped film Justice League: Mortal, which was scuttled by the writers’ strike in 2007-08.
While Lin was the frontrunner for the job of shepherding WBD’s upcoming DC film slate, he wasn’t the only name on the new conglomerate’s list. We may hear news of another contender soon. However, WBD isn’t rushing this process. Newly installed Warner Bros. studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are seen as being capable of running the DCEU for the time being.
DC Movies Ready To Be Released With Dan Lin
Already in the can are Black Adam (set for release on October 21, 2022), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17, 2023), The Flash (June 23, 2023), Blue Beetle (August 18, 2023), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 25, 2023). Not part of the DCEU, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled for release on October 4, 2024. It is expected that Matt Reeves will also deliver more movies following The Batman which are also not set in the DCEU. One picture that is set within the DCEU is a third Patty Jenkins-helmed Wonder Woman film which still appears to be in the works, although it is still in pre-production.
During an August 4 earnings call, WBD CEO David Zaslav declared:
“We’ve done a reset. … We think we can build a much stronger, sustainable growth business out of DC. As part of that, we are going to focus on quality. We are not going to release any film before it’s ready. … DC is something we can make better.”
Stay tuned for more updates on the future of WBD’s DC film slate!
