EXCLUSIVE: JLA Snags A-List Producer; Shooting in Aus!?

Even though the Justice League movie is moving ahead at a furious pace, Warner Bros seem adamant to not even acknowledge its existence - this despite the fact that everybody and their dog knows George Miller is prepping the project and casting has commenced in the US and Canada.

From our initial casting scoop I speculated that the movie might lens in Canada due to the presence of more offices up there than in the US, however it looks like that won’t be the case.

Thanks to info sent to us, primarily from an OWF reader in the Australian film community, we’ve now got several more bits of Justice League information to share with you:-

The studio has greenlit the project as their summer 2009 tentpole. Filming for the principals will take place in Sydney from February to June 2008 – George Miller was unsurprisingly listed as director in the info we got.

Auditions are starting up down under with Nikki Barrett (Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, The Proposition) hired to handle the casting in Australia. Ronna Kress (Beowulf, The Mummy 3) will oversee the entire casting process.

Oscar-winner Barrie M. Osborne (The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix) will take on producing duties; he’ll be joined by Miller’s partner Doug Mitchell.

Things seem to be pulling sharply into focus as the weeks progress, and with Osborne they have a top A-list producer who’s ideal to make a film of this size… but it’d still be nice to hear some official word from the studio.

I find Warners’ secrecy frustrating because, after all, they are just a movie studio making a comic film and not the CIA planning to take down a terrorist cell. However there’s a myriad of DC Comics films that have crumbled in various stages of production so the they have reason to be overly cautious with this one.

25 Comments »

Now if only we can get our hands on this script Will, lol.

Seriously, is it wrong that I’m starting to get an excited feeling in my stomach about this project. Are we actually going to see the movie that we all dreamed about when we were young?

Batman and Superman in the same movie? MASSIVE superhero battles that the X-Men movies SHOULD have fulfilled but they never actually did?

Please don’t cast young models for the roles. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE

Comment by Matt Holmes | September 9, 2007

I never thought I’d see a Justice League movie, so I’m getting amped for this film. People might see this as a cash-in gimmick movie, but the talent involved gives it some major cred.

Comment by Will Reynolds | September 9, 2007

I’m afraid I’m one of them, actually I don’t mind the film going ahead but not with Batman. There is a three act movie with Nolan and I don’t want it spoilt by a JL movie. Maybe the silence from WB is telling that the movie is not going to happen just yet. Isn’t Singer sequel to Superman supposed to be the WB tentpole for 2009?

Comment by Chris | September 9, 2007

“Isn’t Singer sequel to Superman supposed to be the WB tentpole for 2009?”

I would never say never, Chris, because I’ve lost count of how many DC movies that have fallen apart… but at the moment it looks unlikely. Especially considering JLA is the one that has the greenlight and not Superman 2.

Comment by Will Reynolds | September 9, 2007

Why is nobody else reporting on this?

This seems like such a desperate move on DC’s part.

Comment by Despacio | September 10, 2007

“Why is nobody else reporting on this?”

Probably because it’s a Sunday and many of the bigger sites don’t do updates.

Comment by Peter Willis | September 10, 2007

just get Tom Welling to play Superman and you’ve got my $9

Comment by Bill | September 10, 2007

“just get Tom Welling to play Superman and you’ve got my $9″

Mine too, Bill. It’s the last piece of information I’m waiting to see confirmed so I can do cartwheels on my way to the theater.

Comment by Pat | September 10, 2007

“just get Tom Welling to play Superman and you’ve got my $9″

Yeah but then you’ve lost the $9 of everyone who hates Smallville, as they will always associate Welling as from that show in a movie like this.

This needs to feel epic. Not Smallville: The Movie.

As much as Welling makes a great Kent, I don’t think you can go with him realistically. It had to either be Brandon Routh (but Warners don’t want to do that it seems) or someone new I’m afraid.

Comment by Matt Holmes | September 10, 2007

[...] to Obsessed With Film, Oscar-winner Barrie M. Osborne (the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Matrix) is teaming with Doug [...]

Pingback by Osborne joins Justice League | September 10, 2007

[...] Obsessed With Film reveals a major-league producer on the Justice League movie, along with the apparent confirmation of George Miller (Mad Max trilogy, Babe) as director… [...]

Pingback by >> Superhero News Overload! « Filmcans | September 10, 2007

Sounds like they are in a panic. Next thing you know they might just cast PIXAR as the stupid cast. They need to fix current supeman series, and run strong with Nolan’s Batman. We dont need smallville or a no-name to do these at the same time. Just wait WB and plan it right fork up the dough get Bale and Routh and Singer and Nolan! The first comic dual directing ultimate extravaganza!!!
just my 2 cents

Comment by noodle | September 10, 2007

[...] and Barrie M. Osborne (Matrix, Lord of the Rings) to name a couple. But despite this, it looks like the movie may shoot in Australia. Perhaps they need to shoot there because that is the only country that will allow the necessary [...]

Pingback by Oof! Blog! Argh! » Justice League of America Shooting in Australia? Clearly the Terrorists Have Won. | September 10, 2007

[...] on the JLA movie 10 09 2007 Obsessedwithfilm.com reports: Even though the Justice League movie is moving ahead at a furious pace, Warner Bros seem [...]

Pingback by News on the JLA movie « The Comics Spot | September 11, 2007

what the heck are you ppls problems????a jla movie AND A SUPERMAN MOVIE AND A BATMAN MOVIE AND WHATEVER ELSE MOVIE WARNERS WANTS TO MAKE CAN ALL COEXIST AT THE SAME TIME LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THIS AINT ROCKET SCIENCE IT WONT CONFUSE SOMEONE THAT BATMAN IS IN HIS OWN MOVIE AND A TEAM JLA MOVIE YOU PPL ARE LOOKING TO MUCH INTO IT LOL!!!!!!!RELAX IT WILL HAPPEN AND FIRE SINGER OFF OF SUPERMAN HES DESTROYING THINGS!

Comment by benny | September 11, 2007

SHUT UP YOU DORK HAS IT EVER DONED ON YOU GUYS THAT THERE RUSHING IT BECAUSE OF THE STRIKE THATS SUPOSE TO HAPPEN THEY NEED TO RECAST SUPES AND BATS FOR THIS ,ROUTH SEEMS A BIT GAY THATS WHY SINGER CHOSE HIM HE WAS PROBLY SINGERS BOYTOY FOR A WHILE (WE ALL KNOW THATS WHY IAN MACKELLAN GOT THE ROLE FOR MAGNETO CAUSE TERRANCE STAMP SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT ROLE BUT ANYWHO MR STAMP DONT ROLE LIKE THAT LMAO!)AND BALE SEEMS A BIT INBREED HAVE YOU NOTICED HIS MOUTH IN BEGINS ,he talks like he got a mouth full oh #$%$&^%&$%^ LMOA!AND YES THEY NEED TO BE IN IT WHATS A JLA MOVIE WITHOUT THE WORLDS FINEST EVERYONE ELSE ON THE TEAM ARE JUST SUPPORTING CAST MEMBERS AND EYE CANDY,AND WHAT!? BATMAN GONNA BE IN HIS OWN MOVIE AND YET ANOTHER MY MIND………………..CANT SEEM………………………TO FATHOM……………………..THIS INFO….SHUTTING DOWN ……$H!* HUH WHAT WERE YA SAYIN?

Comment by LILLY | September 11, 2007

plz dont have jon stewart green lantarn in this movie i know dc wants to be all correct with things like have a certain amount of woman and the right amount of each race but come on bring on the real superheroes!

Comment by jay | September 11, 2007

Wentworth Miller as Hal Jordan!!!!
Wentworth Miller as Hal Jordan!!!”

Comment by marx | September 11, 2007

The Superman Homepage has confirmed our story… it will shoot at Fox Studios (where Superman Returns) did… not sure about that 2010 release date though:

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php

Comment by Will Reynolds | September 11, 2007

“Why is nobody else reporting on this?”

Many sites ARE reporting it, they just aren’t giving it much attention because it’s all still up in the air. Thanks for the misleading title. You make it sound like production is about to begin, but the facts as you’ve presented them clearly indicate that not a single role has been cast yet. And far from being “adamant to not even acknowledge its existence”, WB has been pretty forthcoming about everything there is to know, there just isn’t anything to know. Miller is attached, writers are attached, nothing has been written, no one has been cast. All it is is a greenlight and a tentative release date (2010, so no conflict with a Batman tentpole in 2008 or a Superman tentpole in 2009).

Comment by Thing | September 12, 2007

Misleading title?

Snags A-List producer?

Shooting in Aus?

Those both are truth.

Comment by Matt Holmes | September 12, 2007

YOU TELL HIM MATT! Hopefully miller can break out of this prison

Comment by noodle | September 13, 2007

The point is nothing has been announced by WB as of yet, these are just rumblings within the studios. I think it will happen but not until 2010 or 2011. I still think that the Superman sequel will be the WB tentpole foe 2009.

Comment by Chris | September 13, 2007

I don’t see how it can be Chris.

The movie was not on the list of movies being fast tracked before the Strike next June and Justice League movie was.

So Superman: The Man of Steel will NOT be made for a 2009 release. 2010 seems the earliest it could be made for but with it’s absence from that list it won’t be made next year.

Comment by Matt Holmes | September 15, 2007

Oh my gosh! All i want to know is the details of the auditions because i aspire to be an actor and i will travel across australia if i have to, to go to auditions. We never have anything like that here and we need heaps more of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant wait till the actual movie comes out. I will probly go and see it a million times at the movies!!!

Comment by Chelsea Teschner | October 5, 2007

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