HOWEVER... if this means Affleck is getting somewhat territorial over the script by bringing in his Argo writer, that may not be a bad thing. Maybe he'll take over directing too...

that...is pretty big news.

director would be huge news. and that's never happening.

...right? lol

also, i have friends also jumping ship at CAA. wtf is going on over there?

How about this? Affleck & Terrio get the script across the finish line, then Affleck directs the drama while Snyder is relegated to directing action-only?

Simple, you know people at CAA?

And what do you mean they are jumping ship?

Yeah i do (and theyre not low level). Just seems like there's a lot of shakeup over there. And not just clients, which can be fairly common. TC might know more. It just seems like a few key people are leaving, and WM and a few smallies are scooping them up

Might need to find an excuse to business trip to century city.

[This message has been edited by simplebay (edited 12/18/2013 4:18p).]

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More confirmation this whole endeavor isn't going so well. Goyer out, Oscar-winning Argo writer Chris Terrio brought in to rewrite.

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Isn't that a good thing? I like Goyer for the storylines he's been attached to, but wouldn't bringing in a new writer mean it's more of a need to fix up some of the dialogue rather than the plot (maybe minor plot tweeks)?

And Joaquin Phoenix as a baddie again... sweet - his portrayal of the emperor in Gladiator is one of my favorite villains.

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TC might know more.

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Most of my friends in the business work in production offices / at the studios. I'm not that connected to the agency world. I worked at ICM for one day back in '05 and hated the culture there so much I literally picked up my bag and walked out at 3 PM without saying a word.

There are obviously a lot of great agents/agencies in LA, and it can be a fun/chill environment, but there is no worse job in Hollywood than being an assistant to a power-hungry, d*ckhead agent at one of the top agencies. Entourage is no exaggeration in that regard. Have steered clear of that world ever since.

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Isn't that a good thing?

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It should be, yes. I meant that it was a sign that things had been going bad up until that point. Though, it's only a final production draft, meaning it's basically a last-minute polish. In reality, this project is likely beyond saving.

[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 12/18/2013 4:42p).]

At least my expectations will be low going in.

that article seems to imply Goyer isn't out as much as he is "done." i dont know, that's not normally how these things work i thought, its not like ok bye now we're having someone touch it up. it's more like, we're moving them on, you off. or we're doing this, and still giving you credit, which will piss you off.

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never happening

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Not so fast...

http://www.slashfilm.com/joaquin-phoenix-offered-villain-role-in-batman-vs-superman/

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that article seems to imply Goyer isn't out as much as he is "done." i dont know, that's not normally how these things work i thought, its not like ok bye now we're having someone touch it up. it's more like, we're moving them on, you off. or we're doing this, and still giving you credit, which will piss you off.

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The more I've read, the more I think he's just genuinely too busy to do a final pass before they start shooting in a few weeks. The guy has a TON of projects going. So Affleck probably just brought Terrio on to finish the job.

if that happens, great move. JP never phones in a role. and is mostly fantastic in everything

More and more this seems like it's gonna become a Batman movie with Superman as a supporting character, than a true Man of Steel sequel.

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I worked at ICM for one day back in '05 and hated the culture there so much I literally picked up my bag and walked out at 3 PM without saying a word.

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Can you elaborate on this? I am very curious what those places are like. What made you hate it? Do the higher ups just abuse their employees a-la Ari Gold?

Batman

not to detract from thread, but to:

it wasn't all about agents at CAA in particular. it was one of the premier marketing destinations. they have teams dedicated to marketing products for larger companies (for example one of the people i know came up with the polar bears campaign for Coke).

although the premise is the same, the day to day life/movie politics and culture were not nearly as they are made out to be at CAA. i say were, because maybe it is turning more that way. from what i understand WM was more cutthroat and stabby mcbacks. however i've been out of the central loop for several years.

also to get it back on track, celebs pic their fave superhero-

http://batman-news.com/2013/12/18/batman-vs-superman-celebrities-choose-favorite-hero-video/

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Can you elaborate on this? I am very curious what those places are like. What made you hate it? Do the higher ups just abuse their employees a-la Ari Gold?

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The whole Ari Gold thing is obviously an exaggeration... but actually not far from my experience. That world is just so insanely competitive and entitled that it brings out the worst in people. I was obviously a part of it for only a few hours, so I can't comment on what it's like in general, but I will say that ICM, at that point, was notoriously one of the worst of the big agencies. Maybe not in terms of clients, but at least internally, when it came to culture. So my experience is somewhat skewed. I knew that going in, but I thought, "How bad could it be?"

Basically, I was supposed to train for two weeks under an assistant for one of the bigger agents at the company, then take over for said assistant at the end of that two week period. A friend of mine had the same position a year prior and set me up there, he survived, so I was all set to take the plunge.

Anyway, I show up for my first day and they immediately put me on a different desk, under a different agent, because his assistant had called in sick last-minute. So, some snotty HR woman sits me down at the empty assistant's desk and, without any training whatsoever, just leaves me there as if I have any ******* clue what's going on. Next thing I know the phone's ringing and it's my "boss" - an agent I hadn't even met yet - who was "out of town" that day. He's immediately pissed that some newby is handling his calls and starts asking me for all kinds of names and numbers of clients, contacts, etc. I hadn't even had a chance to turn on the damn computer yet. Never mind not knowing what program I'd use to find all this info in the first place. So he literally cusses me out and says he's calling back in five minutes and I better have all the info ready.

At this point I politely ask the girl in the cubicle next to me for some quick help. And to this day, I'll never forget the look on her face when I did. As if I had asked her to sleep with me, first sentence out of my mouth. She literally ignored me in the most disgusted way possible, so I asked again, explaining the situation, emphasizing that I have no idea what I'm doing. Finally, in a huff, she comes over and shows me which programs to use.

So, within five minutes, I had a pretty good idea of the culture there, which was one mainly based on fear. Where the majority of assistants are all super-competitive and hardly talk to each other, while most of the agents I overheard were just complete and utter assh*les. This was just a day or two after Katrina and a couple of agents were actually making fun of all the victims who lost their homes. It was just ******bag central all the way.

Anyway, long story short, I got b*tched out over the phone at least three more times before lunch. Then, around one that afternoon, the agent called again and told me to grab a box out of his office and bring it down to the curb. The guy was actually IN TOWN but had been lying to ICM - and me - saying he was out of town. I figure I could finally at least talk to the guy face-to-face and explain the situation better, but once I got downstairs, the assh*ole didn't even make eye contact with me. He just told me to put the box in his back seat and then drove off without saying another word.

He called back a couple hours later to ask for some client's cell number, and when I told him it legitimately wasn't listed in his rolodex (not even the b*tchy girl in the cubicle next to me could find it), he flew off the handle and just let me have it ten-fold. I've played organized football my entire life, so I have no problem with grown men yelling at me. But when it's for things that are completely out of my control, I draw the line. I had already decided this place wasn't for me, but I let him finish, then said, simply, "You know what, Alan? **** you." I then hung up the phone, grabbed my bag and walked out.

I can understand the guy being upset that they put some newby on his desk without any training. I get that. But he acted so incredibly childish about the whole thing, and I just had no desire to deal with people like that and try and "earn" respect from people I didn't respect myself. There's no one way to "make it" in the industry, so people suggest putting in a year at an agency, putting in a year at a production company, etc. in order learn as much as possible and find your footing. I had already done the whole production company thing, but what I didn't realize is that track is mainly for people who have no idea what they want to do in this business. I wanted to WRITE. And no agency job was going to make me a better writer, or give me the time I needed to do so. Yes, you can potentially gather a ton of contacts via agencies, but contacts were the last thing I needed. Plenty of my friends are in positions to make things happen. So I decided then and there to try and do this my way.

Not too long after that, a friend randomly hooked me up with a job working in fashion photography. A month later I was hanging out with supermodels, had plenty of time to write, and eventually found myself in the position I am now, working on a project I think has a legit shot at getting bought/made. So we'll see. Point is, leaving ICM at 3 PM that day was the best decision I ever made. Hopefully my next agency experience will be much better, and as a client this time.


[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 12/19/2013 4:49p).]

Wow dude, that sounds terrible. Good on you for leaving and for cussing out your ******* boss.

Also, I couldn't help but picture Ari throughout that whole story.

[This message has been edited by Brian Earl Spilner (edited 12/19/2013 3:07p).]

Agents are dewsh bags

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And Joaquin Phoenix as a baddie again... sweet - his portrayal of the emperor in Gladiator is one of my favorite villains.

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I have never loved hating a character more.

And great story TCTTS, it really does seem pretty Entourage-like. I was just picturing poor Lloyd getting yelled at

A lot of good nuggets from a new Batman-on-Film mailbag, a site that's been around since before the Nolan days. Jett (the owner - a guy from Texas) is super-legit, with a ton of good sources (even if his site design/layout is beyond confusing), so you can take this info to the bank...

http://www.batman-on-film.com/BOF-Mailbag_1-1-14.html

The highlights:


“Is Lex Luthor in BvS? Who is the other 'Superman villain' you've been hinting at?”

JETT SAYS: Yes. And sorry, I'm not at liberty to reveal the ID of the other villain at this time...but the character is highly rumored to be in the film.


“Is Jason Momoa Martian Manhunter in BvS? Or maybe Aquaman?”

JETT SAYS: Nope and nope. Neither of those characters are in this film.


“How big of a role do you think Wonder Woman will be in BvS?”

JETT SAYS: Personally, I’d say it’ll be about on par with Scarlett Johansson’s first appearance as Black Widow in IRON MAN 2. I believe that it’s a cameo-plus type of role that will (hopefully) serve as a springboard to a solo Wonder Woman movie. With all that said, I’d bet a year’s pay – in MONOPOLY money, of course – that the “Amazons” of this cinematic DCU will be descendants of those “ancient Kryptonians” who attempted to set up Kryptonian outposts throughout spacedom thousands and thousands of years ago. Furthermore, I say that Wonder Woman will be powered-down, if you will, relative to Superman because these Amazons have evolved and adapted to living on Earth for hundreds of centuries. And since Kryptonians are produced without any “He’n and She’n” – Jor El and Lara excluded – couldn’t this original Kryptonian on Earth have used this reproductive science to create an all-female race? I say yes!

(^ If true, that's actually a pretty genius move, IMO. Gives WW more of a bond with Supes, plus, it ties the world together in a way that offers a "believable" explanation for her - and her people's - powers.)


“When are we going to get a look at Ben Affleck in costume as Batman?”

JETT SAYS: Well, it’s now 2014 and principle photography will commence here shortly. I suspect Warner Bros. will release a publicity still of Batfleck right about the time filming begins to lessen the blow of bootleg set spy-pics. In other words…REALLY SOON!


“Do you think BvS is too crowded? Could it collapse under its own weight?”

JETT SAYS: I’ve learned not to assume a film is “crowded” based on the number of characters included. Was THE DARK KNIGHT or THE DARK KNIGHT RISES too crowded? I’ve been told that BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN – or whatever it ends up being titled – is truly a Superman film. The film’s bad guys are Superman villains and Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel/Clark Kent is the main character. Of course, Batfleck will play a major role in the movie; but I suspect that one of the main reasons for Batman’s inclusion is to establish a new “DCU on Film Batman” and set up future solo Bat-flicks. Same goes for Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman – though I think her role is much smaller than BA’s Batman.


“Jett, are we being misled about this film? Is BvS really a Justice League movie?”

JETT SAYS: Based on all my intel…NOPE. It’s a Superman film – a Superman film that just so happens to include Batman and Wonder Woman – but a Superman film nonetheless.


“What do you think of this new Batman on film using Batbots and Batdrones, as well as wearing a suit of Iron Man-like armor in BvS? Do you think they’re trying to ‘rip off” the IRON MAN films in the eyes of the average movie goer?”

JETT SAYS: Batbots and Batdrones? I’m all for it! We all know that Batman has a long history of really cool toys – included armored suits – in the comics and in animation, so I don’t think they’re “ripping off” anything.


“Do you think that Superman will ever get a proper sequel now that Warner Bros. has hijacked the series simply to set up a Justice League film?”

JETT SAYS: Well, as I said, BvS is first and foremost a Superman film. However, I totally get where you are coming from. To answer your question, yes, I believe that we’ll see a Superman film in the near future that doesn’t include any on DC superheroes.


“Do you think Ben Affleck will take over the solo Batman film franchise after BvS?”

JETT SAYS: Yes (and my fingers and toes are crossed).


“Jett, how many films do you think Ben Affleck will suit up as Batman for Warner Bros.?”

JETT SAYS: Hmm…good question. Well, I don’t think he’ll play Batman forever (pun kinda intended). If I had to guess, I’d say 5: BvS, 3 solo Batman films, and another DC team-up movie.


“What do you think Batfleck’s Batman is being based on (from the comics)?”

JETT SAYS: Characterization-wise, a healthy amount of DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, a bit of KINGDOM COME, and just a dash of BATMAN BEYOND.


“Are any Bat-villains being included in BvS?”

JETT SAYS” From what I’ve been told, the answer to that question is NO.


“Do you think the title (of BvS) could end up being ‘MAN OF STEEL: SOME KIND OF SUBTITLE’?”

JETT SAYS: I think there’s a very strong chance of that happening – mainly to tell people, “Hey this is a Superman film!”


“Do you think it would be a good idea for this Batman to be at a crossroads because of what happened before the events of MAN OF STEEL? Thus, creating a need for prequels and not having to deal with an old Batman following BvS?”

JETT SAYS: If you’re asking me if I think the next Batman solo films might be set before the events of MAN OF STEEL and/or include flashbacks and a non-linear storyline, then my answer is yes, absolutely.


“Do you think that Batman’s suit could be totally CGI in BvS?”

JETT SAYS: Great Scott! I certainly hope not! No, I don’t think Batfleck will sport a CGI Batsuit – though some aspects of the Bat-armor suit could be CGI.


[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 1/6/2014 12:16p).]

I personally can't see Gal Gadot as wonder woman......

Amazons descended from Kryptonians? No actual mythology? God ****ing dammit WB, how could you possibly **** up the one single MOST important aspect of Wonder Woman? Seriously, what the ****? She's not ****ing Kryptonian. Make her like Thor if need be, but holy **** that is a terrible decision.

Why does every damn thing have to be based on Superman or Batman mythos in the movies? Does the WB really have that little faith in any of the other DC properties? I guess the next news we will hear is that the Flash is a Kryptonian who lost all abilities but speed, Aquaman is just a guy who lives underwater and his abilities were paid for by Wayne Tech genetic engineering, Cyborg is a function of Wayne Tech and Kryponian technology, and Martian Manhunter is actually a Kryptonian whose DNA got messed up and scrambled with Red Sun radiation or some other stupid bull****.

This movie is going to be a disaster, they are destroying everything unique about the characters. If that is true then it's easily the worst decision yet.

terrible

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Does the WB really have that little faith in any of the other DC properties?

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My guess is after Green Lantern, probably. (I liked it, fwiw)

Vander -

Not defending this movie AT ALL - it's definitely going to suck - but the WW take, if true, works for me. It's more believable to me if there's an explanation for a group of super-powered Amazon women to exist on Earth, rather than them just happening to develop super-powers all on their own. Besides, we're potentially talking about only one or two Kryptonians simply being nothing more than a seed for the Amazon women thousands, if not hundreds-of-thousands of years ago.

I don't know a thing about WW. Nor do I really care. The whole Amazon woman-colony concept sounds crazy/dumb to begin with. So I guess I just like the idea of kind of tying it all together, if only very, very loosely. Either way, getting upset over it seems insane. It's Wonder Woman - a character with a magic, golden lasso and an invisible jet - in a piece-of-sh*t, doomed-from-the-beginning $uperhero movie. Does it really matter?

[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 1/6/2014 2:19p).]

Agreed with TCTTS that Jett's proposed backstory on Wonder Woman is a pretty solid one. I know nothing about WW, most movie-goers know nothing about WW, but to make that connection will be a good "ah-hah" moment and create a strong (and likely much-needed) connection between WW and Superman.

Of course, this movie will still likely blow chunks for other reasons.

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I know nothing about WW, most movie-goers know nothing about WW, but to make that connection will be a good "ah-hah" moment and create a strong (and likely much-needed) connection between WW and Superman.

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This.