Doug Liman is set to helm Justice League Dark for Warner Bros. and he believes it will be a small, personal story. Warners has no shortage of projects in various stages of development with Wonder Woman and Justice League gearing up for release this year. Elsewhere, Aquaman has just started filming, but every other project is still in the development phase. This also applies to Justice League Dark, an ensemble picture that will bring together lesser known DC heroes.
The movie was originally pitched with Guillermo del Toro as the director, but once he left the project, Liman joined the expanding DCEU lineup. Since then, development has moved along slowly, but the director is now teasing a story that will help set the movie apart from other comic book movies.
Cinema Blend spoke to Liman as he promotes his upcoming film The Wall and asked him about the state of his DC film. He says the project has crafted a personal story for the characters, and especially for the leading man John Constantine.
"I think people will be surprised how character driven and how intimate Justice League Dark is -- in kind of a field of bloated comic book movies. We've found a way to do something that's actually really personal and small, and that's my goal. [My new movie] The Wall is about character. The scenario allows me to dive into what I think is... I just love people! I love putting people in crazy situations. For John Constantine, we have an amazing set-up for him for Justice League Dark that's really human."
These latest comments appear to fall in line with Liman's previous statements on his unconventional approach that will "turn the comic book genre on its head." Even though there are previous examples of character-driven pieces in comic book movies, most move eschew smaller character elements in favor of a big climactic battle. If Liman is planning Justice League Dark to be a small, self-contained story, it could prove to be a smart move if that also means a smaller budget.
The smaller setting may in part be because of Liman's interest in delving into these characters, but if the budget is a factor, it could also be to reduce spending more on a giant finale. Justice League Dark will reportedly feature a lineup of John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna, and Etrigan the Demon. None of these characters is a household name, and many would require CGI to bring them to life in a way that's concurrent with expectations with the genre. Keeping the focus on character over big action set pieces could help limit the budget and make it easier for the film to be a profitable endeavor for Warner Bros.
Next: 15 Things You Never Knew About Justice League Dark
Source: Cinema Blend
