A new report suggests the current Lobo script requires a staggering production budget, one that could prevent Michael Bay from directing the DC film. DC has spent over a decade trying to bring their intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, onto the big screen. And potential talent like Dwayne Johnson and Guy Ritchie haven't been able to make it happen as of yet. Recently, Deadpool director Tim Miller expressed interested in Lobo, but that, too, didn't go anywhere. Then, suddenly, a report surfaced today indicating that Michael Bay may direct Lobo.
Although Bay is certainly a divisive filmmaker, it's been a long time coming for the blockbuster auteur to helm a superhero film. Lobo has long been a hit in the comics and his various animated appearances, but cracking a film based on the foul-mouthed brawler has been more difficult. The success of movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool, however, may make Lobo's path to fruition possible. But ironically, the current iteration of the movie might actually be too expensive even for Bay (and WB).
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THR is reporting that the current Lobo script would require well over $200 million to produce. That's a staggering amount for a debut solo film, let alone for a character most moviegoers have never heard of. Adding in the likelihood of the project being R-Rated, Warner Bros. isn't keen on making the film until its price tag is lowered. And what's interesting, Bay agrees with WB, despite his penchant for big-budget fare. Of course, he's probably savvy enough to know the risk involved.
Wonder Woman scribe Jason Fuchs signed on to write Lobo's script last summer before Patty Jenkins' 2017 film hit screens. While that film performed far and above expectations, it was certainly a different beast than a Lobo movie. Fuchs appears to still be attached to the movie, and so he will be responsible for reworking the script to win over Warner Bros. and Bay.
The other big question regarding the Lobo movie, besides who would play the title character, is whether it will mark DC's first R-Rated film. Warner Bros. is open to R-Rated DC movies, so it's really just a matter of finding the right character. Given the nature of Lobo—and his lack of young fans—he seems the perfect character for a Deadpool-style action film with a R rating. And with Warner Bros. regularly reshuffling their DC film slate to see what sticks, don't be surprised if we see a Michael-Bay-helmed Lobo film before long.
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Source: THR
