'Justice League', 'Wonder Woman', GL/The Flash Crossover in 2017; Shazam, 'Man of Steel 2' In the Works

The big news going around Hollywood today wasn't the latest tidbit of info about Star Wars: Episode VII or some new Marvel film, it was the launch of legendary news hound Nikki Finke's website, and let's just say things kicked off with a bang. After an extended screed about her time away after Deadline ran her out on a rocket sled, the site kicked off proper with what could be huge news regarding Warner Bros.' plans for the DC universe.

We already know to expect Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on May 16th 2016, but Finke reveals there will also be the forever-developing Shazam film in July of that same year, along with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sandman during Christmas. Dwayne Johnson has long been rumored for Shazam, possibly as the villain Black Adam, and one has to wonder if this is what he was talking to the studio about some months back.

The reason given for the delay in Batman v Superman is for the reason we all suspected: to give more time to develop cameos in the build for a Justice League movie, which Finke says will arrive in May 2017, followed by a Wonder Woman solo in July. But what will really have fans pumped is a crossover film starring pals The Flash and Green Lantern, arriving during the holiday season. Not that it will come as a surprise but Warner Bros. is putting Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern out to pasture and bringing in a new actor. All of this will culminate with a proper Man of Steelsequel in 2018. The oft-rumored Suicide Squad and Metal Men projects were bumped off the schedule but presumably could return at a later time.

If true this is a schedule that would have DC's heroes on screen more often than Marvel's, but Finke makes sure to note all of this is still being sorted out with hard announcements coming at Comic-Con. There's an awful lot of ambition here and if Warner Bros. gets their act together and can implement most of this, we could finally see Marvel face some real competition.

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Jack Thorne to Pen 'Sandman'; Ruben Fleischer Stays 'Overnight' for Disney; Frank Miller Wants 'Sin City 3'

* Warner Bros. has hired Brit writer Jack Thorne (How I Live Now, The Fades) pen Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman's seminal comic book series. Joseph Gordon-Levitt came on to produce and direct it just a few months ago, but Deadline's story seems to indicate that a deal is not quite done yet. Thorne knows the work of Gaiman well, having been hired to pen Joe Wright's adaptation of the author's most recent novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

* Ruben Fleischer swung and missed badly with Gangster Squad, but Disney is willing to look past that, tapping him to direct Overnight. In what sounds like Home Alone meets Career Opportunities, the story centers on a father and son who win an overnight stay in a toy store, only to have thieves try to rob the place. Hey, this is Disney, so chances are everything will turn out okay, and since this is in a toy store there should be plenty of room for product placement. [Deadline]

* It was nine long years between Sin City and this summer's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, with Robert Rodriguez stringing us along the whole way. So I'm not holding my breath for a third film or any possible TV series, but co-director and Sin City creator Frank Miller is already looking ahead. Rodriguez told Sirius XM's Ron and Fez...

"Yeah - the second Sin City - I was just here with Frank Miller last night and we were watching it last night. [We] finished the cut, effects are being done, it will come out in August. He [Miller] watched Part 2 - he watched it last night with me and then at the end he said, he didn't have any comments, he was very happy with it. And he said, now about part three.... Started telling me how he's going to do part three. So he's already there on part three."

Yeah, we'll see about that. And note how Rodriguez put all of the burden on Miller, and none on himself. It may all depend on how Sin City: A Dame to Kill For performs beginning August 22nd. 

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt will Star and Direct Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman'

Just a few weeks ago a rumor surfaced that David Goyer was the latest to try and adapt Neil Gaiman's seminal comic book series, Sandman, to the big screen. And while that was big news, despite the fact many had been trying for years with no success, what was an even bigger deal was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's involvement as more than just an actor. Now Deadline reports Gordon-Levitt is in talks to not only star but make it his next directorial effort.

Gordon-Levitt confirmed the news on Twitter, saying...

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm incredibly honored to be working with David Goyer, Warner Bros, and @neilhimself on SANDMAN. #Prelude
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) December 17, 2013

It's a pretty big move for JGL, coming off the smallish Don Jon which proved to be something of an indie smash earlier this year. He'll likely take on the role of Dream aka Morpheus, the personification of dreams whose story was chronicled brilliantly in Vertigo Comics' Sandman comic series beginning in 1989. Imprisoned for decades by a cult, Dream escapes and sets about rebuilding his kingdom and learning to evolve. The "prelude" hashtag seems to indicate we'll be exploring Sandman's origin, or perhaps Goyer's story will be based on Preludes & Nocturnes, which focuses on his imprisonment, escape, and quest for powerful lost objects.

If anything, this cements JGL as Warner Bros.' newest golden boy, right up there with Ben Affleck. Can't really blame them, and this is the perfect sort of cool comic book series, with relatively few superheroes hanging around, that fits JGL just as Sin City: A Dame to Kill For should fit him.

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