This week, it was reported that Warner Bros. may finally be releasing their much anticipated
Justice League film within the next few years (possibly in 2015). We already know that the studio has hired
Gangster Squad scribe Will Beall to work on the script. Also this week,
The Dark Knight Rises director Chris Nolan confirmed that he won't have anything to do with
Justice League (as well as any future
Batman movie), so we can scratch him off the list of potential directors. So who should direct Superman, Batman, and the rest of the team in their big screen debut?
Below, I've compiled a list of nine directors who should be considered for the enormous job of bringing DC's finest heroes together on the big screen. I've selected these directors not only based on their resume with big budget epics, but also based on their abilities to tell a good story.
David Yates
Last Four Harry Potter Films
Yates has helmed four Harry Potter films for WB, the last of which was a massive success. On top of his good relationship with the studio, Yates has proven that he can properly direct an epic story, and that has him qualified to direct Justice League properly.
Peter Jackson
King Kong, Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
This would be a dream come true if Jackson was hired. If anyone knows how to direct an epic film, he surely does. A Justice League film done with a similar scope/scale to Return Of The King would be out of this world. I don't know if Jackson would be interested in a gig like this, but one can only hope.
J.J. Abrams
Star Trek, Super 8
Since Abrams has only worked on Paramount-distributed films before, I don’t know if he would direct a Warner Bros. film anytime soon. But his Star Trek reboot proves that he's very qualified to take on Justice League. Not only does he excel at CGI-heavy movies, but he also works extremely well with multiple characters and fleshing most (if not all) of them out.
Zack Snyder
Watchmen, Man Of Steel
I was hesitant about adding Snyder to the list, but I was convinced that he wouldn't be a bad choice for Justice League. His CBMs are usually very comic book-y in feel (Watchmen is commonly considered one of the best in the genre due to how faithful it was to the graphic novel), and his visual effects are usually top notch. Not to mention that he's bringing Superman back to life next year with Man Of Steel; fingers crossed that the film will be the cornerstone for the DC Movie Universe.
Darren Aronofsky Black Swan, The Wrestler Aronofsky has been wanting to direct a comic book movie for some time (he has previously been attached to The Wolverine and an unproduced adaptation of Batman: Year One). He's also an experienced film maker (he’ll be releasing his anticipated epic Noah in 2014), so why not give him the crown jewel of the CBM genre?
Ridley Scott
Blade Runner, Prometheus
The King of sci-fi taking on Justice League? Sounds very, very promising. Scott sure knows how to tell a CGI-heavy epic story. Even if his recent filmography hasn't been amazing, I can see him do wonders with possibly the biggest comic book movie to date.
James Cameron Aliens, Titanic Another great storyteller with big visuals in many of his films. Say what you will about Avatar's story, the visuals/epic scale had me floored. A Justice League movie with a similar scope (but obviously with a much better script) would be epic.
Alex Proyas
The Crow, Knowing
While not as experienced/qualified as Yates, Jackson and Cameron, Proyas wouldn't be a bad choice for Justice League. He's a good storyteller who occasionally does great visuals (as seen in Knowing; yes, I actually liked that movie). He just needs a big blockbuster or two to cement his experience. Too bad his adaptation of Paradise Lost was cancelled by Legendary Pictures earlier this year.
Guillermo del Toro
Hellboy, Blade 2
Another director experienced with CBMs, del Toro is very popular with geeks, and for good reason. He's yet another good storyteller who includes top notch visuals in his movies (next year's Pacific Rim should be amazing). Plus he understands and successfully develops many of the characters in his films.
*Honorable Mentions: Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class), Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), Alfonso Cuaron (Children Of Men), Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Joss Whedon (Marvel's The Avengers), Andrew Stanton (John Carter) Be sure to vote in the poll below to choose your favorite choice from the above. Also, feel free to add any other suggestions in the comment section.
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