Guillermo del Toro has been busy this month promoting the upcoming release of the horror film Mama, which he executive produced, but naturally reporters are taking the opportunity to ask the filmmaker about the extensive number of exciting projects that he has in development. In the past few years the director has been mentioned in connection with a Pinocchio reboot, a new version of Frankenstein, a new take on The Haunted Mansion, and more, but perhaps one of the most interesting ideas that recently surfaced involves the monsters of the DC Universe.
Back in November of last year a rumor surfaced online that said del Toro was making moves towards getting together a film that would see great characters like Deadman, Swamp Thing, Phantom Stranger and Constanitne team up for their very own feature. Well, now not only has the filmmaker confirmed that the project is a reality, apparently he's already been taking steps towards making it a reality.
Sitting down with IGN, del Toro explained that he has been working with DC and Warner Bros. to make the project, now titled Dark Universe, and has already brought some important pieces together. While the film still hasn't gotten the green light, he says that the "perfect writer" has already been found and has agreed to work on the script (after a courting session), and that they have already begun figuring out who will be the main stars of the show.
"That roster, you’re talking about my childhood," del Toro told the site. "Swamp Thing, for me, is a rock star. Demon, the Jack Kirby Demon, Etrigan, is amazing. And then you go to Constantine, who I thought was an amazing creation. I want to do the Constantine of the comics. Deadman… it’s really a lot of work but a lot of fun." He wouldn't reveal all of the characters that would appear in the movie, but he did also mention that Zatanna and Zatara will be making appearances as well.
But that's not all the filmmaker had to say about working with Warner Bros. and within the DC Universe. Asked if the studios efforts to create more comic book movies was inspired by the success of The Avengers, del Toro told the reporter that efforts to create a cohesive universe and a Justice League movie actually pre-dated the release of Marvel Studios' blockbuster and that now more than ever they feel as though they're on solid ground.
"They were already galvanized to launch Justice League and they were galvanized to make their universe cohesive," del Toro said. "What I feel now is that with Superman they feel really, really confident with what they have and they are now feeling they have two pillars – Batman and Superman – for the DC Universe. And tonally, they have a darker tone, a more urban and sophisticated tone, so now they can build on that foundation."
The last quote is interesting because of what it could possibly mean for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and Christopher Nolan's Batman universe. Are the "pillars" that del Toro is referring to the fact that they already have two established movie versions of superheroes that could find their way into a Justice League movie? Or his he just saying that the characters are popular enough to launch Justice League, even without connections to The Dark Trilogy or Man of Steel? Hopefully by this summer we'll have a clearer picture of the studios' plans.
