With an updated list of titles that are officially in development at DC Films being released over the weekend, we learned that while Justice League Dark has a screenwriter, it is not part of the six-film slate the studio currently has planned.
While Doug Liman was attached to the project, scheduling conflicts with his upcoming film Chaos Walking and an Edge of Tomorrow sequel made things too difficult. Liman recently said he is open to returning to the film but is not guaranteed to get his old job back.
Justice League Dark is no typical superhero movie. The cast of unique, supernatural characters ideally requires a director who is familiar with dark, fantastical storytelling. With that considered, the first name that comes to mind is the first director that was attached to the film: Guillermo del Toro. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker has a unique visual style that is evident in each of his movies and would be a natural fit for JLD. From Hellboy this year’s The Shape of Water, it’s clear that the man knows how to make a good creature feature.
Del Toro had been attached to the project for years, even penning a full script in 2014. However, he ended up dropping out two years ago to work on a Pacific Rim sequel. While that film is coming out later this year, del Toro did not end up directing it.
So could del Toro return to Justice League Dark? Well, based on his comments last month, it doesn’t look likely. While promoting The Shape of Water, he said:
"I am concentrating on other projects right now...Next one could be a big one or a small one. I don't know. That's why I am taking time off. To think and ponder."
Finding the right director will be tough, but given the recent changes at DC Films, there’s reason to believe that they’ll be looking into some of the talent that has previously worked with New Line Cinemas. New DC Films president Walter Hamada has produced several horror movies and has a familiarity with many successful horror directors. Two of these directors are already making DC movies. James Wan is directing Aquaman, and David F. Sandberg is directing Shazam!.
While Wan successfully transitioned into the action genre with Furious 7, both these filmmakers are known for making pretty bone-chilling movies. This makes both Wan and Sandberg potential fits for Justice League Dark, as long as Aquaman and Shazam! are well received. Hamada might also look to other filmmakers he’s worked with before, like Andy Muschietti. However, Muschietti will be busy with It: Chapter 2 for at least the next year and a half, and might not want to transition to another big project immediately afterward.
With both Liman and del Toro left JLD because of scheduling reasons, it’s clear that the timetable DC has for the film’s production will have a huge impact on who ends up making the movie. It’s been reported that DC wants to pick a director soon, but with at least six other films currently being prioritized ahead of Justice League Dark, there’s no guarantee an announcement will be made soon. Like much of the DCEU at the moment, the state of this movie is very much up in the air.
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