Warner Bros. Studios announced an ambitious release schedule at today’s investors meeting, and DC Comics fans (among others) should be rejoicing. In addition to three more movies in the LEGO cannon and author J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut in the Harry Potter-inspired Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy, the studio is planning to roll out ten (yes, ten!) DC Comics adaptations between 2016 and 2020.The first of the DC films slated for release is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice from director Zach Snyder (Man of Steel), scheduled to hit theaters in March 2016. Snyder is also attached to direct Justice League Part One, slated for a 2017 release. In addition to these, the following films are in the works:
Suicide Squad directed by David Ayer (2016)
Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot (2017)
The Flash starring Ezra Miller (2018)
Aquaman starring Jason Momoa (2018)
Shazam (2019)
Justice League Part Two (2019)
Cyborg starring Ray Fisher (2020)
Green Lantern (2020)
Most of those we knew about (Shazam was official, and standalone films for Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg were anticipated following prior casting announcements), but at long last, DC’s cards seem to be on the table.
Warner’s also hopes to capitalize on the success of their hit The LEGO Movie with a series of spin-offs and sequels. The ninja-themed Ninjago is set to hit theaters in 2016, followed by LEGO Batman in 2017 and The LEGO Movie 2 in 2018. That jives with the earlier reports of a LEGO 2 in 2018 and LEGO 3 in 2019, although the last of those is probably contingent on continued good showings from Ninjago and LEGO Batman.
Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts takes its name from a Hogwarts textbook and explores characters and themes from the Harry Potter mythology. Director David Yates, Potter veteran, is attached to helm the first film in the trilogy.