Bruce Timm recently told ThinkMcFlyThink.com that a number of such projects have been canceled due to the under-performance of GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT and the WONDER WOMAN movie. The latter’s performance was so underwhelming, in fact, that DC Animated has sworn off doing any superheroine features for the foreseeable future. They were actually planning to do an adaptation of BATGIRL: YEAR ONE, but that project’s been canceled, now. The DVDs proved to be successful eventually, matching the sales of NEW FRONTIER, but they took so long to reach those levels that WB’s corporate people don’t believe that sequels are warranted. Timm still hopes that the potential blockbuster performance of the GREEN LANTERN movie might call for more toon adventures of the Ring Slinger.
Another project that’s been canceled is the adaptation of the “ Judas Contract” storyline from TEEN TITANS. It was one of the first of these projects to be announced, a couple years ago now, and I believe it was to have Marv Wolfman and George Perez involved in some capacity. I don’t remember when or if an AQUAMAN feature was announced, but Timm has said that’s been canceled, as well. He also said that the DC animated staff isn’t interested in doing adaptations of Jeph Loeb’s HUSH and THE LONG HALLOWEEN storylines because they’re far too complex to boil down into shorter features.
I’d interject that fans have already gotten a feature-length, live-action adaptation of THE LONG HALLOWEEN with THE DARK KNIGHT, which cherry picked plot elements from that series along with the KILLING JOKE.
So that’s seven possible projects shot down. The only one Timm thinks might be a possibility, right now, is a return to BATMAN BEYOND. However, he stresses that such a project is a long way off if it’ll ever happen.
-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia. Pre-order the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover now on Amazon.com.
