DC Exec Talks 'Green Lantern' Sequel At New York Comic Con

Hey, young future movie studio executives of America! Know when you should ideally start making waves talking about a box office disappointment’s upcoming sequel? Apparently, when your dud’s extended-cut Blu-Ray and DVD hits store shelves.

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

To the disappointment of many a DC Comics fanchild – OK, admittedly, myself included – Warner Bros.’ mega-budget “Green Lantern” featuring Ryan Reynolds as test pilot-cum-galactic defender Hal Jordan made a stink on par with “Superman Returns” and both “Fantastic Four” movies.

Despite getting drubbed over a lackluster story and disappointing reliance upon CGI, DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns spent the recent New York Comic Con talking up the sequel DC still believes could turn the franchise around.

Time-Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said previously that this past summer’s flick “fell fairly short” of studio expectations, with the $200-million picture making a “mere” $219 million.

"There is the hope that we will eventually see (a sequel)," said Johns. "Obviously, you want it to be as big as ‘Titanic.’ I hope that the character gets another film, and it will be live-action again - I guarantee."

Warner Bros. may look a tad ridiculous if Hal Jordan doesn’t ultimately fly again. More than once – particularly in comic adaptations – a studio optimistically tacks on a sequel-baiting quota to a film they had no idea would bomb, one whose failure (to execs, anyway) seemed inconceivable. “Green Lantern” was no different, setting up disenchanted Green Lantern Corpsman Sinestro as Jordan’s bitter foil with this post-credits coda.

 Mid-credits, the tail end of “Daredevil” cuts away and shows Bullseye (Colin Farrell) laid up in traction following a semi-climactic duel with Daredevil (Ben Affleck.) He grows annoyed with a buzzing fly, and using the fingertips he can barely still manipulate, manages to flick a pin and impale the insect on a ceiling tile, muttering a defian “Bulls-eye.”

Sequel seems absolutely guaranteed, eh? Probably featuring the show-stealing Farrell seeking out his retribution against The Man Without Fear?

Ha! Thank Xenu, no! Critics skewered the movie, based in large part upon Affleck’s dull turn as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, the story that cherry-picked the best moments of several good storylines that didn’t come together nearly as well as probably hoped and CG effects that even director Joe Johnston admitted on the DVD commentary looked sometimes horrendous. Fans were none too pleased either, and the franchise is now due for a reboot that mercifully pretty much denies that first movie ever happened.

Similarly, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” ended with the Surfer floating through space but being ultimately shown to still be living. That’s because 20^th Century Fox executives believed at first a Silver Surfer movie would be in guaranteed demand.

Not so much. The sequel bombed, neither the CGI Surfer nor even the great Laurence Fishburne’s droll turn as the Surfer’s voice exactly lit the world ablaze with demand and the whole idea has pretty much rarely been mentioned again.

Though The Hollywood Reporter claims Johns has been called out both by critics and at least one fan during the NYCC Green Lantern All Access panel because last summer’s movie included precious little character development, Johns claims he’s satisfied with the first film introducing the character and getting audiences comfortable with Jordan.

Nevertheless, he added, the extended cut DVD and Blu-Ray releases boast a nearly 10 minute longer running time that Johns claimed will better flesh out the characters. “There was a lot of really good stuff in the movie,” Johns claimed.

Also to aid that cause? Cartoon Network’s upcoming all-CGI “Green Lantern” series, the first CGI series to be based upon a DC character.

While I missed “Green Lantern” during its theatrical stay, I actually have something curious in mind: I’d welcome watching the allegedly “better” director’s cut alongside what I know for a fact to be a stellar “Green Lantern” adaptation – the animated “Green Lantern: First Flight.” If you haven’t seen it, for Heaven’s sake, do yourself a favor and rent it any way you must. To be perfectly honest, I wish science could transplant Christopher Meloni’s outstanding acting as Jordan into Reynolds’ look that’s letter perfect for the part. Then if we all want to get really ambitious, perhaps then we’d have a performer we could all feel confident in playing out Jordan’s descent into evil as the galaxy-threatening Parallax.

Either way, “First Flight” is a superbly written, well-acted story. From the initial sounds, it probably trumps by about a mile or so the live-action effort. Then again, that’s where Marvel and DC keep coming up opposite one another: Marvel produces superb live-action fare, but I couldn’t name you a recent Marvel-produced animated adaptation that’s exactly lit me up. DC, on the other hand?

Well, for great as “Batman: Under The Red Hood,” “Green Lantern: First Flight” or “Wonder Woman” were, “Green Lantern” bombed badly, “Wonder Woman” has been in live-action TV and movie Development Hell for years, a “Green Arrow” movie can’t seem to get off the ground and CBS is so far the only company to have done “The Flash” well at all.