DC Films has a huge number of movies potentially starting production in 2019 - and there seems no way they can all be released in the same short window. After months of uncertainty, it's definitely good news to see more DC movies getting off the ground, but with multiple creatives teasing 2019 start dates, the slate is getting pretty packed.
The studio will have to make some difficult choices. Prioritizing the Harley Quinn/Joker movie will all have to be pushed back. Margot Robbie can't really shoot scenes for all four films at once, after all. Meanwhile, other ideas have been in Development Hell for quite a while.
Related: All 26 & In-Development DC Films
Part of the problem is that Warner Bros. doesn't really seem interested in letting viewers in on their long-term plans. The first full DCEU slate was actually originally announced in an offhand manner during a call with investors in 2014. Ever since then, the DCEU has really operated on the basis of rumors, with an occasional press release thrown in for good measure. As a result, it's hard to really know what movies are being prioritized by the studio, let alone what general direction the DCEU is expected to take.
- This Page: Movies Reported and Rumored to Start in 2019
- Page 2: How Many DC Movies Will Actually Enter Production in 2019?
Movies Reported to Start in 2019
This is easily illustrated by running through the sheer number of films that are expected to be in production in 2019. The first of these, oddly enough, isn't likely to be part of the DCEU at all; rather, it's likely to be Todd Phillips's set to start production in September this year, and it may actually be eyeing a 2019 release date.
Next up is Birds of Prey, which will reportedly begin production sometime in 2019.
And then we have whether it will even be part of the DCEU at all. There have been some reports that Matt Reeves's script calls for a younger actor to play the part. Given that film's troubled production history, it wouldn't be a surprise to see further delays.
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The status of a 2020 release date for his film, too, "if all goes well."
Other Films That Could Begin Production in 2019
Remarkably, those are only the movies that have explicitly had 2019 confirmed or mentioned as a possible start date. Other DC Films projects could easily slip into the schedule too. Take now working on the script for this film. Johns is one of the DC's best comic writers, and the decision to allocate Johns to the project was taken by many as a sign Warner Bros. want to fast-track it. The studio had previously assigned Green Lantern Corps a 2020 release date, and there's been little discussion of a change, so it may well be that they still intend to honor it.
In May, there were rumors spinoff film starring Jared Leto.
Page 2 of 2: How Many DC Movies Will Actually Enter Production in 2019?
How Many DC Movies Will Actually Enter Production in 2019?
It's important to stress that Warner Bros. does appear to have changed strategy with the DC Extended Universe. The current approach seems to be to sign off on a mix of tentpole superhero movies and lower-budget, potentially R-rated films. Presumably, the studio is taking a tip from 21st Century Fox, whose X-Men franchise has been revitalized by the success of films like Logan and Deadpool. If that is the case, we could actually see DC Films expand their slate quite dramatically, and with minimal expense. Both Todd Phillips's Joker origin story and the Birds of Prey film are likely to take this approach (the former isn't even sharing continuity with the rest of the DCEU). Naturally, that kind of approach simply wouldn't work for the likes of The Flash and Green Lantern. Still, by diversifying their slate, Warner Bros. would actually be able to make more films. What's more, the diversity of releases - some spectacular tentpole superhero set-pieces, others R-rated genre productions - would hopefully prevent audiences getting tired of superhero movies.
Related: What Lucasfilm Can Learn From the DCEU For Future Star Wars Movies
There are two major issues, though. The first is scheduling. Many of these films involve the same characters, meaning prioritizing production on one movie will tie-up the actor and inevitably delays others. That's likely to be a major problem for Jared Leto and Margot Robbie. Secondly, it's going to be difficult to maintain continuity. Let's say, for example, that Harley Quinn undergoes a major character change in Birds of Prey; that could potentially cause rewrites in Suicide Squad 2. In a shared cinematic universe, every film has the potential to subtly reshape the narrative of the rest. That may well be one reason DC Films is considering "Elseworlds"-esque films like the Joker origin movie. That way they stand alone, and won't be affected by further changes in the slate.
It is also possible that some of these films are slated for a 2021 release. If production of a movie began in Quarter 4 of 2019, it probably wouldn't have left the editing room by the end of 2020. Even counting all these factors, though, it really does seem as though Warner Bros. has too many ideas in the works for a relatively short period. It's worth ing that rival Marvel Studios tend to release three movies a year; at this rate, from 2019 to 2021, Warner Bros. could potentially top them by releasing four. The most likely scenario is that the final production schedule, and certainly the release schedule, will be a little more spaced out.
The best thing for Warner Bros. to do, of course, would be to actually make an official announcement; to explain what their slate now looks like, and what direction the DCEU is going to take. San Diego Comic-Con may well offer a perfect opportunity to do this.
