J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot signed a huge deal with Warner Bros. that would bring a swathe of new content to HBO Max and the big screen, including plenty of DC Comics content. The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director is producing a Superman movie which will feature a Black lead, along with a slate of TV shows that will eventually see the Justice League Dark assemble.
However, it's slow going for all of those projects, and The Hollywood Reporter now reveals that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is growing frustrated by the lack of output from Bad Robot's $250 million deal.
One TV show, Demimonde, is already on the bubble and could be scrapped due to plans for a $200+ million budget (which is even more than the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon). Sources note that "[Zaslav] was frustrated with the lack of delivery from the deal that was signed back in September 2019."
That's also the case with the DC Comics properties Abrams is said to be developing. While Warner Bros. has seen scripts for pilot episodes of Constantine and Madame X, it's said that "there is some frustration within the halls of Warner Bros. Discovery that Abrams has laid claim to a number of DC characters but has yet to get anything on the air."
The much-touted deal really doesn't appear to have come to much, particularly in the case of the DC Extended Universe.
Many fans have expressed disappointment with Abrams being so heavily involved with future DC plans, especially after his contributions to the Star Wars Universe. There was a time he was a top choice for any number of comic book movies, but the tide appears to have changed in recent years.
We'll keep you updated as this story continues to develop.