By: David Gremillion
We now live in a world where Ben Affleck is Batman.
I’ll let that sink in for a moment. You good? Okay.
Before you unleash your rage across the internet about how Daredevil is now the Caped Crusader or how Bartleby is donning a mask, keep in mind just one thought: Everyone on the planet groaned when that blonde from “A Knight’s Tale” was named the Joker.
But why am I bringing this up on a Star Wars site? Because this announcement, and the reaction to it, can teach us so much about what Disney is doing with Episode VII.
The new Batman/Superman movie was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con way back in July of 2013…barely a month ago and we have news galore to drool over. We know Ben Affleck will be Batman, and Henry Cavill will return as Superman. Also confirmed is that Laurence Fishburne is back, so are Amy Adams, and Diane Lane. You want story? It has already been announced that Superman and Batman “will be enemies before they’re friends” and that Zack Snyder looks forward to showing them “at odds with each other” for a good part of the movie.
Meanwhile, we’ve known about a new Star Wars trilogy since October of 2012 and Lucasfilm hasn’t said a word. We have no idea who will star in Episode VII. We know the “Big Three” will be back, but in what capacity? For how long? Is it just a cameo or a major role? Ask Disney about ANY plot points for Episode VII and you get rewarded with silence.
So why is DC gushing over their sure-to-be-a-blockbuster while Disney isn’t saying a word? It’s because they know better. Disney is 1138% sure that if they release anything now, two things will happen:
Couple that with JJ Abram’s notorious commitment to not leaking information and you have a Cone of Silence that would make Maxwell Smart proud. In the 21st century, where “Instant Media” reigns supreme and twitter can land a Heisman Trophy winner in hot water in a handful of seconds, seeing JJ Abrams keep details of Star Trek: Into Darkness under wraps for so long was nearly miraculous.
And for Disney, this is a good thing.
Social Media is exploding with split opinions about the Affleck Announcement. Some are rushing to his defense, but most people are reaching for their “Facepalm” or “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore” memes faster than Chris Christie reaches for a Big Mac. I’ve even witnessed some people ALREADY saying that they will not see the movie when it is released two years from now.
Even as you read this, thousands are signing a White House petition, asking Obama to denounce Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. That’s right, put the economy, education, and peace in the Middle East on hold because this takes precedence.
Disney is watching. They know that they have to tread carefully and JJ Abrams is more than happy to oblige them by withholding as much as possible. Recently, fans were disappointed when no details were released at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, despite Disney CEO Bob Iger’s assurances that nothing would come out. They marched to the Twittersphere in droves, some actually suggesting that Disney OWES them details.
Disney knows better than to release details now. There are at least twenty months until a release of Episode VII is even possible. Let DC release all they want, Disney will remain silent, for now.
They may fire when ready, and not one minute sooner.
I’ll let that sink in for a moment. You good? Okay.
Before you unleash your rage across the internet about how Daredevil is now the Caped Crusader or how Bartleby is donning a mask, keep in mind just one thought: Everyone on the planet groaned when that blonde from “A Knight’s Tale” was named the Joker.
But why am I bringing this up on a Star Wars site? Because this announcement, and the reaction to it, can teach us so much about what Disney is doing with Episode VII.
The new Batman/Superman movie was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con way back in July of 2013…barely a month ago and we have news galore to drool over. We know Ben Affleck will be Batman, and Henry Cavill will return as Superman. Also confirmed is that Laurence Fishburne is back, so are Amy Adams, and Diane Lane. You want story? It has already been announced that Superman and Batman “will be enemies before they’re friends” and that Zack Snyder looks forward to showing them “at odds with each other” for a good part of the movie.
Meanwhile, we’ve known about a new Star Wars trilogy since October of 2012 and Lucasfilm hasn’t said a word. We have no idea who will star in Episode VII. We know the “Big Three” will be back, but in what capacity? For how long? Is it just a cameo or a major role? Ask Disney about ANY plot points for Episode VII and you get rewarded with silence.
So why is DC gushing over their sure-to-be-a-blockbuster while Disney isn’t saying a word? It’s because they know better. Disney is 1138% sure that if they release anything now, two things will happen:
- Outrage will pour across the planet, no matter what the announcement is.
- Once that card is played, it can’t be played again. That news becomes history.
Couple that with JJ Abram’s notorious commitment to not leaking information and you have a Cone of Silence that would make Maxwell Smart proud. In the 21st century, where “Instant Media” reigns supreme and twitter can land a Heisman Trophy winner in hot water in a handful of seconds, seeing JJ Abrams keep details of Star Trek: Into Darkness under wraps for so long was nearly miraculous.
And for Disney, this is a good thing.
Social Media is exploding with split opinions about the Affleck Announcement. Some are rushing to his defense, but most people are reaching for their “Facepalm” or “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore” memes faster than Chris Christie reaches for a Big Mac. I’ve even witnessed some people ALREADY saying that they will not see the movie when it is released two years from now.
Even as you read this, thousands are signing a White House petition, asking Obama to denounce Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. That’s right, put the economy, education, and peace in the Middle East on hold because this takes precedence.
Disney is watching. They know that they have to tread carefully and JJ Abrams is more than happy to oblige them by withholding as much as possible. Recently, fans were disappointed when no details were released at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, despite Disney CEO Bob Iger’s assurances that nothing would come out. They marched to the Twittersphere in droves, some actually suggesting that Disney OWES them details.
Disney knows better than to release details now. There are at least twenty months until a release of Episode VII is even possible. Let DC release all they want, Disney will remain silent, for now.
They may fire when ready, and not one minute sooner.
5 comments:
Post a Comment