Warner Bros. Reaffirms Emphasis on DC Solo Films After AQUAMAN’s Success

With Warner Bros.’ DC Films receiving mixed results critically and financially over the years, the studio has re-evaluated its approach…at least several times. Most recently, WB committed to emphasizing on solo films driven by directors, rather than big team movies. While these movies take place in the same universe, there won’t be an overarching story, like the Infinity Gauntlet arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And it’s an approach that has worked so far. Wonder Woman earned rave reviews and remains DC Films’ biggest movie domestically. And Aquaman has gone on to make over $1 billion worldwide. Even Man of Steel, which polarized fans, was better received critically than Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Justice League.

So, if anyone had any doubt, Warner Bros. is still committed to this approach. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, WB chief Toby Emmerich confirms that DC Films will still emphasize on standalone stories in the wake of Aquaman‘s success. “We all feel like we’ve turned a corner now. We’re playing by the DC playbook, which is very different than the Marvel playbook. We are far less focused on a shared universe. We take it one movie at a time. Each movie is its own equation and own creative entity. If you had to say one thing about us, it’s that it always has to be about the directors.”

While WB has received flack for not always giving directors freedom at DC, the studio has made progress recently. Patty Jenkins has total freedom with the Wonder Woman franchise, while James Wan had free reign with Aquaman. And that’s not to mention high-caliber filmmakers like Matt Reeves, Ava DuVernay, and Steven Spielberg who are currently attached to DC movies.

Stay tuned for more news as we have it.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter