Hollywood
Marvel’s upcoming Batman v/s Superman pushed to 2016
MUMBAI: Warner Bros announced on Friday, 17 January that the release of the upcoming sequel to the 2013 blockbuster superhero film, Man of Steel, will now be postponed to 7 May, 2016, nine months later than its previous 17 July, 2015 release date.
As a result of this push to the release date, there’s a potential Warner Bros/DC showdown with rival Disney/Marvel. The movie will now see light of day on Mother’s Day weekend and will face off with Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, which comes only a week after. As it stands now, it will be Superman-Batman, X-Men the following weekend, and hot on their tail – The Amazing Spider-Man 3 from Sony.
The Batman v/s Superman film is the high-profile follow-up to last summer’s Man of Steel, which grossed $668 million worldwide and rebooted the Superman franchise for Warner Bros.
The follow-up movie, which also will feature The Caped Crusader, is in casting mode and has lined up Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman and Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious franchise) as Wonder Woman in addition to Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), who is reprising his role as Superman. Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) is in negotiations for a role as well.
Zack Snyder – 300 fame – is directing the movie, which is now undergoing a rewrite by – the Oscar-winning scribe who penned Argo – Chris Terrio. David Goyer (co-writer of Man of Steel and creator of Da Vinci’s Demons) wrote the initial draft.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
