It’s one step forward and two steps back for DC Studios. While the Lanterns series will soon set its sights on the brightest day and blackest night, two more won’t come to life on the small screen. According to The Ankler, a Suicide Squad spin-off called Waller and a Wonder Woman-adjacent show, Paradise Lost, are no longer in active development.
The first would have starred Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, reprising her role from the 2016 film, while the latter was set to focus on the Amazons of Themyscira and lead into the future of Wonder Woman. Entertainment Weekly notes that Paradise Lost may be picked up in the future, however. In contrast, the Booster Gold series, which saw cancellation rumours earlier this year, is still happening.
All three titles were announced as part of a 10-project slate for the DC Universe reboot, alongside Creature Commandos, where Davis returns as the voice of Waller, last year’s Superman, the Milly Alcock-starring Supergirl, Lanterns, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, and Swamp Thing, but details on the last two have been sparse. Reportedly, a Poison Ivy and Catwoman TV series were pitched, only to be turned down by the studio.
It doesn’t escape attention that the abandoned projects are female-led, especially with Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo in Superman, getting his own series despite being a side — and less recognised — character. Since both Poison Ivy and Catwoman are arguably more popular, this latest development has sparked speculation that the titles were rejected after Supergirl underperformed at the box office, grossing US$126.3 million against an estimated production budget of US$170 million and US$186 million. Wonder Woman is slightly luckier, as a third film is still in the works.
Next for DC Studios is Lanterns, created by Chris Munday, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King for HBO. The eight-episode outing stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, who are tasked with investigating a murder on Earth that leads to a wider, darker mystery. It premieres on 16 August, with Nathan Fillion set to return as Guy Gardner.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
