Warner Bros. is in talks with producer Dan Lin to take on a potential role at DC where he would oversee the entire film and TV division much like Kevin Feige at Marvel…
There’s been a lot of change and uncertainty at DC ever since the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery was finalized but now the company is looking to find some stability.
Dan Lin — a producer with credits to his name such as ‘It: Chapter One’ and ‘It: Chapter Two” as well as ‘Aladdin,’ ‘The Two Popes’ and TV projects such as ‘Lethal Weapon’ and the ‘Walker’ reboot — is currently in talks to take on an executive role at DC where his duties would mirror those of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
Of course, Feige is well known for the way he transformed Marvel Studios into a box office juggernaut with a massive slate of films before eventually overtaking the television division as well. In his current role, Feige only reports up to Alan Horn, Walt Disney Studio’s co-chairman and chief creative officer, as well as Alan Bergman, its co-chairman with the ability to make just about any decision he wants regarding Marvel Studios’ projects across film and TV.
According to reports, Lin is being discussed for a similar role for DC where he would takeover the studio and report up to new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav rather than any of the other division heads at the studio.
The move would also see current DC Films president Walter Hamada exit the company with Lin overseeing every facet of business at the studio across both film and television production.
If the deal is finalized, Lin would look to reshape DC after so much upheaval and uncertainty over the last few years as the comic book company turned studio dealt with flops at the box office, bad reviews and a deeply flawed attempt at building a shared universe between characters like Marvel created under Feige’s leadership.
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. announced that two major DC projects would get pushed back with new release dates as “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” moves from December 2022 to March 17, 2023 while “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” shifting from March 17, 2023 to December 25, 2023.
There’s still plenty in the works at DC including “The Batman 2” starring Robert Pattinson after the first film directed by Matt Reeves exploded at the box office while also becoming a critically acclaimed darling after its release. There’s also “The Joker” sequel titled “Joker: Folie à Deux’ due out in 2024, which re-teams director Todd Phillips with Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix as well as Lady Gaga joining the new film where she plays Harley Quinn.
That said, DC has also been facing plenty of scrutiny after the Warner Bros. decided to completely scrap the nearly completed “Batgirl” film reportedly to save on a tax write off. The $90 million production had already finished filming but suddenly the studio announced that the film would never see the light of day.
That move came along with the studio’s decision to move forward with “The Flash” movie due out in 2023 despite star Ezra Miller facing several legal charges against them not to mention disturbing allegations that eventually led to seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues.”
On the TV side, DC has also seen several series come to an end or cancelled in recent years after serving as a powerhouse at The CW under the direction of uber producer Greg Berlanti. The only shows remaining now are “The Flash,” which is set to come to an end with an upcoming ninth and final season, as well as “Superman & Lois,” which had previously been renewed for season 3 at the network.
Reeves is overseeing a larger “Batman” universe with “The Penguin” series starring Colin Farrell already on the way at HBO Max with another series set in Arkham Asylum also in development.
It will be interesting to see what Lin decides to do — assuming he takes the role — regarding current projects and the possibility of once again trying to build a larger shared universe.
For now it appears Warner Bros. is determined to continue reshaping the entire company with Lin potentially serving as a major chess piece for the future of the studio.
