James Gunn opens up about his favourite DC project which has "not been announced at all"
has many projects in the pipeline, with his 'Superman' releasing July 11, season 2 of 'Peacemaker' nearly wrapped for an August premiere, and the 'Lanterns' HBO series halfway through filming, reported Variety.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
However, Gunn is also working on a few TV and film projects, which he has not revealed yet.
One project in particular, he kept very quiet because he didn't want anyone to steal the idea, Gunn said, "My favourite thing has not been announced at all...There was one thing that I knew about from the very beginning, that when I pitched to David Zaslav what the DCU would be, I pitched to him, but we did not announce in that first meeting because I felt like it was too easy to rip off by another company.
And so that's one of the main things.
"
Gunn said he'll "probably" direct one of his new mystery projects. "Well, I always leave saying I'm going to direct something till I'm actually done with the screenplay, and then I say, 'Yeah, I want to do this.' But it's probably what I will direct. Yeah, probably, to be totally realistic. Yes, probably," he said, reported Variety.
The ace director shared that when a well-known actor pitched him a project, he told him he was looking for a "masterpiece."
"I told it to one person who came in and pitched something that was an Elseworlds tale," he said. "It was a very, very, very famous movie actor. I said, 'It depends on how the screenplay comes out...If it's a masterpiece, I'll make it, but it has to be a masterpiece.' And he is like, 'I don't know if it's a masterpiece.' He got all funny. He's still working on it, though. He is still trying to do it, so we'll see. Masterpiece might be pushing it, but it's got to be really great.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"
Gunn didn't just tease upcoming movies. He also mentioned another "favourite thing" that's a TV project.
"Then there's another TV show that's my favourite thing in all of this, that is hopefully getting made soon," he said. "It's just my favourite thing. And then there's the movie...Oh s--! I don't know what I'm allowed to say or not say, but there are a couple of other movies that are being written, one of which is in pretty good shape, another which is kind of closer to the start, but we feel positive about. And then there's a thing I'm writing, which I think it's okay.
... So what will be the next thing after 'Clayface' is not 100 per cent certain, but it's pretty certain," reported Variety.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
The bizarre conspiracy theory behind the new South Park episode mocking Donald Trump
The latest South Park special takes aim at Donald Trump with a level of vitriol rarely seen outside late-night monologues or legal depositions. But while the former president may appear to be the episode's central target, some fans—and at least one X account—believe there's something far more calculated going on behind the scenes. According to a viral thread by @Bloomser1, the new South Park isn't just satire—it's strategic sabotage. The theory? That Matt Stone and Trey Parker used Trump as bait to blow up their own parent company's multibillion-dollar merger. The claim sounds outlandish until you trace the recent history between South Park, Paramount, and Donald Trump. And suddenly, it doesn't sound so crazy after all. A mess of lawsuits and billion-dollar deals The trouble began years ago when Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO, sued Paramount over streaming rights to South Park. Paramount had sold HBO Max access to the back catalogue but later tried to move new specials and episodes to its own platform, Paramount+. Warner cried foul, and the lawsuit dragged on—creating chaos behind the scenes and complicating South Park's production schedule. Enter Skydance Media. In 2024, Paramount began negotiations to merge with the studio in a bid to salvage its crumbling empire. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo But complications emerged, including a lawsuit from Donald Trump himself over a CBS interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Desperate to remove any obstacle to the merger, Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle the suit. Skydance, eager to smooth things over, pledged another $20 million post-merger. All of this unfolded as the FCC—controlled by the current administration—delayed regulatory approval. Then came South Park. Creative freedom? Not quite According to @Bloomser1's thread, Matt and Trey had been growing increasingly frustrated with the studio. The incoming Skydance executives reportedly interfered with the terms of their new deal, delayed production by two weeks, and even meddled in the creators' negotiations with other platforms like Netflix and HBO. Two weeks ago, the duo reportedly threatened to sue Paramount themselves. Shortly after that, Paramount handed them a new $1.5 billion contract. And then—almost immediately—this episode aired. Rage bait as revenge The episode, savage in its depiction of Trump, arrived just one day after the Paramount–South Park deal was finalised. According to @Bloomser1, this timing is no accident. The theory is that Matt and Trey, furious over years of interference, used the episode to deliberately provoke Trump—hoping he'd retaliate by suing Paramount again or using his influence to derail the Skydance merger. It's a high-risk, high-reward gambit: rage-baiting the most litigious man in America in order to punish a studio that, in their eyes, had long overstepped its bounds. The irony? They may have pulled this off the day after cashing a billion-dollar cheque from that same studio. What happens next? Neither Stone nor Parker have commented publicly on the theory, and there's no confirmation that Trump plans to re-litigate anything—yet. But with the FCC still holding off on approving the Skydance-Paramount merger, and Trump known for acting on impulse, it wouldn't take much to reignite tensions. If the episode was indeed designed as a trap, the question becomes: will Trump take the bait? Either way, South Park may have just turned studio politics into a blood sport—disguised, as always, in fart jokes and animation.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Superman got ghosted by the world, and Donald Trump might be the reason: Why James Gun thinks ‘The Man of Steel is not everyone's hero'
James Gunn's DC reboot with David Corenswet may have hit home with American audiences, but globally, the director feels the film's been caught in the crossfire of anti-U.S. vibes. Despite decent international numbers and the emotional reinvention of Superman working in its favour, the movie's still underperforming abroad, and that's clearly bothering Gunn. Domestically, it raked in a solid $253 million, but the overseas buzz just isn't matching up. 'Superman is not a known commodity in some places. He's not as big as Batman in some countries, and that affects things,' Gunn told Rolling Stone, responding to why the film isn't quite landing with global audiences like it did in the U.S. Also read: Is the new Superman movie 'too woke' or just true to its origins? Globally, Superman made around $173 million, according to The numbers have been dropping since, and James Gunn seems to think it's the 'anti-American' wave dragging the film down. 'We have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn't really helping us,' he told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. Also read: Superman: James Gunn's idea of an India-coded country is regressive and riddled with stereotypes; the Man of Steel wouldn't stand for it The film stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and has received glowing reviews from critics. But let's be honest, without fan-favourite Henry Cavill, some slowdown was inevitable. Still, Gunn gambled with a fresh face in David Corenswet and expected the world to instantly buy in. Didn't exactly pan out. And his recent statement has the internet asking, did Trump's global PR mess play a part? Since his return as the 47th president, he's withdrawn the U.S. from treaties and made trade and tariff moves that were scrutinised globally. Pew Research's latest says global sentiment towards the U.S. has dropped badly in Trump's second term, but whether that's affecting moviegoers is still up for debate. That said, Gunn is still hopeful. It's day 12 of Superman in theatres, already up against Fantastic Four, and he's still keeping the faith. 'We're doing better domestically, but international numbers are starting to rise too. Weekday numbers have been solid. Word of mouth is working,' he said. 'There are countries where it's actually performing well, like Brazil and the U.K.'
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Who would win between Lex Luthor and Galactus? The actors who played them were wondering the same thing
With The Fantastic Four First Steps set to release, the pressure couldn't be more. The film isn't just trying to revive the struggling Marvel Studios, but it also has to do better than the other legendary reboot made by the studio across town, DC's Superman. Both films attempt to retell the story behind iconic superheroes and villains, namely Lex Luthor and Galactus. The competition between the two has already begun, but not by the fans or the studio execs, but by the actors who are playing them, Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Ineson. Ineson has had a very weird journey with Marvel, going from playing an unnamed character in The Guardians of the Galaxy to playing one of Marvel Comics' most powerful villains. He does have some impressive projects under his belt, including films like Nosferatu (2024), The Green Knight (2021), and Ready Player One (2018). He met Hoult, who plays supervillain Lex Luthor, on the sets of Nosferatu, and both Ineson and Hoult quickly realised that they were essentially fighting for the same title, the baddest man in town. The Fantastic Four First Steps actor revealed in an interview with THR that the two actors in fact had a discussion about their characters, and Ineson extended a challenge to Hoult after reading positive reviews of Superman. ALSO READ: The Fantastic Four First Steps post-credits scene leaked online, reveals the future for Marvel's first family and a Robert Downey Jr tease He said, 'We actually had a text conversation this morning about it. I sent him something off social media that said that he gave the all-time greatest superhero villain performance, and I said, 'Hold my beer.' He then laughed and said, 'It's hardly fair. You're a cosmic entity; I'm just a guy.' And I said, 'Fair enough, but I am fighting four of them.' Hoult then told Ineson that a man who gets sick after eating spicy food should not be competing with a demigod, bringing the debate to a close. Ralph Ineson also talked about how he bagged the role in The Fantastic Four First Steps and admitted that the entire process was 'spookily easy'. 'I would've expected to tape and screen test for a while. But almost all the cast have the same story, which was a brief meeting with Matt and confirmation a few days later that they'd like you to play the part. So it was spookily smooth and easy. I do occasionally get offered parts straight nowadays, but they're not usually of this magnitude.' Ineson stated that he definitely felt the magnitude of the role once he put on the suit, which was so heavy that he had to take breaks during shooting to get a massage. 'It's true I had to get massages during lunch break. The suit wasn't uncomfortable, but it was just so heavy, and I am 55 years old, so it was making my knees flare up. To wear that suit and shoot under extremely bright white lights, it became very hot, and my 'pit crew' had a whole plan to keep me cool because Galactus can't sweat. I would have 30-second breaks, where one person would hold my gauntlet, the other would hold my helmet, while a third person would put the air conditioning unit on the back of my suit,' added Ineson. Even if Lex Luthor can't compete with someone who literally consumes planets, Nicholas Hoult's portrayal of the mad scientist was right on the money, and Superman's box office collection is growing by the day. Marvel will be hoping to create a similar effect with The Fantastic Four First Steps. The film releases on July 25.
