Comic book adaptations have been a bankable bet for the major studios, and another much-hyped one is now in the works; Warner Brothers are in the final stages of casting for their live-action version of DC Comics’ ‘The Green Lantern.’
They’ve already spent five months on this, trying to find the one actor who can truly portray the movie’s rare hero, Air Force pilot, Hal Jordan, who is chosen by a dying alien to take his place in a cosmic police force named ‘The Green Lantern Corps.’
After weeks of screen tests the search has narrowed to three likely stars – Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Justin Timberlake. But the studio lost their hold on the three early Monday, which means the actors can now do other work.
And that means Warners are now racing the clock…which doesn’t help much.
Another factor against them is the ballooning cost – ‘Lantern’s budget is already forecast at $150-200-million. Warners are naturally worried by this, and are trying to cut down the budget before signing a star.
You can see why they’re taking their time – the casting for this is a cluster of thorns. Bradley’s new movie, ‘The Hangover,’ has earned the same suits that are making this choice over $200-million in only five weeks. Meanwhile, Ryan’s work in ‘X-Men’ has made him a sure-fire bet to win box-office gold. But Justin’s biggest outing so far was in Mike Myers’ pain-fest, ‘The Love Guru.’ And a turkey like that is no way to win roles.
Those skilled at the genre agree the Green Lantern should ideally be black, and not chosen by fame but for having the skill to convey the full depth of the role. And if the suits up at Warners think JT could do that, they must be enjoying some excellent weed.
The longer they wait, the more this will cost. But they can’t make up their minds, so who would you pick?
Source: THR
Photo by: Riverblog
