Despite the fact Green Lantern is set to make a “substantial” loss for Warner Bros., the studio is apparently still intent on making a sequel.

To date the movie has made $154 million worldwide, $114 million of which it made in the US (without 3D it could have easily made less than $100 million). It’s staggered release internationally over the next few months could help it edge closer to $200m worldwide, but with a budget of around $300 million ($200m production costs + $100m marketing) no profit will be made here.

In a recent interview with Hero Complex Warner Bros. film group President Jeff Robinov said he believes there is still an audience for a sequel, and says it needs to be “edgier and darker”.

“We had a decent opening so we learned there is an audience,” said Warner Bros. film group President Jeff Robinov, pointing to the film’s box office debut of $53 million. “To go forward we need to make it a little edgier and darker with more emphasis on action…. And we have to find a way to balance the time the movie spends in space versus on Earth.”

Warner Bros. already has an outline for a sequel on hand written by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim, who all worked on the script for the original. However, several people familiar with the thinking of executives there who were not authorized to speak on the record say Warner will likely make significant changes to the outline, if not start over from scratch, in developing a sequel.

Green Lantern is going to make less than The Hulk, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider despite costing twice as much, so making a sequel is obviously not good business sense. Warner Bros. have made clear for a while that they want DC characters to replace Harry Potter, but Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is the only movie capable of filling the boy wizards shoes.

One hint as to why the studio is trying (desperately) to create a franchise out of Green Lantern lies with Jeff Robinov’s interest “in bringing DC heroes together for a Justice League movie.” The studio apparently has “a solid script” for The Flash, but in order to have a big team-up movie they will need Green Lantern. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 set to become the 3rd highest grossing movie of all-time Warner Bros. could simply write Green Lantern off financially, and try to make the sequel work (without director Martin Campbell).

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Of the plethora of superhero movies coming out this summer, I had the lowest expectations for Green Lantern. The marketing bounced back and forth between good and bad trailers so often I was convinced the movie would be a disaster. Strange aliens, outer space, a giant cloud taking over a city? Could even action maven Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale, Mask of Zorro) pull this all together into a coherent and interesting movie? Surprisingly, Green Lantern is far from a catastrophe. It’s certainly not transcendent, but it’s imminently watchable entertaining summer fare that surpassed expectations.

After a ton of exposition setting up the history of a group of intergalactic warriors known as the Green Lantern Corps, the film whips through space and shows the demise of Abin Sur, the Corps’ best soldier who crashes on earth and instructs his energy ring to find a worthy successor. Enter Hal Jordan (Reynolds), a test pilot for Ferris Industries with a chip on his shoulder. See, his old man was also a pilot and went down in flames, so he’s cocky, brash, arrogant – you know the type. Sound a bit like Top Gun? The comparisons don’t stop there. A flight simulation early in the movie was so close to Tony Scott’s iconic imagery that the filmmakers may as well have inserted footage directly from Tom Cruise’s dogfight sequences into Green Lantern and called it a day.

And though this movie has shades of “we’ve seen this before,” it eventually goes to some interesting places. Hailed as a “space opera” since its inception, the film lives up to that description by following our newly-minted hero to a planet called Oa. Home to other green lantern members – including the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro (Mark Strong), the hardass leader of the Corps – Oa is a home base for Hal Jordan as he trains under the tutelage of a hulking alien named Kilowog (voice of Michael Clarke Duncan). And while the “power gaining/training” sequences in superhero films are almost always the most plodding plot points, this one is surprisingly cool. The Green Lanterns (Hal Jordan is the only human, but there are thousands of others across the universe) harness the energy of willpower, and their rings allow them to create whatever their minds can imagine. So in this training sequence, what should have been a fairly boring segment of the movie as we wait for Hal to fight the real bad guys was actually entertaining; by setting up they can create anything from their minds, the audience never quite knows exactly what’s going to be created, so we’re always at least a bit surprised with what we see (which is more than some superhero movies can say).

The plot details aren’t worth hashing out here – it essentially boils down to an intergalactic war between willpower and fear – but Martin Campbell and the four screenwriters are able to take a difficult premise and condense it into easy-to-digest summer entertainment. You probably won’t see anyone referring to Green Lantern as “the greatest superhero movie since The Dark Knight” (as some did with X-Men: First Class), but it’s far better than it has any right to be. Why? Ryan Reynolds. The man is just so damn charming, it’s impossible not to root for him. I think he may be the perfect mainstream movie star. Those who witnessed the rise of Tom Cruise may disagree, but I think Reynolds has more charisma and screen presence than Cruise, one of the biggest movie stars in the world.

Blake Lively, on the other hand, has none of Reynolds’ charm or comic timing. As Carol Ferris, she’s Jordan’s childhood sweetheart; though the character is ostensibly supposed to be a strong powerful female figure, she’s basically just the same old love interest we’ve seen time and time again. Don’t get me wrong – she’s serviceable in the role, but she doesn’t elevate the material nearly as much (or as effortlessly) as Reynolds. She stands around and looks hot, providing the occasional “I’m disappointed in you” speech to our hero to spur him into action.

The rest of the cast is mostly wasted: the voices of Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan are used briefly during the training scenes on Oa, and the versatile Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, RockNRolla) scowls his way through about 15 minutes of screen time. Perennial favorite Peter Sarsgaard does some interesting work as scientist Hector Hammond. While examining the body of Abin Sur, Hammond becomes infected with a part of the Parallax consciousness, allowing him to read minds but unfortunately expanding his head to disgustingly monstrous proportions. Add to this the fact that Hammond has been jilted by Carol Ferris since childhood in favor of Hal Jordan, and you’ve got a motive for vengeance. Academy Award winner Tim Robbins is perhaps the most underused of all, playing a politician that could have been played by just about any male actor with a pulse. My roommate brought up a good point in our post-viewing discussion: he was hoping Robbins would provide the type of gravitas that Jeff Bridges brought to the role of Obidiah Stane back in the first Iron Man film, but sadly that character wasn’t given the opportunity.

To me, the most impressive aspect of Green Lantern is the disparity between the visual effects in the trailers and the finished effects in the movie. On many a GeekTyrant podcast, my cohorts and I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of Reynolds’ suit, a completely CGI creation. It works much better than early looks indicated, though the mask is still the most laughable aspect of the costume (and the film thankfully addresses this). Parallax, the villainous cloud that uses fear to consume souls – and that’s not a joke, by the way – is rendered beautifully. Never has an evil space cloud looked so good. Scenes in which it rampages through a city looked cheesy in the trailers, but work fairly well in context. Even the 3D is effective, truly utilizing the vastness of space to enhance the experience and giving the audience a sense of distance that was lacking even in the other world-spanning superhero movie released earlier this summer, Marvel’s Thor.

I’d imagine any film version of Green Lantern was always fighting an uphill battle between balancing the comic book lore for fans and spreading the appeal to a wide audience, and though I still hold to my beliefs that Ryan Reynolds would have been a much better Wally West (aka The Flash) than Hal Jordan, I believe Martin Campbell was able to use him to strike that balance to a successful degree. The action is fun and interesting to watch, the heart of the story is straightforward, but there are enough visual flairs in place to separate it from the seemingly never-ending stream of superhero films we’ve been getting since Singer breathed new life into the genre with X-Men back in 2000. This is as mainstream a version of this story as we’ll get, but for fans of the character (and fans of this genre in general), I imagine that will be enough. Until next time…

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Roughly a year ago Warner Bros. re-hired writers Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim to get started on the script for a Green Lantern sequel, which may move forward in the near future if the first film is a success next month.

While Ryan Reynolds and the cast have likely signed for multiple films, director Martin Campbell has not, and in a recent interview it was hinted that Campbell wouldn’t be returning to direct the sequel if it gets made.

From the latest issue of Total Film (via CBM):

Inevitably, chat turns to the possibility of follow-ups. Campbell admits it will be nice to have all the backstory and complicated rules of the character already taken care of. “This film has become the instruction manual if they do any further ones. It’s what we call pipe laying,” he says. Not that he has plans to return for a sequel – like Bond, he loves ‘em and leaves ‘em.”

While we could speculate that Campbell didn’t enjoy making Green Lantern and all those VFX gave him a headache, I think he’s just the type of director who likes to move onto different things. After rebooting Bond with Casino Royale he decided not to return for Quantum of Solace, and he waited seven years before making a sequel to The Mask of Zorro, so spending several years in the same movie universe obviously isn’t his thing.

Any suggestions for who should direct the sequel? (if it happens)

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A new TV trailer for Green Lantern has been released, and it’s basically a condensed version of the 4 minute WonderCon trailer we saw earlier this month.

The visual effects are improving, which is a good sign, as they were only half way through completing all 1500+ visual effects shots a few weeks ago. The visuals will be the selling point for this movie, especially for those who aren’t familiar with Green Lantern as a character, so it’s key they get those ready so as not to put people off with unfinished CGI masks.

You can watch the trailer below:

The Green Lantern Corps are a brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

As well as Ryan Reynolds, the movie also stars Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Mark Strong as Sinestro, Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond, Tim Robbins as Senator Hammond and Angela Bassett as Dr. Amanda Waller, and will hit screen on June 17th, 2011.

Are you sold?

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Over the past few days Warner Bros. has been airing new footage from Green Lantern at CinemaCon and WonderCon. Luckily for those who weren’t in attendance the studio has released an abridged, 4-minute version of the footage online in HD.

Watch below:

Having watched the footage twice now I still can’t work out what the movie is about, or what it is aiming for (bearing in mind I’m not familiar with the Green Lantern world at all, so it’s an outsiders perspective). The space shots look cool, but Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond looks a bit silly with his giant head, as does Mark Strong as Sinestro.

In an interview with THR producer Donald De Line said, of the visual effects scenes shown above, 80 percent are technically finished, but with only 2.5 months left to go they are only half way through completing all 1500+ visual effects shots. Plus they need to convert it into 3D. It is clear Green Lantern is heavily reliant on special effects, probably more so than any other comic book movie to date. We’ll have to see how that works on June 17th.

As well as Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, the movie stars Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney and Geoffrey Rush.

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As expected, Warner Bros. today released the first full trailer for Green Lantern in shiny HD. With the studio expecting a script for the sequel by the end of the year we knew they were confident, and they probably have a reason to be, but the trailer doesn’t give that ‘breakout superhero movie of 2011′ vibe which people have been expecting.

The trailer has a number of cool shots, mainly when the people with purple faces are on-screen, and it appears director Martin Campbell has gone for a tone similar to that of Iron Man, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, unless you want all your superheroes packaged like The Dark Knight.

Watch the trailer below:

Here’s the synopsis:

The Green Lantern Corps are a brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But with his determination and willpower, Hal has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) Hal must quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears to defeat Parallax.

The movie also stars Mark Strong as Sinestro, Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond, Tim Robbins as Senator Hammond and Angela Bassett as Dr. Amanda Waller.

What do you think of the trailer? Post your thoughts in the comments section below!

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We heard that Warner Bros. would be releasing the first trailer for Green Lantern with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and now Entertainment Tonight has previewed around 30 seconds of footage from the trailer. It looks like the full trailer will be making its way online early next week.

In the short clip we see Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan materializing into the suit, fighting with a giant fist, and other action shots.

Watch below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1FQoEkXcI

They still have until June 2011 to work on the effects so im sure the suit will be improved upon. Other than that it looks good so far, but I want to wait until we see the trailer next week before making a real judgement.

What do you think of the footage?

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Entertainment Weekly has revealed our first official look at Ryan Reynolds in his Green Lantern costume. The costume itself looks pretty cool, although I’m not feeling the mask. I think I’ll wait to see the costume in action to make a real judgement, as a photoshopped magazine cover isn’t really the way to see it.

Check out the full costume below:

We heard back in April that the suit would be fully CGI, and Reynolds has been wearing a grey tracking motion/performance capture suit with led lights while on set.

Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell, also stars Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins, Mark Strong and Angela Bassett. Warner Bros. will be releasing the movie in 3D and 2D on June 17th 2011.

What do you think of the costume? Does a fully CGI suit have the potential to become the best superhero costume seen on-screen?

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Comic Book Movie got their hands on what appears to be the first bit of promotional art for the Green Lantern movie, which reveals what the Green Lantern logo may look like along with the ring design.

This is artwork that Warner Bros. Consumer Products had exclusively reproduced by DC Comics. It’s inspired by Green Lantern #10, Volume 4. Warner Bros. Consumer Products is working in conjunction with Mattel to create Green Lantern movie-based merchandise; some of which will be displayed at next week’s Licensing International Expo.

Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell, stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins, Mark Strong and Angela Bassett. Warner Bros. will be releasing the movie in 3D and 2D on June 17th 2011.

What do you think of the logo?

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ComicBookMovie got their hands on the official synopsis for Green Lantern which gives us a rundown of the plot, along with details on the cast and who they will be playing.

It also reveals the name of a new villain, which has got fans talking. As i’m not familiar with Green Lantern I haven’t a clue what he/it is, but it seems Martin Campbell and Warner Bros. will be giving Hal Jordan a challenge for his first outing.

Here’s the synopsis in its entirety.

‘Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Campbell directs “Green Lantern” from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

The film also stars Blake Lively (upcoming “The Town,” TV’s “Gossip Girl”) as the spirited Carol Ferris, a test pilot and the heir apparent to her father’s aviation company; Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education,” “Flightplan”) as scientist Dr. Hector Hammond; Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes”) as Sinestro, Jordan’s powerful mentor in the Green Lantern Corps; Jay O. Sanders (“Revolutionary Road”) as Carl Ferris, Carol’s aircraft designer dad; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars” Episodes II and III) as Abin Sur, Jordan’s alien predecessor; Taika Waititi (TV’s “The Flight of the Conchords”) as flight navigator Tom Kalmaku, Hal’s good friend and confidante; Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as enigmatic government scientist Amanda Waller; and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) as Hector’s influential father, Senator Robert Hammond.

The film is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”) and Greg Berlanti (upcoming “Life As We Know It”). Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers. Geoff Johns and Lucienne Papon are co-producing.

The film’s behind-the-scenes creative team is led by a number of Academy Award® winners, including director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), and costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), as well as Oscar®-nominated editor and longtime Campbell collaborator, Stuart Baird (“Gorillas in the Mist,” “Superman”). The film’s visual effects are being overseen by Oscar®-nominee Kent Houston (“The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen,” “Casino Royale”).

The film is currently scheduled for release in 3D and 2D on June 17, 2011. “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. ‘

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