Michael Bay could direct DC's Lobo movie

[ANGELUS]

The horror...

https://screenrant.com/michael-bay-lobo-dc-direct/

Michael Bay Being Considered to Direct DC’s Lobo Movie
By Mansoor Mithaiwala

Warner Bros. Pictures is eyeing Michael Bay to direct Lobo. Based on the DC comics character of the same name, Lobo is an anti-hero and intergalactic bounty hunter. Although he started out as a villain in the 1980s, by the 1990s, he became an anti-hero and DC’s answer to Marvel’s Cable and Punisher, both of which were growing in popularity at the time. And while a live-action film has been in the works for many years, WB has had a tough time getting it off the ground.

Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie was originally attached to direct a live-action Lobo film in 2009, and an early synopsis for the film included Lobo driving “a pimped out motorcycle” while searching for “four fugitives who are bent on wreaking havoc” on Earth. Unfortunately, Ritchie exited the project soon thereafter, as he was keen on developing Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows instead, and the film started to fall by wayside. Even though Brad Peyton was looking to direct Lobo in 2012, it wasn’t until 2016 that talks about a live-action Lobo film started to heat back up. And now, it seems like the film might actually happen after all.

The Wrap reports that Transformers and Bad Boys director Michael Bay is being eyed by Warner Bros. to direct a live-action Lobo movie. Wonder Woman scribe Jason Fuchs was hired to pen the screenplay for Lobo in 2016, and it seems that Bay offered Fuchs some suggestions to put into a rewrite. Once Fuchs is done with the script, DC will present it to Bay and see if he’ll sign on.

What’s interesting is that this news comes on the heels of a rumor suggesting DC Films had canceled plans to develop Lobo, as well as a Deadshot spinoff starring Will Smith. If the movie does, indeed, go through, DC will need to find a capable actor to portray the seven-foot tall, nigh-indestructible mercenary. Dwayne Johnson was in talks to play Lobo in 2012, but he eventually signed up to play Black Adam instead. Johnson is currently producing Shazam! and developing a solo Black Adam movie with DC Films.

At this point, it’s unclear where Lobo will land under DC Films, whether it will be a part of the unofficially titled DC Extended Universe, or if it will branch off on its own as part of their Elseworlds-type films, such as Todd Phillips’ upcoming Joker origin film. Still, a Lobo movie can be DC’s answer to 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool, as both characters share multiple similarities and appeal to similar crowds. But we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

[Crazedwraith]

What little I know of Lobo... Michael Bay seems good for him.

[The Romulan Republic]

Hiring Michael Bay for a franchise that's already getting lots of fan backlash is basically trolling.

[Zixinus]

I already have a good idea about the answer, but does Micheal Bay even love the DC universe and Lobo with it?

[The Romulan Republic]

I already have a good idea about the answer, but does Micheal Bay even love the DC universe and Lobo with it?

That, at least, is not a concern of mine.

The idea that franchises should be run by die-hard fans makes sense... if you've never spent ten minutes interacting with a typical fandom. "Die-hard fan" generally means axes to grind and/or rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, or pushing their personal fanfic (see Steven Moffat's Doctor Who), and five minutes on a fanfic archive will show you that "fans" don't always respect the material (see also: Peter Jackson's Hobbit films). Its not an automatic disqualifier, but far more important is hiring a professional- someone who will take their job, and the material, seriously regardless of weather they're a life-long fan (see Stark Trek: Wrath of Kahn as a famous example of this).

[Zixinus]

I said nothing about die-hard fans. But outright contempt at the franchise is almost as bad. I recall Micheal Bay expressing contempt for the Transformers and look how those turned out.

[Crazedwraith]

Massive hits you mean?

Well the first couple any way.

[Shroom Man 777]

It might actually suit him. A Bay-ified stupid hilarious Lobo would be great. Heck, just have it be a redo of The Rock. Some nerd, Mister Miracle, is recruited by the Green Lanterns or New Genesis to infiltrate Apokalips and disarm Darkseid's VX gas, and he is paired with an imprisoned hardass Lobo. THERE.

[The Romulan Republic]

I said nothing about die-hard fans. But outright contempt at the franchise is almost as bad. I recall Micheal Bay expressing contempt for the Transformers and look how those turned out.

Well granted, outright contempt would be obviously undesirable. But I would see that as more of a question of "is the director professional", rather than "...does Michael Bay even love the DC universe and Lobo...", as you put it.

To me, "professional" implies that one works hard to make the best of the materials on-hand, and shows respect for the people they are working with. Publicly belittling the material while/after you are working on the franchise is... not that.

[GuppyShark]

Hi. DC fanboy here. Check my avatar. A Michael Bay Lobo movie seems.... completely appropriate. No issues whatsoever.

[SolarpunkFan]

Seems a better fit for him than this at least.

[Q99]

What little I know of Lobo... Michael Bay seems good for him.

Oh, no.

Superficially, there's big muscles and explosions, but Lobo is a heavily satirical character. Much more awareness is needed.

[Elheru Aran]

What little I know of Lobo... Michael Bay seems good for him.

Oh, no.

Superficially, there's big muscles and explosions, but Lobo is a heavily satirical character. Much more awareness is needed.

This. He's basically a DC version of Deadpool, with less breaking the fourth wall, more throwing around a massive hook on a chain while spouting silly made-up profanity and wearing knockoff KISS corpse-paint.

The stories are much more about mocking classic comic stereotypical plots. For example, there's the one where he goes and kills God, excuse me, Gawd. There's another where he's killed (for once) and has to undergo a rather convoluted process of resurrection and reincarnation... but he does it HIS way (including getting put into a female body, and a squirrel body). Then there's one where he judges a beauty pageant, but they might want to change the slightly transphobic ending of that one... Ooh, Fantastic Voyage parody. Running Man parody.

Suffice it to say he basically exists to be ludicrously hyperviolent, uber-masculine, and absurdly testerosterone-brained to the point of parody and beyond. That's the classic 90s interpretation, anyway. After that, he becomes basically just a space-antihero bounty-hunter type who shows up and rustles jimmies on occasion.

Nu-52 Pretty Boy Lobo does not exist.

[Q99]

Right, you have to get the joke to write Lobo, or it doesn't work so well. Self-parody is the point.

Nu52 Pretty Boy Lobo didn't work because the creators thought old Lobo was supposed to be cool and they were updating what cool meant, but they missed the joke.

[Bedlam]

He's basically a DC version of Deadpool,

I'd say Ambush Bug is probably a closer match to Deadpool, a 'cleaner' version anyway.

[Elheru Aran]

He's basically a DC version of Deadpool,

I'd say Ambush Bug is probably a closer match to Deadpool, a 'cleaner' version anyway.

In terms of fourth wall breaking, yeah. I drew the parallel mostly due to the self-awareness... well, Lobo isn't self-aware, but to a certain extent it's expected that the reader is in on the joke (at least if the story is written with that in mind). The stories are... how do I put it... not necessarily meant to be taken as canon, as much as they're extended digressions on the absurdity of the character and the various wild situations he's put into by the author.

I still remember one single issue story where he shows up at the San Diego Comic-Con, I think it was 1992 or something... lots of skewering going on there. Like depicting Marvel as xeroxing comics with massive 'X's on the front, mocking cosplayers, Alan Moore, and so forth. I could well see Deadpool doing something similar.

Hell they even have a vaguely similar facial layout