Isn't that the most exciting headline? My mind is whirling with images of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash showing up to some remote mountain location and saying "Where's my movie?!"

Unfortunately, the goings-on at the summit are a lot less glamorous, but if you're a DC fan they might be nearly as exciting. According to Variety, Warner Bros and DC are busy charting a course for their superhero franchises, trying to decide which hero or what franchise to kick into high gear. While Marvel Studios is announcing origins and crossovers left and right, Warners is still holding onto their DC characters, and finding themselves unable to take the big screen plunge. Even the two they've shoved out the door are about to languish -- Christopher Nolan hasn't committed to a third Batman film, and Superman is wondering why he ever bothered returning. (Though the rumors swirling around the Man of Steel this week suggest he may be a big part of Warners' new strategy.)

They have been in a similar predicament before. Five years ago, Warners was getting ready to hire someone just to oversee their DC movies, aware they could lose an entire generation of young geeks if they didn't get going. And while they did manage Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Watchmen, it's just not enough. While there's no real indication of what their strategy will be, expect the studio to start buckling down and decide what to do with the Justice League.

So, Cinematical readers, which DC property are you hoping they'll concentrate on first? As you can probably guess, I favor Wonder Woman. I think it would be a huge statement for them to concentrate on such an iconic female superhero when no one else has. But based on the persistent comments that pepper my inbox, I'm betting that it's a close call between her and the Green Lantern. Sound off, my friends.

At the recent press day for the new rock-'em, sock-'em action film Wanted, actor and rapper Common met the press; of course, someone asked him about his rumored involvement in the on-again, off-again Justice League movie, where he was rumored to be in contention for the role of Green Lantern, Jon Stewart. His answer was a nicely-tuned mix of diplomatic evasion and general enthusiasm, culminating in a non-statement of Nixonian proportions: "I really don't know what's going on with the Justice League movie; I can say if they do do a Justice League movie, I would love to be a part of it, but I really can't speak on it, because I don't know what's happening with it . ... I like the comic, though."

Common also spoke briefly about another high-octane franchise flick he's currently shooting, Terminator: Salvation: "I'm in Terminator 4, and I'm very grateful to be part of that ... I'm playing the role of Barnes, a resistance soldier with John Connor, fighting the machines; I also have a new album coming out in August, Invincible Summer. ..." So, in other words, not exactly a bevy of new information, but, nonetheless, confirmation that a) Justice League is still a no-go and b) Common's on our side in Terminator 4; for more on Wanted, look for our interview with Common tomorrow. ...

Rumors have been swirling all week that Justice League: Mortal is dead (making the title so very ironic). Eric Kohn reported last week that Joel Silver was describing the film as "tabled." It sounds as if the final nails are being hammered into the coffin, as the Herald Sun reports that the stars have begun to jump ship.

Reportedly, the entire cast has been let go, but as of now, the only name anyone is really talking about is Megan Gale, who was set to play Wonder Woman. An agent for Gale (and League costar Teresa Palmer) insist that both actresses are still on board and waiting for the start date to be announced. Industry insiders are claiming the film is off the books for good.

As there hasn't been one scrap of positive or definitive news on this movie in some time, I think it is safe to say the film is dead for the time being. I imagine it will resurrect in a year or two, probably with an entirely new cast and director, but I sincerely doubt George Miller's film will see the light of day. I feel bad for the guy, but it is obviously just not meant to be. He didn't respond to the Herald's inquiries, which may say volumes about whether he thinks the project is alive or not.

What will movie blogs the world over do without any casting rumors or excruciating setbacks (or April Fools jokes) to report about George Miller's Justice League? We're about to find out, because producer Joel Silver told CHUD that the adaptation has been "tabled," meaning it's not going to happen any time soon. This ends -- at least for the moment -- breathless speculation about who would play which of the dozens of superhero characters in the cast, how blasphemous the screenplay would turn out to be, and when it would actually start filming.

The production was so embattled, by all accounts, that it sometimes seemed like no one wanted to either make it or see it. So maybe this development is for the best -- though I do hope that George Miller comes back if this project ever gets revived. He has the uncanny ability to turn any genre (including, incredibly, the big-budget animated musical) on its head, and comic book movies could use a shake-up. And maybe the new incarnation, whenever it surfaces, can be something that fans can actually get excited about. If you're making a superhero movie and can't even get the geeks on board, you're probably in trouble.

With the writer's strike over, Warner Bros. believes they have a winner in this Justice League movie, and they're once again plowing ahead to try to get the film up and running for a debut in 2009. Variety tells us that writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney are currently re-tooling the script, while George Miller remains in pre-production in Australia. Additionally, the cast have been told to keep training for their roles. As previously reported, JLA will feature Adam Brody (the Flash), Common (Green Lantern), Armie Hammer Jr. (Batman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman). Other actors are rumored to have landed roles, but nothing seems to be official yet.

By mentioning Armie Hammer Jr., we assume this means Batman and Superman will play key roles in the film. Just recently, there was a rumor going around that had both characters scrapped from the new flick. Then again, since the script is still being re-tooled, we really don't know what the final outcome will look like. Assuming all goes right, Warners will use Justice League to launch solo films for a few of these other characters, like the Flash and Wonder Woman. Marvel, on the other hand, is taking the exact opposite approach: They're launching solo films -- and cross-promoting characters within each solo film -- before stepping up to the plate with an Avengers film. Which do you think will be the more successful route?

Also of note: Warners has set a October 16, 2009 release date for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are.

When am I gonna learn how to punch?

AICN is posting a nutty rumor today with regards to the new Justice League flick. Remember how director George Miller had said recently during the AFI Awards that when it goes before cameras, Justice League would have a different name? Well, according to a tipster, that name may have already been leaked by Batman. No, not the rumored-to-be-playing-Batman, Armie Hammer, but the other Batman, Christian Bale. Here's what they claim: "Christian Bale was on Nova (FM) today in an interview (pre-recorded I assume) for "Yuma" and said he has "nothing to do with AMERICAN HEROES, and their Batman will be different to our Batman." Wait, so are they calling it American Heroes? WTF? Personally, not only do I think it's a horrible title, but there's no way Warner Bros. will go with a title that could potentially hinder box office sales worldwide. This is the same issue G.I. Joe was having; how they're apparently going out of their way to include a wide array of characters from different countries in order to make it less American and more world-friendly. I doubt this is the title, but if it was, what do you think?

Remember that Karate Kid remake? The one that was supposedly being handled by Will Smith, starring his son Jaden? Well, MoviesOnline claims that according to "production notes," Will Smith will indeed direct the Karate Kid remake and son Jaden will indeed star. Yes, Will Smith will make his feature directorial debut with a remake of a film that no one in their right mind wanted remade in the first place. Why, Will? Why? Can't you just get jiggy with something else and save us the pain? Additionally, Moviehole reports that actor Stephen Chow has confirmed internet rumors that he is considering playing Mr. Miyagi in the remake. According to Chow, he'd love to take on the role, but it depends on whether his schedule can handle it. I can't even think of something funny to write here. I'm at a loss. A loss. My childhood is officially lost. [via The Movie Blog]

Finally, new photos from this month's Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem have arrived online, and they appear to show the Predators' home planet. Ya know, in case you were wondering if the Predator's had TIVO and/or watched American Idol in their spare time. Alongside the home planet pic, Yahoo also has a bunch more for you peruse through. There's a shot of an Alien. And a Predator. And both. And they're fighting each other. What's this film about again?

Is the rush inspired by a possible writer's strike putting big forthcoming franchise flicks like Star Trek and Justice League in peril? Are there too many movies for grown-ups in the theaters right now? Has Ben Affleck successfully switched careers? And what end-of-year films are two of Cinematical's critics most looking forward to? Joining James on The Rocchi Review this week to talk about those questions and much more is Cinematical's Editor-in-Chief Erik Davis. You can download the entire podcast right here -- and we hope you enjoy.

I think Warner Bros. is really screwing up by rushing its Justice League of America movie, but then, I was never a big DC superhero fan, so I don't care. There are millions of fans who do care, though, and for them I hope the studio doesn't ruin it. After all, there are franchise spin-offs expected, and if a character is badly cast, that hero might unfortunately remain miscast for more movies to come. Sure, some people would love for Smallville's Tom Welling to play Superman in Justice League of America (although, as Erik pointed out before, that probably isn't happening), and even continue in future films, replacing Brandon Routh in Bryan Singer's series. But at least the actor has already proven himself worthy of the part to many fans. What about Wonder Woman, for whom comic geeks have debated the perfect actress for the past few years? Everyone's favorite Amazon will not likely be played by Charisma Carpenter or Katie Holmes or Eva Green or Nadia Bjorlin or Megan Fox or Sophia Bush or Jessica Biel or Rachel Bilson or Katherine McPhee or Priyanka Chopra. However it could be the very beautiful and very much unknown (in the U.S.) Victoria Hill.

According to Moviehole, the Australian actress has tested for the role. It makes sense now that Aussie director George Miller is officially on board, since he plans to shoot the thing Down Under, and would benefit from having a local cast. Although Americans may not recognize her, Hill can currently be seen in the limitedly released December Boys (aka the movie in which Daniel Radcliffe isn't Harry Potter). She was also seen (nude) by a few people earlier this year in Geoffrey Wright's updated Macbeth. Fans of Xena: Warrior Princess who want to check the actress out can break out their Season 6 set and view her in two episodes. Of course, you might want to hold off on holding your own audition of the actress (by way of her past work), because she hasn't actually been cast as Wonder Woman just yet -- she's only tested for it, which could mean nothing.

Though we've known for some time now that Happy Feet director George Miller was circling the live-action Justice League of America movie, Variety is just now reporting that Miller will indeed helm the film. With the threat of a strike looming in the distance like a nasty storm cloud or a drunk ex-girlfriend who has no business being in the same place you are, Warner Bros. is feverishly forging ahead in order to have a big superhero movie for 2009. This summer, Christopher Nolan will debut The Dark Knight, his follow-up to Batman Begins, and since Bryan Singer is busy filming Nazis with Tom Cruise, his follow-up to Superman Returns won't be ready until at least 2010 (if it ever does get off the ground). So, with all that in mind, it's do or die time for Justice League. But will the rushed script, casting and production schedule ultimately hurt the finished product. Um, I'll let you answer that one.

So now that Miller is onboard, our attention immediately turns toward casting. Variety says that Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman will most likely be the primarily characters in the film. For those wondering, both Christian Bale and Brandon Routh will most likely not be involved (and Nolan has already requested that the studio hold off on JLA until his Batman films are done, but apparently that ain't gonna happen). Casting rumors pop up every single day; I believe the latest one has Ryan Gosling playing Batman and Tom Welling playing Superman. However, nothing is official. I've already made it clear how I feel about this film -- that, as cool as it sounds to have a live-action flick featuring all my favorite superheroes, now is just not the time. Especially seeing as it's going to be rushed into production, why not just go the CGI route, or the motion-capture route? Why force this? Nurture this project, protect it; it could be the geeked-up movie event of the decade. I dig Miller, but I'm super scared. What about you?

Apparently neither Christian Bale nor Brandon Routh are doing Warner Bros.' Justice League movie. Does that leave the studio desperate to find replacements? Not according to IESB, which always seems to have the best scoops before everyone else (to paraphrase The Joker: Where do they get these wonderful sources?). The movie site, which also broke the news that Stephen Sommers would direct G.I. Joe, claims Tom Welling is filling the cape of Superman in Justice League. This should be good news to a lot of Smallville fans -- as my comic-obsessed buddy says: "That's who they should have gotten in the first place [for Superman Returns]" -- but it hasn't been confirmed yet, so no celebrating just yet. Still, IESB seems more sure of this rumor than any the site has ever announced. They admit over there that they haven't gotten a reply from Welling's people and that the WB people have denied it, but they're still positive that it is true, because of the sources they've heard it from.

Supermanhomepage.com got an official response from Smallville producer Al Gough, who said this casting "hasn't happened, won't happen, he is under contract to Smallville through Season 8." But IESB has recognized this debunking and still isn't backing down. The site insists Welling has the role and even points out that Smallville may even revolve production around the movie's shoot. As for Bale's replacement, IESB claims to also know who's playing Batman but doesn't have a good enough amount of sources to reveal it. Meanwhile, CHUD has a sarcastic response to the whole thing. The site has a joke post up claiming that Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson (poor guy) have been cast in the movie, the former as Batman and the latter as Superman. The post also brings back the old floater that Jack Black would be Green Lantern. Of course, CHUD is obviously making fun of IESB and wonder if they could get a lot of hits by just making up casting rumors, such as Jamie Bamber as Superman and Gerard Butler as Aquaman. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if IESB's latest, including the tip that Justice League will only be partially motion capture (like every other fantasy movie these days), is true.