It's been awhile since news of a live-action Teen Titans movie surfaced, what with all the hoopla surrounding Justice League. But when ComicMix sat down with writer-producer Mark Verheiden, the guy had a ton to say about where Warner Bros. is currently at with that Teen Titans movie, as well as what his plans are for the characters and the story. Regarding the script, Verheiden says, "I turned in a pass to Warner Bros. right before the strike and we've talked about that and I'm going to get back into it. I'll address some of their thoughts and work on the next draft."

On where he plans to go with the story: "We're going to have some strong adversaries, or antagonists, but really, I'm trying to concentrate on the core group of these characters, who we meet at a point when they're at the cusp of adulthood ... It's no secret Robin is in this movie, so what if you were him, after living in the shadow of Bruce Wayne and Batman, and now you wanted to go off on your own and become your own man, your own superhero? That's got to be a huge thing to overcome. That makes it interesting for me ... I'm also looking to the work of Marv Wolfman and George Perez as the touchstone of inspiration for the film."

Wolfman and Perez, of course, were responsible for the 1980s Teen Titans revival. Check out the full interview with Verheiden (including all sorts of Battlestar Galactica stuff) over at ComicMix. What do you think about this Teen Titans flick? Could it be better or worse than the upcoming Justice League movie?

During Comic-Con, when I wasn't running from place to place or freezing my butt off in Hall H, I also managed to sit in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel next to the San Diego Convention Center and have a pretty lengthy conversation with Battlestar Galactica Co-Executive Producer Mark Verheiden. During our 45 minutes or so together, we talked about a lot of things not movie-related. However, we also managed to get around to discussing quite a bit of Battlestar Galactica related stuff - including a Battlestar movie -- as well as his other projects: an adaptation of the DC Comic Teen Titans for the big screen and his recent collaboration with actor/director Bruce Cambell.

Verheiden has been writing comic books, television shows and movies for almost twenty years. But when he first moved to Los Angeles from his native Portland, he didn't know anyone in the business or have any idea how he might "break in" and start writing for a living. His first paying screenplay , which he remembers fondly, was for a low-budget action film called Terror Squad starring Chuck Connors, who is best know for his role as The Rifleman on TV.

"A couple friends moved down with me and got jobs in town," said Verheiden. "One worked in sound and I begged him to let me come in and pitch the producer some movie ideas and he ended up making one. Then, he bought another and that was pretty much it. Later, I could point to those films when Hollywood people ask me if I've had anything produced and say "yes."

For anyone disappointed that Robin has been left out of the recent Batman films (I hope you are few), there is good news: Warner Bros. is developing a movie version of the DC comic Teen Titans. Robin is one of the original members of the young super team, and though he has not always been part of the group, it is certainly a possibility that he'll make it into the movie -- if only because of his familiarity to mainstream audiences. The Hollywood Reporter does report that Nightwing, a character who is sort of like an alternative version of Robin (he is the older incarnation of the original Robin, Dick Grayson), is already a definite character. However, because the continuities of DC Comics confuse the dickens out of me, I really have no idea if Nightwing and (the more-recognizable) Robin could both be a part of the movie's team.

Warner Bros.' interest in doing a Titans movie is not surprising, but it is interesting considering the studio is also currently working on a Justice League film. Mostly, I see this project as being an attempt to cater more to a young audience as well as to market the thing as comparable to X-Men. But will it actually be hip enough to attract the kids and smart enough to be as good as the (first two) X-Men films? So far the studio is on the right track with the hiring of Mark Verheiden to script the movie. Comic geeks and TV fans may know Verheiden as a writer for the comic books The Mask and Timecop, as well as their movie adaptations, and as writer-producer for the shows Smallville and Battlestar Galactica. The movie is being produced by Akiva Goldsman (Constantine) and Kerry Foster.