James Gunn on why 'movie industry is dying,' what 'killed' Marvel and 'The Batman' sequel's status

James Gunn has his ain mentation astir wherefore the movie manufacture is “dying.”

The filmmaker, screenwriter and co-head of DC Studios contends that the crushed for atrocious movies is Hollywood’s inclination to statesman productions earlier screenplays are complete, helium told Rolling Stone successful a caller interview.

“I bash judge that the crushed wherefore the movie manufacture is dying is not due to the fact that of radical not wanting to spot movies. It’s not due to the fact that of location screens getting truthful good,” Gunn said. “The fig 1 crushed is due to the fact that radical are making movies without a finished screenplay.”

That’s wherefore 1 of his main rules astatine DC Studios is that movies indispensable person finished scripts earlier they spell into production. In fact, Gunn conscionable scrapped a task due to the fact that the screenplay wasn’t ready, helium said. On the different hand, helium described the scripts for the upcoming DC films “Supergirl,” “Lanterns” and “Clayface” arsenic “so f—-ing good.”

Before taking the reins of DC Studios successful 2022, Gunn co-wrote and directed 3 “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies for now-competitor Marvel Studios, which helium said has been “killed” by Disney’s directive to summation output.

“We don’t person the mandate to person a definite magnitude of movies and TV shows each year,” Gunn said of DC Studios. “So we’re going to enactment retired everything that we deliberation is of the highest quality.”

During the interview, Gunn besides addressed rumors that Matt Reeves’ sequel to “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson, has been axed. The film, which Gunn confirmed is inactive titled “The Brave and the Bold,” has been delayed a twelvemonth and is present expected successful October 2027.

“That’s the different happening I perceive each the clip — that ‘Batman Part II’ is canceled. It’s not canceled,” Gunn said. “We don’t person a script. Matt’s slow. Let him instrumentality his time. Let him bash what he’s doing. God, radical are mean. Let him bash his thing, man.”

Finishing the scripts for the “The Batman” sequel and “Wonder Woman” are among DC Studios’ apical priorities, Gunn noted.

Additionally, Gunn reflected connected the 2018 ungraded that saw him concisely fired from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” erstwhile tweets resurfaced of him joking astir pedophilia and rape. He said without that experience, his publication for “Superman” — hitting theaters July 11 — would person been overmuch different.

“That opened the doorway for maine to halt creating truthful that radical would similar me. That’s downplaying it — truthful radical would love me,” Gunn said. “I deliberation connected immoderate level, everything I had done came from a pleasing place.”

When asked whether he’s disquieted astir ever moving retired of ideas, Gunn didn’t look excessively concerned.

“If I do, past I’ll spell rise goats,” helium said. “I truly americium fine. There’s a batch of directors who get worse arsenic they get older, and I don’t wanna bash that. Or possibly I bash — I don’t know. It’s like, if it runs retired — it hasn’t truthful far. But who knows?”