Warner Bros.
Just days after The Hollywood Reporter published a bombshell report about the behavior of director Joss Whedon and other Warner Bros. executives on the set of Justice League, Vanity Fair has published an interview with Academy Award-winning Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio that sees that Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice scribe absolutely torch those in charge of the DCEU.
“The 2017 theatrical cut was an act of vandalism. Zack [Snyder] may be too much of a gentleman to say that, but I’m not,” Terrio said. [via Vanity Fair]
In addition to his comments about Justice League, Terrio also ripped Warner Bros’ handling off the DCEU as a whole, saying the franchise was undercut by corporate meddling, poor franchise planning, and tone-deaf decisions that prioritized bombastic visual effects over tight storytelling. Terrio also took shots at the title of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, calling it a “disaster that primed audiences to roll their eyes at the film.”
“I wrote drafts of the Batman/Superman movie, which wasn’t called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by me. I did not name the script. In fact, I found out what the movie was called along with the rest of the world on the internet. I was not consulted on the title of the film, and I was as surprised as anyone. I would not have named it Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
“I heard it and I thought, It just sounds self-important and clueless in a way. Tone-deaf. The intention of the film was to do something interesting and dark and complex, not quite as Las Vegas, bust ’em up, WWE match as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Yikes, indeed. The comments from Terrio mark the latest turn in the seemingly neverending Snyder Cut saga. On Tuesday, after years of leveling accusations against Whedon and WB executives such as writer/producer Geoff Johns, DC films co-chairman Jon Berg, and WB studio chief Toby Emmerich, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher laid out the full extent of his claims in an expose published by THR.
According to Fisher, he had “to explain some of the most basic points of what would be offensive to the Black community.” Furthermore, when Fisher tried to approach Whedon with “notes to avoid issues in terms of representation of the character” Whedon cut him off and said “It feels like I’m taking notes right now, and I don’t like taking notes from anybody — not even Robert Downey Jr.”
While Fisher declines to discuss any of what transpired with Gadot, a witness on the production who later spoke to investigators says that after one clash, “Joss was bragging that he’s had it out with Gal. He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie.” [via The Hollywood Reporter]
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