Earlier this spring, comic book enthusiasts and fans of movie making got some pretty good news: director Ryan Unicomb revealed he was putting together the documentary "Miller’s Justice League Mortal," which would explore George Miller‘s scrapped "Justice League Mortal." But there are still a lot of hurdles to clear, and there’s one big one that seems could make or break the whole endeavor.
IF reports, that the filmmakers have formally pitched Warner Bros., hoping to gain permission to use the characters and images from Miller’s movie. “It’s a nervous wait,” the director said. “George Miller and [his producing partner] Doug Mitchell know about the project, so now it all hangs on Warner Bros’ involvement.”
Indeed, it seems Miller and Mitchell will only contribute to the documentary with the sign off from WB, and Unicomb hopes that the studio’s blessing will also allow him to approach Armie Hammer (Batman), D.J. Cotrona (Superman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman), who would’ve starred in "Justice League Mortal," and more who worked on the movie. Indiegogo is also standing by to help with crowdfunding if and when Unicomb wants to launch a campaign.
So, all the pieces are there but it’s up to Warner Bros. to put it all in motion, and it can’t be an easy decision. With the studio delivering their own, new, two-part "Justice League" directed by Zack Snyder starting in 2017, the last thing they may want out there is a documentary that looks back at what could’ve been, with Miller and Snyder’s visions unfairly compared. But then again, maybe WB will see it as an opportunity to let fans know "Justice League Mortal" isn’t a lost classic, and that they’ve found the right foot with the property now.
“We want to celebrate where the characters were at that time and look at the new directions that Warner Bros. is taking the characters,” Unicomb said. It’s a tricky balance for sure, and we’ll see if Warner Bros. wants to open a box that has long been closed.