According to a report in VARIETY, Warner Brothers plans to concentrate on "franchise"-type films, with five "event" movies out of each year's slate of 25- 30 films. For 2003, that goal has been met, with TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES, LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION, the Tom Cruise vehicle THE LAST SAMURAI, THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS.
As for 2004, two of those spots have been filled, with a new SCOOBY-DOO movie and HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. That leaves three spots open. Among the movies under consideration:
CATWOMAN: Ashley Judd is the frontrunner for the part of Selina Kyle, but until Warners gets the latest draft of the script from John Rogers, nothing has been approved.
CONSTANTINE: When director Tarsem dropped out, this movie ground to a halt. While Nicolas Cage was set to play John Constantine, as he has been for nearly every other comic-book adaptation ever considered, current casting points to Keanu Reeves. No director currently on board.
BATMAN & SUPERMAN: Combining Warner's two biggest comic franchises. Wolfgang Petersen is currently attached to produce, develop and possibly direct.
TROY: A romance set in the Trojan War, based on a script by Michael Tabb.
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