DC’s Batman and Robin Movie Hires Writer

DC is on the verge of simultaneously filming two Batman movies, each with a different actor playing the iconic hero.

So, it sounds like things are really moving forward with the Batman universe! We’re still getting a sequel to The Batman with Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson, which is awesome. But get this – they’re also developing a new Batman and Robin movie called The Brave and the Bold! It’s going to be part of the fresh DC universe James Gunn started with Superman. Now, the original Batman from 2022 existed in its own separate world, but this new one will connect to everything else. The Hollywood Reporter says DC and Warner Bros. have hired Christina Hodson to write the script, which is fantastic news – she’s a great writer!

They do note that “it is unclear how far along is Brave and the Bold in the writing process.”

The upcoming movie will feature Damian Wayne as Robin. He’s the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, and first appeared in the Batman comics in the mid-2000s, thanks to writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert.

Christina Hodson has experience adapting DC Comics into movies. She was the sole credited screenwriter for the 2020 film Birds of Prey, which starred Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and she also contributed to the screenplay for 2023’s The Flash. The Flash notably featured Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman, offering a fresh take on his portrayal from the Tim Burton films of the late 80s and early 90s.

When James Gunn first revealed his plans for the new DC Universe, The Brave and the Bold was among the initial ten projects announced. So far, only Superman and Creature Commandos have been released. Supergirl and a Lanterns TV series are currently being filmed. Development on the other original projects has been slow, but DC has since added new ones, like a Clayface movie scheduled for release later this year.

Currently, there’s no release date or confirmed cast for The Brave and the Bold. While The Flash director Andy Muschietti was initially considered, his involvement is still uncertain and depends on his schedule. Meanwhile, The Batman – Part II, directed by Matt Reeves, is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.

Remakes That Switched Genres

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

As a film critic, I’ve always loved The Magnificent Seven. It’s a classic Western, but it’s fascinating to discover its roots are much deeper than just the American frontier. Believe it or not, this story originally came from a 1954 Japanese film, Seven Samurai, directed by the legendary Akira Kurosawa. That film tells the story of a village hiring seven masterless samurai to defend them from bandits. In fact, when Seven Samurai first came to the US, it was already called The Magnificent Seven! When director John Sturges decided to remake the story a few years later, setting it in Mexico with gunslingers instead of samurai, he wisely kept the title, recognizing a great story is a great story, no matter where – or when – it’s told.

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

The classic samurai film Yojimbo (1961) inspired many Westerns, most notably A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Sergio Leone’s film, starring Clint Eastwood, follows a wandering gunslinger who arrives in a lawless town and pits its feuding groups against each other – a plot very similar to Yojimbo, which featured Toshiro Mifune doing the same in 19th-century Japan. Though Leone didn’t officially obtain the rights to remake Yojimbo, the similarities were so striking that Toho, the original film’s production company, successfully sued. Interestingly, legend has it that Akira Kurosawa, the director of Yojimbo, actually earned more from the profits of A Fistful of Dollars than he did from his own film.

A Star Is Born (1976)

The movie A Star Is Born has been remade several times. The original (1937) and the 1976 version, starring Judy Garland and James Mason, both told the story of two Hollywood stars – one rising and one falling – and the 1976 film included musical numbers. However, the 1976 remake shifted the focus from movies to music, centering on a romance between a seasoned rock star (Kris Kristofferson) and a talented singer (Barbra Streisand) he meets. The most recent version (2018), with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, kept a similar setting and musical style while updating the story for a modern audience.

Airplane! (1980)

Many believe the comedy film Airplane! (1980) was inspired by the popular Airport movies of the 1970s. However, it’s actually a close remake of a 1957 drama called Zero Hour! The plots are nearly identical: the entire crew of a plane gets sick from bad food, and a former pilot with a troubled past is the only one who can safely land it. The film even uses some of the same character names – for instance, the pilot is named Ted Stryker (or Striker) in both movies, played by different actors.

The Thing (1982)

I’m a big fan of both versions of The Thing. The original, The Thing From Another World (1951), definitely has horror elements, but it feels more like a classic 50s sci-fi movie – it builds suspense with the idea of alien invaders, rather than relying on jump scares. John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) is a totally different beast, though. It’s genuinely terrifying and super gory, with the sci-fi aspects taking a backseat. Honestly, both are great films, but Carpenter’s version is just unbelievably nightmarish – it’s on another level!

Evil Dead II (1987)

The original film, The Evil Dead (1981), is a horror movie. It was followed by Evil Dead II (1987), which blends horror with comedy and gore. Fans often argue whether Evil Dead II is a remake of the first film with a larger budget, a continuation of the story, or a bit of both. The ongoing debate suggests it’s close enough to a remake to be considered one. While The Evil Dead was a fairly traditional zombie film, Evil Dead II allowed director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell to showcase their unique comedic styles, creating scenes reminiscent of the Three Stooges in a gruesome, over-the-top horror setting.

The Lion King (1994)

Let’s talk about remakes! The classic play Hamlet (it’s a really old story!) is the basis for the animated film The Lion King (1994). While The Lion King features animals and even a song about, well, a warthog and gas, at its core it’s the same story as Hamlet. It’s about an uncle who takes over the kingdom from his brother, and the nephew who seeks revenge. The remake has more musical numbers, and the original has a bit more violence—that stampede scene is particularly intense!

Fantasy Island (2020)

The original Fantasy Island was a TV series that ran from 1977 to 1984, and it was a dramatic anthology show. A remake, also called Fantasy Island, came out in 2020 as a movie. However, this remake dramatically changed the tone of the original. While the TV show focused on people fulfilling their dreams, the 2020 film turned those fantasies into terrifying nightmares. Though the original series occasionally had surprising or cautionary twists, it’s very different from the full-on supernatural horror movie that audiences received in 2020, produced by Blumhouse.

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)

The classic 1974 Western parody Blazing Saddles inspired the 2022 animated film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. While Blazing Saddles was a groundbreaking comedy, Paws of Fury – originally titled Blazing Samurai – tells the story of an animated dog defending a town of cats. It’s an interesting reversal, considering how many samurai films have been adapted into Westerns over the years.

Anaconda (2025)

The original Anaconda (1997) was a horror film, but it unintentionally became funny due to Jon Voight’s over-the-top performance as a snake hunter. The 2025 remake leans into this comedic aspect, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd as friends who travel to South America to film a new version of Anaconda and encounter a real giant snake. Sony likely decided to embrace the original’s accidental humor with the remake. However, despite being intentionally funny, the 2025 version didn’t quite land as well as the original’s unintentional comedy.

2026-01-21 22:27