Warner Bros. hasn't exactly gotten off to the best start when it comes to the DC Extended Universe. A cinematic world building effort, WB hopes to eventually compete with the unrivaled success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has been producing commercial hits since 2008's "Iron Man." Unfortunately for WB and DC, the studio's launching pad - 2013's "Man of Steel" - was met with a mixed critical reception and somewhat underperformed at the global box office. Meanwhile, Marvel is reportedly prepared to invest $1 billion into the two-part "Avengers: Infinity War" series coming later this decade to extend their lead in the superhero movie race.
As either a direct response to Marvel's ongoing success or due to rumored dysfunction behind the scenes at Warner Bros., Latino Review is reporting that the budget for "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" has ballooned to an unthinkable $410 million, easily making it one of the most expensive film productions in movie history. The site does not name a source, so take the figure with a grain of salt. But if true, Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder may really be struggling to find a cohesive strategy. Either that or they want to ensure by any means necessary that "Batman V Superman" is the $1 billion-plus blockbuster they thought they were getting with "Man of Steel."
Given the unconfirmed budget concerns, it's no surprise that Latino Review is also claiming that WB has already earmarked a $500 million total combined budget for their planed two-part "Justice League" series. That's a more reasonable figure, though it may lower expectations in the minds of fans. However, as we learned with "Avengers: Age of Ultron," bigger doesn't always necessarily mean better.
It's fair for Warner Bros. to want to make the first-ever big screen team-up (conflict?) between the Last Son of Krypton and the Caped Crusader a sure-fire hit. But if Latino Review's sources are reliable, this is an incredibly expensive and risky gamble. If the film doesn't cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office, the expansion plans for the DCEU may be put on a permanent hold.
