It’s not that Michael Goldenberg and Martin Campbell are talented creators in their own right, but Warner Bros. hired the wrong person to oversee a superhero movie. The studio’s decision-making drowned out any enthusiasm the team initially brought to the project, and a lack of passion was evident in the final cut. The animated CG suits worn by members of the Green Lantern Corps feel like Warner Bros. throw money at the wall and see what sticks, that’s exactly what the situation is like according to Ryan Reynolds. I said Diversity:
“Too many people spend too much money and when there’s a problem instead of saying, ‘Okay, let’s stop spending on special effects and think about character. How do we replace the epic stuff? hey – that doesn’t work at all – with something character based?’ and that’s never — thinking never has to do that. And to their beliefs, it’s a very old-school way of looking at things. It’s just ‘Let’s just get on with it. This.’ And that’s it – it doesn’t work.”
Green Lantern was the result of lavish studio spending, an overcompensation for the lack of a fully developed vision. Warner Bros. have to bear their own mistakes, lost about 75 million dollars when the film only grossed $220 million at the box office against its $200 million budget (and that doesn’t even include all the promotional links). Ironically, a superhero whose strength is based on will and courage falls victim to an overly secure studio.
