Geoff Johns Calls DC Universe’s Titans A “12-Hour Movie”
by Erik Amaya
When Titans began its life as a potential primetime drama on TNT, it was poised to be something of a traditional television show. But when the cable channel passed on the Greg Berlanti project, it found a new life as part of the early announced content offerings on the upcoming DC Universe streaming platform. And as executive producer Geoff Johns tells Entertainment Weekly, that switch in venues changed the nature of the show.
“It was an opportunity do less of a conventional procedural show and more of a 12-hour movie,” he explained. “We could focus in more on character and push the envelope, in terms of content.” That envelope-pushing has led to some criticism about the series, particularly after DC Universe released a trailer feature Dick Grayson (Blue Lagoon: The Awakening‘s Brenton Thwaites) uttering the now-infamous line “F*ck Batman.”
Because the first season is viewed more as one ongoing story, do not expect the Titans to be a fully-formed team when the series debuts next month. In fact, the group of young heroes, which includes Teagan Croft as Raven, Anna Diop as Starfire and Ryan Potter as Beast Boy, may not even acknowledge what they are becoming until the very end. Which means the series will establish its world and other heroes like Donna Troy (Conor Leslie), Hawk & Dove and the Doom Patrol long before the Titans have their own tower.
Then again, maybe the tower will debut before they become a team.
The series will also feature at least one confrontation between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd (Curran Walters). The current Robin regards the job as the greatest thing to ever happen while Dick’s falling out with the Batman prevents him seeing it that way.
Which all sounds great, even if that trailer left some things to be desired. Considering the Berlanti connection, there should be more fidelity to the source even if the series looks further away from New Teen Titans than even Teen Titans GO!.
Titans debuts on October 12th.
