Will be interesting to see what comes of it. I've seen too many of these announcements lead to productions that fall apart and end up as something totally different to judge, until there is a production. However, the not that Big Barda is a favorite is a definite plus, in terms of the director and A Wrinkle in Time is getting great reviews. That said, the 4th World has always been a tough nut to crack for anyone other than Kirby. It is so rooted in who the man was, at that point in time; his exploration of mythology and grand concepts that get to the heart of existence, played out in operatic form. That's not something easily captured in a studio film. You definitely need to have tremendous scale to the production design, while still focusing on the characters. The hardest part will be transforming the often philosophical nature of the plots into stronger, more relatable character pieces. There is a strong temptation to go the epic battle route, as that is some of the biggest imagery (The Pact, for instance), which gives short shift to the philosophies at the heart of things. If you strip it down too much, you lose the grandeur that was a hallmark of the work. You definitely need a strong cast and you near really good writing to adapt Kirby's ideas into more realistic dialogue. Dialogue was Kirby's biggest weakness. I also don't see how one movie can begin to capture the work, unless it leads to a series that will expand upon an introduction. You also really can't have Miracle and Barda in a film with Orion and Lightray, from the start. They are two vastly different stories, playing out in a shared universe, looking at the conflict from different points of view. New Gods is about the clash of fascism and democracy, light and dark, good and evil. Mister Miracle was about escaping from oppression and turmoil, seeking peace and life. Forever People is about the idealism of youth, in the face of an oppressive world (and also the element most rooted in the period in which it was created).

I would probably approach it as dual movie franchises that come together, at a later point, to bring the battle to Darkseid. The Forever People I would use more symbolically, as the new generation that will arise from this battleground. I would probably use The Pact, as the starting point, then focus on Scott Free's escape and rebirth as Mister Miracle in one series, and Orion now facing the forces of Apokolips, who are on the move again (and the search for the Anti-Life Equation). Granny Goodness would be the key villain in Mister Miracle and Desaad and Kalibak in New Gods, with Darkseid operating in the background, in both, directing things; but, never directly acting, until the story converges.

Still, if pulled off, it could really be something big. Plus, it would be nice to see the Kirby family reap some nice movie cash from it.

I'm just surprised that they're going forward with it under the name "The New Gods." But I was surprised by the comic book title too.

I wonder what material that is: if it turned out to be, I dunno, Justice League or something, that wouldn't be too encouraging to me. I can't think of much apart from the Kirby comics that I would consider worth reading when it comes to this character or the New Gods in general.

And anyway, I don't know how much you can read into that kind of statement one way or the other: it's the kind of thing that's always said when a director takes on a project like this is. No disrespect to DuVernay, it's just the cynicism of the entertainment industry, comics as well as movies, where people will say whatever they think will help sell the product. Maybe she really has read the comics and is a fan, who knows.

I'm afraid it might be one of those things that are untranslatable to another medium. Even within comics, many people can't find anything worthwhile in it: they just see bad artwork and clunky dialogue.

if they really were to make a serious effort at translating it to the screen, I think I wouldn't mess with the original structure too much: moving stories like The Pact or Himon to the beginning might seem to be more viewer-friendly in terms of linear story-telling, but Kirby's instincts were spot-on in this case: holding them back until we've already become involved with the characters and the "real-time" action, they have huge dramatic impact as flashbacks. I'd be tempted to keep them as the second movies in the series, or something along those lines.

This shouldn't be a difficult concept for even the mass audience: after all, Star Wars dropped us into the middle of the action and let audiences catch up as the story went along.

Well, Master of the Universe borrowed heavily from it, though that is hardly a recommendation (though the film has a few moments, here and there).  The director was a huge Kirby fan and swiped from the 4th World and Dr Doom.  I doubt we will get the philosophy, at all; certainly not recognizably.  My greatest hope would be that they look at the two-part Apokolips Now episode of Superman TAS and the 4th World-centric episodes of Justice League.  Those guys did a bang up job and made it work.  Of course, the focus was on Superman and the Justice League, which isn't (purportedly) happening here.

I have a suspicion, though, that anyone involved, from DC, will push whatever recent era 5th-rate revamp is on file; and/or Grant Morrison take.  I say, keep him and Geoff Johns the F--- away from it and consult Mark Evanier and Bruce Timm's gang, and go from there.

It'll be tricky to pull off put I'll see it no matter what.