Nightwing (Put on Back Burner)

In was announced back in February that Lego Batman's Chris McKay was going to be helming the Nightwing movie for Warner Bros. and the director has since gone on to make some pretty exciting promises about what he aims to achieve with the project. The last bit of news regarding casting came from McKay himself when a fan asked him a question about possible actors to portray Dick Grayson back at the end of September. The director said that nobody had been cast yet, but that they were "casting a wide net" while looking for their star. It's now early November and Stranger Things Season 2 star Dacre Montgomery may have just quietly announced that he's in the running.

For those who have already binge watched all of Stranger Things Season 2 and seen the Power Rangers movie know that Dacre Montgomery is capable of a wide range when it comes to his acting. While Power Rangers wasn't much of a hit, the Australian actor's portrayal of the new Hawkins bully and step brother to Max, Billy, on Stranger Things has launched the actor into the mainstream for his intense performance. It seems like it's only a matter of time before Montgomery starts to take on larger roles and Nightwing, which director Chris McKay described as a "bad-ass action movie, just might be his next project.

In a now deleted tweet, Dacre Montgomery posted a picture of Nightwing (aka Dick Grayson) with just an ellipsis (...) as a caption over the weekend. This has led to wild speculation that he will indeed be playing the character on the big screen or at the very least, he has auditioned for the part. It would seem odd to tease an audition on social media at this time though. The cryptic tweet also comes at a time when it seems like some news on the Batman spin-off is eminent.

Director Chris McKay recently revamped his Twitter homepage to an all Nightwing theme, further adding to the rumors that an announcement is coming soon. The movie has yet to be officially announced by DC or Warner Bros. and was not a release slate shown at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer, but the announcement could be waiting to have the star attached to the project before anything is formally revealed. The fact the Dacre Montgomery and director Chris McKay were posting Nightwing related material on social media on the same day sure does seem like an announcement will come shortly.

Chris McKay described his vision for the Nightwing movie in late September. Even though the movie is still quite a while from happening, the director promises an action movie with minimal CGI and plenty of real-life action. Most of all, McKay promised that the movie is going to be a lot of fun. This is all speculation at this point, but the new pieces to the puzzle certainly look to be falling into place for Nightwing. This is a developing story and more news is expected to be announced soon. In the meantime, check out Dacre Montgomery's deleted tweet below, courtesy of the Hall of Spoilers Twitter account.

Of all the important casting decisions ahead for Warner Bros. and the DC films, Nightwing is probably at the top of the list. Fans have been very active on social media in the time since the movie was announced, sharing their perfect casting choice for the former Batman sidekick. Names like Steven Yeun, Milo Ventimiglia, Dev Patel and many more have been tossed around for the role of Dick Grayson, but the Nightwing movie director has revealed that he is casting a much wider net than we thought.

Chris McKay has taken to Twitter to tell DC fans that everyone is in contention for the role. That's right, Nightwing is holding an open casting call for Dick Grayson.

"Have an agent or manager submit your work. To the studio," McKay wrote on Twitter Monday night. "An agent or manager protects you and also is an endorsement of your character. It means you take yourself and your career seriously...and so does someone else."

Following that tweet, McKay confirmed that the casting call would indeed be open to anyone. However, he also noted that the chances of actually landing the part would be a one in a million kind of thing.

There will be an open casting call but that is like Vegas odds for sure. Don’t leave your career up to chance. Believe in yourself. Bet on yourself. Get an agent or a manager.

— Chris McKay (@buddboetticher) November 21, 2017

"There will be an open casting call but that is like Vegas odds for sure," the director admitted. "Don't leave your career up to chance. Believe in yourself. Bet on yourself. Get an agent or a manager."

So, there you have it. If you've always wanted to play Nightwing, this might actually be your shot!

Tyger wrote:This is DC’s new business model. You have an “open casting call” and you charge an application fee, that should pay for the name they really want.

Rusty wrote:You should have a crack at it, Abe.

Your the only one that wants it made

With “Nightwing” Less of a Priority for DC Films, Chris McKay Enters Talks to Direct “Dungeons & Dragons” for Paramount

With The Flash, The Joker and Batgirl the next DC characters in line for their own movie, Nightwing director Chris McKay is in talks to direct DUNGEONS & DRAGONS for Paramount, the Tracking Board has confirmed.

McKay recently directed The Lego Batman Movie for Warners, which moved quickly to keep him in the fold by giving him the Nightwing assignment. However, that project is years down the line, as Matt Reeves is working on The Batman, Todd Phillips is working on a standalone Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, Joss Whedon is developing a Batgirl movie, and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were recently hired to direct The Flash’s solo film. Those four projects, in addition to the upcoming Aquaman and Shazam!, plus sequels to Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad, will tide DC fans over for years to come.

With Nightwing less of a priority for Warner Bros., McKay found himself with an open slot, and Paramount made a play for him to direct Dungeons & Dragons — an idea that the director has sparked to, according to sources.

Michael Gilio will rewrite the script by David Leslie Johnson, and the film will be produced by Stephen Davis, Brian Goldner, Roy Lee, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman. Hasbro’s newly-created AllSpark Pictures will produce with Sweetpea Entertainment.