DC’s Sgt. Rock Movie Has Been KIA by WB

We have yet to see a full film from the new DC Studios, but one thing is already clear. It has no problem making, or not making, a movie depending on its readiness. Case in point, a Clayface movie was greenlit seemingly out of nowhere because the team was so excited about the script, and now seemingly the opposite has happened with Sgt. Rock. The military-themed DC story from director Luca Guadagnino, said to have Colin Farrell circling, is “no longer moving forward.”

The news comes from the Wrap as well as The Hollywood Reporter. Neither publication had a specific reason behind the project’s cancellation, except that it wasn’t budget-related. In an update on X, the Wrap suggested that scheduling may have been an issue.

THR did have some details on its status though. Apparently, casting was slowly happening and one role, “a female French resistance fighter,” had been set. The story was said to follow Sgt. Rock, the resistance fighter, and a full team to find the spear that stabbed Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. io9 has reach out to DC for comment or clarification and will update the story if or when we hear back.

To recap, late last year, news broke that Guadagnino and his Challengers collaborator Justin Kuritzkes had pitched DC on a way to bring Sgt. Rock into the DC Universe. Daniel Craig was assumed to be circling given his working relationship with Guadagnino, but that was soon debunked. Later, Colin Farrell was said to be considering the role. It was described as “a really compelling story about heroism in a time of armed conflict” by DC co-president Peter Safran, and the DC team seemed pretty high on the project. But Gunn and Safran have always said they aren’t going to force anything that isn’t working. And that seems to be the case here.

That’s a long way of saying this is probably a good thing in the end. You’d always rather a movie that isn’t likely to be good not be made than talented people spend years of their lives on something instantly forgettable.

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