Emerald Fennell, the Oscar-nominated director for “Promising young woman,” is taking on a different kind of watchman. She was chosen to write “Zatanna”, a film adaptation of the DC Comics heroine.
The film, from Warner Bros. ‘DC Films and Bad Robot Productions by JJ Abrams, is scheduled to be released in theaters.
The next edition of DC Extended Universe will be the first appearance in the Zatanna franchise. She is known for her involvement with the Justice League, although the character has never appeared in a DC film. Serinda Swan portrayed Zatanna previously, marking the superhero’s debut in live-action, in later seasons of the CW show “Smallville”. Zatanna’s role has not yet been escalated.
Zatanna, created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, is a magician and considered one of the most powerful sorcerers in the DC universe. His magical abilities are genetic, since his father Giovanni Zatara was also an alchemist.
After “Wonder Woman” and its sequel “Wonder Woman 1984”, the film Zatanna would be only the second female DC heroine to head a DC Films entry. The studio recently cast “The Young and the Restless” star Sasha Calle to play Supergirl before her debut in “The Flash”, but has yet to define an independent film.
Fennell’s dark comedy, Young Woman Promised, his debut as a feature film, was a toast to the awards season. Along with five Oscar nods, including Carey Mulligan’s best film, script and actress, the film attracted the attention of the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild.
Fennell was also a showrunner in Season 2 of “Killing Eve”, a British spy thriller starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. Her acting credits include “Anna Karenina”, “The Danish Girl”, “Call the Midwife” and, more recently, in the real-life Netflix drama “The Crown”, in which she played Camilla Bowles.