Movie power rankings: 'Justice League' is heroic at No. 1

Warner Bros. justifiably wants their planned superhero epic "Justice League" to resonate at the box office the same way Marvel's "The Avengers" did. However, the first big obstacle is finding a director. They need someone who can handle big effects and a smorgasbord of heroes likely including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a handful of lesser-known characters. Actor-turned-director Ben Affleck, about to release "Argo," has publicly denied his involvement. Now rumors are swirling that The Wachowski Siblings, who are about to release "Cloud Atlas," are at the top of Warner Bros.' hot list. Could we be seeing a "Matrix"-style League? Or are rumors just rumors? Stay tuned.

Watch the video from Crackle here:

As for the rest of this week's list:

August 31, 2012

1. "Justice League" (Last week: Not ranked)
Who do you think should direct the DC Comics attempt at an "Avengers"-style superhero epic?

2. Tony Scott (Last week: Not ranked)
Hollywood and movie fans are still reeling from the unexpected death of director Tony Scott, who helmed "True Romance," "Top Gun" and many more. Friends and colleagues remember him here, while a private service was held last weekend. 

3. Academy Awards (Last week: Not ranked)
There's still no host (See our picks), but at least the Oscars have a producing team now, and the Academy is hoping for a "Smash" hit.

4. DreamWorks Animation (Last week: Not ranked)
The studio behind "Shrek" and "Madagascar" has signed a new distribution deal with 20th Century Fox. 

5. "The Hunger Games" (Last week: Not ranked)
In an increasingly rare occurrence, the first "Hunger Games" film exploded onto DVD and Blu-ray, with fans lining up to get their copy. It sold 3.8 million copies in its first weekend. What is this, 1998?

6. "Maleficent" (Last week: Not ranked)
Don't recognize the name Vivienne Jolie-Pitt? She's the latest name attached to the newest take on "Sleeping Beauty." Oh, and she just happens to be the daughter of the film's title  tar Angelina Jolie. Elle Fanning plays the princess. 

7. "Lincoln" (Last week: Not ranked)
If you weren't sold on Daniel Day-Lewis as Honest Abe in Steven Spielberg's upcoming film before, this penny-like poster ought to seal the deal. 

8.  "Thor: The Dark World" (Last week: Not ranked)
The Marvel superhero sequel has not only re-upped Kat Dennings, but also picked up a villain (make that two villains) in "Lost" star  Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

9. "The Twilight Saga" (Last week: Not ranked)
"Breaking Dawn, Part II" -- the last "Twilight" movie ever -- will be on screens in just over two months. Co-star Ashley Greene has mixed feelings about the end of the series. 

10. "Star Wars" (Last week: Not ranked)
It was only a mater of time before Lucasfilm set the release dates for the 3D upgrades of Episodes 2 and 3. The surprise is that they'll be released back-to-back next fall. Does that also mean we'll get the 3D versions of the original trilogy sooner than we thought?

Watch the previous installment of Movie Power Rankings here. 

What do you think of this week's rankings? Share your thoughts below. Or tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #moviepowerrankings and tell us who you want to see in next week's edition.