Christopher Nolan Spearheading SUPERMAN Revival

[AndyDursin]

...and thankfully neither Bryan Singer nor Brandon Routh will have anything to do with it.

On the other hand, a dour, dark, downbeat SUPERMAN movie with brooding Hans Zimmer music will have nothing to do with what Superman is all about and would be just as ill-advised as what Singer did.

Like anything tone is hugely important to making this work -- I'm not necessarily sure Nolan, whose movies are downbeat and largely humorless, is the right match here for the material. But apparently we're going to find out.

Keep in mind that WB is DEFINITELY going to do this Superman film for a number of reasons. The whole court case last year basically is forcing them to go ahead and do this -- Nikki Finke explains....

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/its-a ... rd-batman/


Attorney Marc Toberoff, who keeps suing Warner Bros on behalf of creative rightsholders, warns that, in 2013, the Jerome Siegel heirs along with the estate of co-creator Joe Shuster will own the entire original copyright to Superman -- "and neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros will be able to exploit any new Superman works without a license from the Siegels and Shusters". He's also pointed out that, if Warner Bros does not start production on a new Superman sequel or reboot by 2011, the Siegels could sue to recover their damages on the grounds that the deal should have contained a clause in which the rights returned to the owners after a given time if no film was in development. The heirs of Siegel have already been awarded half the copyright for Superman. And in 2013 the heirs of co-creator Joe Shuster get the remaining half. After that, neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros will be able to use Superman without a financial agreement with the heirs. There are also stipulations on what parts of the origins story can be used in future Superman movies and which require re-negotiations with the creators' heirs or estates.

At first, Warner Bros felt no pressure to rush out another Superman pic. As Warner Bros chairman Alan Horn told a court hearing about rights to Superman, he hoped to make another Superman movie but no film was in development, no script had been written, and the earliest he foresaw another Superman film released would be 2012. He told the judge: "We had hopes to keep the character alive and to once again reinvent Superman. Our hope is to develop a Superman property and to try again. What hurt us is that the reviews and so on for the Superman movie did not get the kind of critical acclaim that Batman got, and we have other issues with Superman that concern us."

[Eric W.]

I don't like it. Nolan will make this thing so dark, so depressing, and at times bizarre...

It'll either be brooding Zimmer music or even worse...brooding David Julyan music. *shudders*

I hope this doesn't happen.

[mkaroly]

I agree that a dark, brooding Superman movie/character would not be a good idea. On the other hand, another Bryan Singer Superman film would be just as bad. If they could somehow recapture the magic and fun of Superman I and II that would be the best. III was too silly and IV was too awful for my tastes. I go back to Spider-Man and say that those three films found a good balance between seriousness and humor, which is what would serve the Superman franchise well IMO.

I do admit liking Julyan's score for The Prestige though.

[AndyDursin]

They'll never do it but there are far worse things than using the cast of SMALLVILLE to launch a new series of Superman films.

Erica Durance is THE definitive Lois Lane to me...sexy, funny, endearing, strong -- she's like the best parts of every Lois interpretation rolled into one (and everything the weak Kate Bosworth wasn't in Singer's movie).

Welling is pitch perfect as Clark and Michael Rosenbaum was awesome as Lex Luthor.

They can go through another "search for unknowns" and find another Brandon Routh or they could just use what's there in a new setting. Unlikely, because SMALLVILLE gets little respect (especially from people who haven't seen it), but the last couple of years of that series have been largely excellent -- talk about "reimaginings" they've done a wonderful job bringing the Superman mythos into a contemporary setting, long before "reimagining" became commonplace.

Either way, I agree Michael that Singer WOULD be worse! Here's a funny comment from Nikki's blog that hits the nail on the head as far as SUPERMAN RETURNS' failure went --

"What, are people really still scratching their heads wondering how a bastard son-fathering, cheesy Christ figure, gay metrosexual version of Superman fared worse than expected? keep Singer as far away from this property as you can!"

[Monterey Jack]

They'll never do it but there are far worse things than using the cast of SMALLVILLE to launch a new series of Superman films.

Erica Durance is THE definitive Lois Lane to me...sexy, funny, endearing, strong -- she's like the best parts of every Lois interpretation rolled into one (and everything the weak Kate Bosworth wasn't in Singer's movie).

Welling is pitch perfect as Clark and Michael Rosenbaum was awesome as Lex Luthor.

Agreed about Durance's delightfully acerbic Lois. If any televison series would benefit from a leap to the big screen, it would be Smallville. You'd have something with a built-in fanbase and a movie that would work as a stand-alone for those new to the show's universe (especially as we'll likely never see Welling wearing the tradional Superman suit until the very last episode of the series, if even then). Just have a series finale with a surprise re-appearance of Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor and Welling pulling his shirt open to reveal the big red "S" for the first (cue John Williams fanfare). I agree it'll probably never happen, but how cool would that be? Sadly, the cast won't be "young" enough for studio suits to hang a franchise on, and they'll give us another teenage mother Lois.

[Monterey Jack]

Who wouldn't want to see this Lois on the big screen?

[Eric W.]

I do admit liking Julyan's score for The Prestige though.

It was effective in the movie but that's really the only thing positive I can say about it. I wouldn't classify that as music, either, but that's just me.

[AndyDursin]

Sadly, the cast won't be "young" enough for studio suits to hang a franchise on, and they'll give us another teenage mother Lois.

Please please no. Apparently it is official this film will have nothing, thankfully, to do with SUPERMAN RETURNS. And hopefully we won't get lines like this again...

“Truth, Justice, and… all that OTHER stuff,”

What worries me is the film being grim, sadistic and humorless like Nolan's DARK KNIGHT.

As much as Singer's movie tanked, an "edgy" Superman will alienate the fans and fail to appeal to the masses just as much.

[Eric W.]

Sadly, the cast won't be "young" enough for studio suits to hang a franchise on, and they'll give us another teenage mother Lois.

Please please no. Apparently it is official this film will have nothing, thankfully, to do with SUPERMAN RETURNS. And hopefully we won't get lines like this again...

“Truth, Justice, and… all that OTHER stuff,”

What worries me is the film being grim, sadistic and humorless like Nolan's DARK KNIGHT.

As much as Singer's movie tanked, an "edgy" Superman will alienate the fans and fail to appeal to the masses just as much.

Going from one extreme to the other. I say: No thanks.

[azahid]

It would be premature to say that Nolan's version would be dark and dreary. The BATMAN franchise demands an appropriate dark almost noirish and brooding textures in the tone. Superman is just the opposite. If Nolan should bring anything then it is pure realism and fantasy within realism in his version.

Im the biggest fan of the Chris Reeve SUPERMAN SAGAas and I found SUPERMAN RETURNS to be a wonderful homage to that series and perhaps that was the films undoing as much as I found INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL veering too much into its nostalgic reunion tributes to an almost euglogistic self praise.

This SUPERMAN should be faithful to the origins but should be still SUPERMAN we can believe in ( and not just flying)
Amer

[Eric W.]

It would be premature to say that Nolan's version would be dark and dreary.

I don't think so at all.


Look at Nolan's entire career. When has he NOT made a movie that's at least dark and dreary, if not downright depressing and disturbing in some instances?

[AndyDursin]

Not a lot in this Nolan interview, but a few comments about SUPERMAN and also how he wants to "finish" his Batman storyline in the third (and final?) Dark Knight film.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocom ... ory-1.html

[mkaroly]

I'm excited about Inception...may be good. Also happy to hear that his plans are to "complete" the Batman story with one last film. Finally, I guess I'm worn out on Superman right now and, in general, super-hero films. Iron Man 2 comes out this year which I want to see, but I honestly would like a break for a year or two with super-heroes.