Superman Rebooted (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Looks like Warner Brothers finally decided to take the Begins pill and reboot the Superman franchise and won't tie itself to anything from Superman Returns.

Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies - WSJ.com

Newsarama.com : WARNER BROS WILL REBOT SUPERMAN

 

[TerryRL]

Looks like Brandon Routh is out of a job. Sadly, I thought he was one of the bright spots from "Superman Returns". Looks like WB is going to start completely from scratch on this one. This also means that Bryan Singer is probably gone as well.

Writer Mark Millar has been saying over and over that he not only has a great way to re-launch the franchise, but that he also has a top notch action direction on board with his vision. WB will unveil their future plans regarding their comic book properties next month. Don't be surprised if they also announce who will be taking on the new 'Superman' project at the same venue.

Whoever ends up doing it will probably have a budget of between $150-$175 million (maybe $200 mil) to play with. Do not expect many big name (i.e. expensive) stars to be attached to this one since so much of the budget will be tied to the film's FX. If WB lucks out and finds someone who will treat Superman the same way Nolan treated Batman, than moviegoers are going to be in for a treat in a couple of years.

 

[Ray H]

Not sure how to take the news. I liked Superman Returns. I felt they made a good movie for what they had set out to do with the character, but it just wasn't what audiences wanted from a Superman movie.

I can support a reboot if it means we don't need to deal with Richard and the kid. Other than those two elements, I don't think it needs serious fixing.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I'm not a huge Millar fan, but I like him better than I like Superman Returns. Anything that erases that is okay with me. The next movie should assume Superman: The Movie as the origin film, but not tie to it any deeper than that. And, I think we can knock it off with Lex for a while.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I dislike Millar's work quite a bit. It's juvenile and often peters out just when it should be getting good. I consider him entirely unsuited to Superman.

I'm not surprised at this decision, but I don't like how WB arrived at it. Considering how much pain they endured trying to get SR to the screen, I find it interesting (or short-sighted) to want to go through that again. Casting Superman is a monumental challenge, and making the character dark (or "hip") is a sure-fire recipe for fiasco, unless they get an incredible talent, both writing and directing. Millar is not that talent.

You know who I'd call if I were WB...Bob Zemeckis. The guy did Forrest Gump, he did Beowulf, he did Back to the Future. He could do the effects die, the action side, and the human side.

Oh well...I'll get the popcorn to watch the fireworks as they try and boot Superman...again.

 

[Patrick Sun]

It'd be hilarious if they went with a Bobby Ewing style of introduction to the next film where it opens with the camera zooming towards a fogged up glass shower stall, then Clark pops his head out of the fogged up glass shower door and tells Lois he had the weirdest dream, where he left earth for 5 years, and then when he came back, Lois had a kid, and they had the hardest time re-connecting with each other, and Lex made his life miserable. Lois rolls her eyes, kisses him on the forehead, slaps Clark on his bare buttock and heads to the Daily Planet.

 

[MielR]

That's very disappointing. :frowning: I'm glad that they're going to 're-boot' as I didn't care for the kid storyline, and I didn't like Bosworth as Lois, but I think it's a mistake to let Routh go.

 

[paul_austin]

wow what a dissappointment, didnt see this coming. It does seem a terrible waste after the developmental hell they went through for SR. Dammit I hope this doesnt put the brakes on a SR special edition with his krypton visit intact...

 

[TravisR]

I dig some of Mark Millar's stuff (especially Kick-Ass) but I've never read any of his stuff that makes me think that he would be the right person to write a Superman movie. That being said, I'm not an expert on the guy so he may have done a great run on Superman or something that fits in that style of comic.

Like others, I'll miss Brandon Routh as Supes.

 

[teapot2001]

I think Superman Returns is one of the best comic book movies.

~T

 

[DavidPla]

If the 2010 release date sticks... will people really buy a reboot after only 4 years? I mean, let's not forget the film DID make 200 M domestically. That's still a large amount of people (let alone DVD sales). Incredible Hulk rebooted after 5 years and ended up making LESS. So... unless they wait at least 8 years or so this is just way too soon I think.

 

[Chris Will]

I've got a bad feeling about this.

I liked SR even though I wasn't a huge fan of the kid story line. I like Singer's work and thought he made a very good Superman movie. It was a step in the right direction and I was very much looking forward to seeing what he would do for a sequel.

Superman is not a dark character like Batman and trying to inject darkness into it proves, IMO, that WB has no clue what they are doing when it comes to Superman. I have a bad feeling that this reboot will end up completely different from the comic books. Wouldn't surprise me if he ended up with an all black suit and they'll probably make him more vulnerable to try and connect with audiences better. Just a gut feeling that some of the horrible ideas that Singer prevented from happening will end up on screen.

2 things must be present in a Superman movie or I'll skip it. First, the suit, for the most part, must remain unchanged and second, John Williams theme must be used at least a little. Without those, I'll just re watch Donner and Singer's versions and be happy with that.

I think this is a very bad move on WB part and it will probably blow up in there face. They really should give Singer the sequel, his X-Men 2 was far better then the first and I think SR 2 would have been as well.

 

[RobertR]

This is good news as far as I'm concerned. I didn't like SR. I HATED the stupid "Lois has boring superkid" plot, couldn't stand anything about Luthor, and thought Routh didn't have much charisma. I know there's no guarantee they'll wind up with something better, but I'm glad to hear they're jettisoning the SR baggage.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I'm glad I agree with Robert for a change.

I couldn't believe how bad SR was. The scene with the thug who just can't resist playing Heart and Soul. Ugh. I won't miss Routh, either.

 

[Brandon Conway]

As a Superman Returns fan (despite it's notable shortcomings) this really disappoints me. All signs pointed towards Singer having a much more ambitious, less rooted in the Donner films sequel in mind. As mentioned in another thread on this forum, the set up was all there for Superman to finally do something different in a film that we haven't seen yet. Now they'll waste time with another origin story, and then when that one fails because of all this "dark brooding" garbage we'll still never get a good sequel.

Ugh.

 

[troy evans]

Like the recent Batman sequel -- which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far -- Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well.

And this is where Warner will fuck up and kill any chances of getting a good Superman movie. Superman is not Batman! Green Lantern is not Batman! Nor the Flash or Wonder Woman, Etc. Etc. What the hell Warners? Why don't you get that? Superman Returns failed, not because it wasn't dark enough, but, because it was poorly written with stupid plot twists and boring characters. I could go to sleep with this movie playing it's that dull. Also consider, if dark and brooding characters are all it takes to sell a movie, then, why wasn't the first big screen Punisher a runaway success? Not to mention didn't we already see the evil side of Supes in Superman III? Let's not go down that road again.

 

[TerryRL]

I'm really hoping Robinov's comments were taken a bit out of context. Tonally, Superman has more in common with Spider-Man than he does the Dark Knight. Green Lantern has its roots firmly planted in the world of sci-fi. The Flash, again is in the same vain as Spidey, while Green Arrow and Wonder Woman are really the only two superheroes of the lot that I feel WB can toy with making darker movies out of.

What I'm really curious about is who WB is going to give this movie to, if in fact Singer isn't returning. Millar may (or may not) be involved, but I would be surprised if he wasn't at this point considering that "Wanted" turned into a big summer hit. I'm just hoping that whoever directs the movie really respects the long history of the character.

By his own admission, Singer was a huge fan of the 1978 movie and never really read the comic. Someone like Michael Bay would make a great looking movie, but I'm hoping the studio goes the Chris Nolan route and hires someone who will make a truly great movie. Maybe that's asking too much.

 

[Paul_Scott]

I love Williams score. It is about as perfect a film score as I've ever heard, whether supporting the images on screen or just existing all by itself.
However I dearly hope the next Superman film doesn't use any part of it including the march. Can we please just let that vision of the character remain a complete entity unto itself and let the early 21st century make its own contributions to the characters mythos? That doesn't mean I want a burgendy and ultramarine suit, or radical changes to the characters relationships...just a series of film with their own identity, not ones that are constantly reminding me of another group of filmakers in another era. When I hear the march or see the crystal fortress or hear Brando reciting lines, I want to see Reeve in the suit, not some incredible simulation.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Stupid, knee jerk reaction from the studio suits. Idiots.

 

[MattFini]

I am bummed by this as well. I loved Routh and Singer. Damn shame they're got going to get a second movie.

I had a few minor quibbles with Returns, but nothing major. I like it more than most comic book films out there.