July
17
Watchmen's Snyder Reveals Secrets; Legendary's Tull Talks Superman
I'm not going out on a limb to say that the most anticipated presentation at Comic-Con will be Zack Snyder's panel on Warner Bros.' The Watchmen. Remember, 300 exploded out of Comic-Con two years ago.
The trailer hit the Web this week, and the HD version is stunning. I love trailers where you don't know what the hell is going on. Of course afficionados of the Alan Moore comics can identify the origin story of Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and the shadowy bipolar Rorshact Rorschach, among others.
Snyder himself explains some of his secrets here. UPDATE: And here's EW's Snyder and Alan Moore interviews. And Comic-Con preview. Stay tuned to Variety's ongoing Comic-Con coverage.
Today I talked to someone who has seen the movie, Legendary Pictures producer Thomas Tull, who goes 50/50 with Warner Bros. on such films as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Superman Returns, 300 and The Lady in the Water (the only film he didn't actually produce). An old Watchmen comics fan, Tull wanted in on the film as soon as Snyder pitched it, even though many people have regarded the complex, layered sci-fi narrative about superheroes who are real as unfilmable. After Tull saw a cut of the movie he told Snyder, "You got it. You nailed it the spirit of it and made it come alive."
"It's a smart visually stunning movie," he told me. Of course he's vested.
He's also vested in making the next Superman installment, which is still years away, come to life. While Bryan Singer has been working on Valkyrie, Tull and the folks at Warners have been listening to various screenwriters pitch their solutions to how to make the next Superman work. "It's an iconic character," says Tull. "After everything that went into the first film, it's important to make sure that nothing is rushed and we come out with a fantastic second film." One thing they all agree on: Superman needs a powerful antagonist, a "worthy opponent," he says.
Coming sooner is Louis Leterrier's follow-up to Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans. And no, Leterrier is not being talked about to direct Superman. "He's laser-focused on Titans," says Tull.
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Hey, I liked the movie. A lot. I didn't realize that was a crime.
Posted by: Disco | August 12, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I really liked it, too. And I can't wait for the next one. But I didn't realize you needed a psychology degree to discuss Superman.
Posted by: Aeros_Fan | August 14, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Prediction:
35% box office drop for a sequel
15% box office drop for a reboot
Superman Returns poisoned the well. Any film coming after it, sequel OR reboot will suffer from it.
Time to move Superman to the back burner for a few years.
Posted by: The Pause That Refreshes | August 14, 2008 at 11:16 PM
Thanks, Nostradamus, but your "predictions" mean nothing. Hulk was terrible, and very few liked it. The reboot actually made a little more, not 15% less. You have no idea how good the next Superman movie will be and that, ultimately, is what will affect its box office. Guessing now is a fool's game. If it's a great movie, it will find its audience; if it isn't, it won't. But to guess that a sequel would make 35% less without seeing as much as a plot outline is ridiculous. After Batman Begins left the theater, but before The Dark Knight's story or cast were announced, did you predict TDK would pull in as much as it has? I seriously doubt it. Do you know how much the next Superman movie will make? No, you pompous twit, you don't. No one can really predict box office. Internet phenom Snakes on a Plane flopped, while bad buzz poster child Titanic soared. You never know.
Posted by: Aeros_Fan | August 15, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Well said.
Posted by: Aeros_Fan | August 15, 2008 at 12:25 PM
I wrote it when I really was tired. I'm still happy with it a day later. ;)
Posted by: Aeros_Fan | August 15, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Way to prop yourself up, Aeros_Fan. ;0)
But seriously, let's get this sequel on the road, guys. The Dark Knight raised the bar for everybody; let's see what Mr. Singer can do in the second go-round. It's time to see Brainiac and Parasite in the movies!
Posted by: Don | August 15, 2008 at 07:15 PM
All the Legendary Pictures I've seen so far are good. I heard they are co-producing Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, too! Here's hoping its better than the other crappy films.
Posted by: Assassin | December 29, 2008 at 09:11 PM