August
22
Robinov Reveals Warner Bros. Strategy and Superman Reboot
Clearly, Warner Bros. is abandoning the idea of sending Superman into a movie with other superheroes, like a Superman/Batman movie or Justice League, because as Warner prexy Jeff Robinov admits in this long interview with The Wall Street Journal about his studio's future strategy, right now Warners doesn't know who Superman is. Wanted: a new model Superman.
Figuring out how the iconic DC comic character will proceed is front and center for the studio, which was not entirely happy with Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Neither were many fans, who objected to the love triangle with a married Lois Lane, as well as her child, fathered by Superman. They also want a mightier and more formidable villain than Lex Luthor, played by Kevin Spacey. Director Bryan Singer, who is currently attached to what was to be a Superman Returns sequel, had promised fanns at Comic-Con to go "Wrath of Khan" on it. If Singer, who has been preoccupied with his upcoming World War II Tom Cruise movie, Valkyrie, can't find a "reboot" that meets Warners' expectations, they'll move on.
Clearly, the fans care deeply about this superhero. Comments flood in whenever we touch on the subject. There's life in the venerable comic book character yet, if Warners can crack this challenge.
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Makes no sense to have done this. They set up a perfect possible sequel if they would have just used the expanding Kryptonian terrain that was thrown into space in "Returns" to form into the new Krypton in a sequel. This could have a) caught the attention of some sort of alien life form (similar to what Geoff Johns is doing in Action Comics right now with Braniac) who is a hunter or collector of things Kryptonian- this would then bring them to Earth, b) had some sort of formation for a Bizarro Superman (Krypton was light where that mass that formed was dark), or c) as a means to free Zod, similar to Donner's Superman 2 which would have worked in similar nostalgic fashion that Returns was after.
Either way, Warner would be truly idiotic if they don't tap some of the writing talent from their comic book properties. Geoff Johns in particular, the best writer in comic books right now, exclusively with DC, could make an amazing movie out of this.
Peter
Posted by: Gebs | August 22, 2008 at 01:16 PM
I'm confused. Is Bryan Singer still attached this to some extent? I realise it depends on his pitch, but I would think he would be off it completely.
I'm pulling for him to stay on. If not, a Ratner like hack is always looming.
Posted by: vjp666 | August 22, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Singer has the option to stay on as a producer. If Singer has a story they like for a reboot, he'll be able to add writer to that. Either way, we spoke to numerous people today and the film will sport an entirely new cast.
Posted by: Archangel | August 22, 2008 at 02:53 PM
I'm not doubting your sources, but why is it not a possibility that he'll direct?
Posted by: vjp666 | August 22, 2008 at 03:08 PM
it all starts with the direction and the script. then singer and warners figure things out. cast is last on the list...
Posted by: anne thompson | August 22, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Archangel when do you expect an official announcement about the director and the script? Do you think that a 2011 release date is possible?
Posted by: Manfred | August 22, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Seriously. Who gives a flying fuck?
Why do you all want to keep seeing the same garbage over and over and over and over? Didn't you get it first time? Or the fifth?
Go out. Get some fresh air. Let me know when you're in the mood for something original.
Posted by: Edward Wilson | August 22, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Everyone I spoke to today feels that it will be shortly after Labor Day when a more detailed announcement is made. 2011 would be the target, pairing it with Batman 3. I was also told by more than one person at WB that Robinov may have hired writers within the last 2 or 3 days after hearing a pitch that took the franchise in the exact direction they hoped for which then lead to his opening up with this news. Who they are or if it's true I have no idea...yet.
As for Singer, I've been told he will not direct, but may produce. It's going to be up to him if he stays or goes. He isn't happy about WB wanting to start over in a new direction with a new cast, but we'll have to wait and see what he decides.
Personally, I say show him the door. But that's just me. I think after failing to bring a great Superman film to theaters he doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the reboot. It doesn't even make sense to me to have him on it either.
I too am eager to find out who the next Superman will be now that Routh is out. Will they make an offer Welling can't refuse? Will they be smart and go on a worldwide search for the perfect Superman? I guess we'll know pretty soon.
Posted by: Archangel | August 22, 2008 at 07:22 PM
I'm just not interested in seeing a reboot. If they do a revamp, I'm interested. Without Routh, I won't be going.
Posted by: Dave | August 22, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Anne, from what you are saying, I hope there is a chance they will bring Routh back. Not doing so would be a huge mistake. You already have people who wouldn't accept Superman because it wasn't Tom Welling, and now you have even more who won't if it isn't Brandon Routh. How small do they want to make this pie? I can't believe they expect the public to accept a third Superman in a four- or five-year period. A reboot will not be a hit - just like The Incredible Hulk wasn't. (And I am asking Anne, not this Archangel guy.)
Posted by: Dave | August 22, 2008 at 08:22 PM
I thought Routh was a great Superman. Maybe they could go dark..but that isn't really what Superman is about.
Maybe the storyline could be more intense...but I'm not really sure making Superman darker is the actual answer. Batman = dark and Superman = light.
Posted by: Michael Madison | August 22, 2008 at 08:25 PM
I'm not very interested in seeing a reboot. Sorry, Warner Bros.
Gosh, your stupid move, Warner Bros and Jeff Robinov. What is wrong with you both?! Reboot is a disaster!
I feel bad for Brandon Routh. He IS Superman.
Sorry, I won't support you, Warner Bros and stupid Superman Reboot.
Posted by: Anthony | August 23, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Edward Wilson obviously has issues he should address but he has a kind of vague point. Superman The Movie (1978) was a terrific film and there doesn't seem to be any point doing another Superman. Singer's effort was very weak and uninspired compared to Donner's. Not surprising really, since Singer was a big fan of the Donner flick and was just copying somebody else's work.
Nobody's ever really going to match Donner's sure direction, Reeve's brilliant performance, John William's triumphant score and the late, great Geoffrey Unsworth's luminous photography (especially in the Smallville sequences).
Posted by: Mark | August 23, 2008 at 01:33 AM
Thank you Archangel. =)
Please continue to udpdate us when you can.
Sorry, but I don't see the point of Edward Wilson. Anne is right, there's still life in Superman. After Batman&Robin a lot of people thought that the character if not the entire sh genre were over.
"Who is interested in Batman anymore?"
Now Batman is breaking all the records.
Batman and Superman have always been strong enough to survive their own history.
Posted by: Manfred | August 23, 2008 at 03:43 AM
I hope those who proclaim that if Brandon Routh is not cast in this "reboot" in that they won't go stick to their word. That's the only way idiotic hack execs like Robinov will get the bigger picture when it comes to the Super Hero genre. Superman's success starts with us, not the suits. YOU HAVE THE POWER!
Posted by: Alboone | August 23, 2008 at 06:48 AM
I have a very intelligent, obvious point:
Why are you all so interested in sequel after sequel? Not just Superman, but movies in general. 7 Star Wars, 6 Batman, I lost track of Star Trek, 2 more Hobbit movies to add to the 3 Rings movies, I lost track of Harry Potter too, etc.
Why do you want to keep seeing the same crap over and over? Seriously.
Time for something new. Step off the treadmill. I know its scary. But you can do it.
I'm not interested in sitting around watching our culture turn into Idiocracy.
Posted by: Edward Wilson | August 23, 2008 at 07:34 AM
Alboone said - "Superman's success starts with us, not the suits. YOU HAVE THE POWER!"
You are absolutely 100% correct. I couldn't have said it better myself.
That's why SaveSuperman.com was built and that's how we're finally getting a reboot instead of another dead beat dad stalker film. The fans have spoken and the suits have listened for once.
Posted by: Archangel | August 23, 2008 at 11:53 AM
"Right now Warners doesn't know who Superman is."
To paraphrase Ray Bradbury: Have they looked at the comic book?
Posted by: cadavra | August 23, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Richard Donner's Superman movie is great but outdated. It's time to see Superman's origin done better with better special effects.
Posted by: James | August 23, 2008 at 05:58 PM
There's a difference between a superhero movie that retains the DNA of its original creators, as it grows and evolves--addressing contemporary concerns in a smart and responsive way--and cynical studio sequels designed to sell action toys. Warner Bros. knows that they can no longer afford to do the latter. There's a reason why The Dark Knight has struck a nerve. It speaks to our needs and desires and fantasies in this chaotic and scary time. The studio's challenge is to find the right way to bring back Superman.
I liked what Watchmen and 300 director Zack Snyder said to me at Comic-Con about the maturation of comics-based cinema: "People are interested in comic book movies because they represent mythology and adventure heroes. They allow fantasies to exist in our world. That worked with a great movie like Dark Knight, which took it over the top. You look at Iron Man and you have the same thing, a serious actor like Robert Downey Jr. in a serious portrayal of a guy and then you have this cool fantasy aspect that makes for a great time at the movies. That's what comic books allow us to do, they live in our world but they also allow us to experience some sort of mythological connection to gods or whatever you want to call them, and that's archetypal and everyone can relate to it."
(http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/07/comic-con-exclu.html)
Posted by: anne thompson | August 23, 2008 at 07:32 PM
A Reboot would be a total disaster!!!!
I don't get it! Superman Returns grossed the same as Batman Begins and even more than Batman Begins in the worldwide Box Office ($391 mil. for Supes, $365 for Batman)!
Why won't they give Bryan a shot at an action packed sequel????
If Nolan could achieve a much better box office performance with his second Batman I'm pretty sure Singer will do the same with an action packed Superman sequel!!!
WB should be aware that Superman fans around the world adored Routh!!!
A reboot would mean a flop and the final end in the franchise!!!
Bring back Singer & co.
Posted by: Constantine | August 24, 2008 at 01:20 PM
WB people should know that not all superheroes should go darker just because The Dark Knight was a huge hit!
A Dark Superman movie wouldn't work simply because Superman=light!
SUPERMAN FANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT A NEW SUPERMAN JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE $$$$$$$$$$$$$ PRINTED ALL OVER THEIR FACE WANNA PLAY AROUND!!!!
Brandon Routh IS Superman!
Period.
Posted by: Mr. Kent | August 24, 2008 at 01:26 PM
Sorry, I won't support you, Warner Bros and stupid Superman Reboot!
Saw what happened with Hulk???
This will be even worse!!!!!!
Posted by: Tony | August 24, 2008 at 01:28 PM
A Reboot???
How stupid would that be???
Bring Back Singer and Routh and make a prequel starring the SR cast!!
We'd love to see Superman's origin done a lot better than Donner's -great but outdated- movie with better special effects.
Posted by: Tony | August 24, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Tony, SR is part of the story. You have to accept it. I hope only that they already have hired their writers and that there will be an announcement of the director in few weeks.
Posted by: Manfred | August 24, 2008 at 06:00 PM
If Singer is out then so is Routh but as long as Bryan Singer is involved in a Superman movie, Brandon Routh will still be playing the Roles of Clark Kent/Superman
Posted by: Dan | August 25, 2008 at 04:51 AM
Thank God the internet wasn't around when major characters in film series in the past switched parts. "Warner Oland's the ONLY actor who can play Charlie Chan. Without him, they should drop the series. I'll NEVER see a Sidney Toler Charlie Chan movie!" Or when Sean Connery left the Bond series to be replaced first by George Lazenby, then to return for one film, then to be replaced by Roger Moore, who would hold onto the part for 12 years.
Imagine the ruckus you would have heard when Johnny Weissmuller quit the Tarzan series of films (after 16 years!) and was replaced by Lex Barker. And then five years later by Gordon Scott. And then six years later by Jock Mahoney. Etc. Speaking of which, Mahoney was not the best Tarzan, but his two Tarzan films were excellent. And just before them, Scott's last two Tarzan films were among the best in the entire series. But he had to go to England to make those, which offered a 1959 version of a reboot. Yet right in the middle of the Scott series, MGM made its own Tarzan reboot, a remake of TARZAN THE APE MAN, starring none other than Denny Miller. (You ALL remember him, right?)
The point is, if the film is good, people will want to see it. Doesn't matter who plays Superman. Nobody cares about Brandon Routh, despite the yelpings of a few fanboys out there. If he does return in the new film and it turns out to be good, people will want to see it. But not because of him. Nobody went to see BATMAN BEGINS because of Christian Bale, but, lucky for Bale, it was a really good movie with an imaginative new style and approach, one in which Bale turned out to be a good fit. BATMAN AND ROBIN, the fourth in that series, will be reviled for all time, but not because it lost money (and I'm not sure it did) or because Clooney played Batman, but because it was a stupid movie. If Clooney had been lucky enough to star in a Batman movie written and directed by other people that turned out to actually be good, chances are we'd still be seeing Clooney Batman movies. And we never would have gotten GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK. So sometimes things work out for the best.
Posted by: Brian | August 25, 2008 at 07:35 AM
Whine and throw "baby temper tantrums" all you want, Superman is getting a fresh start on the big screen and I'm happy as a clam to see it.
One of the problems with Singer/Returns supporters is they think they're in the majority and only their yea or nay counts.
Well, Robinov was very CLEAR as to the WHY and HOW of the decision to reboot Superman, and I'm as happy with it as can be.
I want to see what develops, i.e the Director choice and new cast.
And good Lord, a DECENT Superman costume!
Posted by: Jerry | August 25, 2008 at 06:52 PM
Here is my promise: I will not see this "reboot." I am not going to follow this film's news any more. Thanks, Warner Bros. You are fools. From now on, make mine Marvel.
Posted by: Sean | August 25, 2008 at 07:27 PM
Please keep Brandon Routh for the reboot! PLEASEEEE!!! Brandon Routh deserves to wear the blue tight with a red cape! C'mon!!!!
Oh, and SR was awesome.
Posted by: Anthony | August 26, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Only in Hollywood could a film that grossed $200,000,000 be deemed a "failure".
There is no doubt that 'Superman Returns' had various script flaws but in all honesty, Brian Singer has to be given much credit for taking the movie out of Development limbo after so many years and actually got A film made. And he could not be totally blamed for the inflated budget after so much was spent on jump starting another Superman movie. Look how much Nicolas Cage got paid on the "Pay-or-Play" method.
As a fan of almost all things Superman, I am not thrilled at yet-another-reboot and probably will stay away from it, no out of spite but out of disappointment that SR was not continued in some form. Clearly, there is great potential for an exciting follow-up to SR (example: Superman son could be harmed/killed by any new arch villian introduced, giving Superman the impetus to reevaluate his values on not taking life, etc...) , but because Execs are currently blinded by the huge success of "The Dark Knight" and obsessed w/ the big dollar signs (which is quite understandable-who wants to lose money, right?), that follow-up film may never be made. In any case, Brandon Routh did a good job filling some big shoes and should at least be considered for any reboot.
Could a reboot be successful? Perhaps yes and perhaps no. Superman is a iconic character and has survive and thrived in many incarnations. But speaking for myself, I am just "rebooted-out" and will stay away from more comic film overkill for a while, which peaked "The Dark Knight" (Btw, it is a excellent film, but I just don't want to see the same approach to every comic movie from now on or more 'darker interpretations of certain iconic characters, like Superman.) Not only that, "The Incredible Hulk" was rebooted and was no more succesful than Ang Lee's take on the Hulk. A reboot as this point is very iffy, but I can't say if it will succed or not. All I know is alot a fans who enjoyed SR won't be looking forward to it.
Execs should also consider that "Batman Begins" was not necessarily a reboot as it was a reintroduction of Batman, which has existed in comic form for years now (ex. Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Retruns"), and it made about the same amount of money as SR. Then "The Dark Knight" came out, as history was made. Well, consider also that Brian Singer did a fine job w/ X2, and he already knew what was expected from him & at stake for the SR sequel (Recall his going "Wrath of Khan" on the sequel?)
In any case, whatever will be, will be. I was looking forward to a ramped-up, revved-up, action-packed SR sequel and the entire reboot thing has left me and many people just disappointed. The least WB can do is keep Brandon Routh for the reboot.
Posted by: Rich | August 28, 2008 at 01:46 AM
I also wanted to say that I AM A HUGE BRANDON ROUTH AND SUPERMAN RETURNS FAN, and I feel so disappointed that SR won't be given a sequel, which could be a bigger and more exciting film with the necessary action added, as Bryan Singer had promised, and as a result do much better at the Box Office. But Batman Begins, a film that made less $ at the BO than SR, got a sequel.....WHY?? Clearly audiences seemed interested in both movies about the same, right? And both films also got very good reviews.
There si NO doubt in my mind that Superman REturns is a damn good film that deserves a sequel, which could be more successful than the first film. I don't know anyone in real life who hated or disliked the film, most people I talk to about it liked it, and some even loved it. ONLY ON THE INTERNET I HEAR PEOPLE SAYING THAT SUPERMAN RETURNS IS A BAD FILM, only here, because SOME FANBOYS were/are VERY upset that their favorite actor wasn't cast as Superman, and they are VERY loud. UGH! This reboot or 'reintroduction' is a horrible idea for me and a legion of Superman/SR/Brandon fans. BUT THE SADDEST thing is that we may not get to see our beloved Brandon Routh in the tights again. *cries* I HATE YOU WB. PLEASE, BRING BRANDON ROUTH BACK AS SUPERMAN IN THE NEXT FILM, he si SO PERFECT AS SUPERMAN AND CLARK, and he is a really nice person in real life, he makes me so proud to be a Superman fan. HE DESERVES TO RETURN. HE IS THE SUPERMAN OF THIS GENERATION.
Posted by: C. B. | October 13, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Uh, no thanks. I loved the first two original movies (and THAT'S IT), but I don't want another Reeve clone, "anorexic Lois" clone, Hackman clone, or Donner clone. I don't want Supes to be a deadbeat dad (out of character). I hope I haven't made any fan of SR cry by saying this.
Just lay off the kryptonite and the Luthors for a while; plenty of classy superman-class villains that don't need the rock or the Hackman clone to SERIOUSLY kick Supe's behind.
Here's a novel idea: just jettison that concept and tap into the rich pool of inspiration that can be found in the source material (Kingdom Come anyone?) and even in the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini animated series (which surpasses dramatically any live action effort so far). Heck, even ItsJustSomeRandomGuy at YouTube gets comics far better than these artsy directors and bottomline-is-god suits (go ahead, check him out, even Jon Favreau, Director of Iron Man, thinks his videos are brilliant).
Please WB, DO reboot the franchise... but do so intelligently, with writers who know and respect the source material. I don't want a soap-opera with spandex, but neither I want anything out of character. Don't go from a Donner-clone... to a "Dark Knight" clone.
Posted by: Ed | January 17, 2009 at 11:55 AM