December
19
Valkyrie Premiere: Cruise, Singer, Superman
Valkyrie played well at the DGA Premiere Thursday night. Seeing it the second time, I was struck by how meticulously made the movie is. They spared no expense, though. It went way over budget on location in Berlin and cost some $100 million. The studio is claiming $75 million---and praying the movie scores overseas. It has to. (Here's my review.)
Tom Cruise was there with his two older kids (talking on his cell to Katie Holmes) and taking congrats from the likes of producers Kathy Kennedy and Frank Marshall and director J.J. Abrams, who directed the last Mission Impossible movie. Going forward at UA without long-time partner Paula Wagner, Cruise said he is working with the team at MGM led by prexy Mary Parent and taking it slow on picking the right projects.
I talked to Bryan Singer, Superman writer Dan Harris and Warners exec Polly Cohen at the after-party. Singer has been so obsessed with getting Valkyrie out the door--and he still has to promote it next year when Fox opens it overseas--that he won't even start to think about Superman again until after he takes a holiday vacation. He has absolutely no commitment to any project, including Superman, Singer said. Everywhere he goes to talk about Valkyrie, everyone asks him about Superman. He hasn't considered any writers' pitches. No Warners meeting on the film is planned at this time. Solving the next one is all about the villains, the trio agreed.
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Once again Superman is in development hell. Even if it had starred Tom Welling in the first place, which it should have, we likely would have ended up here. Any Superman is an expensive movie to make, even without a director who goes wildly over budget.
It makes more financial sense to do a Witherspoon/Hathaway/etc RomCom with juicy margins than a huge budget Superman fighting to break even.
Posted by: Rachel | December 19, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Tom Welling? No thanks. That guy has not improved his acting in the entire run of Smallville.
Warner Bros. is smarter than that. And sending them a bunch of monekeys won't prove Welling should get the role.
Posted by: Don | December 19, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Actually Tom Welling has improved greatly over the years and at this point is the perfect person to don the tights for a new Superman movie. If Warners is seriously going for a reboot and not a SR sequel then they need to listen to a majority of the fans and cast Welling. If they don't then the film will just be another flop. Either way, I don't want Bryan Singer or Dan Harris involved with Superman ever again. One failed Superman film is enough, we don't need a second disapointment.
Posted by: Andrew | December 20, 2008 at 05:24 AM
Tom Welling is this generation's Superman. His acting is very good and greatly underrated. The problem with SR was that it was too traditional, an imitation of the 70's Superman movies.
Tom created his own Clark Kent and he's the obvious choice for a successful Superman movie. But of course, the script is a key element to success.
Posted by: Maddie | December 20, 2008 at 05:35 AM
Routh is the big screen Superman and Tom is small screen. Sorry guys, no way is WB gonna upset mainstream fans of the character by ditching BR for tv fans, besides after playing Clark for eight seaons, Tom's probably had enough and wants to play other roles to avoid being typecast. I want Singer to come back, he's promised big action in the next movie, up the peril and you got a winner. Routh will be in his prime the next time he suits up.
Posted by: Ralph | December 20, 2008 at 04:28 PM
WB already upset the main stream fans with SR, if they want a better Superman fan reaction they need to cast Welling.
Posted by: Andrew | December 21, 2008 at 08:52 PM
You could say the same thing about Smallville upsetting mainstream Superman fans when they started messing with the mythos, ditching the show in droves.
Posted by: Sam | December 22, 2008 at 04:08 AM
To realy up the anti, to wipe the smug sirking from our Marvel rivals ( I mean, let's face it, Aside from the re-birth of the Batman franchise, Marvel have us beat, no question ) for ever, what I would do is make a two part epic movie of 'KINGDOM COME', with in the lead as, a much older Superman, PATRICK WARBURTON. Now he can walk the walk. You do not need to reply to this as I know I am right.
Posted by: Christopher Smith | December 23, 2008 at 01:35 AM
All this talk about a sequel or reboot? Ridiculous! Step back in time to Star Trek the Movie. It was a good movie that was made great by the sequel Star Trek II(The Wrath of Khan). It is time for Warner Brothers to get off the fence and do the sequel to Superman Returns. This is a no brainer!
Posted by: Dan | December 23, 2008 at 05:31 AM
Don't really give two hoots even if Singer brought the flipping Legion of Doom,the initial premise for Superman Returns ie the deadbeat dad,stalker,the stupid Lois,irritating asthmatic kid turned killer etc was atrocious.Stop trying to make Superman into a chick flick or Lois and Clark.It's pathetic and dull.Heck no one apart from Returns apologists even care.To continue with that storyline is toxic to the character of Superman.
A full reboot is called for.And NO WELLING.The guy can't act his way out a paper bag.I never saw a bunch of actors with little or no chemistry as in Returns.
Find a writer and director who understands the Superman mythos and who has a vision not a hack of an old movie.The Donner movies define a hero for an older generation from the 70's.What the heck is wrong with these people?Have no one a vision to make Superman evolve without changing the guy's core motivations?Does Superman have to be a recycled decade in decade out?
Can't we get a noble,powerful hero who does not mope and carrying on as if he can't do nothing without some groupie who made her career out of flirting and dating the cape?Talk about conflict of interest.
Kingdom Come Superman is currently really the only guy who does not make you cringe when you look at Superman on the whole.Really if it weren't for him I don't think I would care at all.It probably as well was the bravest modern interpretation of Superman.
The fact that Singer had no exposure to Superman other than Donner's films is atrocious.How do you even get a 75 year old character if you just rely on a 30 year old movie?
I'd rather see nothing than see a sequel to Returns.
It says a lot when a guy in an iron suit can trounce the original flying guy with a host of power.
Thank god for Batman who shows he's got will and fortitude despite being human.Look at BM behavior compared to Superman.I tell you they made Superman into a wimp.
Posted by: J SMITH | December 23, 2008 at 09:54 AM
I just wanted to say that I'm a part of the BRB campaign, and I support Brandon Routh as Superman. I also think Bryan Singer is an amazing director, so I would really like him to produce the next Superman movie. I really enjoyed Superman Returns, and I think the next potential Superman movie (with Singer and Routh) will be even better.
Posted by: Messyme | December 25, 2008 at 06:35 AM
I really liked Superman Returns. I could of done with out the kid and a new Lois Lane would be nice. Outside of that, I thought the characters were great. Brandon did a fine job. He had HUGE shoes to fill and I thought he did the best job anyone could of done. Nobody will be better than Christopher Reeves. It just won't happen. But I was happy with Brandon. Loved that they used a lot of the Richard Donnor films as the undertone for the movie.
I think they can still use this overtone, but get more action and get rid of the kid.
If they do a re-boot. Which looks to be 100% now. I'm very nervous about this. If they think they can make it a Batman Begins and make it dark, then I they may make a huge mistake here....I don't know but I am partial to Chris' films and not sure how I would take something different like that. No matter what I love Superman enough and support it like crazy that I would see any Superman film. I am just nervous that they will go away from traditions too much to make a buck.
Posted by: Kal-ElITisTrue | December 26, 2008 at 05:35 AM
Superman Returns is a wonderful Superman film. I love it and think it deserves a sequel. But the MOST important thing to me is that Brandon Routh continues playing Superman in the next film. He was inspired casting and just a perfect fit for this fantastic character. It's as if he stepped out of a comicbook page. They WON'T find anyone better from this generation.
Brandon Routh Is Superman.
Hurry up, WB and make another Superman movie soon! So much potential. There just is no other hero like him. He represent hope, light, truth and justice. The world needs more Superman movies and now.
Posted by: Veronica M. | January 02, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Brandon Routh IS Superman...any future Superman film must have this fine actor in it. He was perfectly cast and to bring in someone new would hardly be "super"!
Posted by: Jeff Dyer | January 04, 2009 at 07:26 AM
I loved Superman Returns, also, and I am waiting for a sequel.
Posted by: Danielle | January 06, 2009 at 11:39 AM
I'm glad they're rebooting the film series even if that means waiting a few more years. As a woman, Superman Returns was very offensive. Turning the storied and iconic Lois Lane into a trampy, bitchy, bad mother felt like an attack from all sides on an amazing, historic and previously beloved character. I want the public to go back to loving Lois Lane instead of despising her.
She was one of the first feminists in pop culture. She's fiery and independent and an accomplished professional. She's respected by her peers and a multiple Pulitzer winner. Little girls all over the world look up to her. Lois Lane was one the first superhero love interests to have a serious career. The character assassination of Superman Returns was as painful to witness as bystanders to a rape.
Posted by: Adrienne Weller | January 06, 2009 at 02:15 PM