Superman Getting a Revamp?
The Hulk franchise has just had a revamp and now it could be Superman’s turn. Mark Millar, the writer behind Wanted told The Daily Record some interesting info:
“I’ve been planning this my entire life. I’ve got my director and producer set up, and it’ll be 2011. This is how far ahead you have to think. The Superman brand is toxic after that last movie lost 200 million, but in 2011 we’re hoping to restart it. Sadly I can’t say who the director is, but we may make it official by Christmas. But fingers crossed it could work out, that would be my lifetime’s dream.”
It was only a few months ago that Bryan Singer told us he had intentions to direct Superman: Man of Steel, so something may be going on at Warner Bros.
Superman Returns only just made $200 million in America, and less than that worldwide. If they were going for the ‘three years between sequels’ thing they would have started by now, or we would have heard something at least.
However, keep in mind that Mark Millar got himself into some hot water after generating a story that Eminem was “begging” to star in Wanted. Eminem’s agent and Universal issued strong denials about the story and it was revealed to be a publicity stunt to get Millar some free press. Could Millar be saying this just to generate some buzz so that he can fulfil his life long dream?
Mark Millar Has “Big Name Action Director” For a Superman Returns Revamp? Announcing at Xmas? Madness.
Let’s hope Mark Millar sticks around the movie business for many years, and not only because the guy gives great quotes. With the adaptation of his Wanted comics raking in considerable bank and an adaptation of Kick-Ass on the way from director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), Millar is not allowing a Superman Returns revamp to vanish from his broadening Hollywood map. In fact, in this latest candid interview with the Daily Record, Millar sounds as if he’s setting a dunkirk into action that would see Bryan Singer relieved of his directorial duties…
“Since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to reinvent Superman for the 21st century,” said Millar. “I’ve been planning this my entire life. I’ve got my director and producer set up, and it’ll be 2011. This is how far ahead you have to think. The Superman brand is toxic after that last movie lost [a good chunk of change], but in 2011 we’re hoping to restart it. Sadly I can’t say who the director is, but we may make it official by Christmas.”
Ding Ding. Just back in March, Singer confirmed he was meeting with writers with the intention to direct a more action-oriented and less nostalgic sequel. In April, Legendary Pictures chairman, Thomas Tull, cryptically pitched the sequel, tentatively entitled, Superman: The Man of Steel, as “Superman as more of an angry god.”
We speculated then that Tull wasn’t referring to an adaptation of Millar’s Superman: Red Son, his celebrated 2003 comic book that reimagined Supes originally landing to Earth in the Soviet Union rather than in America. “Superman meets Stalin Summer 2011,” yeah, that would pack in the U.S. Crocs set. But Millar seems to have a “detox” vision all worked out. Also, note that while his latest announcement seems incredibly assured, he added…
“But fingers crossed [a Superman revamp] could work out, that would be my lifetime’s dream.”
Did the guy speak too soon about announcing a director then? Before he could convert Wanted’s success into industry muscle, Millar was making similar comments in 2007, when he announced his Superman “remake” pitch to Warner Bros…
“This has to be Superman for the 21st Century, keeping everything we adore, but starting from scratch and making the kids love it as much as the 30-somethings. I would honestly write this thing for free.”
Personally, I hope Millar gets his wish from the Zoltar machine. Take for instance, the The Incredible Hulk, which has come to be viewed as a success in the eyes of most geeks, but didn’t rack up enough grosses or pop culture clout to overshadow Ang Lee’s prior film. In the end, the new Hulk was not an obvious-enough departure. They didn’t exploit the fact, directly or indirectly, that most people felt burned by the earlier version. There was never an “oh shit!” defining moment in the many trailers, so Web attention once again diverted to the Hulk’s tweaked CGI. A new Superman is even trickier.
Bryan Singer was allowed to make his dreamy passion project using one of the most commercial characters ever. That overpriced mush just didn’t fly. Let’s move on. Singer and another $250 millon isn’t going to solve the problem. That’s like Ang Lee remaking Hulk at the demands of fans. To be frank, Millar knows a lot about “oh shit!” moments and what gets people chattering in this day and age, and he clearly loves the character’s mythology as much as Singer. Why not have him in the driver’s seat for the entire process? More on this as it develops—somebody from WB has to refute/confirm Millar’s latest info, right? Man, what do you think Brandon Routh is thinking about all of this back and forth? It’s neverending.
Oh and you gotta love Millar’s fight for his right to live in Scotland and not relocate to Los Angeles….
“If I lived in LA I’d just write like everyone else. My pals over there are all on their second wives and do drugs. It’s a world I don’t want my kid to grow up in. I’ve been married since I was 23. I have a really normal set up.”
UPLATE UPDATE: Monster post! Millar posted an update regarding his comments above on his site’s message boards (a thanks to Obsessed with Film)…
“PS: That Superman news is interesting, isn’t it? In the interests of clarity (because I’m sure this will be picked up somewhere) a very well known American action director heard about my love of Superman, approached my and asked me to team up with he and his producer to make a pitch for this. We’ve been talking for several weeks now and, if this is going to happen, we’ll know by Christmas. He has huge pull at WB so fingers crossed. But this is nothing more than a huge US name pulling me into his fold and making me part of a package.”
Hmmm, a big name American action director with conecs at Warner Bros. George Miller is a no. I think we can mark through Michael Bay, Gore Verbinski, James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez and Brett Ratner. Tony Scott’s British.
Valkyrie Movie Trailer
The bad buzz for Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie has been building over the last few months. Extensive reshoots/additional photography, added with a complete release date shift to February (after Awards Season), resulted in the release of negativity in Hollywood. It also doesn’t help that Crusie’s last film Lions For Lambs bombed. But so far everything I’ve seen about this film has been very impressive. From the screenplay, to the first production photos which included a comparison shot of Tom Cruise against the real life Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, to the teaser trailer that was released a few months back. Even bitter, angry Variety editors have recently written “several people I trust have seen VALKYRIE and testify that it’s a superb thriller. ‘Bryan Singer is back in form,’ says one source.”
The desire for this film to be a failure is massive. Everyone has purchased a pair of hater pants from the anti-Tom Cruise store (metaphorically speaking, I hope). I think everyone needs to watch the Valkyrie movie trailer below (note: it’s not new), and form an opinion based on what is shown. Forget what you’ve read about the production, and put your passive aggressive Cruise-bashing feelings away. Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Official Plot Synopsis: The “July 20 Plot” on Hitler’s life is one of the most heroic but least known episodes of World War Two. Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler’s once he is dead. But fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation’s government… He must kill Hitler himself.
Valkyrie hits theaters on February 13th 2009.
Why Tom Cruise’s Way-Late Valkyrie Is Like a Rave
For those who can’t wait to see Tom Cruise go all Nazi in the forthcoming, thrice-pushed back Hitler-killer thriller Valkyrie, don’t knock on Terence Stamp’s door.
“I don’t know anything,” confessed Cruise’s costar, about why the Bryan Singer-directed WWII flick has been so steeped in delay-laden turmoil.
While promoting his much-lighter Get Smart with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway in Los Angeles today, Stamp likened the Valkyrie process to a huge party with hippie kids, ecstasy and trance music. But in a good way.
“It’s like a rave,” Stamp said of the shifting feature. “You don’t get the address until the last minute.” That address is currently February 13, 2009, so, like see you there? We’ll pay double to see Cruise wave around some glow sticks, wearing a Cat-in-the-Hat hat and toting one of Suri’s pacifiers.