Superman: The Reboot --- Its official

[Captain Craig]

We've talked about it ad naseum for the last 2 years. Multiple threads. The recent limbo talks have now moved to flat out REBOOT.

Bye bye Jason.
Bye bye Bosworth

Superman to be Rebooted

Just a few days after this article was posted, Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov has told The Wall Street Journal that the studio is going to be reintroducing Superman. We assume this will be similar to how Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk was a reboot of Ang Lee's Hulk. Here is what the article says:

Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes -- known as "Batman vs. Superman" -- after the $215 million "Superman Returns," which had disappointing box-office returns, didn't please executives. "'Superman' didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," says Mr. Robinov. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned." "Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009," he adds. "But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."

The article also talks about Warner Bros. adapting other DC properties over the new few years. "By 2011, Mr. Robinov plans for DC Comics to supply the material for up to two of the six to eight tent-pole films he hopes Warner Bros. will have in the pipeline by then," it says. Those projects will likely be about single characters at first, and will be darker much like The Dark Knight:

With "Batman vs. Superman" and "Justice League" stalled, Warner Bros. has quietly adopted Marvel's model of releasing a single film for each character, and then using those movies and their sequels to build up to a multicharacter film. "Along those lines, we have been developing every DC character that we own," Mr. Robinov says.

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.

If you were indifferent or anti-Returns don't use this as a gloating forum.
Lets just talk about where we can go from here to get a great Superman film that we all can agree on like we have with Nolans Batman and Favreau's Iron Man.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

We've talked about it ad naseum for the last 2 years. Multiple threads. The recent limbo talks have now moved to flat out REBOOT.

Bye bye Jason.
Bye bye Bosworth

Superman to be Rebooted

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.

*sigh*

And once again Warners proves they don't have a fucking clue. The Dark Knight was dark because Batman works great dark. Superman doesn't - never has and never will. Neither does Wonder Woman. Or for that matter most of the DC characters. What they desperately need to do is make each character as true to his/ her essence as TDK was to Batman's. I can't believe what they're taking away from TDK is "make 'em all dark!" How can they possible produce something as good as TDK and still not understand what they're doing? It truly amazes me they have such a cluelessly simplistic view of their stable of characters.

 

[FredH]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

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.

This worries me. Batman should be dark, but Superman? DC characters in general?

EDIT: What the previous poster said. (Scooped.)

 

[SalvorHardin]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Oh well... I was not in favor of a reboot.
I believe we could get a better movie after Returns, with our hero established and Luthor and his silly land schemes out of the way.

And generally speaking, I'm worried about their whole "Make everything dark" attitude.I don't see it working anywhere besides Batman.

Anyway, I hope Routh will return as Superman even though it's a reboot.
I hope and pray they devote as little time as possible to giving us an origin story.We know it and have been beaten over the head with it for decades.

I also hope Luthor will not be the main villain and in fact wouldn't mind if he made no appearance at all, though I consider it unlikely.

And finally give Superman a worthy powerful opponent that will push him to his limits of strength and intelligence and show us why he has that Super in front of the Man.Someone like Brainiac for example.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

This is so weak.

If they'd cut an hour out of Superman Returns it would have been excellent.

 

[Vendikarr]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Oh well... I was not in favor of a reboot.
I believe we could get a better movie after Returns, with our hero established and Luthor and his silly land schemes out of the way.

Anyway, I hope Routh will return as Superman even though it's a reboot.
I hope and pray they devote as little time as possible to giving us an origin story.We know it and have been beaten over the head with it for decades.

I also hope Luthor will not be the main villain and in fact wouldn't mind if he made no appearance at all, though I consider it unlikely.

And finally give Superman a worthy powerful opponent that will push him to his limits of strength and intelligence and show us why he has that Super in front of the Man.Someone like Brainiac for example.

Generally speaking though, I'm worried about their whole "Make everything dark" attitude.I don't see it working anywhere besides Batman.

Routh returning would confuse Joe Public into thinking it's a continuation. Hearing hundreds of people whining and wondering where the kid is would drive me insane.

And as for a villain, I was thinking Parasite. Battling a villain who can drain his abilities will force Supes to use his brain for a change, instead of his brawn.

 

[Forbin]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Great, yet another take on the origin story? How many times have we seen superhero origin films now? Can't they make one damn film where the superhero is already established, so we don't have to go over the same damn ground again and again and again?

Jeez.

 

[SalvorHardin]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

And as for a villain, I was thinking Parasite. Battling a villain who can drain his abilities will force Supes to use his brain for a change, instead of his brawn.

I don't know.
Call me what you want but I finally want a movie where Superman can do more than push rockets and lift things.
A great story and good acting are of the greatest importance of course but at last I'd like to see such a powerful being fight hard and use his brain on how to use all his powers correctly.
Especially with what good special effects can accomplish today.

There's no reason why we can't get a Superman using both his brain and brawn.

 

[davejames]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Great, yet another take on the origin story? How many times have we seen superhero origin films now? Can't they make one damn film where the superhero is already established, so we don't have to go over the same damn ground again and again and again?

Jeez.

Yeah I was one of the few people who was bored to tears watching Batman's origin in Begins. The idea of sitting through another one of those things -- this time for Superman-- just sounds excruciating to me.

Even the people who don't like STM have to admit that movie already did the origin story about as well as you can do it.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

well now its going to be fun to follow the new Superman movie again (at least, until they hire someone I hate).

I'd like to see someone like MATTHEW VAUGHAN or MARTIN CAMPBELL direct this film.

A little darkness is ok but if it goes overboard there could be trouble. Superman can have a certain type of darkness, plot darkness, as I call it... but he doesn't work really well with angsty stuff. Even in the comics, it never quite works. I'd like them to actually take the world to a DARK place, and have Superman just whoop ass and save everybody.

 

[Bad Bishop]

We've talked about it ad nauseam for the last 2 years. Multiple threads. The recent limbo talks have now moved to flat out REBOOT.

Bye bye Jason.
Bye bye Bosworth

I guess you're the only one here who's certain that Routh will be back.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

I would wait for further confirmation before assuming that the next Superman film is going to be a 100% reboot. "Reintroduce Superman" could mean a complete reboot with a new cast or it could be a sequel with the same cast that goes in a very different direction to Superman Returns. The former is more likely given Robinov's words, but I don't think it's completely clear yet.

As for a dark Superman film, I think a relatively dark Superman film could work just fine as long as you get the right mix of action and the right characterization. The Darkseid arc in Superman: The Animated Series was dark, particularly the climatic confrontation between Superman and Darkseid in "Legacy", and it was incredibly good. If they did something like that in a live action feature I think it would be very successful.

As for Robinov's statement about DC films in general, note that he said he wanted them to be "dark to the extent that the characters allow it". So they're not all going to be as dark as TDK.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

I would assume if there is a different director attached to the project, then he's going to want an actor of his own choosing, and not someone selected by another director. Which means there is a very strong possibility that Routh and company will not return for this "reboot".

Unless Robinov mandates that Routh return, however I don't see that with his recent comments about not being happy with the way Superman was "positioned" in 2006.

 

[Samurai8472]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Even the people who don't like STM have to admit that movie already did the origin story about as well as you can do it.

I agree

What the new origin can probably give is updated sets, no zod trial and big CGI death star destruction of krypton.

Jor-el will still be ostracized by fellow kryptonians

Expanded Smallville segment with more Lana lang(maybe an injoke at Smallville the series?)

Pa kent probably dying again

Clark training

The rest is new interpretation

 

[Brikar99]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

They could easily just skim over the origin at the beginning of the movie and I think that'd be fine for everyone. Superman's origin is well-known enough that we don't need to see it again, whether this is a reboot or not.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

I think this is great news. Although I did like parts of Superman Returns (I liked Routh as Clark and Kevin Spacey as Lex) the rest of the movie just didn't do it for me. Personally, I didn't mind that he had a son, I just didn't like the creepy stalker aspect of Superman. It'll be great to have a new Lois, since Bosworth looked too young and was too stiff to be Lois.

On the villain front, I wouldn't mind if Luthor was in it, but maybe in the background, setting him up to be a villain in the next movie or two movies later. If it was an origin story, then the Eradicator might be cool.

 

[T'Baio]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

*COUGH*toldyouso*COUGH*

Ahem...sorry.

 

[Harvey]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

Well, if they're going to go darker, which doesn't fit with (my admittedly limited) knowledge of Superman, I hope they at least use the lightness of Superman as a counterpoint to the dark world around. Otherwise, why even use the character?

 

[Bad Bishop]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

*COUGH*toldyouso*COUGH*

Ahem...sorry.

Don't worry, we were bracing for this. We've had two years of WB execs saying nothing good about Superman Returns.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Re: Superman: The Reboot --- Its offcial

They did say darker 'as much as the characters allow' or something, which is a good sign.