Yes - correct! That was his first outing with the project with DeSanto. Aside from RDM's version, that one had the best chance of getting off the ground. As you say, props and sets were built and the whole thing was scuttled post-9/11. DeSanto had a grounding effect for Singer who, to my recollection, was quite flighty and difficult to focus on what needed to be done. After the 9/11 event cooled, I believe Singer tried about three more times (without DeSanto) to get it going, but at the start of it by then, Universal executives were starting to cool on the "continuation" notion that Singer was pushing, and was already looking at RDM's reboot for a 2003 release.
Additionally, every time it looked like Singer might get some traction, before, during, and after RDM's version, something else caught his attention and he went off elsewhere. I believe this happened with X-Men 2 (2003), Superman Returns (2006) and an unaired "Munsters" TV movie called "Mockingbird Lane" (2012). As I'm sure everyone can tell by this point, I have been following the path of this incessant drama for a very long time with
great frustration, as far back as Richard Hatch's 90's fan film continuation pilot attempt starring most of the original surviving cast. Most of them are gone now.
There may have been one or two others between Singer's final 2012 attempt and the post-Larson 2016 De Luca announcement but, needless to say, this particular franchise property has been Lucy with the football and the fandom has been Charlie Brown.
The rest is history as we know it.
