James McTeigue on his direction for SUPERMAN

[JacksonArcher]

James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) has been coy over the past few weeks regarding rumors he's been assigned by WB to direct a reboot of the Superman franchise produced by the Wachowski Siblings and written by Grant Morrison, but he did offer some comments on his direction of the new film ... providing that he is sitting in the director's chair.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/supermannews.php?id=8629

 

[Frontier]

Do WB really want to trust the Wachowski bros?

They have a very hit-or-miss track record. I mean, it's either out-of-the-park exceptional like Matrix or V, or it's smack-in-the-mouth bomb-a-thon like Speed Racer or the Matrix Sequels.

 

[EnsignRicky]

Cool, the Wachowskis can show Superman doing his Neo thing.

 

[Mr Light]

Matrix 2 did $742 million and it was rated R... that's a bomb-a-thon? Even Matrix 3 did $427 million.

 

[Cutter John]

I'd heard Speed Racer wasn't actually that bad.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I'd heard Speed Racer wasn't actually that bad.

It wasn't. Yes, it was very cartoonish in nature, but it was based off of a cartoon in the first place. So that's kind of expected going into the movie, but it has a surprisingly strong amount of heart and the characters all feel real and tangible. It's definitely a visual feast but it is very enjoyable even on a superficial level.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Speed Racer was actually pretty good and I saw it just recently going in with low expectations but it was pretty faithful to the cartoon on which it was based. So what does he say I can't view the video being in another country.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

That was kind of lame and could basically be summed up with "I'd do a reboot.".

I don't have a problem with the Wachowskis *producing* the picture and Morrison could be a decent choice for the source material. I'm not sure what I'd think about the W Bros directing but that isn't really being mentioned yet.

 

[Mr Light]

I enjoyed Speed Racer. The graphics were amazing. My only problems were too much with the family (particularly the little kid and the chimp) and a disappointing final race (no Racer X, no Rain, no pre-existing villains, not open countryside but in a stadium, etc, etc).

 

[Peter the Younger]

I'd agree with him on the origin story. That was the best part of the Donner film, in my mind it's damn near perfect (then he gets to Metropolis and the Lex Luthor Comedy Hour starts, but whatever, it was the 70s.)

I think anyone doing a superman movie today should take a look at Bruce Timm's animated series, especially the Cadmus Arc from Justice League. Kal-El the Boyscout/God can be boring as hell, but if you show that he still has a temper, that he does have a limit, psychologically, to what he will take, that makes Superman interesting (to me.) Seeing someone who is only limited by his own morality, who is trying really, really hard not to be corrupted by his own power, makes for some pretty cool stories.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'd heard Speed Racer wasn't actually that bad.

It. Was. Horrible.

 

[TK421]

Speed Racer was embarrassing, it was that bad.

And I HATED V for Vendetta, one of the worst movies I've seen, so this whole thing does not bode well.

 

[Nardpuncher]

Matrix 2 did $742 million and it was rated R... that's a bomb-a-thon? Even Matrix 3 did $427 million.

Well whatever...they weren't very good.

 

[FordSVT]

I'd heard Speed Racer wasn't actually that bad.

It wasn't. Yes, it was very cartoonish in nature, but it was based off of a cartoon in the first place. So that's kind of expected going into the movie, but it has a surprisingly strong amount of heart and the characters all feel real and tangible. It's definitely a visual feast but it is very enjoyable even on a superficial level.

It was a "visual feast" like Nero had a "good meal" between vomiting. Just too much going on, they could have toned it down a bit without looking gritty.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I recently saw V For Vendetta and was V for Very Disappointed. How could you go wrong with that source material and that cast? Get the Wachowski brothers to write, apparently ... McTeigue's direction was okay, not Uwe Boll, but nothing special either. I'd say in all honesty that Brett Ratner could have done as good a job.

I'm resigned to Singer not Returning (see what I did there?) to the franchise but I can think of quite a few directors I'd rather see replace him than McTeigue. Unless, of course, Ninja Assassin proves to be an altogether superior effort.

 

[Checkmate]

As long as they ditch everything from the Donner-inspired movies as well as ignore everything that happened in Superman Returns, I'll be happy. An origin story isn't required, but they really need to trash the tall, lanky Superman, the even lankier and skankier Lois Lane, and just completely forget anything about him having a son. So help me if his costume has a tiny little shield on it, too. Jesus. Don't they have people they pay to tell a director when something looks like ass?

I really don't care who directs or writes it otherwise. Superman needs to look like Superman, dammit, not Supertwat.

 

[ClayinCA]

Nobody panic. As of right now, he's not signed to direct the movie, and until he is, anything else is pointless speculation. (Then again, welcome to the internet, I guess...)

 

[Admiral_Young]

So again what did he actually say? That he'd do a reboot and that this project is the one that Grant Morrison has been working on?

 

[gastrof]

As long as they ditch everything from the Donner-inspired movies as well as ignore everything that happened in Superman Returns, I'll be happy. An origin story isn't required, but they really need to trash the tall, lanky Superman, the even lankier and skankier Lois Lane, and just completely forget anything about him having a son. So help me if his costume has a tiny little shield on it, too. Jesus. Don't they have people they pay to tell a director when something looks like ass?

I really don't care who directs or writes it otherwise. Superman needs to look like Superman, dammit, not Supertwat.

You might want to forget about trashing all the Donner-look stuff. It's even become official in the comics now. As for RETURNS, I could do without the kid, and the rancid blue and brown costume with the little shield. (And let's fix the belt and its unnecessary extra "S" while we're at it.)

I still remember Singer saying "Routh didn't look good in a Reeve style costume".

Uh huh. Reeve's Superman was the comic character come to life, and the costume was SPOT ON.

Perish the thought that Routh, playing Superman, should LOOK LIKE SUPERMAN.

"Didn't look good..." Right. He's playing Superman and didn't look good in the "real" Superman costume.

Umm, yeah. Sure.

I've said from the start, if Singer does another film, the least they have to do is make the reds RED on the suit. If nothing else.

If someone else does the next one, whatever they do I hope they've learned from his mistakes.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Do WB really want to trust the Wachowski bros?

They have a very hit-or-miss track record. I mean, it's either out-of-the-park exceptional like Matrix or V, or it's smack-in-the-mouth bomb-a-thon like Speed Racer or the Matrix Sequels.

Was V a big money-maker?

I don't even remember anymore, although I loved the hell out of that movie.

Personally, I wouldn't trust the Wachowski brothers to make a video of my cousin's wedding, let alone another franchise.