Superman Reboot

Black Adam · 02-09-2010, 11:49 AM

I was perusing the fanboy news around the net and came across an article saying that Superman was again being looked at for reboot. 4 to 6 months ago, it was said that the project was shelved due to the sheer losses of Superman Returns and all the stuff that had been going on with the Siegels and Shusters (another topic altogether).

Now it seems, and I understand this to be rumor so far, is that they want to get Christopher Nolan to do the Superman reboot after he's done with Batman 3. Now, until the formation of DC Entertainment comes around and they make their official announcements, I won't buy what's being said fully. However, the thought of that maniac and ruiner of franchises touching the Man of Steel turns my stomach. I hope that this is all just someone's idea of a joke and no more.

VaderFan · 02-09-2010, 12:35 PM

With as much money as TDK made, if they were going to do a 3rd installment, it would have been green lit already. WB's wanting to run with the Marvel outline, rebooting all the properties and leading to one cohesive line to Justice League. Green Lantern will be the first in that line, and Batman will have to be tweaked closer to the comic version so that he'll work with the rest of the team instead of being a psychopathic killer. They kicked Tim Burton out for wanting to make Superman dark, so I think we can put the Nolan rumor to bed now. By the time they get around to rebooting Big Blue, Nolan won't be a factor. They've already scrapped his version of the Flash as well. Maybe the line about the heroes being brighter this next year in both DC and Marvel's pages will translate out to the big screen too.

Black Adam · 02-09-2010, 01:21 PM

That's a hope I sincerly have. There's still too much bad blood on my part with their treatments of other properties. Green Lantern has a shred of hope in it, because I've seen a lot of great progress with it. I'm still not sold on Ryan Reynolds, but I might be after the movie's done. I've gotta see it first.

I'm not entirely sold on the idea that Nolan's out so quickly. The guy's got a lot going against him in the rediscovered way that heroes should be, but that doesn't mean they won't try for it anyway. I've seen more desperate attempts made by people.

I don't wanna rehash a bunch of the old arguments on this, but this goes back to the lawsuit. Apparently there was something about the movies put into one of the settlements that were made. To that end, if they didn't have the movie up and going by 2011 the Siegels and Shusters would have the rights to sue to for more money out of the property. Whether you agree to that or not, well... I don't per se. In any case, to avoid having to pay up front they may get something railroaded in. I know they've rushed production on a ton of stuff before. Will they do it here? I dunno, I sincerely hope not. If they make enough money on a good Superman film that won't be a problem.

You see, I'm torn here. As a fanboy of Superman's, I tend to see that you've got the right idea and that the company themselves have seen the light based on the idea that the Avengers will stomp them if they don't try something GOOD and soon. On the other side of that coin though, if we're looking to appeal to the general audience that saw Superman Returns and think Superman to be Super-wuss and too "metro" (not my words there) then it's a viable way to go. As to it being shelved because Burton's was... well, I saw the Nic Cage pics of Superman and a few other drawings here and there. Combined with the worst script imaginable, I can see why it got shelved. Yeah, I can buy that it was dark, I read it. I can also see where they looked at some production stills and said no. Add to that, I'm also a fan of the belief that people will repeat history if they're not careful. I wouldn't put this as too far a stretch.

Again, I know it's all rumors. So I'm not 100% at arms about it. Still, I've got zero in the way of faith in these people for their movies. Again, Green Lantern looks good and has some amazing work being done on it. But that's one for how many in recent memory? If they're looking to the guy that landed 'em a billion, then I'm not gonna be too surprised.

VaderFan · 02-09-2010, 05:54 PM

I have faith in one thing when it comes to this stuff: money. As much as TDK made, JL and the combine properties could net WB even more. They need that level of power to compete with Marvel. As I said, if they were going to enlist Nolan for any of it, they'd have done so by now, especially on Batman. If you want to fear about any of these, fear Wonder Woman. Statistically speaking, superheroines tank at the box office. And again, that's probably due to poor treatment from all parties. And again, my battle cry holds true: "follow the %$#@ing comic book and tap the resources over at DC or WB Animation." It's been nearly a decade, and it's just not that tough to get right. But then, from my perspective, none of it should be. Dini and Timm got it for nearly a decade on all fronts. It's the League, not rocket science.

Black Adam · 02-09-2010, 07:21 PM

That's my exact point. It isn't had to understand and yet they mess it up consistently because most execs and directors think that source material is just something to pull a character from. They don't usually care beyond that and for it we get Batman Begins and TDK. DC and WB have rarely understood that. Now Bruce Timm has lost his marbles and decided vignettes of stories are better than telling full blown great material. You see, the fear isn't making Batman fit the League, but some idiot deciding to make the League fit around him.

VaderFan · 02-09-2010, 09:10 PM

And I would share that fear if Green Lantern weren't in good hands. GL's the opening salvo in the new era. He will set the standard, assuming the film makes bank. It's up to modern audiences to want something different, and hopefully to want something heroic for a change.

CyLeader · 02-09-2010, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Adam

That's my exact point. It isn't had to understand and yet they mess it up consistently because most execs and directors think that source material is just something to pull a character from. They don't usually care beyond that and for it we get Batman Begins and TDK. DC and WB have rarely understood that. Now Bruce Timm has lost his marbles and decided vignettes of stories are better than telling full blown great material. You see, the fear isn't making Batman fit the League, but some idiot deciding to make the League fit around him.

My money is on DC/WB trying to make the League fit Watchmen. Look out we might gets lots of scenes of a large green Martian Manhunter Penis dangling around.

Black Adam · 02-10-2010, 07:51 AM

lol Ya know, I wouldn't put it past somebody to have thought of that.

My concern has always been cop out from the film company that want to appeal to a mass audience that doesn't know any better. They do it all the time, they like interfering when things aren't broke. I give you the Spider-Man flicks (although after reading some of the stuff Raimi wanted to do with 4, I'm glad he left when he did...ugh..), Sony wouldn't leave well enough alone. It's just the way it goes. I dunno, I guess my skeptism on such thing comes from years of bad flicks. Even the Marvel movies don't guarantee to put me in a seat. I wish I'd seen Ghost Rider on the big screen, but then I'm one of very few that like it, or Daredevil for that matter. Hulk didn't do it for me, I won't even discuss Blade or Fantastic Four. Iron Man I should've gone to see, but worry kept me out of the theater, because it sounded too good to be true. Stupid me on that one... Hulk and Incredible Hulk I waited on too. I liked the latter, but I'm glad I waited till DVD for it. I wanted Hulk a lot more savage and a great deal stronger, but in all it still had a superior story and acting over the first. I won't sit through Hulk ever again, you couldn't pay me to sit through it again. It's too painful. Now I hear about Cap, and I've got big reservations on that one. They know what they should be doing, but are they going to do it? I'm reading some scary stuff on that.

All boiled down, I got plenty to be reserved about on this stuff. Even those that seem to get it right, won't leave well enough alone.

VaderFan · 02-10-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyLeader

My money is on DC/WB trying to make the League fit Watchmen. Look out we might gets lots of scenes of a large green Martian Manhunter Penis dangling around.

I would fear this myself, except that Watchmen underperformed at the box office. There was recent talk about Watchmen 2, but it got shot down for the same reason.

Many of the movies Black Adam listed are licensed to Fox and up for reboot for just that reason. They underperformed, and Fox wants their own money machine. Once Marvel finds a way to bring all of its properties back under one umbrella, I think we'll see the Iron Man / Avengers model being used for all of it. WB knows what it's got, and it's not afraid to unleash it. My biggest fear in all of it is that the Brainiac they unleash will be Geoff Johns. Then again, at least it'd be cohesive, and I doubt he'd have problems bringing things down to basics again.

VaderFan · 02-10-2010, 07:41 PM

I stand corrected. WB is run by money-grubbing, visionless morons. Why they waited so long is anyone's guess, but there is it.

http://io9.com/5468335/chris-nolans-...film-confirmed