SUPERMAN IS STUCK IN THE PHANTOM ZONE
- By Devin Faraci
- Published 11/30/2009
- News
This is one for the 'No Shit, Sherlock' files, but Anne Thompson has done some legwork on the whole 'Superman franchise is in suspended animation' thing we've all been talking about the last - I don't know, 2 years? - and shed a couple of new lights on the whole thing.According to Thompson it's the pending lawsuit between DC Comics and the Siegel and Shuster estates, who will be getting full copyright over all material from Action Comics #1 in 2013, that's stalled the return of the Man of Steel to your local cinema. Thompson says that Legendary Pictures is accepting pitches for the character while they wait for the legal business to clear up; later in the article, though, her sources do admit that Superman is just a tough character to make work in the modern age.
I'm surprised that the lawsuit is holding things up. Whatever happens in court, Warner Bros and DC Comics will continue to have Superman past 2013. They won't part with their flagship superhero, and the Siegel and Shuster families would be foolish to take their aspects of the Superman character to another publisher; there's already plenty of money being generated, and it's all a matter of figuring out how to spread it around. It would be a total blindside if the families walked away from Warner Bros with the Action Comics #1 copyrights, sundering the Superman character forever. It reminds me of the Watchmen lawsuit in that everybody knew there would be a settlement, it was just a question of when and how much. The same thing is going on here, and I'm shocked that Legendary is supposedly hedging their bets and cooling the franchise because of that. I bet there's a lot more The Incredible Hulk-itis (you can't reboot a franchise too soon or people don't go for it) than Thompson's sources wanted to admit.
via IndieWire
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Comment #1 (Posted by Buffaluffasaurus)
The thing that boggles my mind, especially after reading Jake Rossen's 'Superman vs. Hollywood', is the perpetual claim that Superman couldn't work as a film "in this modern age" as they keep on peddling. Honestly, it's not that fricken hard... they're overthinking it way too much. All they need is a coherent take on the character that is not mired in backstory or apologetics... hell, set it in the Golden '30s if you want! All it needs to do is set up the character and capture the spirit of the comics in the way the first two Spider-Man films did for their character. Throw in a reasonable villain with a rational plan (not something as retarded as KSpacey's), a couple of good set pieces, a moral dilemma, and a Lois Lane who is in no way winsome or dull, and hey presto! High-fives and hookers all round. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even like Superman...
Comment #2 (Posted by M.Constant)
Here's an idea, why not hire someone who writes these characters for a living to turn in a movie script? I'm sure Geoff Johns has some ideas.
Comment #3 (Posted by Caroline)
Buffaluffasaurus is right; Superman can work in the modern age and they are just bluffing. Methinks they don't want Superman to be made into a movie again? Or maybe it is too soon for another Superman movie to come out.
Either way, a Superman movie better fucking coming. Superman is an institution in America and to not do him justice, on screen at least, would be stupid and immoral. Really...
Comment #4 (Posted by Caroline)
Buffaluffasaurus is right; Superman can work in the modern age and they are just bluffing. Methinks they don't want Superman to be made into a movie again? Or maybe it is too soon for another Superman movie to come out.
Either way, a Superman movie better fucking coming. Superman is an institution in America and to not do him justice, on screen at least, would be stupid and immoral. Really...
Comment #5 (Posted by Prince Yoman)
I agree- they can take their time and why? Because 'Green Lantern' is coming up and then 'Batman 3' then 'The Flash' and while that's being prepped, they can think of another, whether it be Superman or Wonder Woman or Turquoise Man or a sequel to Green Lantern or Batman etc. etc.
And Superman is action/adventure/sci-fi and it's not like that shit's dying off. It's gaining popularity.
Comment #6 (Posted by Musicman247)
The best part of Superman Returns was seeing Superman zoom around the city saving people from disaster after disaster. The only problem was that it was way too short of a sequence. Heck, the peeping Supes sequence was longer than that sequence! Any Superman script writers out there need to listen up. We don't want a along drawn out drama where Supes has a kid and all the other crap that happened in Superman Returns. We don't want another Lex Luthor "land" plot. Give us the Lex Luthor from the comics, or even Smallville! Give us a movie where Lex is trying to kill Superman (always the plot in the comics), where Superman is pushed to try and save thousands of people all over the world, but he has no idea when or where it is going to happen. Show us his super speed! Superman being in danger is almost impossible, but putting others in danger is where the story should go and stay. Sorry, I'm ranting. Screenwriters should look to the comics for inspiration. Millions of people showed up opening night for New Moon. Was it because it was an original story no one had ever seen? No, it was because it was from a book that millions had read. Keep your original stories to yourself and use the stories that work!
Comment #7 (Posted by some cunt.)
Yeah, bring back Nuclear Man!!!
Comment #8 (Posted by Heathen)
When they get around to finally doing another I say the Coens or the Wachowski's could do it best. Also, take a note from Grant Morrison's ALL STAR SUPERMAN for the feeling this thing should have. And hell, use his opening five panel page to tell his origin that would take all of 10 seconds and then BOOM! - Superman is fighting a giant robot. Also, I'd leave Luthor as a supporting character until the second or third like TDK and IRON MAN have done. I'd like it if there were a few attempts made by Luthor to kill Superman each movie that Superman wasn't aware of, but the perhaps the audience was.
Comment #9 (Posted by Cheese Biscuits)
A period Superman Red Son movie is the only way I would be intrigued by a Superman movie. I cannot think of a single other Superman story that is remotely interesting. That or put him in the fifties, period. If he doesn't work in a modern age, stop trying to force it and just set him in the past, and make it a straight-forward adventure/action movie that's silly and fun. If they try to pull a Dark Knight and make Superman all grown up (or try to adapt All-Star Superman), then it's going to be a joke.
Unrelated side-note: for the Captain Marvel movie, they just need to adapt Jeff Smith's "Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil" and just make it a smart, funny kid's film. And "adult" version of Captain Marvel is as pointless as a monkey fucking a football.
Comment #10 (Posted by Brandon Finch)
To be honest I never found Superman from the comic all that interesting. The first two movies is what I remember. Paul Dini and Bruce Timm have done some awesome work. I personally was a fan of the Legion of Super Heroes take in the animated series.
I think no one wants to see Krypton blow up and the rocket land for the thousandth time. That is the problem. Every director and producer that handles the property is going to want to reinvent and put their own stamp on the project. Not for creative reasons but for licensing purposes. No one I thought had a problem with the suit or Brandon Routh it was just the fact the movie was boring and morose.
I think in the end it will take the same spark that Chris Nolan did with Batman. Batman Begins was not hyped to the moon. It was low key and drew great reviews and solid box office returns. Not the hype of 89. I think somewhere somebody can cut through the pollitics and deliever an exciting and intelligent and most of all fun Superman feature. It happened last summer with Star Trek.
