Warner to "Reboot" Superman

[MrScorpio]

http://www.newsarama.com/film/080822-WBRebootSuperman.html

Confirmed: Warner Bros. Will Reboot Superman Film Franchise

By Kevin Melrose


Warner Bros. has confirmed long-running rumors that it will reboot the Superman movie franchise.

Jeff Robinov, Warner Bros. Pictures Group President, tells The Wall Street Journal that the Man of Steel will be reintroduced on the big screen without regard to 2006’s Superman Returns.

“Superman didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” Robinov says. “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.”

There’s no mention whether Superman Returns director Bryan Singer will be part of the reboot. Earlier this week, Variety’s Anne Thompson reported “that it is a priority at the studio to find the right direction and if Bryan Singer is willing to do that, fine, but if he gets in the way, he may not stay on the project.”

Taking a page from Marvel, Warner Bros. has reversed its earlier position of using the now-stalled Justice League of America as a launching pad for other DC properties. Instead, it will focus on solo features to build toward a multicharacter film.

“Along those lines, we have been developing every DC character that we own,” Robinov says.

That may sound less like a “strategy” and more like a mad cash-grab. Something else that might not sit right with some fans is Robinov’s determination to explore the darker side of super-heroes: “We’re going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it.”

[DarkTirade]

1. That's what they should have done last time.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. The newest craze in Hollywood: the reboot

I guess it worked for Batman, so now everybody wants to do it. They rebooted the Hulk what, three years after they had the first Hulk movie?

They're rebooting Star Trek now with the JJ Abrams movie.

People got tired of the remake, so now it's all about the reboot.

[MrScorpio]

3. I think that Casino Royale was a reboot too

If I'm right, that was Ian Fleming's first JB novel

[MicaelS]

8. Correct, this was the third production of Casino

One for American TV, the David Niven / Woody Allen version, and the latest which is very close to the novel.

Too bad about Superman, I wanted to see more of him interacting with his son. Oh well.

[Dr. Strange]

4. Somebody reboot Star Wars!

[Frank Cannon]

5. I'm sick to death of the "dark" superhero thing

Jesus Hernandez Christ, give it a break already. The more distance I put between myself and "The Dark Knight", the more I realize what a load of hogswallop it was, dressed up as something deep and important.

They're even making a "dark" movie of The Spirit. I guess there aren't enough old-timers around to remember what a goofy noir spoof that comic was. How dark could a character be when he interacts with people named Sand Saref, Carboy T. Gretch, and Cranfranz Quayle?

[El Pinko]

6. I'm with you on that one.

I don't mind them making things a bit grittier or having the characters face more real problems, but when I go see a superhero flick, I don't want the hero to just be a surly, gravelly-voiced asshole.

[Frank Cannon]

12. Sadly, I really liked "Batman Begins"

But I thought this last one took itself way, WAY too seriously.

On the other hand, I thought Iron Man was great. My wife liked it too, and it's unusual for her to like comic book films. It must have done something right.

[Sheets of Easter]

7. As long as they recast Lois Lane.

kate Bosworth was a terrible pick for Lois. She wasn't spunky enough for the role. Kevin Spacey was a great choice for Lex Luthor. Also, Brandon Routh did a good job.

Edit- and they really need to bring Doomsday or Brainiac to the big screen.

[Blue_Tires]

9. or Darkseid

i was kind of hoping for a wider-range justice league movie -- i know they have been kicking the idea around in studios, but sadly i think it is in flux right now

[MrScorpio]

10. You want a spunky Lois Lane? I got your spunky Lois Lane right here:

[Rob H.]

11. Agreed on the Lois Lane casting

It's almost as if they were trying to find the blandest actress possible, and boy did they ever succeed!

[deucemagnet]

13. I've never really been a fan of Superman, even when I was a kid.

I loved the Marvel heroes, but Superman always bored the hell out of me. Quite honestly, I think "Smallville" is the best thing ever done with the Superman mythos, but even that didn't hold my attention for long. :shrug: