First off, thanks to AP for getting the news of WB's plan to reboot the Superman franchise up as soon as he did this weekend. I was away traveling for business, and wasn't able to access the site. Although I was able to access my email, and imagine my surprise when I logged into it on Friday Night in my crappy hotel room to see that I had almost 150 congratulatory emails in my account without a clue as to why?As for my thoughts on Singer's ouster, I don't think I really need to explain them, as most of you who've read this little blog with any regularity know where I stand on things. I also think most of us who weren't living in denial knew that this was just a matter of "when" as opposed to "if" ever since WB saw the lackluster public response to Singer's failed effort. I always wondered just how my initial reaction to the official news would go. Would I be ecstatic? over-joyed? urinate my pants? etc. The truth is, it was none of the those. It was more along this lines of someone who knew something they wanted was coming, and had the satisfied feeling of seeing something they believed in come to fruition. Sort of like acing a big exam that you studied your ass off for and knew you nailed it when you took it.
Now I'm not egotistical enough to believe that this blog was a deciding factor in WB's choice to reboot Superman. But I am confident in saying that I know we were seen and heard by some pretty important people. (and YES, even some who's name appears in the site's URL.) But that was never my purpose in starting this blog. I was just one fan who waited for a movie about a character he loved and was horrified to see what had been done to him. I wanted to pierce through all the fluff and BS spewed by the people in charge of this abomination, and show them for what they really were, even if it was initially unpopular to do. After that I just wanted to be a place where people who were of the same mindset could come together and express our views without the shackles of some Draconian web masters who were more interested in kissing the asses of the people making the films so they could get "favors" regardless of what they were actually doing to the characters they claimed to love. In all of those regards I think we succeeded.
And don't just congratulate me, congratulate yourselves. I merely provided the medium, you all stood up for something you believed in and called a spade a spade. You're all a testament to the character of Superman, who'd stand up and fight for something he believed in until he gave his last breath, even if it was initially unpopular.
Now, not to completely kill your buzz, but there is something that came out in the Wall Street Journal article that just ain't sitting well with me. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it now.
"Like the recent Batman sequel -- which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far -- Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well."Robinov, you STUPID BASTARD, you still don't get it, do you? Apparently you do get now finally that Singer's approach to Superman sucked. However, you obviously have not a fucking clue why. Please someone print this next part of the post out and stick it on this man's desk. Neigh, staple this fucking post to his forehead.
Superman Returns didn't fail because it wasn't dark enough. Hell, it was plenty "dark" and "emo." It failed because Singer didn't have a fucking clue about who Superman is and what makes him tick. One of the problems with his film in the first place was that it was too god damn dark because Superman is a character of light, and of hope. He's the inspiration to rise above the darkness that threatens to consume us all. He's us at our peak as humans, not us sinking to depths to deal with those even deeper. That's fucking Batman. THAT is why Nolan's films work; because he captures who the character is and flushes that out. That mindset doesn't work for every character. It's not some fucking magic formula that you can apply to Superman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and fucking Plastic Man. You need to boil those characters down to who they are and use that for the tone of the film. The Dark Knight didn't succeed because it found some magic formulaic approach that applies to all character's plotlines. It did however find the magic formula for developing comic properties: get a visionary director who respects the source material, update the character for a modern audience, and get a competent cast to portray the iconic characters. It's pretty god damn simple. How are you now missing this?
Needless to say we need to keep an eye on this, and just hope that Robinov was suffering from diarrhea of the mouth and speaking about details he doesn't understand. Otherwise, we could be looking at Tim Burton's Superman Lives all over again. Christ, apparently a hero's work is never done. It doesn't look like we're going anywhere soon here folks. Keep checking in for updates on what's next for Superman.
Forever Vigilant,
S.S.S.
27 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_-HtEy8a04
I had to post that video. I had to!
Anyway, you're right. There's still a lot that can go wrong for superman reborn or whatever they decide to call this one. I like that, Superman Reborn... However, I'm incline to take his words as meaning he'll adopt a more serious look at the character similar to nolan's approach to batman rather than what horrors we witnessed with kids tossing pianos and some dude shooting fucking superman in the face with a pistol. I don't know right now how this will all pan out but overall I'm glad they kicked singer to the curb. Hopefully the new guy can not just Nolanize superman, which we don't want, but bring him into the 21st century while retaining what makes him superman in the first place.
My concern here is though, we don't know for sure something else is coming soon. WB has played this damn game before with Superman. We all get excited, thinking we'll get a new movie and, then it goes nowhere. How many writers and directors were attached to Superman from the mid 90's, until Singerman came out, like 10 or more. This only happens if WB is fired up about a reboot. Singerman did a lot of damage and the new Hulk basically bombed at the BO. I hope that is not a factor here. Would be wonderful to get a reboot by 2011 or so. But it has to be done right this time.
S.S.S. said, "The Dark Knight didn't succeed because it found some magic formulaic approach that applies to all character's plotlines. It did however find the magic formula for developing comic properties: get a visionary director who respects the source material, update the character for a modern audience, and get a competent cast to portray the iconic characters. It's pretty god damn simple. How are you now missing this?"
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Amazing, isn't it? WB is, and always has been, the real enemy here. I wouldn't be surprised if the reason the Superman franchise has stalled this long is because of a power struggle between Horn and Robinov. It wouldn't be the first time.
They do NOT get it. Keep 'em on track.
27-16:47
I think there are reasons for cautious optimism. WB has looked around and seen what's succeeded at the box office. While TDK, Iron Man and Spider-Man might not have been 100% faithful to the letters of those respective comics, they were faithful to the spirit. You never doubted you were watching Batman, Iron Man or Spider-Man doing their thing.
There's no reason why that same approach can't work for Superman... and there's no reason to think Robinov's meaning was intended in quite the way it's been taken. Frankly, if we're looking at an origin film, a dark'ish Metropolis would allow Superman's heroism, goodness and hope to stand out even more and inspire the people of the city. Metropolis ain't Gotham City but it ain't Utopia either.
Who can direct it right now that is right for it? WB better not hire some inexperienced nobody like Marvel did with Hulk
You guys are dreaming. Singer is still signed for the sequel and he will be the first one they turn to. Singer is the one that will lead Superman into the future. For Man of Steel.............
Is coming in 2009!
Restart
Routh, Singer, Kate, and Kevin will all be back. I garrenty. Otherwise WB will have to wait 5-6 years before they get their act together. Hmmm a proven team or unknown. The choice is clear. Well I know you Americans are slow.
"Singerman did a lot of damage and the new Hulk basically bombed at the BO."
"WB better not hire some inexperienced nobody like Marvel did with Hulk"
The Incredible Hulk, even heavily edited as such, was STILL a QUALITY film along the same lines as IRON MAN, even IF it under-performed at the box office. It is Marvel Studios 2nd effort, after Iron Man, & was 'sorta' treated by Marvel as a companion film because of the Tony Stark cross-over. You'd have thought that cameo alone would've gotten people into the theater!
TIH was bashed online FOR MONTHS before it was released, because Marvel & Universal refused to release even a teaser trailer, pics of the Hulk, etc. BOTH stalled WAY too long. When they FINALLY released the teaser trailer, even IT wasn't complete, but due to all of the apologists' bashing, I guess the studio felt they HAD to do SOMETHING.
Well, even after all the trailers & such, it was STILL bashed by the apologists. To add insult to injury, much of the general public still had the bad taste of Ang Lee to dwell on. Even worse is how Marvel & Universal STILL failed to properly market the film, & thus distinguish it from the previous effort.
However, anyone I know IN REAL LIFE who has bothered to actually WATCH TIH have said they LIKED it & that it was A LOT better than the Ang Lee film, but some also chose to watch it online FOR FREE rather than support it at the cinema.
Ya know, the apologists like to rag on certain Marvel films as being collossal failures, even IF their B.O. was fairly respectable in relation to their budgets: both Fantastic 4 films, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, etc. Now ALL Marvel films are NOT masterpieces, but even those mentioned have their fun action elements & such & aren't NEARLY as bad as the apologists would have you believe.
Let me emphasize: TIH IS NOT on the same level as THESE films; it's DEFINITELY notches above in its' quality, story, even its' FX, & even though the American public didn't support it, its' international gross has caused it to EXCEED its' budget.
Oh, a reminder to the apologists. That's the same reasoning THEY use to try & justify the 'success' of Singerman.
"And it made more than Begins!" ;)
S.S.S.
I only just discovered this site about a week ago, and was pleasantly surprised to see that so many Superman fans felt the way I do about Singer's crap-fest of a movie. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading up on past posts and will check back regularly for updates. In the meantime, congrats to you and your team for all your efforts. This is a happy day indeed.
My god man every word I wanted to utter after hearing the news was said in the post here!
Amazing way to put it man, and boy were you dead on!
They still don't fucking get it! It's amazing it's seriously starting to sound like the WB are ran by total dickheads who have no clue about what these characters ARE!
Nolan lets be honest GETS IT! He understands who Bruce Wayne is, and WHY he has to do what he does, and he gets the darkness in the character but SUPERMAN is not BATMAN he is the yin to BATMAN'S yang!
The only thing that should be DARK, and SCARY in the Superman movie is the bad guys! Give us a kick ass Darkseid badguy or a kick ass Lobo or a Doomsday for his to fight, and make him very scary!
But Superman should inspire hope, truth, love, justice, and yes THE FUCKING AMERICAN WAY!
I'm not from the USA originally I was born in Cuba but I have been here my whole life. (Yes I came in 1980 on the banana boat)
I became an instant fan of Superman when I saw Superman 3, and I then went back, and saw part 1 and 2, and to me I was captured from that moment, and then I started collecting the comics, and growing up I always tried to be like how Clark/Superman is in my own life!
The character touched me in that sense that it inspired me to do good! I simply adore this character for the reason that it's a character based on a person who has nothing but these SUPER human powers, and he could easily this planet but doesn't because it's not the right thing for him to do.
His love for humanity makes him become the protector of our planet instead of the slave owner!
He is based on pure love, and while you can go very dark with his enemies it would be a sin to do this to THE MAN OF STEEL!
Superman is to good for that, and he deserves a movie that can really show him for what he is.
I really agree with how these guys put it a few days back..
[I so wanted that movie to work,” said Mark Waid, “but every choice they made in that movie was wrong. If you’re making the movie in a vacuum, and there will be no other Superman movies ever again, go ahead and give him a son. But otherwise, that’s a staggeringly awful idea. What are you going to do next? Either the kid has to be a part of his life, or get superpowers, which no one wants to see. I want to go to them and say, ‘What were you thinking?’”
“The idea was to make an American Christ figure, but what they centered on was his weakness,” Morrison said. “They made him more a lamb of God, rather than give us a real powerful Superman. They had too many scenes where he’s being kicked to the floor, and that’s not Superman. Superman would get up and fight.”
So these comics book writers are getting up and fighting too. Both Morrison and Geoff Johns have pitched the film studio on how to reboot Superman — properly reboot him, as if “Superman Returns” didn’t even happen.
“I told them, it’s not that bad,” Morrison said. “Just treat ‘Superman Returns’ as the Ang Lee ‘Hulk.’”
“‘The Hulk’ has proven the audience will forgive you and let you redo the franchise,” Waid said. “You can reboot from scratch.”
Morrison’s idea was a more “tight and concise” take on his “All-Star Superman,” so you’d see Superman address his mortality. And Waid suggests they take a look at his hard reboot, “Superman: Birthright.” But Brad Meltzer also has an idea that could work as the basis for the character, based on research for his upcoming “Book of Lies.”
“Superman is a character more recognizable than Abraham Lincoln or Mickey Mouse,” Meltzer said. “But no one knows crap about Mickey Mouse. He’s a symbol. Understanding a soul is much harder. So don’t treat him like a walking American flag.”
To understand Superman, Meltzer says, you have to know why Superman was created in the first place — because a young Jerry Siegel’s father was shot and killed in 1932 (a fact first uncovered by Gerard Jones in “Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book”).
“Superman was created not because America is the greatest country on earth, not because Moses came to save us from Krypton, but because a little boy lost his father,” Meltzer said. “In his first appearances, he couldn’t fly. He didn’t have X-ray vision. He was only bulletproof. So Superman’s not a character built out of strength, but out of loss.”
“When you hear that, it puts on a whole new spin on Superman and his origins,” Waid said. “The understanding was that Batman was born out of traged and Superman out of hope and aspiration, and it turns out that it’s about not wanting to lose your loved ones. That’s critical, and it means that we can connect with him. He’s not an untouchable character. Bad things still happen to him. His father passes away, and his powers can’t save him.”
And even if Superman still seems like too much of a Boy Scout, we’re supposed to be identifying with Clark Kent anyway. “Everybody knows what it’s like to see the pretty girl and think, ‘If only she could see me for who I really was,’” Waid said. “Past the glasses and acne or whatever. But he has to hide, and half his co-workers don’t even know his name. That’s a critical part, too.”
“It is so much deeper than, ‘He’s an alien with superpowers,’” Meltzer said. “I never wanted to write a Superman movie before, but I do now. I understand what Superman is now.”]
Like I said SUPERMAN is a character who has NOTHING because he lost everything before he was even a man! He grew up in a world that he could never really fit in.
He had to hide who he was to protect his only friends, and people who cared for him.
But with all the negatives he had he chose to become a protector, and help humanity, and not enslave it! He Stood for Truth! Justice, and the motherfucking AMERICAN WAY!
To play him any other way is a sin to his character, and a slap in the face to the fans like myself who like Superman love this country! Love this world! Even if this is my adopted country, and not my birth place.
I get the character! It's just a shame the WB doesn't have me working for them! heh
But the biggest shame is that they don't seem to have a single person on their entire company running the movie department that gets him!
But those boys over on TV sure get him, and the creators of the show are now off the show, and could pen a nice script for you to bring him to the big screen using THIS generations SUPERMAN Tom Welling who lets face it is the overall favorite HANDS down by the fans.
They don't need to re tell the origin in this story because well 8 full seasons have now passed on the show or 9 or whatever! So no need to go back to Smallville on the big screen, and show that!
Let the people buy the seasons on dvd, and check out Superman's early years after the movies out.
But since the show has not shown the actual sending of the baby from Krypton this is a way you can start the movie!
Show that whole scene in the start, and give it a real epic feel to why Krypton is being destroyed! With today's cgi this could be an amazing way to kick of the story.
You could use Darkseid as the main badguy if you like while having LEX in the movie if you want but since Michael did leave the show no need to rush LEX back to the movie scene! You can have him be like the president in the background and maybe have only like 2 scenes so the rest of the movie is all Darkseid, and superman!
After the Krypton opening I would start off with the text "30 years later" and we see a reporter talking for the white house, and we see Clark & Lois acting like actual reporters, and not what Singer made them to be! Fucking order takers.
Notice they really don't do any real reporting work in the movie SR.
But you could have the movies action start up right away AND you can have Darkseid tie into the destruction of Krypton which would explain why they would show Krypton in the start, and since the movie kicks right into the story they could give us the fans exactly what we want!
SUPERMAN ACTUALLY FIGHTING SOMEONE!
I mean I know Kryptonite kills him! I get it! But come on he's SUPERMAN! He got his ass kicked in SR, and he never threw a single punch!!!! Oh, and him lifting heavy things is NOT ACTION!
That's one thing someone forgot to tell Singer I think because every "Action" scene includes him lifting something heavy! From the plane (The worst scene in the entire film!) to a car to a gloab on top of the Daily Planet!
He lifted so much that they should have called it "Superman lift's things" instead of "Superman Returns!" Also on a side note here.
Why is it that every time the WB has tried to make a movie with the title reflecting a returns or a statement that makes you think that this is going to be the mainstay face we see! Like BATMAN FOREVER! or SUPERMAN RETURNS! The movies end up sucking, and the actors end up getting recast?
hmmmm They should think about this... BATMAN BEGINS worked, and was nice but "The Dark Knight" really called out the fans!
The title means a lot it shows that hey it's something NEW!
I do like the title "The Man of Steel" for the new movie but maybe a title like "The Man from Krypton" could work also... heh.
In closing I want to say again that the post here was excellent! I agree with everything, and I hope the WB is reading this!
Hey WB! If your listening! CAST TOM WELLING, MAKE THIS A KICK ASS SUPERMAN MOVIE, AND GIVE US THE FANS WHAT WE ALL WANT!
THE SUPERMAN THAT STANDS FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY!
BE FUCKING PROUD OF YOUR GOD DAMN COUNTRY IF NOT WELL YOU WILL BURN IN HELL! LOL
Singer is a FAG and Superman Returns was gay.
http://themanfromkrypton.blogspot.com/
CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE I GAVE YOU GUYS PROPS FOR THE POST!
AND DROP A COMMENT PLEASE! LOL
"Singer is a FAG and Superman Returns was gay." haha tell us how you really feel about Mr Bryan Singer, and his Motion Picture!
Good work on your blog. You've put a lot into it.
Father Finian Egan
Thanks! :)
I am hoping at this point what he means by Dark refers less to Superman and more to (for the first time) a very real and serious villain who will rival those of TDK. Not making Superman into Batman, but making (insert Superman villain here) into Joker.
Everyone check out my blog right now, and sign my "Don't Bring back Bryan Singer & Brandon Routh to the next SUPERMAN project petition" here is the direct link to the petition but check out what I wrote on my blog just now about this.
Official Petition Link
http://www.petitiononline.com/RebootSM/petition.html
so you're petitioning them to do something they've already done???
Its also really bad form to try and hawk your blog on someone else's without getting their permission.
This "Reboot" will feature Singer and Routh. Why drop them? They are contracted for the sequel so I feel WB will roll them into.......wait for it..................
Man of Steel for 2009!
Restart
If WB uses Singer/Routh/Kate/Kevin they are garanteed at least 200 million domestic or try for a risky reboot that maybe no one will see? Even you stupid americans should know the answer.
You are so brain dead. It would have to be filming now to stand any chance of being out in 2009. But it isn't is it. There will be no singer sequel. Its a whole new film, whole new cast so do us a favor and fuck off. Your comments are getting beyond predictable and stupid much like you ya French twat!
I think they might as well promote Smallville from tv show to movie and maybe ignore a few things from the show, give it a more serious tone and similar to the star trek movies make it have the same cast but totally different atmosphere and of course bigger budget. I wouldn't mind it. Remember the first few seasons before things got stale, it seems plausible. Yeah, I know, boooo, hiss, smellville etc. Just an opinion, relax.
You know where Singer got the inspiration for the bullet in the eye scene? Well when Brandon Routh was auditioning for Singer, he decided to show him how he got the nickname "B.J.". Singer busted his nut right in Brandon's eye and Brandon didn't even flinch. Singer was so impressed by this he gave Brandon the part and wrote that scene for him.
that's what we called karma.
serve that egomania singer's right!
everyone will forget about SR now!!!
Ahhh, remember the days of REtard claiming he had "sources" in the entertainment industry? And me stating the Singerman HomoPage and SingerHomohype were NOT "sources"?
Yeah, we see who was RIGHT there, huh?
apologistpuncher said, "Ahhh, remember the days of REtard claiming he had "sources" in the entertainment industry? And me stating the Singerman HomoPage and SingerHomohype were NOT "sources"?"
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Come now. REstart is this blog's very own Emmanuel Goldstein, fueling the Two Minutes' Hate in every comment thread for every post.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Goldstein
08/19/08 27-16:47
08/14/08 21-16:54
swright, is THAT you?
Wow. Just wow.
I've never stumbled across a more venemous, hateful and self-important blog in my life.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and, of course, has the right to voice it. But to be so utterly mean-spirited about an actor and a director is just not called for.
Ridiculous.
Well, you've got what you wanted with a different director and team. A helmer known for lots of style, slow-mos and little heart, style or substance. Sucker-Punch was fantastic right enough.
Good luck getting the movie you wanted. You've asked for it.
Oh, and by the way, Donner loved Superman Returns.
You guys give fanboys a bad name.
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