Aug 22, 2008 02:00 PM
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Now that Batman has taught Warner Brothers how to make a modern superhero movie, it's time for the the man of steel to step up and deliver the goods. Warners announced that it's pooling all its Bat-money into one big Superman tent-pole production. And yes, the movie will be a reboot, not a continuation of Bryan Singer's Super-meh film. Click through for more details on who's going to direct, what'll happen to Superman, and Deepak Chopra's movie pitch.
Passing on the idea of a multiple hero storyline like Superman/Batman or Justice League for now, the WB is focusing its efforts on just making a successful Superman movie.
Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov told the Wall Street Journal that the Superman movie the WB is envisioning will be cut from the same dark and gritty cape as Dark Knight. He wants to explore the darker recesses of Superman's soul explaining that "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it."
Warners is finally that the lackluster Superman Returns was a huge disappointment. And recognizing the problem is just the first step: Studio execs told Variety they may start the script over from scratch with Superman: Man of Steel. But as of right now there are no writers attached to the script. Also director Bryan Singer (X-Men and X2) is still "attached" to the project but the execs are more than happy to let him loose if he doesn't follow the direction the studio wants the movie to go. If I was him I'd leave artistic differences behind (if there are any) and go with the gobs of money they want to invest in this project, especially if they're OK with a darker Superman.
Deepak Chopra agrees, and encourages everyone to update their superheroes. It's not enough that their gadgetry awe inspiring, they need to deal with issues that the people care about, in order to make the people care about them. Plus a lot of their powers need an upgrade, flying around and super strength just ain't cuttin' it anymore.
But just as we evolve, so must our superheroes, he said. “We need to create a new mythology for our superheroes,” Chopra tells MTV Splash, “because they’re not parochial anymore. They’re cross-cultural. We’re in dire need of mythologies that go to the next level of consciousness.”
What does Chopra mean exactly? "He [Batman] needs to go to Darfur, or Somalia. Superman needs to have more paranormal abilities – like precognition, telepathy, the ability to see past lifetimes.”
With more DC Comics films on the way, it looks like a boom in superhero movie madness over at WB, and it looks like they're attempting to deliver goods that actually appease fans and make money.
The studio is set to announce its plans for future DC movies in the next month. For now, though, it is focused on releasing four comic-book films in the next three years, including a third Batman film, a new film reintroducing Superman, and two movies focusing on other DC Comics characters. Movies featuring Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are all in active development.
Now if only Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman script can be rescued from development oblivion...
[Variety, Wall Street Journal and MTV Splash]
Send an email to Meredith, the author of this post, at meredith@io9.com.
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