We talked to Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, and Anita Briem at the Wrath of Con Comic Con fiesta and they had a few things to say about their favorite undead buddies in Dead Of Night.

Sam Huntington (Marcus)

What's different about him [Marcus] in the movie?

Yeah, I mean, there's literally no similarity. The only thing that's similar is that they're both the comic relief. In the comic, Marcus is literally Groucho Marx, or an actor that played Groucho Marx and he got kind of stuck in that character. In the movie, he's this 25-year-old guy trying to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life.

So what's been your favorite supernatural creature to deal with in filming?

Zombies. I think it's a really original take on zombie in this movie. I think it's unlike anything you've ever seen before.

Why?

Because they're just normal people, it's like they've died, but they're just trying to live their own lives. It's not like they're walking around like Frankenstein, mindless, they're actual people ... but they decay. It's really interesting, I think you're really gonna like it - I don't want to divulge too much.

How truthful is it to the comic? The car is there, the clothes are there ...

There's a lot. It pays plenty of homage to the comic. And a lot of things have been updated, but ... I think fans of the comic are really going to like it.

Anita Briem (Elizabeth)

Well I play Elizabeth. Elizabeth is like this feisty, young girl who comes and tracks down Dylan Dog, who is the detective of the Underworld, and drags him back into the Underworld. He's been out of it, he's like, 'I'm sick of dealing with those vampires and zombies and werewolves.'

The really fun thing about it is that it's really a movie about all of the people of different cultures and different worlds, but a lot of them are just trying to get along. The zombies are just trying to get on with their lives, you know what I mean?

So he's sick of them; he's gone out of the business. And so I drag him back in order to solve a mystery for me. So we have this very feisty relationship where he's kind of met his match in Elizabeth and they both have a foul temper but share beliefs on that there should be some rules that the Underworld has to abide by. And obviously not everybody agrees with that.

What are some of the rules people should abide by in the Underworld?

That people should not kill each other. Well, you know, it's hard because the vampires have their own thing. The vampires obviously only live at night. The zombies, they have to constantly maintain themselves because they are deteriorating every second of the day.

So ... they have like a Gap for zombies where they can buy new skin and new eyeballs and so you get to see a little bit of the vanity of the zombies. The zombies are very cool. And the zombies are actually, probably the sweetest kind of the Underworld.

Brandon Routh (Dylan Dog)

What can we expect to see as a tribute to the original work?

Yes, you can expect to see the bug. You can expect to see Dylan in his routine customary outfit, all the way down to the clarks. Maybe people will have a problem with the color of the shirt, the color of the jeans. But it's all there. I think Dylan himself is staying very close to how I perceive the character to be, an ... well, not an anti-hero but he's a begrudging hero, much like Han Solo and Indiana Jones.

What's your favorite supernatural being?

The zombies, because we show really clearly how they exist in the world. Like Men In Black, we see how the aliens lived amongst us. Here we see how the zombies, the werewolves and vampires as well, but we see more how the zombies co-habitat with us, we just don't know that they exist.

So what do they do with their "lives"?

They're like the people who work at the DMV, who pick up the trash probably - the jobs that we don't generally want to do.

Dead Of Night will be in theaters sometime in 2009.

Video and additional reporting by Caitlin Petrakovitz.

You have to admit, Routh looks strikingly like his comic book counterpart, but will he be as smooth with the ladies? It should be interesting to see how they bring this supernatural world together, especially with Taye Diggs as Varags, the leader of the vampires. These first looks come from Chud, Shock Til You Drop, IESB and Sci Fi Wire, many who just got back from a set visit in New Orleans. Click on the pictures for bigger shots.

Marcus, Rouths undead sidekick played by Sam Huntington.

Ashok Amritraj and Patrick Aiello paused for a moment while doing press for their upcoming picture Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, to talk about their up-and-coming projects, including Dead Of Night, starring Brandon Routh as Dylan Dog.

Ashok Amritraj: We have a movie called Dead of Night which starts shooting in April with Brandon Routh. Kevin Munroe, who did Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is directing it. That shoots in New Orleans.

Patrick Aiello: Brandon's character is like a Jack Gittes from Chinatown, who's a detective, a private investigator for the underworld, in the sense that he is investigating werewolves, zombies and vampires. In the spirit of Lost Boys, so we're not confused.

Ashok Amritraj: It's a best selling comic book from Italy called Dylan Dog. It's very, very popular. Platinum Comics are our partners on it.

Any other cast?

Ashok Amritraj: Not yet, not yet. We're just casting.

How close visually are you going?

Ashok Amritraj: We're going to be pretty, pretty close. It's going to have that look to it.

The famous suit?

Ashok Amritraj: Yeah.

Patrick Aiello: And car.

Well that's promising, I'm not sure how this will translate but I'm optimistic with the New Orleans shooting. Do you guys think Routh can step in for Dog, and do we trust him after Superman?

Okay, we won't boast too much that Donner was just saying something that we said a couple of months ago when he suggested that Johns be given the keys to the franchise earlier this week:

I'd like to see Geoff Johns take a crack at Superman...I think he would be startling. Did you read his comics? There it is. It's there on paper... The studio hasn't gone to him and said, 'Give us a screenplay.' That would be the smart thing to do, but that's show biz. Right? Show biz, that's our life.

The reason for our lack of gloating? The fact that Johns is the most obvious choice to try and turn the Superman movies around. As a veteran of the comic industry, television industry and now moving into movies, Johns has also tackled the Man of Steel in comic book, animated (in Justice League Unlimited) and, with an episode of Smallville due to debut soon, television incarnations. He's demonstrated a love for the character, but also an ability to get to the heart of what makes the character - as well as his surroundings and supporting characters - work and translate that into enjoyable storytelling. Ignore Donner's links to Johns; in this case, he's literally just stating the obvious.

As to what Johns would do with the franchise if he were in charge, he's keeping that to himself. Well, apart from letting slip at the San Diego Comic-Con that he'd want to see Brainiac in a future movie if possible... Although, if Kevin Spacey is to be believed, we'd be much more likely to see yet another Superman/Luthor clash in the next go-around.
In fact, Spacey's belief that he'd be involved in any future Superman movie is half of one of the more interesting wrinkles in all the talk about a Superman Movie Reboot coming at some point. Namely, if they're trying to reboot the entire franchise, why are they keeping the cast of Superman Returns around? It's not just Spacey; according to Latino Review's speedy conversation with DC Comics' Paul Levitz, Superman himself, Brandon Routh is still involved in any future Superman movie - A fact surprising to anyone who didn't see how well he managed the role in Bryan Singer's otherwise uneven 2006 movie. Does the presence of Spacey and Routh mean that Singer's supposedly "Wrath of Khan"-esque sequel to Superman Returns is more alive than most people think, or simply that Warners don't want to have to go through the messy casting process again?

Levitz perhaps offered the most honest, and perceptive, take on where the movie's progress really stands:

Everyone is waiting for Nolan to sign on for another Batman, once that happens, the release date for Superman and all other future projects will follow.

Given the success of The Dark Knight, it only makes sense for Warners to try and base their superhero strategy around another installment of the series - but we must admit, we're hoping that they'll come to their senses and see any future Superman movie as brighter, optimistic counterprogramming to Christopher Nolan's increasingly-dark and depressing Batmovies instead of trying to explore the darker recesses of a Kryptonian's soul.

Neither Spacey nor producers commented on the project in the piece, though it’s debatable whether Spacey still demands a sizeable salary by A-list standards, given his lower profile of late. Regardless, the actor did turn out a potent performance in the last Supes movie, and it looks like he may very well face off once more against embattled, where-is-he-now lead Brandon Routh — who mentioned he’d be stepping up his work-out regime while Dan Harris, Mike Dougherty, and Superman Returns director Bryan Singer script what the latter promises to be certifiably action-packed.

But does Warners know what they want? One exec declared, “It might be better to start from scratch.” Meanwhile, Rabinov ominously noted that all the company’s spandex adventures will “try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it.” Fans, in turn, summarily freaked out, citing how Singer’s dark, thinky Superman Returns — though a noble endeavor exploring the doldrums of an alienated alien — was a bit of a bummer. (It’s worth noting that despite its reported runaway budget of $270 million, the movie’s worldwide gross reached nearly $400 million, so it wasn’t exactly a bust.)

The participation of Singer, meanwhile, has itself been thrown into question after he sidelined Man of Steel to helm the Tom Cruise-starring Hitler-assassination thriller Valkyrie. Compounding this vaguery: Wanted and Kick-Ass comics scribe has claimed he’s been in talks with an unnamed director to drum up a new Man of Steel pitch, in the event that Singer drops or gets forced out. Depending on whom you listen to, Valkyrie — which has been entwined in a notoriously messy production process — could ultimately vindicate Singer and vault him back into Oscar-ville, which can only perk Warners' interest. So as Valkyrie’s December release approaches, we’re eager to see how all this real-life drama will play out.