If just one good thing comes out of last month’s Warner Bros.-DC Comics summit, I hope it’s a reboot of the Superman movie franchise based on All-Star Superman.
Oh, you haven’t heard? Grant Morrison is among the writers who’ve pitched the studio an approach that pretends Superman Returns never happened.
“I told them, it’s not that bad,” Morrison tells MTV’s Splash Page. “Just treat Superman Returns as the Ang Lee Hulk.”
Morrison’s idea is a more “tight and concise” take on his All-Star Superman series, which deals with the Man of Steel’s mortality.
The Splash Page article, in which writers Mark Waid, Brad Meltzer and Morrison are asked how they’d revitalize the franchise, also reveals that Geoff Johns has pitched a reboot to Warner Bros.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:39 am
It’s a fine idea (Grant’s All Star thing) but who would direct?
August 12th, 2008 at 10:41 am
YES!!!! That would rock! I am really excited to hear that this is a possible.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Ang Lee, of course.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Morrion’s take on Superman would be nearly note-perfect for a movie version. The base is there, just waiting for a director and actors to flesh it out. I think it really would come down to finding a director with a compatible vision, though.
But for the love of all that’s holy don’t let Brad Meltzer get near the movie. If he wants to show everyone how he “gets the character” now, let him have a run on the Superman book to show it. Morrison’s proven that he “gets” Superman, and (at least to me) Waid has also proven it with Birthright. Nothing I’ve seen from Meltzer shows any indication that he “gets” Superman at all. If he’s had a dramatic epiphany since his turn on Justice League, then let him try it out with a cheaper comic book example before turning his hand towards a reboot of the movie franchise.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I’m more interested in Mark Millar’s idea.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am
@Richard Pachter In an ideal world, David Lynch.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:23 am
“If he wants to show everyone how he “gets the character” now, let him have a run on the Superman book to show it.”
Let’s not, please. I don’t think anyone needs to read seven issues of Terra Man raping Lois Lane. Except for Dan Didio, who seems to get off on that sort of thing.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Re: Director
Terry Gilliam.
Inevitable Re: Starring
Peter Gallagher, Joan Allen & Terry O’Quinn
August 12th, 2008 at 11:43 am
You could pretend Superman Returns is right there with Superman 3 and Superman 4 the Quest for Peace. Morrison’s run would be great for a movie. Clever, inventive and action oriented. Everything Superman returns was not. Plus ditch Routh. The movie needs a new Superman not just a watered down Christopher Reeves.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I’m saying Robert Zemeckis or Frank Darabont to direct.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Don’t knock Superman 3, Clint. It’s spot-on demonstration of salami slicing helped inspire the plot of Office Space.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Geez, now I’m going to have to go back and watch it to get that reference. It’s been a while. I’m sure it’s aged well.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
We have a winner: Zemeckis.
That would be just fine, especially after Contact, which holds up quite well for me.
As for the other suggestions, clever, but “commercial” needs to be part of the equation, too.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Zemeckis… Interesting!
Anyhow, in spite of its occasional weirdness, A-S Superman has been a lot of fun, and even the weirdness has made me go back and read each issue (several times) to figure out what I didn’t get the previous time. It would need to be a bit more accessible to those who’ve never read a comic, but the Silver Age fun written in a modern style (with today’s SFX) could make for an amazing film. At the very least, I would take back every negative thing I’ve said about Morrison’s current Batman run (Bat-Mite? Why?).
Hey, when the hell is A-S #12 finally coming out anyhow?
I’m also interested to know that Johns has pitched a reboot as well. I think that might have me even more excited than Morrison’s Superman on the big screen. Johns and Brubaker are really the two best guys writing comics today, IMO.
I also think Millar deserves a shot to pitch his reboot too. It can’t hurt to at least hear him out.
Actual comic writers, and generally pretty good ones, writing comic books movies. Who’d a thunk it? It’s about freakin’ time!
August 12th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
“Let’s not, please. I don’t think anyone needs to read seven issues of Terra Man raping Lois Lane. Except for Dan Didio, who seems to get off on that sort of thing.”
Huh, that makes me wonder more about Joe Q now since there’s been more rape at Marvel then at DC.