ZACK SNYDER WILL MAKE YOU BELIEVE THAT A MAN CAN FLY - Page 5

Don't think you can quantify that, but I do agree that Superman is at least as interesting as Batman.

hahaha ouch!

Tellingly, I was gonna include "Fortress of Solitude to be renamed Fortress of Existential Contemplation" before.

As someone who thought Watchmen's slavishness to detail brought the film down immensily, I was agreeing with you.

Yeah, I see where you were coming from, Ryan. It does make sense that Snyder could produce a better film, if free of a stifling core narrative/arc he feels he's gotta adhere to.

I was just focusing on the source material comment, because I'm no Supes expert, something I openly hold my hands up about.

Re. casting: in a perfect world, it'd be Hamm. And there is the fact that he just worked with Snyder on SUCKER PUNCH. But weighing up his age (even though he's only a few years older than Christian Bale), and his MAD MEN commitments against the franchise's desire for sequels, it's not looking like a sure thing.

So let's assume they're looking for someone in their late twenties/early thirties who nonetheless conveys a maturity and steadiness beyond their years. Also someone who's a capable enough actor to play both the mild-mannered Clark and the rock-solid Superman. Kinda narrows the field.

Now I know a lot of people regard him as one of WATCHMEN's weak links but I kinda liked Matthew Goode, and the range he's displayed in other roles makes me think he might be able to pull this off. Plus after a few weeks in the gym, he'd certainly look the part.

I've yet to see THE SOCIAL NETWORK but pics I've seen of Armie Hammer give me the impression he could be in the running (and the good reviews he's gotten for his performance don't hurt either).

I've also yet to watch the recently cancelled LONE STAR but what's the general take on James Wolk? I was hearing all manner of hype about 'the new Clooney'...and the poor guy could probably use a break right about now.

Someone I thought might be appropriate was Josh Duhamel, but I don't know if he could pull off the Clark/Superman differentiation.

And in other roles: Lois Lane - might be time to cast Rachel McAdams like they should have in SUPERMAN RETURNS, although I think Lizzy Caplan could have some of the same wryness that made Margot Kidder's portrayal so appealing. Lex Luthor (if he's in it) - Paul Giamatti's a possibility, with Billy Zane as a wild card.

And for Zod, I kinda dig the idea of Hamm as an urbane, arrogant general, although Gerard Butler as an alpha-male warrior does have its own particular charm. An inspired suggestion I read on another site was Joaquin Phoenix in GLADIATOR mode.

There is no source material other than the one they create. Its a brand new film with a brand new storyline. The reason this film is being made is because Goyer figured out some fresh new take on the character, so clearly they are not beholden to past comics or movies. I'm curious what this fresh take is.

I keep reading about Goyer's fresh new take, but I doubt it'll be something that wasn't done in one incarnation or another over the history of Superman comics.

They've done dark Superman; light; retro; contemporary; more alien-seeming; more 'human', even Zod as Superman in one graphic novel.

So yeah, I have a feeling Goyer's 'fresh new take' will be somewhat shrug-worthy.

Also, I like many others would love John Hamm as Superman, but considering that not only has filming not begun yet, but that Warners is aiming for a multi-film franchise, age has to be taken into consideration. Unless they want to re-cast by film #3, that is, because by then Hamm would be pushing Fifty.

Realistically, both Warner Bros. and Nolan will be looking for a younger guy in his twenties or early thirties whom they can sign relatively cheap to a multi year deal.

Or they go for a significantly older Supes.

God damn it I'm not even a fan of Joaquin, but he'd be a pretty great alpha-psycho Zod. He may be a bit young for the character tho - isn't Zods age meant to be closer to Jor-Els?

I also know it's crushingly obvious, but if Luthor did at least make an appearance in this installment, I'm surprised no ones tossed around Mark Strongs name yet.

As far as fan-wankery casting that's within the realms of possibility, I get the feeling that once again this will be a pool drawn solely from American actors (otherwise one Mr.Hardy would probably top my list - or maybe even Rupert Evans). I quite like the Armie Hammer suggestions and if he wasn't already Cap I'd have Chris Evans in a heartbeat. As it is tho, I'm actually going to throw my non-existent weight behind Zachary Levi...



He's about the exact right age for what they'll be looking for, the guy could nail the shit out of Clark Kent and actually give us a really decent upstanding, morally forthright Supes if he bulked up a tad.

Wolk was fantastic on Lone Star(Looking like a young Kyle Chandler, who would have been a great Superman 10 years ago) and would probably kill it as Superman. Duhamel is only a couple years younger than Hamm and dull as dirt.

I really like the idea of Levi. He'd be awesome.

McAdams for Lane is pretty good casting. She's young, popular, damn good looking, and has more talent than Bosworth.

Yeah but so does a block of cement.

I'd personally go for someone more along the lines of Emily Blunt

You know, while I love the idea of Hamm as Zod, this just occurred to me.

Neeson



But he was already R'as, so him being both a major Batman villain and Superman villain would set nerds' heads on fire.

Hamm's schedule for Mad Men is different than most TV shows, in that they shoot late spring/summer, finishing up when the season airs. So he'd have all of a fall, winter, and spring to do a Superman movie, potentially. Plus, I don't know how fast WB wants to get the ball rolling on this, but he does only have two more seasons left to the show. Conceivably, they could be in pre-production for a long time and shoot in the gap between seasons five and six, and then Hamm would be free of his contract/show would be over by season six.

Of course, this is in contrast to Levi, whose TV responsibilities will in all likelihood be up soon.

Kyle Chandler would make a ballin' Pa Kent, for the record.

Very nice.

Good idea, but she already rejected the Natasha role.

I'd argue Lois Lane has much greater cache in popular culture than Natasha Romanoff

I had this whole fanwank where they use the continuity/storyline where Ma and Pa Kent are still alive, and they're basically Mrs Coach and Coach Taylor, but I realized that that wouldn't work at all and it made me sad.

Emily Blunt as Lois Lane would be so great, with the caveat that she must play it exactly like her Devil Wears Prada character.

Superman is the one major superhero that needs to be played by a foreigner. If they want to make a statement about immigration, that's the way to do it.

Although I do love the Hamm idea. But as already mentioned, it won't happen because of an obviously planned franchise and the actor's young age that accompanies it. But Hamm would be a perfect one-off Superman set in The Golden Age.

I don't know about that. All I know is that every comic of his I've read was bad.

Touché.

I thought Fox had an option on her next role, which meant she had to make GULLIVER'S fucking TRAVELS rather than IRON MAN 2.

I do like the idea of Blunt as Lois Lane, though. But I like the idea of Emily Blunt in general.

And Kyle Chandler as Pa Kent? PLATINUM. Almost makes me want the origin story told all over again.

Red Son is one of the best Superman stories ever.

It's not the best Superman story. It is probably one of Millar's best stories though.

So if this is valid...does it hold any weight on how you guys see things?

Source: Vulture

If that's true then Warner Brothers are no better than fucking Fox - no better.

Unfortunately this seems to be the normal procedure with big budget films. Iron Man 1 & 2, Captain America, Pirates of the Caribbean-sequels and Wolf-Man come to mind. Each started shooting without a finished and locked script and was more or less rushed to meet a deadline. At least the studio has some kind of juridical reason for it this time.

I respectfully disagree. The difference here is that Warners has a legal clock ticking they need to beat but they will spend the money it takes to fix the script and support Snyder in any way they can to make the deadline. It's certainly not an ideal situation but they will make the best of it.

Fox hates movies and fucks filmmakers over as a matter of policy.

Not really, man. Even if it's not based on a specific run/book, it'll be based on some level on Superman as we all know him, because no-one's gonna poney up this kind of money to make Superman, But Not Superman (lest we forget being spared the giant spider bating/black suited, non-caped Supes.) "Fresh take" or not, it'll only go so far. Especially, with Goyer and Snyder involved.

Have to agree with all of this.

Niiice!

I truly doubt the reason a studio would prefer Snyder over Aranofsky because he's faster. Snyder has handled big budget spectacle and has had big success at the box-office. Aranofsky hasn't. Studios put more value in this than on artistic merit.

Concerning the script, isn't this how all big budget Hollywood films work? There's still a lot of time to work on it.

You're either completely missing the point or not understanding the argument . Snyder is not going to be hobbled by trying to create fidelity to a certain storyline, like people here have been accusing him of in Watchmen. Thats what were talking about. Whether or not the new take bears resemblence to a comic doesn't mean anything. Its a fresh adaptation of a character and universe, rather than a translation of a famous story. Theres wiggle room. Its no Watchmen situation.

I don't think so, since I understand the discussion completely. Seems to me like we just don't agree (which is fine.)

I never said Snyder was going to be "told" to do x or y story. I said I'd expect, given his filmography - a pretty unsurprising Superman outing. It certainly will be "fresh" in that it will be a new film, but I'll reserve judgment on how inventive it'll be in Snyder's hands.

Okay I see your point. I just think people are being unnecessarily hard on Snyder. The only movie where all the slo mo, speed ramping was truly a problem, atleast to me, was in 300. It was problematic because it didn't improve the fights, it actually ruined some amazing long takes that were well choreographed. The slo mo in Watchmen was pretty cool, like Drew Mcweeny said, its highlights or underlines an iconic shot.

Man. So far from my first choice but... guess I'll just hope for the best. I'm not going to wish for the moon and pray for less speed-ramping/Snyder visual trademarks (especially because those are his strongpoints).

However, I REALLY hope that Nolan can somehow guide him into putting some actual brains into the lovely visuals. Snyder frustrates me the most because his visuals are so interesting and well made, but what's inside the shell always leaves me so bored.

But most of all, PLEASE someone crack the fucking whip on Snyder's musical inclinations on this one. Superman doesn't need or deserve a bunch of intensely on-the-nose and painful pop-music, from the trailer all the way to the actual film.