Comic book writer Mark Millar is looking to re-revitalize the Superman franchise with an eight-hour, three picture saga, to be released in consecutive years ala Lord of the Rings. Speaking with Empire, Millar said that he wants to take Superman from the Kryptonian cradle 1,000 years ago to being the last man on a red-sunned Earth. Millar’s planned story would completely restart everything, eschewing Richard Donner’s storyline, which was continued after nearly 20 years by Bryan Singer in 2006’s underperforming Superman Returns. He remarks, “It’s gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather
films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts,
how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him. The Dark
Knight showed you can take a comic book property and make a serious
film, and I think the studios are ready to listen to bigger ideas now.”
Millar, who’s been busy of late with Wanted and now the upcoming Kick-Ass, has reportedly been working with a well-known director, but he’s not saying whom. He also adds that “The problem with Superman Returns was like releasing Star Wars in ’77, The Empire Strikes Back in ’80 and then waiting 28 years to release Return of the Jedi,
it wasn’t relevant. I understand what Bryan Singer was trying to do, to
pay homage to Richard Donner’s original vision, but I think you should
pay homage by doing something completely different.”
I can get behind this idea and I can’t. For one thing, if there’s any epic figure in literature that can sustain this kind of treatment, it’s The Big Guy. But if Warner were to subscribe to this plan, then that would probably mean that we’d be looking at a five to ten year wait to get it to the screen and afterwards, if Millar takes it all the way to Superman being the Last Son of Planet Earth, then the franchise would invariably need re-re-rebooting when the next version would come to the screen afterwards. However the next incarnation of the Man of Steel comes to theatres, as long as Supermoppet isn’t part of the equation, I’m open-minded.
Thanks to Joey for the tip.
22 comments
Mark Millar's been talking out of his ass about this since god knows when. And I will continue to not believe it until there's an actual film playing in front of me.
Everyone seems to think that the way to redo or reboot Superman is to go bigger, and I couldn't agree less. They need to tone it down with him. Make a smaller movie (preferably set in the 30's or 40's) and scale back Supes' powers to what they were originally. I think it should hurt when he gets shot, even though bullets can't actually pierce his skin (a bullet in the eyeball should blind him temporarily or something, for shit's sake). And he shouldn't fly — he should be "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". I've said it before and I'll say it again: adapt Tom De Haven's "It's Superman!". That's the ticket right there. Let's just calm down with all this high-concept silliness and make a nice, sweet, simple Superman adventure movie.
To direct a Superman movie, Warner should look for people like Brad Bird or Genndy Tartakovsky… I'm quite convinced that the future of superheroes movies will come from the director of animated films… People who know how to tell a story with a minimum of dialogue and unique, stylised and entertaining visuals.
Superman lives forever essentially only 'protecting' our lives from misfortune, but can do nothing to save us from our ultimate fate of death. Even with his unlimited powers, he can only do so much. That sounds like a juicy existential story. Superman must deal with our deaths the way we must deal with it: alone.
The only way this will satisfy audiences is if it awakens a new purpose in Superman, his True Purpose: as an Ark of life. Ending the saga with Supes gathering up all the DNA of earth's web of life, flying around the rocky debris gathering around a distant nascent star for as many revolutions as it takes to form a whole new planet and plant new life. The last shot is him hovering over the growing garden as a new sun rises on a new way of life.
Return of the jedi was released in 1983- 3years after Empire- if you are going to knock a franchise at least get your friggin facts right!
I'd be fine with this story, as long as they keep Brandon Routh, He's absolutely perfect for the role.
I seriously doubt anything like this will get past Warner Brothers, they don't move fast enough to get three movies made in a row. It's a good idea though.
Mark Millar talking online about what he'd do with "Superman" is like Thomas Jane dressing up as Jonah Hex and then leaking the photo.
I think Millar should use THE GODFATHER as an example of waiting too long. I love his idea though, but WB would never allow that ending. I kinda wish they would let Singer do his sequel though, I mean X2 was way better then X Men, so its obvious that he can make a great sequel. If they do let Singer continue his series, I say get rid of Kate Bossworth!
"For one thing, if there's any epic figure in literature that can sustain this kind of treatment, it's The Big Guy." – yes, in all of human literature, one of the only characters capable of truly sustaining a movie trilogy is fucking Superman.
Superman is a horrible character. Just stop making Superman movies.
Greatoz, you're an idiot. Read the article and learn to understand metaphor before rushing to criticize an article(see, the talkbacks work both ways)
I say give it to M. Night. His movie unbreakable transformed the superhero genre more than anyone will give him credit for. Finally a superhero movie for a more mature audience. It's what Singer was trying to do, somehow find the balance between the childish stuff and mature themes, and it's what Nolan supposedly succeeded with (though both begins and the Dark knight are held back by how ridiculous batman is). WRONG. What both men did was the equivalent of making a movie about Barney being murdered and raped. I'm sick of this trend to take kids characters and make them violent and dark to somehow make them more mature. Stop it. Work within their level the same way Bruce timm did and just make smart stories. Now do it.
Greatoz, you are truly a reminder that the talkbacks will always be populated with angry douchenozzle nerdlingers who can't read. Kudos!
I think Superman: For All Seasons would be good to adapt.
I think Routh is a great Supes. And I think right now Singer has ALL THE REASON to make Superman movie that finally wows us again, and do so on its own terms this time. I want Singer to have it again because on the first movie, it felt almost like the film was blessed to have him. Now, like X2, he has something to prove. He has a fuckin lot to prove.
The idea of the begining to his final days sounds depressing as hell. Gee honey let's pay for a babysitter, parking, popcorn and movie tickets so we can watch Superman be the last man on Earth.
Like you need to explain the origin. It should now be the law that you can no tell Superman's origin. Just go and show him doing Superman things. No angst or feeling alone about being an alien. Stop with the morose emo Superman. It's the answer to everything nowadays. How about a PG movie for kids that is friendly to all ages.
Screw it. At this point they should make a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie so that everything can start new.
You know what would make a good Superman movie? Leave behind all the boring Kryptonian mythology and ditch Lex Luther who can't be translated onto film without coming off like a parody, and go with just a nice straight forward story. I'd love to see a villian like Conduit or something else a little fresher make the scene. And I think they should get back to the idea that what makes Superman vulnerable doesn't have to be a glowing rock, but that while he's a steel wall, everyone around him can easily be snuffed out. Because that angle of being powerless is part of what makes him great.
The problem is that Dc has crappy villians and hero's alike…
Superman is a boring character, a true boyscout…not a flaw in sight.
He is also the most powerfull being on earth, no human threat can stop him.
Which makes Luthor, Batman, Robin, Toymaker and all other hero/villian human characters useless.
These comics were written in a time when comics were for kids and kids only…make them for kids today by today's top animators ( Brad Bird I say).
Make a Superman like the animated series, not too silly and not to serieus.
Can't they just make a Superman movie that is fun to watch? It doesn't need to be an epic trilogy, just get it out there in a way that people can enjoy.
Just adding to the Greatoz hate – my god, what a total fuckstick.
My apologies to all about my comments– I went back and took another look at the article and you all were right…I was too impulsive- I get the point now
BAH MAH COMEX
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