All Things Superman: An Open Discussion

[GreenKToo]

Discuss what you want.
What director? which actor(s)? an origin or no origin.
Have at thee............

[KalMart]

Re-introducing a thread about re-introducing Superman. I like it!

[GreenKToo]

Lol, yeah. Since the other thread got closed because of its size I figure folks could discuss all the wants and gripes in here. A plus is maybe it will keep the other threads litter free, but that's not likely.

Anywho, I believe showy asked in the other thread if we knew the F&F screening consisted of more than just F&F. Yes, but I still think screening it for a roomfull of strangers would have been better. But, we'll never know so it doesnt matter now anyway..

[Webhead2006]

Well lets hope we can get some good discussions going and some new and interesting ideals. For me i still want a complete clean slate everything.

[bunk]

I want a completely clean slate as well. I would rather not see a "Superman Begins" type of movie though. That approach certainly has it's advantages, but I'm kind of done with the whole growing up Smallville, fish out water in Metropolis, new romance with Lois... thing.

Imo, it's time to movie things forward with Superman. I want to see an established Superman who's comfortable in his role and has a relationship with Metropolis. That means a Lois and Clark who are already commited, and have been for a while. It means a Lex who is a key figure in the world and is a major influence. We can still see some flashbacks to refresh certain origin plot points, and we'll still have the Kents also. I think this opens things up for some stories that people haven't seen yet and can get excited about. Also, I think it frees up the writers a little since they're writing a version of Superman who has some experience under his belt. It's easier to have the audience really hit the ground running like they did with TDK.

[The Democrat]

My basic thought for the movie is that ideally we'd start with Clark having just come to Metropolis. He has spent the last few years as a freelance journalist in various war zones and areas of economic strife and has quietly gained a reputation as the kind of journalist that both informs and adds insight and illumination to a story, you know like they used to do when journalist actually did their jobs. Since he's been in Metropolis a sort of urban legend of a blue and red guardian angel has been reported in various locales during natural disasters. He quickly swoops in saves some one or finds a way to stop the event and then swoops out. I'm thinking grainy, verite You Tube footage of a man catching a falling air liner or a red flash swooping in and grabbing a man in a hurricane. It's not yet on the radar of the big wigs at the Planet though it is discussed but with a sense of skepticism. Clark and Lois both have a sort of distrust of the major power broker in the city, Lex Luthor a billionaire tech mogul/industrialist who himself has a bit of a savior complex, thinking of himself as the most brilliant mind on the planet, a man who can solve any problem. There is a real rivalry between Lois and Clark, though Clark has been hopelessly smitten since first sight and realizes that though threatened by Clark, Lois will never give him thought romantically unless he proves himself at work, proves his mind is as sharp as hers. She views him as a backward hick, all Americana and no cosmopolitan class.

Clark got the job at the Daily Planet based on reporting he did about a vast high powered, high tech, mercenary group - ala Blackwater - known as Intergang contracted by a shady lobbyist group that appears, though inconclusively, to be a front for Lexcorp called Interglobe. While overseas Intergang seized the drug trade and large quadrants of the black market and has quietly established itself as the pre-eminent master of the shadow economy and the biggest consumers of illegal goods are of course Americans so naturally Intergang has been warring for control of the black trades in Metropolis erupting into gun battles on the streets and all sorts of high tech mayhem. The police are depressingly out manned and out gunned so Luthor offers to pay for escalation for a measly couple million. It's in the middle of a grand stand off -ala Heat but with Iron Man style tech - that Superman appears and is caught in broad daylight having no choice but to out himself to the world. He battles the leader of the mercenaries who again wear a robotic suit - like the Golden Age Metalo - and after being exposed to the Green K that powers the suit barely defeats him. Initial reactions to this seeming man of myth are mixed, the cynical prevailing feeling being fear as it typically is. Lois, having of course been there putting herself in danger as usual and being saved by Superman makes a public plea for an interview. It's granted and we learn that he has no idea why he has his powers only that he comes from another world. Leaving the origin to be revealed slowly and abruptly at another time hopefully dealing with Zod. The interview calms things down a bit but he is still seen as an other.

The mercenary leader - John Corben -, defeated by Superman, resting in traction and crippled for life is met at night by a Doctor Vale and Hiro Okamura who informs him that upgrades are available thanks to Intergangs amazing health insurance plan. He is given an advanced cybernetic body made from a near indestructable metal alloy called metallo and heart of Kryptonite as well as the ability to control and project his psyche into any and all smart mechanical objects.

Metallo does evil things including threating to unleash nuclear holocast etc etc. Superman stops him in epic fashion. Clark traces it back to Lex but can't prove it. Lois falls for Superman. Superman threatens Lex. Lex's eyes narrow. Cut to credits. Toss in various tid bits about the importance of Jonathan and Martha, bring Martha in at various parts. Good stuff. Good Stuff. I'll write the rest tomorrow or something. I lost track of time.

[Kal-El Fan]

Nice work, Democrat. I like it.

[what_19]

i liked birthright too

[The Democrat]

Originally Posted by what_19

i liked birthright too

I enjoyed Birthright and think elements of it should be in any movie they do but I also think there are important Golden, Silver and Modern age elements that should be added in.

[Kal-El Fan]

I liked a couple of parts of Birthright. Everything between Krypton's explosion, and Clark leaving for Metropolis were pretty good. The rest....not so much.

[what_19]

i'm just afraid that at this point unless supes deals with a foe that is at least his equal or more, then the movie falls flat. SR did a decent job of setting up a supervillian for the sequel, but we'll never see that. do we want to go through another ediorcre action film that doesnt get a sequel?

yes i AGREE that we need a new, definitive movie for our generation, but is it better to do a new origen and slowly build up to a supervillian, or just jump right into the action with a supervillian, shooting all our wads and then figuring ou t a sequel plan...every movie has to outdo each other and this is why any movie, let alone superman has to deal with the 3rd movie blues

[Kal-El Fan]

I think Metallo would count as a supervillain, the only downside I see to using him is that he's powered by Kryptonite, and how many times have we seen the whole Kryptonite thing?

[what_19]

that what i'm getting at..he some dude who basically has the big green K to win....i think people want to see destruction or at least something else to challenge him physically instead of just leveling the playing field with the big green K

[FaT_tONle]

Bah... thought we'd have at least a new development or even a quote from an exec/rep to open up the new thread. If the law suit doesn't get them fast tracking this thing I don't know what will.

[Webhead2006]

Some nice ideals the democrat. As for the whole origin stuff as i said even with clean slating and totally showing everyone that this is an all new take. I still would like to see origin used in some fashion be it flash backs or what not. I am sure they can figure out a good way to do it and not spend 40 mins explaining everything. I can see an establish for a short time supes or a clark just coming to the city and about to go public. Then we get pieces of his past of smallville and then learning at least of his planet name and why he got sent to earth.

As for villains i think the best villains to go with is metallo to have a good supervillain to fight with. And if you want to tie origin stuff and not have it taking up to much of the film use brainiac and either do what they did with him in STAS or maybe go the classic brainiac colu version and have him be a part of krypton's downfall.

[SuperDaniel]

Growing up scenes in Smallville are ESSENTIAL to the character because it lays the foundation and tells who he is as a person and why he does what he does. It was never explored right in the movies at all. Not IMO so it's something we've never seen. A Tornado scene and scenes with Lana, Pa Kent is all i ask. I don't really care if they don't show Krypton but Smallville is a must. People always complain Superman is too goody too shoes and always and the right depiction of the city he grew up(Not the bs we see on tv! We need something epic like Forrest Gump)and got his ideals will solve this problem and IS A MUST.

I don't want no mindless action. Superman can still be a fun and entertaining story with the origin and that is essential for the new movie, IMO.

-Start with a montage of baby kal-el being found in the credits.

-Move on 25 years or something later to his pre-Superman days, where he is using his powers in secrecy: Lets say he is in a middle of a War in the middle-east. Doesn't have to be some place real to avoid confusion but the meaning is still there. Call it Casnia as a nod to TAS. Lois & Jimmy are there covering the stuff too and discover someone in Metropolis is being selling technollogy to terrorists. Clark saves some inoccents in the crossfire and hears this. Now we have a motivation of why Clark would go there in the first place.

-Before he goes to city, he drops by Smallville to spend some time with his folks since he's been gone for a long time. Flashbacks to his childhood, tornado scene, goodbye to lana and all. Back to the present, he decides to step up, be known and use a costume to inspire people.

-Superman first appearence and the impact of the having a superpowered being in our lives. BANG! Non-linear storytellling and has action, is fun and exciting that satifies the fans and makes the audience want more, escalating the action in the movie.

-Throw in a supervillain, Brainiac or Metallo, we're set!

BRING ON THE SEQUEL!

[Webhead2006]

i said in the other thread you posted this man this is a good way to go, get some of his smallville past, and his ideals formed and then we get to metropolis and his public reveal within like first 25 mins.

[MikeE]

Great ideas, Democrat. I've always thought Metallo and Luthor were the way to go in a reboot film. I also have a secret desire to see Superman battle a 700 foot tall robot in the streets of Metropolis, and a Kryptonite-fueled/nuclear Metallo might be the way to see that happen.

Rather than have Clark start out as a journalist, it would be nice to see why Clark pursues a job in journalism in the first place. Why does he do that? I don't think that occupation would be intuitive to someone with his abilities. Maybe he's been tracking Intergang's movements around the globe in his pre-\S/ days and they take him to Metropolis. He discovers that a terrorist attack is being planned, and relying on his strength and powers, he tries to stop it but somehow loses them (perhaps a result of the advanced technology Intergang has access to). The next morning, he opens the front page of the Daily Planet to discover that Lois Lane managed to uncover the plot just in time. Determined to bring down Intergang, he gets a job at the Planet to meet Lois and figure out what she knows. He falls for her. Superman arrives and Lois falls in love with him. The rest of the movie happens. He stays at the Planet because he discovers the global resources available to him and his unrequited love for Lois.

[GreenKToo]

well, I see the sequel to hancock now has writers hired...

[Kal-El Fan]

Since we don't know what the status of Superman will be after 2013, if WB wants to get a Superman film into production by 2011, why not just end the franchise by adapting "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" It's a great story and can "officially" end the current Superman franchise (instead of the perceived end that SR is). They could even market it as the end, saying something like, "join Superman one last time as he battles his most fierce foes." You could recast the whole thing, or just use the existing cast, (minus Bosworth?) since this is the end of the previous franchise. Then after 2013 when agreements have been reached, WB can work on a new franchise, completely separate from anything that has come before.
Just an idea.

[GreenKToo]

I'm not even worried about the casting anymore. I'm worried if we even get a film period.

[FilmNerdJamie]

Off-topic, but it looks like Justice League: Mortal isn't the only DC property to have issues with Australia according to Production Weekly.

Originally Posted by Production Weekly

Green Lantern’s proposed Australian shoot is understood to be under threat after the rising Australian dollar has blown out production costs

[Kal-El Fan]

Interesting. I wonder where they'd move production. Is it now cheaper to film in the US? Will they go to England? NZ? I'll be interested to see how this develops and what that means for future DC properties, now that Australia may have fizzled twice.

[GreenKToo]

Ha ha. I knew to not get my hopes up for GL, and I havent. Now I understand that doesnt mean its not happening, but still, this is how it started with J.L.

[bunk]

They haven't even had the chance to miscast half the roles.