Superman Returns J.J. Abrams' Superman Script on SimplyScripts

[Rambaldi]

I was at simplyscripts a couple minutes ago n found the Superman script written by J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Mi3). This was the reason he didnt write War of the Worlds (according to Orci and Kurtsman (spelling) in their Mi3 podcast). It was gonna b shot by McG n Brett Ratner before Singer came on board and scraped the whole thing. I only scimmed the first couple pages for now so someone please write a review.

For all those who hated SR i wonder if u liked this better...

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Superman(JJAbrams).pdf

 

[M.E.H.Z.E.B]

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[Silver Lad]

Heres the review of that script by the Superman Homepage:

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=jjabrams-review

Read It

 

[Showtime]

I didn't like the script that much, there are some cool visuals and some nice ideas though. Some borrowed by SR. I think the script is on www.supermanhomepage.com now, provided by Simplyscripts.

Also on www.supermanhomepage.com is the Asylum, Batman vs Superman script.

 

[Lighthouse]

That review is still of the first draft of JJ Abrams. I thought it was funny how everyone was saying "Oh thank God" and "Abrams is a hack", but its been said many times that the script is NOT the final draft. Now if someone reviewed the final draft and it was still bad, I could understand the criticism, but not on the first draft.

 

[LostSon88]

But the first draft gives you a hint as to where JJ Abrams was going with the Superman Franchise...

A Kung-Fu Matrix Superman?
A Krypton that never explodes?
A CIA Kryptonian Lex Luthor w/ Hair?
A Jor-El that commits suicide?
A Martha Kent that's nearly raped?

I'll pass.

 

[charl_huntress]

OK, it seems that we are seeing these scripts released as the "be happy with what you got" campaign....

I've seen this on a few Supes boards and it's not cool. We can blame Peters and we can ***** about him, but if you need to use him to bolster why you think Superman Returns is a good movie...LOL...that just makes me what to point and laugh at you hysterically.

 

[Lighthouse]

OK, it seems that we are seeing these scripts released as the "be happy with what you got" campaign....

Good to know I wasn't the only person who thought that.

 

[charl_huntress]

^^it's too obvious to be ignored.

An interesting thing I've noticed since I watch a variety of shows is that the marketing for SR has sort of changed.

The most shown TV spot is the TIME one that talks about the IMAGERY and all that. You aren't seeing those "fickle" shots any longer. It's all...Supes is imagery and iconic stature stuff. It's really stupid, but for me it shows that that WB realizes that Singer went in the wrong direction and they are trying to "make proper" his representation.

I'll agree and not complain with anyone who says the imagery in SR is iconic. However, Singer just didn't have a good feel for who people KNOW Supes is now. He was too busy licking Donner in the wrong places.

 

[gimmen64]

We complain and complain. Hell at least Singer tried to keep with it all. I feel that Singer incorporated some of previous scripts into SR because of Jon Peters. Just look....Supes goes back to Krypton....Superman feels alienated here on Earth....Superman dies and comes back to life........hmmmm....sounds to me that previous ideas are instilled in SR. At least SR took itself seriously unlike some other movies....Batman 3 and 4.

 

[charl_huntress]

We complain and complain. Hell at least Singer tried to keep with it all. I feel that Singer incorporated some of previous scripts into SR because of Jon Peters. Just look....Supes goes back to Krypton....Superman feels alienated here on Earth....Superman dies and comes back to life........hmmmm....sounds to me that previous ideas are instilled in SR. At least SR took itself seriously unlike some other movies....Batman 3 and 4.

I will admit that it does seem like that...Yet, Singer has one up on them. His story is better. It's his execution that is off. If he had been able to get off his knees to Donner and see the other visions that would have helped his story then the fan reaction may be different. However, he tried to sell HIS vision by using Donner's old premise because he thought it was safe.

That's is pretty stupid, and the respect I had for him has diminished. He can still redeem himself, but he would have to do it in a grand way, and I don't think Singer is capable of that. Perhaps he will tell us his grand view tomorrow and convince the skeptical skeptics he knows what he is doing, which I doubt

 

[gimmen64]

I will admit that it does seem like that...Yet, Singer has one up on them. His story is better. It's his execution that is off. If he had been able to get off his knees to Donner and see the other visions that would have helped his story then the fan reaction may be different. However, he tried to sell HIS vision by using Donner's old premise because he thought it was safe.

That's is pretty stupid, and the respect I had for him has diminished. He can still redeem himself, but he would have to do it in a grand way, and I don't think Singer is capable of that. Perhaps he will tell us his grand view tomorrow and convince the skeptical skeptics he knows what he is doing, which I doubt

I think that WB thought it was safe to have Singer do what he did. I think Singer did the right thing in making SR in the way he did. WB should have left SR the way it was meant to be. I wish they would let the complete story be told. The novel has so much more and gives you more depth into what Superman is going through, I think that's what Singer was giving us, not a shallow Superman.

 

[phoenixstorm]

I like that krypton doesn't explode.

You tell me you have a race of intelligent life that travels the stars and knows the history and tech avances of the known galaxy and they are all on the planet when it explodes?

yeah, right.

What is worse is that somehow they don't know their planet is in danger? Oh wait they get a warning and EVERYONE ignores it? Hmmmm. Never bought it.

Superman would be a much better movie and comic if he was faced with others from his planet. What makes Superman Superman? Is it his powers or is it his pesonality and character?

 

[retconned]

The third draft of J.J. Abrams script, which was polished and somewhat rewritten by Josh Schwartz, is so much different than the first draft.

 

[retconned]

The third draft of J.J. Abrams script, which was polished and somewhat rewritten by Josh Schwartz, is so much different than the first draft.

 

[charl_huntress]

I think that WB thought it was safe to have Singer do what he did. I think Singer did the right thing in making SR in the way he did. WB should have left SR the way it was meant to be. I wish they would let the complete story be told. The novel has so much more and gives you more depth into what Superman is going through, I think that's what Singer was giving us, not a shallow Superman.

How can you say WB wasn't willing to let SOMEONE run loose with Supes after reading the "what could have been scripts"??????

THOSE ****S HAVE BEEN AND ARE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING WITH SUPERMAN....*****es

They need to pull their heads out of their asses and get with the more accepted and recognized vision of Superman.

So...maybe...Singer isn't the problem. Maybe it's WB I mean, they did seem to be willing to let any director loose on Supes and maybe they are just the real *******s behind Supes mismanagement...I mean...maybe they are Yet, isn't Singer supposed to be a good director? Is he just so behind the times that a bunch of Pirates in bad cotton are whoopin' up on him??? I mean, a man in tight who flies can't be some pirates?????

Who is really at fault here?

 

[gimmen64]

How can you say WB wasn't willing to let SOMEONE run loose with Supes after reading the "what could have been scripts"??????

THOSE ****S HAVE BEEN AND ARE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING WITH SUPERMAN....*****es

They need to pull their heads out of their asses and get with the more accepted and recognized vision of Superman.

So...maybe...Singer isn't the problem. Maybe it's WB I mean, they did seem to be willing to let any director loose on Supes and maybe they are just the real *******s behind Supes mismanagement...I mean...maybe they are Yet, isn't Singer supposed to be a good director? Is he just so behind the times that a bunch of Pirates in bad cotton are whoopin' up on him??? I mean, a man in tight who flies can't be some pirates?????

Who is really at fault here?

I would give the blame to WB. They expected Superman to sell itself. Like other people have said, Superman should have been released in Oct/Nov. I think the thing is that people are getting tired of Super-hero movies. I dunno. We must all accept the fact that SR tanked at the BO and take what its for.

 

[LostSon88]

I like that krypton doesn't explode.

You tell me you have a race of intelligent life that travels the stars and knows the history and tech avances of the known galaxy and they are all on the planet when it explodes?

yeah, right.

They were on the planet because they didn't believe Jor-El and his warnings...and if you want to go into the modern interpretation, Brainiac prevented kryptonians from ever discovering the truth...until it was too late. The only reason Jor-El knew it was because he had always been known to be somewhat of a rebel on the counsel who went against the norm and didn't listen to Brainiac.

What is worse is that somehow they don't know their planet is in danger? Oh wait they get a warning and EVERYONE ignores it? Hmmmm. Never bought it.

If Stephen Hawking told us the Earth would explode in a week, would you believe him? I doubt it.

Superman would be a much better movie and comic if he was faced with others from his planet. What makes Superman Superman? Is it his powers or is it his pesonality and character?

Do you even watch the movies and/or read the comics? If you did then you would know that Superman has faced tons of kryptonians in his 70+ year history.

And its his personality and character that makes him Superman.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

I like that krypton doesn't explode.

You tell me you have a race of intelligent life that travels the stars and knows the history and tech avances of the known galaxy and they are all on the planet when it explodes?

yeah, right.

What is worse is that somehow they don't know their planet is in danger? Oh wait they get a warning and EVERYONE ignores it? Hmmmm. Never bought it.

It was their arrogance that did them in. Remember what Jor-El told Superman at the FOS in the extended version of STM:

"Our destruction could have been avoided but for the vanity of some who consider us indestructible."

Jor-El knew what was coming, and he tried to warn the council, but they wouldn't hear it. It's because they we're so advanced and powerful, that their own arrogance blinded them to their eventual fate.

What makes Superman Superman? Is it his powers or is it his pesonality and character?

His upbringing, definitely.

 

[Superfreak]

from what I remember, Abrams script for Superman was amazing. It had some fundamental flaws, but they could have been easily adapted to fit the mythos a little better (the Luthor, possessed by an alien bit, really, they could have just given Luthor a bit of kryptonian tech (just like in birithright)).

everything else that I remember was great. My only concern was that this movie pretty much delivered all the marbles, and would have been difficult to make a bigger and better sequel. This is a franchise right, not a single serving movie. I didn't think abrams script would have worked well in a series of films. But as a standalone, it was mint.

 

[charl_huntress]

I would give the blame to WB. They expected Superman to sell itself. Like other people have said, Superman should have been released in Oct/Nov. I think the thing is that people are getting tired of Super-hero movies. I dunno. We must all accept the fact that SR tanked at the BO and take what its for.

Okay, how many backwards excuses are going to continue to be used before you realize that it's you rolling the bar "backwards"????

Supes can sell, BUT it's not Singer or WB's fault intrinsically for SR not selling. It's the market and THAT division for not releasing Superman in Oct/Nov. Let's forget they spent upmty-upmty upm dollars, and let's forget this was their tentpole summer release, huh? Let's forget that and keep it moving and say that if this movie was released four months later...it'd be doing better

When do we get to the point where we say the moving that Bryan Singer made isn't selling because he doesn't know how to sell Superman???? I mean, does the DVD have to sell a particular unit before we come to this realization?

I'm just asking...

 

[BMM]

Okay, how many backwards excuses are going to continue to be used before you realize that it's you rolling the bar "backwards"????

Supes can sell, BUT it's not Singer or WB's fault intrinsically for SR not selling. It's the market and THAT division for not releasing Superman in Oct/Nov. Let's forget they spent upmty-upmty upm dollars, and let's forget this was their tentpole summer release, huh? Let's forget that and keep it moving and say that if this movie was released four months later...it'd be doing better

When do we get to the point where we say the moving that Bryan Singer made isn't selling because he doesn't know how to sell Superman???? I mean, does the DVD have to sell a particular unit before we come to this realization?

I'm just asking...

Over the past decade or so I've found a lot of people don't know how to sell Superman anymore, even DC itself. Before Returns, the last time I saw any large scale interest in Superman was when he "died" . . . but that was obviously a large marketing ploy to make up for Superman's floundering comic book sales.

 

[charl_huntress]

^^He did well with LnC, STAS and JL/JLU. His popularity is pretty high, and Supes sold AMEX too within the last ten years.

I can't see him not being sellable, though I agree that some don't know how to sell Supes well...even with a 200 mill budget.

 

[Threshold]

I was at simplyscripts a couple minutes ago n found the Superman script written by J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Mi3). This was the reason he didnt write War of the Worlds (according to Orci and Kurtsman (spelling) in their Mi3 podcast). It was gonna b shot by McG n Brett Ratner before Singer came on board and scraped the whole thing. I only scimmed the first couple pages for now so someone please write a review.

For all those who hated SR i wonder if u liked this better...

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Superman(JJAbrams).pdf

Cool, I've been hoping to get a chance to read this for a while! Thanks Milo!

 

[BMM]

^^He did well with LnC, STAS and JL/JLU. His popularity is pretty high, and Supes sold AMEX too within the last ten years.

I can't see him not being sellable, though I agree that some don't know how to sell Supes well...even with a 200 mill budget.

I find that individually Superman can sometimes be a rather difficult sell. On the whole, Lois and Clark did not do incredibly well. It ranked 62 (I believe) via Nielsen ratings in its first season . . . but slowly gained more viewers until poor plot choices reared their ugly heads . . . after that the ratings dropped and the show was cancelled.

Superman within the context of the JL/JLU is fine, but that's not simply Superman selling. That is a large number of characters and various plots, etc. selling.

No doubt Superman can sell, but at times it seems it can be an arduous task.