At this point, I'd keep most of the cast from SR.
Director - on the fence here. I really liked Singer's attention to the relationship and his appreciation of the character (he didn't wreck it by using Nicolas Cage or some currently-popular annoying actor such as Ben Affleck!), but at the same time I'd prefer much more texture and many more lines (especially for Superman/Clark and Martha). The movie almost seemed more about Lois, with Clark as an afterthought. Or was he deliberately in the background?
Music - I like the music they used, so the same or similar music.
Before seeing the movie, I wanted to get rid of Routh - thought he'd be almost (but certainly not all the way) as bad/inappropriate as Nicolas Cage in the role: blasphemy!
Now that I've seen SR (waited until second-run because I was afraid it had ruined itself), I thought Routh did a fabulous job as Clark and a pretty good and sympathetic job as Superman and would like him to do the role again. Yes, I can think of other actors who'd fit the archetype better (natural blue eyes, for instance), but I want to see Routh as Clark again. With more lines, I think he'd own Superman for quite some time too. He's best when he's talking - not as much eye candy as some of the others (other than the hospital scene :heart
but he's *so* sweet!
Frank Langella should be much tougher the next time as Perry, or else we need a new Perry. Alternatives: well, actually Anthony Hopkins came to mind - then I saw the suggestion that he play Jor-El, and I think that would work better. It would be a bit over-the-top, but wouldn't Sean Connery be fun to watch? Plenty of colorful language, some babes on the side... Nobody would doubt that he was in charge of the newsroom. Gabriel Byrne? See way below for a completely new idea: Judi Dench as Perry!
The only one from SR who I absolutely want to remove from their role in that is Kate Bosworth. Couldn't stand her in that - she just seemed mean. Parker Posey would have been great - they could swap roles for the next one. But Parker was already doing great as Kitty, so she could stay there and we could just get a new Lois. Lois needs to be bigger (Kate is TOO skinny!), older (Kate would have had that kid in high school!), and less mean. Hadn't thought of Rachel McAdams, but I do like that suggestion. She's been great in the one or two things I've seen. As I said in another forum, I rather imagine Lois as being a few years older than Clark. Teri Hatcher and Routh seemed to click in this one video I saw online, so she could give it another try. How about a MUCH older Lois, such as Rene Russo? Strong, smart, feisty, just a bit scattered... Then the subtext could be that she sees Clark as just this guy at the office who has a puppy-dog crush on her, and she could then blow him off nicely if she has to at all.
Would love to see Jack Nicholson as one of the villains. I haven't read the comics other than the originals, so am not sure which - but I'd like to see him in here somehow. Anthony Hopkins, if he didn't end up as Jor-El or Perry, would be great for this too - and Philip Seymour Hoffman (the baddie in MI:III). Make him a little greyer and he could be a good Perry too. Or Lex...
If we had to lose Routh (and I'd rather not), I don't like the idea of using Starbuck's boyfriend/hubby - decent guy and would look OK in the suit, but doesn't strike me as a good Clark at all. Tahmoh Penikett (Helo on the new "Battlestar Galactica) has the height and build already (not much bulking up needed) and seems very sweet. Would need to darken his hair... or we could just have a freckled, auburn-headed Superman! :-> Hmmm - IMDB says he was in an ep. of Smallville already...
Haven't seen Smallville yet (long story), but Tom Welling and Ashton Kutcher are apparently good buddies and I just don't want to hear about Clark and Demi Moore and company all hanging out together, even off-screen, so skip Tom and Ashton. Christian Bale, despite being Batman, might be able to pull it off - he's amazing - and then "Superman vs. Batman" would require a lot of camera tricks! ;->
Actors with more the "traditional" look who can act and who I've enjoyed in other roles but who would have to bulk up (well, most of them) or aren't quite tall enough: Patrick Bergin, Timothy Dalton, Ray Liotta (he has the eyes!!!)...
Steven Bauer (see him in "Thief of Hearts" from long ago) would do a good, though not necessarily gentle enough, Superman... As Bizarro, maybe?
Would like to fit in Marc Alaimo (aka. Gul Dukat), Hank Azaria, Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Alan Rickman somewhere. Sarandon could be Lois' mom, or a rival reporter, or a bad guy...
Get Jim Carrey, Michael McKean, and Robert Patrick into the next Superman movie also. Christian Slater... as Jimmy or a bad guy.
Liam Neeson could be a younger Jor-El too.
Totally different SR reboots:
PYTHON:
Imagine the Terry Gilliam and/or John Cleese version... Would have to star as many Python alums as possible, with Jamie Lee Curtis as Lois ;-> Would be VERY funny! Guess Cleese would have to be Supes, since he's the tallest, but boy would he have to work out for that suit to look right... Maybe they could borrow Ahnold - he and Curtis were great together in True Lies. Tons of comedy; plenty of (bungled) romance (remember the loft scene in "Wanda"!); plenty of (tumbling/bungled) stunts... Have an eclipse in the middle & have Supes tumble to Earth... Michael Palin could keep some Kryptonite in his fish tank ;->
Bruce Campbell as Superman in this one, and Cleese as Jor-El or Pa Kent??? Bruce *is* The Chin!
MERCHANT-IVORY:
Colin Firth doesn't completely look the part of Superman, but he'd be perfect as Clark! We could put him with Emma Thompson as Lois, and have Kenneth Branagh as Lex ;-> (hey, he and Emma broke up - can't have him as Superman any more!) Maggie Smith as either Lois' mom or as Martha. She's good at looking worried. Julian Sands as a bad guy somewhere... How about making "Perry" a woman and cast Judi Dench? There's a twist... If she can do "M", she can do "Perry" (short for "Priscilla" or some such)! Otherwise, have her as the other mom opposite Maggie.
Get a Merchant-Ivory version of the costumes... Edwardian Superman, with velvet cape and gloves! Emma in something pretty, with a laced vest. She's great with the sharp lines, but she can also melt. We'd have some fainting scenes (after which Clark could loosen her laces :-> )... Classical score a la M-I in general... Lots of horses (Emma!) instead of cars; swordfights; saving cats from trees and carriages from cliffs and so forth. Would be good to get a Cinderella-like ball scene in here.
MARTIAL ARTS/ASIAN ROMANCE:
Ang Lee directing (yes - for atmosphere & romance)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa would be great as Lex, but at the same time I'd like to see him as one of the good guys - maybe Perry? Superman himself?
Alternately, the lead semi-bad guy from "A Taxing Woman" as either Lex or Perry
Ken Watanabe as Lex/Perry or Jor-El
Michelle Yeoh as Lois, for brains, or else the lead actress from "A Taxing Woman"
Gong Li as a villainous woman (too traditionally pretty for Lois!)
wish Brendan Lee were still around! Ah, well... <SIGH>
Steven Seagal as something - have to have some aikido in there. As Jimmy! - hahaha, just kidding.
BOLLYWOOD VERSION:
Haven't seen more than clips of any, but they're entertaining. Only name I know is Aishwarya Rai, and she's almost too pretty to be Lois. She and Shakira (who'd be GREAT as Lois!) could compete for Supes' attention... Wouldn't you like to see Superman dancing like that, and flying in and out of dance numbers? :->
mostly-TREK VERSION:
Patrick Stewart as Lex, of course ;->
Majel Barrett as one of the moms, of course :->
Sir Ian McKellan as Jor-El, if that's possible
Chase Masterson (our favorite Dabo girl, Leeta) as Lois - or Jennifer Hetrick (Vash), Jolene Blalock (T'Pol), Jennifer Lien (Kes), Jeri Ryan (Seven) or Roxann Dawson (B'elanna)
Michael Dorn - but as what? Clark/Superman?
John De Lancie - bad guy (or as a grumpy, sulky Perry! "Why *won't* you cover this story?!?")
Jennifer Hetrick as *something* if not Lois - Kitty would also work
Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) - as either Lois' or Clark's mom?
Louise Fletcher (Kai Winn) as a baddie
Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun) - as a Superman impersonator?
Connor Trineer ("Trip") as Jimmy - or have him as Superman/Clark
Garrett Wang (Harry Kim) or Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris) as an alternate Jimmy
Ethan Phillips (Neelix), John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox), and Robert Picardo (The Doctor) in big roles
Alice Krige (Borg Queen) as a bad guy
Hard part would be choosing a Superman - not really a perfect one here. Robert Beltran (Chakotay)? Scott Bakula??? Scott Bakula is a great actor and is in really good shape, but his overgrown eyebrows always make me think his eyes are off.
William Shatner as Perry White!!! "This. Is not. A story... Lois!"
and NO Janeway or Tasha Yar *anywhere*.
Final comment:
Too bad Cillian Murphy is way too short to play Superman! Maybe they can get him and Tom Welling to play brothers in something, since they have such similar faces...
