Nicolas Cage Talks SUPERMAN LIVES; Thinks It Would Have Been "Really Special"
Nicolas Cage gained comic book fame as the lead character in two Ghost Rider films, but the actor actually came close to portraying the Man of Steel in the never-produced film "Superman Lives." With a script by Kevin Smith and visionary director Tim Burton behind the camera, the film was set to show the world a decidedly different take on the iconic character. The lost Superman film would have been released a decade before Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns" and almost a decade after Burton's game-changing first "Batman" film.
Cage spoke with MTV News about the lost Superman epic and about the Kickstarter campaign to further examine "Superman Lives."
"The fact that Tim and I were pretty far down the road designing ["Superman Lives"], and I know that with Tim and where I was going to go, we would have done something really special," recalls Cage. "At least it's out there in the ether that that could have happened, but we don't have to make the movie. It's still interesting to people."
Interesting could be considered something of an understatement. The Cage/Burton collaboration has become a hot topic again thanks to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. The campaign to fund a documentary about "Superman Lives" overshot its goal by over $17,000, proving that people are clamoring to know what went wrong with the production. Cage admits that he has heard about the documentary, called "The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened?" "It sounds fascinating...It's a good idea."
Cage hasn't lost any affection for the character, despite never getting to don the blue and red tights himself. "I do think that I had the win-win situation, because that character is such a bullseye that you have to hit. He's one of the most precious icons of our country."
Thanks to Splash Page legend Josh Wigler for conducting the interview and asking all the right questions.
Source: http://splashpage.mtv.com/2013/03/19/nicolas-cage-superman-lives-kickstarter-doc/
Hope that they get to speak to Nic for the doc
Fantastic. Love the spider... Though it's the wrong S for that suit.
I wish they'd be more Cage Superman fan art.
Financially successful doesn't equate to quality, and you're more than intelligent enough to realize that. Each one of those films weren't as successful as their predecessor (aside from BF being more marketable to families thus the financial success) ...Superman II, Batman Returns and Batman Forever were not disasters. They were all financially successfully and all of those films had and still have many fans.
Over a confused bland mess such as say ... Superman Returns? Completely agree. Seeing Nic Cage as Superman would've made me laugh like no other. It probably would've ended up being a giant un-intentional comedy.theMan-Bat said:I'll take odd and off beat over dull and bland any day.
This movie obviously would've been quirky, peculiar and unique visually (it is Tim Burton after all, that is the extent of his depths as a film maker)
But this movie surely would've been a disaster on scale with the Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin of the world.
Kevin Smith clowned this movie, and he worked on the damn script. That tells you all you need to know.
A known big name actor as Superman? Especially one as odd and off beat as Nic Cage? Stupid decision.
Financially successful doesn't equate to quality, and you're more than intelligent enough to realize that.
Each one of those films weren't as successful as their predecessor (aside from BF being more marketable to families thus the financial success) ...
Superman II was ruined with the replacement of Donner and then adding even more cheese and tongue in cheek-ness than what was already dating aspects of the '78 film.
Batman Returns was obviously a very alienating film among the fan base. And it didn't have the commercial appeal of it's predecessor.
It still most likely would've failed as a film though in terms of quality. Seems like from leadership down the focus of the movie was still in the wrong place, as it was ALL the WB films post Batman '89. The focus wasn't on the material, the source, or being a quality film. The focus of the studio and producers was their business ties with toy companies and other merchandising venues.
Superman Lives was no different. Just look at all the unused toy concept art that was being designed before the finalized film aesthetics were. It was influencing the design process. Which is terrible. It should be the other way around, when the look for the film is finished then the merchandising companies get the blueprints to make their products.
The two interviews that I want to see the most are Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage. Here's hoping he can get them. They're obviously the two most important to have.
Millar’s story is, without a doubt, epic in scale. To just hear a snippet of the scope reveals that. “I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago,” Millar said, “and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers.” - See more at: http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/ne...upermans-magnum-opus.php#sthash.fhSACSrK.dpuf
This is vaguely related by any of you hear about Mark Millar's treatment he proposed a few years ago about an epic trilogy detailing the birth and death of superman? Sounds very interesting but probably would have never been made.
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/mark-millar-set-to-pitch-supermans-magnum-opus.php