The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread

Please for the love of God keep Abrams away from Superman. He might have sensibilities on the surface, but that's where it ends. His Superman movie will be very surface level, with the feeling of how a Superman movie should be as an idea only. And while he may get that feeling right, it'll be no closer to be a quality, functional story. It'll probably have some meta narrative. And be well shot to cover up how dysfunctional the story is. Any competent screenwriter who works with him will be a submissive to his lack of storytelling prowess. Unfortunately he has had so much success no one will tell him otherwise.

And because it won't be the nightmare that was BVS or MOS, it will be hailed as a triumph and the best movie since STM. We wouldn't be redeeming Superman, we would just throw it further into the gutter.

He can only direct if he was totally divorced from the creative process, the script mailed to him and says, "Thank you" and shoots the script as is not changing anything about it. He can cast it, keep Mindel as DP, but otherwise keep him the hell away. I absolutely dread an Abrams Superman movie.
 
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Can't agree, I personally loved his characterizations of Clark, Lois and Lex. If he's involved, I'd want him at least partly in on the writing, so that I might finally get a big screen Clark with a heart and actual likable personality. That's the key to a good Supes movie for me that previous versions have missed, and it's the one thing I think Supes really needs on screen at this point. The other stuff is gravy.
 
@flickchick85 Oh, I'm sure they'll be likable as all hell. Abrams is good with casting and characters and mixing them into interactions with great chemistry where they're fun to watch. But it'll be very surface level. If he had any semblance of storytelling skills I would agree with him having some involvement. But the man has always been purely more interested in emotions as ideas to tell a story, rather than more core, fundamental concepts that lead to those moments that Abrams seems to want inorganically. He goes for the buzz, the short high without any discipline of getting there, and he doesn't care. He can sell the hell out of it with how he shoots and directs actors. The pristine gloss distracts you from the ****tiness underneath. He's a great illusionist.

I remember Chris Pine talked about Abrams on the set of ST09.

“I tell the story about J.J. (Abrams) in the first film when I’d run on the deck of the ship and say something to the blue screen about something. And I had no idea what I was talking about. And I said to J.J., “I’d love to do with more time, cause I don’t know what I’m saying. if you could tell me what I’m saying, it would be a great help.” And he said, “It doesn’t matter. You just run, you say it as fast and earnestly and urgently as possible, and no one is gonna care."
 
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Just give me a likable Supes and I'm good. I don't need some deep thematic exploration of aliens in America or religious allegory or any of that - it just needs a heart. I just want that sheltered dork of a farm kid to become that good neighbor to the world and remind everybody why they fell in love with him in the first place all those decades ago. The thematic stuff with Supes comes easy, as it's baked right into the premise. And is easy to OVER DO, as we've seen. I'd rather they not focus on that and just focus on making Big Blue lovable again. Back to basics is best, imo.

You can dive into the weird, complex, introspective stuff in the sequel. And I DO want to see that stuff. But...not at the start. And with a different filmmaker to be sure. Just give him a nice kickstart that puts a smile on people's faces for the first installment that makes people want to spend time in that world and with those characters.
 
Just give me a likable Supes and I'm good. I don't need some deep thematic exploration of aliens in America or religious allegory or any of that - it just needs a heart. I just want that sheltered dork of a farm kid to become that good neighbor to the world and remind everybody why they fell in love with him in the first place all those decades ago. The thematic stuff with Supes comes easy, as it's baked right into the premise. And is easy to OVER DO, as we've seen. I'd rather they not focus on that and just focus on making Big Blue lovable again. Back to basics is best, imo.

You can dive into the weird, complex, introspective stuff in the sequel. And I DO want to see that stuff. But...not at the start. And with a different filmmaker to be sure. Just give him a nice kickstart that puts a smile on people's faces for the first installment that makes people want to spend time in that world and with those characters.

I'd love to see all of this too. But that takes actual command and skill of your craft to execute these things properly so it all works on a storytelling level that Abrams just can't deliver on in a substantive way. It will be surface level with nothing earned to get there. I know the standards have been in the gutter for Superman, but I don't think just delivering on basic superficial things will redeem anything. It won't mean much.
 
I'd love to see all of this too. But that takes actual command and skill of your craft to execute these things properly so it all works on a storytelling level that Abrams just can't deliver on in a substantive way. It will be surface level with nothing earned to get there. I know the standards have been in the gutter for Superman, but I don't think just delivering on basic superficial things will redeem anything. It won't mean much.
I STILL love the Alias pilot. And the Lost pilot. And Star Trek '09. And MI:3 (though not as much as the more recent ones). So I know Abrams can deliver the adventure romp I'm looking for that will have a high re-watch factor with and make me want to revisit those worlds and get me invested in those characters. It's EXACTLY what he excels at, imo. It's continuing those stories where he fails. Which is why I would then want him to pass the baton to someone else, as is his preference anyway.
 
I STILL love the Alias pilot. And the Lost pilot. And Star Trek '09. And MI:3 (though not as much as the more recent ones). So I know Abrams can deliver the romp I'm looking for that will have a high re-watch fact and make me want to revisit those worlds. It's EXACTLY what he excels at, imo. It's continuing those stories where he fails. Which is why I would then want him to pass the baton to someone else, as is his preference anyway.

I haven't seen Alias. Did he write the pilot for the show?

As for Lost, it's the best directed thing because he just shot it as is, with exception to some ideas during the show (like the hatch, an idea he had no solution for, he just liked the mystery of it).

As for the movies, they're rewatchable I grant you, but outside of the fact they were written by Orci and Kurtzman, they're passable, yet still thin that suffer from the Abrams flaws at times, just not to the extent that we have now. They just don't hold up so much on a storytelling level. Quite honestly, I would forgo hope of getting to that level again. If you enjoy those, then cool. But I think we need to raise our standards than those scripts. A Superman movie deserves a lot better than those as best case scenario. That's not the comeback I want for a Superman movie.
 
I haven't seen Alias. Did he write the pilot for the show?

As for Lost, it's the best directed thing because he just shot it as is, with exception to some ideas during the show (like the hatch, an idea he had no solution for, he just liked the mystery of it).

As for the movies, outside of the fact they were written by Orci and Kurtzman, they're passable, but still pretty damn thin that suffer from the Abrams flaws at times, just not to the extent that we have now. They're rewatchable I grant you, but they don't hold up so much on a storytelling level. Quite honestly, I would forgo hope of getting to that level again. If you enjoy those, then cool. But I think we need to raise our standards than those scripts. A Superman movie deserves a lot better than those as best case scenario. That's not the comeback I want for a Superman movie.
Yes, he wrote/directed Alias pilot just as he did the Lost pilot (co-wrote that one with Lindelof).

I don't need Shakespeare for a Supes reboot, and frankly, I don't WANT anybody trying to get too deep with it because I think people trying to overthink the character is exactly what got us in this mess in the first place. Give me an honest-to-God crowd-pleaser starring Superman. Crazy to think that's such an outlandish request, but at this point, it feels downright novel. I want back to basics, plain and simple. Heart and humor, baby! And I don't think that's aiming low. I think that's aiming exactly where Supes needs us to aim right now - a fun favorite, a comfort movie that people will want to come back to again and again, watch whenever it's playing on TV, etc. Like those earlier Abrams projects. Once we HAVE that, and the crowds are actually engaged and on board with the character again, THEN let them (as in, other creatives, lol) get ambitious with it. Right now, Supes basically needs his Phase 1 Marvel movie equivalent. Badly, imo.

My dream (realistic) scenario is basically to have Abrams produce, and co-write with someone like Travis Knight, who would direct. My unrealistic dream would be Brad Bird, but let's not go there lol. But I would totally take a full-on Abrams production, too. I do think his sensibilities are perfect for the task currently at hand for whomever takes over. We need a little "safe" right now, because if this one crashes and burns, Supes will be in true danger of falling into obscurity on a level he hasn't done in his entire 80+ year history. We need a movie that will be a favorite to whole new generation of kids. Abrams can do that. Even as I have mixed feelings on Star Wars: TFA myself, he did manage to make a whole new generation excited about Star Wars for the first time, just as he did with Star Trek before that. That ain't easy, despite sometimes looking so, and he's proven he knows how to do it more than once.
 
Yes, he wrote/directed Alias pilot just as he did the Lost pilot (co-wrote that one with Lindelof).

I don't need Shakespeare for a Supes reboot, and frankly, I don't WANT anybody trying to get too deep with it because I think people trying to overthink the character is exactly what got us in this mess in the first place. Give me an honest-to-God crowd-pleaser starring Superman. Crazy to think that's such an outlandish request, but at this point, it feels downright novel. I want back to basics, plain and simple. Heart and humor, baby! And I don't think that's aiming low. I think that's aiming exactly where Supes needs us to aim right now - a fun favorite, a comfort movie that people will want to come back to again and again, watch whenever it's playing on TV, etc. Like those earlier Abrams projects. Once we HAVE that, and the crowds are actually engaged and on board with the character again, THEN let them (as in, other creatives, lol) get ambitious with it. Right now, Supes basically needs his Phase 1 Marvel movie equivalent. Badly, imo.

My dream (realistic) scenario is basically to have Abrams produce, and co-write with someone like Travis Knight, who would direct. My unrealistic dream would be Brad Bird, but let's not go there lol. But I would totally take a full-on Abrams production, too. I do think his sensibilities are perfect for the task currently at hand for whomever takes over. We need a little "safe" right now, because if this one crashes and burns, Supes will fall into obscurity on a level he hasn't done in his entire 80+ year history. We need a movie that will be a favorite to whole new generation of kids. Abrams can do that. Even as I have mixed feelings on Star Wars: TFA myself, he did manage to make a whole new generation excited about Star Wars for the first time, just as he did with Star Trek before that. That ain't easy, despite sometimes looking so, and he's proven he knows how to do it more than once.

I forgot he co-wrote the Lost pilot. I'll take your word for it on Alias though. :up: I think in respect to his output, the bad outweigh the good for him though.

What you're talking about isn't lowering standards at all. I would love to see a back to basics story with heart. What I'm referring to isn't about the type of story or what it's trying to achieve. It's just about the successful execution of what you've been talking about. That's where Abrams has all the problems I've been stating. Where I disagree is using ST09 or MI3 as best case scenarios because I don't think they're even best representations of entirely successful movies in terms of their execution. That is where we need to raise our standards.
 
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I STILL love the Alias pilot. And the Lost pilot. And Star Trek '09. And MI:3 (though not as much as the more recent ones). So I know Abrams can deliver the adventure romp I'm looking for that will have a high re-watch factor with and make me want to revisit those worlds and get me invested in those characters. It's EXACTLY what he excels at, imo. It's continuing those stories where he fails. Which is why I would then want him to pass the baton to someone else, as is his preference anyway.

MI:3 was laughably bad. My buddies and I loved to hate it when we saw it in the theaters and I have never even tried to watch it again.
 
MI:3 was laughably bad. My buddies and I loved to hate it when we saw it in the theaters and I have never even tried to watch it again.
I mean, the Alias pilot was a better version of it, but I still enjoyed it. To each their own.

I forgot he co-wrote the Lost pilot. I'll take your word for it on Alias though. :up: I think in respect to his output, the bad outweigh the good for him though.

What you're talking about isn't lowering standards at all. I would love to see a back to basics story with heart. What I'm referring to isn't about the type of story or what it's trying to achieve. It's just about the successful execution of what you've been talking about. That's where Abrams has all the problems I've been stating. Where I disagree is using ST09 or MI3 as best case scenarios because I don't think they're even best representations of entirely successful movies in terms of their execution. That is where we need to raise our standards.
I think the production standards on those films are rock solid, personally. The look of ST09 was so fresh and dazzling at the time, and still so fun to revisit. M:I3 was such a dramatic overhaul of what came before, it was the first time it even felt like a proper spy franchise to me. So to each their own on that, too.

I have no great love for Abrams - he has the shortest creative attention span I've ever seen and between him and Whedon, his main TV showrunner "competitor" of their time, he was the one far more lacking in creativity, originaility and wit. But he's good at ONE thing, something he does better than anyone else in the business, imo, as he's proven it 3 times over - revitalizing old franchises the audience thought they had lost interest in, making them feel fresh, with that fresh injection of humor and heart and modern feel, but at the same time keeping to the aspects made people like them in the first place, and getting a whole new group of fans interested in it for the first time. And that just so happens to be the ONE thing Supes needs right now, imo. It's literally the ONLY project he'd ever be my top pick for, but I honestly feel it's the one he was born for. And he feels the same, considering Supes has been his white whale for 20 years now. And God it would be nice to have someone back in charge who genuinely loves Supes to begin with, and loves the character for everything he already is, instead of what they feel they could turn him into or what worldview they could use him as a tool to express.
 
I mean, the Alias pilot was a better version of it, but I still enjoyed it. To each their own.


I think the production standards on those films are rock solid, personally. The look of ST09 was so fresh and dazzling at the time, and still so fun to revisit. M:I3 was such a dramatic overhaul of what came before, it was the first time it even felt like a proper spy franchise to me. So to each their own on that, too.

I have no great love for Abrams - he has the shortest creative attention span I've ever seen and between him and Whedon, his main TV showrunner "competitor" of their time, he was the one far more lacking in creativity, originaility and wit. But he's good at ONE thing, something he does better than anyone else in the business, imo, as he's proven it 3 times over - revitalizing old franchises the audience thought they had lost interest in, making them feel fresh, with that fresh injection of humor and heart and modern feel, but at the same time keeping to the aspects made people like them in the first place, and getting a whole new group of fans interested in it for the first time. And that just so happens to be the ONE thing Supes needs right now, imo. It's literally the ONLY project he'd ever be my top pick for, but I honestly feel it's the one he was born for. And he feels the same, considering Supes has been his white whale for 20 years now. And God it would be nice to have someone back in charge who genuinely loves Supes to begin with, and loves the character for everything he already is, instead of what they feel they could turn him into or what worldview they could use him as a tool to express.

I agree, the production standards a great! It looks great. Just the stories get by on the skin of their teeth.

And those three movies end up not holding up so well under analysis after the enthusiasm, the gloss fades away. The root of Abrams starting things seems to be more interested in vague emotional ideas than any functionality though. From hazy story logic to just how things are supposed to "feel." He strings these things together. He likes the pieces and thinks those make up the whole. The things he kick starts even successfully always falter in the end. I know they're sequels and continuing stories and fail on their own terms, but I think that has more to do with the fact the beginnings as stories on their own don't have a solid foundation to begin with in most senses of storytelling. There's a thru line of all his work and that's his lack of storytelling skills.

Look, if I'm wrong feel free to never let me hear the end of it. I'm pretty confident about this though based on a lot of precedent. I can't guess the exact details, but I think this is gonna happen in broad strokes.
 
I agree, the production standards a great! It looks great. Just the stories get by on the skin of their teeth.

And those three movies end up not holding up so well. The root of Abrams starting things seems to be more interested in vague emotional ideas than any functionality though. From hazy story logic to just how things are supposed to "feel." He strings these things together. He likes the pieces and thinks those make up the whole. The things he kick starts even successfully always falter in the end. I know they're sequels and continuing stories and fail on their own terms, but I think that has more to do with the fact the beginnings as stories on their own don't have a solid foundation to begin with in most senses of storytelling. There's a thru line of all his work and that's his lack of storytelling skills.

Look, if I'm wrong feel free to never let me hear the end of it. I'm pretty confident about this though based on a lot of precedent. I can't guess the exact details, but I think this is gonna happen in broad strokes.
He re-kickstarted Mission: Impossible, still produces it, and it's been going strong ever since, better than ever. It all just depends on whom he passes the baton to (and I'm one of those crazies who thinks he chose well again with Rian Johnson for SW... it was Abrams coming back when he really didn't want to where it all fell apart for me). And don't worry, I'm pretty confident on this one too. Have been for years now, ever since I read his take. :D
 
He re-kickstarted Mission: Impossible, still produces it, and it's been going strong ever since. It all just depends on whom he passes the baton too. And don't worry, I'm pretty confident on this one too. :D

I can't argue against the success of Abrams' movies themselves and what they did for their franchises, I'm just talking about them from a critical viewpoint. Those following movies blow MI3 out of the water. I'm sure whoever they get after could blow Abrams Superman movie out of the water. I just think there are much better directors out there than Abrams to kickstart a franchise and do it great from the very start. Not just a J.J. Abrams sugar high and then get better later from an Abrams blueprint.
 
And those following movies blow MI3 out of the water. I'm sure whoever they get after could blow Abrams Superman movie out of the water. I can't argue against the success of Abrams' movies themselves and what they did for their franchises, I'm just talking about them from a critical viewpoint. I just think there are much better directors out there than Abrams to kickstart a franchise and do it great from the very start. Not just a J.J. Abrams sugar high then fade then get better later.
Sorry, a sugar high is EXACTLY what I want from a Supes movie right now. I've never f***ing gotten one from my favorite character in existence, I've waited 35 years for one and I goddamn want it. :funny:

JJ understands the simple joys I'm looking for. And right now, I think he's the only one who does, lol. Weirdly enough. I spent 10 years bashing him for being more popular than the superior Whedon (when they were both in TV), and now I'm here. Life is wild, man.
 
Sorry, a sugar high is EXACTLY what I want from a Supes movie right now. I've never f***ing gotten one from my favorite character in existence, I've waited 35 years for one and I goddamn want it. :funny:

But I want the steak dinner flickchick! :argh: Don't you want this delicious steak dinner with me? Or substantive vegetarian meal if that's your preference? The sugar high is an after credits sequence.
 
But I want the steak dinner flickchick! :argh: Don't you want this delicious steak dinner with me? Or substantive vegetarian meal if that's your preference? The sugar high is an after credits sequence.
No steak. Steak in the sequel. Sugar NAO. :oldrazz:
 
No steak. Steak in the sequel. Sugar NAO. :oldrazz:

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I mean, the Alias pilot was a better version of it, but I still enjoyed it. To each their own.

I think it came down to 2 parts...the using of the picture to fool the security camera and when he is shocked back to life and draws his gun. I am all for suspension of disbelief but that stuff was just beyond the pale. Maybe I will try it again. There was a run of bad third films with that, X3 and Spidey 3 so who knows.

All the ones since have been awesome though.

I do agree I want some sugar sweetness in my Superman though!
 
JJ launching a Superman franchise with his absolutely perfect eye for casting then handing the series off to more interesting directors would be amazing. He’s not the most exciting choice and he tends to bungle sequels, but there are some huge upsides.
 
My ideal scenario is JJ directs & produces the first film then hands the reigns to Travis Knight for the sequel. But let’s face it if he does direct the next Superman and it’s a smash he’ll direct the sequel.
 
But let’s face it if he does direct the next Superman and it’s a smash he’ll direct the sequel.
I really don't think he would. He's never liked doing sequels, each one he's done has been a reluctant, delayed decision on his part to do so, and that decision has never worked out well for him. I don't think he'd make the same mistake a 3rd time. But I guess it depends on the money they'd throw at him. Still, I think he'd have plenty of successors ready to offer up before the first film's even released (Bad Robot's a pretty busy outfit these days), and would be perfectly happy to just stay on and produce the series from there on out. I also feel like JJ could help mend bridges with Chris McQuarrie since they've been working together on M:I for years, and potentially get him back on board for a sequel or two. I'm still REALLY curious about what his rejected pitch was.
 
I really don't think he would. He's never liked doing sequels, each one he's done has been a reluctant, delayed decision on his part to do so, and that decision has never worked out well for him. I think don't think he'd make the same mistake a 3rd time. But I guess it depends on the money they'd throw at him. Still, I think he'd have plenty of successors ready to offer up before the first film's even released (Bad Robot's a pretty busy outfit these days), and would be perfectly happy to just stay on and produce the series from there on out. I also feel like JJ could help mend bridges with Chris McQuarrie since they've been working together on M:I for years, and potentially get him back on board for a sequel or two. I'm still REALLY curious about what his rejected pitch was.

Maybe you’re right, it’s just usually the norm isn’t it with CBMs when it does well they usually bring the director back for another. Although tbh I think there’s a big possibility he’ll only produce the new Superman film anyway.
 
I'm not mad at JJ potentially directing the first one. He's far from my first choice, but I wouldn't be upset, but not overly excited either. I do hope there's an interesting writer though. Gonna need that.
 

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