The answer

[The Guard]

Ok, everyone who can stand to read scripts:

Here. Read the now-leaked SUPERMAN REBORN script. This seems to be the "Superman V" script that Chris Reeve, Gerard Christopher and WB considered at one point circa 1992, before WB went for the SUPERMAN REBORN/SUPERMAN LIVES idea. You can see where some of the ideas in SUPERMAN LIVES came from.

You know what? It's dated and kind of cheesy, but it's got elements that just...rock. I really like elements of this script, and I love the way they solved the "should be a computeror a humanoid?" issue.

I submit that Braniac absolutely must be the villain in MAN OF STEEL, and that we MUST see elements of Kandor, Braniac as a collector, etc.

http://supermancinema.co.uk/reborn/index.htm

 

[batman44]

Sweet, when did this get out. I'll try to have this done by monday.

 

[The Guard]

A few days ago. It's really not bad, considering the era it was written in, and the franchise it related to. It's quite the ambitious project.

 

[Maboroshi]

Can anyone give me a little backstory on this script and why it is so important? To be honest, I used to be really big into superman, and i actually used to know, but I've simply forgotten by now.

 

[Lobo]

Thanks Guard, I'll start reading it tonight

 

[explode7]

Anyone care to give a summary?

 

[Showtime]

Good find Guard.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Thanks, Guard, this seems interesting.

 

[Maboroshi]

Do not read my post if you want to read the script yourself.

Anyone care to give a summary?

Ok, so it goes like this generally.
-Lois is tired of superman always running away in the middle of hanging out with her to go save people.
-Superman is like "Wtf? So youd rather those little children die so you can get your mack on?"
-Brainiac shows up and decides to study Superman. Treats his subordinates poorly.
-Brainiac decides his robot body just wont cut it on earth, so grows himself a human body. Since he becomes so fragile, he wears a handy dandy little utility belt that protects him from just about anything.
-Brainiac wants some bow chika bow wow with Lois in his human body, whins about it for the rest of the movie.
-Captures Metropolis and Superman. Shrinks Metropolis down to tiny size, puts it in his collection with Kandor and others. Puts Superman in Kandor.
-Superman hangs out with kryptonian people who are stubborn and dont listen to him. They worship Brainiac.
-Stuff happens, blah blah blah, superman escapes, gets big again, and fights Brainiac in his ship.
-Superman, with the help of unhappy subordinates of Brainiac, tricks him and gets his utility belt off and destroyed, making Brainiac defenseless.
-Superman refuses to kill Brainiac, but Brainiac kills himself, sending his mind back into his robot body.
-Fight blah blah battle blah blah, superman shrinks down himself down again, flies into Brainiacs head, puts a little metal splinter in there, and attaches his big-o-matic to it. The shard expands until it totally kills Brainiac from the inside.
-Superman flies back to Brainiacs ship, gets big again, returns cities to where they belong, blah blah blah
-Superman reveals his identity to Lois and asked her to marry him.

The end.

 

[GreenKToo]

Do not read my post if you want to read the script yourself.


Ok, so it goes like this generally.
-Lois is tired of superman always running away in the middle of hanging out with her to go save people.
-Superman is like "Wtf? So youd rather those little children die so you can get your mack on?"
-Brainiac shows up and decides to study Superman. Treats his subordinates poorly.
-Brainiac decides his robot body just wont cut it on earth, so grows himself a human body. Since he becomes so fragile, he wears a handy dandy little utility belt that protects him from just about anything.
-Brainiac wants some bow chika bow wow with Lois in his human body, whins about it for the rest of the movie.
-Captures Metropolis and Superman. Shrinks Metropolis down to tiny size, puts it in his collection with Kandor and others. Puts Superman in Kandor.
-Superman hangs out with kryptonian people who are stubborn and dont listen to him. They worship Brainiac.
-Stuff happens, blah blah blah, superman escapes, gets big again, and fights Brainiac in his ship.
-Superman, with the help of unhappy subordinates of Brainiac, tricks him and gets his utility belt off and destroyed, making Brainiac defenseless.
-Superman refuses to kill Brainiac, but Brainiac kills himself, sending his mind back into his robot body.
-Fight blah blah battle blah blah, superman shrinks down himself down again, flies into Brainiacs head, puts a little metal splinter in there, and attaches his big-o-matic to it. The shard expands until it totally kills Brainiac from the inside.
-Superman flies back to Brainiacs ship, gets big again, returns cities to where they belong, blah blah blah
-Superman reveals his identity to Lois and asked her to marry him.

The end.

duude, that was awesome.

 

[darkseid26]

it works as a great comic story too. pretty good for back then

 

[dark_b]

i never liked brainiac that shrinks a city.

 

[bgshw44]

having something shrink a city is more ridiculous than having someone build an island to sell as property

 

[Showtime]

I like some of the ideas featured in this script, but a lot of it was kind of minor league to tell you the truth.

 

[GreenKToo]

It would have been good for the time. now, not so much.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I don't really love the Brainiac shrinking stuff.

 

[Excel]

uhh...not a big fan. Shrinking a city??

 

[The Guard]

What's wrong with miniaturizing a city? It's a classic science fiction concept.

 

[turtlefocker]

So this was going to be Superman 5 before the injury?

 

[Scarlet Spider]

So this was going to be Superman 5 before the injury?

This was the last Superman movie Ilya Salkind was developing in the early 90's before the franchise rights reverted back to Warner Bros. After WB got the rights back, they hired Jon Peters and went through about a dozen writers over the next decade, trying to develop their own movie.

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-salkind

After having produced "Superboy" for several years, Salkind recalls that he got Superman "back in the blood." He decided to return to the world of "Superman" movie-making.

Salkind wrote the story for "Superman V" (also known as "Superman: The New Movie" and "Superman Reborn") with "Superboy" writers Bates and Jones. "The script was frankly... the best one since [Superman] II or III," Salkind divulged. "It was Brainiac and the city [of Kandor] encapsulated. It was fantastic." In this un-produced script, Superman dies and is resurrected in the shrunken, bottled Kryptonian city of Kandor. The script for "Superman V" involving the Man of Steel's death and rebirth predates DC's "Death of Superman" storyline which began late in 1992.

Salkind, Bates, and Jones developed a first and second script. Salkind even considered casting Reeve in the title role again. "I went to see Chris Reeve. We had lunch at the Carlisle in New York.... Chris was ready to do it."

By that time, Warner Brothers developed a renewed interest in the DC Comics icons with the success of 1989's "Batman." According to Salkind, "Warners just started to [make] problems, constantly saying to DC that it ["Superman V"] wouldn't work." A spate of lawsuits arose. Salkind maintained Warner tried to stop "Superman V" and a fifth season of "Superboy" to pave the way for 1993's "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman".

Whatever the reason, Salkind eventually gave in. "Superboy" ceased production after the fourth-season-ending 100th episode. "Superman V" never happened. And Salkind set sail on another film. "'Columbus' came up and we just gave up [and moved on]," Salkind said.

 

[bunk]

It's a damn good script. I really enjoyed the story and how the characters were handled, for the most part anyway. Brainiac sort of loses appeal after a while though. I didn't like how it becomes the two of them fighting over Lois. I love how Lois and Superman are written, and the supporting characters I think really work well. The dialog is hit or miss. I could see a lot of fanboys complaining about Superman operating without his powers for so much of the movie. For me, I think it's great. I love to see him have to rely on his intellect and ingenuity. The end result is quite satisfying. I had no problem with the shrinking city aspect. I've always wanted to see a more science fiction oriented Superman movie anyway, and this movie would be freaking epic. No way it could've been executed at the time it was written. Only now, could they do it justice. Good stuff.

 

[turtlefocker]

"I've always wanted to see a more science fiction oriented Superman movie"

Me too.

 

[stryfe]

Not impressed. Not much action, powerless Superman, Human brainiac which wouldnt be much different then any other human villain really.

 

[explode7]

^Hey they did it on Smallville and worked perfectly IMO. Anyways I hate this script. The shrinking city stuff sounds really stupid and unrelatable. If they had made this into a movie it would have done the same at the Box Office as Superman Returns did except worse. They need to make the concepts in these movies relatable to the audience if they want to make money. IMO they should give Al Gough and Miles Millar of Smallville to develop something similar for the big screen. Regardless of Smallville's many flaws the concepts are presented in a realistic way and very relatable. If they had done a restart similar to Smallville it would have done record breaking numbers at the Box Office IMO. Remember these two guys wrote the script for Spiderman 2 which is considered by many as the best comic book movie out there and the best in that franchise.

 

[Christmas]

I think the concern should be an exciting and action packed story that stands the test of time.

explode7, What exactly are you thinking with 'relatable'? If you mean just having a majority of folks enjoying the movie, I can't argue with that. Or do you mean making sure the villain's plot has some tangible earmarks for people to really get an initial interest? I'm curious and would love to hear what you mean.

IMHO, I don't think catering to tastes of the majority of Summer movie audiences of today is what Superman needs. It might make him a s***load at the boxoffice, but it likely wouldn't since I think it's fair to say Superman is outdated and lame to younger generations in a very broad sense. Making him relatable will be tough no doubt, but how we get there is key.

I couldn't care less about padding WB's bottom line if it means Superman becomes unrecognizable ala The tim Burton/Jon Peters scripts etc. Say what you will of Singer's approach and story, and I wouldn't fault anyone for not enjoying SR, but in my estimation he never sold out Superman to the whims of popular culture. He didn't put Supes in Reebok's and cut the film for Mtv. I liked that and would hope it stays that way, whoever makes the next Superman movie.

The story should be engaging and well-written. I definitely want a more Sci-fi oriented story too. Thats kind of inevitable considering the roster of Superman villains. IMO I like the concept of shrinking cities. Now maybe not making it so literal and putting them in actual glass jars, but if a hybrid can be conceived, where Brainiac is a collector and experimenter of creatures throughout the universe, that has me excited. Its a great contrast of such cruel inhumane creepy terror in Brainiac, versus a humanistic and ennobling hero in Superman.

Here's Hoping.