The Official SDCC Coverage Thread

[Showtime]

I agree. It wasn't the reason it made money, it made money because it resonated with the general public.

 

[mego joe]

it was. but this is not the reason it made mony.

I don't think so. I think it's hard to make a hugely successful comic book film without a certrain degree of fideltiy to the source material. I'm not saying it's automatic, but it's a key ingredient.

 

[dark_b]

showtime:
agree. i think they used the faithfulnes of the comics and combained it so that the masses could enjoy it.
plus it had a good main actor,cool suit,action and of course humor.all those elements are important for a big budget movie in summer.

 

[dark_b]

I don't think so. I think it's hard to make a hugely successful comic book film without a certrain degree of fideltiy to the source material. I'm not saying it's automatic, but it's a key ingredient.

the main money is from the masses. they dont know the source material. so how can the faithfulnes of the comic be important for the movie succes?

 

[Showtime]

showtime:
agree. i think they used the faithfulnes of the comics and combained it so that the masses could enjoy it.
7plus it had a good main actor,cool suit,action and of course humor.all those elements are important for a big budget movie in summer.

You wonder if one led to the other, but I think you worry about the masses first and fanboys second personally. If you're a studio.

 

[mego joe]

the main money is from the masses. they dont know the source material. so how can the faithfulnes of the comic be important for the movie succes?

The comic fans can and will destroy project if they can. Isn't it obvious? Haven't we been discussing SR for 2 years and how well it did with the GP, yet it doesn't have a sequel in production? I guarantee you, if SR had not divided the fans and been more faithful to the comics we would be talking about the already in production sequel and not 'gee, when (or if) production on a sequel will start.'

 

[dark_b]

i think the studio was thinking money and masses. jon was there to balance it. he knew what the studio demands. so he needed to use it from the comiss and make it work in a movie for the masses.

or maybe iron mans story is just in the comics already for the masses.

 

[dark_b]

The comic fans can and will destroy project if they can. Isn't it obvious? Haven't we been discussing SR for 2 years and how well it did with the GP, yet it doesn't have a sequel in production? I guarantee you, if SR had not divided the fans and been more faithful to the comics we would be talking about the already in production sequel and not 'gee, when (or if) production on a sequel will start.'

hmmmm could be....or could not be true.

maybe its just that WB was dumb enough to expect 100 milions more from SR. which is IMO idiotic because SR was nto a movie for such a big BO.
plus we know that there are camps at WB. one wants the sequel. one dont. one wanted teh JL and they won. tehy won until everything felt apart.

maybe its because at WB not everyone wants the same. the sequel. but maybe its really because of the fans.

maybe and really mabye the movie just didnt WOOOW the masses( and we all know it didnt).
people talked like crazy when 300 came out. its not a smart movie. but its a movie that you can enjoy.

 

[mego joe]

i think the studio was thinking money and masses.

No doubt.

jon was there to balance it. he knew what the studio demands. so he needed to use it from the comiss and make it work in a movie for the masses.

or maybe iron mans story is just in the comics already for the masses.

That's part of it. I'm just suggesting that the route to success with comic films has to include that faithfulness to the source material. It's never going to be 100%, but it's importance has to be taken seriously. I think the approach you mention above " use it from the comiss and make it work in a movie for the masses" is on target. Adapt it. Don't change it or re-invent it. Make it relevant but don't lose the spirit of the character in the adaptation.
I think the more well known a character is the more closely the comics have to be followed as well.

 

[dark_b]

in summer after a movie i go on a beer and a hamburger. i think a lot of people go on a drink after they watch a movei in summer. and if the movie woows you you talk about the movie.

now i dont think that a 15 yr old boy with hes friends will talk about supermans relationship when drinking a coke and eating a hot dog. or will they?
we all know what people talked after 300 and IM and TF. ''WOOOOOOOOW dude do you remember this and that? how awsome was that. wanst this funny? heheh yeah it was. sam's happy time hehehheeh. ''
things like that. to some people it is dumb and to some it is not. but it is what masses do. IMO.

 

[dark_b]

No doubt.



That's part of it. I'm just suggesting that the route to success with comic films has to include that faithfulness to the source material. It's never going to be 100%, but it's importance has to be taken seriously. I think the approach you mention above " use it from the comiss and make it work in a movie for the masses" is on target. Adapt it. Don't change it or re-invent it. Make it relevant but don't lose the spirit of the character in the adaptation.
I think the more well known a character is the more closely the comics have to be followed as well.

hey making a superman movei for the masses that uses elements from the comics is the way to go.

we all know that the fact that there was no luthorcorp is already bad. but the fact that lex is the same and has the same plan from S:TM is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay WRONG. i mean if they would at least tease us with something from the comics like a possible luthorcorp i think a lot of fans would be happy today. but hey we got ''gotham'' right?
i will give singer a second chance. he is the artist. and WB is the one who gives the greenlight and the money.
if singer really used SR as a movie to gring superman back ok. but hte sequel neeeds to fix the problems and have some comic elements in it. if it doesnt its not singers fault but WB's.

so lets hope for lexcorp(i dont care if it doesntm ake sense after SR) and lets hope for some good action,fighting and of course a brighter movie. not a briight suit IMO. the whole color proces needs to be changed. no more desaturated green sky. blue sky with bright white clouds.

 

[mego joe]

hmmmm could be....or could not be true.

maybe its just that WB was dumb enough to expect 100 milions more from SR. which is IMO idiotic because SR was nto a movie for such a big BO.

Which really comes down to the approach. SR was a film with a personal relationship story driving it. Not exactly what you would expect from a Superman film. Singer didn't approach it as a SUperman story, but as a busted relationship story.

It's not crazy for WB to have expected big numbers from a new Superman franchise, but it is crazy for them to have expected big numbers from SR after viewing it. But at that point it was too late, budgets, projections and expectations had already been set.

plus we know that there are camps at WB. one wants the sequel. one dont. one wanted teh JL and they won. tehy won until everything felt apart.

maybe its because at WB not everyone wants the same. the sequel. but maybe its really because of the fans.

It's certainly a part of it. It certainly made WB think and it could be the reason there are the different camps you mention above.

maybe and really mabye the movie just didnt WOOOW the masses( and we all know it didnt).

You know and I know, but there are a significant number of people on these boards that are still deluding themseleves into believing that SR was a hit and was liked just fine.

people talked like crazy when 300 came out. its not a smart movie. but its a movie that you can enjoy.

300 was enjoyable. But SR was not smart.

 

[dark_b]

''You know and I know, but there are a significant number of people on these boards that are still deluding themseleves into believing that SR was a hit and was liked just fine.''

i think it didnt woow the masses. but that doesnt mean that people didnt like it. it did some good numbers. but to me the WOOW factor is when you hear about the movie every day .
when girls who dont even like this type of movie talk about it.

 

[dark_b]

It's not crazy for WB to have expected big numbers from a new Superman franchise, but it is crazy for them to have expected big numbers from SR after viewing it. But at that point it was too late, budgets, projections and expectations had already been set.

WB knew exactly what movie they are getting. they dont give you the money and let you do your thing for the next 12 months. they were the ones who gave singer more money for the extra buller scene because they knew there wasnt enough money shots.
again they knew. its over.its WB money and its the character we love. singer is a tool for WB to bring superman to the big screen.

 

[mego joe]

WB knew exactly what movie they are getting.

I don't know. FOlks who have read the original script mention that there's a lot missing in the final cut, much of which was never filmed.

they dont give you the money and let you do your thing for the next 12 months.

But that's what they did. THey greenlit the film on a 30 page treatment, not a full script. I don't think it's out of the real of possibility. We already know that WB gave Singer full control, right? That was their mistake, not expecting big bucks from a SUperman film. The mistake was having their hand in the picture to make sure that the movie was heading in the direction of their expectations.

they were the ones who gave singer more money for the extra buller scene because they knew there wasnt enough money shots.

Exactly, after seeing what was in the can they knew they needed more

again they knew. its over.its WB money and its the character we love. singer is a tool for WB to bring superman to the big screen.

I certainly agree with that!

 

[I Am The Knight]

The comic fans can and will destroy project if they can. Isn't it obvious? Haven't we been discussing SR for 2 years and how well it did with the GP, yet it doesn't have a sequel in production? I guarantee you, if SR had not divided the fans and been more faithful to the comics we would be talking about the already in production sequel and not 'gee, when (or if) production on a sequel will start.'

I dunno. Maybe if Singer had the power to make 2 movies at the same time...Kinda like what he wanted to do with X3 and SR. But since he chose to do Valkyrie first...You are getting Valkyrie first.

 

[mego joe]

I dunno. Maybe if Singer had the power to make 2 movies at the same time...Kinda like what he wanted to do with X3 and SR. But since he chose to do Valkyrie first...You are getting Valkyrie first.

If SR had come out of the gates like gangbusters and perfromed wildly to wildly positive praise from all, then the sequel would have been greenlit right away like TDK, and pre-production would have begun. Didn't Singer pitch a 3 film concept to begin with?

 

[Showtime]

Mego, there was a lot in the script that was cut out, but WB knew what they were getting. They didn't just walk into the theater not knowing which cut they were getting.

 

[mego joe]

Mego, there was a lot in the script that was cut out, but WB knew what they were getting. They didn't just walk into the theater not knowing which cut they were getting.

Then WB truly are crazy for expecting huge numbers on that film. IMO, they are lucky to get what they got if they knew what they were getting.

SO you think from the very beginning they knew what they were getting?

 

[stargazer]

I dunno. Maybe if Singer had the power to make 2 movies at the same time...Kinda like what he wanted to do with X3 and SR. But since he chose to do Valkyrie first...You are getting Valkyrie first.

Exactly.

If SR had come out of the gates like gangbusters and perfromed wildly to wildly positive praise from all, then the sequel would have been greenlit right away like TDK, and pre-production would have begun. Didn't Singer pitch a 3 film concept to begin with?

I disagree. They didn't greenlit TDK right away. They took their sweet time, about a year, wasn't it?

 

[dark_b]

Then WB truly are crazy for expecting huge numbers on that film. IMO, they are lucky to get what they got if they knew what they were getting.

SO you think from the very beginning they knew what they were getting?

of course

i think they have meetings every week or at least every two weeks when they see how it is going forward with the movie. the main producer is there all the time.

 

[stargazer]

Mego, there was a lot in the script that was cut out, but WB knew what they were getting. They didn't just walk into the theater not knowing which cut they were getting.

IMO, I think they were also counting on the supposedly 'huge' popularity of Superman (or the Donner films), and the film did very well on openning day, or weekend, but nowhere as huge as they wanted it or thought it would. I really think SR is a great film, but it was too serious and mature, perhaps, for a summer movie; it wasn't what lots of people expected, myself included (I got something better than that). I think the majority of people, especially the young ones, were expecting an action driven film, and not a character driven one, I guess.

 

[I Am The Knight]

If SR had come out of the gates like gangbusters and perfromed wildly to wildly positive praise from all, then the sequel would have been greenlit right away like TDK, and pre-production would have begun. Didn't Singer pitch a 3 film concept to begin with?

I've posted the Variety article before where it states that Singer wanted to make a non comic book film and that Valkyrie would delay WB's hopes of mounting an SR sequel.

Anyway, WB did sign him up for a sequel back in October 2006. Now, by that time they sure as hell had the BO results. Yet they signed him up. They must have wanted that sequel...

 

[dark_b]

I've posted the Variety article before where it states that Singer wanted to make a non comic book film and that Valkyrie would delay WB's hopes of mounting an SR sequel.

Anyway, WB did sign him up for a sequel back in October 2006. Now, by that time they sure as hell had the BO results. Yet they signed him up. They must have wanted that sequel...

this is not the whole thing. they singed on october 2006 a contract where singer gets payed not matter what.

so in 2006 after BO numbers they were 100% about the sequel. then the other camp came.

 

[mego joe]

Exactly.




I disagree. They didn't greenlit TDK right away. They took their sweet time, about a year, wasn't it?

Here's the news bit from SUperhero HYpe where Robinov talks about hearing NOlan's pitch for the sequel, date? October 11, 2005. 4 months after BB release.

Robinov: Chris Nolan wasn't the obvious choice. Alan trusted that Chris' vision -- the tone, the setting and his skill as director and storyteller -- would ultimately give us the best movie. Chris is going to come in and tell us what the next "Batman" will be today. It all comes down to filmmakers like Alfonso Cuaron on "Harry Potter," or Curtis Hanson on "Lucky You" or Niki Caro on "North Country."


http://www.superherohype.com/news/supermannews.php?id=3545


On February 23, 2006 we have the announcement that Nolan's brother is writing the sequel.

While neither director's deal is closed, the studio has hired Jonathan Nolan -- Christopher's brother -- to write the screenplay for the untitled "Batman" project

"Begins" co-writers David Goyer and Christopher Nolan wrote a treatment for the sequel.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/supermannews.php?id=3890

On JUly 31, 2006 a year and a mont after the release of BB, the sequel was not only greenlit, Ledger had been cast as the Joker and the title announced.

As a follow up to last year's blockbuster Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan is set to direct Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight, written by Jonathan Nolan, based on a story by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan. Additionally, Christian Bale will resume his role as Bruce Wayne and Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has been cast as The Joker. The announcements were made today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=4601

Sweet time? I don't think so. It sounds like they had the ball rolling before BB had hardly left the theaters.