The ripples of Summer 08 are already starting–while work on the Iron Man sequel starts, the success of The Dark Knight gets WB to rethink the future, including Superman. In TV news The Stargate franchise is also headed for a Trek-like rethink, while David Hasselhoff is ready for his own reboot. All that plus tons more news, pics and videos below.
MOVIE NEWS
Superman Reboot Confirmed
Looks like Mark Millar wasn’t too far off after all. After Variety reported early last week that there was some discussion going on behind-the-scenes at Warner Bros. about the direction of "Superman: Man of Steel", Jeff Robinov has now confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the studio will be rebooting the Superman franchise and that the direction of the film, as well as the studio’s other upcoming superhero movies will take on a darker more brooding tone similar to that of "The Dark Knight":
Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes — known as “Batman vs. Superman” — after the $215 million “Superman Returns,” which had disappointing box-office returns, didn’t please executives. “‘Superman’ didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” says Mr. Robinov. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned.” “Had ‘Superman’ worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009,” he adds. “But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.”
There is no word if Bryan Singer or any of the other cast and crew of "Superman Returns" will be a part of the new Superman reboot. Robinov added that the plans are for DC Comics to supply material for up to four films he hopes Warner Bros. will have by 2011.:
The studio is set to announce its plans for future DC movies in the next month. For now, though, it is focused on releasing four comic-book films in the next three years, including a third Batman film, a new film reintroducing Superman, and two movies focusing on other DC Comics characters. Movies featuring Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are all in active development.
The article further notes that Warner Bros. is quietly adopting Marvel’s model for releasing a single film for each character and then using those movies and their sequels to build up a multi-character film (such as "Justice League").
Writing on The Hobbit and Sequel Underway
TheOneRing.net is reporting that writing on "The Hobbit" and its sequel has gotten underway. "The Lord of the Rings" team Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be joined by Guillermo del Toro to write the screenplays for both movies. Shooting may begin as early as the fall of 2009 in New Zealand. Del Toro made the announcement while participating in a telephone Q&A for his latest film ‘Hellboy II’, describing the process as something "beautiful". Variety confirmed the news in an article which reveals that all four collaborators have officially signed on to the project. "The Hobbit" has been scheduled for a December 2011 release and its sequel will follow in December 2012. In other Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit-related news, TheOneRing.net has an update on the Tolkien lawsuit. Read it at this link.
WB Addresses Potter Fans + Script Leaks and New Trailer News
Something Trekkies can relate to —
fans of Harry Potter were quite angered by Warner Bros. decision to delay the latest film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from November of this year to July of 2009. Because of that, Warner Bros. President and Chief Operating Officer Alan Horn was forced to address the issue. Here’s the statement:
Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" to Summer 2009.
Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability.
The decision to move "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.
If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between "Half-Blood Prince" and the much-anticipated first part of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which opens in November 2010.
So although we have to wait a little longer for "Half-Blood Prince," the wait from that film until "Deathly Hallows" will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.
Alan Horn
President, Chief Operating Officer
Warner Bros.
Saddened by the delay? Craving some new Potter spoilers? Check this out. Sections of the script have been leaked online via a user on IMDB who works/worked as a PA on the film. Check out some highlights at this link. More Potter news includes a recap of Daniel Radcliffe’s "TimesTalk" Q&A with the New York Times courtesy SnitchSeeker.com and news that Warner Bros. has sent in a new trailer to the BBFC for approval. The trailer runs 1 minute and 30 seconds in length.
Jon Favreau Begins Work on Iron Man 2
Jon Favreau, director of the year’s second highest-grossing film "Iron Man", told the Los Angeles Times that he has already begun work its sequel, "Iron Man 2", which he will return to direct:
I just talked to Jon Favreau a bit ago, and he said that while there hasn’t been an formal announcement on the sequel to “Iron Man,” he’s begun developing it. “We’re working on it now,” he said, “which hasn’t been officially announced. It will be released in 2010.”
Arnold Terminator Cameo Update + More Hints from McG
There’s been some buzz lately about a possible cameo from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator Salvation" and the latest comes from producer Moritz Borman who hinted to Wired that Arnold will not be in the film "as a person", suggesting a voice-only cameo. Although when pressed, he left the door open for a larger presence:
"I’m not going to answer the question about what we’re trying, or what we want, or what we’re toying with," said Borman. "It’s really up to what fits in the film or not. Maybe his voice, or maybe not. It’s really not settled.
In other ‘T4’ news, director McG told MTV that one of the projects that the film would try to emulate was the book "The Road": “I gave all the actors ‘The Road’ to read to get their heads right bout this sort of existential detachment that living in a post apocalyptic world would bring,” McG revealed. “We’re in a very large post apocalyptic environment. The bombs have gone off and there’s very little left. People are wandering through lonely landscapes. We want to capture that by way of David Lean photographic expanses, so you think you’re looking at ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ So far, so good.” And in a separate interview with MTV, McG says that the title "Terminator Salvation" holds a key to deciphering the plot, teasing: "Even though we may sin, ultimately we deserve a second chance,” adding "Sometimes life is worth living when you make sacrifices so others may benefit.”
Watchmen DVD Could be 3-Hours; Future Release Even Longer
While the theatrical release of "Watchmen" likely won’t be three hours, co-creator of the graphic novel Dave Gibbons, speaking at the British Film Institute, revealed that an even longer version could be released on DVD:
Dave has seen a 2 hour, 45 minute rough assembly of the – in his words – “very sexy, very violent” movie which he expects will receive an 18 certificate from the British censor. There’s no Black Freighter animation, that will be released as a separate ‘Animatrix’ style DVD and probably (eventually) be remarried with the live action film in a future ‘Absolute Watchmen’ DVD release.
NEW IMAGES
Babylon A.D. (more at this link)
Friday the 13th
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (more at this link)
Land of the Lost (Not confirmed as official–Source)
Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian (more at this link)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (more at this link)
NEW VIDEOS
Gemini Division
Episode 1: File No. 1 Eyes Wide Open
Episode 2: File No. 2 Tug of War
Babylon A.D. (another clip at this link, plus a new TV spot at this link)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
It’s Alive (Remake)
MOVIE BITES
- Despite all the rumored issues behind-the-scenes of the production of "The Punisher: War Zone", including that the film would be released with a PG-13 rating, all indications are now that the film will indeed remain R-Rated. [Screenrant]
- New Regency has put "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" into turnaround. According to Variety, Relativity Media is in negotiations to back the property, but under a "more moderate budget, utilizing the type of cost-effective technology employed in films including "300".
- There’s a RUMOR going around that Tom Rothman is going around "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" director Gavin Hood in an attempt to make the movie more kid-friendly. [Hollywood-Elsewhere]
- There will not be a 3rd direct-to-video "X-Files" film, that according to producer Frank Spotnitz who wrote on his blog: "the rumor is false. The Internet report you read is completely made up."
- Quint of AICN talks with the producers of "Child’s Play" where they discuss the upcoming new special edition DVD as well as the still-pending remake. [AICN]
- Sony is looking to remake the 1980’s horror classic "Candyman". [ShockTillYouDrop]
- A new documentary on Jason, entitled "His Name Was Jason" will premiere on Starz next February, in time for the February 13th release of "Friday the 13th". Daniel Farrands, editor of the book "Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th" is in charge of the documentary. [Cinematical]
- Click this link to download the complete script of "The Dark Knight". Among one of the highlights [SPOILERS] is confirmation that Harvey Dent/Two-Face did indeed die at the end of the film. [JoBlo]
- Tom Cruise and Sam Raimi are teaming up to develop an adaptation of the comic book "Sleeper". According to THR, the comic book series (2003-2005) centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. Cruise may star. For more details, check out this interview with creator Ed Brubaker.
- There’s an article up over at THR detailing the difficulties behind the release of what will be the late Heath Ledger’s final film, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus". In related news, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, who are replacing Ledger in the film, will be will be making Matilda, the daughter of Michelle Williams and Ledger, the beneficiary of the salaries of the three actors. [Hello Magazine]
- Alex Proyas ("Knowing, "Dark City") will write and direct a movie based on "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag". The story centers on a man who becomes increasingly disturbed when he realizes he cannot account for his activities during the day, or even what he does for a living. A title change is likely. The budget will be in the $40-50M range. [THR]
- The writing duo of Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander are in negotiations with Columbia Pictures to write the live-action big-screen adaptation of the children’s horror series "Goosebumps". [THR]
- MGM Domestic Television Distribution has acquired the option to develop the online-based graphic novel series "The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore" into a possible TV series. [SCI FI Wire]
- Director John Moore tells MTV that he had such a great time working with Mark Wahlberg on "Max Payne" that he would like to work with the actor on his zombie-themed film "Virulents".
- Rachel Taylor ("Transformers") will not be in the sequel. The actress says that while the role was a "great experience", it’s "not quite what I want to do" and it would defeat the purpose of becoming a better actor "if I was just going to become a ‘Transformers’ girl.” [MTV]
- MGM has hired Juliet Snowden and Stiles White ("Knowing") to script their upcoming planned remake of the 1982 supernatural classic "Poltergeist". [Variety]
- The Steven Niles comic "Wake the Dead" is hitting the big-screen courtesy director Jay Russell and some help from WETA, who is doing the designs. Niles, who is helping out as a producer, says that Russell hopes to have the movie ready for next year’s Comic-Con International. [MTV]
- Don’t put much stock in those rumors reporting that 20th Century Fox is looking to shut down production on their big-screen adaptation of "Dragonball". According to the Film Junk report, execs at Fox are reportedly displeased with the recent footage they’ve seen, but Movieweb reports through a very close source that the rumor is completely untrue with their source saying what they’ve seen looks "pretty darn awesome. There is certainly talk about a sequel. I have no doubt that it will happen. I’m sure that it will be a trilogy."
CASTING BITES
- Nicolas Cage has been cast as a former cop named Big Daddy in Matthew Vaughn’s independently financed adaptation of the comic book series "Kick Ass". Aaron Johnson and Lyndsy Fonseca were also cast in the film. [THR].
TV NEWS
Stargate Atlantis Canceled, But Movies Planned + Stargate Universe Greenlit; Premieres in Summer 2009
A big weekend in world of Stargate. Though SCI FI and MGM have announced that the current fifth season will be its last, the show will live on via direct-to-video releases, a venture that has proven successful thus far with "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" and "Stargate Continuum". The "Stargate Atlantis" movie (codenamed Project Twilight) will be shown on the SCI FI channel in 2009 followed by a release on DVD (and presumably Blu-ray Hi-Def) shortly thereafter: “We’re excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas,” Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and currently executive producers on Atlantis, said in a statement. Just a day after the confirmation of the cancellation and movie reveal, the network announced that they had given a greenlight to the third spin-off in the franchise, "Stargate Universe". The show will debut with a two-hour movie in 2009, followed by weekly installments in the summer:
“We’ve had great success with ‘Enterprise’ repeats on Monday night, and there’s clearly an appetite for space opera as ‘Battlestar’ goes away,” Sci Fi president Dave Howe said. “There’s an opportunity to keep the space opera as part of our programming strategy.”
Said co-creators Wright and Cooper: “In ‘Universe,’ we plan to keep those elements that have made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humor, while breaking new ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home. Above all, we believe the Stargate itself remains an enduring icon with infinite potential as a jumping-off point for telling stories.”
Here’s the complete description of the show (and yes, this surely does sound a good deal like "Star Trek: Voyager"):
After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate’s ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed.
What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.
The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny’s original mission. Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny and the crew is unable to control the ship’s navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures.
The Hoff Returning to Knight Rider
David Hasselhoff, star of the original "Knight Rider" TV series, is making final arrangements for an appearance on the new NBC series. Executive producer Gary Scott Thompson told SCI FI Wire during a set visit that the actor could even show up as a surprising car:
"He may make an appearance later this season," Thompson said in an interview on the show’s set in Santa Clarita, Calif. "He is talking to NBC next week, and we are working out everyone’s schedule … I don’t want to put him in just for the sake of having him drop by; I want there to be a good reason for him being there and have it be part of the story. I talked to David about a way of doing that, and so far he likes it. It’s a cool idea."
Thompson (Las Vegas) added that he has a dream scenario: Teaming Hasselhoff’s Michael Knight with Justin Bruening’s Mike Tracer, with both K.I.T.T.s: The original Pontiac Trans Am, originally voiced by William Daniels, and the Ford Mustang GT500KR, voiced by Val Kilmer. "I don’t know if it will happen," Thompson said. "It’s all about timing."
Hasselhoff had a cameo in the two-hour pilot movie that aired in February of this year and has recently suggested that he didn’t think the new show would work without him, or at least his input. Thompson say’s those quotes are outdated:
"Those were old quotes," Thompson said. "He doesn’t feel that way anymore. … I just talked with David the other day over breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel and explained to him in great detail what we had planned for the show, and he said he liked it and gave his approval."
Virtuality Characters Unveiled
SCI FI Wire has put up a new report from the Vancouver, Canada set of "Virtuality", the Sci-Fi pilot "Battlestar Galactica’s" Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor. The two-hour backdoor pilot will air on the network sometime in 2009 as a movie. While few details on the plot of the show were revealed, SCI FI Wire did manage to get the scoop on the show’s central characters:
- Frank Pike (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). The mission commander. Ex-military. Coster-Waldau reported that Pike has re-created a Civil War battle in his virt module and reruns it often, trying to solve a particular historical puzzle.
- Roger Fallon (James D’Arcy). Psychiatrist. A gifted therapist and producer of an onboard reality show in which the crew members are obligated to take part, the price of their interstellar voyage. Though those two jobs might sound incompatible, Taylor said that he combines his tasks with aplomb.
- Rika Godard (Sienna Guillory). Botanist, in charge of the hydroponics. Fallon’s wife, though Guillory said that her character is having an affair with someone on the ship.
- Manny Rodriguez (Jose Pablo Cantillo). Mathematician and superstring theorist.
- Valentin Orlovsky (Gene Farber). Geologist and Rodriguez’s partner.
- Kenji Yamamoto (Nelson Lee). Exobiologist. Married to Alice Thibadeau. Writer/producer Taylor described them as a young couple, very much in love and having something of a second honeymoon on the ship.
- Alice Thibadeau (Joy Bryant). Exobiologist, but with a different specialty from her husband.
- Jimmy Johnson (Ritchie Coster). Inventor of the matter/antimatter weapons technology used to propel the ship. In a wheelchair because of an accident in his past. Coster described his character as "an agent of chaos." He’s vital to the mission’s success, which is apparently the only reason anyone puts up with him.
- Julius "Jules" Braun (Erik Jensen). Longtime NASA scientist, designer of the ship and navigator.
- Adin Meyer (Omar Metwally). Ship’s doctor. Born in the West Bank of Israeli and Palestinian parentage.
- Billie Kashmiri (Kerry Bishe). Computer expert. Interfaces with the ship’s artificial intelligence, which is named Gene. Or perhaps Jean. Taylor declined to say whether the personality is male or female.
- Sue Parsons (Clea DuVall). Ship’s pilot. An ex-fighter pilot and very much into physical activity. Her virt modules are mainly about extreme sports.
- The Green-Eyed Man (Jimmi Simpson). Secrecy surrounded this character, though SCI FI Wire notes that he was trying on costumes and was briefed on a fight sequence by a pair of stunt performers.
Final Half of Battlestar Galactica Will Include Webisodes
The later half of the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" will be accompanied by another set of "The Resistance"-style webisodes:
"Yes, we are doing webisodes but when they are premiering I am not positive", executive producer David Eick told Newsarama. "Like the webisodes we have done before, they will continue on the story threads that don’t make the cut. I don’t want to give too much away but they are going to follow the same paradigm as we’ve done before."
TV BITES
- Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix" trilogy) has signed on to CBS’s "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". Fishburne will replace William Peterson–who leaves the show as a regular after the 10th episode–as the lead actor. [Yahoo!]
- Sigourney Weaver will be making a guest appearance on the ABC drama "Eli Stone". She’ll play a therapist who treats Eli. [EW]
- Sticking with "Eli Stone", the UK Sci Fi Channel has picked up the UK rights to the TV series. [Digital Spy]
- The latest additions to TheWB.com include three fan-favorite Sci-Fi Shows: "Angel", "Babylon 5" and "Firefly". They join already announced sci-fi shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Roswell" and "Smallville". [THR]
- "Smallville" fans take note of these two new interviews with stars Allison Mack and Justin Hartley courtesy Collider.com.
NEW TV IMAGES
Chuck (more at this link)
Dollhouse (more at this link)
Eleventh Hour (more at this link)
Ghost Whisperer (more at this link)
Knight Rider (more at this link)
Stargate Atlantis (more at this link)
NEW TV VIDEOS
Chuck
Fringe (click here for video of a photo shoot)
Ghost Whisperer (more here and here)
Heroes
Knight Rider
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (many more clips, including a photo shoot, here, here, here and here)
MISC BITES
- Registration for the 2009 San Diego Comic Con International has already begun. Next year’s event will take place from Thursday July 23rd through Sunday, July 27th (with a preview night on Wednesday, July 22nd). [Comic-Con]
- A U.S. District Court judge in California has denied a motion by Warner Bros. to dismiss a lawsuit by 20th Century Fox, concluding that “Fox could hold some of the rights to the material, even if it did not hold all rights.”. Now, while "Watchmen" fans are furious with Fox, the studio actually contacted WB before the film went into production. For much more on the situation, check out DHD, Variety and EW. Also, if you’re interested in this sort of thing, here’s a link to all the "Watchmen" contracts and court documents.
- The Batmobile used in "Batman Returns" is being auctioned off at the 38th annual Kruse International Auction (August 28th-September 2nd). It’s the 3rd of 5 Batmobiles used during the filming of the film. The vehicle is expected to sell in the $500,000+ range. [Kruse]
- Check out three clips from the upcoming three-disc Collector’s Edition of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", which hits store shelves next week and several new never-before-seen photos at this link. SCI FI Wire also has a look into the special features of the DVD/Blu-ray at this link.
- 2K Games has announced that the PS3 version of "Bioshock" will be released in North America on October 21st and internationally on October 24th. The game will feature some new features not in the PC and Xbox 360 versions, including a new "Survivor" difficulty mode. [1Up]
- David Michelinie, who has been tasked along with Bob Layton to write "Iron Man: The End", gave Comic Book Resources a glimpse into what’s to be expected on the comic book.
- Click on the following titles for details on their upcoming DVD or Blu-ray (or both) releases: "Knight Rider: The Complete Series", "Halloween", "Firefly: The Complete Series", "Reaper: Season One", "Hellboy II: Curse of the Golden Army", "The Incredible Hulk", "300" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian".
SCI-FI RATINGS
| Top 10 SF&F Broadcast Shows | HH Rating/Share |
| 1) Ghost Whisperer (R) |
3.4/7 |
| 2) Fear Itself |
2.6/5 |
| 3) Eli Stone (R) | 1.6/3 |
| 4) Smallville (R) | 1.2/2 |
| 5) Supernatural (R) | 1.1/2 |
| 6) Reaper (R) | 0.7/1 |
7/28/2008 to
8/3/2008 – Source: Nielsen Media Research
| Top 10 SF&F Syndicated Shows | Rating |
| 1) Stargate SG-1 | 0.9 |
| 2) Star Trek | 0.8 |
| 3) The Dead Zone | 0.6 |
| 4) Stargate Atlantis | 0.6 |
7/28/2008 to
8/3/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
| Top 10 SCI FI CHANNEL Shows | Rating |
| 1) Eureka | 2.1 |
| 2) Ghost Hunters International | 1.6 |
| 3) Dragon Wars |
1.5 |
| 4) ECW |
1.4 |
| 5) Heatstroke |
1.3 |
| 6) Stargate Atlantis |
1.3 |
| 7) Dragon Sword |
1.1 |
| 8) Scare Tactics | 1.0 |
| 9) Doctor Who | 1.0 |
| 10) Star Trek: The Next Generation | 0.9 |
7/28/2008 to
8/3/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
Sucks Atlantis is cancelled.
Sci Fi on TV is so bad right now.
“There’s a RUMOR going around that Tom Rothman is going around “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” director Gavin Hood in an attempt to make the movie more kid-friendly.”
Yes! Please wreck this movie! More audience for Trek the following week!
#3
that would SUCk.
Imagine a “kid-friendly” wolverine.
Old yellow costume
he’d be all, “Rawr, it’s not nice to kidnap people and turn them into mutants, but I forgive you.” then there would be a musical scene.
In doing that, XMO: Wolverine, would effectivly become the next Batman & Robin
I wish DS9 and other Treks could have got into the TV movie business (especially DS9 … then I could have been resurrected after the riots).
#5
i think all the series deserve a TV movie (except Voyager) to give them a good sendoff. DS9, ENT, and TNG Series finale’s (Nemesis for TNG) sucked.
So maybe if JJ does good, Paramount could do that.
:D
SCIFI network wants space operas???
CAPTAIN RIKER!
Summer Glau, Yay!!
Well, it’s a darn good thing that Dark Knight didn’t actually SAY that Dent was dead. If it isn’t on screen, then that means that, if they want to, the writers can BRING HIM BACK– WHICH THEY SHOULD!!! It’s just WRONG to kill off someone who’s SUPPOSED to be a recurring character….
7, the only reason SciFi wants “space operas” is because that kind of storytelling worked with BSG. This “space opera” storytelling is one of the reasons I’m not a fan of BSG, therefore I’m not looking forward to SciFi’s new “space operas.”
5, DS9’s “What You Leave Behind” was a great episode and Series Finale, TNG’s “All Good Things…” was a great episode but not a great series finale, “Generations” was a better series finale but a weaker story. ENT’s “These Are The Voyages…” had a great title but a mediocre story and it was a terrible series finale because it did not focus on the ENT crew half as much as they should have. The last TNG film “Nemesis” was a good movie but it also was the second weakest TNG film, “Generations” being the weakest TNG film. With that said both “Generations” and “Nemesis” were excellent compared to the worst Trek film “The Final Frontier” and the incredibly slow “The Motion Picture.”
With all that said, I would love to see Trek TV movies so long as it doesn’t replace major motion pictures, such as the movie that’s coming out in May 2009, or any future TV shows.
Stargate Atlantis is a great show, and much better than BSG IMO, and I look forward to Stargate Universe, the new Atlantis TV movies, and the new Stargate Worlds MMORPG.
So, since Enterprise has been successful on Sci Fi, why not make a new t.v. mini series of Enterprise? Operatic in nature and high quality and dramatic, and get an excellent villan and make it a movie for t.v. over 4-5 nights And actually give it a good final story. DS9 and TNG would be to expenssive to produce because of the cost of the actors. The only two that would be feasable would be VOY or ENT. Or some kind of a Captain Riker show, with Troi, Riker, Tuvok, Wesley and a cast of unknowns or they could make an Excelsior show, like George Takei was pushing back in 2001 with George, Grace Lee, and a cast of young people, that would b awesome too. Lets start a letter writing campaign!
“Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes — known as “Batman vs. Superman””
Oh, just until May 9, 2009! LOL!
Dent is dead. Read the script.
I still cant believe that TNG is still in the top 10 at sci fi! and it has been off for over 14 years! So, why did the same people who see it on Scifi go and see Nemesis? Also, in the Nielson thing is ‘Star Trek’ the original? I cant believe that is beats out all the new scifi t.v. shows especially when they put tos-r on at crappy times!
Let’s Just start putting the word “Begins” after all the titles to all these new Movies coming out.
P.S. I can’t wait for “Star Trek Begins” next year.
“Jeff Robinov has now confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the studio will be rebooting the Superman franchise ”
Can’t we legislate some kind of ten-year cooling off period between franchise reboots?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Superman should NOT be dark like BATMAN!!! IDIOTS!!!!
Not every comic film is supposed to be BATMAN!!!
These people are such IDIOTS!!!! I swear!!!!
The problem with Superman Returns was not it’s ties to the Donner films or the “lightness” of it! Typical “throw the baby out with the bathwater” Hollywood thinking!
If they make the next Superman film dark, I won’t go see it! Actually, I thought SR was too dark. There was something…I dunno…not right about the film. Maybe it was the kid. Maybe it was the way Lois Lane was portrayed in the film…but definitely something askew about that one.
Get rid of the kid and make it MORE like the two Donner films — not LESS.
What bunch of morons.
I am a true Superman fan and I don’t want them SCREWING with one of my comic book and film (the two Donner directed films, Superman I and II) passions!
It doesn’t need rebooting! Only some tweaks here and there.
Kickass article as usual, Rosario. Thank you!
That Sleestak looks like a pre-historic Howard the Duck.
17: You said it! Typical moron Hollywood sheep. I loved ‘Dark Knight’ and saw it three times… But I don’t want to see the ‘[Dark] Man of Steel.’ Idiots! God, I hope they at least keep Brandon Routh. He was great… it’s the script for SR that failed him.
17. Redjac,
They want to reboot Superman in the BB/TDK style for a very simple reason: people responded to it and it was hugely successful. I’m not saying it’s a good idea creatively but I guess that’s the likely motivation.
19. Jackson Roykirk,
Is it just me or does Will Farrell look like he’s standing next to a Sleestak action figure? I hope the Sleestaks look better on screen than in this picture, because the Sleestak just looks fake.
Well, Elrond…I hope more people think like you and I on this one.
Routh was great! About the best we could’ve hoped for since even if Reeve had been healthy and alive he would’ve been too old to play Supes.
Yeah, the script for SR needed work. I think four things hurt the film:
1.) The kid.
2.) Lois acting like she didn’t care about Supes.
3.) Lois’ boyfriend.
4.) Luthor’s scheme for more “land”.
Those things effectively ruined the atmosphere and “light” feeling the film could have had.
As for “dark”, they killed Superman and brought him back in SR. How much darker can they make it? Having him skulk around at night in some kind of dark blue skin-tight plastic-y suit would be ridiculous and SO NOT Superman!
If people can’t go back and read the CLASSIC Superman comics (hell, even as late as the 70’s) and see what Superman is about then I’d rather they not even bother making Superman films.
I’d rather the property stay in limbo rather than making a film that is the equivalent to spraying graffiti on the Mona Lisa.
#21 — Well, then they should just make more BATMAN films!
I just don’t think they should paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa by turning Superman into something it shouldn’t be (or it’s creators didn’t intend for it to be).
They could make a Batman film every other year if they wanted to, thus satiating the audience who likes dark superhero films.
Although Spiderman is Marvel, at least they had a good reason for making Spiderman 3 darker — at least in that film, they were dealing with a dark character (Venom) who was established in the comics. Even so, Sam Raimi and Co., didn’t “re-imagine” the character of Spiderman.
It was true to the films that came before — and the comic books…
SG:Universe doesn’t sound a thing like “Voyager,” really, other than that the cast is aboard a spaceship that’s somewhere they don’t want to be.
The crew on “Voyager,” among other things, were completely in control of their spaceship and on a pretty determined course back to the Federation – they knew exactly where they were, where the Federation was, and where they were going.
“Universe” involves a group of people who have no control over where they’re going, on a vessel they didn’t build and presumably don’t really understand (else they’d have more control over it).
So, wheres the resemblance?
I think the resemblance is there in that the SG franchise is moving to a ship-based show instead of a station based show. In addition we have a ship cut off from Earth and its infrastructure encountering new aliens, etc.
The key to making a darker toned Superman movie is to make only the villans darker, say Brainiac or Darkside. Superman himself however cannot be made into a darker character or else he would no longer be Superman. After all, Superman is supposed to be the ultimate boyscout, thats who he is. Boyscouts are not dark.
Also, I agree that Bandon Roth wile no Critopher reeves, was a good SuperMan. the problem with keeping him however is that the filmakers would be obligated to keep the kid and all other baggage from SR because no matter how many changes they make in casting, tone and style, people will assotiate the new film to SR simply because Roth is still playing him.
Either Brainiac or Darkseid would be great villains. Those are the ones I was hoping for…
I still think they should keep Routh though. If they drop all the other things about SR (the kid for example) they will still question things changing from the last film.
I don’t think there is any getting around that.
The more I see and read about Land of the Lost the less I want to see it. And I still think warner Brothers is making a mistake by not jumping on the idea for a Batman/Superman Movie. ah well.
#26: “In addition we have a ship cut off from Earth and its infrastructure encountering new aliens, etc.”
Yeah, but that was “Star Gate: Atlantis” for – what, a year? Someone over at TrekBBS joked that they give SG:Universe about twelve weeks before they wind up in orbit around Earth to pull Richard Dean Anderson in as a guest star. LOL
Superman Returns did suck, so I’m glad their doing a reboot (hopefully with a new cast). I welcome a darker Superman.
Also, Two-Face died? Why would they do that? It was a crappy death too. I thought Two-Face was going to be in the third film.
As some others have stated I think it’s a terrible idea to soften up Wolverine. I just see that being a disaster like X-3 was.
As a mild fan of the Potter films I think it’s a downer it’s moved also. It just seems like a Christmas movie to me.
And the Superman film………..as I’ve said on other forums other places…..how much darker, dull, boring, and depressing can they make this next one? I thought Singer’s was pretty depressing. I love his aesthetic sense of color scheme from his other movies but it didn’t work for this Superman.
Superman, at least as he’s been re-imagined on the latest cartoons (along with Justice League)…and the way they portray Metropolis is more like a west coast city like Los Angeles. Bright and sunny. I think that’s a good approach. I don’t think dark works for a movie like this You can have intrigue and drama in a setting like that. Boy! Hollywood loves to throw the word “dark” around.
Let’s put this franchise in the hands of the Justice League cartoon crew. They seem to have a good handle on a great many of DC’s properties. And they do it episode after episode.
Would love to see some pictures of movie coming out in May 2009. The film is called STAR TREK!!!!!!
geez…
Land of the Lost?
Really? Just when I thought things couldn’t go lower.
My biggest fear about the ST movie is that it will panned by the mainstream audience as yet another rehash of ideas from a creatively-bankrupt Hollywood.
32
“dark” is the new “edgy.” lol
If they are rebooting “Superman”, they at least should show some respect to those who actually like “Returns” and wait a couple of years, even because while not the success they expected, it was not a complete flop… And this reboot must be REALLY well done if they don’t want a Speed Racer level of fiasco… Doing a new movie so soon, it will be hard to accept a complete new cast… and what about the music score? I can’t imagine a Superman movie without the classic John Willians theme (which I suspect they would drop)… Honestly, I’d rather see at least one more movie following “Returns” continuity, to close a cycle, so to speak, then wait a few eyars for a reboot…
William Petersen, just sayin’…
Superman needed Tom Welling. Perhaps the next movie will be wise to use him. I’d like to see a Superman movie set in Smallville’s future. Nothing need be so specific as referencing the events of Smallville beyond the “usual canon” of Superman…. A film that somewhat fit the original Chris Reeve version would be wonderful: plus, Reeve enjoyed Welling…
#30 Add to that… remember when Star Trek (TOS) had in the writers’ bible that the USS Enterprise was usually unable to contact HQ, that a ships’ captain had to have the ability to make decisions. Then we got “Uhura open a channel to Starbase 47” type communications. Star Trek never recovered ;)
So, can we call the next Superman, “Superman Really Returns”? :) Perhaps it can start with Welling’s Clark Kent waking up saying “Mom, I had this really strange dream I’d gone away to Krypton for years, come back and had had a kid with Lois who didn’t know I was the dad…” Maybe Victoria Principal is available.
Wow! A Superman origin story! Golly! Its genius! I think they should do a 3 hour movie based on his life on Krypton. From birth until the launch. There are many interesting stories to be told from that time in his life. His first doody, Kryptonian diapers and wipes, his first spit up, wow, now that would be a movie! I would just love to be re-re-re-re and re- introduced to all the characters again. And Superman could fight Lex Luthor. We havent seen Luthor enough.Enough of the rebooting already. Superman Returns did its job to reaquaint us. They should just move forward with what they have and introduce new villains in the mix that will push Superman to his limits and without Kryptonite.
I never got into that entire Stargate franchise. I tried watching them, but they just went all over the place.
Sci-Fi series are so geared to the young crowd. I long for adult shows that don’t insult my intelligence. I don’t watch any of these abominations. Network TV makes me want to hurl. Logos, constant advertising for upcoming shows, frequent commercials, asinine characters and inane dialog.
Superman Returns, while far from perfect, treated the character seriously and portrayed him for what he is. As much stick as Singer has gotten for his film, he understood the character and his vision of Superman was infinitely preferable to the dodged bullets that would have been the Tim Burton Superman (the freakish outsider in black), the JJ Abrams Superman (where Krypton never blew up and Lex Luthor was an alien), and the McG Superman with Brendan Fraser.
Alas, the die apparently having been cast, I just hope Warners don’t kick Routh to the curb. He was just about perfect and liked by everyone but the Smallville fanatics. But a “dark” Superman in a film that explores his “evil side” … no thanks. I prefer Superman to be true blue.
I’m inclined to agree here. Superman and Batman are different types of superheroes. I agree there were some weak aspects to “Superman Returns,” but I think Singer did a very fine job with it. I’d hate to see Donner’s Superman get swept under the rug. The raw thrills of “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” worked for Batman since that’s how he was, but you can’t make every single superhero movie like that.
steve623, yeah those other concepts really stunk. The definitive two Superman movies are I and II. What worked for Chris Nolans’ Batmans will not work for Superman.
41 – Just because Superman Returns was less bad than those abysmal alternatives does not mean it wasn’t bad: it was. “Portrayed him for what he is”? A brooding stalking peeping tom deadbeat dad? Since when was Superman any of that?
If the success of The Dark Knight has any reason, it is was because it was true to the character of Batman and had the spirit of verisimilitude, just like Donner’s credo when making Superman: The Movie.
These studio executives make wide stabs in the dark, not really getting it. Some movies of late have been exceptions, Iron Man and Batman, for example, because they are made by people who get it. Superman should not be darker, they tried that in SR and it was crap. Be true to the character, don’t try any post modern psychobabble crap, just be true to the character of Superman.
A new Superman film? Keep Routh and bring in new villians, like Brainiac!
Get a better director!
Lex Luthor has been done to death……drop the character and move on!
As I remember there was prior talks for a darker “broodier” Superman prior to Singer’s arrival which Kevin Smith wrote an infuriating piece about the subject. These poor studio people have a serious bad case of “Batman envy”. Let Singer improve upon a well intentioned (if flawed) Superman Returns!
41- oh, I had forgotten about JJ’s Superman…makes me slightly pessimistic about Star Trek again. >:>{
Routh could be good as Superman but SR never gave us a chance to tell.
I think TDK was very “realistic” for a comic adaption. I really enjoyed it, I love the dark style and Heath’s Joker just creeped the crap out of me. But Superman was never supposed to be that dark. Batman yes, that movie needs to be dark (this is why BM forever and BM & R just sucked). But Superman is a very very different charakter.
TDK worked fine for me, but the same tone in a Superman film? That would be like the 3rd Spiderman film, that one just took itself soooo seriously it was ridiculous. I liked the Donner films.
#47
Agreed. Every superhero can be portraied in a realistic way, but the tone and the mood of the stories have to be in tune with the character. Batman is dark by nature. Superman is not.
Happy to see Stargate Atlantis go, that show had it all wrong right from the start. The main antagonist “the wraith” are a joke the green slimy skin and how they hisss and open their mouth wide and then squeal every time they get screen time is disgusting. This series had nothing to work with from the beginning right from the choice of actors.
Glad to see they realised their error, and are making way for a new show, with a clean slate.
sorry guys but i remember tom welling say he’d —never–get into the spandex/watever-the-hell-the-superman returns-version-was-made-of suit…however this does bring up the point that supermans outfit needs a major redesign…in reality if superman flew around in his famous suit, everyone would call him gay LOL he needs a suit rather batman-like but along a superman color-scheme…or maybe something leather-oriented without the red underwear on the outside
as for stargate universe: THE POINT OF STARGATE WAS USING THE GATE NOT A SHIP…THE SHIPS WERE MEANT TO BE SECONDARY…oh man sg:universe is gonna freakin SUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKK
as for the next batman…the general fan fave idea for its villian is harley quinn as played by kristen bell, catwoman played by hayden panettiere or zoe saldana (depending on which version of catwoman they go with), and david tennant as the riddler XDXDXD oh yes i can DEFINITELY see THAT xdxdxdxd….
given story setup from the dark knight i’d say we’re looking at harley quinn and the riddler…aside from the joker (rip heath ledger; may the prophets guide you) the riddler’s the only villian best-suited to harleys style…though at some point id love to see a batman film where as portrayed in a graphic novel, batman goes against a vampire batman :)
as for the new superman being darker…we live in a darker world…superman must adapt…plus, its common knowledge that supermans got lots of internal conflict so it could work, if done the right way…but yes, never as dark as batman…
heres a twist for new superman casting: zach quinto LOL as superman XDXDXD ooooh on a serious note how bout milo ventimiglia as superman?
on an unrelated note i heard a rumor that david tennant is thinking of leaving doctor who when it returns in 2010…if he does, there arent many i can think of who could fill the role who’re british…maybe tom hardy? xdxdxdxd