''Superman'' reboot finally in the works

 Deadline Hollywood reports Warner Bros. has approached director Chris Nolan, who resuscitated the Batman franchise with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, to do the same for The Man of Steel. A new Superman movie would completely ignore the events of Superman Returns, which grossed $391 million worldwide but cost a whopping $270 million, in part because the project had so many false starts (remember when Tim Burton wanted Nicolas Cage to star?)

Nolan, who is putting the finishing touches on Inception (due July 16th) and is next slated to start work on a third Batman film, would not direct the Superman picture, but serve instead as a creative consultant and possibly as a credited producer. Bryan Singer, who directed Superman Returns and told me last year he still held out hope to get a shot at making another one, has moved on and is preparing to direct a new X-Men picture.

 Also not returning will be Brandon Routh, whose career has pretty much fizzled since Superman Returns. I really liked the melancholy tone Singer brought to the Superman saga - the biggest problem with Superman Returns was that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) just wasn't enough of a villain - and I would have liked to see what Singer would have done having learned from his mistakes. Now we will never find out.

Don't expect Superman 3.0 in theaters any time soon, though. It will be at least a year, if not more, before a script is written and pre-production on the project begins in earnest.

Comments

[Bridget Carey]

Brandon Routh was an awesome Superman! (And he was the perfect Clark Kent, mimicking Christopher Reeve's mannerisms.) Shame that Singer can't do another one. I thought the movie was great... cept for the whole kid part of the story.

[Justin]

I've come to appreciate the kid. Once you realize that the movie is all about Superman coping with his loneliness, the kid becomes alright. Supes is feeling utterly alone because he confirmed he's the last of his kind, the love of his life has moved on and wrote an article about how the world doesn't need him, and then Lex perverted the last relics of his homeworld for evil. His realization at the end that he has a son and is not alone, is moving. While I can appreciate it all, the movie still falls flat for me. Rene and others always point out a weak villain as the culprit but the pacing was just atrocious and, yes, the stakes probably weren't compelling or interesting enough.

Maybe it was too much of a big budget art film but I don't necessarily think Superman needs an equally powerful super-villain to be compelling. Some of the best stories in the comics have no such thing.

I have no idea what kind of impact Nolan will have but it can't be bad.

[Brad]

Have Tom Welling play Superman!
With Erica Durance as Lois Lane

[Clark Parker]

the secret to the man of steel is Clark Kent, this is why Christopher Reeves will never be replaced, and Tobey mguire was the worst peter parker in the history of peter parkers, so im glad there rebooting spiderman too.

[Capitan Justicia]

Brandon Routh was too stiff and dull to be Superman. He really lacked the charisma Christopher Reeve brought to the role.

[can't fight this feeling anymore]

God, please, no more Superman...Brandon Routh btw was awful, nothing but a pretty boy, no heart, no soul.

[David]

Superman Returns should have been titled "Superman shows up again to stalk Lois and lift objects."

[morphin]

Brandon Routh was a great Superman! Could you imagine Nic Cage ? Goofy receding hair line Superman.