It’s been a quiet January as usual for fanboy and fangirls, and particularly in the wake of the Grey Havens last month. But lots of news out and about today: Terry Gilliam and James Cameron both discuss their next projects (The Brothers Grimm and Untitled Big Idea CGI Sci-Fi respectively), USA Today looks at a number of fantasy projects (including Lemony Snicket, Narnia, Elric, Artemis Fowl, and The Hobbit), and a longer trailer premieres for Frodo (and Charlie Kaufman’s) next project, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, also featuring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, and Mark Ruffalo (previous trailer here.) Also, we’ve got a few more new Spidey II pics, some small Episode III tidbits, and The Ring‘s Martin Henderson possibly up for Superman. (Hmm…I hope not.)
Category: Superman
The Not-So-Subtle Knife.
In less happy movie news, Brett Ratner – recently kicked off of WB’s Superman – is now threatening to screw up Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Pullman’s work aside, a Tom Stoppard screenplay deserves a better director. Can’t you just make Rush Hour 3 or something?
If I ruled the world.
Former Authority scribe Mark Millar offers his vision for revamping Detective Comics. (Via Neilalien.) What with Marvel finally feeling the movie mojo (Daredevil notwithstanding), it’s kinda sad to see DC languish these days. I remember the days when DC/Vertigo were pretty much firing on every cylinder while the X-Men were dinking around the Australian outback and Marvel was trying to garner new readers by having the Secret Wars Beyonder traipsing around dressed like Phillip Michael Thomas. How the mighty have fallen.
Superman Lives!
Great Caesar’s Ghost! Has Kal-El defeated the hacks? Apparently, both Brett Ratner and Michael Bay have now passed on the next Supes flick. And Chris Nolan of Memento is now tackling Batman. Perhaps DC might still throw off the Curse of Schumacher. (Yeah, right.) Update: Agh, Kryptonite! Ratner’s still on.
Kung Fu?
I know I’ve been posting a lot about the Superman fiasco at WB of late, but this review of the JJ Abrams script has to be read to be believed. This script might just be the worst idea for Supes in a long, sordid history of bad ideas. Hasn’t anyone at WB ever watched the Dini animated series?
DC Down, Marvel Up.
While Superman continues to languish over at Warner Brothers, Sony gets Michael Chabon to punch up the script for The Amazing Spiderman. Since so much of Spidey’s appeal is his internal monologue, Chabon sounds like a great choice.
Hack Attack
In the ongoing Superman saga over at Warner Brothers, McG is out and Brett Ratner is in (with Anthony Hopkins as Jor-El). Can’t say that’s much of an upgrade.
Superman lives?
With Superman v. Batman falling by the wayside, WB looks to move a Superman feature instead. The good news is they’re trying to replace McG with David Fincher, Michael Mann, or Steven Soderbergh. The bad news is the screenwriter (J.J. Abrams, of Alias) wants McG.
Paging Wonder Woman?
More trouble on the Supes/Bats film project…director Wolfgang Petersen is apparently doing another project first – he’ll be joining Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Baz Luhrmann, and Ridley Scott in developing yet another Gladiator-esque historical epic, Troy.
Hey Jude (Come back!)
Apparently, Jude Law has dropped out of Superman and Batman (He didn’t want to be forced into Joel Schumacher sequels), to be replaced by Josh Hartnett. Hmmm…not sure if I see it, but it might work.