Superman To Get The (Re)Boot
It was an astonishingly quick progression from rumor to development to decision, but the WB is going to give Superman the Incredible Hulk treatment.
Warner Bros Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that they plan on rebooting the Superman movie series.
"Superman [Returns] didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," said 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. But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."
The plan is to release four comic book movies in the next three years--a third Batman, a new Superman, and two other unnamed DC characters. Robinov also confirmed that Warner Bros plans to do single-hero films and then create crossover stories, likely with a Justice League flick.
It appears Warner wants to model all future DC movies--including Superman--on "the same brooding tone as The Dark Knight." Robinov feels that "exploring the evil side to characters" is the way to approach all the DC characters. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it."
Robinov also said he expects at least two DC tentpole releases by 2011.
[From a report by ELISABETH RAPPE.]