Movies
How to make a Superman movie
Fan Reactions
Here are some emails I've received in reply to my article "How to make a Superman movie". Feel free to email me with your own thoughts on this topic.
David A Hubbard - Age: 37 - (dhubbard@mistsofavalon.com)
Superman is more then a typical icon. Superman will be to future generations what the God's of Olympus have been to the human experience. While I think Nicolas Cage is one of the finest actors of this age, I must admit that he falls short when it comes to filling these famous tights. Superman is larger then life. Dean Cane's portrayal of the man in red and blue, I thought, was wonderful. However, I do not believe this mild mannered actor has the ability to play him on the big screen. (Sorry Dean.) He has been there and done that.
A newcomer would be great! If this newcomer's performance was supported with a cast of incredible actors, it can be the best Superman Movie yet. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luther... Spellbinding! Now there is an actor!
So who do I pick? It must be a man of deep convictions and good character. One of the reason's Christopher Reeve pulled it off so well was because he has the moral fiber to support it as does Dean Cane. "With great power comes greater responsibility." Superman helped to shape my moral character. I hope Hollywood heeds the cries of those of us who hold the "Man of Steel" as the ideal male role model. Heck, if I were 6'4", fit and had a jaw line "of steel" I would be in Hollywood right now trying out for the role myself.
UrkAngiJordi - (eric.angela@starpower.net)
Take a dash of Superman: The Animated Series. Throw in three heaping cups of Disney/Tokyo high calibre movie quality animation. Add several cups of milky good Oscar stars with the voices. Mix it together with some sounds from today's hottest artists. And bake with comic versions of Mongul, Cyborg, Brainiac, and Doomsday. Serve with the wedding of Lois and Clark, and you get a terrific movie for the whole family (and makings of a trilogy). Enjoy!
A Friend - (zoharl@kalel.com)
First in order to make a good Superman movie, they should let me either write the script, or the main concept, and be done with Superman 1 and 2 in mind. Same look and feel. The biggest mistake would be to try and make the whole Death of Superman saga into a 2 hour movie. Just get a good plot, good characters and the rest will fall into place, there is no reason to put all the little (or big) details in it.
Second, the movie should START with the death of Superman, and the announcer reading the exact text from the last pages of Superman #75 (like weary boxers etc.). We see all the important people in Superman's life, the Kents, Lois, maybe even the bruised JLA, and setup the fact that he is earths last hope (it could be done, and could be done good). A very dramatic, dark, mean, scene. They should fight, slow motion, shadows, a real nasty fight, but not show a lot, just assumed violence. Seeing the road break, feeling the city shake.
The scene ends with the cover of of the trade paper back, Lois holding Superman's dead body, the camera panning and spinning above, keeping them in the middle until they disappear.
Third, there is no way they could make such a movie with all those main characters.
The movie should be about Lois, and the Kents, with the Eradicator and the Cyborg (working with Luthor as the two main villains), playing big, and important but supporting roles.
The first hour should be like so:
Opening credits: the fight with Doomsday.
30 min. funeral.
30 min. of establishing how bad the Eradicator is, and how good the Cyborg is (the Eradicator acts like Bronson in Death Wish, and steals Superman's body).
The biggest scene will be the funeral, with every hero in the DC universe present, politicians, VIP's, media hogs, and more. Batman should NOT do the eulogy, but the POTUSA should (how about Christopher Reeve for this part).
Next, the Eradicator and the Cyborg will throw the audience into a twist, the Cyborg destroys a state to make his "motor city", and the Eradicator brings Superman back to life, estublishing the fact that he is a solar battery.
And now... A really big fight, where the Eradicator dies, Supes kicks Cyborg butt (with the black custom and lots of laser vision), while Lois helps him remember who he is, and supplying information about the city (from a remote location). Even though Superman is weak, he'll manage every now and than to go up for breath (sunshine) and lure the Cyborg closer to a place with light, regain his streangh.
The movie ends like Superman 1 did, flying into space looking at the sunset.
OK, casting. Let's stay realistic, there is no way we can bring 10,000 stars into this, and my "wish list" is too long. But we do need all of the JLA and DCU heroes to be in this one. If Keaton could make an appearance, it would be nice. Doomsday should be computer generated (he has a small roll anyway), and if Supergirl is in it, I would like to see Roma Downey with computer generated wings of fire.
Superman Ben Affleck or an unknown.
Lois Lane Bridgette Fonda, Uma Thurman, someone classic with a classic look who could act.
Luthor I'd love to see Kevin Spacey in this one.
Eradicator Michael Ironside.
Cyborg no clue.
And you got to stick Sean Connery some where in there also.
John Pipia - (Jpx98@aol.com)
I think that WB should go with either Dean Cain or Tim Daly but with Cage out of picture I think the best run is to go with an unknown especially if Tim or Dean didn't want to play the part, so overall I say go with someone new and a person that looks similar to Superman and not a Big Time Movie Star that has thinning hair and doesn't look any where close to the Man Of Steel.
As far Characters and plot go if it's going to be based on "Death of Superman" then number one you have the four Supermen Pretenders (Cyborg), (Superboy), (Steel) and (The Eradicator). Also cameos of the Heroes fighting Doomsday, the Heroes at his services, and the four carrying his casket and Batman saying the eulogy. Also you have the scientist and of course Doomsday himself and the Energy Being he fights in the beginning and the Priest and all minor characters, such as the Director of Camdus, Guardian, Supergirl, and Tana Moon and all the reporters and may be the News Boy Legion. And last but not least Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Maybe the News Boy Legion could be left out.
I think if you base it on that storyline you have all of the above in the movie. As far as Plot goes you have to go as close as you can with the comic book, maybe leaving minor points out such as Jonathan Kent having a heart attack and preventing Clark/Superman from going to Kryptonain gods and into their after life, that may have been important in the comic but you could get away with leaving it out of the movie. Minor things like that but that's about it, any more and the story gets choppy and goes away from the true storyline and that also means not leaving out Superboy or Steel. The only characters that should NOT be in the movie are Lex Luthor, because even though he had a part in the comic it was minor and not central to the story line. And another character that has no business being in the movie is Brainiac. First of all he was never in the "Death of Superman", and only after Superman is back to life does Brainiac show up in the storyline "Dead Again" in, which he makes people think Superman is Dead when he makes people think they see a short haired dead Superman and makes the people think the Real Superman (now with long hair) is just another pretender.
Now if you wanted to do a second movie leaving off from the last one, at the end of Superman Lives people see a short haired dead Superman and you See Brainiac in the background, fine but as far as Superman Lives goes he has no part in the movie and should not be in it to begin with.
That's my thoughts on the new Superman Movie based on "The Death of Superman". Who should play him and the characters who should and should not be in the movie.