2009 Movie News Archives
September 30, 2009: Tim Daly Talks "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies"
Tim Daly reprises benchmark role as Man of Steel in "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies""Private Practice" actor returns to "Superman: The Animated Series" role for all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie available today, Sept. 29
For most fans, Tim Daly patented the All-American trust within the voice of the title character for the landmark Superman: The Animated Series. Daly returns to his heroic roots today as the Man of Steel in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The film is available today, Sept. 29, in Blu-Ray Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, a single disc DVD, OnDemand, Pay-Per-View and for download.
Beyond his 52 episodes and several movies as the voice of Superman, the Emmy nominated actor has had a prolific career on television as the star of numerous series, most recently continuing as Dr. Pete Wilder on ABC's Private Practice and most notably for eight seasons as Joe Hackett on NBC's Wings. The New York City native, who made his feature film debut in Barry Levinson's 1982 classic Diner, has also had plum guest starring roles on The Sopranos and From The Earth To The Moon.
Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation presents the all-new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies in a Blu-Ray Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video is distributing the action-packed movie today, which is also available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download.
In Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his "partner in crime," Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite - and recruit help - to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor's devious plot to take command of far more than North America.
Here's an all-new clip from "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies," and below are a few new images from the film. The clip features the voices of Tim Daly (Private Practice) as Superman, Xander Berkeley (24, NBC's upcoming Day One) as Captain Atom, Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives) as Major Force and Allison Mack (Smallville) as Power Girl.
Click here to download the 30mb Quicktime file.
Daly found time away from the Private Practice set to answer a heroic number of questions regarding his longstanding connection with the Man of Steel.
Mania.com also has the following exclusive video clip from the animated movie...
ComicBookResources.com also has an exclusive interview with writer Stan Berkowitz.
QUESTION: Can you recall your initial audition for Superman?
TIM DALY: Yes, I remember it very well. The wife of one of the writers on Wings knew Andrea (Romano, casting/dialogue director), and, I guess they had been having trouble casting (Superman) for some reason. I don't really know why. She suggested me and I came in and read for them, and they sort of hired me in the room. I was just shocked, but I was thrilled, because it was Superman. And, you know, if someone's got to keep America safe for democracy, it might as well be me (he laughs).
QUESTION: What are the challenges to voicing Superman?
TIM DALY: Superman is a real boy scout, a real straight arrow, and yet he does have certain moments of kind of ironic humor. The challenge is not to tip him into cynicism because he is not a cynical guy. He is truth, justice and the American way. He is about trying to do the right thing and trying to be earnest about his goodness. What makes him fun are those little moments where he reveals that he actually does have a sense of humor.
Also, Superman has always gotten the crap kicked out of him by various laser beams, electrical force fields, bombs, kryptonite and new weapons - so there's a lot of grunting and straining and screaming noises that you have to do. There is so much punching and fighting that I find myself standing in front of the music stand and the microphone, pinching myself and torque-ing my body around as if I'm getting punched or straining against someone or grabbing someone by the scruff of the neck. The key is to push out of your mind the embarrassment of what it would look like if someone actually saw you do that in your shorts and flip-flops when you're supposed to be the Man of Steel.
I think probably the most fun I have as Superman was in the episodes with Superman and Bizarro, where he changes into this sort of idiot Superman and his whole demeanor sort of changes. He's not really deviously bad, or not consciously bad, but he does a lot of bad things because he can be manipulated - of course, by Lex Luthor.
QUESTION: What do you bring to Superman?
TIM DALY: I guess the actual embodiment of that character (he laughs) - no, I'm kidding. I ain't no Superman (laughs). I guess I bring whatever little quirks make him more real. I like to think that this is my wheelhouse Superman. Whenever you reprise something, you hopefully reinvent it a little bit. If I had portrayed Superman as a live action person, I would really have wanted to know that there was a new spin on the ball.
QUESTION: You've been away from the role for a while - did recording Public Enemies present any new revelations about the character and doing the voice?
TIM DALY: The most surprising thing about it was that I missed it. I found that I really had missed doing Superman. I thought that particular script was really good. For those of us who are interested and aware of new certain things in our world and our country, I think that it presents a very kind of subtle social commentary which I think is cool and relatively bold for something that's a DVD release of a Superman animated project.
QUESTION: How did recording with Kevin Conroy influence your performance?
TIM DALY: Voicing animation is always interesting because you don't have to all be in the room together. It can be done separately. But it's always better when you're in the room because then you're responding to someone else. Kevin is such a good Batman and, unlike Superman, Batman is pretty cynical. He's of darker character. When you have those two flavors playing off each other in real time, there's a lot more sizzle to it. You're not in a vacuum. So being in the studio together is definitely helpful.
QUESTION: True or false - did you beat out Kevin Conroy for the role of Joe Hackett in Wings?
TIM DALY: All I know is that we both screen-tested for the part on the same day. The screen test was odd because I was there, and we were sort of observing each other. We both screen-tested with Steve Webber, who apparently had the role (of Brian). What I remember the most about the aftermath of that is Webber coming up to me as we were shooting the pilot and saying, "Hey, Tim, great to meet you. I could've sworn I was going to be working with Kevin Conroy." I was like, "Oh, well, thanks, buddy boy. It's going to be a great eight years." And I still can't get rid of him. I had dinner with him two nights ago.
The sad part is I think he was serious. I think he was telling me that he thought I was not going to get the part. He was like, "Hi. You know what? I really thought you sucked in the screen test. I'm so surprised you're here."
QUESTION: Did you enjoy the "buddy cop" aspect of the film?
TIM DALY: Superman and Batman have a good flavor to them, much like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in the 48 HRS movies. They're sort of thrown into a situation where they have got to respond to a dilemma and they have very different points of view about how to deal with it, but ultimately they bond as a team. And it's funny having these two guys who are so different working for the same cause.
QUESTION: When you were first cast as Superman, did you understand the importance of the character to the world, and were you surprised by the fan reaction?
TIM DALY: I admit to my own shame that I took it just on a lark. I thought, "Oh, this would be fun." And then I started to realize that Superman actually meant a lot to a lot of people. I feel badly that I didn't take a moment to understand that I actually have a greater responsibility than I thought I did. I understand that now, and I enjoy my responsibility and have more of a profound sense of it.
Every once in a while, someone comes up to me and says, "Excuse me, are you Tim Daly?" And I say yes and they say "I have to tell you, I am such a huge fan of yours, and my favorite work of yours is the voice of Superman." I'm always sort of surprised when that happens - I used to think that it was all about the kids watching those animated shows, and who did the voices didn't really enter their consciousness. But there are people that it means a lot to and I'm always a little bit taken aback by that. And I'm thrilled when that happens.
QUESTION: Which character do you gravitate toward: Batman or Superman? And why?
TIM DALY: I like Superman better. Not just because I play him, but I think because I'm a little bit of an idealist and Superman is, too. He's a little bit more pure. He's about saying that good can win, that you can have goodness be the order of the day. Batman is somewhat more realistic in terms of the human psyche because he's a little more tortured - he's darker, more cynical and more street savvy than this strange guy that landed in a cornfield in Kansas. But for the purposes of having a super hero, I think having someone be good is more satisfying for me.
QUESTION: Is there something you consciously do to put that sense of trust in your voice as Superman?
TIM DALY: It's acting 101. I see what Superman is supposed to say, and then I say it as truthfully and straightforward as I possibly can. It's always more fun to play villains and there's a lot more latitude, but it's way more difficult to play the good guy - especially someone as squeaky clean and straightforward and All-American as Superman. You really have to commit to the idea that this guy believes in his mission, that he's telling the truth and that he's looking somebody in the eye and giving it to him straight. It's surprisingly difficult to do.
QUESTION: You may not be Superman in real life, but you do act as a super hero in representing The Creative Coalition, right?
TIM DALY: I'm not Superman. No, I'm just me. One of the great things about cartoons is that they're not real - you're not watching real people and it engages your imagination. One of the cornerstones of America is that we are creative thinkers. We're innovators. And in order to continue to be innovators, we need to train the creative minds of our children.
The Creative Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan arts advocacy group. It's made up of people who have attained a high level of visibility in the entertainment world, and we have two essential missions. Our core mission is to promote federal funding for arts and public education and freedom of speech. The other thing that we do is we use in a responsible way this notoriety that we've gained to focus attention on issues of public importance that affect everybody, issues that otherwise might have a little more difficulty getting the attention they deserve. I personally became involved because I believe that it is vital to the survival of our culture to have arts be part of the public school curriculum. I could spew tons of boring data - but the bottom line is that when you're teaching a child, you have to teach the entire child. Kids that study the arts are better mathematicians and scientists and politicians ... and voice actors. They're not just better artists.
QUESTION: In conjunction with everything else you've done as Superman, can you envision how the fans will embrace this film?
TIM DALY: I think that, interestingly enough, this particular film will work on a pure light entertainment level because there's all the fighting and characters and technological things involved. But there's also this subtle social commentary that I think that people who are more thoughtful or sort of discerning about that the progress of Superman over the years will be very interested in. I think that a lot of people will love it. Other people might be a little discomforted by it, which I think is great to stir things up a little bit.
QUESTION: And finally - I've heard that you not only like Bugs Bunny, but regularly quote him. True?
TIM DALY: You cannot go wrong with Bugs Bunny. He's the coolest cartoon character ever. I quote him all the time. There's a hotel in New York - Le Parker Meridien - and they used to have old Bugs Bunny cartoons playing on the TV in the elevator, and I would find myself staring at the cartoons. My floor would get there and I would just push a different button so I could finish - I'd just go up 20 more floors so I could finish watching the Bugs Bunny cartoon.
2009 Movie News
Listed below are all the Movie News items archived for 2009 organized into various categories:New Movie News:
- January 6, 2009: WB Seeking Superman Villain For Next Superman Movie
- January 8, 2009: Warner Bros. Has All DC Films On Hold
- February 5, 2009: Superman Franchise Still High on Time Warner Agenda
- February 9, 2009: McG's Thoughts on Rebooting Superman
- February 11, 2009: Wachowski Brothers Approached for Superman Trilogy
- February 17, 2009: No Superman For Wachowski Brothers?
- February 19, 2009: Wachowski Movie Rumor Debunked Again
- February 20, 2009: Legendary Pictures Lists Superman Unleashed
- February 23, 2009: Superman Unleashed Under Development
- March 5, 2009: Brandon Routh Talks Next Superman Movie
- March 19, 2009: Mark Millar Moves on from Superman Movie
- May 30, 2009: Smith Says Abrams Should Make Superman Reboot
- June 1, 2009: Bryan Singer's Vague Answer on Superman
- July 20, 2009: Is Warner Bros. Preparing a Bizarro Superman Movie?
- July 20, 2009: Who Was Mark Millar's Superman Director?
- July 24, 2009: Spacey, Huntington and Routh Talk Superman Movie
- July 26, 2009: Variety Article on DCU Movies
- July 30, 2009: Dave Gibbons' Thoughts on Next Superman Movie
- July 30, 2009: Brandon Routh Video Interview
- July 31, 2009: Superman Movie Director/Producer Rumor
- August 7, 2009: James McTeigue Vague on Superman Movie Involvement
- August 21, 2009: James McTeigue's Thoughts on Superman Movie
- August 25, 2009: McTeigue Wants a Darker Superman
- September 15, 2009: Mark Millar Talks Superman... Again
- September 16, 2009: No Superman Movie Plans at DC Entertainment
- September 17, 2009: On-Going Litigation Blamed for No Superman Movie Plans
- September 21, 2009: Mark Millar Denies MTV Comments
- September 27, 2009: Fans Want a Superman Movie Before Any Other
- October 2, 2009: James McTeigue Elaborates on his Superman Movie Ideas
- October 27, 2009: JJ Abrams Says Returning to Superman Would Be A Blast
- November 26, 2009: Superman Movie Franchise Still On Hold
- November 26, 2009: Kevin Spacey Still Interested in Superman Movie
- May 5, 2009: Tarantino a Big Fan of Superman Returns
- May 22, 2009: Executive Producer Talks Superman Returns
- June 3, 2009: Superman Movies Showing in Crystal City, VA
- July 3, 2009: Brandon Routh's Contract Expires
- August 28, 2009: Lois Lane's Sydney House For Sale
- September 9, 2009: Spice Girl Missed Out on Lois Lane Role
- November 14, 2009: Fans Petition for Extended Superman Returns Release
- March 12, 2009: Miller Still on Justice League Movie
- December 24, 2009: Dan Lin Talks Justice League Movie
- January 8, 2009: Harrison Ford Was Considered for Superman
- January 21, 2009: Richard Donner to Receive ACE Award
- February 20, 2009: Superman Celebrities at WonderCon
- March 2, 2009: WonderCon Interview with Jack O'Halloran
- April 10, 2009: Marc McClure on Shokus Internet Radio
- May 12, 2009: Superman III Costume on Auction
- May 26, 2009: Superman III Costume Sells at Auction
- June 3, 2009: Superman Movies Showing in Crystal City, VA
- July 3, 2009: Superman Celebrities at Comic Conventions
- July 24, 2009: Cinemaquette Unveil Christopher Reeve Superman Statue
- July 25, 2009: Exclusive Photos of Mattel Chris Reeve Superman and General Zod
- August 3, 2009: Superman: The Movie Screening Re-Scheduled
- August 7, 2009: Wizard World Exclusive Margot Kidder Signed Print
- August 8, 2009: Margot Kidder at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
- August 24, 2009: Superman Celebrity Reunion at Hollywood Show
- September 17, 2009: Gene Hackman Audio Interview
- September 17, 2009: Help Honor Christopher Reeve
- October 13, 2009: Superman Screening at Pinewood Studios
- November 26, 2009: Robert Vaughan Appearing at Gotham Super Collectors Show
- March 14, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Animated Movie
- March 18, 2009: Jeph Loeb Talks Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- June 29, 2009: The Making of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- June 30, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Press Release
- July 1, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Official Website & Cover Artwork
- July 24, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Preview at SDCC DCU Animation Panel
- July 30, 2009: Public Enemies Preview on Green Lantern: First Flight DVD
- August 11, 2009: Back Cover Artwork for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- August 19, 2009: John C. McGinley Talks Metallo on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- August 21, 2009: LeVar Burton Talks Black Lightning in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- August 28, 2009: Stan Berkowitz Talks Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- August 29, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Website Updated
- September 2, 2009: Clancy Brown is Lex Luthor in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- September 5, 2009: More Image from Superman/Batman Public Enemies
- September 11, 2009: New Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Video Clip
- September 14, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Sweeps
- September 15, 2009: New Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Video Clips
- September 16, 2009: Plot & Cast for Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- September 16, 2009: Another Video Clip from Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- September 16, 2009: Official Press Release for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Sweeps
- September 18, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Downloads Available
- September 24, 2009: Kevin Conroy Talks Batman in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- September 26, 2009: New Public Enemies Video Clip and Images
- September 29, 2009: Another Public Enemies Video Clip and More Images
- September 30, 2009: Tim Daly Talks Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- October 1, 2009: Justice League: Crisis of Two Earths Animated Movie
- October 18, 2009: Public Enemies Animated Movie Sequel?
- October 29, 2009: The Making of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- November 13, 2009: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Trailer
- November 24, 2009: Press Release - Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- November 24, 2009: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Opening Title Examined
- November 25, 2009: Crisis on Two Earths DVD and Blu-ray Artwork
- December 3, 2009: Chris Noth Talks Crisis on Two Earths
- December 4, 2009: Crisis on Two Earths DVD & Blu-ray Covers
- December 11, 2009: Pre-Order Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- December 12, 2009: Directors Discuss Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- December 17, 2009: William Baldwin Talks Batman in Crisis on Two Earths
- December 26, 2009: More Crisis on Two Earths Images
- January 15, 2009: McG Would Have Used Doomsday for Superman Villain
- January 21, 2009: Unproduced Movie Scripts Unveiled in Siegel Court Case
- March 3, 2009: Unused Superman Film Concept Art
- March 17, 2009: Max Fleischer's Superman: 1941-1942 DVD Collection
- April 22, 2009: The History Behind Fleischer's Superman
- April 22, 2009: J.J. Abrams on How the Internet Killed Superman
- May 7, 2009: Henry Cavill on Nearly Being Superman
- May 19, 2009: An Historical Look at the Fleischer Superman Cartoons
- June 15, 2009: From The Vault - Interview with Nicolas Cage
- June 18, 2009: The Evolution of Superman's Flight
- June 21, 2009: A Couple of YouTube Videos for the Weekend
- July 8, 2009: Tim Burton's Superman Lives Brainiac Designs
- July 9, 2009: Superman Cameo in Green Lantern Film Still Happening?
- July 15, 2009: Gotham Group to Make Joe Shuster Film Biopic
- July 21, 2009: Last Son Documentary to Screen at Comic-Con
- July 27, 2009: Helen Slater Supergirl Interview
- September 5, 2009: Superwoman Exploited and DC History Examined
- September 10, 2009: Warner Bros. Creates DC Entertainment
- September 10, 2009: Paul Levitz and Diane Nelson Fan Letters
- September 22, 2009: Nicolas Cage as Superman Revealed!
- September 26, 2009: More Tim Burton Superman Lives Concept Art
- November 8, 2009: Superman Lives Chest Symbol Sneak Peek
- December 8, 2009: Helen Slater Talks Supergirl
- December 18, 2009: Is Taylor Swift the Next Supergirl?
- December 24, 2009: Supergirl Movie Rumor Swiftly Shot Down
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