topics
GreenCine Movie Talk
	In The Theaters I just saw it and boy does it...	318

Batman vs Superman
	Topic by: dwhudson Posted: July 18, 2002 - 9:37 AM PDT Last Reply: September 16, 2002 - 4:54 PM PDT

page  1  2      prev | next

author	topic: Batman vs Superman
dwhudson	post #1  on July 18, 2002 - 9:37 AM PDT   There's an interview this morning with Wolfgang Petersen in the Süddeutsche Zeitung about his next project, Batman vs Superman. In case you hadn't heard, in the wake of the phenomenal success Sony's had with Spider-Man, Warner Bros has suddenly greenlighted a script by Andrew Kevin Walker (who wrote Se7en) which pits the superheroes against each other. WB wants to move fast, announce a cast in a few weeks, start shooting early next year, run it through the CGI processing plant and get it in theaters by the summer of 2004. There are no real scoops in the SZ interview, but there are a few comments I thought I'd pass along. The first to strike me was that Petersen doesn't see either Batman or Superman as characters "all that far from reality." Ok. "Each represents the two souls in our breast," he adds, probably consciously echoing Faust for the German paper. "One is good and noble, the other, dark and melancholy." Which is why he wouldn't have wanted to do a film about just one of them: "I wanted a morality play with each of the main characters representing moral principles." BvsS will not be a "popcorn movie," he insists. "Air Force One, that was a popcorn movie -- a completely constructed spectacle that could never have actually happened. Comics are different. For me, this is a bit of modern mythology, not all that different from classic stories of gods and heroes. Pop culture, yes, but not popcorn." As in other interviews, he says BvsS will be shadowed by Sept 11. The movie will be about a search for morals in a changed world. At the same time, though, he promises flight sequences the likes of which we've never seen before. And on the other hand again, he doesn't want typical action hero-type actors (are there any anymore anyway?), and fortunately, he says, actors that didn't used to be interested in this sort of thing are now. He also talks about his problems getting two other, older projects off the ground. Neither "Endurance", about an expedition to the South Pole, nor his Trojan War movie are getting the go-ahead from studios because he wants budgets exceeding $125 million for each. The budget for BvsS, though, will fly way higher than that of The Perfect Storm ($135 million). So why did WB ok it? "Batman and Superman simply have greater name recognition than Shackleton and Agamemnon. In Air Force One, I brought the US president to the screen. Now, as a German, I'm being entrusted with the greatest American superheroes. You can't beat that."
rakdaddy	post #2  on July 18, 2002 - 12:18 PM PDT   > So why did WB ok it? "Batman and Superman simply have greater name recognition than Shackleton and Agamemnon. In Air Force One, I brought the US president to the screen. Now, as a German, I'm being entrusted with the greatest American superheroes. You can't beat that." Good gravy. Just as long as he doesn't cast Nic Cage as Superman. I dunno whose lame idea that was back when Kevin Smith was first attached to Superman Lives, but here's hoping he was promptly trounced out of Hollywood. But that begs the question: who should play the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight? Christopher Reeve, who I still think did the definitive version, is obviously out. Dean Cain made a great Clark Kent on Lois and Clark, but he was lacking as Superman. That kid on Smallville...please. And, while I liked Michael Keaton as Batman, he didn't seem to hit Bruce Wayne very well. And let's not talk about the other modern Batman films. So...who should don the capes?
dwhudson	post #3  on July 18, 2002 - 2:00 PM PDT   rakdaddy wrote: > So...who should don the capes? Well, this won't answer the question (i.e., who should), but FWIW, Petersen tossed out Matt Damon as an example of the type of actor he's thinking of (and, I think we can safely assume, approaching). He's gotta be thinking Superman there; can the idea of Ben Affleck as Batman be far behind? I think he needs to think more imaginatively. I mean, follow this tangent, and we're right back in Kevin Smith territory again.
rakdaddy	post #4  on July 18, 2002 - 6:23 PM PDT   > On July 18, 2002 - 2:00 PM PST dwhudson wrote: > Well, this won't answer the question (i.e., who should), but FWIW, Petersen tossed out Matt Damon as an example of the type of actor he's thinking of (and, I think we can safely assume, approaching). He's gotta be thinking Superman there; can the idea of Ben Affleck as Batman be far behind? > Gah. Double gah, in fact. Matt Damon? Good gravy, I don't think he can really do the shy, bumbling type (which is what Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are), and I also don't think he can pull off the square-jawed hero. Granted, I haven't seen Bourne Identity, but I'm just not buying his brand of screen charisma. And I'm still holding judgement on Ben Affleck until I've seen Daredevil. But my Spidey Sense is telling me that his stuffed-nose delivery (tell me you don't think he always sounds like he's got a head cold with horrific post-nasal drip every time he speaks) wouldn't cut it for either pair of tights. So...who would? Hell, that gets back to the question of who are the young actors of this generation with the screen presence and chops to be a doof in one shot and a demi-god in the next. Why not Brad Pitt as Batman and Edward Norton as Superman? We know Pitt can play spooky, and Norton is the All-American Boy (he'd just have to deepen his voice a bit more when he's wearing the cape).
rakdaddy	post #5  on July 18, 2002 - 6:24 PM PDT   BTW, is there an English version of that interview floating around on the site, David? Or do we have to wait for you to crank one out? ;-)
oldkingcole	post #6  on July 19, 2002 - 2:09 AM PDT   > On July 18, 2002 - 6:23 PM PST rakdaddy wrote: > Matt Damon? Good gravy, I don't think he can really do the shy, bumbling type (which is what Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are), and I also don't think he can pull off the square-jawed hero. Granted, I haven't seen Bourne Identity, but I'm just not buying his brand of screen charisma. Actually, he was decent in The Bourne Identity, which is a super-heroish role. > Why not Brad Pitt as Batman and Edward Norton as Superman? We know Pitt can play spooky, and Norton is the All-American Boy (he'd just have to deepen his voice a bit more when he's wearing the cape). Those aren't bad choices, actually, especially Pitt as Batman. I tried to think of some other possible pairs, but didn't come up with anything I really liked. It's an interesting challenge. How about: 1. Superman: Chris Meloni or Elias Koteas (are these two actors actually the same person, or were they twins separated at birth?)/Batman: Benicio del Toro 2. Superman: Rob Lowe/Batman: Christian Slater (this pair's probably too "sleazy") 3. Superman: Bill Paxton/Batman: Kurt Russell (this pair is probably too old) 4. Superman: Kyle Secor ("Bayliss" from Homicide: Life on the Streets)/Batman: Dean Winters ("O'Reilly" from "Oz") 5. Superman: John Corbett ("Chris" the radio operator/philosopher from Northern Exposure/"Aidan" from Sex and the City)/Batman: Timothy Hutton
dwhudson	post #7  on July 19, 2002 - 9:19 AM PDT   rakdaddy wrote: >BTW, is there an English version of that interview floating around on the site, David? Or do we have to wait for you to crank one out? ;-) Well, I really did post the bulk of it already. Otherwise, yeah, unfortunately, there's a lot less of the German press available in English than there used to be. But that's another story. Brad Pitt as Batman is a brilliant stroke, btw. Don't cringe or scream, but you know what? If he were to team up with Tom Cruise, they could reverse the roles they played in Interview With a Vampire. Do we want to see The Tom as Superman, though? Probably not. Would Warner Bros? Probably. With Ed Norton, there's always the danger that he'd try to steal creative control. No, actually, that's an interesting idea. Ray. Timothy Hutton? Heh. Benicio del Toro, though, could make a really interesting Batman but that doesn't sound like a Wolfgang Petersen movie to me.
oldkingcole	post #8  on July 19, 2002 - 10:31 AM PDT   > On July 19, 2002 - 9:19 AM PST dwhudson wrote: > Ray. Timothy Hutton? Heh. Well, that might be stretch, yeah. He has the acting chops to do it, in my opinion, though not the physical build. Have you seen City of Industry? Hutton was cast against type as a career lowlife criminal and was fairly convincing. >Benicio del Toro, though, could make a really interesting Batman but that doesn't sound like a Wolfgang Petersen movie to me. Agreed. I'd recast the director, too, though, since we're playing "fantasy casting". Petersen just doesn't seem like the right director for a superhero movie. From those of his films I've seen, he seems like a director more interested in the surrounding environment than in the characters that populate it. Given the flat worlds that comics characters inhabit, there wouldn't seem to be much of interest for Petersen in a movie that pits two such iconic characters against each other. Of course, I'll be there like everyone else to see how it turns out.
jogilvy	post #9  on July 19, 2002 - 4:50 PM PDT   Michael Keaton had all the smoulder, sexy, brooding natire that was called for-- who else might suit the suit? Adrien Brody! Billy C on steroids----HUGH JACKMAN BABY! And just as Michelle got the latex, S&M and anxiety all just so, we'll need a couple super vixens on the she-side. Laura FB, sadly, did NOT do the trick. Who, who, who indeed? > On July 18, 2002 - 12:18 PM PST rakdaddy wrote: > --------------------------------- > > So why did WB ok it? "Batman and Superman simply have greater name recognition than Shackleton and Agamemnon. In Air Force One, I brought the US president to the screen. Now, as a German, I'm being entrusted with the greatest American superheroes. You can't beat that." > > Good gravy. Just as long as he doesn't cast Nic Cage as Superman. I dunno whose lame idea that was back when Kevin Smith was first attached to Superman Lives, but here's hoping he was promptly trounced out of Hollywood. > > But that begs the question: who should play the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight? Christopher Reeve, who I still think did the definitive version, is obviously out. Dean Cain made a great Clark Kent on Lois and Clark, but he was lacking as Superman. That kid on Smallville...please. > > And, while I liked Michael Keaton as Batman, he didn't seem to hit Bruce Wayne very well. And let's not talk about the other modern Batman films. > > So...who should don the capes? > > > ---------------------------------
dwhudson	post #10  on July 21, 2002 - 6:34 AM PDT   There has in fact been talk of three major female roles, but I haven't seen mention of who, besides Lois Lane, these characters are going to be. The latest casting rumor I've come across: Christian Bale as Batman. Hm. Well, we do know he can get himself pumped up when the role requires it. Ray wrote: >Petersen just doesn't seem like the right director for a superhero movie. Petersen isn't really a stand-out director in general. You're right about his overriding interest in environments, I think. That Das Boot was his breakthrough depended in part on his ability to capture the terrifying claustrophobia of living and working in a submarine (the other part would be the novelty of seeing a WWII story from the German side of things). Then there's Perfect Storm, the most extreme example of what you're talking about. But good acting can get good characterization into one of his movies anyway. I'm thinking of In the Line of Fire, a film in which, thanks to Eastwood and Malkovich, was actually more interesting for its characters than for its story. And no, I haven't seen City of Industry -- thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out.
oldkingcole	post #11  on July 21, 2002 - 10:07 AM PDT   > On July 21, 2002 - 6:34 AM PST dwhudson wrote: > --------------------------------- > And no, I haven't seen City of Industry -- thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out. > I do indeed recommend it, though you should know up-front that it has no ambitions to be great art. It's a revenge-oriented crime drama, and that's all it aspires to be. But it's a very good one! LA has rarely been so artfully shot, Harvey Keitel is compulsively watchable, and it contains a surprisingly excellent performance from Famke Janssen. Actually, Famke Janssen might make interesting Lois Lane.
SRhodes	post #12  on July 22, 2002 - 9:50 AM PDT   Damon plays shy, bumbling and inexperienced in Ocean's 11. I think Eric LaSalle would make a good Batman, but unfortunately he and Del Torro would never be cast in the role. There might be a slight chance that Denzel Washington could be cast as Superman. And Clint Eastwood might be good as the old Superman who sometimes shows up in the comics. Affleck has been mentioned as a possibility for the Batman Year One movie. I guess we'll find out soon.
pelikan	post #13  on July 22, 2002 - 10:21 AM PDT   > He's gotta be thinking Superman there; can the idea of Ben > Affleck as Batman be far behind? Personally, I hope that idea is very very very far behind. Affleck is already helping destroy another super hero on the silver screen. Although, DD is Marvel, so jumping ship and taking part of batman VS superman wouldn't be that odd. Affleck as Superman & Daemon as Batman....hmmmmm, sounds like a Kevin Smith parody (anybody else spot DD in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back)? BTW, I thought the whole batman VS superman was already done in the Dark Knight. Damn what a great on-screen[paper] apperance that was.
Fangs	post #14  on August 10, 2002 - 9:18 PM PDT   Hey guys, am I the only one concerned about the PLOT of this movie? Why are Batman and Superman going against each other? They are reluctant friends. They work together in the JLA. They?ve developed a grudging respect for each other in the WB cartoons about Batman & Superman during the cross overs. And in the recent DC comic run of Batman: Fugitive, where Bruce Wayne is charged with murder, Superman came by to tell Batman that he knows Bruce is innocent. So why are they fighting? Also, how could either possibly win? (Sorry, I missed the Dark Knight comic where they were pitted against each other.)
HWalling	post #15  on August 11, 2002 - 3:21 AM PDT   I think Billy Crudup would make an excellent Batman OR Superman-
dwhudson	post #16  on August 16, 2002 - 7:00 AM PDT   Uh-oh. Things may go quiet in this topic for a while. The Hollywood Reporter brings news that Wolfgang Petersen and Warner Bros have decided to put Batman vs Superman on the back burner -- so that Petersen can do his Trojan War epic first, evidently to be entitled, um, Troy. As in, "Hello, I'm..." To be honest, if I were standing in front of a movie theater and given a choice of either BvsS or Troy, both by the same director, I'd probably opt for the Iliad movie. But from WB's point of view, I'm not sure I get this decision. There was a tremendous amount of buzz generated by the mere mention of Batman vs Superman. Granted, not all of it was good, but it definitely got tongues wagging. I have a feeling that if WB had first announced, "Wolfgang Petersen to Make Trojan War Movie," that story never would have made it out of the industry press. On the other hand, in the wake of Gladiator, it looks like we're going to be seeing quite a bit of the ancient world. There are two Alexander the Great movies in the works, one to be directed by Baz Luhrman ("Alexander! He Sings! He Dances! He Slays 'Em Dead!") and possibly starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who'd been hoping to do Alex the Grand with Martin Scorsese. But Scorsese will evidently now be moving on to other things. Oliver Stone, though, won't. He's got Colin Farrell as A the G and an estimated $140 million to run his race against Luhrman. Mel Gibson's 10-part A the G series for HBO has been killed as yet another feature film based on a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects). Anyway, you get the idea. Ancient stuff coming our way. Two Alexanders? One will probably knock out the other one. But an Alexander and a Homeric epic? Looks like a theme summer chock full of toga parties.
jogilvy	post #17  on August 16, 2002 - 9:53 AM PDT   While they're at it they should do the Iliad and/or the Odyssey- plenty of juicy action packed heroic roles for beefcake men to pick from-and all wearing those cute short skirts with GIANT swords and sweat trickling down their cleft chins and noble brows- speaking of --Vin Diesel anyone? He kicks the pants off little girlyboys like leonardo di c- mel I wold buy, but leo and matt- are still in diapers. > On August 16, 2002 - 7:00 AM PST dwhudson wrote: > --------------------------------- > Uh-oh. Things may go quiet in this topic for a while. The Hollywood Reporter brings news that Wolfgang Petersen and Warner Bros have decided to put Batman vs Superman on the back burner -- so that Petersen can do his Trojan War epic first, evidently to be entitled, um, Troy. As in, "Hello, I'm..." > > To be honest, if I were standing in front of a movie theater and given a choice of either BvsS or Troy, both by the same director, I'd probably opt for the Iliad movie. But from WB's point of view, I'm not sure I get this decision. There was a tremendous amount of buzz generated by the mere mention of Batman vs Superman. Granted, not all of it was good, but it definitely got tongues wagging. I have a feeling that if WB had first announced, "Wolfgang Petersen to Make Trojan War Movie," that story never would have made it out of the industry press. > > On the other hand, in the wake of Gladiator, it looks like we're going to be seeing quite a bit of the ancient world. There are two Alexander the Great movies in the works, one to be directed by Baz Luhrman ("Alexander! He Sings! He Dances! He Slays 'Em Dead!") and possibly starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who'd been hoping to do Alex the Grand with Martin Scorsese. But Scorsese will evidently now be moving on to other things. Oliver Stone, though, won't. He's got Colin Farrell as A the G and an estimated $140 million to run his race against Luhrman. Mel Gibson's 10-part A the G series for HBO has been killed as yet another feature film based on a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects). > > Anyway, you get the idea. Ancient stuff coming our way. Two Alexanders? One will probably knock out the other one. But an Alexander and a Homeric epic? Looks like a theme summer chock full of toga parties. > > ---------------------------------
dwhudson	post #18  on August 19, 2002 - 8:27 AM PDT   >Vin Diesel anyone? He's certainly proving his box office mettle now. Maybe he's the answer to the question Hollywood's been asking itself for years now: With 80s action heroes Stallone and Schwarzenegger really getting on in years and showing it, who's gonna replace 'em?
dwhudson	post #19  on August 20, 2002 - 7:44 AM PDT   From Coming Attractions, Zentertainment passes along a fun and chatty rumor about what happened to Batman vs Superman: a dynamite screenplay for fifth installment of the Superman series, sometimes refered to as Superman Lives, other times as Superman Reborn. According to the rumor, the 200-page screenplay by J.J. Abrams "knocked the socks off" Warner Bros execs and it's McG's to direct if he wants it, and if he doesn't, WB is supposedly considering David Fincher (could work really well), Michael Mann (I'm afraid he'd slow things down), Rob Bowman (haven't seen Reign of Fire, so I dunno) or Steven Soderbergh (but would his heart be in it?).
NPatterson	post #20  on August 20, 2002 - 4:04 PM PDT   Real action hero potential Vin, vide vice baby - He rocks eternal even in the terribly written XXX which continues to CRUSH at the box office Hugh Jackman- aka wolverine in the tepid X-men foray Elias Koteas- seen lately as the chilling killer in shot in the heart and (insert girlish squeal of deep lust here) BENICIO DEL TORO - Traffic- need we say more? > On August 19, 2002 - 8:27 AM PST dwhudson wrote: > --------------------------------- > >Vin Diesel anyone? > > He's certainly proving his box office mettle now. Maybe he's the answer to the question Hollywood's been asking itself for years now: With 80s action heroes Stallone and Schwarzenegger really getting on in years and showing it, who's gonna replace 'em? > > ---------------------------------

page  1  2      prev | next