Alright here is a new rumor that you should know about when placing your bets on who will get the coveted role of The Caped Crusader in 2015’s Batman/Superman movie. Batman On Film is reporting from multiple sources that Warner Bros. is actively looking for an older “more grizzled” Batman for the Zack Snyder-directed feature set for release in 2015. The age range has been narrowed to actors who are almost or already in their 40’s.
To me this is a bit of good news because it is guaranteed that we will not get any form of Batman origin story again for this movie. It looks like we will be getting a Batman that is already on the job and good at what he does. This makes the dynamic between the two characters much better than two rookie heroes figuring things out as they go. At least one of them will be a veteran who can lead by example.
Let us know who you think would make a great Batman (no matter the age) and we will include it in our fantasy casting article that is coming soon.
And yes, I know Jon Hamm is going to be the overwhelming favorite. I am in the minority on this. I used to be all for it, but over the past year or so I have found other actors I would rather see in the role.
We are all used to big summer movie seasons. It is a part of movie culture and it is one of the few reasons to actually get excited about sweating your balls (or other various parts) off in the baking sun. But is Hollywood headed for a year of heartbreak? Two years from now will be the biggest movie year in history. Not just summer, but for 365 days we will be given a deluge of big-budget extravaganzas like we have never seen before in such a short period.
This would indicate that Hollywood should reach their highest box office total ever, but with so many huge event and franchise movies in such a short time will we get burned out? Chances are that a few of these offerings will either not meet lofty expectations or completely bomb altogether just because of the competition releasing so close together.
So now, let’s look in our crystal ball (which oddly looks like a box of Gobstoppers) and see what franchises are sure things and which ones may be left out to wither and die.
Note: These movies are for the entire calendar year of 2015, not just the summer season.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
As close as you will get to a sure thing to make a billion dollars. Even if the story ends up being weaker than the first, people will show up in droves.
Bomb Factor- 0/10
Batman/Superman
Completely off the radar until last week’s Comic-Con. Zack Snyder returning to direct and Christopher Nolan executive producing. Just don’t screw up the Batman casting and watch the money flow in.
Bomb Factor- 0.5/10
Star Wars: Episode VII
Disney is going to run this franchise into the ground with yearly movies, but this first one by J.J. Abrams should be a massive hit and hopefully set up a new trilogy well.
Bomb Factor- 1/10
Independence Day 2
It will be 19 years between the original and the sequel when this hits. No Will Smith may hurt, but Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman are returning and if they can cast some good new leads this could work. Will people still care after so long?
Bomb Factor- 4/10
Jurassic Park 4
The fourth dino adventure will return to the original island. Jurassic Park 3 made its money back but failed to live up to the first two. Depending on release date, this may get lost in the shuffle.
Bomb Factor- 5/10
Assassin’s Creed
Michael Fassbender is starring in and producing this adaptation of the Ubisoft video game. I am excited about the prospect, but fear that this may fall into the John Carter or Prince of Persia bunch when it releases.
Bomb Factor- 7/10
Fantastic Four Reboot
The first two FF movies made plenty of money against their budgets, but were bashed by critics. Better casting and and early spring release should help the new team reach better heights.
Bomb Factor- 5/10
Pirates of the Caribbean 5
On Stranger Tides was the first Pirates to not break $300 million domestically yet it was a huge hit worldwide being the first one in the franchise to cross $1 billion. Even if some are tired of Jack Sparrow, the rest of the world box office will make him a hit again.
Bomb Factor- 3/10
Terminator 5
Arnold is returning and there are rumors that The Rock may be circling. He revitalizes franchises, of that there is no doubt, but is this one too far gone to rehab?
Bomb Factor- 6/10
The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2
Mocking Jay is not a large book so making two movies out if it may be a stretch. Let’s hope they don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.
Bomb Factor- 3/10
Finding Dory
Pixar has had a case of sequel-itis for a few years now and I have still not gotten my Incredibles 2. Finding Nemo is one of the most beloved of all the Pixar offerings so I think people will embrace this more than Cars 2 or even Monsters University.
Bomb Factor- 2/10
Ant-Man
As Marvel pulls farther into their hero pool, their gambles get bigger. Guardians of the Galaxy will put their muscle to the test next year. Ant-Man will have the distinction of being the first Marvel movie after Avengers 2 and Edgar Wright will easily make the movie entertaining. Will people embrace it?
Bomb Factor- 5/10
Bond 24
Skyfall was not only the most successful Bond movie ever it was also in talks as being possibly the best movie in the series. Daniel Craig is locked up for at least two more films and Sam Mendes is returning to direct 007’s next adventure. It may not hit the heights of Skyfall, but it will not fall very far.
Bomb Factor- 2/10
Inferno
Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are returning to the Robert Langdon character for a third film from Dan Brown’s book series. Has the Dan Brown craze train left the station? Most likely.
Bomb Factor- 7/10
Warcraft
The long-in-development Warcraft is finally going to make it to the big screen thanks to Moon director Duncan Jones. World of Warcraft has almost 10 million subscribers that pay $15 a month to play so if a good portion of those pony up $10 a ticket it will have a decent opening weekend. The problem comes in convincing the general public to take the trip to Azeroth.
Warner Bros. blew away everyone at Comic-Con with their announcement of a Batman/Superman movie in 2015 and now David S. Goyer, the writer for Man of Steel and its huge follow-up, may have given the title to the movie. Speaking at the Superman 75th anniversary panel at Comic-Con, Goyer had this to say:
“So over in Hall H at the Warner Bros.–I guess most people know now–at the end of the Warner Bros. panel, Zack came out and he brought Henry Lennix, who plays General Swanwick in Man of Steel and we–actually, Henry read a bit from [The Dark Knight Returns] and so the next film we’re making, we’re already in pre-production, comes out in summer of 2015 and it’s–we’re actually not sure whether the title is Superman vs.Batman or Batman vs. Superman but yes, it’s–that rematch, that combination, the two guys onscreen and that’s happening.”
Maybe it is the purest in me, but I am still wanting it to be called World’s Finest, but any title they give it is fine because they are giving me this movie.
Marvel’s Comic-Con panel isn’t until tonight, but Warner Bros. may have just won Comic-Con with their HUGE announcement today.
Their two greatest heroes, Batman and Superman, will be heading to the big screen together in the summer of 2015. Zack Snyder will return to direct with a script by Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer. Christopher Nolan will serve as executive producer and presumably head up the entire project. Henry Cavill will return as Superman and a search will begin for a new Batman.
Snyder surprised everyone by showing up at the Comic-Con panel and had an excerpt from The Dark Knight Returns read and the Superman logo was shown on screen then a new Batman logo appeared behind it.
NERD FEELS….EVERYWHERE!!
On the heels of this big event, it is also being rumored that Warner is prepping a Flash movie for 2016 which will lead into a 2017 Justice League film.
Here is the official statement from Warner Bros. on the massive team-up of the two biggest superheroes in the world:
“On the heels of the worldwide success of Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder is bringing together the two greatest Super Heroes of all time —Batman and Superman —for the first time on the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution,Warner Bros. Pictures.
The current hit, Man of Steel, has taken in more than $630 million at the worldwide box office to date, and climbing. Along with its star, Henry Cavill, the upcoming film brings back Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane. The new Batman has yet to be cast.
Snyder is co-writing the story with David S. Goyer, who will then pen the screenplay. Production is expected to begin in 2014, with an anticipated release date in Summer 2015.”
1. [amazon_link id=”1594746370″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]William Shakespeare’s Star Wars[/amazon_link]- Ian Doescher- $14.95
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearstome Stormtroopers, signifying…pretty much everything.
2. [amazon_link id=”B009NFHF0Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Ocean at the End of the Lane[/amazon_link]-Neil Gaiman- $25.99
When Han and Leia Solo arrive at Lando Calrissian’s Outer Rim mining operation to help him thwart a hostile takeover, their aim is just to even up the odds and lay down the law. Then monstrous aliens arrive with a message, and mere threats escalate into violent sabotage with mass fatalities. When the dust settles, what began as corporate warfare becomes a battle with much higher stakes—and far deadlier consequences.
Some zombies are raised. Others must be put down. Just ask Anita Blake. Before now, she would have considered them merely off-putting, never dangerous. Before now, she had never heard of any of them causing human beings to perish in agony. But that’s all changed. Micah’s estranged father lies dying, rotting away inside from some strange ailment that has his doctors whispering about “zombie disease.” Anita makes her living off of zombies—but these aren’t the kind she knows so well. These creatures hunt in daylight, and are as fast and strong as vampires. If they bite you, you become just like them. And round and round it goes Where will it stop?
Even Anita Blake doesn’t know.
5. [amazon_link id=”1937068447″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grimm’s Fairy Tales Omnibus[/amazon_link]- Ralph Tedesco, Joe Brusha- $59.99
Experience the uniquely twisted fairy tales from the minds of Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco! Follow the heroine Sela as she uses the classic tales of old to lead modern day men and women to the right choices while combating the lure of evil. Collecting issues #1-50 of the hit independent series.
6. [amazon_link id=”0785153942″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero[/amazon_link]- Travis Beacham- $24.99
Don’t miss this exciting sci-fi prequel graphic novel of the highly anticipated Warner Bros. & Legendary motion picture, Pacific Rim directed by Guillermo del Toro! Chronicling the very first time Earth is menaced by incredible monsters known as Kaiju, these inhuman beasts rise from the ocean depths and threaten to extinguish all mankind! Witness the race to develop massive robot fighting machines called Jaegers, each one controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. This action-packed tale features many of the key characters from the film as we follow them in their early careers. Witten by Pacific Rim screenwriter himself, Travis Beacham, and with del Toro’s hands-on supervision, this volume is beautifully illustrated by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet, and Pericles Junior; inks by Steve Bird and Mark McKenna; and fully painted cover by superstar artist Alex Ross.
7. [amazon_link id=”1401241891″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus[/amazon_link]- Jerry Siegel, Joel Shuster- $75.00
The earliest adventures of Superman, from his 1938 debut through 1940, are collected for the first time together in one massive hardcover. In these early stories, Superman battles social injustice and political corruption, fighting for the common man. Includes the origin of Superman and the first appearances of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.
Max Landis, son of Hollywood legend John Landis and screenwriter of [amazon_link id=”B005LAIGPU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Chronicle[/amazon_link], loves Superman. This is no secret. Last year his YouTube video, The Death and Return of Superman, became an internet sensation garnering over 2 million views. It is funny as hell.
Now he is back giving his thoughts on this year’s blockbuster, Man of Steel, which he is (obviously) very opinionated about. I personally loved Man of Steel and yet still find Landis makes many valid points. It eventually becomes an indictment on superhero movies in general and will surely get some folks riled up.
I like Max Landis. I loved his Death and Return of Superman video and enjoyed the hell out of Chronicle. We didn’t enjoy Man of Steel the same way. Guess what? That is OK. Everyone has opinions and 98.3% of the time they will not be changed by bitching or arguing.
And here I thought I was only going to be buying two Superman statues this year. I have already bought the DC Direct Man of Steel statue and Kotobukiya will already have me on the hook this fall for their statue inspired by this summer’s blockbuster movie. I thought I was done. Finished.
Like Michael Corleone they keep pulling me back in.
Set your eyes on the newest in the Koto line inspired by Brian Azzarello’s Superman: For Tomorrow. So if you know me and my love for Jim Lee visuals (re: arm tattoo) then you know I have no choice but to welcome this 12′” piece into my collection.
If Batman is considered a comics legend then the only way to describe Superman is iconic. The Dark Knight is the most popular hero character going today, but for 75 years the Man of Steel has been the most recognizable superhero in the world, even if his movies have let him down more often than not.
Warner Bros. recognized this after Bryan Singer’s valiant, but boring, effort in the form of 2006’s Superman Returns. They called upon the master of Batman reboots Christopher Nolan to begin crafting Superman’s next cinematic adventure. He first got friend and Dark Knight Trilogy story head David S. Goyer to come on board as screenwriter and then to some people’s dismay (and my excitement), Nolan decided on Zack Snyder, who expertly brought Watchmen to life, to direct this new vision of the big, blue boyscout.
Would this gamble pay off? Could Warner entrust the return of Superman to the man that brought Batman back to the forefront of movie pop culture?
The answer is a resounding YES.
Like Richard Donner’s classic, Superman: The Movie, Man of Steel begins on Krypton and instead of a white-haired, scene-chewing Marlon Brando, we get a soft-voiced and poignant Russell Crowe portraying Jor-El. As Krypton’s foremost mind of science he is trying to warn others of the planets ultimate destruction. Yes, this is old hat, but new to the equation is General Zod (Michael Shannon) attempting a takeover of the Kryptonian government. As the planet erupts around them Jor-El and Lara send their child to Earth.
“This sounds like the beginning to Superman: The Movie!”
I hear you, I hear you, but where Snyder and Goyer have gone so completely right is how fully fleshed out Krypton is as a world. No one, outside of comic readers, have truly seen any type of Kryptonian environment represented on the big screen. Full of mountains and flying creatures, it was great getting to see a true eco-system that makes you feel more connected to this doomed world, and therefore, feel more of a connection when the inevitable happens.
*Minor Spoilers Ahead*
Going into Man of Steel I can sense some of you feeling some trepidation that you will have to sit through an entire origin story that you already, for the most part, know backwards and forwards. I am hear to tell you to have no fear because one of the best aspects of this movie is the way Goyer has interweaved Clark’s early years into the story of Man of Steel. You will not be sitting through 45 minutes of young Kent exposition to bring about the birth of Superman. Rather you will be getting adult Clark looking back on his life as moments remind him of his childhood years. Such a simple and completely satisfying way to watch an origin story, even one you already know all too well.
The wonderful thing that Man of Steel does is show Clark’s need to be more. His want to help, even in the face of people learning his secret. This is the essence of a hero and the biggest reason why Superman is who he is. He is learning the hero thing as we watch. The lessons that both of his fathers instill in him are the bedrock of the film. Will the world reject a savior? Even if they do, is it still his responsibility to use his gifts for the good of mankind?
As adult Clark drifts through life from job to job trying to figure out what his role is on this planet, he has reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) hot on his heels after meeting in an earlier encounter. Now she is trying to find out who this mysterious helper is. Yes, Lois finds out who Clark is before anyone else and even before he begins to work at The Daily Planet. Get over it. One of the wonderful things about Superman canon is that there is no real set canon. Pa Kent is alive in some universes, he is dead in others. Lois knows Clark’s secret in some, in others she is oblivious. I am glad that she finds out this early because I have always thought it was insulting to the character of Lois, who is supposed to be one of the world’s premier investigative journalists, that she could not determine that Clark was Superman. Man of Steel deals with this in a realistic manner and proves Lois to be worth her weight in smarts.
Zod comes to Earth after a thirty year search for the son of Jor-El that has sent him across the stars. He and his defectors were freed from their prison (you know what it is called) when Krypton went ka-boom and he needs Superman for more than just revenge. He has given the planet 24 hours to turn over the Man of Steel or suffer the consequences. From here on out it begins to be apparent that this is a tale of two minds. While Man of Steel has one screenwriter (Goyer), it very much feels like the first half was a Christopher Nolan exploration of the character of Superman. Who am I? Why am I here? What do I do to make things better? It is very introspective and thought provoking.
When Zod comes to town and Supes realizes it is time for fight AND flight, this is where Zack Snyder shines through. No matter what haters have to say about the director he knows his way around filming action scenes. Man of Steel has heard your cries of “we want to see Superman punch things!”. Get ready for the thunder because you have seen nothing like this outside of the comics. I love Superman 2 as much as the next guy (even though the foil “S” symbol was just…the worst), and when I was a kid, the fight between Zod, Ursa, Non and Superman wowed my undeveloped brain, but this is how Superman should throw down in every single movie from here on out. Punches thunder through the air, skyscrapers fall over and no IHOP is safe.
When all is said and done is Man of Steel the greatest comic book movie ever? No, but it is way up there. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt on par with Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie for the best Superman movie. It is hard for me to put one ahead of the other for different reasons. Man of Steel is this generation’s definitive Superman flick the same way Donner’s was back in 1978.
The best connection between the 1978 original and this year’s reboot are the quality of the Supermen. Henry Cavill is built from the ground up to be Superman. Like seriously, the dude is jacked. When he simply walks in the costume it is not like watching a man playing dress up, but your imaginations of Superman brought out for all to see (a lot like Christopher Reeve in my childhood years). This is a very human tale about a not so human person and Cavill brings the force of will, and oddly enough, fragility to the most powerful being on Earth.
For seven years we were spoiled with The Dark Knight Trilogy as Superman waited in the wings for his return (and not in 2006). Now in 2013 it is the Man of Steel’s time to shine and Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer have taken the proper care and taken the right steps to make sure that Man of Steel is more than just a single Superman story. This is just the beginning of something larger and the re-establishment of DC’s greatest hero has set things on the right course.
It looks like 2013 is the year of the true return of Superman. After over a year of hype and a marketing blitz seldom seen, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel opened to the tune of $113 million making it the larget June opening ever. When you add in the Thursday night 7PM screenings the tally sits at $125 million. That is way ahead of Warner’s safe estimate of $85 million and shows that there is another viable DC movie franchise out there besides Batman.
This year marks the Man of Steel’s 75th anniversary and DC is beginning to ramp up the festivities this summer. Of course you have Zack Snyder’s huge summer film Man of Steel and on the comics side there are two new series debuting this summer, Scott Snyder and Jim Lee’s Superman Unchained and Greg Pak and Jae Lee’s Batman/Superman.
DC has released an official logo for Superman’s big year which will accompany everything having to do with the big, blue boy scout this year.
A two minute animated feature produced by Zack Snyder which will detail Superman’s legacy from comics to cartoons to movies will also be released sometime this year.
