Demand and supply: I read somewhere they’re related. So how to explain the following projects? Don’t get me wrong: I’m excited about each and every one of them.My media-nerd heart leaps like a gazelle in a "Bloom County" T-shirt. And yet, I wonder, as I often wonder, about mass audiences — is there sufficient appeal to drive the following projects?
-Bruno, Da Ali G Show’s flaming Austrian fashion reporter, is Sacha Baron Cohen’s third-best-known character, after Ali G and Borat. Now, the latter just saw his film’s distribution plan scaled back because… he wasn’t well-known enough. I imagined no one was breaking down Baron Cohen’s door for a Bruno movie. I imagined wrong. Universal just paid $43 mil for worldwide rights. So what the hell do I know.
-Superman Re-Returns? Yup — despite not-so-much in the returns department, Bryan Singer’s on deck for a 2009 follow-up. This time, the budget will be a highly frugal $200 million, or so they say. This, after Returns (pictured) only just crossed $200 mil at the domestic box office. But don’t talk economics to Supes: He is not bound by your weak "Earth gravity."
-One Che movie would be revolutionary. Two Che movies?It’s gonna happen, according to director Stephen Soderbergh and hisfive-year plan. If quotas are not met, star Benicio Del Toro will,regrettably, be purged.
-As many of you now, all laws of economics are repealed when you’re baked. Thus, Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam: A one-of-a-kind will attempt to be two-of-a-kind. Are they saving the search for Curly’s gold for H&K3?
-Finally, there’s a movie from beyond the grave: Stanley Kubrick is set tobecome the Tupac of celluloid with the discovery and revival of Lunatic at Large, a lost film treatment he wrote with Jim Thompson (the noir-velist who wrote The Grifters and After Dark, My Sweet).
Like I said: Exciting projects, all. But all fraught withpotentially lethal risks: Can Chris Palmer, a commercial director,translate Kubrick? Can Bryan Singer crack the Superman formula and stayunder budget? Does a $43 million deal raise the stakes too high forBruno?
Ah, economics, schmeconomics. Bring ‘em on, these excited andill-advised projects! Money, as we know it, won’t even exist in five orsix years. It’ll be replaced with a cunning system of bartered bakedgoods. At least, this is what I’ve been telling my credit card company.
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Superman – no way JOSE. Die Superman Die.
Do I want to see another Bryan Singer “Superman” movie, with the same cast? In a word: NO.
Superman Returns was my favorite film of the year so far. So DEFINITELY YEAH!!
A Superman sequel could be good, just like X2 was significantly better than the first X-Men movie. Kubrick’s lost film should be left alone, Eyes Wide Shut pretty much proved that a film can really stink if it doesn’t have the creator’s vision and direction to see it through. Bruno? I was a fan of him on Ali G, but the Ali G movie stunk. I haven’t seen Borat yet, which looks funny, but I’m not sure how well Bruno will translate into film.
I will be there front and center for another Superman film. There really needs to be a different villian than Lex Luthor though. Brainiac, Bizzaro Superman, Doomsday, Darkseid, Metallo, or Zod.
Honestly though, I’d rather they were able to get Batman and Superman in the same movie. Maybe even have a few other Justice Leaguers too. DC’s universe is full of superheroes, and yet we only see Superman and Lex in these movies. (Superman 2 not withstanding.)
I’m very excited about the Superman follow-up. I loved the last one. I just wish they’d recast Lois Lane, or force some food down Bosworth’s throat.
i highly doubt anyone could translate kubrick correctly. my vote however goes to anyone but brett ratner
Money isn’t everything. Superman Returns was a good film.
Gee, u never stop, do you? you have endlessly slammed SR. It’s almost comical, if not pathetic. U remain in disbelief that there people who actually enjoyed it like me. SR made the mistake of being released at the wrong time (and forgetting that its fan base is split btwn comic book fans, tv fans, and fans strickly of the movies Supes I &II) but it was a good movie that was completely undeserving of this kind of bashing. Singer, as some have noted, has a good record when it comes to sequels. I’m excited to see what comes next. It is Singer’s formula to amp up the action in the second installment while still giving attention to the romantic themes. Supes, the comic book movie franchise that started is all is back…deal w/ it!!
I really liked Superman Returns, and can’t wait for the sequel. It was so much better than people give it credit for, and it got some great reviews. Honestly, $200 million domestically isn’t that bad!
Actually the budget for the Superman sequel will be between 140 and 175 million. Much lower then the final cost for Superman Returns. Personally I can’t wait for the sequel.
The villain plot & villain casting will be key for SR. Lex will likely return since he knows an important secret but they need a bigger baddie. Variety said the studio only had the option to change Routh. that won’t happen since he is very well cast. I would find any casting changes too disruptive anyway. i do wish they would add a female to their writing team. The writing for the Lois character was lacking and there has been a woman on the writing team in the past.
Personally, I loved Superman Returns; gave it ***** and it’s on my Top Ten Films of 2006 list. I can’t wait for the sequel. Although that kid will probably be re-cast unless he can still pass for being 5 years old or Singer plans to address how he’s suddenly bigger in the course of a few weeks-months after the events of SR.
You’re probabably right about the recasting of the kid unless the story progresses a couple of years since Superman Returns. However, i did like this kid and his amazing resemblance to two very different looking people. I disagreed w/ critics like ebert who thought he should be feisty like the kids from Spykids. I thought that was inappropriate for this first installment. I liked that he has a Clark Kent, weakling persona which will probably become more animated as the franchise moves on.
Only valid reason to go see another Superman`s movie: Routh`s bulge!
I personally was really looking forward to Superman Returns, after I didn’t greatly enjoy the Bryan Singer-less X-Men: The Last Stand. I was only somewhat disappointed (thought it could’ve been better, but wasn’t THAT bad). Someone above made a great point: X-Men 1 wasn’t that great, either. In fact, X2: X-Men United is one of my favorite movies ever. The sequel to Superman Returns could be just as good. Of course, I’m waiting for the sequel to Batman Begins first!
I’m anxious to see the sequel to RETURNS. It was the best blockbuster of the summer, by far. The reviews were terrific (Johnny Depp and crew didn’t fare well with the press nor with discerning audiences). The pirates came in shortly after SUPERMAN opened and shot him down. Tho $200 million isn’t anything to cough at…and it has done better worldwide than BATMAN BEGINS. Of course we’ll see a sequel. Singer is a gifted filmmaker…he’ll do a wonderful job. That space shuttle/airliner scene was the best action scene i’ve witnessed in years.
I would be a lot more hyped for a sequel if Supes takes on a new villain, like Bizarro Superman or some kind of monstrous robots, like in the old 40s serials, give Lex Luther a break and avoid the repetition of Magneto in the X-Men flicks.
A Bruno movie? Why?
“Do I want to see another Bryan Singer “Superman” movie, with the same cast? In a word: NO.”
I agree. Superman Returns was too adult oriented and not the popcorn movie it should have been. And it still hasn’t made a profit, so I don’t get why they are so eager to spend more money on something that wasn’t a hit. Are they that desperate and bankrupt of new ideas that they can’t come up with anything better?
Wooo Hooo, another superman movie… YES. It was the funniest comedy of the year… please let the sequel have as much terrible acting, and script plot holes as the first one. Perhaps the super villain could be Mommie Dearest… No WIRE HANGERS SUPERMAN!!!! i mean, that would be an improvement over LOIS LANE.
When I heard they had given the go ahead to the Superman sequel, I was overjoyed cause I loved Superman Returns! Outside of Little Miss Sunshine, it was the best thing I saw all summer. I saw it twice and I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD. While I hope they recast Lois since Bosworth was a pale replacement for the great Margot Kidder (and Bosworth will be in the negative digits if she keeps going the way she’s heading), I hope Routh comes back because he was absolutely perfect as Superman. I would like to see a different Superman villain cause I’ve had enough of Lex. 5 movies is plenty and they should explore the other villains. Too bad Zod, Ursa and Non were destroyed in the second film because I always liked them as villains. With a cheaper budget, the sequel should have no problem being profitable since so many of the costs with this one came with the relaunching of the franchise.
If they want the next superman movie to be any good at all they need to find a supervillian, enough Lex! Watching Superman save people for two hours is boring……where are the superpowered fight scenes? Thats what I want to see, the Superman cartoon was more exciting then the movie.
Also, while I appreicated Singer paying homage to the first two films…he went to far and was almost reverential.
while I am at it, Superman Reutrns did not make money. The budget was over $200 million and it did not do well outside the US market.
Batman Begins was a beter film and made more money….look it up.
The main problem with Superman Returns is that it wasn’t a fun (or at least an interesting) film to watch. I didn’t feel a lot of energy exhibiting from many of the characters, except Lex Luthor. It isn’t that the acting was exceptionally horrible (excepting Bosworth, who didn’t look or act the part at all)…I just didn’t feel much chemistry or personality between them. As for the story, it felt like an overdrawn ordinary Superman plot but stretched to a too long air time of 2+ hours. At least it looked like the X3 developers had fun with the film, unlike Superman Returns.
I didn’t think Superman Returns was horrible, but it was somewhat disappointing. I’d give Singer another shot with the series though, since X1 kinda sucked as well but X2 did significantly better (and suffered from many of the same problems as Returns).
And doesn’t anyone find it ironic that some SR supporters stated X3 was an overpriced piece of mindless junk, even though SR cost at least $50 million more to produce and made less overall? I’m not bashing them for stating their thoughts…I’m just saying…:)
Another Superman was obvious for money reasons, but it can’t compare to the ‘78 classic. H&K go to Amsterdam was set up in last movie because Harold is going to meet up with his new girlfriend…and prostitution and pot are legal there.
Of course I’m onboard for this.
Superman Returns was a perfectly good set-up film. And if anyone wants to compare it to the X-Men franchise, please, by all means. Every X-movie did better than the last, and now that a whole new generation is familair with Superman, why not give him an opportunity to go against some high-powered adversaries like Bizarro, Brainiac, Darkseid and Mongul?
Oh, and Keifer Sutherland as Brainiac. You heard it here first.
The possibilities are endless.
My gift to Singer and the producers.
Here is how you make a Braniac: At the end of the last film Supes threw a huge hunk of earth into space. What was on that hunk of earth? Pokets of water, Kryptonite, and the crystals left over from the fortress of solitude (containing the sum knowledge of Krypton). Mix together with a healthy dose of sunlight and you have cystaline life….aka Braniac.
There you go, now go make a better movie tha is full of fights and fun.
PS Why everyone did not believe Kate Bosworth? Maybe because she is 22 and had a five year old kid, she is way too young for the part
To improve the sequel to SR, they need to give Clark/Superman more screentime than they gave Lois Lane, they need to recast Lois Lane (Sorry Kate, but you have a nasty smugness to your portrayal. How did two decent guys fall for you and your judgmentalism?)and they need to drop the stoicism and bring in a little fun. Let Supes actually enjoy his lot in life. The guy gets to help significantly change people’s lives. Some people would die for that kind of sense of purpose. Please balance the self-inflicted torture with the awe of having a real reason to be. And latly, make Bryan Singer watch the second season of “The Office” (US version) so he can see what realistic romantic longing looks like. No more stalker Superman and stick up her tush Lois!
Superman Returns did very well globally and made more $$ than Batman Begins. So why should it not get sequel but Batman does? Stop hating.
And Superman Returns was critically recieved very well. Which means it has longevity. Which means the more people see it on DVD and on TV the more fans it will generate. And when Part II or IV or whatever you want to consider this installment comes out, the films fanbase will be drastically improved.
am I the only one excited to see a Harold & Kumar sequel? I LOVED the first movie.
“Superman Returns did very well globally and made more $$ than Batman Begins. So why should it not get sequel but Batman does? Stop hating.”
Hmm…let’s look at the facts (sans “hating”)
Superman Returns: $200 mil domestic, $191 mil foreign, $391 worldwide
Batman Begins: $205 mil domestic, $166 mil foreign, $371 mil worldwide
Nevermind the fact that “Superman Returns” JUST limped past $200 mil in the US in the last two weeks (don’t think WB wouldn’t leave it in theatres as long as it took for it to cross the symbolic $200 mil). ]
Let’s say for the sake of argument that marketing and distribution costs are the same (which is probably not the case, and I’d bet anything Superman Returns’ costs in these departments were larger) I’m not that great at math, but there’s SR only made $20 mil more than BB.
That’s great…the only problem is that SR (depending on who’s counting) still cost AT LEAST $100 million MORE than BB.
So although it DID make more money globally, the reasons I stated are why a SR sequel is surprising.