New Superman Full of "Great Surprises"
After four Superman movies in the '70s and '80s, the blockbuster film franchise got worn out. Hey, the first two flicks were fab. But Christopher Reeve trading one liners with Richard Pryor in Superman III? Oy. And Reeve's face off with Nuclear Man — a solar-powered Chippendale's dancer — in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace? 'Twas like kryptonite to Supes fans! In a promising turn of events, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon) has been tapped to direct the newest installment, with Alias creator J.J. Abrams tackling sceenplay duties. Perhaps they can save the Man of Steel.
First off, how closely will the new film resemble its predecessors? "It's very much like the fourth," Abrams jokes to TV Guide Online, then explains, "It's sort of a slightly different telling of a familiar story. It's very much an origin story, and there are some great surprises in it. I'm such a huge fan of the character, the comics of it. I think it's something that if you love the character, you'll love the story. [But] I think you will not have to have seen [the previous films] to invest in it."
Casting is underway, but Abrams denies he wrote the film with any particular actor in mind. (According to reports, Josh Hartnett, Jude Law, Ashton Kutcher and Brendan Fraser are among the potential Clark Kents under consideration.) "I'm just convinced that there is someone out there who was born to do it," he says, "and whether his name is familiar or not remains to be seen." (We just thank heavens Nic Cage "snapped out of it" and bowed out.)
Who would Reeve choose to succeed him as Lois Lane's lover? "In my opinion," he says, "the character is more important than the actor who plays him, because it is an enduring mythology. I'm sure that they'll cast appropriately, and take their time and find the right person. But it definitely should be an unknown." That said, Reeve adds that "[Smallville's Tom Welling would] be an ideal candidate. I don't know if [he] can switch from one job to the other, but I'm sure they'd figure it out!"
Reeve says producer Jon Peters scrapped the original Superman vs. Batman idea after seeing his son Matthew's documentary, Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps. "The positive message of that made him [think], 'Why should we have two superheroes against each other?'" Reeve explains. "So the movie that Warner Bros. is making now — which I will be doing some consulting on — will be a much more uplifting and spiritual story. I was really blown away that they completely decided to change the process."
