Superman Returns

Superman Returns is a 2006 American superhero film based on the fictional character and superhero Superman. The film is currently being directed by Bryan Singer and the role of Superman/Clark Kent will be portrayed by Brandon Routh. The role of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor will be played by Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. The screenplay has been written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. Filming initiated in February 2005 and the movie is expected to be released in the United States on June 30, 2006. The continuity established in Superman: The Movie will serve as its back-story, or as Singer puts it, a 'vague history'. Bryan Singer plans to incorporate unused footage of Marlon Brando's performance as Jor-El from material directed by Richard Donner for Superman: The Movie and the original version of Superman II. In addition, pieces and motifs of John Williams' classic film score for Superman: The Movie will be adapted by composer John Ottman and incorporated into the film's new score. Bryan Singer is also reported to be targetting for a PG rating rather than the PG-13 rating of current superhero-themed movies.

Plot summary

After an absence of several years, Kal-El returns to Earth after investigating the remains of his destroyed homeworld of Krypton to determine if he was indeed the sole survivor of the planet. After re-uniting with his widowed mother, Martha Kent, Superman returns to the Daily Planet as Clark Kent and is shocked to discover the woman he loves has moved on with her life. In their years apart, Lois Lane, is now in a serious relationship with another man - Richard White - and has had a young child. His return challenges him to bridge the distance between himself and Lois while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him.

In the meantime his old nemesis recently released from prison, Lex Luthor, plots to render him powerless by the means of data crystals stolen from Superman's Fortress of Solitude, which itself is only one part of a wider and elaborate villainous plot. As he struggles to stop Luthor's plans to bring about cataclysmic destruction upon his beloved adopted world, Superman embarks on a journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.

The film is to be a loose sequel to Superman: The Movie and Superman II, which is reflected through the use of subtle references, in-jokes, set design and particularly the use of footage featuring Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

Full cast

• Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman .... Brandon Routh
• Lois Lane .... Kate Bosworth
• Lex Luthor .... Kevin Spacey
• Martha Kent .... Eva Marie Saint
• Richard White .... James Marsden
• Jimmy Olsen .... Sam Huntington
• Perry White .... Frank Langella
• Stanford .... Kal Penn
• Kitty Koslowski .... Parker Posey
• Jor-El.... Marlon Brando (Archive footage, previous films)
• Ben Hubbard .... James Karen
• Young Clark Kent .... Stephan Bender
• Formerly Wealthy Woman .... Noel Neill
• 777 Pilot .... Mike Massa
• Flight Attendant Bobbie Faye .... Peta Wilson

Project history

The project has had a long and protracted history stretching back to the mid-1990s with Kevin Smith and Tim Burton being signed on to write and direct and Nicolas Cage slated to star as the Man of Steel in a movie version (tentatively titled Superman Lives) of the comic book storyline Death of Superman, for release in the summer of 1999. A Q&A session concerning Smith's dissatisfaction with Burton's intended direction of the project can be seen on the DVD release An Evening with Kevin Smith. Likewise, Burton was not happy with Smith's script, and was planning on bringing Andrew Kevin Walker on to rewrite the script. Another commonly mentioned reason, from both Smith and Burton, is the the producer, Jon Peters, was trying to influence the script with strange ideas, such as trying to force Smith into adding a gigantic spider to the storyline. Both Peters and Burton are alleged to have wanted to make a "re-imagining" which borrowed the names of the franchise and its characters, but little else (Peters wanted a Bruckheimer-style wall-to-wall action film, Burton - "a Superman-as-Batman figure"). Other reasons for this project's collapse can be attributed to the skyrocketing budget figures in pre-production, the accident which paralyzed former Superman actor Christopher Reeve for the rest of his life, and Warner Bros' unwillingness to release this film alongside 1999's juggernaut Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Other names attached during the years included directors Oliver Stone, Brett Ratner, Michael Bay and Charlie's Angels' McG, and actors Sandra Bullock, Beyoncé Knowles, Johnny Depp, Anthony Hopkins, James Caviezel, Henry Cavill and Matthew Bomer. J.J. Abrams turned in a script that not only substantially revised the premises of the franchise (e.g. Luthor as an alien, Krypton not destroyed) but was also leaked onto the internet, receiving a generally hostile reaction by fans.

For a brief period in 2001 and 2002 a Superman and Batman film, Batman vs. Superman, was also put on the fast track to production with Wolfgang Petersen set to direct. Petersen eventually left to direct the film Troy and Warner Studios decided to concentrate on separate movies for each character.

Shooting of Superman Returns initiated in Australia, on locations which included a farm located outside of the regional city of Tamworth, and in Sydney. This movie has been rumored to be one of the most expensive films ever, with a budget $250,000,000, but director Bryan Singer recently debunked the rumors claiming it is "a little lower than $200,000,000". During production, Singer released a series of 'video diaries' on the internet at BlueTights.net, giving almost unprecedented up-to-date insight into the behind-the-scenes work being done, on what would normally be a very secretive production.

On November 17, 2005, Warner Bros. released the first teaser trailer.

A full account of the project history until mid-2004, before the current production, has recently surfaced in an internet board (see Superman Lives).

Early reactions

At the San Diego Comic-Con, Bryan Singer showed a five minute montage of clips from the film to over six-thousand viewers, receiving a standing ovation.

Christopher Reeve's widow Dana Reeve, in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, was shown the press release photo of Brandon Routh and gave her nod of approval to the actor and the suit.

Similarities with Superman: The Movie and Superman II

Singer has said that this film will be using the first two films in the Superman film saga that began with 1978's Superman: The Movie as a vague history to the events of Superman Returns. As such, there are many references to the previous series. These include:

• The use of footage of Marlon Brando, who played Jor-El in Superman: The Movie shot for the Superman films. Bryan Singer said that he will use footage from the first film, as well as Brando's unused scenes from Superman II.

• Ben Hubbard, the man who takes care of Martha Kent, was mentioned in Superman: The Movie but is actually going to be seen in this film.

• The score composed by John Ottman will feature themes created by John Williams for the orignal film.

• The Kryptonian pod in this film closely resembles the ship baby Kal-El was placed in when he travelled to Earth in Superman: The Movie.

• One of the Bluetights video diaries suggests an opening sequence that uses comic-book style images to relate the events of the 1978 film.

• The opening credits of this film will use a similar three-dimensional, "zooming" text style to the one used in the first three films.

Trivia

• This will be the second Superman movie to date produced outright by Warner Bros. Pictures; the first was Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.

• Producers of Smallville were allowed to visit the set during production.

• This will be the first Superman movie to be distributed domestically and globally by Warner Bros. Pictures.

• This will be the first Superman movie to be released simultaneously in conventional movie theaters and IMAX theaters.

• One of many candidates considered, James Caviezel expressed great interest in the role of Superman/Clark Kent and campaigned long and hard to win the coveted part, but despite his best efforts he was rejected by director Bryan Singer in favor of newcomer Brandon Routh. Singer felt Caviezel was too famous and recognizable after playing Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004).

• This film is expected to have a PG-13 rating.

Spin-offs

Also, a Superman video game with the same name will be released near or on the date Superman Returns will arrive in theaters.