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For many die-hard comic book fans, the way a hero's costume is interpreted in a live-action movie can be a deal breaker. If the movie costume is too faithful to the comic book costume, it could very easily come off looking ridiculous, like Captain America's costume in the much-maligned 1990 movie Captain America (rubber ears on the cowl certainly didn't help). And, if the design of the movie costume strays too far from the character's classic look, fans will spend an inordinate amount of time debating and criticizing the costume instead of focusing on other aspects of the movie, which is what happened when Ryan Reynolds' all-CGI suit Green Lantern costume was first revealed.
So far, fans are on the fence about the modifications made to Superman's iconic red-and-blue suit in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. The muted colors of the costume and the large "S" meet the approval of the fans who hated the bright blue costume with the little "S" worn by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. However, many of those same fans are critical of the lack of red shorts and the strange tribal designs that adorn the wrists, "belt" and other areas of the costume worn by new Superman Henry Cavill. Snyder has been silent on the changes to Superman's suit — and pretty much every other aspect of the movie — but costume designer Michael Wilkinson offered some interesting details about the origin of the costume's design earlier this week at the 5D | FLUX conference at USC.
what did Wilkinson say? >> Posted 03.17.12 by BrentJS -
Director McG's This Means War is currently in theaters but given that the spy romantic flick debuted in fourth place and got some rather scathing reviews (including Reelz's Richard Roeper giving it a D-), it's not surprising that McG is talking about other projects. Or even projects that never happened.
In an interview with Indiewire, McG reveals that when he was attached to direct a Superman reboot nearly a decade ago, he had Robert Downey Jr. in mind to play not Superman but his arch nemesis.
We had Robert Downey Jr. locked up to be Lex Luthor, which I think would have been extraordinary.
This was before Downey Jr.'s comeback role in Iron Man. If McG's Superman had taken off, Downey Jr. most likely wouldn't have been in the Marvel movie. Funny to think . . .
And for Superman, McG claims he had Henry Cavill in mind, yes, the same Cavill playing Superman in Zack Synder's upcoming Man of Steel.
Ironically, we liked Henry Cavill a lot, but we hadn’t cast him yet.
Why Didn't McG's SUperman Project Take OFF? Posted 02.20.12 by Chris -
Interest in having Russell Crowe appear in nearly every production currently being readied in Hollywood continues, this time with Harker, a re-imagining of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.
According to Vulture, Warner Bros. is in talks with Crowe to play the title character of Jonathan Harker, who is now a Scotland Yard detective investigating a string of murders that should lead him to the nefarious Count. The project has been lingering around Warners for a while now, but with the studio's adaptation of Akira recently shut down over budget concerns, Harker has regained momentum. The report claims that the studio wants director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, ABC's The River) to helm Harker first, and then address Akira's budgetary issues.
While Crowe is in talks, his participation isn't confirmed. The actor is set to play Inspector Javert in The King's Speech director Tom Hooper's musical version of Les Miserables starting this month, and recently became attached to Winter's Tale, the upcoming directorial debut for Crowe's A Beautiful Mind screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. Crowe is also being sought for Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic Noah, and was at least mentioned for the possible lead in director Joe Carnahan's Death Wish remake.
cavill to travel to The Great Wall >> Posted 02.13.12 by Ryan -
Recent casting news had actor Richard Schiff (West Wing, The Lost World: Jurassic Park) joining director Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel, which seemed a little strange since the movie has already been shooting since August of last year. In an interview with I Am Rogue, Schiff revealed that he had actually been cast "over the summer" but is only now joining the production "for the last six weeks."
Reportedly, Schiff was cast as a character named Dr. Hamilton, which comic book fans instantly thought to be the DC Comics character Dr. Emil Hamilton, a genius-level inventor and former employee of S.T.A.R. Labs who has alternately been Superman's ally and enemy throughout the character's comic book history. Schiff played coy at first, and would not outright confirm that his character is the same Dr. Hamilton from the comic books.
I am not allowed to say but I will allow people to draw their own conclusions. They obviously have the same first and last name, so they can draw their own conclusions. I want to live up to the promise to not reveal anything I’m not allowed to reveal.
more about Schiff's character >> Posted 01.14.12 by Ryan -
With the live-action, Americanized adaptation of Akira currently on hold while it awaits a new script, Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy), the only actor that was confirmed for the movie, has found time for another project. Luckily for Hedlund, that project happens to be Inside Llewyn Davis, the latest movie from Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Fargo).
Variety reports that Hedlund is in negotiations for an unspecified role in the movie, which is loosely based on the life of Dave van Ronk, an American folk singer who was a part of the 1960s folk scene in Greenwich Village and was friends with Bob Dylan and other famed musicians. After his role in Country Strong, Hedlund has proved he can handle a musical role.
Hedlund joins a cast that includes Coen brothers regular John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink), Oscar Isaac (Sucker Punch), Carey Mulligan (Drive) and Justin Timberlake (The Social Network). Production is set to start soon in New York.
Riddick 3 adds bounty hunters; Superman gets help from West Wing alum >> Posted 01.10.12 by Ryan -
Like the comic book superhero he will be fighting in director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, actor Michael Shannon's career is on a trajectory headed straight for the stratosphere. The Kentucky-born actor had been turning in memorable performances in supporting roles in movies for more than 15 years before his performance in Revolutionary Road won him an Academy Award nomination, and now he is receiving acclaim again for his leading role in director Jeff Nichols' apocalyptic drama Take Shelter and for his part on the ensemble cast of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. On top of that, Shannon landed the coveted role of the villain General Zod in Snyder's aforementioned Superman franchise reboot, which will undoubtedly expose him to a much wider audience than any of his previous acting gigs.
what did shannon say about Man of Steel? >> Posted 12.07.11 by BrentJS -
Only a handful of men who know what it is like to play Superman - George Reeves (the TV series Adventures of Superman), Kirk Alyn (two low-budget 1940 serials), Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Tom Welling (Smallville) and now Henry Cavill.
The British actor, who can currently be seen in Immortals, talked with the L.A. Times' Hero Complex about who is harder to play — Superman or Clark Kent.
Essentially, yes, one is a disguise but the one that’s not a disguise is so unreal that brings difficulties of its own with it. I mean, once the shroud is cast off, yeah, there’s that — but he can fly. [Laughs] Overall, there’s no one that’s easier or less easy than the other. It is a lot of fun having two characters in one role which are so intertwined with each other. It’s the same person, definitely, but it’s the presentation. And that is fun.
The most interesting revelation of the interview is that despite Christopher Nolan serving as "godfather" and producer on Man of Steel, Cavill has yet to meet him (probably because Nolan is busy finishing up The Dark Knight Rises).
I haven’t seen him. He’s a busy man. I haven’t met him yet and I really look forward to meeting him.
Cavill talks comics >> Posted 11.21.11 by Chris -
Considering he earned an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Revolutionary Road and there's buzz that he might get another nomination for his performance in his latest movie, Take Shelter, you would think that actor Michael Shannon would have a pretty good estimation of his abilities as an actor. However, Shannon recently revealed to Shortlist (via DigitalSpy), that when he met with Zack Snyder to talk about playing the villain in the director's Superman franchise reboot, Man of Steel, he was "confused" about why a major role in "one of the largest films around" was being offered to him.
what did Shannon say about getting cast as Zod? >> Posted 11.20.11 by BrentJS -
Warner Bros. upcoming Superman reboot Man of Steel won't be opening for another year and a half, but rumors are already circulating that a sequel is in the works.
According to ThinkMcFlyThink, the studio is pleased with what they've seen from Man of Steel and have already compiled a shortlist of writers for a possible sequel, including Steve Kloves (the Harry Potter movies), Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim), and Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark). No deals are in place for any writer, nor does the report claim that an offer is in place at this point. The report also claims that the studio is pleased with the recent rewrites from husband-and-wife screenwriting team Kieran and Michele Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). David Goyer wrote the original script.
More on Man of Steel from Henry Cavill >> Posted 11.16.11 by Ryan -
How do you prepare yourself to portray a "strange visitor from another planet" with the powers of a god? Well, if you're British actor Henry Cavill — who is currently shooting Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, in which he plays the first and greatest superhero, Superman — you first train for months on end to play a steely-sinewed mythic mortal who fights for the gods. Then you read a lot of comic books.
In a recent interview, Cavill discussed why he worked out so long and hard to play Theseus in director Tarsem Singh's Immortals, and why he didn't study Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman when prepping for Man of Steel.
what did cavill say about Immortals and Man of Steel? >> Posted 11.09.11 by BrentJS