(Photo from
/Film)
According to
Deadline.com, Christopher Nolan is supposedly taking an active role in the Superman reboot as well as working on his third Batman film. I first about this from my buddy Lan's blog on
Newsarama. And boy, there are some mixed feelings about this bit of news. Well, I'm here to give you my take on this.
First of all, all I've heard thus far is speculation; I haven't heard any executive from Warner Bros. come right out and say, "Hey! Chris Nolan is going to be involved in the Superman movie! Ain't that great?" Until I've heard that I'm going to withhold my judgement on the matter. Second, even if it is true, they don't say what it is he'll be doing. It doesn't seem to me like he'll direct both movies; I doubt he'd want to take that one since Superman may not fit his style. So people who are complaining about this mess don't know all the facts yet, and they need to chill the BLEEP down.
Ok, now let's talk hypothetically: so Warner Bros. wants Nolan involved with Superman somehow. Maybe it's because they liked what he did with the Batman movies;
The Dark Knight was a huge success at the box office, as well as a critically acclaimed film. The late Heath Ledger won several awards for his performance as the Joker, including the Academy Award (never before given to a performance in a superhero movie). This was the film that made people think twice about what comic book movies should be and how they should be taken a little more seriously as genuine films, not just summer blockbuster popcorn experiences.
So, the question remains: with all the praise that Nolan has received in reviving the once defunct Bat-franchise, is he the right man to give the same treatment to Superman?
Again, I don't know what part he is to play in getting the Superman franchise up and running again, but honestly I don't think he sees himself directing it; the character of Superman is different from that of Batman in most respects. For one, I don't see Superman being as morally ambiguous as the Bat. There has been talk from WB execs about wanting to make Superman edgier and have a darker side to him. A lot of fans have responded negatively to this, though not fully understanding the context.
I, for one, feel that Superman should remain the Big Blue Boy Scout. A lot of people think that's a bad thing, but those people are lame anyway. I've always liked that Superman was the quintessential good guy, and he very seldom compromised his beliefs (save for a couple of Elseworld stories that shall not be named). I hope that whatever happens in the movie, they don't try to make Superman out to be something he's not.
I'm sure, that whatever role Nolan has in this, he'll help to give Superman the biggest movie since the first one in 1978. I would say I'd like to see break
Avatar's record, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I have faith in Nolan as a filmmaker; I've liked just about every movie he's made (though I still have not seen
Following yet). He's very smart and very competent as a director and a storyteller. I'm also looking forward to
Inception as well.
So...I'll be prepared for disappointment, but hoping for awesomeness!
LEW!
I'm writing to you as a loyal fan for well over twenty years to plead with you NOT to resurrect the Superman franchise. Not because I hate Superman, but because I LOVE Superman. My biggest fear is that whatever you guys come up with will only disappoint me and millions of fans worldwide. And lord knows I don't want to be disappointed by a Superman movie again.
I would rather go another twenty odd years for a great Superman movie than to see a rather mediocre Superman movie in about two to three years. And honestly, it seems as though that is what we're looking forward to in the near future; Warner Bros. is more concerned about setting up a new franchise and making a mint off of it that it seems like they're willing to compromise the integrity of the character to make him more "relevant" and "hip" with today's generation. Let me just say this: the character has been around since 1938, and although he's evolved over the years, the dynamic is still the same, and people identify with it. Now there are people who aren't going to like Superman because he's "way too powerful" or that he's a "big blue boy scout." To those people I say: 1) there are lots of characters now in the DC Universe who are just as powerful, if not more powerful than Superman, so you don't have a leg to stand on in that argument anymore, and 2) what's so wrong with being a boy scout? I used to be a boy scout! Don't make me get my bowie knife on you!
