By Scott Weinberg
After years of failed starts, unimpressive screenplays, bizarre casting ideas, and about $50 million in cash down the tubes, Warner Bros. finally found the man to direct their "Superman" revival. The new captain of the Superfranchise would be Bryan Singer, the young director who dazzled everyone with "The Usual Suspects" before kicking some serious fan-tail with "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United." Offered the Holy Grail of Cinematic Geekdom, Mr. Singer chose to bail on the "X"-series (which was rather successfully picked up by, of all guys, Brett Ratner) in exchange for the keys to Metropolis. But he wouldn't be traveling alone: bringing a small core of "X"-makers with him (screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, composer John Ottman, cinematographer Newton Thomas Siegel, editor Elliot Graham, production designer Guy Dyas, and costume designer Louise Mingenbach), Singer set out to create his own particular Supersequel.
With the creative team in place, all eyes looked to the casting decisions. Not surprisingly, Singer opted for a fresh newcomer for the Superlead, and he picked Iowa-bred TV actor Brandon Routh for the gig of a lifetime. For Lois Lane, he got Kate "Blue Crush" Bosworth, and for Jimmy Olsen, the frequently funny Sam Huntington. Mama Kent would be played by Oscar winner Eva Marie Saint, Perry White would be Hugh Laurie, (who, starring in Singer's TV doc drama, "House," dropped out and was replaced by the very able Frank Langella), and playing everyone's favorite megalomaniac... Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Pepper in supporting folks like Kal Penn, Parker Posey, and James Marsden, and the curiosity factor does rise. As always, some fans applauded the picks, while others did not. But one has to put some trust in the filmmakers, and one is tempted to give the director of "X2" the benefit of the doubt where comic book movies are concerned.
Reported to be similar in tone to the first two "Superman" flicks, as well as packed with fan-friendly in-jokes and references, "Superman Returns" will have to be a pretty massive worldwide hit to recoup all the money spent during its 15-year conception. The film has the markings to be one of this summer's biggest smashes, but is it a movie we'll want to revisit time and again? Will it kick-start a dazzling new franchise or will it turn out to be something less than, well, Super? Guess we won't know until June 28th, because that's when the old-school Superfans get to cast their box office vote, and one suspects they'll be brutally honest with their opinions.
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