ROTTEN TOMATOES: Warner Bros. Seeking Super Scribes

Warner Bros. Seeking Super Scribes

Dougherty and Harris opt out of Superman Returns sequel.

by Jeff Giles | October 22, 2007

Aspiring screenwriters with an abiding love for the colors red and blue -- not to mention the letter "S" -- may want to consider sending recent examples of their work to the Warner Bros. offices.

Despite earlier rumors to the contrary, it turns out that Superman Returns screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris will not be writing the sequel -- Variety is reporting that the duo has opted not to return for the follow-up. From the article:

Industry chatter claimed the studio would start fresh with a new take on the Man of Steel, as if the previous pic never happened.

Reasons mentioned were the introduction of Superman's son with Lois Lane, as well as the film's less-than-expected domestic haul of $200 million and another $191 million overseas.

But WB denies such plans and said next pic would be a sequel with Brandon Routh likely to wear the "S" on his chest again. Legendary Pictures is co-developing and co-financing the project.

The Variety report says Dougherty and Harris are concentrating on directing now -- Warner Bros.' recently-wrapped Trick 'R Treat will mark Dougherty's feature debut, while Harris is writing and directing I, Lucifer.

Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 29 posts) | Reply

cgcbooks writes:
on Oct 22 2007 05:23 AM

New writers will be a vast improvement.

(Reply to this)

Saxondale writes:
on Oct 22 2007 05:43 AM

I love Superman Returns but this no bad news.

Keep Routh.

Keep Singer.

New writers.

Sorted!

Can't wait.

(Reply to this)

Elixor writes:
on Oct 22 2007 05:56 AM

I also enjoyed Superman Returns. The writing is definately what needs improving. This could definately be a positive development.

(Reply to this)

Sora Freak writes:
on Oct 22 2007 06:11 AM

Alright! Great News!

Keeping Routh is definitley a win!

and a fresh take with newer writers is great news!

(Reply to this)

xenogears writes:
on Oct 22 2007 06:42 AM

Yeah. Routh is great. Singer is great. Next one neeps real Kick-*** action and more flying.

(Reply to this)

arpeggio191 writes:
on Oct 22 2007 06:58 AM

Routh was good. Bosworth sucked though - i didn't think she was a very good lois lane at all. I felt there was little chemistry between the two.

The part of superman's son was friggin terrible though. That's just a dumb plot point with an obvious "how do we tie in superman II?" If they ditched that point all together, that would be cool. Or, have Lex Luthor somehow kill the kid with kryptonite. I also think they need a bigger villian - like brainiac or something.

(Reply to this)

gratefuldawg writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:11 AM

they need to make Luthor more of a threat; drop the tired Hackman schtick. I fell Singer should also be dropped. His apparent man-love toward Dick Donner just tainted the entire film; essentially it was SUPERMAN 1.5. They shouldve placed Supes in modern time, addressing real threats; like Luthor financing terrorist for his own personal gain. But they opted out for a romanticized contrived remake which thankfully blew up in thier face.

(Reply to this)

crudebob writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:20 AM

I thought the idea of Superman having a son added to the storyline and was looking forward to seeing where it was going. Didn't expect it would be the trashbin though.

(Reply to this)

Eldorado writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:29 AM

I don't get how they could have a kid as a result of what happened in #2?

At the end Lois was made to forget the whole thing... so would she have not been a bit confused to learn she was pregnant??

And who was she telling everyone was the father? Cyclops??

Even in the Donner cut, which I forget what happens now, was she not left with forgetting the whole Kent/Superman identity? Majority of audiences only know the **** version we got, not what happens in the 'Donner' version.. so Singer shouldn't be referencing it (which he apparently didn't when it came to the fortress - destroyed in Donner's)

Yes, stupid plot point which I hope gets ignored in the next go around..

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:44 AM

i think the problem with superman returns is that it was superman 1.5. the younger generation has no loyalty to the donner superman, and some older fans wanted to see something new. so in trying to please everybody, singer ended up pleasing nobody (or at least, not alot of people, since alot of people hate the movie and find it boring).

the major issue i have is with the main actors and the way they are written. routh is ok as superman, but the storyline calls for some a little older than routh. if it was Superman Begins, he would have been fine, but the situations the script put him in required an older superman. also for some reason, he looked bigger as clark kent then he did as superman. odd.

and bosworth as lane is just way too young. kate bosworth as a mother of a five year old and pulitzer prize winning journalist? why dont we just cast jessica alba as a molecular biologist? oh wait, wait, we did.

i thought spacey as luthor was great though. just the right amount of menace and comedy, although if they had made him even more cold hearted and manipulative i wouldnt have minded. any issues i had with lex luthor had more to do with the role of luthor and how he was used as a main villain (puny human vs superman) more than the way spacey played it.

all in all, a Hulk like remake is in order.

(Reply to this)

cmonsteve writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:50 AM

anything will be an improvement on "returns", i thought routh looked great but that was about it. i don't know if i've ever seen a superhero (let alone the man of steel) be such a pushover as supes was in the last half hour of that movie. getting slapped around by kevin spacey? having a 90lb. waif saving him from drowning? ending up in a hospital bed? i understand trying to "humanize" him, but i think they took it too far. so here's to changing something/anything to make the relaunch of the franchise worth watching.

(Reply to this)

MyDearestFosca writes:
on Oct 22 2007 07:59 AM

Everyone join hands around the circle of Possible Screenwriters for Superman and repeat after me:

KEVIN SMITH! KEVIN SMITH! KEVIN SMITH! KEVIN SMITH!

COME ON, LET ME HEAR IT!

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 22 2007 08:00 AM

uh, no.

(Reply to this)

Man_Of_Iron8905 writes:
on Oct 22 2007 08:10 AM

So long as Bryan Singer, Routh, and a Super-Powered villain are included, I'm in. Bizarro anyone?

(Reply to this)

TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Oct 22 2007 08:29 AM

And now for something absolutely NO different:

VIVA new writers! Bring some new pain to this!

Keep singer (c'mon, remember that everyone thought X-men was 'too slow' and then he turned it WAY up on X2)

Keep Routh, though I was less than blown away. Routh was acceptable, but Reeve simply WAS superman. Everyone else is just 'playing' at it.

Lose Bosworth because she simply didn't add anything. She's much more appealing to look at than Margot Kidder (though in the Donner cut, he sexed her up NICELY) but Kidder blew that sh#t out of the PARK.

Keep Spacey but F#cking USE HIM!! You have one of the finest 'Villan' actors of our time (Keiser Soze!? Se7en!? HELLO!?!) and you have him in about 10% of the movie, doing almost NOTHING!!

Keep Frank Langella as Perry White, but also USE HIM!! He's one of the most under-appreciated older actors still working and he also just stood around!

Bring on somebody who can hurt Superman, for real, and not just because they're packing kryptonite!

Anger... leaving... Hulk.. sleep... now....

(Reply to this)

TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Oct 22 2007 08:32 AM

and it's spelled 'Villain' ...DAM# my spelling has gotten sh#tty, hanging out on this site!

(Reply to this)

the_don_of_yreka writes:
on Oct 22 2007 10:55 AM

if KEVIN SMITH can read these comments right now, ill tell the man to send him his vision of a superman movie. Bryan Singer better get his butt in gear. i do have wait for 2010 superman moive? Mr. Singer, please contact KEVIN SMITH. that man knows alot about comics.

(Reply to this)

High School With Money writes:
on Oct 22 2007 12:37 PM

Why would "new writers" be an instant panacea? That could run the gamut between Frank Miller to Akiva Goldsman, all relying on Warners's judgment. I expect this thing to be written by no less then seven scribes (including the "Two Writers of Scary Movie"). Depends on how much of a rush Warners is.

(Reply to this)

Rockslide writes:
on Oct 22 2007 12:56 PM

I'm interested in a revision, I didn't hate Returns, but I wouldn't mind leaving it and starting anew a la Incredible Hulk. New Lois, new larger frame Superman, ditch the kid storyline, and get a big villian. Brainiac or Bizarro would be fine by me.

(Reply to this)

xenogears writes:
on Oct 22 2007 01:55 PM

Man_of_Iron8905 Hit the nail on the head. With Bizzaro as the main villian you could have all the giant superpowered battles and flying that everyone wants and even take the fight to space and different planets. Also Kevin Smith would do a great job I think.

(Reply to this)

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