Why Jude Law Left Warners' BATMAN VS SUPERMAN And Who Replaced Him! Published at: Aug. 12, 2002, 4:45 a.m. CST by staff

Hey folks, Harry here. I've gotten a few letters that wanted to know why I never took back my story about Jude Law and Colin Farrell and their involvement in BATMAN VS SUPERMAN. Why didn't I just post it was all lies when Warners came out against it. The reason is because we were not wrong. Jude Law had the role. It was his. He was happy with the money that was being offered, and they were just waiting on the final contracts from what Nanobot 1 and others were telling us. The people around the office were in a happy talkative jabberjaw mode (typical Warner etiquette by the way) and when the deal fell apart, it wasn't about money, it was about Sequels. Jude wasn't adverse to playing Superman in multiple films, he just wanted to be able to commit to those projects individually based upon the quality of their respective scripts. Reportedly, Jude was very interested in the Andrew Kevin Walker script for BATMAN VS SUPERMAN. I've heard it is very good, and I've been told by Houdini to expect to read it soon. However, Jude... being a QUALITY PERFORMER and knowing Warner Brothers' shitty history on Superhero Franchises, where self-parody and out right spectacular suicide dives into empty swimming pools filled with broken beer glass on these types of things... Well he wanted to control his destiny. And of course, the concept of having a star with integrity that could vote one way or another in regards to his committment on a project... Well, that's just too much. SO... Rather than giving your star performer an assurance of quality control... Rather than going with their first choice. Rather than that, they are going with Josh Hartnett. Now, admittedly, Josh is in the exact stage of negotiation right now that Jude Law was in. The Final Negotiations. That tick tock tick tock moment to moment of a project where the balance is precariously awkward. Now, I know Josh Hartnett. He's been at my house, sat in my backyard, watched old Betty Boop cartoons, drank beer, talked about film dreams, about wishing he'd gotten this part or that... I liked Josh quite a bit. Thought he was a pretty cool guy. Josh Harnett is not SUPERMAN. Josh isn't CLARK KENT. Josh is totally wrong for the part. To play opposite Colin Farrell... Wrong. He is completely MidWestern, agreed. But you don't hire a James Dean type for SUPERMAN. You don't hire someone with smoker body language. Someone with squinty eyes. Josh can be a fine actor in the right parts, but SUPERMAN isn't him. Not now, not with his face. It just isn't right. It isn't as wrong as Nick Cage, but it is damn close. Josh is closer to Jimmy Olsen than he is SUPERMAN, and he's wrong for Jimmy Olsen too. Though with red hair, a Supes calling watch and a green plaid blazer, I could see it.... oh... and a red bow tie. Colin Farrell is BATMAN still. That's been locked up, and we'll let you know the second the ink dries on Josh's contract. As of yet, it hasn't landed yet. And Josh... If you are out there... don't listen to the agent or the money on this one. Don't sign a contract with Warner Brothers to play the wrong character repeatedly. Don't do it. Josh, think about the Fleischer SUPERMAN cartoons I showed you in my backyard.... That isn't you. You are not SUPERMAN. I remember how much you liked those. How cool you thought they were, but that isn't you. Maybe at age 32 or 36. If you do sign, I wish you the best of luck, because the last thing in the world I want is another sucky Warner Brothers Superhero film.