Thu, February 28, 2013

Reports surfaced over the last few weeks, specifically yesterday outta the offices of JoBlo and Slashfilm on Zack Snyder's cinematic reintroduction to Superman, The Man of Steel.

Yes, it's screened to select crowds. Friends & Family, different levels of execs, and the filmmakers themselves have taken a gander at what Snyder hath wroth. And yes, the word is good. The range of positive varies. One trusted source liked it, with reservations, while another exclaimed it as downright "AMAZING" (their exact words – all caps included). Regardless of how good, it is good and high-ups at Burbank are walking on clouds like Kal-El. Now the question leading up to June 14 is, "Great... and then what?"

We all know Warner Brothers/DC Entertainment can't get their house in order. The narrative for the longest has been they'll wait and see how the Supes redo does. Then they'll make their move. All the talk has been pumping adrenaline into Justice League and have that out by 2015 – a non-subtle way of countering The Avengers 2. A tall order with no director within walking distance and the most recent script, by Gangster Squad typist-turned-WB Golden Boy Will Beall tossed faster than a speeding bullet. It's doable – just looking less likely by each passing day.

Some rumblings suggest Justice League remains the priority, others suggest it's on hold. Rumor we're hearing, and frankly the one that makes the most sense – hence the article you're reading, has the studio aiming their tractor beams at a Superman sequel. Whatever title they bestow upon it (The Man of Tomorrow? The Last Son of Krypton? It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman Two?) the studio is accelerating it into development with David Goyer back on writing duties. Script problems, be damned! Goes to show how tensions disappear in the face of success or in this case, confidence there is success to be had.

Yeah, yeah I know. "Didn't you guys say they were looking at a bunch of writers who weren't Goyer like two years ago?" Correctamundo. They were spit-balling ideas. Execs do that – for the kind of cash they pocket that’s all they do besides li'l things like overseeing productions and making sure they keep their jobs upon the latest regime change.

So if Superman's return (again) to the multiplexes delivers (All signs are good), WB, to their credit, is thinking smart. Supes is here to stay. For real this time.