It looks like Warner Brothers is going to lose the rights to Superman in 2013 when those rights revert back to the heirs of the creators Siegel and Shuster. A lot of website articles are touting the fact that Warner Brothers is unprepared to film a sequel to Bryan Singer's 2006 Superman Returns and are furthermore speculating that the latest court rulings may spur Warner Brothers to quickly bang out one last Superman movie. Theoretically, the studio could have a sequel ready for release as early as summer 2012. Some people see this as good news, a way to put pressure on Warner Brothers to produce another Superman movie in the near future.But do we really want to go there?
Does anyone really want to see a makeshift Superman movie slapped together just to milk every last possible cent out of the Man of Steel? The potential for suckness is pretty high here. I can see it now: Superman Returns Again in 3D staring Shia LaBeouf directed by McGee featuring music by the Jonas Brothers.
It gets even scarier when one considers the fate of Smallville. The highly successful television show that has treated Superman cannon and continuity like a cheap whore for over eight seasons will also face a curtain call in 2013. This is kind of cool in that we finally have an end date for the corniest DC inspired t.v. show ever (and yes...Smallville is cornier than the 1960s Batman and Robin). But this is scary in that they may decide to go out with a bang and make a Smallville movie. As a result, the last Warner Brothers Superman movie may wind up being the gayest Warner Brothers Superman movie as the WB cast jumps onto the silver screen and thirty-something Tom Welling finally puts on the red and blue suit bringing Superboy into puberty about six years late. Christopher Reeves will be rolling over in his grave.
I would much rather wait for some other studio to pick up Superman after the court order of 2013 goes into effect. Warner Brothers seems to have not only run out of ideas but have also lost the desire to make another Superman movie. Thus far there is no script and no production plans in the works. It is unlikely Bryan Singer will return to direct another movie after being panned by critic and fans for Superman Returns, which will probably be remembered as Singer's first bad movie. So it is time for the Man of Steel to leave Warner Brothers and find a more fertile studio in which to flourish.
We might get a better film out of such a move. Perhaps one that includes fight scenes and villains other than Lex Luthor and falling aircraft. It is hard to believe this property can't find its place on the silver screen. Give us Brainiac, give us Bizarro, give us Darkseid, give us Lexcorp, give us Doomsday, give us Kandor...give us something. The material is there just waiting to be dug up and refined. Perhaps Disney/Miramax or Paramount can get the job done.
Why the clock is running out for a Superman sequel | SCI FI Wire
