Superman Returns Teaser Trailer...

[Lexmark3200]

....seems like this is actually NOT going to be a continuation of Superman II as everyone was predicting, but rather indeed a re-starting of the franchise, forgetting Chris Reeve ever played the role, and explaining his powers, etc.:

http://supermanreturns.warnerbros.com/trailer.html

[L.J.]

....seems like this is actually NOT going to be a continuation of Superman II as everyone was predicting, but rather indeed a re-starting of the franchise, forgetting Chris Reeve ever played the role, and explaining his powers, etc.:

http://supermanreturns.warnerbros.com/trailer.html

This was my first time seeing a trailer for the new superman, COOL!

[GMichael]

Well, if they were to pick up where the other superman movies left off they would need to be creative. Now they can just do everything over again with a little twist here and there.
Just kidding. I saw the trailer the other day. It looks to be interesting.

[paul_pci]

I saw this the other night and I too was confused by the fact that it seems to restart the whole story over again and with contemporary political overtones. Poor Reeve.

[Lexmark3200]

I agree with Paul; poor Reeve. To me, this is an insult to his memory and they should have just left the first two films alone (lets forget the third and fourth because those are jokes----WORSE than Batman Forever and Batman & Robin) and simply had "Superman Return" literally, where the events would have him returning after his battle with General Zod in II.

I dont think a retelling from scratch was smart.

[GMichael]

Maybe it's supposed to be a continuation based on the show Smallvile.

[Lexmark3200]

Maybe it's supposed to be a continuation based on the show Smallvile.

I'm not sure about that, G...perhaps someone else that's a Smallville fan would know better. But I dont THINK it was supposed to be...

[GMichael]

I'm not sure about that, G...perhaps someone else that's a Smallville fan would know better. But I dont THINK it was supposed to be...

I don't know either. But I did see the trailer last week durring a Smallville break. It kind of had the same feel. But again, I have no other information to support that. Just wondering if anyone knows.

[topspeed]

I don't think Reeve's status as Superman will be diminished by the latest installment. Superman is a franchise. Does anybody think any less of Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman because of Christian Bale? How's Sean Connery's legacy as 007 doing after all these years?

See what I mean.

This Superman definitely looks younger than Reeve's Superman. These superhero movies are really hit and miss. Some (Spiderman, X-Men) are great, some (the Hulk, Fantastic Four) not so much. IOW, a hero doesn't automatically make the movie super.

That said, Jessica Alba in a spandex can overcome a LOT of story problems :D.

[JSE]

I don't think Reeve's status as Superman will be diminished by the latest installment. Superman is a franchise. Does anybody think any less of Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman because of Christian Bale? How's Sean Connery's legacy as 007 doing after all these years?

See what I mean.

This Superman definitely looks younger than Reeve's Superman. These superhero movies are really hit and miss. Some (Spiderman, X-Men) are great, some (the Hulk, Fantastic Four) not so much. IOW, a hero doesn't automatically make the movie super.

That said, Jessica Alba in a spandex can overcome a LOT of story problems :D.


Topspeed is right, stories have been retold since stories were thought up. Nothing wrong with giving us another version/vision. I hardly think Reeve will be turning over in his grave about this. He was great as Superman and that will always be.

If they were to fashion the new movie after Batman Begins, that woudl be great. Give us some more depth to the story.

[GMichael]

Jessica is in this? I must have missed that part. Points! Many points!

[s dog]

Some one told me at work today that best buy has the 1st season of lost dvd for $29.95. that sounds like a pretty good price to me, heck wal-mart in my area wants $49.95 for it just thought i would let every one kown.

[s dog]

Some one told me at work today that best buy has the 1st season of lost dvd for $29.95. that sounds like a pretty good price to me, heck wal-mart in my area wants $49.95 for it just thought i would let every one kown.
Sorry i ment to start a new thread

[kexodusc]

From WB's official site on this movie:

"Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space. "

Doesn't sound like a start-over to me....

[JSE]

Doesn't sound like a start-over to me....


It actually sounds kindof boring. :confused:

JSE

[kexodusc]

Well, Spiderman 1 sounded pretty boring too...the same ol' story that's been told a billion times now. Same with Batman Begins. But they were both executed well. Sometimes really great stories get to complex and convoluted and don't work well.
We'll have to see.

Personally, I think we've done just about all we can do with Superman anyway. I'm more looking forward to X-Men 3.

[GMichael]

How about something new that no one has done before? Have you seen Serenity?

[Lexmark3200]

Guys,

It may not SOUND or READ like a start-over on paper, but if you watch that trailer carefully, you see the RE TELLING of the son of Jor El story, the coming to Earth, the Smallville growing up sequences....

THATS not starting over??

[GMichael]

Guys,

It may not SOUND or READ like a start-over on paper, but if you watch that trailer carefully, you see the RE TELLING of the son of Jor El story, the coming to Earth, the Smallville growing up sequences....

THATS not starting over??

Maybe a little of both. They wouldn't want to tell us too much or we wouldn't go see it.

[Lexmark3200]

Maybe a little of both.

How can he "return" and "be reborn" to restart the franchise in the same project?


They wouldn't want to tell us too much or we wouldn't go see it.

Thats true, G, but for people to say this is NOT a restart is just senseless after witnessing, through this trailer, his trip to Earth, his startup at the Daily Planet, etc.

And this is indeed an insult -- in my own personal opinion -- to Reeve's legacy in the role and cannot be compared to Michael Keaton/Chris Bale discussions because....well...Keaton did not pass away as Reeve did.

[GMichael]

How can he "return" and "be reborn" to restart the franchise in the same project?.


One word, flashbacks.




Thats true, G, but for people to say this is NOT a restart is just senseless after witnessing, through this trailer, his trip to Earth, his startup at the Daily Planet, etc..

Different sources seem to be giving different stories. They may just be different glimpses into a much larger vision. Hard to tell before we have seen more than a few minutes of it.
My feeling is that we will be given a little "start over background" but then be given a new story picking up where the others left off. Time will tell.


And this is indeed an insult -- in my own personal opinion -- to Reeve's legacy in the role and cannot be compared to Michael Keaton/Chris Bale discussions because....well...Keaton did not pass away as Reeve did.

Not sure why you feel it's an insult. But I guess others may agree with you. Maybe some people feel the Reeve's was an insult to the original series. But I wouldn't. There is a whole new generation of movie go-ers ready to spend mo-money.

[Woochifer]

Everything I've been reading over the past year has indicated that Superman Returns would be a continuation of the Donner movies, and that trailer certainly does not include anything that would indicate a complete reboot of the franchise (i.e. Batman Begins). You're telling us to watch the trailer carefully, but seems to me like you're reading a lot more into a teaser trailer than is actually there.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW

I mean, if Superman Returns was a complete restart, why would they bother editing together old footage from Marlon Brando's portrayal of Jor-El? Why would the timeline of the plot begin AFTER Superman/Clark Kent has gone missing for a few years? And why would they use John Williams' theme and plan to include footage from the prior films in the opening montage? Some info to this effect is linked below. Most of the info I've been reading comes from a fan site that I read to keep tabs on the status of the Donner Director's Cut for Superman II.

http://www.supermancinema.co.uk/

http://www.cinemablend.com/review.php?id=922
It's interesting the completely different tacts being taken with the Batman Begins and Superman Returns. Nolan's Batman is trying to revitalize the franchise by completely rebooting it. He's restarting Batman's story by telling the story of how he became the bat, rather than continuing what we've already seen on movie screens courtesy of Burton and Schumacher. On the other end of the spectrum is Singer's Superman. He's bringing Superman back courtesy of selective memory. Superman Returns is a sequel in the truest sense of the word to Superman 2, ignoring the last two abortive Superman movie attempts.

Singer picks up where Donner left off, and in his film the Superman of Donner's movies is returning to Earth after a long absence. He's been off battling aliens, asteroids, or Lobo. I'm sure it'll be better explained in the movie. While Nolan's Batman may be great, I love the idea of including the already great first two Superman movies in this new mythos. It's not a remake or a reboot, just a continuation of something we all know and love.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20748
SUPERMAN 2 acts as a sort of very vague history, but Donner's SUPERMAN is the main history, slightly referenced in the film (we saw one of those references in the footage shown, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Jor-El will be in the movie briefly. And, yes. It is Brando, but not a big CGI Brando man walking around, although there was some CG altering to his face... Singer said we'd see why.

http://www.superherohype.com/news.php?id=3644
To keep Clark's disappearance under wraps, Martha Kent sent postcards to Lois during his Daily Planet hiatus. In the Comic-Con footage Martha asks Clark "What about that nice girl you used to talk about? The one you had me send post cards to?" or something to that effect.

The opening credits will feature John Williams classic Superman march, with a new score by editor/composer John Ottman integrating old and new themes. I believe I also caught a mention that the opening credits will feature some of Superman: The Movie.

http://www.musicfromthemovies.com/sotw.asp?ID=40
FROM INTERVIEW WITH COMPOSER JOHN OTTMAN
I'm up to my earlobes right now editing the film. I won't really get into writing the score until February sometime. We'll probably record sometime in April. The franchise must evolve, and so should the music, but at the same time, I acknowledge it would be a crime not to incorporate the original theme. So much of this film reminisces about the original, that we must build upon the musical identity Williams created. At the same time, we have to move forward and not make the film feel dated, pathetically trying to be the original all the time. So it's going to be a tough assignment. But there's no ego here. As a fan of remakes and sequels, I get pissed when the original theme isn't used. So I'm not going to make that mistake with this one.

[kexodusc]

Yep, Wooch is right...For all we know the infor in that trailer is 90% of footage that was filmed for the backstory. All one has to do is follow the links on the trailer webpage and read the official write-up WB has released on the film. The fact theres a few minutes of backstory footage tells us nothing about the movie's plot.

[Lexmark3200]

One word, flashbacks.

Ehhhhh......maybe....hard to pull off even when done correctly...


Different sources seem to be giving different stories. They may just be different glimpses into a much larger vision. Hard to tell before we have seen more than a few minutes of it.
My feeling is that we will be given a little "start over background" but then be given a new story picking up where the others left off. Time will tell.

That it will.


Not sure why you feel it's an insult. But I guess others may agree with you. Maybe some people feel the Reeve's was an insult to the original series. But I wouldn't. There is a whole new generation of movie go-ers ready to spend mo-money.

Okay. Thats opinion and will be respected as such. I do feel his "legacy" with the role should be left alone if only for his memory and his family. I dont think a reboot, retelling or whatever they/you wanna call it is necessary -- but hey, I dont make the money at these studios, as I have said the same thing about the totally unnecessary Exorcist prequel stories (Harlin's and Schrader's) but to Morgan Creek, it's seen as a possible cash cow.

[Lexmark3200]

Everything I've been reading over the past year has indicated that Superman Returns would be a continuation of the Donner movies

Thats from what YOU have been "reading" before this trailer/teaser arrived.


and that trailer certainly does not include anything that would indicate a complete reboot of the franchise (i.e. Batman Begins).

Really? Seeing glipmpses of him being sent to Earth, the Smallville backdrop, the voiceover regarding his trip and powers -- NONE of that smacks of a reboot? Of course, like G said, these could be flashback sequences to accompany a continuation-after-II story, but I doubt that.


You're telling us to watch the trailer carefully, but seems to me like you're reading a lot more into a teaser trailer than is actually there.

No I'm not; I'm saying watch the trailer carefully......and you'll see more than a hint of reboot flavor to it.

[Lexmark3200]

Yep, Wooch is right

OF COURSE...yes...right...


For all we know the infor in that trailer is 90% of footage that was filmed for the backstory. All one has to do is follow the links on the trailer webpage and read the official write-up WB has released on the film. The fact theres a few minutes of backstory footage tells us nothing about the movie's plot.

What? Thats what this teaser WAS FOR. In fact, go on all the major home theater discussion sites, and you'll see that this little clip is all the rage right now with purists complaining this is going to be a restart of the franchise, more likely than not, and is being analyzed irrespective of the press materials Warner has pre-released (which I have read every page of in the media kit sent directly to my office).

[JSE]

Everyone just needs to agree with Lex.

That's what he wants. He can't stand when people have a different opinion or view than his.

For me, I don't care if it's a restart or a continuation. If it's good, that's all that matters.

JSE

[Lexmark3200]

Everyone just needs to agree with Lex.

That's what he wants. He can't stand when people have a different opinion or view than his.

For me, I don't care if it's a restart or a continuation. If it's good, that's all that matters.

JSE

People, that is completely and UTTERLY UNTRUE, believe me. I enjoy disagreements and admit to them every time there is one and I'm perfectly open to opinion and differences in opinion.

But indeed JSE has a point......if it's good that's all that matters, and I hope it is good, although I have to admit Im damn curious if this is going to continue with II or restart the series!


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[GMichael]

Anyone know the release date? I'm sure it's back in one of the links you guys already posted. OK, OK, I'll look for myself.

[kexodusc]

What? Thats what this teaser WAS FOR. In fact, go on all the major home theater discussion sites, and you'll see that this little clip is all the rage right now with purists complaining this is going to be a restart of the franchise, more likely than not, and is being analyzed irrespective of the press materials Warner has pre-released (which I have read every page of in the media kit sent directly to my office).

I tried finding a few discussion sites with comments you described, but instead I found a ton of reference to the following interview with Bryan Singer earlier this year from the world's largest Superman site:

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=superman-returns

"He'll begin in his late 20s. He lost his powers in Superman II and now he has the powers back. But something has happened because he's been away for a long time."

"We're taking off from the first two Superman films with Christopher Reeve. We use his history and then move on with big twists and great special effects.

"We're not going to do the origin story again."

Bryan Singer reveals that the movie will feature a return of Superman of some sorts, and not a complete reimagining. He also went on to reveal that there may be references to the Christopher Reeve movies and maybe even scenes from the other movies. "It puts the first films in a kind of vague history. So what it doesn't do is tread over the 1978 Richard Donner film, it doesn't tread over 'Smallville.' It elaborates on the existence of Superman in the world in a history. He's out of the culture and then he returns."


While stranger things have happened, I think we have to take the guy that knows for sure at his word, and ignore all the pointless debate by internet-know-it-alls who are notorious for being wrong about movie plots. We see this with every anticipated movie, X-Men, Star Wars, Spiderman, etc...

And the above is also consistent with WB's official word on the issue.

This could all be smoke and mirrors, but you'll need credible evidence, not just internet fans who claim to be in the know, to convince anyone otherwise.

Besides, it'd be suicide to lie to fans about the plot, take their money, then say "gotcha, we did an origin story"...