“IMWAN for all seasons.”



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:35 am 
User avatar

Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1337
Location: Zrfff
This came up in the chat, (still going at 2 am!), so I thought I'd share. This some info I put together around the time of Superman Returns debut, and it's a trainwreck. Enjoy!


One of the guys who helped design this whatever it is wrote:
"But, for the climactic fight sequence I needed to create a fierce 'battle logo' for Superman which could be pulled apart and utilized as knife weapons. Prior to this series of scenes Superman is killed by the villain then brought back to life within the fortress of solitude so that he can face the villain with renewed strength."


I couldn't sleep one night, so I been read about it all night. After reading all this, Superman Returns can do no wrong. First, some concept art:

Based on Kevin Smith's Superman Lives script, pre-Burton/Cage.
A redesigned costume. Not offensively bad like the burton stuff, just very 90s image. And shit. It's also very shit.
Superman in the black costume from the comics, proving being from the comics don't make it right.
The Fortress of Solitude. Meh.
Brainac's ship. I've got no idea what's going on with this thing.
Brainac's skull ship. I declare this awesome.

I posted the first of these in the chat, Burton's Superman costume:
Superscissorhands
Ol' Knifey Chest.
Burton's Braniac and Doomsday:
Brainiac. This looks like Giger got drunk and humped his drawing board with a pen on his junk.
Doomsday. Seriously.
Alternate Doomsday design. You can kind of see Doomsday in this one. Kinda like you can see Shredder in Super Shredder in Ninja Turtles 2.

Krypton from the Abrams/McG/Ratner abortion:
Uno, dos, tres and so on. There's more, they aren't very interesting, all just Star Wars Prequely looking.

The Kryptonian war ships Abrams had attacking Earth-
Spiders are the fiercest killers in the animal kingdom. Also note the crappy shield.
Kinda generic flying thing.
Some sort of flying moped that vaguely resembles a high heel.
And finally, Baby Kal's rocket. It looks like a mouse from some weird mac.


Last edited by Thomas D on Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:31 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:36 am 
User avatar

Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1337
Location: Zrfff
Texty stuff that will take forever to read:

Wikipedia's entry on it. This is the most interesting, as it has the plots that didn't happen.

Some gems from them:

Quote:
Several details of the script are unknown, but what has been confirmed is that it was loosely based on "The Death of Superman" story. The script features an insecure Clark Kent unable to admit his feelings for the human woman of whom he is fond, Lois Lane. Before he is able to resolve those feelings with her, Doomsday appears to challenge him. Just as in the comics, they fight to their respective deaths. As Superman dies in Lois' arms, he finally confesses his feelings to her. Unbeknowst to either of them, this final confession not only releases his soul from his body, but said soul enters the body of Lois. She soon discovers that she is pregnant with Superman's child. Days later, the child is born and within the span of three weeks, he grows into the body of a 21-year-old man. As Lois is killed in the middle of the film (by what has not been confirmed, but some reports list it as the resurrected Doomsday), the new-born assumes his birthright as the new Superman and defeats the villain, saving the world.



Quote:
During this time, Lexiac--an advanced alien force with the resources of a multi-national conglomerate at its disposal--plans to destroy Earth just as he did Krypton. He begins assembling an arsenal of nuclear warheads to be detonated on all the world's top cities. He also spends a great amount of timing attempting (unsuccessfully) to woo a grieving Lois Lane. Superman returns to Metropolis and is restored his powers by "K", which is revealed to be the remaining "life essence" of his deceased biological parents. Superman, with the flirtatious assistance of Lois, defeats Lexiac (destroying the "Brainiac" element) with exactly one second left on the nuclear clock. The story ends with Lois in Superman's arms, where she reveals that she is pregnant with his child.


A LONG article on the behind the scenes stuff that happned. It ends at around 2003 I think. It's interesting, but probably more so to me than any one else any where ever.

Kevin Smith's script. It's okay given what he had to work with.

Superman: The Man of Steel Script by Alex Ford. Too good to actually be made.

And courtesy of Drew Vin,
the Abrams script.


Last edited by Thomas D on Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:24 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:48 am 
User avatar

Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 261
Found two others:

Burton's SUPERMAN LIVES by Dan Gilroy:

http://www.screentalk.biz/scripts/super ... 0Sep98.pdf

ASYLUM (SUPERMAN VS BATMAN) by Andrew Kevin Walker (and revised by Akiva Goldsman):

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/asylum.pdf


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:55 am 
User avatar

Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1337
Location: Zrfff
Thanks, Drew!


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:01 am 
User avatar

Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 2569
Location: Earth 2
The worst movie never made.

_________________
JohnG


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:21 am 
User avatar
Grand Poobah of Silliness

Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 2551
Awesome work!

And awesomely bad ideas, though Smith's Brainiac drawings look sweet.


Top
  Profile  
 

IMWAN Admin
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:23 am 
User avatar
Helpful Librarian

Joined: Day WAN
Posts: 197135
Location: IMWAN Towers
Bannings: If you're not nice
Thomas D wrote:
One of the guys who helped design this whatever it is wrote:
"But, for the climactic fight sequence I needed to create a fierce 'battle logo' for Superman which could be pulled apart and utilized as knife weapons. Prior to this series of scenes Superman is killed by the villain then brought back to life within the fortress of solitude so that he can face the villain with renewed strength."

This is exquisitely horrifying. I love it.

_________________
Image


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:41 am 
User avatar
What do you call a camel with three humps?

Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 58174
Location: Indiana
It's better than SUPERMAN RETURNS.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:56 am 
User avatar

Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 261
Oh yeah, before I leave off for today, I just did another search and found this quote from Superman Returns costume designer Louise Mingenbach:

Quote:
In the Tim Burton version of Superman [never made], the theory was that, instead of blue tights, he'd paint his skin blue. The character was in a suit,and blood was pumped through these exterior veins. Don't even ask. It was crazy.


From http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/107 ... -talk.html but the rest of it is about Superman Returns, which doesn't really pertain to the unproduced ones.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:06 am 
User avatar
...

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 59410
I've read about this at the agony booth site, and apparently Burton wanted to turn Supes into 'Pulsar'! Remember that 70's action figure with the see-through chest, and if you pressed a panel on his back there'd be blood going through the veins and stuff? This was how he wanted to portray Supes.

Can't recall why, but that's what he wanted to do.

_________________
"They'll bite your finger off given a chance" - Junkie Luv (regarding Zebras)


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:37 am 
User avatar
...

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 59410


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
"They'll bite your finger off given a chance" - Junkie Luv (regarding Zebras)


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:34 am 
User avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Posts: 3515
Location: Union City, CA
This is old news to me, but it never ceased to be quite horrifying.

_________________
Visit ZAKI'S CORNER - Your online home for all things Zaki!


Top
  Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:39 am 
User avatar

Joined: 10 Feb 2006
Posts: 3502
Location: Burbank, CA
hmmm...

_________________
I'm not that smart.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:17 pm 
User avatar
Niatpac Levram!!!!!!

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 26181
Bannings: Banned? Moi?
Great research!
Now if only someone could find a copy of the recent Watchmen script!
(I have the Samm Hamm script, but would love to check out the one that almost got made!)


Top
  Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:28 pm 
User avatar
MLVGB Champion, '92-'94

Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 31234
Location: Tokyo, 1990
Bannings: Self-inflicted
Thomas D wrote:
Krypton from the Abrams/McG/Ratner abortion:
Uno,


"Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice..."


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:20 pm 
User avatar

Joined: 28 Jul 2005
Posts: 21507
I am very glad this movie didn't happen.

_________________
Refractory innuendos


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:24 pm 
User avatar
It scorched

Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 68693
Bannings: One too few . . .
For this movie, I am John Byrne. Just when I think I'm all relaxed and hip (wondering why JB gets so "uptight" about Hollywood adaptations), something like this comes along. I'm a comic book reactionary at heart.

_________________
Rom's kiss turned Rogue a hero.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:50 pm 
User avatar

Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 6403
Location: Canada
Part of me hopes that one day, hackers will be able to tap into the internet bandwidth of several alternate Earths.On that day I will use bittorrent to download these Superman movies.
Imagine the horror, if it turns out we live on the Earth that made the best one.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:57 pm 
User avatar

Joined: 28 Jul 2005
Posts: 21507
The best one will probably be "Superman: The Man of Steel", ours will be second best, possibly third.

Though I did like "Superman Returns".

_________________
Refractory innuendos


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:06 pm 
User avatar

Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 11072
Location: Waallsend
Hey, I think all of these 'never happened' films look great. And jon Peters sounds like the absolute DUDE!

_________________
Keep Bouncing


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:07 pm 
User avatar
MLVGB Champion, '92-'94

Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 31234
Location: Tokyo, 1990
Bannings: Self-inflicted
Steve Kipling wrote:
Part of me hopes that one day, hackers will be able to tap into the internet bandwidth of several alternate Earths.On that day I will use bittorrent to download these Superman movies.
Imagine the horror, if it turns out we live on the Earth that made the best one.


You realize that out there, somewhere, there is a universe where Catwoman is one of the greatest comic book movies ever, and the Steve Kipling of that universe is right at this very minute reading and reacting to a thread about an aborted Catwoman adaptation directed by Pitof, co-starring Sharon Stone.

There is also an alternate Dave who does not write in long, run-on sentences.


Top
  Profile  
 
 Post subject: The Superman movie that didn't happen
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:18 pm 
User avatar

Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 6403
Location: Canada
That must be the universe, where the Catwoman costume didn't emit a Nad numbing radiation.


Top
  Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]   



Who is WANline

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  


Powdered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited

IMWAN is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide
a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.