Comic book writer Mark Millar, whose Wanted is in cineplexes now, announced to the Scotland Daily Record that the beleagered Superman film franchise is going to get a new writer and director. The director? A big Hollywood name. The writer? Millar himself.
This is what he said in an interview with the paper.
“Since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to reinvent Superman for the 21st century. I’ve been planning this my entire life. I’ve got my director and producer set up, and it’ll be 2011. This is how far ahead you have to think.The Superman brand is toxic after that last movie lost 200million, but in 2011 we’re hoping to restart it. Sadly I can’t say who the director is, but we may make it official by Christmas. But fingers crossed it could work out, that would be my lifetime’s dream.”
Wow, sound pretty exciting, doesn’t it? I mean, outside of the fact that he is wrong about Superman Returns losing money (it’s budget, which includes numerous abortive attempts at bring a Superman movie to the screen, was $270 million. The film made $391 million worldwide. So unless promotion and advertising for the film cost $321 million, its losses weren’t anywhere near $200 million, if it lost money at all), this is news coming from the horse’s mouth, right?
Well, you know how they say with some people that you have to take what they say with a grain of salt? With Millar, you have to take what he says with an entire salt factory. He had gone on the record while Wanted was being shopped around that rap star Eminem was all but committed to playing the lead in the eventual movie. Thing is, Eminem was never even in talks to do the movie.
Millar also previously claimed to have pitched an idea for the Superman Returns sequel back in 2007. He states he was denied by Warner Brothers because he was under an exclusive writing contract with Marvel Comics at the time. Supposedly, Warners, parent company of DC Comics, had a policy where they would not hire writers who worked for the competition.
So, is this an enthusiastic Superman fanboy’s letting the cat out of the bag? Or a savvy self-promoter spreading half-truths to try and force his wishful thinking into reality? Only time will tell, but I am leaning towards the latter.
