 Few films have been in development hell longer than "Superman Returns." The whole sordid story is far too long and involving to be done justice with anything less than a book, but what can be done is a timeline, showing the starts and stops on a project that was on the boards for almost 20 years before it actually got into theaters. There were at least two or three lawsuits resulting over the film over the years, hence the title.
Now the DVD has about three hours of extras on it's second disc, including some deleted scenes, but not the ones we wanted. The half hour trip to the remains of Krypton aren't there. However, the rest of the stuff hangs together pretty well.
Most of the extras are in the form of a loooong documentary called: "Requiem For Krypton: Making Superman Returns" (2 hrs. 53mins.), which chronicles the entire course of production from the moment director Bryan Singer decided to pitch his version back in 2004. There's a four-minute featurette on how they got Marlon Brando to act in the film even though he's dead, and about 15 minutes of deleted scenes, which doesn't include the epic return to Krypton sequence that we were all hoping for. It's something to do on a snowy afternoon, I guess.
But as for the saga of this film's long evolution--finally culminating into the film's release earlier this year and now, the DVD--the journey begins even before "Superman IV" hit theaters years ago.
Skip to the "Superman Returns" film review... >>>
Official Site: supermanreturns.warnerbros.com
"SUPERMAN RETURNS" TIMELINE
Version 5.1  1984
"Supergirl" flops. The father/son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkinds rent the rights to the franchise to Cannon Pictures, run by the notorious team of Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan.
DC Comics kills off Supergirl as part of its famous "Crisis on Infinite Earths" housecleaning project.
1986
Christopher Reeve comes up with a politically correct idea to revive the series, and works on a script with writers Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, who did "Romancing the Stone" and it's sequel.
Golan and Globus say "why not?" and Sidney J. Furie, who did the "Ipcress File" and the original "Get Carter," is set to direct.  1987
Test screenings for a 134-minute version "Superman IV" result in over a half-hour of film being cut out. Golan and Globus decide that this excess footage may be used for Superman V, with cheaper actors playing the main roles.
July 24: "Superman IV" opens to scathing reviews.
1988
Pre-production begins on "Superman V" with "Captain America" (1988) director Albert Pyun at the helm.
Oct. 8: "Superboy" premieres as a TV series. [The Salkinds still have the TV rights]
1989
Cannon Pictures goes bankrupt, and "Superman V," Mark one, is cancelled. The movie rights revert to the Salkinds.
Version 5.2  1989-92
The Salkinds commission Cary Bates and Mark Jones to write a script for a "Superman V," Mark II based on the Superboy TV series. Gerard Christopher, who played Superboy/Clark Kent, on the series since season 3, is set to star, and is slated for 1994 release.
1992
DC Comics kills off Superman, and immediately repent by bringing him and three imposters back.
1993
The Salkinds sell Warner Communications, which also owns DC comics, all rights to Superman and Version 2 is cancelled. Christopher auditions for "Lois and Clark" the next Supes TV show, and is told he didn't get the part because he was in the Superboy TV show.
2001
In "Pueblo Film v. Warner Bros": the corporate successor to the late Alexander Salkinds' interest in the Superman movies says the studio intentionally delayed production of "Superman V" in order to get out of contract turning profits from "Superman VI" over to Salkinds' companies. Pueblo also claims that Warners used the extras without its permission.
Versions 5.3, 4 and 5
 In one version, Nicholas Cage was cast s Superman, with a script by Kevin Smith and Tim Burton as the director
Warners' gives the Superman V project to producer Jon Peters, who commissions a script from Jonathan Lemkin.
…Lemkin's script, which was based on the comic book series "The Death of Superman" is dumped, and the job is given to Gregory Poirier, who had previously done porn.
…Piorier's script is dumped, and the job is given to Kevin Smith, who after much wrangling and a couple of drafts comes up with something acceptable to the suits. Nicholas Cage is cast as Superman and Tim Burton is hired to direct.
1997
Burton fires Smith and hires Wesley Strick to "re-invent" the whole deal. Pre-production of Superman V, version III officially begins.
DC Comics changes Superman's costume. Fans howl, and the blue suit is returned less than a year later.
1997-8
While the various toy companies with licenses try to design various contraptions, there are problems with the script. The WB rejects Strick's script. Akiva Goldsman is hired to rewrite it.
Goldsman's rewrite is rejected.
Burton hires Ron Bass to rewrite Goldsman's rewrite of Strick's script.
Bass's rewrite was rejected.
Burton hired Dan Gilroy to rewrite Bass' rewrite. 1998
Despite the chaos, construction of sets begins.
April: With less than two months to go before shooting starts, Warners' rejects Gilroy's version and puts the whole thing on hold. At this point, over $50 million had been spent.
April-Nov: Burton, Gilroy and exec Lorenzo DiBonaventura rewrite yet another script. Dec/Jan 1999
Tim Burton fired. 1999
Peters tries to get, among others, Michael Bay, Brett Ratner, Steven Norrington, Shekhar Kapur, and Martin Campbell to take over as director, none want the job with the Burton/Gilroy script.
Burton/Gilroy script dumped, William Wisher hired to start over.
 "Superman Vs. Batman" may still have a future; director Bryan Singer is rumored to be interested in it as a future project.
Nick Cage takes his $20 million pay or play fee and leaves the project. Mark III is officially dead, however, Paul Attanasio is hired to do yet another treatment.
Wolfgang Petersen and Andrew Kevin Walker begin work on "Superman Vs. Batman."
2001
WB in negotiations to bring back Tim Burton, but this comes to nothing. Peters and DiBonaventura hire music video and Charlie's Angels director McG on board, this marks the beginning of what we might call Superman V.IV .
The lawsuit is settled for an unknown sum later on.
2002-3
Attanasio's script is rejected. J.J. Abrams is brought on board to give it another go. The Abrams script is leaked like most of the others. The reaction is vicious, and is made even moreso when Abrams admits that it's real.
Brett Ratner replaces McG.
June 2002
Superman Vs. Batman (version V) is announced by Warners' for summer 2004
Sept 16: Superman vs. Batman is officially cancelled.
2003
Everyone from Bryan Frazier to Ashton Kutcher are rumored to be the next Superman. Justin Timberlake reportedly was asked to play Jimmy Olsen.
March 15: Michael Bay's contract expires.
June: Jonathan Frakes in talks to direct.
July: McG back on board as director.
December: Beyonce Knowles rumored to play Lois Lane, not true
Early 2004: Constructions on sets begins sometime in Australia
April 13: McG gives presentation to Warner's brass.
 Brandon Routh, the eventual choice to play Superman, at the "Superman Returns" world premiere in Hollywood
June 17: Warner's announces that McG may not actually direct.
June 24: Josh Schwartz signs on to script doctor
July 9: Bryan Singer in talks for version IV; he agrees to take job if script is dumped and he can start from scratch.
July 15: McG leaves project for good, and is replaced by Bryan Singer, who brings in Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris to write a completely new script. Version IV is now dead, although set construction continues.
Version 6
Sept 15: First draft for Superman V, version VI is finished. It is based on the original movies from the 1970s.
Oct. 20: Finished script approved.
Oct 22: Routh gets the lead role.
Nov 5: Superman V, Mark VI, or "Superman Returns" is given the official greenlight for a June 2006 release.
March 16, 2005: Filming starts at last. At this point, Warner Bros. has already spent over $60 Million. The total costs clearly will make it the most expensive film to date.
Continue to the "Superman Returns" film review... >>>
|
