Can it possibly be too good to be true? Warner Bros. has decided to try its hand at a Superman reboot (expected) and the studio has asked fan-favorite Christopher Nolan to help guide it along (completely unexpected!)
The news comes to us from Deadline Hollywood, which reports that Nolan (The Dark Knight) will be taking on the role of a "godfather" -- he is not directing -- to the reboot which is still in its earliest stages of production. According to an insider who spoke with the outlet, "[Producer] Jon Peters is trying to make something happen since he stands to benefit financially. But they [the studio] need to hear a great story that makes sense."
If there's anyone that knows how to reboot a superhero property in a way that appeals to today's audiences, that man is Nolan, so I'd say Warner Bros. is already on the right track, but time is ticking.
As we've seen discussed with the recent Daredevil reboot, film rights over superhero icons can be a tricky thing. If Warner Bros. doesn't start work on Superman 3.0 soon enough, they could risk losing the property and some major money in the process.
Deadline explains:
Attorney Marc Toberoff, who keeps suing Warner Bros on behalf of creative rightsholders, warns that, in 2013, the Jerome Siegel heirs along with the estate of co-creator Joe Shuster will own the entire original copyright to Superman -- "and neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros will be able to exploit any new Superman works without a license from the Siegels and Shusters". He's also pointed out that, if Warner Bros does not start production on a new Superman sequel or reboot by 2011, the Siegels could sue to recover their damages on the grounds that the deal should have contained a clause in which the rights returned to the owners after a given time if no film was in development. The heirs of Siegel have already been awarded half the copyright for Superman. And in 2013 the heirs of co-creator Joe Shuster get the remaining half. After that, neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros will be able to use Superman without a financial agreement with the heirs. There are also stipulations on what parts of the origins story can be used in future Superman movies and which require re-negotiations with the creators' heirs or estates.
So is all this a case of Warner Bros. rushing to beat the clock? I'd say so. Does it fill me with joy that Nolan will be helping the film along in some way? You bet! I can't help but hold out hope that Superman 3.0 would be similar enough to Nolan's Batman series in tone to allow a cameo or two. What's Bats without Supes to compete against after all?
