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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Superman Returns - pre-release discussion

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A beautiful tunnel of ghosts

22:12 / 10.05.04

My other half and I got talking after reading this on Comic Book Resources, about the new Superman movie:

'"Jim Carrey, Jonny Depp, Will Ferrell, and Robert Downey Jr." are all contenders to play Lex Luthor...'

The above casting ideas - and Gene Hackman - aside for the time being, we came up with our perfect casting choices for the role of Luthor, as well as ideas for Alexis 'Lex' Luthor, Luthor's Earth-XX equivalent. Pointless fluff I know, but fun nonetheless - moderators - if this thread would be more suited to the Conversation, please move it.

Her choice was Patrick Stewart, mine was Marlon Brando, with Laurence Fishburne a close joint second with both of us. George Clooney and John Malkovich were third. We also saw Luthor-like qualities in the following actors:

Ed Harris
Ben Kingsley
Woody Harrelson
Robert Redford
Dennis Hopper
Vincent D'Onofrio
Kiefer Sutherland (with Donald as Lionel ;-))
Clive Owen
Jeff Goldblum
Chris Noth
Christian Bale
Kevin Spacey
Ben Affleck
Vince Vaughn
Bruce Willis
Gary Oldman
Hugh Jackman
and Sean Connery, if only to see him utterly bald.

As Alexis, an alternate 'reimagining' of the character, the list was considerably shorter:

Jodie Foster was joint first, Demi Moore second, and the rest received Christian Dior kryptonite watches:

Sigourney Weaver
Charlize Theron
Christina Ricci
Uma Thurman
Jamie Lee Curtis

23:17 / 10.05.04

There is only one choice: BILLY ZANE.

23:32 / 10.05.04

Oh, Clooney would be perfect if he was playing Superman as well as Lex Luthor. I can see the baldy Lex Clooney really hating the luxuriantly-haired Superman Clooney with a sort of evil genius twisty-faced passion. And the Superman Clooney being all [smug]Can I help it if I’m super and gorgeous and I’ve got great hair (slightly greying at the temples in a very attractive manner)?[/smug]

01:16 / 11.05.04

I'd perfer Alexis Luthor... sigh.

13:44 / 11.05.04

I liked the old Tim Burton project, with Nicholas Cage as Supes, Sandra Bullock as Lois, and Jack Nicholson as Lex.

15:30 / 11.05.04

<_<

>_>

Why not just get Michael Rosenbaum?

ONLY NICE THINGS

16:39 / 11.05.04

Indeed yes. He could, for starters, finally play his age, rather than being this 30ish guy inexplicably hanging around with a 16-year-old Gap model.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

17:20 / 11.05.04

Depends on what kind of movie this is. Villains define hero-movies, so you have to get it right. What will Lex be up to? Building machines to destroy the Man of Steel, plotting to discredit him with a fiendish set-up, or trying to turn himself into and Anti-Superman for the duration? Will Superman be leading with his iron jaw, or using his under-used Superbrain? Will there be scarlet underpants and blue nylons, or a tasy black-and-blue suit with little flashes of red?

You could cast anyone in these roles.... More data needed...

17:54 / 11.05.04

Will Ferrell is up for the role?

What?

I mean, I don't even think he's all that FUNNY, much less...capable of playing the world's greatest supervillain.

I like Billy Zane for Post-Crisis Luthor. But man, wouldn't Johnny Depp make a fun Pre-Crisis version, along the lines of the obsessive nutjob genius from Red Son?

18:00 / 11.05.04

Plus Depp would act like he was addicted to Kryptonite-smack (Kracktonite?) like in Superman/Batman...

... and every other film he's done.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

21:16 / 11.05.04

If the AICN report is accurate, it really doesn't matter who they cast... this one is a non-starter...

13:23 / 12.05.04

Jim Carrey.

17:14 / 12.05.04

This sounds like a big mess...headed for disaster or just eternally being stuck in development hell. Too bad, such a shame, there could be a great Supes movie again if done right. From all I've seen, Henry Cavill would make a great Supes/Clark. Lex should not be played for comedy.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

20:00 / 12.05.04

Bingo. Because if Lex is a doofus, how is it possible that he gives Our Hero so much trouble when Our Hero can fly, is almost invulnerable, and so on? It could only be the case if Our Hero was unbelievably lame...

A beautiful tunnel of ghosts

20:12 / 13.05.04

Our choices for Lex and Alexis were based on what we considered to be his characteristics - including a near-irresistable charisma and a diamond-hard determination, some of which we felt the actors we chose could portray.

I'd agree that the tone of the movie will determine the character's casting, and the actors named in the Comic Book Resources report didn't give me confidence for the tone that I inferred from their selection, ie a 'comic-book' portrayal. I accept that Superman is a comic-book character first, but Smallville has shown how the characters, especially Lex, can be intelligently handled.

I kicked myself for forgetting Billy Zane, but then I remembered Soul Survivor and those 3 hours that I won't get back. Michael Rosenbaum, despite being, IMO, an excellent choice for the character in Smallville, would necessitate the casting of Tom Welling as Superman, which to me would accelerate the development of the TV series beyond the measured pace that has already been established.

If anyone would be interested, I have a copy of Moriarty's review of the JJ Abrams draft for the movie from Ain't It Cool News. I don't know if the review is still featured on AICN, but if anyone's unable to find it, PM me and I'll email a copy to them.

02:58 / 14.05.04

Yeah, but Tom Welling is already like 26 and Rosenbaum is (checks) 32... Jesus.

That's the perfect age for a Superman movie.

16:02 / 14.05.04

Micheal Chiklis

17:25 / 14.05.04

He's on the short list for playing Ben Grimm aka The Thing in the FANTASTIC FOUR movie. Chiklis is too gruff to play Lex, IMHO. Lex needs to ooze refined, classy evil.

15:26 / 15.05.04

Jonathan Frakes. Get him to shave and lose a few pounds. He was the perfect ooze refined, classy evil villain as Xanatos in Gargoyles (sure it was a cartoon but damn he was good).

18:11 / 15.05.04

The best thing they could do, and the only way they can circumvent the cheesy supervillan " I rule the world - NAS" is by making Lex a genuinely good guy who views supes as a genuinely bad guy, and Lex as himself trying to save the world, elsewise you've got Reeves Vs Hackman, and we've had the good vs bad guy already, and you have to admit, as far as that goes, they got it down pat.

A beautiful tunnel of ghosts

20:25 / 15.05.04

To me, Lex isn't a supervillain - the garishly-coloured Superfriends action figure - but a man who has fought his way to a position of power that he perceives as inadequate.

For Lex, Superman is both a threat to his position and a power that he strives in vain to possess. Lex is suspicious of Superman's altruistic libertarianism, which he believes is a facade because he cannot conceive of possessing that power and not using it to dominate. He resents Superman's unelected position, an alien that the uneducated masses have elevated to godhood and who constantly intervenes in human affairs. He envies Superman's natural abilities, having never had to work for what he has, and considers him undeserving of his powers and position. Lex tries to expose Superman for what he believes him to be - an alien invader that the world has foolishly accepted as their champion.

Goodness Gracious Meme

13:11 / 16.05.04

Michael Rosenbaum *is* Lex. End of Story.

19:50 / 16.05.04

Yes. Sex on legs. Makes straight men moist. Rosenbaum.

20:40 / 16.05.04

Two words-Donald Trump.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:50 / 17.05.04

Kevin Spacey is the perfect Luthor. The problem is, I don't know if the 1990s Spacey is available - you know, the guy who excelled in suave or sinister supporting roles in very good but 'commercial' films. And we have no use here for the 21st century incarnation of Spacey, the man who likes running London theatres and had a run of films that went Pay It Forward, K-PAX and The Shipping News (films you can damn by the trailers alone, or possibly just the titles).

We're The Great Old Ones Now

14:19 / 17.05.04

I don't think that's strictly fair. I really enjoyed the original Shipping News novel - and while adaptations are often poor, they don't have to be. K-PAX is the kind of indeterminate, heavily ironic science-fiction-or-is-it? which I hate, but again, the novel had some cred.

I'm not gonna make excuses for Pay It Forward.

But putting Spacey into this movie would probably just be a waste. I'm not seeing a whole tonne of character going on.

XXII:X:II = XXX

18:53 / 18.05.04

Two words-Donald Trump.

If it means he would have to shave off that tumbleweed on his head, then I say make it so.

But I say:

WALKEN.

For that quietly crazy look in his eyes that telegraphs, "I might like you... or I might have you killed. Who can say?"

Personally, I really think Warner has to chill on the whole Superman movie franchise idea until "Smallville" runs its course and makes the natural leap from TV to movies. It's already cast. Tom Welling IS the character. Michael Rosenbaum is the coolest motherfucker on TV. Michael McKean can come back as Perry White.

AND LEAVE JOHN PETERS OUT OF IT!!!

/+,

Matthew Fluxington

19:25 / 18.05.04

Wow, Walken would be PERFECT.

19:53 / 17.06.04

Walken is so wrong for Lex it makes my head swim.

BUT, I am here to provide you with an update on SUPERMAN (V): (maybe we should eventually do a new thread about the new Supes movie and not specifically about Lex as time goes on - although it sounds like the new Supes movie will likely suck, based on everything we've heard. For the record, I favor Henry Cavill - an unknown, good actor who looks the part. I don't favor McG being the director.)

from comic book resources

>> SUPERMAN

Variety turned its spotlight on the Man of Steel, reporting that the allegedly-McG-helmed adaptation is moving toward a late 2004 start of production. Warner Brothers is currently negotiating with Neal Moritz ("The Fast and the Furious," "XXX," "SWAT") and Gilbert Adler ("Ghost Ship," "Starsky & Hutch") to produce the film. The article notes that nothing has been signed between McG and Warners, even though he did the now-well-known screen test for six actors to take the cape. Producer Jon Peters is still attached, but allegedly will have a smaller role in this than originally anticipated. Warner Bros. Entertainment chairman-CEO Alan Horn and production president Jeff Robinov are expected to make a decision soon as to whether any of McG's potential Supermen will get the lead role.

Keith, like a scientist

22:28 / 17.06.04

it's been mentioned before in this thread, but i have to say John Malkovich would be perfect. He can do good guy, bad guy, crazy guy, genius guy, whatever guy. and he looks pretty cool bald. and he has some class. Malkovich.

08:45 / 18.06.04

Eh, I say Gene Hackman again. With the way the character has evolved over the years, and Hackman is SOOOOO good at the Gangster/Industrialist/Politician thing.

Haus of Mystery

12:19 / 18.06.04

Telly Savales - but he's dead. So it can only be STEVE GUTTENBERG. So stop bickering.

13:41 / 23.06.04

rumor time, this time courtesy of Comics 2 Film:

>> According to CHUD, the addition of producer Neal Moritz has brought in new developments for the oft-beleaguered production. The rumor being bandied about is that "with Moritz's involvement comes the desire to place Vin Diesel in the role of criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (a role previously linked to everyone from Kevin Spacey to Johnny Depp)."

>> We also received an email from Luke Jenson saying, "Summer Altice is being screened for Lois Lane for new movie." Altice starred in "Grind" and "Scorpion King," as well as being a Playboy Playmate in September 2002.

These are probably crap rumors, who knows...

16:19 / 23.06.04

I read somewhere that the Producers want Vin Deisel to play Lex . . .

well at leaast he's bald . . .

21:38 / 12.07.04

McG is officially OUT.

and from Cinescape.com:

According to an informant for IGN FilmForce, X-MEN director Bryan Singer and Warner Bros. President Alan Horn recently had a business dinner meeting, and a job was offered to the helmer: come direct the new SUPERMAN feature. Reportedly Singer is mulling over the offer.

If Singer decides to accept and be the new director of SUPERMAN, all plans for his proposed remake of LOGAN'S RUN would have to go immediately on hold. The decision may also force a delay on the development of X-MEN 3, or it might even force Fox to consider hiring a replacement for Singer. The studio has announced plans to begin filming X3 next year for a May 5, 2006 release.

In other SUPERMAN news, USA Today spoke with actor Shia LaBeouf at the premiere of his new movie, I, ROBOT. The young actor told the paper that he had just met with director McG earlier that day to discuss his possible role in SUPERMAN as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen. "The production's so locked down they said I can't even take the script home," said LeBeouf. "I have to go to Warner Bros. to read it and then leave it there."

LaBeouf did mention the leading candidates for two roles in SUPERMAN: if McG has his way and remains involved in the production, he wants Scarlett Johansson (LOST IN TRANSLATION) to play Lois Lane, Johnny Depp (SECRET WINDOW) for Lex Luthor and an unknown actor for the part of the Man of Steel.

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