According to, well, pretty much everywhere, Zack Snyder has been confirmed as Warner Bros.' choice to direct their upcoming Superman film. It's been pretty much confirmed as well that the new Superman film will not follow on the latest movie, Superman Returns, but will instead be basically a reboot a la Batman Begins. As previously reported, Christopher Nolan, the director and co-writer behind Batman Begins and The Dark Knight will act as producer and "creative overseer" of the Superman franchise. He is working on the story with his frequent collaborator David Goyer. Snyder is the director of such hits as Dawn of the Dead and 300, as well as the comic adaptation Watchmen. His next film is Sucker Punch.
While some people will meet this news with joy, other will react with dismay. My response is one of puzzlement, truthfully. If this decision was one made solely by the studio, it makes complete sense. Warner's was famously disappointed with Bryan Singer's more thoughtful take on the character, and Snyder is definitely much more visceral and confident with action. Watchmen is already legendary for how it divided fans. I myself thought it was probably the most faithful and effective a film version could be, while also finally admitting the material really doesn't work as a movie.
However, if Nolan was the final word on who would direct, then I'm really scratching my head, as I wouldn't have thought that Snyder was the type of the director Nolan would
connect with. Nolan has always been about precision, both in his film making and his story telling. He's been concerned with giving audiences a complex, intricate experience. Say what you want about Snyder, but you could not call his film making intricate. But, maybe this is what the Superman franchise needs in order to kick it off. So, I'll wait. I've got lots of faith in Nolan and Goyer's abilities, and while Snyder seems to me to be a pretty shallow film maker, I can't say I've out and out hated anything he's done.
connect with. Nolan has always been about precision, both in his film making and his story telling. He's been concerned with giving audiences a complex, intricate experience. Say what you want about Snyder, but you could not call his film making intricate. But, maybe this is what the Superman franchise needs in order to kick it off. So, I'll wait. I've got lots of faith in Nolan and Goyer's abilities, and while Snyder seems to me to be a pretty shallow film maker, I can't say I've out and out hated anything he's done.There better not be any slow motion or "ramping" fights. Seriously, that's getting old.
2 comments:
I was left feeling pretty much exactly the same way as you. While I enjoyed 300, Dawn of the Dead, and Watchmen, it wasn't for their depth. (Watchmen maybe, but the depth was from the original source, and didn't 100% carry over into the film).
I don't think its a horrible choice. And with Nolan/Goyer crafting the story, and Snyder working the action scenes, it could prove to be a sucessful team.
Now the real question. Do they go with Lex Luthor again as the villian? I've been dying to see one of Supe's other big bads make it to the big screen. However if it's truly a franchise revamp, how can you not go with Supes most persistent foe? But make him more like the current comic Luthor, a mega-wealthy corporate genius publicly seen as a philanthropist, which masks his sociopathic lust for power. A man whose combination of ego and xenophobia makes him not only want to defeat the alien Superman physically, but at the same time also have the world reject him and embrace Lex as their true saviour. Love that Lex.
No knocks on Hackman or Spacey though. I enjoyed both.
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