Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up, this is a lesson Warner learned the hard way with Batman. And yes, that is a direct quote I stole from Batman Begins, and for good reasons. Since we’ll cover 2005 up to 2007, Bats is not the only superhero of old coming back. In this part we see DC Comics showing its teeth after years of nothing (Catwomen is best forgotten), the return of a long lost hero, the end of a trilogy and a bunch of other Marvel properties parading about, trying to look as cool as their bigger brothers, but mostly failing horribly.

Batman Begins was the title that Warner chose for the return of the dark knight. Under the strong hand of Christopher Nolan, who was previously credited for movies like Memento or Insomnia, the new direction of Batman was clear, a darker tale focused on the human side of the hero, exploring his journey, going from a lost man fulled by revenge to the hero that criminals learned to fear by the end of the movie. This was a huge departure from the neon goofy Batman created by Joel Schumacher with Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Christian Bale was the new Bruce Wayne while Michael Caine was Alfred. It also featured: Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Nesson, Katie Holmes and many others. A fantastic cast for the movie that became a turning point for the superhero genre. And yes, it was a critical and commercial success, ok, maybe not the hit it could have been but considering the bad taste left by Batman and Robin only 8 year before, $205.3 million in North America and $372.7 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, was a great start for this new take on Batman. For me personally, this is still the best superhero movie ever made and what makes it so great is the fact that Batman Begins is a genuinely good movie regardless of the genre.

Fantastic Four, another Marvel property turned to the big screen by Fox, followed but didn’t have the same impact as the X-Men movies had. This was a goofy action-adventure superhero flick that made $154.6 million in North America and $330.5 million worldwide. While it didn’t set the world on fire, it was a fun time at the movies so a sequel was green lit soon after.

Sky High, released in the middle of the 2005 summer, was sort of a live-action The Incredibles but without that Pixar magic sprinkled on top. Nevertheless, it was a good movie that got decent reviews all around. Unfortunately, while Sky High grossed $86.3 million worldwide on a $35 million budget, Disney never had the guts to follow it with a sequel.

Now The Mask of Zorro on the other hand, got a sequel but only 7 years later in the form of The Legend of Zorro. Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones returned along with director Martin Campbell. Unfortunately it was to little to late, the movie was average at best and the magic of the previous entry was gone. The Legend of Zorro only made $142.4 million worldwide (The Mask of Zorro grossed $250 million in 1998) on a $75 million budget. At this point the only way we’ll get Zorro back is in the form of another reboot and with the new-found success of swashbuckling movies (thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise), we might not be all that far from something like that.

X-Men: The Last Stand opened in May 2006 and was supposed to be the end of the X-Men trilogy. Some unfortunate events happened during production, some involving another movie I will cover today. You see, part of what made X-Men and X2: X-Men United so great was director Bryan Singer. He understood the characters and managed to make something very good of what was essentially a very hard to adapt series. With so many characters, it’s easy to get lost and screw things up. Well Bryan Singer left X-Men: The Last Stand to direct Superman Returns, his longtime dream project. Matthew Vaughn took over, but left weeks before filming was set to begin (later returning to direct X-Men: First Class). The cast and crew were ready, so Fox hired Brett Ratner and threw as much money as possible into X-Men: The Last Stand ($210 million no less) in order to make at least something decent in the very short time they had. What came out wasn’t a bad movie but it wasn’t on the level of the first two either. On the other hand it did become the highest grossing of the series with $234.3 million in North America and $459.3 million worldwide. Financial success doesn’t always equal quality and for X-Men: The Last Stand it was very true. After screwing up the series to the point that a sequel became almost impossible, Fox were left with only two options, reboot or spin-offs. Since everyone was rebooting left and right, they chose spin-offs and in all honestly, it wasn’t such a bad idea.

A few paragraphs back I mentioned that Bryan Singer left X-Men to make his dream project, Superman Returns. After the success Warner had with Batman Begins a year before, one might think they would try to reboot Superman as well but this wasn’t the case here. Superman Returns was a full blown sequel to the Superman movies of old, recapturing the classic feel of the first two in the series (truth be told, it ignored the events of Superman III and IV). While it did make a good amount of money ($200 million in North America and $391 million worldwide), production costs were absurdly high ($270 million budget, most expensive movie at the time, just like the original in 1978) that it was deemed a financial disappointment. Unfortunately this Superman was way to classic for what modern audiences were expecting, not to mention with heroes like Batman, Spider-Man or Wolverine, the man of steel was becoming too old. I personally think it was a good, almost great movie that gets a lot more negative publicity then it should. No sequel followed but a reboot is planned for 2013, more about that at another time.

Superheroes at the box office Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

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With 3 superhero movies in the top 12 right now in North America and a lot more to come, there’s no better time to look back at the long history of this genre. Now keep in mind, to qualify as a superhero movies, well, a movie has to feature some sort of hero that is in a way (or more) super, comic book or not. In other words, while Scott Pilgrim, a comic book character, won’t make the cut, the likes of Hancock will. It has to be a hero that fights against something, be it good or bad and as the image on top suggests, we start with the men of steel.

On the big screen, it all started with one of the grandfathers of the genre, Superman, back in 1978. This was arguably one of the most ambitious projects back then and it took a lot of guts for Warner Bros. to spend $55 million (around $190 million now adjusted for inflation) on what was, at the time, an unproven genre. Now accurate box office data for North America before 1980 is very hard to come find but what we do know is Superman opened with $7.4 million (about $25 million adjusted today) back in December 15th 1978. It went on to gross $134.2 million or $450 million today. Obviously the risk payed off big time with over $300 million worldwide (unadjusted) and from that point on the door was opened for other similar movies to come out.

In February 1980, MGM released the superhero comedy Hero at Large where a young John Ritter plays an actor that finds himself stopping a robbery while wearing the costume of Captain Avenger, a superhero character in a movie he was supposed to promote. From then on you can guess what happens, if not good luck trying to nab this one. Suffice to say, not based on any popular character this wasn’t exactly a hit but it did gross $15.9 million or about $50 million today, not to mention that since it was a comedy, Hero at Large was cheap to produce.

To try and counter Warner and their Superman, Universal released Flash Gordon on December 5th 1980. Unfortunately for everyone (because come on, we needed something more other then Superman) Flash Gordon disappointed after opening with $3.9 million and finishing with $27.1 million or about $86 million or so adjusted for today. The thing is, this cost an awful lot back then, $35 million that would translate to about $100 million today.

A year later it was time for Superman to show everyone how things are supposed to be done in Superman II, released on June 19th 1981. Opening twice as high as the first one with $14.1 million, it went on to gross $108.1 million, slightly less then Superman but still enough to make it the 3rd highest grossing movie of 1981, showing that if done right, superhero movies can be very popular.

Two years later Superman III came and with it the downfall. That mess of a movie almost killed the superhero movie genre before it even properly started on the big screen. Opening with $13.3 million on June 17th 1983 and finishing with only $59.9 million (12th spot in 1983), Superman III made a lot of studio execs think again about bringing superheroes from the small screen TV (where they were still popular) to the big and much more expensive big screen.

So what exactly did Hollywood do to try and save genre? Well they turned to superheroines with the likes of Supergirl and Sheena, both in 1984, both equally bad and very disappointing at the box office. I don’t think I have to insist on just how much this plan failed.

In part 2 of Superheroes at the Box Office you’ll see how a certain man dressed as a bat managed to breath life in a genre on life support at the time.

Finally, because this has to be done and he deserves it, rest in peace Christopher Reeve, you were Superman (1952-2004).

Part 2

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Following news earlier this week that Warner Bros. is planning a Justice League movie for 2013 there were questions as to whether it would be connected to Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, and the new Batman reboot which the studio is also planning for after The Dark Knight Rises.

While at the London opening of Sucker Punch Snyder was questioned on the recent Justice League news, and said it won’t be connected to his new take on Superman.

From HeyUGuys:

We asked Snyder about the plans for the Justice League movie and how his Superman fitted in with that? This is what he said,

‘It doesn’t. Like what Chris Nolan is doing and what I’m doing with Superman, what they’ll do with Justice League will be it’s own thing with it’s own Batman and own Superman. We’ll be over here with our movie and they’ll kinda get to do it twice which is kinda cool’

I’m not fond of the idea of having separate Superman and Batman movies running alongside a Justice League franchise. While Superman and Batman are the most well known members of the team the studio should just let them have their own thing going on, and use the Justice League movie to establish The Flash, Wonder Woman and other characters. Do we really need two actors playing Superman and Batman?

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The search for Lois Lane is over. Zack Snyder has cast three-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams in the iconic role opposite Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. More after the jump.

Snyder called Adams from Paris to give her the good news, where he was promoting his most recent film Sucker Punch. After discussions of Diane Kruger, Rachel McAdams, Kristen Stewart, Alice Eve, and more joining the movie, 36-year-old Adams was the clear standout in Snyder’s mind.

“There was a big, giant search for Lois,” Snyder said. “For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it.”

I find this bit of casting particularly interesting, since early reports pegged Lois Lane as not even being in this movie at all. Snyder refused to give any detail on how prominent the role will be in the movie other than saying she’s “a linchpin” for the movie.

Amy Adams is coming off an Academy Award nomination for The Fighter; she’s a great actress and totally capable of pulling off Lois’ trademark sass. This is excellent casting, and bringing yet another heavy hitter into the mix is sure to be a good thing. Kevin Costner was recently confirmed in the role of Jonathan Kent, and Diane Lane has signed on as Martha Kent. Discussions are in place now for an unknown villain, with Michael Shannon’s name being tossed around by Warner Bros. and Edgar Ramirez (Carlos, The Bourne Ultimatum) in talks as well.

What do you think of Amy Adams as Lois Lane?

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We heard rumblings last month, but now it has been confirmed that Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, Waterworld) will play Jonathan Kent, Superman’s earth father, in Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot.

Costner will star opposite Oscar nominated actress Diane Lane who joined the cast as Martha Kent two weeks ago. Then there’s obviously Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent. Now Snyder and Warner Bros. need to find their villain, thought to be General Zod, and fill out the rest of the cast.

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We’ve been hearing that Zack Snyder’s Superman movie will be a reboot, and usually that means ignoring movies which have come before it. In a recent interview with Hero Complex Snyder confirmed that was the case, referring to what Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins and saying “in every aspect of design and of story, the whole thing is very much from that perspective of respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies.”

Not being restricted by the previous versions of Superman will be an advantage, as some claimed that was the flaw with Superman Returns. It’s time we got a fresh take on Superman anyway, and a Nolan/Snyder collaboration should deliver the goods.

During the interview Snyder gave his thoughts on working with Christopher Nolan:

“It’s been really great,” Snyder said of the collaboration so far. “Chris is awesome. He’s super-respectful but super-helpful, too. You can’t imagine a more generous [collaborator]…once he sort of got what I want to do with it, he was like, ‘OK,’ and once he said, ‘You know what, that’s awesome,’ now he’s 100%. If I say, ‘What do you think of this?’ he’s like, ‘That’s awesome,’ and then there’s a great give-and-take about it, a great conversation that we can have about it and making it better everyday. And by the way he’s hilarious, too.”

Snyder didn’t comment on speculation that Warner Bros. are interested in Kevin Costner playing Pa Kent, Superman’s earth father, and Viggo Mortensen for villain General Zod, however he did say “there’s more to come and I think it’s consistent in its…awesomeness.”

Filming will begin later this year for a December 2012 release, and Snyder suspects it won’t be too long before we get our first official look at Henry Cavill as Superman as someone will only “be on the set and get a picture of it.”

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Warner Bros. today announced that Oscar nominated actress Diane Lane has joined the cast of Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot. Lane will play Martha Kent, the only mother Clark Kent has ever known.

On the casting Snyder said:

“This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman. We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination.”

Diane Lane earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2002 drama Unfaithful, and she most recently starred in Secretariat.

Henry Cavill (The Tudors) is set to play Superman/Clark Kent, and over recent weeks we’ve been hearing that Warner Bros. are interested in Kevin Costner playing Pa Kent, Superman’s earth father, and Viggo Mortensen for villain General Zod.

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Viggo Mortensen is still being lined up to star in Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, but the actor may have a dilemma on his hands as producer Christopher Nolan and Superman director Zack Snyder are apparently interested in him playing their villain, General Zod.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Sources say no talks have commenced and that Mortensen is just a “person of interest,” much like Kevin Costner is for the role of Jonathan Kent. The actors aren’t the only ones considered for their respective roles, though they are the ones most seriously talked about.

General Zod is an evil and super-powered scientist who was portrayed by Terrence Stamp in 1980′s Superman II. Wikipedia states he “possesses vast super strength, speed & stamina; various extra sensory and vision powers (including super hearing, x-ray vision, telescopic vision, microscopic vision, and heat vision); tremendous lung capacity and super breath (wind and ice); invulnerability, and flight.” The same powers as Superman, basically. It looks like we’ll see Superman engaged in a few big fights this time round.

Filming is set to take place later this year with the aim of a December 2012 release, so confirmations will likely be appearing over the next few weeks and months. The only confirmed role so far is Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman.

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We know British actor Henry Cavill will be playing Superman in Zack Snyder’s reboot and we know Christopher Nolan thinks he is going to be ‘amazing’, but how did he land the role in the first place?

Snyder and Cavill have spoken for the first time about the casting process, and Cavil apparently got the role because nobody laughed when he put the suit on. I suppose that’s a good sign!

From Entertainment Weekly:

Among the topics of discussion: Cavill’s audition, which included shooting a screen test wearing a replica of Christopher Reeve’s once impressive, now dated Superman suit. “If you can put on that suit and pull it off,” says Snyder, ‘that’s an awesome achievement.” Cavill was feeling less than super in the moment, at least about his ability to fill out the costume: He had just finished shooting a film with Bruce Willis called The Cold Light Of Day, and the part required to him to shed the impressive abs of steel and muscle tone he had put on for the movie he made right before that, the forthcoming mythic fantasy Immortals. As an assistant helped to him put on the Super-suit, Cavill recalls: “All I could think was: Oh, god. They’re going to look at me and go ‘He’s not Superman. Not a chance.’ The actor inside me was going: You’re not ready! You’re not ready!” Snyder saw something — or rather someone — different. “He walked out, and no one laughed,” says the director. “Other actors put that suit on, and it’s a joke, even if they’re great actors. Henry put it on, and he exuded this kind of crazy-calm confidence that just made me go ‘Wow.’ Okay: This was Superman.’”

EW also has Henry Cavill on the cover of their next issue. He isn’t in costume, but he is wearing a Superman shirt. You can check that out here.

No other cast members have been confirmed, but it will only be a matter of time as filming is set to take place later this year for a December 2012 release.

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…but not for the role of Lois Lane. Variety reports that the three actresses are the front-runners to star opposite Henry Cavill as Superman, but no details have been revealed as to which character they would play.

The switching of love interests seems to be a way of keeping things fresh. Marc Webb and Sony decided to do away with Mary Jane in the Spider-Man reboot and made Gwen Stacy the lead female character instead. Seems Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. are doing something similar.

Alice Eve was previously up for the role of Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class , and will be seen in The Raven with John Cusack later this year.

Diane Kruger is probably best known for playing Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, and for her appearence in the National Treasure films.

Rosamund Pike starred in Die Another Day and has had several supporting roles over the years in An Education and Barney’s Version.

I’m not too familiar with Superman’s non-Lois Lane love interests. Do any comic fans remember a blonde female who these actresses could be screen-testing for?

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