J.J. Abrams Reminds Us He Wrote A Superman Movie

You want to know the influence of Superman: Flyby to The Man of Steel? We'll stick with just two things: Henry Cavill and that suit. They both originated from the J.J. Abrams-penned attempt to revive the Big Blue Boy Scout to the silver screen. Everyone be nice and say, "Thank you, McG!"

Someone was bound to ask Abrams his thoughts as Star Trek Into Darkness and The Man of Steel approach in the coming months. That someone is Empire:

"'The thing that I tried to emphasise in the story was that if the Kents found this boy, Kal-El, who had the power that he did, he would have most likely killed them both in short order,' Abrams told Empire. 'And the idea that these parents would see – if they were lucky to survive long enough – that they had to immediately begin teaching this kid to limit himself and to not be so fast, not be so strong, not be so powerful.'

'The result of that, psychologically, would be fear of oneself, self-doubt and being ashamed of what you were capable of. Extrapolating that to adulthood became a fascinating psychological profile of someone who was not pretending to be Clark Kent, but who was Clark Kent. Who had become that kind of a character who is not able or willing to accept who he was and what his destiny was.'

'The idea in the movie was that he became Superman because he realised he had to finally own his strength and what he’d always been. I don't know if that’s what Zack and Chris [Nolan] are doing, but it looks like that’s part of the idea and I could not be more thrilled to see that movie. That to me was always the way to go.'"

I must confess I'm surprised they didn't throw a "Story by" credit Abrams' way. Add to the nerd/general public cred that began with last summer's teaser trailer. By the way, the official promo tour kicks off next week with Henry Cavill in Japan. So for those of you still bitching about the lack of marketing, shut the Hell up. It's coming.

Ryan Reynolds Doesn't Care About Your Goddamned Justice League Movie

Being an actor primarily involved in geek fare, how long till you start tiring of the same pointless questions with the "Duh" answers? This excerpt from Ryan Reynolds' Empire chat tells the tale.

Until his dying breath, or those Christopher Nolan-producing rumors get confirmed or debunked, he'll have to field questions on Justice League since he remains the de-facto representation of Green Lantern despite his solo entry tanking and prospects of his continuing are nonexistent:

"'If you're going to do comic book movies in that vein, you really have to get them right,' says Reynolds. 'I believe that Joss Whedon is the guy that just nails it and Christopher Nolan obviously nails it. So if they were gonna do it like that, it would be an interesting thing to do.'

'It's just that... working on Green Lantern, I saw how difficult it is to make that concept palatable, and how confused it all can be when you don't really know exactly where you're going with it or you don't really know how to access that world properly - that world comic book fans have been accessing for decades and falling in love with,' he adds. 'So at this point I have very little interest in joining that kind of world. But, you know, a great script and a good director can always turn that around.'"

That, kids, is the sound of a man who doesn't give a shit. Also one who sees the writing on the wall (His Green Lantern contract reportedly expired... with no renewal) and tires of you asking him the same questions. Leave him alone. Move on.

Robert Redford Joins Captain America: The Winter Solider

For their times, paying Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson fortunes added weight to Superman: the Movie and Batman. Films based on comics were cheap junk. Throwing in Oscar-winning, legendary thespians brought the kind of legitimacy to get your parents attention. Those have yet to be equaled 'till this afternoon.

Robert Redford is joining Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Founder of the Sundance Film Festival, director of great, little intimate films like Ordinary People and Quiz Show and movie-star of yesteryear with Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Candidate and All the President's Men.

Yes, that Robert Redford is showing up in a big-budget superhero tentpole. What has the world come to?!  He'll play a senior SH.I.E.L.D. agent, likely to appear to future Marvel movies outside of next April's Cap sequel.

In the afore-mentioned examples of Brando and Nicholson, they were the first players added to the first picture. You know, lore them initially by their credibility and hope the quality keeps the audience around. Redford is coming onboard a follow-up. His mug won't add to box-office totals but it's a coupe on Marvel's part.

This Is Not Your Father's Star Trek Into Darkness International Trailer

Whatever the mystery of "John Harrison" (Benedict Cumberbatch), two things are clear by the International Trailer. We're not going to know the details 'till opening day. Assuming blogger don't run to their laptops and spoil it away on fan forums.

What's also abundantly clear is something filmmaker Robert Meyer Burnett opined. The fundamentals of Star Trek as created by Gene Roddenberry are a thing of the past. The "Abramsverse" as we've come to label this new iteration of the U.S.S. Enterprise is all about pleasing the senses. It’s all about the action, the one-liners, the gratuitous bra-and-panties shot of Carol Marcus (Alice Eve).

They're building up "Harrison" (I put the quotation marks because everyone knows he's Khan unless this is a brilliant case of misdirection) as their answer to the Joker. Even Bond got one last year with Skyfall. Look no further than the new one-sheet Paramount released.

Not complaining just observing. As meat-and-potatoes sci-fi actioners go, this works.

Despicable Me 2 Trailer

The trailer for Despicable Me 2 is here, and your kids are going to flip.

Hugh Jackman to Headline Unintentional OCD Thriller Six Years

A new "Best Seller" titled Six Years is out today and Showbiz being what it is; some executive at some studio (Paramount) either read a galley or merely the plot synopsis and thought "Hey women love Hugh Jackman! They'll accept this otherwise Restraining Order attitude!" and eureka it's in development.

Here's the aforementioned breakdown:

"Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd.

But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for . . . but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for more than a decade, and with that fact everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life—a time he has never gotten over—is turned completely inside out.

As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart—and who lied to him—soon puts his very life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on carefully constructed fiction."

Remember that Simpsons episode where Marge gets turned on at the thought of Mel Gibson (back when his bigotry was kept under the radar)? That's how your wife thinks of Jackman. Accept it and move on, pal.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Bruce Wayne Enjoying His Retirement

Christian Bale can't quit those wacky weight regimes. He made headlines for years touting the fatalistic reduction he put on himself for The Machinist and turning around in the span of a month suiting up as Batman; superhero muscles and all. Going to the extreme ends to lose serious pounds or gain mass will eventually catch up to you. Just ask Russell Crowe's metabolism.

Until he's forced to stop, he's not going to put down the dumbbells or, in this case, that slice of pepperoni with extra cheese. The Daily Mail has snapshots of Bale on the set of the untitled second collaboration with helmer David O. Russell, who directed Bale to his "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for The Fighter. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and Jenny Renner co-star.

Cut to that EPK footage of Bale saying, "Is this Batman or Fatman?"

Colin Trevorrow Directing Jurassic Park 4

This morning speculation suggested Steven Spielberg could direct Jurassic Park 4. Not entirely a "Where the Hell did that come from?" idea since the Beard's directorial plate is empty with the delay (permanent or temporary, remains to be determined) of Robopocalypse.

Said speculation is fruitless as Universal has settled on Colin Trevorrow for the job instead. This is a major opportunity for the Safety Not Guaranteed helmer who months prior was the first rumored candidate for Star Wars: Episode VII.

Universal is serious about getting this out for June 14, 2014. They've already booked studio space in my neck of the woods starting next month (!?!) But Spielberg is stepping up to the plate as producer to keep an eye on things for the novice Trevorrow. This is the kind of Outside the Box choice that can wield great results.

Kick-Ass 2 Trailer Brings Nothing New to the Table

Spike TV's been playing Kick-Ass lately. Upon re-viewing (first time since opening night), it became clear. This doesn't need a sequel. Matthew Vaughn got everything outta his ultra-violent satire right down to the "Wait 'till they get a load of me..." closing bit with Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Obvious, to me at least, that ending was a gag on how comic books, and their movie counterparts, end.

A joke lost on Universal who went ahead and greenlight a sequel. Well here is the Kick-Ass 2 trailer in red-band so you can enjoy the cuss-words and violence. Don't expect anything you didn't already see in the first Kick-Ass. Looks like your typical sequel – more of the same, only bigger:

Henry Cavill & Amy Adams Grace Total Film Cover as Superman & Lois Lane

Courtesy of Total Film, arguably the most "Super" Henry Cavill has looked as our new Man of Steel so far.

Thanks to G.Godfrey on the Super Hero Hype! forum.

In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twentysomething journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.