They seem to be having trouble casting a lead actor in "Superman." I'm not surprised. The problem with casting a known actor is that you don't think of him as Superman. You think of him as so-and-so wearing a Superman costume.
So what they want is someone with some degree of recognizability, but without a rep as an actor so he could possibly make the character his own.
Perhaps they should screen test Evan Marriott. You know: Joe Millionaire.
Seriously. Look at the guy. Big. Tall. Hunky. Ready smile. Charming. Kind of looks like Superman already if you smooth out his hair. Lots of experience lying to women, so that works for the Clark/Lois thing. Could he pull off Superman and Clark as two different people with the believability that Chris Reeve did? Unlikely. Then again, George Reeves put almost no effort into distinguishing the two, and that worked.
Joe Superman. Works for me. Work in a cameo for Zora and you're all set.
Either that or cast him as Batman with Paul as faithful butler Alfred.
PAD
Posted by Peter David at March 19, 2003 12:23 AM | TrackBack | Other blogs commentingFrankly, to tell the truth, I'm not asking for any comic book movies myself, and I find the comics to be plenty enjoyable right now.
I'll admit it, I'd like to see a Flash or a Green Lantern movie too, but other than that, I don't feel any real need for another comic book movie. And besides, don't most of them usually tend to get dumbed down in the process of writing them?
Whereupon in which case, some things are just better left undone.
Peter, please don't give those Brainiacs in Hollywood any ideas....
Yeah, most comic book movies get dumbed down. (cough cough Daredevil cough) I think it's worth it for the occassional X-men.
Speaking of Chris Reeve, did anyone catch his appearance on Smallville? That was really cool. Although I'm still waiting for Clark to take a field trip to Gotham - young Bruce Wayne could be obsessed with Crime and Punishment and keep talking about the "superman theory."
Hey Peter, I agree with you that they should go with an unknown. It's the only way they'll get someone that reasonably looks like Superman, yet will agree to the required three-movie deal. Especially at a cheap price, so more of the budget can be used on visuals. Speaking of Superman, I figure you'd never want to put up with the hassels involved with writing one of the monthly Superman books, but how about a one-shot? Aside from the Hulk, it's been years since you worked on one of the top-tier characters (I loved your Spider-Man work). One other suggestion, JLA to me is unreadable at this point, and I suspect with the editorial shake-up, the current team will be removed. I'd love to see you on that book! You've already proved you can write a great adult-team book with your work on the Pantheon (in Hulk). Even when JLA was great with Grant Morrison, the character writing has always been at a minimum. In my view, that's one of your strengths and would shore up the JLA's achilles heal, making the book great again. I love your work on Captain Marvel and Supergirl, but I long to see you working on one of the big guns again. So grab your best art team, Gary Frank and Cam Smith, and let's see you tackle one of those projects!
Actually, the working theory for a Bruce appearance on Smallville would have him visit business associate/rival Lex.
From what little I've seen of Marriott, and what more I've read of him (obRant about how if Jeopardy! would ever put me on, I could again ignore a lot of pop culture I'd like to ignore), I'm not convinced he could act in a way to indicate that Clark/Kal-El had an IQ above room temperature. There's a difference between naive and nitwit.
Brendan Fraser. He's got the look and build. Also, he's recognizable enough but has been in the business long enough to avoid being typecast into the Supes role.
They just need to wait until Smallville runs it's course then have the next Superman movie pick up where it leaves off. I can't think of a better actor to play Superman right now than Tom Welling.
\\Peter, please don't give those Brainiacs in Hollywood any ideas....
Posted by ericwolfehanson @ 03/19/2003 01:12 AM ET\\
Actually, the "Braniacs" already stumbled across the idea. I've been hearing this idea tossed about for almost three weeks now.
According to the latest reports Brendan Fraser is not being considered any longer. Neither are Jude Law, Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett and unknown Matthew Bomer.
Fazhoul
A Flash movie? With the right bunch it could be fun. I was more than a little disappointed when the Flash tv series was cancelled in the early 90s. It was quite a bit of fun in places. The GHOST episode with its tribute to 40s Republic serials was especially memorable.
>They just need to wait until >Smallville runs it's course then have the next Superman movie pick up where it leaves off. I can't think of a better actor to play Superman right now than Tom Welling.
Even not being a BIG FAN of Smallville, I Have to Agree.
I heard that Brendan Fraiser is out of the game , and that the new SUperman Movie will be a triology Indeed.
>Yeah, most comic book movies get dumbed down. (cough cough Daredevil cough)
Do you care in elaborating this a little longer ? i didnīt understood that. Daredevil surely get itīs flaws and i donīt mind discussing then but STILL there is a lot in there good and faithfull to the characters.
From what little I ever saw of '...Millionaire', Evan Marriot would be better suited to playing a piece of kryptonite.
`Bad enough this hump has his foot in the proverbial show-business door by no dint of talent, training or hard work, but merely by appearing on one of the contributions to the downfall of western civilization. Let's really not encourage this sort of thing!!
Hooper
And, besides....you think people aren't going to say: "Hey, look....it's Joe Millionaire in a Superman suit!"?
Hooper
Doesn't Joe Millionaire look more like a certain Big Red Cheese?
>>Doesn't Joe Millionaire look more like a certain Big Red Cheese?<<
If you mean Captain Marvel, no.
If you mean, literally, a cheese, of which Evan Marriot has all the acting ability inherent therein...then the answer is 'yes'.
Ahhhh, the power of cheese.
Hooper
Actually he tested several weeks ago. God I hope Hollywood doesn't choose him. I like the idea of waiting until Smallville ends and then just have Tom Welling continue into the next phase of his character
Since I boycott all "reality TV" shows on the basis that they're just plain stupid, I don't know much about Joe Millionaire. But based on what I've seen of him in the commercials, I have a suggestion: Just shave a chimp and put a cape on it. The chimp would be both smarter and a better actor than "Joe Millionaire."
I've never heard anyone else mention this, but if there ever was a Captain Marvel(DC)movie, I think Patrick Warburton (of "The Tick," and Putty on "Seinfeld") would be perfect. He has the slitty-eye think going, and really looks like the character, to me anyway.
Wasn't there allready a Flash movie back in the 90th's?
There was a short lived TV series on CBS, which got deep-sixed due in part to competition from The Cosby Show and The Simpsons.
As for X-Men, no, no, and once again, NO, even that one was appallingly dumbed down, and why it keeps getting such sugar-coated notice from various critics is beyond me.
To echo many other comments: my understanding is that they already did a screen test with Marriott, and that he has all the acting ability of a sock puppet without a hand in it.
Dammit, William, you took my idea! :-)
Anyway, the idea of casting veterans of reality TV shows isn’t such a bad idea. Think of the plots ideas:
Joe Rogan from Fear Factor
Villain: "BWAHAHAHA! I have you now, Superman, in my Kryptonite torture chamber of Doom! And the only way out of it is to EAT YOUR WAY out of a vat of COW TESTICLES!!"
Richard Hatch from Survivor I
Villain: "So you see, Superman, with my Technobabble Torpedo, I can sink every coastal state right into the ocean, and there’s nothing you can do to stop…..say, why are you looking at my ass that way?"
Simon Cowell from American Idol
"Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful! I mean, WHERE did get that ridiculous costume from, a Supervillain drag queen shop? A mad scientist S&M club? And that voice! From the way you said you would destroy the entire planet Earth, I think you may possibly have the worst voice of any supervillain in America…"
Lorezno Lamas from Are you Hot?
Critiquing a villain drawn by Jim Lee: "Okay, you got good muscle tone, but your head is smaller than your bicep, and your legs are twice as long as they should be, and I’m not going for that. I just don’t see it. And some of that cross-hatching you have all over your head just ain’t workin’ for me. But not bad overall."
Critiquing a villain drawn by Frank Miller: "Ugh, who drew you, a blind guy on acid? First of all, you’re very badly rendered, and second, what is all that black shit around your eyes? What, did you have an epileptic fit while holding your mascara brush, or something?"
Critiquing a female character drawn by Adam Hughes: "Okay, NOW we’re talking! I mean, I’m sporting wood right here, baby!"
Critiquing a character drawn by Chris Williams (ChrisCross): "Not bad, but you gotta do something about those big teeth, babe. Maybe de-emphasize them by wearing something bigger near them, like…Seattle."
Critiquing Supergirl drawn by Ed Benes: "Pretty damn good. I like the whole Joe Madureia thing goin’ on there, and MAN do you have an ass on you!"
Peter,
I think you might actually have something there, but I really felt very strongly about the manner in which Christopher Reeves distinguished between Superman & Clark. I thought the work was evident - different voice, slight accent, stooping different hair - it all added up the way they had always described in the comics. It was one of those moments when I thought "hey, it could really work!".
BTW - when might we see the next Star Trek New Frontier book? Any plans?
Brian G. Philbin
While Joe Millionaire might look the part of Superman, he sure doesn't sound like it. I'm not saying Superman should have a Harvard vocabulary, but Evan's mannerism and enuciation would take an incredible acting coach to smooth out. It be like Sly Stallone doing Judge Dredd...oops, nevermind!
Tom Welling. Why muddy up the waters when this would be the perfect multimedia event? The last episode of SMALLVILLE and the premiere of the movie within 2 weeks...
While I've always been pulling for Kevin Sorbo, I'm led to understand that Marriott has already read for the role. And why not? He has experience with secret identities.
I say they actually put on a "Joe Superman" show... or, more accurately, "Cast By America." Trot out a bunch of unknown waiter/actors in Superman suits, and whoever wins the phone-in poll wins the role in a three-picture deal.
Peter..., Are You... Feeling all right?... :)
Seriously, I care more for a good story for the Superman Film. WB is still married, I believe, to the Death and Return of Superman idea. My opinion, if that were true, is save it. Save it for the second or Third Film, since this does seem to be a "new" franchise, rather than, a new coat of paint on the Chris Reeve Franchise. Or Better put, they seem to be embracing a new start on continuity. If so, then use the first film to build up the characters. Don't do: "This is Superman, this is his environment. Oh and by, the way, we're going to kill him, but he'll get better before the end of the film," Because then you'll have two big plots screaming for attention.
Or I could be wrong about what type of story they're developing, in which case I do think that Jon Peters should be fired, 'cause this development is taking too long. Peter, if either you, or someone you know has any pull with Peters's bosses, please, make those bosses move him to a different film. Away from the Superheroes.
OR Should I just shut up? :)
Daredevil?
Setting aside the choice of Ben "I can't act to save my life" Affleck in the title role, or the choice of a bouncy babe who really is not at all believable as a martial artist and lacks Elektra's dark edge, we're still left with definite problems which could have been resolved with a little thinking on the part of the writers.
Right off, we see DD trailing blood. he's clearly lost a fair bit of it. So, unless he has healing powers akin to Spidey of Wolvie (since when? And, if so, why all the scars on his back?) he should barely be able to stand up, much less duke it out with Bullseye.
The bit with the subway train deafening him as it catches him by surprise ... Hunh? How can he NOT have heard it coming? Even allowing to a certain control to keep his senses from being overwhelmed by noise and so on, nobody tends to last very long who isn't fully aware of his environment in a fight.
Elektra is badly written. She can't tell the different between Bullseye attacking the car and DD who isn't? Some uber (some day I'll figure out where the *$%#@! umlaut is on this machine) martial artist.
From Foggy's comments, the firm isn't terribly well off. How the heck can DD afford that hideout, not to mention the fancy toys in it?
Major spoiler ahead...
Skipping to the last, I don't care how much DD got religion, it made NO SENSE WHATSOEVER for him to let [you know who] live.
Never mind this guy has killed or caused to be killed lots of innocents, has shown absolutely no remorse about it and will, in all likelyhood do so again. Never mind thatlawyer Murdock flat-out ADMITS this guy will indeed get out of jail to continue his criminal career. HE KNOWS WHO DD IS!!! And DD should bloody well know that this man can, and probably would, strike at his friends or [possibly future loved ones] or DD himself even from behind bars. Letting him live made no sense whatsoever.
Pity. Because the film was - overall - not all that bad. But there really were places which need work. Badly. Starting with the two leads.
Smallville/Superman
Correct me if I'm wrong, but has it not been established that the green rocks pretty much all fell in the Smallville area?
If so, assuming they eventually take it to the days of an adult Superman in Metropolis, how are they going to explain all ther weird characters there? Or elsewhere? Unless Lionel's green K cache explodes and the stuff gets spread to the city's drinking water?
Posted by petervanmalssen:
Wasn't there allready a Flash movie back in the 90th's?
Posted by Avi Green:
There was a short lived TV series on CBS, which got deep-sixed due in part to competition from The Cosby Show and The Simpsons.
However, IIRC, at least one (and I want to say two, actually...) of the two-episode story arcs of the Flash TV series was released on home video. Someone encountering those VHS or LD editions might mistake them for a theatrical release at first glance...
"Joe Superman"??? Where is the Narn Bat Squad when you need them?
(Now, Joe Major Disaster I might buy.)
There was a Flash movie about barry allen. if i remember it was a straight to video but it wasnt bad.
It had the flash fighting a biker gang and his brother getting killed!
there were also a couple more but they sucked!
I think the ideal choice for Supes would have to be Due South's Paul Gross...
Okay PAD, PUT THE CRACK PIPE DOWN. Casting Joe Millionaire in anything is stunt casting comparable to putting Joey Buttafuco in your movie. You're a very sucessful comic book writer that people may take as an authority on these matters. Let's at least have SOME semblance of reason here. I mean, come on.
Meanwhile, all you Paul Gross junkies need to deal with the fact that the man is 44 years old, well past his prime for playing a standard Superman, let alone playing him over a series of films.
Actually, my vote would have to go to either Jack Brewer (Young Adam West/Batman in Return to the Batcave) or Billy Zane. They both have the look, charm, and the voice to be Superman, and Billy has the acting range for Clark as well.
<>
Zane would make a much better Lex Luthor, IMO.
>>(Now, Joe Major Disaster I might buy.)<<
Actually, Evan Marriot would be a good choice to play Lou Martin, the title character of the late, lamented 'Major Bummer'!!
Hooper
Okay, Keedz, this is slightly off-topic, but I'm gonna try again:
This past Wednesday night, I was at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando taking in: ( among other gems such as: 'The Sweatbox', a behind-the-scenes documentary....co-directed by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler....on how Disney's 'Kingdom Of The Sun' became 'The Emperor's New Groove', and Don Coscarelli's latest: 'Bubba Ho-Tep', starring Bruce Campbell as a sixty-something Elvis and Ossie Davis as JFK...that's right, Ossie Davis IS JFK!!... as they join forces to battle a soul-stealing mummy in a Texas nursing home!! ) Shinsuke Sato's 'The Princess Blade ( aka 'Shurayuki Hime' )', familiar to manga fans as: 'Lady Snowblood'. ( And, no, not either of the two previously-filmed versions, but the new one, with all the latest in Donnie Yen chop-socky goodness!! )
The upshot is, my TV was primed and timed to tape 'Angel'....but my VCR was not!! *Sigh* And I understand it was a goodie!!
I would be greatly appreciative of anyone out there who could either loan me a VHS copy, or provide me with a reeeally detailed synopsis of the 12 March episode!!
Thanks!!
Hooper
The pilot of the Flash tv series, as well as a couple of stitched together two episode pairs (for example, the two episodes with Mark Hamill as the Trickster) were released theatrically in Europe.
Also, the cartoon on last week's Saturday Night Live had Lorenzo Lamas (with Lamas doing the voice), judging various cartoon characters as to their hotness. Including Betty Boop, Popeye, Red, Olive Oyl, etc.
Joe Millionaire as Superman has got to be one of the stupidest ideas I've read in some time.
Really.
I'd rather never see another Superman movie again than have some no-talent illiterate klutzy
bozo portray him.
nah, I don't think Gross is too old for the role at 44 ... he's a "young" 44 definately. How old was Chris Reeve? He must've been the in the same area by SM IV...?
And look at Brosnan as James Bond -- in his fifties & carrying it off superbly. Just as Ford could Indy, IMHO.
Christopher Reeve was 35 when Superman IV came out.
I don't know if Brosnan is a good example; a skin-tight Spandex suit is a lot less forgiving than a tuxedo.
OK then, how old was Keaton when he played Batman? ;-)
I still reck Gross would be ideal, even if he really is 44. (I wonder if they'd actually go for spandex after the likes of X-Men & DD...?)
> some day I'll figure out where the *$%#@! umlaut is on this machine
Alt-0220 Ü
Alt-0252 ü
That smile, that chin... He's Captain Marvel if you could only flatten down that hair. And he wouldn't have to be that much of an actor--considering how much screen time Lou Ferrigno got as The Hulk, the bulk of the movie would no doubt be taken up by Frankie Muniz (well, who did you THINK was going to play Billy Batson?) ;)
Howard
(Who's discovered that if you enter something in the homepage link, it's what goes behind your name, so you may as well put your email addy there instead.)
I'll cut from the rest of the pack and wholeheartedly agree with the PADster on this. When I saw the first "Joe Millionaire", I too was thinking that this guy physically would make an ideal Superman. But I also like the Capt. Marvel idea, too. With acting lessons, the guy could surprise us all ... just like Michael Keaton did in his batsuit.