Bryan Singer knows his way around superheroes. After all, this is the man who single-handedly built the X-Men franchise. But this year he decided to leave the mutants to their own devices in order to take on the biggest hero the world has ever known.
Supes On
Comic nerds, critics, studio execs, and just about everyone else can hardly wait for June 30. Why? Superman Returns.
This summer marks the stunning return of the last son of Krypton, Kal-El. You may know him by his earth name: Superman. For many of us, the only guy who could fill those blue tights was the late Christopher Reeve. The only Lois Lane was Margot Kidder, and nobody could replace Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. But Bryan Singer, the director behind The Usual Suspects and the first two X-Men films, took on the challenge. To reinvigorate the most beloved character in comics history is a gamble, but it’s one that Warner Bros. is putting a few hundred million dollars behind. Singer, unlike his hero, was sick, tired, and exasperated when I spoke with him. He can almost see the light at the end of a project that has plagued the studio for nearly 20 years. Nobody doubts that he’s made a good movie — but is it super?
What was it about Richard Donner’s Superman that made you want to add to, instead of remake, his version?
I’ve always viewed it as a classic. There are always movies that are worth remaking because they didn’t quite achieve — even in their day — a level of sophistication and quality that matched the story they were telling. In the case of Superman, not only did I feel it had that quality, but in terms of storytelling and character, it maintained it over the decades. I felt that it was inspiring enough to make a quasi-sequel, but not a remake.
You and I both saw Superman around the age of 13. Its tagline was, “You’ll believe a man can fly.” But since that time, flying effects have become commonplace. How are you going to wow us?
Sony had some shots come back — they were still in development — but you would be shocked that you’re seeing a CG person. I was like, “Whoa!” They can reproduce the pores on his tongue, the fibrous hairs on his ears … where it’s necessary. Then there [were times] when it was just wirework and it blended in, in such a way that it was just the actor selling it. And just the fact that you’re seeing [Superman] fly again…
When did you first look at Brandon Routh and say, “It’s Superman!”
It came during the first costume test, when Brandon just walked on set and stood there. He indelibly imprinted himself upon our minds.
Although there was this one time when Jack Larson [who played Jimmy Olsen in the 1950s Adventures of Superman] was standing next to me on the roof of the Daily Planet in Australia. He didn’t participate in the Donner era, so it had been a long time since he’d come face to face with Superman. He came up to my shoulder and said, “There he is!” I didn’t know what he was talking about, and then I saw Brandon, and I was like, “Yeah, there he is.”
Tell me how you found Routh, and how he’s matured as an actor under your direction.
My first meeting with Brandon was at the Coffee Bean on Sunset [Boulevard]. He was like, “Hey, you wanna go eat outside? There’s a table out there,” and he stood up … and up and up and up. When you meet with an actor, you’re looking for things to rule them out, like “that doesn’t photograph” or “that’s not going to be the right personality.” But every minute we talked, it was apparent that this was a unique individual. What he’s brought to the role is a sense of vulnerability that very much serves this Superman story.
The world has moved on, Lois Lane has a fiancé and a child, and Brandon approached it from a more vulnerable place than perhaps George Reeves or Christopher Reeve. I tried to give him the trust, freedom, and guidance that I offer to every actor — but at the same [time], adapt to Brandon’s strengths and allow them to flourish in the character.
I had a friend drop by during one of the costume tests and he felt like he had just met Superman. [Routh] is Clark Kent. That’s just his nature.
“I felt that to tell a Superman story, the focus had to be around the relationship,” says Singer.
I heard from one person who saw the film in its roughest state that it was “Casablanca in a cape,” and that it’s less of an action epic than it is about the relationships among Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Superman. What made you want to go in that direction with the story?
I felt that to tell a Superman story, the focus had to be around that relationship. If you look at the entire Superman canon, you’ll find that since the very beginning, it’s his relationship with Lois Lane [that] has been at the focus of every single story — except his younger years. There was something wonderful about watching their relationship from the position of Clark Kent — who stands almost invisibly next to Lois Lane and watches from his vantage point.
Behind every great man is a great woman, and in the case of Superman, Lois Lane is an emotional anchor for his character. I guarantee there will be no shortage of action, but beneath all that — for lack of a better expression — this will be the closest thing to a chick flick that I’ve ever directed.
I’d like to thank you for casting Kate Bosworth, who is the sexiest Lois Lane since the Fleischer animated Superman cartoons.
She comes off like a real forties movie star — like she’s Katharine Hepburn. It’s really amazing … and she’s young! The moment she walked on that set, you’re like, “This is a mother, and she isn’t as happy as the rest of the world is about Superman’s return.” Yet when you take her out to dinner, she’s like a kid again!
After seeing her in Wonderland, with Val Kilmer as John Holmes, you could see that she wanted to be an actress, and not one of those teen twitters.
She was nervous about this, because she didn’t really expect a role that would afford her instantaneous visibility on such a wide level, so quickly and so early in her life. It took a lot of trust in me for her to take this leap.
But it was kinda fun because sometimes I’d throw pieces of direction at her during the process, and she was like, “Keep them coming.” Kevin Spacey had told me it’d be that way, because he directed her in Beyond the Sea.
Some people say the measure of a hero is often determined by the size or complexity of the villain he faces. The casting of Keyser Söze as Lex Luthor is genius.
[Laughs]
How has Luthor changed from the Gene Hackman incarnation?
Well, he’s been in prison for about five years, so he’s a little pissed off. I think there is a measure of humor and whimsical nature that Kevin [Spacey] plays quite wonderfully. My Lex is a bit more sadistic — particularly when he goes up against Superman.
“I guarantee there will be no shortage of action, but beneath all that — for lack of a better expression — this will be the closest thing to a chick flick that I’ve ever directed.”
Tell me about Parker Posey’s portrayal of Kitty Kowalski.
To say [she] was not born from Ms. Teschmacher [in Superman and Superman II] would obviously be deception. I feel that every great villain needs a great villainess. I don’t know how much she really likes Lex, but she’s in it for the long con. She’s just gonna wait and see how much she can get with this guy, and then she’s on to the next. But she certainly is another level of humor in there. They’re certainly the odd couple, so to speak, but they create a nice, humorous synergy when you’re with the two of them.
When I was looking at the production diaries, scenes of Stephan Bender [young Clark Kent] in the running rig made me think, That’s what it would be like to see someone run at super speed. What is it about doing practical special effects that often surpasses what’s done with computers?
There’s just a physical realness that you get from scenes you do on camera. Whether it ends up in the movie or just serves as a visual guide for the CG animators is [invaluable]. Of course, there will be enhancements and alterations, but to have physical leaps, and to run using some of the largest and most sophisticated wire rigs, gives us a framework to build realness. I think I have a pretty decent imagination, but it’s really nice when you’ve got physical sets and real actors to play off of, because there are little things you don’t expect. Invariably, someone will have built something into the set that will inspire a shot or an angle. Invariably, an actor will do something interesting that will inspire a scene, or have an innate talent that will make it.
Warner Bros. has announced it is heading into development on a Superman Returns sequel, and mentioned that you were attached. Have you really fallen in love with the Superman world?
I love it very much. I can’t say that I’m officially attached yet — we’ve just begun those discussions — but there is certainly an interest in moving forward. Making the film, though logistically very difficult, was also really, really good at Warner Bros. The point is, we all got along wonderfully. After they’ve seen the film, if they decide they want me to do a sequel, it makes sense to move forward together on a sequel. Plus, there are things that have been layered into the film that would lend themselves to a sequel. I’m not saying [Superman Returns] won’t be satisfying in the end — it’s not a two-parter. But inking a deal or figuring out a schedule, we haven’t specifically done that yet, nor is there a script.
How do you include a nod to the folks at comic cons and not end up making a film that’s a Where’s Waldo of geeky comic-book references?
“Not being too nostalgic for my own good” is what I call it. If it serves the story and it works, it’s nice to go for it so a fan can enjoy it. I love seeing Noel Neill [Lois Lane in the 1948 Superman] sitting on the train in [the 1978] Superman. If it sticks out like a sore thumb … cut it out! Put it on the DVD! I’m trying, as I did with X-Men, to make a film that will do that balancing act. Too many inside jokes don’t help for a group that isn’t really familiar with them. But unlike X-Men, most everybody knows Superman. They know he has an S and a cape, and they know he flies. They may not know anything else, but at least they know that. While X-Men has a huge following, it is still a specific audience. What bothers me is that [comic-book artist] Alex Ross’s interpretation of Superman is so exquisite and amazing, people look at how I’ve suited Brandon and see it as such a departure. What kills me is that in my mind, in spite of the S being smaller and raised, and the character being younger — in terms of the essence of what I see in the comic series—I see myself respecting it. I’m respecting it in a cinematic context that works on film.
I heard you struggled with back problems and exhaustion issues during the shoot. How do you begin to plan your next film? Would you rather shoot something small, will you take time off, or are you going to head straight into that huge Logan’s Run remake?
I’m doing what I’ve always done: playing it by ear and seeing how I feel. When I feel full of energy, there’s a part of me that would love to jump into another movie. And when I’m swamped, I say I’m going to take a year off, direct an episode of the TV show House — I love that, I’ll spend more time on that. I’ll produce another miniseries. I’ll direct a show pilot. I’ll do commercials. I love shooting commercials — I’ve shot 40 of them. Or I’ll do a smaller movie. But a smaller movie has to be from the heart; it has to be really special to me. I’m reading scripts when usually I develop my own, and I haven’t found it. The Logan’s Run script is actually shaping up really well, and there’s a lot of great advance work done on it. The issue becomes scheduling and feasibility. As of right now, I’m in no physical or mental position to comment on it. I think about it, but I just don’t know what to do about it yet.
Who is the audience you are making this Superman for?
This one is for everybody, and I don’t say that in a pandering way. The comic has been around since 1938. There are some moments where you know you can’t please everyone, but really, this film is for everybody. I want grandparents to be able to take their grandkids to this movie. I like that it can be a real date movie. And if it gets a little intense, they can be okay.
I assume since you’re doing a Superman movie, as opposed to a Batman movie, that you prefer Superman as a character. What is it about him?
I identify with Superman more than with other superheroes — in the sense that he wasn’t from a particularly wealthy family, and neither was I. He was adopted, and I was adopted. So you wonder where you came from. Superman comes to the big city with a certain measure of idealism. He gets ignored and abused sometimes, but he carries with him a potential, and an understanding of that potential, and he keeps it close to his belt. Bruce Wayne is a wealthy heir and suffered a tragedy, but I was actually raised by wonderful parents and I’m very lucky. Plus, Superman doesn’t need a bunch of equipment. Bullets bounce off him, not a suit. Not that I’m dissing Batman. I love Batman, I grew up with Batman … but Superman is Superman.
Being a product of this day and age, when the movie only made $160 million dollars, the studio ended up so upset with “Superman Returns” that they canceled the planned sequel before it even really started. Critics mostly thought that only Batman should be allowed to have noticeable angst, so they didn’t like it much as a rule. Seeing as how they more that doubled their money with the next Superman, heck, maybe they knew what they were talking about. Turns out, Brandon was much happier being an itty-bitty genius in “Legends of Tomorrow” anyway, and, honestly, Nora was way hotter than Lois Lane in our entirely unscientific poll.
