Forget Superman Returns

It was reported a few days ago that Warner Bros. was thinking of doing a complete overhaul on Superman: The Man of Steel, completely redoing the franchise. Today, the Wall Street Journal has confirmed from Warner Bros. Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov that this is exactly the path they are taking, which could be in the vein of The Incredible Hulk that essentially ignored Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk. Here's an excerpt from the article.

Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes -- known as "Batman vs. Superman" -- after the $215 million Superman Returns, which had disappointing box-office returns, didn't please executives. "'Superman' didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," says Mr. Robinov. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned." "Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009," he adds. "But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."

The article went on to say that Warner will be announcing its plans for future DC Comics movies next month and Robinov said that, "we're developing every DC character that we own."

The studio is set to announce its plans for future DC movies in the next month. For now, though, it is focused on releasing four comic-book films in the next three years, including a third Batman film, a new film reintroducing Superman, and two movies focusing on other DC Comics characters. Movies featuring Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are all in active development.

Given the success of The Dark Knight, Robinov also said he wants this new slate of films to be darker in tone and also said he expects at least two DC tentpole releases by 2011.

"We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," Robinov said, while adding that this would apply to Superman: The Man of Steel as well.

I'll be sure to keep you updated on Warner's upcoming DC Comics slate as well as any and all updates regarding Superman: The Man of Steel.

Tom Cruise wants Sleeper

Tom Cruise is in talks to star in Sleeper, Sam Raimi's adaptation of the DC Comics/Wildstorm comic at Warner Bros. Raimi will produce with his Star Road Entertainment partner Josh Donen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, Sleeper, which ran from 2003-05, centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group, named Miss Misery.

Sleeper is the third project that Cruise has become associated with over the past two weeks --all three separate from his commitments at UA. In addition to The Tourist, the actor has expressed interest in the Working Title-Universal comedy Food Fight.

No production date has been set.