Prior to the debut of Superman Returns in the United Kingdom, Brandon Routh hinted at the possibility of the sequel at a press conference, saying "At the end of this film we see that there is so much more to explore." Newsarama reported from the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con that director Bryan Singer had been in talks to direct a sequel for 2009. According to the article, Singer said that while Superman Returns allowed him to introduce the cast, the sequel would allow him to 'go Wrath of Khan on it.' He added that there would be an alien villain. In another interview on Superherohype.com, Singer indicated a possible return of the New Krypton island.
On August 18, 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Warner president Alan Horn thought that Superman Returns "was a very successful movie" and that he was planning on a sequel for 2009. It had been thought that a Superman Returns sequel hinged on the film's domestic box office performance, with some media outlets suggesting that Warner Bros. wanted it to take in at least $200 million in the United States for a sequel to get the green light. The film officially passed the $200 million domestic mark on October 22, 2006. On October 25, 2006, IESB.net reported that a deal between director Bryan Singer and Warner Bros had been finalized for a sequel. The budget will reportedly be reduced; however, the existing sets would contribute to lower costs across the board for the upcoming movie. The sequel is expected to be more action-focused than its predecessor.
The focus will be on a tighter story with more villains and bigger action sequences. On July 10, 2007, Variety reported Kevin Spacey will return for the sequel. They also referred to the sequel as Man of Steel and reported Singer was about to pitch the sequel to Warner Bros. with Michael Dougherty now writing the screenplay. He plans to start production in 2008 for a 2009 release.
Production
In February 2006, Warner Bros. announced a summer 2009 theatrical release date. Legendary Pictures will co-finance the film 50/50 with the studio, with Bryan Singer directing. Gilbert Adler, Jon Peters, and Singer will produce while Chris Lee will executive produce. Singer dropped out of directing films such as Logan's Run and The Mayor on Castro Street in favor of Man of Steel. Warners and Legendary Pictures were disappointed by Superman Returns' theatrical box office, and are looking forward to a far lower budget for the sequel. In the words of Warner Bros. President Alan F. Horn, "I thought it was a very successful movie, but I think it should have done $500 million worldwide. We should have had perhaps a little more action to satisfy the young male crowd." $175 million is the maximum budget the studio is aiming for.
In November 2006, work on the storyline was starting, with an eye to start filming in summer 2007. In March 2007, Singer halted the sequel in favor of Valkyrie. Filming was then set to begin in March 2008, while in April 2007, Singer, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were still working on the story, and Peters hoped to have a script by the end of the year, with pre-production to start in January or February 2008.
Singer then announced that filming will begin in summer 2008, while Variety reported in October 2007 that Dougherty and Harris left in favor of other career opportunities. The release date was then moved to 2010 because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Despite various reports that Singer was no longer directing, and the film was in search of writers after Dougherty and Harris' departure, Singer denied the reports, saying the film was in the early development phase. Routh has stated that he expects filming to begin in early 2009 for a '10 release.
Singer has expressed interest filming some scenes in 3-D film, while post-production will take place in Hawaii. Man of Steel will continue to use same musical themes established by John Williams in Superman.
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