RUMOR ALERT: Warner Bros. Interested in “Superman: Red Son” Live-Action Film
While a beloved comic book character, Superman so far hasn’t been a fan favorite in the DCEU. His aesthetically beautiful debut film Man of Steel was somewhat unoriginal and underwhelming as an origin story, and Henry Cavill’s aesthetically beautiful portrayal of the character in Batman vs. Superman couldn’t rise above the film’s convoluted plot and oppressively depressing cinematic atmosphere.
So, with Superman currently dead and buried in the DCEU, what can Warner Bros. do to bring audiences a fresh and exciting perspective on the character? For their next Superman related live-action film, it seems that the studio is drawing from the various alternative realities that exist within Superman’s long comic history – specifically, the critically acclaimed miniseries Superman: Red Son.
This rumor was sparked by a Twitter exchange between Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Mark Millar, award-winning comic book writer and author of the Red Son storyline.
In a thread unrelated to Red Son specifically, Vogt-Roberts mentioned that he had unsuccessfully pitched Warner Bros. about a solo spinoff film based on the comic book. He envisioned a film that would utilize actors other than Cavill and current Batman actor Ben Affleck to establish the story as an alternative universe from the main DCEU.
At this point, Millar jumped into the discussion and revealed the following information:
Did you hear WB pitching directors Red Son? Two diff pals in last 2 months. This truly is Putin's America.
— Millarworld (@mrmarkmillar) June 27, 2017
Wait, really? Because I pitched it to them months ago and was told no. It's the most punk rock thing the DCEU could do in my mind.
— (((Jordan Vogt-Roberts))) (@VogtRoberts) June 27, 2017
Millar went on to reveal in this thread that Warner Bros. has casually pitched a live-action adaptation of the comic book storyline to two American directors in the last few months. He also mentioned that Wanted film director Timur Bekmambetov had been approached:
I think Timur also interested a while back. But this was two diff American directors approached in last couple of months.
— Millarworld (@mrmarkmillar) June 27, 2017
As the rumor exploded online throughout the day, Millar eventually released a statement to Den of Geek about Warner Bros.’ current interest in a Red Son live-action film:
“Is this something they’re genuinely planning? I have no idea. I’ve got pals at Warner Bros but never discussed it with them. I think they’re just going through their back catalog of big books and hoping to lure in good directors as opposed to any particular interest in developing Red Son. There’s always 50 conversations for every comic book movie that gets made and as far as I know this is something that is very much just at conversation stage.”
Even if Warner Bros. is just putting out feelers to gauge directorial interest in the film, the incredibly positive response and dozens of related coverage this rumor has received serves as a clear indication that fans fully support plans for a live-action adaptation.
Superman: Red Son is a 2003 comic book based on a simple premise – “What if Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union?” It is part of DC’s Elseworlds publication imprint, which frequently publishes comic book storylines that imagine DC’s famous heroes in isolated alternative universes outside the main DC continuity.
Are you excited about a possible Red Son adaptation? What other Superman storylines do you want to see adapted? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Comic Book Resources
