14 DAY TRIAL // Four years after the box office disaster that was the reboot “Superman Returns,” Warner Bros. is again considering a reboot to the legendary franchise – and has just the man to do it in director Darren Aronofsky.
Reports in the blogosphere say that several directors are being considered for the job of bringing back the original caped crusader, a job that is anything but easy as the 2006 film proved.
However, of the lot, Aronofsky seems to be the one most likely to get the job, word has it, even though he has zero experience in the superhero / comics genre.
The director, who is now getting major Oscar buzz for “Black Swan,” has previous hits under his belt like “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Wrestler,” “The Fountain” and “Pi,” so there’s no doubting his worth as a director.
“The derby to helm the Christopher Nolan-produced Man of Steel pic has become the talk of the town. Nolan is knee-deep in the selection process, and he and producer/wife Emma Thomas will be heavily involved in the movie, so he’s looking for a director who is able to handle the elaborate production and willing to collaborate,” the Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision says.
“Word began to leak last week of directors who were meeting or will meet with Nolan and Warner brass for the relaunch of one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises,” says the e-zine.
“Duncan Jones (‘Moon’), Jonathan Liebesman (‘Battle: Los Angeles’), Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield,’ this Friday’s ‘Let Me In’), Tony Scott and Zack Snyder are on the list,” Heat Vision says.
However, Aronofsky is in the lead in terms of odds of actually scoring directorial duties on the new reboot.
“Aronofsky, riding high on buzz generated by his upcoming ‘Black Swan,’ is still in active talks, according to sources. But it’s early,” the e-zine notes.
In another “Superman” related news, it seems that Nolan is very busy getting things done for the film to happen as soon as possible.
Even if he doesn’t have a lead yet (that is to say, no Superman is yet attached), word has it he’s set on getting Natalie Portman to be Louis Lane, in what ScreenCrave calls a rather odd move because he should find the male lead first.
For the time being, though, all of the above falls in the realm of speculation. Rest assured you’ll find out more about this here, the instant anything is made official.