Max Landis Pitches His Man of Steel 2 and More

In a recent appearance on Movie Fights, a great show over on the Screen Junkies YouTube channel, screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra) pitched his vision for Man of Steel 2 and it is interesting to say the least. Landis and the other guests were asked to pitch their direct sequel to Man of Steel as if the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice didn’t exist. The guys over at Screen Junkies then put together a video of the pitch using the original footage from the show edited together with various clips to give you a sort of visual representation, and it’s awesome. Just watch it. Seriously.

Ben Affleck Responds to his Batman Casting Internet Backlash

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be aware that Phantoms star Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel follow-up, currently titled Batman Vs. Superman. The internet has been up in arms about the casting, and so far the man himself has remained relatively tight-lipped. However, Ben Affleck appeared last night on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to promote his upcoming movie Runner Runner, co-starring Justin Timberlake, and the subject of Affleck playing Batman inevitably came up:

Affleck talks about how he was warned about the internet backlash following previous casting choices. “They said, ‘Just don’t use the Internet for a couple of days,'” the actor told Fallon. “And I said … ‘I handle shit!'” Ben fAffleck’s curiosity couldn’t prevent him from having a little peek when the news was made official. “I saw the announcement, I look down the thing. The first comment? … ‘Nooooooooooooo. And I was done! We’re going to be Luddites for a while.'”

Affleck still seems very pleased with his casting and told Fallon:

[quote]It’s so awesome, man. I’m so excited. They called me up and asked me if I wanted to do this. And I said, ‘I’m not 25, man, are you sure about this?’ And they said, ‘Come down, we wanna show you what we’re doing.’ Zack Snyder’s directing it and he has this amazing take on it. Obviously you can’t do what Christian [Bale] did, those movies were amazing. But Zack wants to something different but still in keeping with that.[/quote]

There is mixed feeling over here at Grizzly Bomb over Affleck’s casting, I for one am on team Affleck. He is a solid actor and in recent years has proved his salt both in front of and behind the camera. At least the rumor that pop star Justin Bieber being in the running to play Robin in the movie has now been quashed. The Wrap reported on Sunday that the whole thing was potentially set up for an upcoming Funny or Die sketch.

Affleck will next be seen on the big screen alongside of Justin Timberlake in gambling thriller Runner Runner on September 27. Batman Vs. Superman is aiming for a July 15, 2015 release.

Batman vs Superman: Casting Rumors, TDKR, and Connections to the Nolanverse?

Since Batman vs Superman(one of the the rumored titles) was announced at San Diego Comic Con last month, the internet has been awash with rumors and speculation about the Caped Crusader. Who will play Batman? Are Warner and DC going for someone young or someone more established? When in Batman’s career will the story be set? Could it be set after Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises after all, despite all claims to a reboot? Based on certain recent rumors, it certainly is a possibility, which we will take a look at below.

Zack Snyder was keen to point out that the quote taken from Frank Millers ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ (which was read by Harry Lennix at the SDCC announcement) was more to establish tone rather than it being a sign of Superman vs. Batman being a direct adaptation of Millers TDKR. Seeing as they have recently touched on that source material already with the awesome DC Animated Feature Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, it makes sense they wouldn’t be looking to dive into that territory again so soon.

[box_dark]”I want you to remember, Clark. In all the years to come, in all your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”[/box_dark]

However, the Independent recently reported that Snyder will be meeting up with Frank Miller to discuss Batman vs Superman, so it remains to be seen what kind of connection the film will have to the hit graphic novel.

Personally, I feel the tone of ‘TDKR’ would fit neatly into the world that Snyder and writer David Goyer created for Man of Steel. It might also slip in seamlessly into the Nolan verse, despite Christian Bale no longer being onboard as the Dark Knight.We already know that this isn’t going to be another Batman origin story, which we don’t really need to see again. One of the failings of The Amazing Spider-Man in my opinion is that it tried to spin a new origin story out of one we had already seen recently.

With Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy so embedded in people minds, we certainly don’t need to see another Year One style project.  Heck, if  Goyer and Snyder wanted to, the sudden appearance of Superman could be what initially brings Batman out of his early retirement we saw at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. That would also neatly fit this movie into the world that Nolan created with his Dark Knight trilogy. Now that would be interesting.

If Snyder and Goyer do go with a completely new universe as they have said before, than they will of course need to establish a new character. Within the comics Batman is perpetually in his 30’s, which has allowed for the character to be played by a revolving door of actors over the years, like in the Burton and Schumacher days. This generally negates the need to ever revisit the origin story, and would open many doors for more Batman adaptations in the future if that same mold is followed.

What initially bothered me about the announcement was the possibility that Batman would just be a glorified cameo. Hopefully this won’t be the case, as I feel there is plenty of fertile ground from the comic book history for Snyder and Goyer to really explore the relationship between Batman and Superman. They need to look no further than Jeph Loeb’s brilliant ‘Public Enemies’ storyline for inspiration.

Man of Steel sets up a great opportunity to put Batman and Superman at odds, while setting up the potentially great friendship they have. Having seen the destruction that is happening in Metropolis caused by these extra terrestrial beings, it seems only natural that Batman would want to investigate the events that occurred, which must have caused hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths. Initially it would be interesting to see Batman and Luthor working together, or at least sharing a vested interest as they rebuilt Metropolis into the futuristic city it’s known as in the comics.

This could lead to a fantastic mid film showdown between Batman and Superman, referring back to the quote read by Lennix and the rumored ‘vs.’ of the title. Once convinced of Superman’s good intentions, Batman could be put at ease. Here is where Luthor’s malevolence could really take over, as he is driven mad with the idea of defeating Superman and Batman, who has seen through Luthor’s veneer. It would make an amazing final act to see Batman and Superman team up against Luthor decked out in his battle suit.

It’s unlikely that Warner and DC will cast Batman too old, as they will want to churn out a few more Batman themed films. Not to mention the ever promised Justice League film that was recently confirmed. Even if it does continue with the continuity established within Nolan’s world, Batman is only roughly mid 40’s. Of course, age isn’t really an issue if they pick the right person, much like Marvel did when they cast Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man. So who would make a great Batman?

The rumors we have spoken about state that DC may be searching for an older Batman, with Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Jon Hamm, and Joe Manganiello all rumored (along with a few others) to wear the cowl. However, Warner and DC have denied all the rumors, with a source telling HollywoodReporter.com that the casting process hasn’t even started.

If they were to establish a completely new Batman then my choice of these would be Ryan Gosling (which was also Grizzly Bomb’s choice when we cast the Justice League movie). At 32 he seems the perfect age to carry the mantle of the Bat for a little while, and he has the acting chops, gravitas, and physique to make an imposing Batman. Brolin and Hamm however, would be perfect  for a Batman around the age and point in his life that we find Bruce Wayne in during Miller’s ‘TDKR’. So we will have to wait and see a bit more from the film’s development before we can further speculate.

What are your thoughts on the casting rumors for Batman? Excited to see Batman in the Man of Steel sequel or do you want to wait until he appears in a Justice League film? Sound off in the comments section below!

Fanmade photo courtesy of poumap on deviantart

SDCC 2013: Man of Steel Sequel News! Flash and Justice League Officially Announced!

Let’s get right to it. At Warner Bros.’s Comic Con panel today, the veil was lifted on major plans for the DC cinematic universe. Extremely major plans. WB is setting on the path to creating a DC Universe much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with a Man of Steel sequel, a Flash movie, and perhaps the biggest news, firm confirmation of a Justice League movie.

Mondo: The Top 15 Posters from 2013 So Far

Collectors of poster art are well aware of the reputation Mondo has. This is a company that sells out off its stock within minutes of it becoming available to the public. The prices can be on the high side, but you definitely get your moneys worth. The quality of poster they produce is top notch and they are sought after collector’s pieces on Ebay. Though their limited editions sell out so quickly that people who have slow broadband can miss out in an instant, it has not stopped people coming back for more. Now Mondo has far too expansive a back catalogue to do a definitive list of my favorites as their work dates back to 1998. But I thought it may be fun to see what type of posters have come out in 2013. So here we have the top 15 Mondo film posters of the year (some may be considered NSFW, fair warning).

15) Gremlins by Drew Millward

This poster just sums up the Japanese culture for me and it is appropriate for the style to be like this, because Gizmo was owned by an old Asian shop keeper before coming to suburbia. The extreme melting of Spikes face and the rays of sunshine gleaming down on him meld perfectly with the design frame of the picture which looks like Japanese manuscript (or a calendar if you are more aware of that).

14) The Deadly Spawn by PhantomCity Creative

What do most people remember from this cult ’80s horror classic? The big alien monster with loads of teeth, that’s what. The entire film is encapsulated in this simplistic yet knock out design. The battered look of the poster only adds to the ensemble and makes it look exactly like an old poster you would see in your local video rental store (when they were still around, that is).

13) Maniac by Jeff Proctor

 

Now Maniac (remake) has never promoted itself as a family friendly film, and this poster for the movie is very explicit in its intent. The hiding of the face makes this killing seem more disturbing because of the loss of identity and it also ties nicely into the fact that we only ever see Elijah Wood’s face when he looks in the mirror. The undone jeans adds an extra uncomfortable element of sexuality to the piece. Not something you could hang in your front room but something to be admired never the less.

 12) Man of Steel by Martin Ansin

 

The artwork reminded me a lot of Alex Ross’ work, which certainly makes an impact. The motion lines around Superman which show key characters in the movie are superb and you get the feeling of heroism, which is what Man of Steel was supposed to be all about.

11) The Thing by Randy Ortiz

 

Now the remake/prequel was a huge disappointment to most, but this poster reminds us just how great the original really was (and still is). The mist of the coffee turning into the alien spider legs looks incredible and the body morphing that amazed us in the film is exploited to the maximum here to great effect.

10) Boogie Nights by Rockin’ Jelly Bean

 

This slightly cheeky poster gives this movie based on the rise of Dirk Diggler a very ’70s flavour. Though it is not an exact match for Heather Graham, the woman taking center stage certainly arouses your attention, in more ways than one. The ’70s color scheme is stunning. Who would have thought so many yellows, browns and oranges could make such an amazing visual?

 9) Evil Dead 2 by Jason Edmiston

 

I covered Jason’s work before in an article about ’80s inspired art work, and here we get to see how he takes on Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2. This guy’s artwork is mind blowing, adding elements of tension to a story we know all so well. Ash has never looked creepier and his battle with the raping trees in the forest is something that would have been amazing to see in the movie itself. Not since House has a door opening looked so menacing.

8) Robocop by Jay Shaw

 

Grizzly Bomb did an article about posters from abroad and how there styles differed greatly from the US or the UK. In that article there were plenty of examples of Polish art which is stunning but also mind blowing in its bizarreness. Artist Jay Shaw has gone for this polish style in his Robocop poster, and it shows all the pathos and pain Alex Murphy suffers from as he becomes Detroit City’s ultimate law enforcer. The single blood stained tears speaks volumes and the clever use of OCP as his eye (they built him, own him and also constantly watch him) goes great with the black and white coloring which brings the whole image to life.

7) Scarface by Mike Mitchell

 

This one image manages to completely sum up Tony Montana’s character. Cocky, arrogant, controlling, dangerous and powerful, it all comes out in this piece. The palm trees in the back further show the life style Tony dreams of from the start and manages to grab through force. For some reason it manages to sum up the 80s for me. Must be too much Miami Vice as a kid, I guess!

6) Argo by Kilian Eng

 

The main reason I love this poster art is because it focuses on the false movie and not the events that occurred. The movie is an incredibly tense and fascinating film, but all the way through viewing it my thoughts wandered slightly. “What would this film really be like if they had made it?” Well, this poster helps put those thoughts to rest. If it was to become anything like Kilian has drawn it, it would have been a master piece. Filled with 70’s psychedelic it looks like a cross between Logans Run and 2001.

5) Iron Man 3 by PhantomCity Creative

 

It’s a simple diagnostic poster but it’s this simplistic style which drew me to it. With Tony Stark as its focal point it gives us a massive display of the suits he used in Iron Man 3. One of the many fun things about this film was trying to spot what suit was in the film and its role for Tony. Here all that information is laid out for you so anyone who missed a suit can stare at all of them now in the comfort of their own home.

4) Battle Royale by Bryan Lee O’Malley

 

Bryan is better known for being the creative genius behind the super popular Scott Pilgrim, and his style perfectly suits this film. Much like the movie where cute Japanese students are forced to do horrible things, Bryan’s mix of Manga inspired cute art works superbly with the juxtaposition of graphical violent acts we are seeing the characters perform. The graphic novel of Battle Royale is even more disturbing to read and has the same power Bryan’s poster has here.

3) Friday the 13^th  by Francesco Francavilla

 

The face seen in the imagery on view motif (the best name I could come up with for this type of art) is seen a lot in horror movies, so its great to see this getting used for one of the greatest Slasher movies of the ’80s. If the menacing skull was not enough to give you a chill then look for the references to other movies within this poster. The pitch fork pops up a few times in the series but the cabin in the back is first found in Friday the 13^th Part II. Now whether it has Mrs. Voorhees head in it I don’t know, but this attention to detail with the franchise impressed me, as did the tiny skull hidden in the ground far right of the pitchfork.

2) The Lost Boys by PhantomCity Creative

 

Never have vampires felt so much like a dark creature from Peter Pan than in The Lost Boys, a movie about immortal youths that can fly away and take your children while they sleep. The reason this poster piqued my interest is because it covered the scenes in the movie that always amazed me, the flying scenes. Very rarely before this had I ever seen vampires fly in non-bat form, so at the start when they swoop onto the unlucky couple in the car and when they drop off the bridge it amazed me, and that’s what this visual happily brought back.

1) Jaws by Laurent Durieux

 

What is not shown is the most important element of this poster. It seems exactly like the type of promotional poster that would have been used to promote the beaches. As the films plot does cover the lengths people went to making sure the tourists did not know there was a shark in the sea it works perfectly well. The design is a spot on copy of those holiday resort style promotional posters, but the hidden sense of dread is definitely there in this seemingly calm beach. With all the crazy shark movies coming out at the moment it is nice to take a break from them all for just a few minutes and look at where it all began, Jaws.

Mondo are constantly making incredible pieces like those on this list, and they are only a small segment of what they have to offer. Check out their web site here to see more of what they have to offer.

Put the Hero Back in the Superhero: Max Landis Talks ‘Man of Steel’

Man of Steel has now been out for over a week, and did pretty well at the box office. This pretty much ensures not only a sequel from Zack Snyder and his crew, but the beginning of a DC Cinematic Universe along the same lines as Marvel’s highly successful MCU. This is all very exciting, but before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to take a look at the beginning of the DCCU.

Where Iron Man hit it out of the park and wowed audiences across the world while setting the foundation of the MCU, Man of Steel has divided the movie going crowd for a number of reasons. The controversial ending, massive body count and destruction of a few cities has opened up the fiery gates of internet commentators from all walks of life. Whether you are a fan of the comics, the movies, or have never heard of this Superguy or whatever he’s called, chances are you have your own opinion of Man of Steel.