Superhero Movies

So, what's happening with the Wonder Woman movie?

Yesterday I posted the '10 tips for making a good superhero movie' article, and while searching for a good picture to go with it, I ran into a beautiful drawing of Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes, one of the best artists in the business today. I was admiring how well he captured the essence of Wonder Woman, when all of a sudden it hit me: what is going on with the Wonder Woman movie? Initially, the movie was supposed to come out in 2007. Warner Bros. had it all planned out. Batman in 2005, Superman in 2006, and then Wonder Woman in 2007. To be followed with a new Batman in 2008, a Superman in 2009 and a Wonder Woman 2010. Repeat infinitely. However, it's the end of 2006 and the Wonder Woman movie still hasn't left pre-production. What's going on?

When it was announced in 2005 that Joss Whedon would be both directing and writing the Wonder Woman movie, fans rejoiced. Whedon is a fan favorite, and judging from what he has done before, you can expect a respectful yet cool, fun and hip adaptation from the man behind Buffy and Firefly. In interviews, Whedon announced that he was looking forward to writing it, and that he would start looking for the right actress to portray the role of Wonder Woman a.s.a.p. Fans started speculating on who should play the part, and everything seemed to be great in Wonder Woman-land.

10 tips for making a good Superhero movie

Dear Hollywood,

In recent years I have noticed that we both like superheroes very much. I enjoy reading comics starring people who have powers other people can only dream of, while you like to make movies about them. I appreciate that very much. Most comics look great, but there's nothing like seeing my favorite heroes in action, helped by all that money you pump into the movie versions. I loved seeing Superman fly through the sky last summer to catch that space shuttle before it would hit earth. It looked really kick-ass, just like the rest of the movie, and I was really proud of what you had done with it. In the past you liked to have your own way with my favorite heroes, adding elements that weren't in the books, but which you thought were cool. I know I can sometimes be a real pain when I'm defending the original vision of the creators of these heroes, but you have to admit that your version of Catwoman looked like you had your ten year old nephew design the new outfit for her.
Since you have so many new superhero-movies planned for us, I thought I would write you this letter to give you a few tips on making a really good superhero movie, you know, without pissing off the fans. I know you're a bit scared by the fans sometimes, but if you would just humour us a bit more, you will find that we are not that bad at all. Hey, if you make the movies really special, I promise you that we will even go see them more than once and buy the DVD. Do we have a deal?

Continue reading "10 tips for making a good Superhero movie" at The Hollywood Machine»

Fiction: How to operate on an indestructible superhero

Lex wished he had never gotten out of bed that morning. Sure, 56 minutes ago the day had still seemed ripe with opportunities. After all, this was Lex’ first day as a surgeon, Lex having finally completed his residency after many years of hard studying and working late hours. He was eager to show the people at the hospital what he could do and arrived at his workplace fifteen minutes early. Which was right in time to see Mega, the world’s most popular superhero, being wheeled in on a stretcher, his once indestructible body now battered, Mega’s chest emitting a sickly green glow. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Lex realised that Mega would be his first patient, and that if he wouldn’t be able to keep the most loved man on earth alive, his career would be over before it properly started.

Continue reading "Fiction: How to operate on an indestructible superhero" »

Lex wished he had never gotten out of bed that morning. Sure, 56 minutes ago the day had still seemed ripe with opportunities. After all, this was Lex’ first day as a surgeon, Lex having finally completed his residency after many years of hard studying and working late hours. He was eager to show the people at the hospital what he could do and arrived at his workplace fifteen minutes early. Which was right in time to see Mega, the world’s most popular superhero, being wheeled in on a stretcher, his once indestructible body now battered, Mega’s chest emitting a sickly green glow. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Lex realised that Mega would be his first patient, and that if he wouldn’t be able to keep the most loved man on earth alive, his career would be over before it properly started.