Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is out in theaters now, and as we’ve long known, the third live-action movie about Sega’s speedy mascot is heavily inspired by Sonic Adventure 2. The 2001 Dreamcast game introduced a new brooding antihero in Shadow the Hedgehog, and expanded the Sonic mythos into some dark territory. Sonic 3 isn’t…
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is out in theaters now, and as we’ve long known, the third live-action movie about Sega’s speedy mascot is heavily inspired by Sonic Adventure 2. The 2001 Dreamcast game introduced a new brooding antihero in Shadow the Hedgehog, and expanded the Sonic mythos into some dark territory. Sonic 3 isn’t…
The sci-fi thriller Companion is coming our way from writer/director Drew Hancock and the team behind the 2022 horror hit Barbarian, but even though over a year has passed since the project assembled its cast and went into production, we still know very little about it. It has managed to stay shrouded in secrecy all this time… and star Jack Quaid (Scream 2022) says that’s exactly how it should be. A teaser trailer for the film made its online a while back, and Quaid feels that’s all someone should see of the movie before it reaches theatres on January 31, 2025. If someone has already made the decision to see the movie, he advises them to avoid the next trailer when it’s released.
There’s an official synopsis that doesn’t give away anything about the characters or what they’re up to: New Line Cinema—the studio that brought you The Notebook—and the unhinged creators of Barbarian cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story…
This was included in the press release: Hey you. Tired of swiping? Sick of getting ghosted? Are you feeling like a part of you is missing? FindYourCompanion.com is guaranteed to find you a Companion who’s made for you. Text (978) 878-5683 to Find Your Companion today. You agree 2 recurring msgs from WB’s chatbot re: Companion movie. Sent w/ autodialer. Msg/data rates apply. Consent not req’d to purch. Terms: https://bit.ly/3ZI2vMO; Privacy and contact: https://bit.ly/4gDU9fj.
New Line Cinema went all-in on a partnership with Barbarian (watch it HERE) writer/director Zach Cregger and the film’s producers at BoulderLight Pictures. New Line came out the winner in a bidding war over Cregger’s next film, a mysterious horror project called Weapons. They signed a first look deal with BoulderLight Pictures, tasking the company with developing high concept genre projects for them. And they gave the greenlight to Companion, which is being produced by BoulderLight and Cregger.
Hancock wrote the screenplay for Companion, and Cregger was so impressed by it that he considered making the film his directorial follow-up to Barbarian. Instead, Hancock makes his feature directorial debut with Companion while Cregger focuses on Weapons. In addition to Quaid, the cast of Companion includes Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Lukas Gage (You), Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever), Rupert Friend (Asteroid City), and Sophie Thatcher (The Boogeyman). The Hollywood Reporter was able to dig up the fact that Thatcher’s character is “more than meets the eye”. They’ve also heard that Friend’s character doesn’t live up to the actor’s last name.
Details on the plot are being kept completely under wraps, but The Hollywood Reporter heard that the makers of Companion are describing it as being “self-contained”. Hancock’s previous writing credits include episodes of Supah Ninjas, Blue Mountain State, Fred: The Show, Suburgatory, Faking It, Mr. Pickles, and My Dead Ex (which he co-created), as well as the movie Fred 3: Camp Fred. While he has never directed a movie before, he has directed episodes of Acceptable TV and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as a Tenacious D music video.
When Quaid was asked about the film, he told The Hollywood Reporter, “I thought it was one of the best scripts I’d ever read. [Director] Drew Hancock did such a great job crafting that and making a story that I was never sure where it was gonna go the entire time. It’s a very timely story. It’s one of those things that I read, much like The Boys, where I was like, ‘I have to be a part of this thing.’ And I remember meeting with Drew and just being like, ‘If you want me, I’m yours. This is unbelievable.’ And thank God I got to be a part of it because it really was one of my favorite experiences I’ve had as an actor. It has such a great cast in it that I was really lucky to work with, like Sophie Thatcher, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend. It was just kind of a murderer’s row that I got to watch work.” He added, “I’m very excited for people to check it out. I would implore them, if it is a movie that you are already going to see, try to look up as little about it as you possibly can. It’s a movie that is best enjoyed when you go in as blind as possible. So if you’re already gonna go see it, don’t even watch the next trailer that comes out. Like, please don’t. If you’re still on the fence, watch it and make that decision for yourself.“
Cregger is producing Companion with Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz of BoulderLight Pictures, as well as Roy Lee of Vertigo. BoulderLight’s Tracy Rosenblum and Vertigo’s Andrew Childs serve as executive producers.
The Motion Picture Association ratings board has given Companion an R rating for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.
Are you looking forward to Companion – and will you be taking Jack Quaid’s advice and avoiding the next trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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You’ve likely heard the hype. This Christmas, Robert Eggers brings us his fourth feature film, as he offers the legend of Nosferatu to the big screen. Eggers remake or reboot, whatever you’d like to call it, is an exceptional film. The performances from Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe are terrific. Yet it is both Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgard that bring a bloody heart and soul to this darkly beautiful and haunting feature. It’s rare to see such care taken to create a villain with tons more depth than your generic movie monster. Eggers examines this by incorporating elements of both the original Nosferatu and the legacy of Dracula.
Recently, we sat down to interview Mr. Eggers about his latest feature. The filmmaker discussed the influences that went into this dark new nightmare. He talked about merging the elements of Dracula, among others, into the mix. Robert talked about how much care and effort went into bringing his vision to the big screen. And for this viewer, it was a massive treat. If you are a fan of the director, you are likely going to enjoy this quite a bit. After all, take a look at what our own Chris Bumbray had to say about this gorgeous new feature here.
Nosferatu has finally risen! What did you think? Share your thoughts below!
An unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic Nosferatu has the following synopsis: In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home. Werner Herzog directed his own remake of the film in 1979. Murnau’s film had a running time of 94 minutes and Herzog’s is 107 minutes long, so Eggers’ 132 minute version is substantially longer than its predecessors.
Eggers’ take on Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.
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This has been a phenomenal year for horror movies. I’m talking one of the greatest years the genre has ever seen. From a villain with a wacky appearance to a one-night stand that doesn’t go expected all the way to body horror getting some theatrical recognition, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Especially if you love performances because…boy howdy. So join us here at JoBlo Horror as we take a look at the Best Horror Films of 2024.
Before we get into our list, we need to make sure it’s clear: SPOILER ALERT. The whole point of this is to gush about why we love these films so we’re gonna talk about the twists and turns. You’ve been warned. And only 10 spots in a year such as this, means some difficult choices had to be made. Each of these could have easily made it onto our lists and speaks more to what a great year it was overall that they had to be relegated elsewhere. So here are some of our honorable mentions: Don’t Move, Werewolves, Stopmotion, Speak No Evil, and Oddity.
DISCLAIMER: And while Nosferatu is undoubtedly great, releasing it just one week prior to the end of the year means it’s being left off. Sorry. I’m sure it’ll be top 5. Now let’s get into it.
Body swapping often denotes a playfulness yet It’s What’s Inside takes a decidedly horrific approach and shows us all that can go wrong when in the midst of a switch. Expertly crafted by Greg Jardin, things go absolutely insane when members of the group die during a swap. They must contend with what their identity actually means and will forever be changed. Each of these characters feels unique and different and color the film an interesting shade in this ever evolving tapestry of the story. Netflix did very well with this one.
It’s been decades since we’ve gotten a good spider movie. Hell, I’d say since Arachnophobia. So Infested came in like a French nightmare, giving us the creepy crawleys and managing to give us some killer visuals. This is the least seen on the list so let’s talk about the plot. The film follows Kaleb, who has a passion for exotic animals. But when he comes home with an unusual spider, he changes the course of his life, as well as those in his apartment building. Placed under quarantine, the residents must contend with the breeding spiders who are becoming larger and larger. Plenty of people die and we get more than enough moments to make your skin crawl. Can’t wait to see what this director gets up to with Evil Dead Burn.
After decades of shit Alien films, Fede Alvarez came in and showed everyone how it’s done with Alien Romulus. Practical ships, interesting characters, and the perfect blend of what made the first two films so special. Sure, there are some flaws, (dammit, not the goo again) but this manages to capture that weird corporate/Geiger energy that makes the franchise what it is. Creating memorable characters is hard yet Rain and Andy feel so fully realized and lived in that it’s hard not to root for them. And poor Kay gets put through the ringer.
Hugh Grant giving monologues about life is enough to get my butt in a theater seat but then add a horror angle and I’m all on board. Grant gives such a terrifying performance as Mr. Reed, a man who waxes philosophical and thinks he’s always ten steps ahead. Then there’s Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East who match up to him performance wise and go down a journey of terror. This is one that will have you yelling at your screen: “Don’t go in the house!”
Rarely does the third entry in a series manage to be the best but I’d give that honor to Terrifier 3. Taking the Christmas theme and proving that you can be a Christmas movie while still being a true sequel. Because the holiday is mostly used as set dressing and moments versus the story itself. Which means you can watch this one at any time of the year. Sure, it’s best served at Christmas but Art and Sienna’s conflict can work at any time of the year. Just get ready for some truly shocking moments. Not even kids are safe here.
David Dastmalchian has been a character actor for years, really taking up a space for himself in the horror genre. So it’s great to finally see him get his shot at leading a big horror film. Late Night With The Devil deals with loss but also ego and how much one is willing to do to reach their goals. It’s dark and will have you looking inward. Presented in full screen and featuring a very 70’s aesthetic, everything that can go wrong with this broadcast does. Turns out, proving the existence of the supernatural can conjure up some unseemly things. Oops.
Everyone wanted a prequel to The Omen fifty years after right? Well somehow this film manages to absolutely excel, headlined by a showstopping performance from Nell Tiger Free, The First Omen is like a descent into madness. The beautiful visuals make for some pretty set dressing but it’s those moments of terror that really bring this across the finish line. There’s a meanness present that we don’t often see and the car accident is some of the greatest acting of the entire year. Give this girl all the awards.
I still have to pinch myself when I remember that a body horror movie had such mainstream success. I guess casting Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley is the way to get past any stigma. Because this movie gets WEIRD. But does so while breaking down beauty standards and aging in industries that reward youth and beauty. This is body horror at its absolute best.
Okay you guys already saw what I said about spoilers so if you’re still around and haven’t seen this film then I can’t help you. Because it’s finally time to address this fucking incredible film. Because Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald absolutely blow away expectations and deliver two of the best performances of the year. The switch between the two, completely flipping the idea of victim and perpetrator. And the way the story is told out of order, in six chapters (plus an epilogue) and some true narrative genius. It allows the story to be presented in the best way to absolutely maximize the emotional impact of the reveal of The Lady’s true nature. The subtle play between the two in the car, to the actual physical chase, there’s such a tense energy present at all times.
Longlegs is what horror fans always hope for: an event film. Something that everyone watches if they have even an inkling of interest in horror. They don’t happen often but when they do, they leave a lasting impression. And this past summer nearly everyone and their grandmother was talking about Longlegs. Maika Monroe’s fierce and committed Agent Lee Harker. Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs is truly terrifying and a one of one in a world full of copycats and mimicked performances. Osgood Perkins and his mastery of the frame proves he’s someone to watch for decades.
And there we have it. The best horror films of 2024. What do you think deserved a spot on the list? What do you think will be worthy next year? Let us know in the comments!
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The Switch is running on fumes. It might not be gong out with a whimper, but the needle is past empty. The 2024 release calendar was spotty at best, and even some of the more notable games that did come to the handheld hybrid, of which there were strikingly few, struggled to run on the nearly eight-year-old tech.…
The Switch is running on fumes. It might not be gong out with a whimper, but the needle is past empty. The 2024 release calendar was spotty at best, and even some of the more notable games that did come to the handheld hybrid, of which there were strikingly few, struggled to run on the nearly eight-year-old tech.…
It always hurts when one of our legends passes away. Wes Craven, George Romero, and Tobe Hooper were 3 of the big 4 that horror enthusiasts grew up watching. While the movies that came out close to the time of their passing never matched up with their all-time classics, but it was always a shot to the gut when they were suddenly gone. Actors are no different and while Tony Todd has over 240 credits to his name, Daniel Robitaille, The Candyman will always be his most recognizable and terrifying character. The movie was a success and set off a small franchise and larger than life character but who was almost cast as the titular hook wearer and how did Todd feel when he had to pass the torch? Get in front of a mirror and say his name 5 times as we find out what happened to Candyman.
Clive Barker is no stranger to working on projects both original and adaptations but when he released his seminal Books of Blood in 1984 and 1985 it was just an outlet for his creative freedoms. His first movie would be Underworld in 1985 but his first adaptation, and one that he hated, would be Rawhead Rex in 1986. While he would direct a few of his own works like Hellraiser, Nightbreed, and Lord of Illusions, one of his most famous adaptations would be written and directed by someone else. The Forbidden, one of the short stories included in volume 5 of The Books of Blood would eventually lead to Candyman in 1992. The film follows Helen Lyle who is a student of semiotics, or the study of the meaning of signs, who finds herself obsessed in the Cabrini Green housing area of Chicago when she comes across the legend of Candyman. Candyman is a figure who terrorizes the area and used to be a beloved painter in the 1800s. unfortunately for Daniel Robitaille, he was also black, the son of a slave, and in love with a white woman who he would later impregnate. The local lynch mob would capture him, cut his hand off, and have him killed by bee stings.
Helen investigates further, which leads to a series of murders that connect to her. Candyman attacks her but kills her friend, psychiatrist, and even a dog in the projects she was investigating. Helen bargains with the spirit and eventually dies while saving a young boy named Anthony. While she didn’t actually commit any crimes, her legend is placed right along that of Candyman’s, and she even comes back as a vengeful spirit herself to take the life of her former husband. The movie greatly expands on the short story which is fewer than 40 pages. This is because a writer by the name of Bernard Rose read the story that discusses the poorer sections of Liverpool and transposed it to the racially charged streets of Chicago. He found Cabrini Green with its high crime and violence rates and was fascinated that it was also surrounded by higher end areas so he could have his main character feel safe while still investigating. From this premise, Rose was able to not only make the character of Candyman black, but also give him a backstory that Barker willfully left out. Rose was able to deftly mix the racial tensions of the new area and add in a biracial love story to the proceedings that give the film a timelessness.
Bernard Rose was born in London so the change from Liverpool to Chicago may seem strange at first but while the original story does deal with segregation, Rose fell in love with Cabrini Green and the fact that it was an area that had people just trying to live their lives. The characters in his film would end up being much more afraid of the legend of Candyman more so than the fear of crime or anything else inside their homes. Rose had been a steady director for years before getting the chance to do this film, but he doesn’t have a ton else on his resume that jumps out. He will always have Candyman though. He even battled some of the controversy the movie created head on. He was asked to appear before the NAACP who after reading the script joked that they were unclear as to why they were even having this meeting. They thought it was all in good fun and openly asked why a black man couldn’t be a ghost, Jason Voorhees, or Freddy Krueger. It would have been more offensive for someone to say a person of color COULDN’T do that.
The script generated a ton of excitement and came out of a chance meeting between Barker and Rose after Barker had finished adapting his own work into the movie Nightbreed. Both Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd both lobbied hard to get roles and while both would end up as integral parts of the film, it was almost very different. Madsen was originally going to play the part of Bernadette but when the story and production moved to Chicago, it was decided to swap and have Bernadette be played by a black actress. That actress was Kasi Lemmons and Madsen thought she was out of a role. The original actress for Helen that was chosen was Alexandra Pig who happened to be married to Bernard Rose. When she found out she was pregnant however, she dropped out which allowed Madsen, who was good friends with Pig and the writer/director to step back into the movie and into the main role. Had Madsen not wanted to or been unable to perform, the role would have been offered to a relatively unknown actress named Sandra Bullock. Candyman himself was almost VERY different with Eddie Murphy being the first choice. He was seen as too small, and the 6-foot 5-inch Tony Todd was able to step in and take the part. It was Todd who came up with much of the character’s backstory as well.
Part of the movie, 3 days to be exact, was actually filmed in Cabrini Green with plain clothes police officers accompanying the cast and crew. While it was difficult emotionally, both Madsen and Todd found a lot of value in it. According to some sources, local gang members were also used as extras to broker peace on the filming location. The same team that supplied the effects for Backdraft were tasked with creating the massive bonfire at the end of the movie which also happened to take place in Cabrini Green. For the portrayal of Candyman, Todd wanted to play the character like a quote “Primeval Boogeyman” and originally wanted an eyepatch to go along with his hook. This is also why his footsteps make no sounds on film so that he has an air of the supernatural firmly around him. Todd worked with effects man Bob Keen in crafting the look of Candyman. While the eyepatch was a no go, another change to the character was the right arm. At first, Keen wanted it to be a machine-controlled effect, but it was too clunky and also difficult for Todd to work with. That was changed into a hook that Keen crafted over the course of 3 hours and overall, it was decided traditional, practical effects were to be used rather than early computer or optical ones.
Speaking of practical effects, the bees that have become so famous and tied to the character were very real. The production hired Norman Gary as the bee handler and Gary was no stranger to being trusted. He was the man behind the scenes on such famous movies as The Deadly Bees, Fried Green Tomatoes, and My Girl. Over 200,000 honeybees were used in Candyman, and they kept them calm with a simulated Queen Bee pheromone. Most of the rest of the cast and crew also wore protective gear around them. I saw most because Tony Todd went all in. He was able to secure in his contract that he would be paid $1000 for every bee sting he got. He used a dental dam to stop the bees from going down his throat but that is, in fact, all Tony Todd in the famous scene of the bees in his mouth. Virginia Madsen on the other hand, needed special bees that would not sting as she had a deadly allergy to them but still wanted to do the scene where the bees go from Candyman to Helen.
Further effort went into the relationship between Helen and Candyman and that included the relationship between actors Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen. With Rose seeing this as very much a love story, he had the two actors take ballroom dance classes together so they could become more intimate with each other in the hopes that it would show up on screen. For the interactions between the characters, Rose wanted to avoid the typical final girl screaming hysterically when in the presence of the killer, so a hypnotist was brought in. This process took about 10 minutes to prepare prior to filming the scenes and Madsen would be placed into a trance like state via a word that Rose, and the hypnotist would come up with. One final character that gets lost in the shuffle of Candyman is the iconic score. Academy Award nominee Philip Glass provided the score and even though he didn’t care for it at first, it has grown on him. It was instantly so frightening that young actor Dejuan Guy ran out of the screening during the credits after he saw his name.
Candyman would be released first in early September 1992 at the Toronto International Film Festival followed by a wide release on October 16th. The movie was hated by its main producer, at least until it was a success. It made nearly 26 million on its 8.5-million-dollar budget and had mostly good audience and critical scores. It has a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 61% audience score. The team of Siskel and Ebert were split with Siskel likening Candyman’s outfit to a Blaxploitation Pimps get up while Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and appreciated not only the acting, but that it presented “Scares and gore instead of just gore.” This would lead to sequels that followed the laws of diminishing returns with Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh being more expensive and only bringing back 13.9 million and Candyman 3: Day of the Dead being made for only 3 million and going straight to video.
Todd was able to play the titular character in those first two sequels but when the long dormant series was set to come back with the involvement of Jordan Peele. Nearly 20 years after the release of the first movie Todd would say of Peele: “I know he’s a fan. I’m hoping I will appear in the film in some form of fashion. Wouldn’t that make sense? But, it’s Hollywood so I won’t take it personally if for some reason it doesn’t work out.” “If this new one is successful, it will shed light back on the original. I think the subject matter is more important than any individuals and I mean that.” When it was announced that another actor would play the villain, ever the class act Todd would say: “Cheers to Candyman, a wonderful character that I’ve lived with for 25 years. He’s brought grace and glory and a beautiful boatload of friends & family. I’m honored that the spirit of Daniel Robitaille & Cabrini-Green rises again. Truth to power! Blessings to the cast & crew”. Thankfully Todd would indeed come back to that project and play his most famous character just one last time. Thank you, Tony, for everything.
A couple of the previous episodes of What Happened to This Horror Movie? can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
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Although superhero serials and TV shows had been around for decades prior, Richard Donner’s 1978 version of Superman marked the first major, studio-funded DC feature film in Hollywood. The film’s commercial and critical success led to Richard Lester’s acclaimed follow-up, Superman II, solidifying the late great Christopher Reeve as a cinematic symbol of truth, justice, and hope. Over 25 years later, the events of the ridiculous follow-ups, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, were bypassed by Bryan Singer to accommodate Superman Returns, arguably ranking among the finest cinematic showcases for Clark Kent to prove his protective might. Sure, the movie isn’t as fun-filled or enjoyable as a children’s superhero outing should be, but, as far as restoring the luster into Superman’s cape and proving the comic book hero’s box office viability, Superman Returns did its job. At least, that’s how most critics and general moviegoers felt.
Yet, despite becoming the ninth highest-grossing movie of 2006 and the most lucrative Superman movie up to that point, Warner Bros. deemed Superman Returns a failure after earning over $390 million worldwide. Plans for a sequel were instantly scrapped, proving that Kryptonite isn’t the only green substance Superman is vulnerable to. Now that it’s James Gunn’s turn to return Superman to the masses in 2025, it’s worth reflecting and getting to the bottom of What Happened to Superman Returns!
Following the success of X-Men in 2000, Bryan Singer was inspired to tell a big-screen Superman story while filming the sequel X2. Singer’s conception involved Superman returning to Earth after a five-year hiatus. Singer relayed the idea to X2 producer Lauren Shuler Donner, the wife of original Superman director Richard Donner. Hollywood is a small, tight-knit community where the biggest commodity isn’t what you know, but who you know, and from the jump, the stars seemed aligned for Superman Returns. Richard Donner enjoyed Singer’s concept enough to give it his blessing and the project moved forward.
In 2004, Warner Bros. was busy prepping a different movie called Superman: Flyby, slated for a 2006 release date. Superman: Flyby was written by J.J. Abrams and had director McG attached, but he abandoned the project in June 2004. Not to get too far into the weeds, but Abrams’ concept involved Kal-El being sent to Earth as a princely Kryptonian infant to avoid a civil war between his father Jor-El, and Jor-El’s brother, Kata-Zor. Clark Kent is raised on a midwestern farm as a typical American teenager who falls in love with Lois Lane, his high school sweetheart. When Kata-Zor invaded Earth with the help of Lex Luthor posing as a CIA agent, Superman is humanity’s only hope. The idea was deemed too far-fetched from the source material and was dismissed by Warner Bros.
The studio hastily reached out to Singer that same month to pitch his Superman Returns idea to Warner Bros., which he agreed to despite being on vacation in Hawaii with his X2 writers, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty. Singer, Harris, and Dougherty outlined the script, with six drafts penned by 2005. Although early story ideas made references to the attacks on 9/11, they were removed in the final draft. Meanwhile, Singer left his directorial duties on X-Men: The Last Stand to make Superman Returns, virtually defecting from Marvel to DC, a major taboo among most comic book circles.
Once Warner Bros. green-lit the film, the studio split the production costs with Legendary Entertainment. The budget would balloon to $270 million, with roughly another $100 invested in the marketing campaign. With the script polished, casting Clark Kent became the biggest challenge for Singer and the studio.
Following the massive success of The Passion of the Christ, star Jim Caviezel expressed interest in portraying Clark Kent and Superman. Although Caviezel was hardly a household name, Singer felt he was too famous for the role. Afterward, an international search for the right actor was conducted in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia.
After hundreds of actors auditioned, Brandon Routh was selected to play Superman. Routh had auditioned to play Clark Kent in the TV series Smallville but lost out to Tom Welling, and had also met with McG to play the part when Flyby was in development. Christopher Reeve’s wife, Dana Reeve, supported Routh’s casting after being struck by his physical likeness to her husband. Beyond their physical resemblance, Reeve and Routh were both 26 years old when their first Superman film was released. Singer wanted Christopher Reeve to make a cameo appearance, but he died before filming commenced. Instead, The film is dedicated to Reeve’s honor.
Before Routh won the part, Daniel Cudmore, Sam Heughan, Chris Pratt, and Henry Cavill auditioned. Of course, Cavill would don the cape in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel. During their initial meeting, Routh was sure he wouldn’t get the part after he spilled coffee over the counter in front of Singer. On the contrary, Singer found Routh’s clumsiness perfect to play the nervous Clark Kent.
Based on their working relationship on The Usual Suspects, Singer offered Kevin Spacey the role of Lex Luthor without auditioning. Likewise, Spacey suggested Kate Bosworth play Lois Lane based on their time working together on Beyond the Sea. Singer agreed and Bosworth was cast without auditioning. Before Bosworth was given the role, Keri Russell, Elisha Cuthbert, and Claire Danes were considered. More trivial, Amy Adams auditioned to play Lois Lane in 2005 when Brett Ratner was attached to direct Flyby. Like Cavill, Adams would land the role in Man of Steel a decade later. Once Singer broke his three-picture contract with 20th Century Fox by leaving the X-Men franchise for Superman Returns, his planned remake of Logan’s Run was shelved, and X-Men: The Last Stand was directed by Rattner in a classic game of Hollywood musical chairs.
Jeez…Ratner, Singer, Spacey…it’s starting to sound like Super Predator Returns around here. But hey that’s for another day. Let’s focus less on the salacious sensationalism and more on the making of the movie.
Before Frank Langella was cast as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, Hugh Laurie was cast in the role but had to bow out due to his obligations on the TV show House. The inimitable Parker Posey was the only choice to play Kitty Kowalski. Meanwhile, Singer only wanted Jude Law to play General Zod, but after Law repeatedly declined the part, Singer nixed the character from the story altogether.
As for Kal Penn, who plays Luthor’s minion Stanford, his role was drastically reduced from its original form. According to Penn, Stanford was a former Daily Planet science reporter hell-bent on getting revenge for his sullied reputation. The original script revealed that Lex Luthor bribed Stanford to plant phony evidence of Krypton’s potential survival, prompting Superman to flee Earth and investigate his ruinous home planet. This revelation was part of a 30-minute cut from the film to reduce an already lengthy runtime.
It was also revealed in the Superman Returns video game that Lex Luthor devised a scheme to break out of jail by distracting Superman away from Earth to discover Krypton, somewhat tying into the deleted film footage.
As for the script, Routh, Spacey, and Bosworth all signed on to the movie without reading the screenplay. Spacey’s shooting schedule was accommodated to work around his six-week duties as Director of London’s Old Vic Theatre.
Under the phony working title Red Sun and armed with a $204 million budget that would grow as production advanced, sets for Superman Returns began construction in January 2005. Most of the film was shot in Australia, with initial plans to film entirely at Warner Roadshow Studios in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The idea was to tie the filming location into the nearby Warner Bros. Movie World theme park but the plans were too pricey to pursue.
Superman Returns commenced principal photography on March 16, 2005, and lasted until November. The eight-month shoot required 60 set pieces, most of which were filmed on nine sound stages at Fox Studios Australia. Eighty percent of the film was estimated to have been filmed at Fox Studios Australia, with the remaining twenty percent filmed in New South Wales and surrounding areas. Workers hired in the area helped generate over $100 million for New South Wales’ economy. Meanwhile, the town of Breeza stood in for Smallville, and the Metropolis Museum of Natural History was filmed in the Australian Museum.
To achieve the spectacular special effects seen in the finished product, Singer opted to film Superman Returns with Panavision’s Genesis digital camera, the first of its kind on any motion picture. Before the Genesis camera was chosen, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel considered shooting on 65mm film. The idea was scrapped because most movie theaters do not project 65mm reels. The Panavision Genesis was created in response to Michael Mann following his work with DP Paul Cameron while shooting the movie Collateral. Genesis improves the previous Panavision HDR-950 model by supporting standard 35mm spherical lenses, full-color bandwidth, and improved ergonomics.
Sony Pictures ImageWorks designer Mark Stetson supervised the process, utilizing 1400 VFX shots throughout the movie. A second-unit VFX team was responsible for capturing large crowd scenes, such as when Superman safely lands a Boeing 777 onto the field at Dodgers’ Stadium.
One of the coolest aspects of Superman Returns is how it incorporates footage from the 1978 original. According to Singer via Larry King Live, had he not had access to John Williams’ iconic original score for the 1978 version of Superman, he would have never directed Superman Returns. Beyond Williams’ score, Marlon Brando’s footage as Superman’s father, Jor-El, from the original was mixed with CG creations of the deceased actor by Rhythm & Hues to bring the character back to the screen.
The interior and exterior of The Daily Planet newspaper building were patterned after Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax Headquarters in Wisconsin. The Kent family farm was erected on a soundstage, torn down, moved to Tamworth, reassembled, and redressed for filming. To build the farm, 4.35 miles of road were constructed, and over 37 acres of corn were planted in real life, quite a feat considering Australia was in the midst of a seven-year drought.
Portraying Superman, Brandon Routh gained 20 pounds of muscle and sported baby blue contact lenses due to his natural brown eye color. The blue contacts were prescription and had to be painted white around the edges to keep him from blinking. One of Routh’s biggest challenges was changing costumes countless times between takes. Superman’s suit was made of Milliskin Spandex, a piece of cloth that is nearly impossible to move when brand new and degrades so quickly that wearing a used costume becomes incredibly uncomfortable. To accommodate this, 80 Superman suits were created with 100 capes, 90 belts, and 30 boots.
As for Superman’s iconic wardrobe, substantial time and effort went into deciding how big a bulge old Kal-El should be sporting in front of his candy-red briefs. According to Newsweek, costume designer Louise Mingenbach opted for a modest package since “ten-year-olds will be seeing this movie.” According to star Margo Kidder, the same topic was raised while making the 1978 version. Unlike Mingenbach’s discretion, original Superman executive producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind encouraged the biggest bulge possible to signify Superman’s virility. I wish we were kidding.
For an overly-serious superhero largely devoid of fun, one of the most amusing behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Superman Returns relates to an on-set robbery and the hilarious hijinks that ensued. While making the movie, trespassers interloped onto the set, stole production walkie-talkies, and used the devices to fool the cast and crew while filming an elaborate set piece.
While filming a stunt in Sydney’s Martin Place, the pranksters continued shouting, “Action and Cut” with the stolen walkie-talkies, creating severe chaos. Due to studying the stage lingo the night before, the thieves completely tricked the cast and crew and nearly led to a fatal car accident when filming a Mustang stair jump with several background extras. The directives shouted by the thieves caused the stunt car to stop several times on the stairs, nearly injuring the extras. Where the hell was Superman, then, huh?
Without getting into all the references to past Superman comics, movies, and TV series, Superman Returns opened on June 28, 2006, becoming the highest-grossing Superman movie on record, grossing $391 million worldwide and pushing the Superman franchise over the billion-dollar mark. At the time, Superman Returns was the longest, most expensive, and first PG-13 Superman movie. With a 72 Metascore and 74% Rotten Tomatoes rating compared to a 6.1 IMDb rating and 60% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, critics enjoyed Superman Returns more than general moviegoers. The plot, visual FX, and performances were praised, while the screenplay and lengthy runtime were poorly received.
Yet, despite being the ninth most lucrative movie of the year, Warner Bros. considered the financial figures a loss for the studio. Once Warner Bros. deemed Superman Returns an economic failure, plans for a slated 2009 sequel were instantly scrapped.
Four months after Superman Returns flew into theaters, Warner Bros. publicly announced a sequel dated for a mid-2009 release. Singer was set to return to the director’s chair, with Routh, Spacey, Bosworth, Langella, and other key supporting players slated to reprise their roles. Co-writer Michael Dougherty had lofty plans to increase the action in a sequel potentially pitting Superman against villains Bizarro and Brainiac. Yet, despite the movie’s artistic merits highlighted by critics, Warner Bros. felt Superman Returns underperformed commercially, with President Alan F. Horn stating the film should have made $500 million worldwide.
Singer decried the criticism, publicly declaring “That movie made $400 million! I don’t know what constitutes underperforming these days.”
With photography on the Superman Returns sequel scheduled to begin in mid-2007, the production was halted when Singer opted to direct Valkyrie instead. Once filming was delayed until March 2008, Dougherty and co-writer Dan Harris left to work on other projects. The schedule was delayed until 2010 due to the WGA strike in 2007-2008. Once Routh’s contract to play Superman expired in 2009, the writing for the Superman Returns sequel was on the wall.
The studio had to return to the drawing board and reboot the franchise from scratch, leading to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013. Brandon Routh retired as Superman after one feature film, although he reprised the role in the CW’s Arrowverse during the network’s Infinite Crisis crossover in 2019.
After making Valkyrie with Tom Cruise in 2008 and Jack the Giant Slayer in 2013, Singer returned to the X-Men franchise before his disgraceful extracurriculars caught up with him from 2014 to 2019. Singer hasn’t directed a feature film since 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
As for Superman, Zack Snyder shaped the character in the Justice League movies before James Gunn recently overtook control of DC Studios. Gunn cast relative newcomer David Corenswet to play Clark Kent/Superman in the upcoming 2025 release of Superman, which Gunn will write and direct. Gunn’s mission statement has to ensure better continuity, with Superman being a reboot and the first instalment in the newly minted DCU.
That’s the streamlined story of what happened to Superman Returns. I’m sure more hours could be spent on the ten-year development with Kevin Smith, Tim Burton, McG, and countless others. But the main takeaway is that, despite marking a rousing return to one of the world’s most iconic superheroes, Superman lacked the might to move enough mass at the box office and warrant a cinematic sequel. In Warner Bros’ estimation, a Superman movie full of heart proved less valuable than a movie full of money-squeezing muscle, a disturbing Hollywood trend that continues to flourish in 2024.
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Studio heads should have learned years ago that just because a project is based on a comic book property doesn’t mean it’s going to be a hit. Take, for the most recent example, Kraven the Hunter, which may be based on a Marvel comic but has proven to be a late-calendar flop for Sony. And so who’s the blame for that? Why, the critics, of course – if Sony’s CEO is to be believed…
Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who took over his position in 2017, says he hasn’t faced a dud as big as Kraven the Hunter since stepping in. For numbers, it opened at #3 with just $11 million before falling more than 70%, an indication it will be out of the top 10 soon enough. As of publication, it has taken in only $18.5 million domestically off of a budget reported to be north of $130 million.
With that, Vinciquerra thinks the critics are the ones who buried Kraven the Hunter before it even hit theaters. To back up his claim, he also cited Madame Web, Sony’s other monumental 2024 flop that couldn’t recoup its budget. “Madame Web underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It was not a bad film, and it did great on Netflix. For some reason, the press decided that they didn’t want us making these films out of Kraven and Madame Web, and the critics just destroyed them. They also did it with Venom, but the audience loved Venom and made Venom a massive hit. These are not terrible films. They were just destroyed by the critics in the press, for some reason.”
Whether or not you want to blame critics (or internet culture) as playing crucial roles in both Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web doing terrible numbers at the box office, Vinciquerra is also hitting on a more telling point, one which seems to be going over his head. Venom did better because people know who Venom is and there was something firm established. Really, outside of the die-hards, who cares about Kraven enough to think he warrants his own $100+ million movie?
But to his credit, Vinciquerra did at least say that Sony’s Spider-Man Universe needs an overhaul because of both Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web. He told the Los Angeles Times, “I do think we need to rethink it, just because it’s snake-bitten. If we put another one out, it’s going to get destroyed, no matter how good or bad it is.“
What do you make of both Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web’s poor box office performances?
The post Sony CEO blames critics for Kraven the Hunter & Madame Web flopping; denies they were bad movies appeared first on JoBlo.