the silver surfer Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Before you get all up in arms and start crying things out like, "But Singer already said he's filming a Superman sequel in 2008!" -- keep in mind, this is Hollywood ... and things change. Think of it as if your parents were planning a big summer trip to Disney World, but at the last minute decided to go to Phoenix instead ... because your grandmother is itching to see you. It happens all the time round these parts, and whether you want to admit it or not, word is some major Superman announcements might be heading our way. According to Moviehole (who have some pretty good inside studio sources), the highly-anticipated Superman Returns sequel (currently titled The Man of Steel) might be placed into turnaround so that Brandon Routh (and the Superman character) can be used in the upcoming Justice League flick instead.

Right now, it's just a rumor ... but it's one that kind of makes sense. In order to stage a decent Justice League movie, either Superman or Batman (or both) would have to appear. Since Nolan is already hard at work on The Dark Knight (sequel to Batman Begins), Warner Bros. probably won't mess with that franchise -- in fact, Moviehole claims the caped crusader won't be involved in this Justice League thing; they say, "he's too big to waste on a film like this." But seeing as the Superman sequel was always up for debate since the first one didn't take in the kind of money the studio was hoping for, the smarter move might be to throw Supes in Justice League first -- drum up more interest in the character -- and then come out with a sequel to Superman Returns.

The move is similar to the one Fox is pulling right now; how they've decided to pair up The Silver Surfer with The Fantastic Four. If it works out for them, not only will The Fantastic Four turn into a more profitable franchise, but The Silver Surfer will most likely surf off into a solo effort. What do you think? Would you rather see Superman in a Justice League movie or in a sequel to Superman Returns? Chances are, you will not get to have your Routh and eat it too.

I've written more than once about sustaining optimism for the upcoming Fantastic Four sequel. I know many of you True Believers find this a difficult proposition, and I don't blame you. While I didn't dislike the first film as strongly as many of you did, I will fully admit it came nowhere close to fulfilling my (perhaps far too lofty) expectations. As a long-time reader of The World's Greatest Comic Magazine, I wanted so much more than director Tim Story gave me. Nonetheless, I refuse to give up hope for the Four. I saw promise in the first film, and I enjoyed watching it despite the shortcomings.

I want part two to be better. Maybe this strong desire has lead me to over-optimism. In fact, I'm sure it has. However, I'm willing to buy into it for a time, and let myself believe the denizens of the Baxter building will be as fantastic as their name intones. Are there reasons to worry? Sure there are -- you can think of any number of them yourself. Yet, there ARE a few good reasons to be hopeful. In that spirit, The Geek Beat brings to you five good reasons to look forward to the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: