Ratner Leaves Superman For Rush Hour 3

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

According to Variety, Brett Ratner will no longer direct Superman for Warner Bros. Pictures. Ratner had previously agreed to make Rush Hour 3 at sister studio New Line Cinema who have just hired Bad Company scribe Jason Richman to write the script. New Line hopes to have a first draft from Richman in eight weeks and then to move forward with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan returning to the franchise.

 

The trade says Ratner released a statement late Wednesday. "I have chosen to withdraw as director of 'Superman.' The difficulty of casting the role of Superman has contributed to my decision. I appreciate the efforts of Warner Bros. and the entire production team during this process."

 

Warner Bros. has every interntion of moving forward with Superman, the studio says.

 

The final straw for Ratner appears to have been the unwillingness of studio executives to approve Ratner's choice as the Man of Steel, soap star Matthew Bomer. Among the actors who tested for the role were Brendan Fraser, Paul Walker and Josh Hartnett.

 

Ratner's transition to Rush Hour 3 isn't entirely seamless, adds the trade. While the director has already made his deal for the second sequel, the same can't be said for Tucker and Chan. New Line wants the stars to return.

 

Richman recently wrote a draft of Paramount Pictures' Beverly Hills Cop 4.

 

Credit: ComingSoon.net

 

 

Jeez, would the best idea to do would just be to kill this project? We've had 4 already, even though I wouldn't mind seeing another.

[Guest Kingpk]

Is it true Chan hates the Rush Hour series? At this rate, that Superman movie will NEVER get made. It'll probably suck, anyway.

[Guest Blue Bacchus]

And there was much Rejoicing. ::Waves Banner and Half-Heartedly Cheers::

[Guest SP-1]

I don't know why Chan would hate the series. Helped make him an American star, I would think. But, it's also not unheard of for actors to end up disliking what helped put them on the map. Sometimes it leads to typecastic and all.

 

As for Superman . . . I hope they go back to Superman/Batman. I know it will probably never see the light of day again, but if it's done right it could be one of the coolest movies ever. EVER.

 

DO IT WB!

[The Dames 0]

How can you expect them to do Superman/Batman when

1. They can't get Superman done.

2. They can't get Batman done

3. They can't get anyone to PLAY the bastards!

 

Dames

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

Nobody is willing to commit to an 8 Year Project. My favorite was Brendan Fraser, I figured he would do it for sure.

 

Guess not.

[Guest SP-1]

Yeah I know. A SuperBatFan can still dream though, eh?

 

Honestly, get somebody like that Jake kid they wanted to replace Tobey in Spidey 2 to play the roles. Younger guys that are up and coming. Do an early years story where bats and Supes first meet and find themselves at odds with one another on multiple levels before the realize they're on the same team. That could be fun. Don't worry about origins or retelling the characters. Just give me Superman. Give me Batman. Give me some kickass villains. And give me a good time.

[The Dames 0]

Shit, if they could do a Smallville like TV show for Batman...I'd watch that. BATMAN, not Birds of Prey. Then, they can team up in a movie..

 

Dames

[Guest starvenger]

I don't know why Chan would hate the series. Helped make him an American star, I would think. But, it's also not unheard of for actors to end up disliking what helped put them on the map. Sometimes it leads to typecastic and all.

Jackie's not a real big fan of his American films, mostly because he doesn't understand some of the humour that goes into them. So chalk it up to a cultural rift, I guess. I think he had an interview on CHUD.com where he trashed "The Tuxedo". I'll have to see if I can find that anywhere.

 

Back on topic, I am amazed at how Warner continues to drop the ball on this. I guess this shows that Smallville is an anomaly with respect to DC heroes going from page to screen. But then, none of the actors on Smallville are locked in for 8 years...

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

I only remember Jackie on Hot Ticket saying how he hated "Shanghai Noon", but had no problems with the Sequel.

 

Also, I liked The Tuxedo.

[Guest Karnage]

Has Jackie ever said anything about the way American studios screw with his HK movies?

 

And why does he hate Shanghai Noon? It had so much references to Buster Keaton and stuff.

[Guest SP-1]

Shit, if they could do a Smallville like TV show for Batman...I'd watch that. BATMAN, not Birds of Prey. Then, they can team up in a movie..

 

Dames

To rip off my friend T®ITEC, "Hell yes, sir."

 

I'd go out of my way for a Batman: Year One kind of television show. And don't give him the damn suit until season 2 at least.

 

Dang it, Dames, you've got me dreaming about that.

[Guest MrRant]

I don't understand why then wouldn't. Batman is something people would tune into to at least check out.

 

CGI motherfucker... CGI.

[Guest SP-1]

I'd find a young Bruce Wayne coming into his own more fascination than Superman. If done right. A young Bruce, perhaps not having completely processed his parents' deaths, trying to find his way through still growing up, obsessing over his strength and skills, building himself up to eventually become Gotham's hero. But not quite there yet.

 

That'd be good TV, IMO.

[Guest MrRant]

I would have him start out simply.... purse robbers.. etc. Build up through the first season of gaining his techno gear. Maybe at first just the costume and cuffs. Then slowly he starts Wayne Corp and creates new weapons etc.

[Guest SP-1]

That'd be the way to do it, for sure.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Oddly enough there were plans to do a show called "BRUCE WAYNE" before "SMALLVILLE" the show would feature him journeying the world, and learning to be Batman. It would have a lot of kung-fu, and no Rogue's Gallery except the League of Assassins and Rha's Al-Ghul.

[Guest The Notorious CRD]

If anyone cares to check them out, I wrote some articles concerning Superman and DC/Warner Bros. dropping the ball when it comes to getting their franchises to the big screen over at Ain't It Cruel.

[Guest Lethargic]

The Bruce Wayne show never made it to air because it was really, really bad. The script was TERRIBLE. If you didn't like BoP you would've HATED Bruce Wayne.

 

As far as Brett Ratner.... Thank God. Now if they'd just get Michael Bay to do it, it might actually get made.

[Gert T 0]

I understand the comment of actors getting typecast, but really how diverse has Chan's US film roles been?

[Guest SP-1]

Know what they need to do? Adapt Kingdom Come to the big screen. And I don't say that because of the religious overtones, I say that because it's an epic, balls to the wall, f'ing great story. It's a story MADE for the big screen if done seriously.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Know what they need to do?  Adapt Kingdom Come to the big screen.  And I don't say that because of the religious overtones, I say that because it's an epic, balls to the wall, f'ing great story.  It's a story MADE for the big screen if done seriously.

Kingdom Come's main obstacle is the fact that in the Graphic Novel itself, you need to know so much about the Silver Age of DC Comics to undertsand a lot of it. It's not like in Crisis where 90% of the dialouge is exposition like:

 

"Hey, Supergirl! Watch out for that bolt of lightening!"

 

"Thanks, Atom!"

[Guest SP-1]

True enough. You gotta admit, though: it'd be one hell of a ride on the big screen.

[Guest DrTom]

Kingdom Come would be awesome to see on the big screen, but that would definitelu be one of those things where you'd just have to hope Hollywood doesn't fuck it all to hell. Maybe if not a major theatrical release, a good animation studio could pick it up and make it that way.

[Guest SP-1]

Paul. Dini. Bruce. Timm.

 

Kingdom. Come.

 

 

That is all I have to say.

[Guest starvenger]

As far as Brett Ratner.... Thank God. Now if they'd just get Michael Bay to do it, it might actually get made.

I don't know if swapping Ratner for Bay would be a good thing, but I DO know that Krypton would blow up real good.

[Guest DrTom]

But isn't Krypton supposed to survive in this execrable script?

[The Dames 0]

What!? Then why the fuck does Superman even come to Earth?? (Sadly, I was going to say U.S. instead of Earth, which points out just how gingocentric (sp?) we can be).

 

After listening to Kevin Smith's DVD, I'm convinced that anything on the Superman subject produced by Jon Peters will be absolute dog shit.

 

Dames

[Guest Kingpk]

I understand the comment of actors getting typecast, but really how diverse has Chan's US film roles been?

Well, let's look at his characters from movies I have seen:

 

Rumble in the Bronx: Kindhearted nephew of a shopkeeper gets mixed up with a street gang and falls in love with the leader's girlfriend

 

Mr. Nice Guy: Kindhearted television chef gets mixed up with a reporter who filmed a drug bust and has two rival gangs after them.

 

The Tuxedo: Kindhearted cab driver is hired by secret agent but has to take his place after an assasination attempt.

 

His other movies (the Police Story series, especially) are kind of an Asian secret agent/James Bond type of thing. Then you have movies like Shanghai Noon and Rush Hour which are "two people from different worlds team up and fight evil men" buddy pictures.

 

So I'd say, no, his stuff really hasn't been that diverse.

[Guest starvenger]

But isn't Krypton supposed to survive in this execrable script?

Well, yes, it is but call me an optimist who still hopes that Warner will come to their senses and junk the script for something more traditional.