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Superman: Warner Bros pitching to directors for live action Red Son movie

Superman: Red Son is under discussion as a live action feature at Warner Bros. Story updated with word from Mark Millar...

PLEASE NOTE: Den Of Geek UK has now confirmed with very, very, very reliable sources that this is not an animated movie that Warner Bros is looking into, but a live action one.

Here's the story...

A Twitter exchange between Mark Millar and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has thrown up some intriguing news about Warner Bros’ plans for a Superman movie based on the Red Son limited run.

Red Son, just to set the scene, was a Superman comic book penned by Mark Millar, that posited what would have happened were Superman to have been raised in the Soviet Union. It was published back in 2003, and was widely acclaimed. We've no intention of spilling the full plot of it here, just to reiterate it's very, very worth seeking out.

That said, it’s not something that Warner Bros has been interested in making a movie out of (at least, there's been no public word as such). At least, it seems, until now.

The aforementioned exchange saw the brilliantly-bearded Kong: Skull Island director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, reveal in his Twitter feed that he’d pitched a Red Son movie to Warner Bros “months ago”, arguing that “it’s the most punk rock thing the DCEU could do in my mind”.

It all started with this Tweet...

More at the link below along with grabs of the tweets in question.

http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/...ng-to-directors-for-live-action-red-son-movie

Trumps favourite Superman me if old.
 

MartyStu

Member
Look, this would be pretty cool, but I feel like it is the sort of thing you do AFTER you have a solid foothold with audiences and they let you do crazy shit.

This is the equivalent of Marvel doing Guardians before Thor.
 

Some Nobody

Junior Member
Red Son is being considered as an adaptation before All-Star Superman.

That's it, Warner Bros legit throwing whatever at the wall to see what works.
 
Den Of Geek UK has now confirmed with very, very, very reliable sources that this is not an animated movie that Warner Bros is looking into, but a live action one.

Is Den of Geek a reliable site?

A Red Son movie could be cool but goddammit, please establish Superman in the main DCEU before you start going in weird directions again.

But I'd love to see a series of Elseworlds movies eventually. Start with Red Son and then maybe Gotham by Gaslight or the Batman / Lovecraft one.
 

Ross61

Member
Red Son is being considered as an adaptation before All-Star Superman.

That's it, Warner Bros legit throwing whatever at the wall to see what works.

All Star Superman has already been adapted.

Also from the article:
We asked Mark Millar about the project, and have now heard back from him. We asked him if this was something definitely happening. "Is this something they're genuinely planning? I have no idea", he told us. "I've got pals at Warner Bros but never discussed it with them. I think they're just going through their back catalogue of big books and hoping to lure in good directors as opposed to any particular interest in developing Red Son".

"There's always 50 conversations for every comic book movie that gets made and as far as I know this is something that is very much just at conversation stage."
 

dl77

Member
The only way I can think of this working as part of the DCEU is if Superman is missing his memories at the end of JL and is somehow brainwashed or convinced that he's not Clark Kent.

Frankly though I just don't see it happening at all. Despite some decent box office returns the past couple of Superman films haven't been the success that WB hoped so I don't think that making an American icon into a Russian would improve receipts!
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
Ummmmmm

I mean if they wanted to do out-of-universe stories like this, I wouldn't complain but...

...I mean...

...

I mean I guess Russia is a very hot topic right now, right?
 
that would be really dope (and timely too) but I doubt it.

I'm all for elseworlds shit like this and taking chances with their superhero properties, but I imagine they're only interested in cinematic universe stuff at this point :(

to further separate it they could cast another superman though if they consider going this route.
 

Bluth54

Member
I really liked the comic but I'm not sure is how they could make this fit in the DCEU without pretty major changes.

I don't know if WB would just do a standalone movie.
 

Dali

Member
Gary Busey as Trump, right? Lol, this just made me think about just like every other president that turd is going to have president characters loosely or not so loosely based on him in cartoons, tv shows and movies and I doubt and if they will be very flattering. Can't wait for a new season of 24.
 

jdstorm

Banned
Gary Busey as Trump, right? Lol, this just made me think about just like every other president that turd is going to have president characters loosely or not so loosely based on him in cartoons, tv shows and movies and I doubt and if they will be very flattering. Can't wait for a new season of 24.

You already have Kiefer Sutherland as a competant trump surrogate in Designated Survivor
 

Busty

Banned
If, IF, this is even remotely true I'm assuming that Warners could be using the basic outline of Red Son (Kryptonian/alien lands in USSR rather than small town America) could be adapted for a possible Man Of Steel sequel or even a future
Supergirl
film.

I don't see WB/DC adapting this as a live action film given how it would 'muddy the water' for the current DC cinematic universe.

Why would they give themselves the headache?
 
If, IF, this is even remotely true I'm assuming that Warners could be using the basic outline of Red Son (Kryptonian/alien lands in USSR rather than small town America) could be adapted for a possible Man Of Steel sequel or even a future
Supergirl
film.

I don't see WB/DC adapting this as a live action film given how it would 'muddy the water' for the current DC cinematic universe.

Why would they give themselves the headache?

By creating an Elseworlds Universe. This is how they fight Marvel's (Sony's) Spidey Verse.
 

Platy

Member
I LOOOOVE red Son but a DCCU where Superman is not a happy positive guy and "most punk rock thing" does not give me even 5% of hope of this turning all right
 
Considering the evil fascist Superman and Batman-with-new-hat is already being used in Justice League, what exactly does this do that's new and different for audiences?
 

Lifeline

Member
This is how DCEU could differentiate itself with MCU, just make non-canon elseworlds stories. Red Son was awesome and Ben Affleck's Batman would be great fit for Red Son Batman in it.

Don't worry about trying to fit it in cannon and just call it different universe.
 
Considering the evil fascist Superman and Batman-with-new-hat is already being used in Justice League, what exactly does this do that's new and different for audiences?

DCEU Superman is far from a fascist. You did get a glimpse of a fascist Superman during the Nightmare scene.
 

DeathyBoy

Banned
If, IF, this is even remotely true I'm assuming that Warners could be using the basic outline of Red Son (Kryptonian/alien lands in USSR rather than small town America) could be adapted for a possible Man Of Steel sequel or even a future
Supergirl
film.

I don't see WB/DC adapting this as a live action film given how it would 'muddy the water' for the current DC cinematic universe.

Why would they give themselves the headache?

It'll be as faithful to Red Son as Age of Ultron was.
 

Bleepey

Member
I'd love for there to be a DCEU and then elseworlds one shots. But people may be confused. That said the Marvel license is all over the place
 
DCEU Superman is far from a fascist. You did get a glimpse of a fascist Superman during the Nightmare scene.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. There is nothing to parody or deconstruct if Superman is portrayed as a fascist villain in both BvS and Justice League.

One of the same reasons the Phoenix saga goes over like a wet fart in cinema, they haven't earned the Jean Grey/Cyclops emotional connection from audiences yet, then gets a standalone film with the same premise.

Superman in DCEU is currently dead and was already kind of a dick when he was alive, where is the contrast?
 
Construct first before you deconstruct DC.

Red Son is fine. Kingdom Come is off limits.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. There is nothing to parody or deconstruct if Superman is portrayed as a fascist villain in both BvS and Justice League.

One of the same reasons the Phoenix saga goes over like a wet fart in cinema, they haven't earned the Jean Grey/Cyclops emotional connection from audiences yet, then gets a standalone film with the same premise.

Superman in DCEU is currently dead and was already kind of a dick when he was alive, where is the contrast?
It's an elseworlds story with no connection to the main DC universe. The time period the story takes place in is more important than the idea of a fascist Superman.

If you really need a Superman to contrast the movie with you can always use Donner's version.
 
I think they need to build up what they have already. But honestly if it's something like an alternate multiverse like Gods and Monsters then maybe it can work.
 

jph139

Member
the crazy part is this is actually a great application of the dceu's joyless dour vibe

For real. "Sullen, broody Superman" and "unhinged, violent Batman" are actually perfect fits for Red Son.

I doubt it'll happen but, I mean, the DCEU has been nothing if not ballsy. Let's go all in. I'd be all over that hammer-and-sickle costume on the big screen.
 

Sambrez_

Member
Not a fan of this story, except for the ending which is pure genius.
But I don't believe this rumor, between Man of Steel 2, future Justice League, Supergirl, I don't see the logic.
 
If, IF, this is even remotely true I'm assuming that Warners could be using the basic outline of Red Son (Kryptonian/alien lands in USSR rather than small town America) could be adapted for a possible Man Of Steel sequel or even a future
Supergirl
film.

I don't see WB/DC adapting this as a live action film given how it would 'muddy the water' for the current DC cinematic universe.

Why would they give themselves the headache?

That's kind of what I was thinking when I read this headline to my fiancé this morning. I could see this working if they do someone like an evil Super Girl or some kind of "take" on Bizzaro, combined with Red Son. Superman has to face off against his evil, Russian, equal. There'd be something timely about an American Superman facing off against a Russian one.

Doing it purely as an "Elseworlds," instead of just a new solo Superman film in the DCEU would be a little frustrating for me, as someone who wants to see just a really well-made classic Superman story on the screen.
 
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