Nicolas Cage on Superman Lives
Nicolas Cage has been chatting about the aborted Tim Burton movie, Superman Lives, which would have seen him play the Man Of Steel...
It will forever go down as one of the lost comic book movies, although Tim Burton's Superman Lives is a project of which quite a lot is known. Costume tests and story details have appeared over the years from the project, which would have rebooted Superman, before Bryan Singer ultimately got the job with Superman Returns.
In a new interview, the man who was set to play Superman, Nicolas Cage, has been chatting a little about the film that never was.
"The fact that Tim and I were pretty far down the road designing [the film] and I know that with Tim and where I was going to go, we would have done something really special", Cage told MTV, while promoting The Croods. "At least it's out there in the ether that that could have happened, but we don't have to make the movie. It's still interesting to people."
Does Cage have regrets? Seemingly not. "I do think that I had the win-win situation, because that character is such a bullseye that you have to hit. He's one of the most precious icons of our country".
A new documentary is currently in the works that's going to explore just what happened with Superman Lives in some detail. We look forward to seeing it. Superman's latest reboot arrives on the big screen this summer, courtesy of Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel.
MTV.
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No...just no.
Cage amazes me.. lol. He doesn't seem to have any idea at all what a colossal atrocity this version of the movie would have been. Say what you will about S3, 4 and Returns, from everything we've seen of Burtons proposed take it would have been the Batman and Robin of Superman films.
I like a lot of Burton movies but they have a very specific style to them and there's no way that style would suit Superman.
Cage belongs in a cage, somebody please put him there
No,he belongs in a museum!
nic cage would have been a wtf choice for superman but either way the suit looks awesome
Yeah well, he still got a whopping pat day for that film eveen though it never happend.
I like Cage but I think he dodged a bullet with this one, it would not have been right for him at all, nor would the movie have been right for Superman fans.
We are all picturing the crazy nic cage of today as superman, which would have him be a mix between big daddy and ghost rider, which is to say nic cage would promptly be escorted to a nice little bouncy house with plenty of like minded neighbors, taking enough meds to take down General Zod's bearded "friend" (sure, general, you're with the girl, and superman's greatest power is throwing his S as a net, right). But if you think about it, the time period in question would have had not the rock, face/off, or con-air influence. Behold, Leaving Metropolis! The story of how an journalist/alcoholic Superman meets journalist/hooker Lois Lane! And the 2 fall madly in love. Also, who wouldn't pay to watch a drunk superman fly feet first or sideways like French toast man? Well I wouldn't
"He's one of the most precious icons of our country". So he wouldn't be able to fly and have a sparkly plastic costume? They would have hit the bullseye, but it would have been on Superman's chest and the projectile would have been kryptonite.
Yeah and I can't think of an actor or director in that time that would've been right for it. James Cameron and billy Zane? Zane was sort of supermanish with his old timey mannerisms in the phantom, say what you will about Cameron, terminator 2 and titanic made him great in the eyes of chicks and dudes, not to mention they worked together on titanic, and as we've seen with Arnold and sigourney, when Cameron develops a relationship with an actor, it's a good thing.
Cameron certainly works as a director. Strong sense of story and iconography, fabulous with action.
Haven't given much thought to actors, as I don't especially care about superman.
It would have been terrible! Burton is a terrible director!
When he says it was going to be "really special," I wonder if he meant SPECIAL special.
Good point, just arguing for the sake of it, cuz really I'm a marvel comics and marvel movie fan. I am however looking forward to man of steel. It might make a fan out of me again that is, because as a child I loved the first 3 superman movies (sorry, but I loved Richard Pryor), the 4th one? Never watched the whole thing
Yeah, I'm much more into the Marvel thing, too. Loved the first Superman movie, liked the second one, don't remember the ones after that, have the great John Williams score for the first.
This new one will be interesting, though. I like the casting.
How bout Paul verhoeven and Casper van dean? Michael Ironsides limbs Could have made a cameo appearance, and get eye lasered right off. Ooh it would've been a bloodbath!
I always liked the Kevin Smith story, of how he was blasted by Burton for joking that he had copied one of his comics. Burtons reply? "I don't read comic books!"
Sums up this movie.
Yeah it seems way closer to recent batmans than green lantern, having the Nolans helps of course. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
He came across as a right tosspot in story!
I never saw Green Lantern. The trailer was enough, I'm afraid.
Zane as Superman? Can't see it. Zane as Lex Luthor? Hell yeah.
You were right. RR could have redeemed deadpool, maybe a deadpool and cable movie with Stephen Lang, the colonel on avatar, as deadpool. Worked it up to an xforce movie, aw man Domino on the big screen, my mind can barely handle it, much less picture an actress. MILLA JOVOVICH. Mind blown
Whoops Stephen Lang as cable
No, I think Spacey nailed it, it's just that there were so many other problems with that movie that it went largely unnoticed. Of course I'm a little biased as I'm a huge Spacey fan. lol
Well after. It was the success of Batman that got him this gig.
Duded be grateful it wasn't burton directing man of steel. Johnny depp as supes and hbc as Lois lane. Maybe Alan rickman for luthor. Trivia: Verne Troyer was the first griphook not Warwick Davis. He was flitwick and a bank teller, just found that out, figured I'd tell y'all, you're welcome
"It will forever go down as one of the lost comic book movies" and thank the holy father for that.
Snape + Luthor = Nosferatu
I think Spacey nailed a really old, out of date version of Luthor. He nailed Gene Hackmans Luthor, which has nothing to do with the Supervillain he has since become.
Before or after conair?
Yeah but that could be said no matter what version he did. That character has changed and morphed and evolved so many times over the years that when you really look at it as a whole? There IS no "standard" or "correct" Luthor. He's the same as the Joker. There's just so many variations on him that you can't really nail it down to one no matter what you do.
*Full disclosure: I have to admit though, that particular version of Luthor is my preferred one ;) lol
Yeah, Cage doesn't fit the Superman role in my opinion, unless it was a comedy. I thought he was very good as Big Daddy in Kick Ass though, but that was largely due to the tongue in cheek tone.
I know i am a little late in responding to this post, but I am sooooo greatful that Doofus Burton did not get his hands on Superman!!!! What a horific event that we all escaped! Burton is horible! The last good movie he did was Pee Wees Big adventure... He doesnt care about fans! He only cares about his ego! He should have been black-listed after the hatchett job he did with Batman Returns... That was an awful movie to sit through. Michael Keaton made the 1st movie in 1989, and then what followed almost destroyed the franchise! how did he get anyone to approve that release? What an awful world this would be with a Burton Superman!!!