Kickstart It: The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? (A Documentary)

Please. Please Kickstart this. Because I want to see it quite badly. Even if it’s like three years from now on Netflix streaming. What’s important is that I be able to watch it in thermal underwear with some pudding cups. Not that I’m not also going to pledge my own funds to the Kickstarter. But the pudding cups.

Nicholas_Cage

Right then. Proper nouns.

A gentleman named Jon Schnepp (Venture Bros. Metalocalypse) is interested in making a documentary about Tim Burton and Nic Cage’s doomed, batshit insane Superman feature film concept. It’s the stuff of Hollywood legend, though it has more in common with the Black Dahlia film than the actual corpse. I even remember hearing rumors of it when it was happening, all before I’d even heard of outlets like Aint It Cool News. Nic Cage as Superman? An iridescent suit with a pair of metallic boomerangs that connect to form the S shield? We require more information.

Throw money at it so I can enjoy this in my thermal underwear. You can join me. Not in the underwear.

Comments

  1. Sweet; thanks for posting my suggestion.

  2. Just funded the $40 level, god that looks like it would such a fun watch. And the best part is, we wouldn’t have to wait 2 years to get the product!

    • I heard about this yesterday and immediately threw $40 it’s way. I hope he gets that extra $50k so he can recreate some key scenes that would have been.

  3. Kneel before Cage!

  4. I’ve never funded any film / video projects on Kickstarter figuring that I’d get to see it at some point anyway or if I didn’t, so what. But this looks AMAZING! This is the kind of historical process documentary I like to see AND it’s about a superhero. This film must be made!

  5. what an excellent idea.

  6. Is that an actual test pic for that flick? Thank God it was never made!

  7. Not sure if you could make a full length documentary on this.

    But what the hell. This story has to be told.

  8. The documentary sounds like a great idea, but if Superman Lives had been made into a movie it would have been just as horrendous and a jumbled mess as Batman and Robin was/is.

    However, if the doc. is done right it could be entertaining. It reminds me a little of Lost in La Mancha.

    • Tim Burton didn’t direct Batman & Robin. Joel Schumacher did. Burton stopped after Batman Returns.

    • @sitara119…You said it, and maybe he would have made a good movie despite the fan outrage that would maybe last up to this day and beyond.

    • I realize that Burton was to be the director, but that doesn’t automatically equate box office success.He’s laid a few eggs in his day. A very talented, that doesn’t mean he has no flaws and Superman Lives would have it, I believe.

    • I just think it’s better to compare it to the Batman/superhero movies that he’s made. Nobody’s perfect, but I can’t remember a Burton movie that I didn’t like. Not saying everyone loves the guy, but no one can say “Superman Lives” would automatically be no good without watching it first. Shouldn’t we view things before judging them? To do otherwise implies a presumptuous prejudice of some sort.

    • “Presumptuous prejudice”… Hmmm. In the description for this movie, some of the ideas for Superman was that he have boomerangs which were made from the “S” on his chest, another was his costume would’ve been multi-colored or rainbow colored among other things hardly seems interesting to me. And that’s the operative word: Me. If this is something that you’d like then enjoy. My tastes are no more valid or better than yours, just different. I didn’t know my opinion on a what if would become a point of contention, but I hope we’re cool. Alright?

    • We are super cool. I hope i didn’t offend. I just enjoy debate and word play. I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. I wasn’t calling you a bigot or anything like that.
      I will admit that “S” shaped boomerangs sounds a bit silly, but so many ideas get kicked around with a big production, who knows what would have made the final cut. Given the talents involved, I just think it would have deserved at least a peek before writing it off and putting it in the lot with Batman and Robin. That’s all. No worries. 😉

    • @sitara119: I hear you. Be well.

  9. Clark Vedder. Just wow.

  10. I would have loved to have seen this at the time. Tim Burton was at the peak of his powers. I like the alien shiny suit.

  11. What about the movie about someone stealing his coppy of Action Comics #1, is that still a thing?

  12. I remember hearing Cage was to be Superman way back when and that Smith wrote a script, but I didn’t know Tim Burton was suppose to direct. I bet Burton wanted Jonny Depp for the lead like he did with his original Batman. The studio wasn’t sure if Depp was “bankable” for such a big movie.
    I think this would have been awesome. Brainiac Burton style would really have been something to see. Can’t wait for the documentary.

  13. Weird?? Being a Superman fan who have watched almost everything Superman, I think a lot of weird things happen in the Superman movies, for eg. Superman getting drunk, humans breathing in space etc…I mean what were those writers smoking, anyway bring on the documentary, heck make the movie if you ask me, Nic Cage and all, go back in time whatever…Weird? Maybe…but I see it as a different take on Superman, we got so many different costumes in the comics alongside other “weird” stuff, Superman taking a walk, now imagine that as a movie……

  14. The picture of Nic Cage in the suite is the best thing ever.

  15. Since when does something being weird automatically mean it’s great?

    This Superman film would have been dreadful. Talk about a franchise-killer? – this would’ve been a character-killer. At least for a little while, no one would’ve wanted to publish a Superman comic book let alone do Superman cartoons or movies. I’m a fan of Kevin Smith and even I’ll say his “Superman Lives” script was God-awful – and the crap factor of this project only snowballed from there. Getting Tim Burton to direct it? Like getting Roseanne to sing the National Anthem. And getting Nic Cage to play Superman/Clark Kent… that’s like casting Charlie Sheen for “Downton Abbey.” This project was little more than a vehicle for a director desperate to break into action movies, and a series of bad choices made by fading Hollywood producers and studio heads looking to squeeze Superman for whatever last dollars he could bring them. This film would have been painful to watch for Superman fans, and damaging to the character for who knows how long.

    That being said… I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a straight-forward documentary about the idea and pre-production of “Superman Lives.” I think it would be a fascinating expose on big-budget Hollywood film-making, and the treatment of American icons. But the slant this Jon Schnepp is taking? Making it seem like “Superman Lives” would have been a good idea? I’d never give him one penny of my money. I’m a Superman fan.

  16. Is that photo real or photoshop?

  17. I actually remember hearing rumors of this as well before the Internet became a hot bed for this type of information. One of my friends said Cage mentioned on the Tonight Show or something, and I thought, “Him? As Superman…?”

  18. So hope this gets made. fingers crossed