Tag: Man of Steel

When we spoke to Michael Shannon late last year, he had flown into Los Angeles from Vancouver during a brief break from making the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel.” Shannon began work on the film last August, wrapping the second season of “Boardwalk Empire” on a Wednesday and finding himself on an Illinois farm the next morning to begin life as Superman’s nemesis, General Zod. The movie isn’t due out until June 14, 2013, but Shannon admits it’s all most people want to talk about. And when he does talk about it, the conversation usually gets him in a “tremendous amount of trouble” with the film’s producers and Warner Bros. gatekeepers. “I got signaled that less is more,” Shannon said. “It’s kind of curious. It is Superman. So I think everybody kind of knows what happens, you know? Nothing’s ...

Just how heavy is Superman’s cape? Ask Henry Cavill, the British actor who has the weight of history, expectations and a blockbuster budget all sitting on his broad shoulders. Cavill will portray “the last son” of the planet Krypton in “Man of Steel,” the 2013 release that Warner Bros. hopes will launch a franchise to fill the void left by Harry Potter’s graduation from Hogwarts and Christopher Nolan’s pending departure from Gotham City. The film has been shooting in Vancouver but Cavill made a quick trip to Los Angeles recently to promote the film “Immortals” and he sat down with our Geoff Boucher for a lengthy interview that led to a Los Angeles Times cover story on that mythology film and the actor’s own life odyssey. There was plenty that didn’t make it into the story — most of it about “Man of Steel” — and you’ll find it ...

In “Immortals,” the hyper-stylized Greek mythology movie that opens this weekend, Henry Cavill plays brave Theseus, a man who is told by gods and oracles that he has a date with destiny. Cavill can relate, in a way, because a little more than a decade ago, while he was still at a boarding school in Buckinghamshire, England, Cavill shook hands with the future. The campus of Stowe School was being used as a backdrop for the kidnap thriller “Proof of Life,” and between shots, star Russell Crowe was amusing himself by booting a rugby ball through the posts as dozens of boys at a safe distance watched with wide-eyed fascination and a bit of fear. Cavill was in the crowd and decided that they looked foolish, so he marched up to the movie star and introduced himself. “I took his ...

Michael Shannon is known for playing intense characters, including a dogged but unstable federal agent on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and a mentally ill mathematician in the 2008 film “Revolutionary Road.” But those could pale in comparison to his upcoming role as General Zod in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman adventure “Man of Steel.” During a recent interview with Hero Complex contributor Oliver Gettell to promote his new film “Take Shelter,” opening Friday, the actor hinted that “Man of Steel” will be a truly cosmic adventure. OG: What can you tell us about the scale of “Man of Steel”? MS: It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done. It’s massive sets. It’s literally another world. It’s the first time I’ve acted on another planet. OG: What is it like acting on a set like that? MS: As much green screen as there is and ...

The “Man of Steel” might be a man of Spandex. Images of Henry Cavill as Superman, leaked from the Plano, Ill., set of the Zack Snyder-directed reboot, show the bulked-up actor’s muscles bulging through (or perhaps built into) his costume. The hero’s new suit is already causing a stir online, with some fans worrying that the outfit makes the Last Son of Krypton look more like the Big Blue Cheese than the Man of Tomorrow. Superman’s big-screen wardrobe update coincides with his revamped image in comic books. As part of DC’s reboot, Superman appears to be donning blue jeans instead of red tights in some promotional images. But concerns over and comparisons of uniforms are par for the course when it comes to superhero franchises. Batman has gone through more makeovers in film, television and comics than Doctor Who. Catwoman’s ...

On the heels of yesterday’s news that Laurence Fishburne will play Daily Planet newsman Perry White, today we have our first glimpse of Henry Cavill as Superman in “Man of Steel.” In the picture from Warner Bros, the suit looks like it has an armor-like sheen  instead of a flat spandex quality, but Cavill still has the boots, cape and trademark “S” on his chest. The Zack Snyder-directed film, slated for June 14, 2013, also stars Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents Martha and Jonathan Kent. Superman’s Kryptonian parents Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van will be played by Russell Crowe and Julia Ormond. Superman’s villains include Michael Shannon as the evil General Zod and Antje Traue as Zod’s partner, Faora. Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher ...

This post has been corrected. Please see the note at the bottom for details. Laurence Fishburne is going to Metropolis. The Oscar-nominated actor will join the cast of “Man of Steel” in the role of Perry White, the abrasive, ever-ethical old-school newsman who lords over the newsroom of the Daily Planet. Fishburne is the first African American to take on the role in any of the many film, television and cartoon versions of Superman’s adventures. Last year was the 70th anniversary of the newsroom character, who first appeared on “The Adventures of Superman” radio serial and then a few months later made his on-the-page box in the seventh issue of “Superman.” Fishburne, whose credits include “The Matrix,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Mystic River,”  has just left the cast of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” after just 2½ seasons as Dr. Raymond Langston. He celebrated his 50th birthday ...

Henry Cavill, the title star of “Man of Steel,” is as interested as anyone in the news that the Superman relaunch from Warner Bros. will push back to 2013, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to chat about it. I took a shuttle ride with Cavill on Saturday from the Hard Rock Hotel over to the San Diego Convention Center — where I moderated the “Immortals” preview panel at Comic-Con International and Cavill appeared as a star of the Greek mythology epic). With 10 minutes of slow-moving traffic, there was no way I wasn’t going to ask him what he’s hearing about the postponment. “I don’t know much about it and I can’t talk about it,” Cavill said with smile. “Everything is top secret. I can say we’re shooting soon. I’ve been in Chicago working on it.” He added: “I can tell you this: I love the script, it’s fantastic.” ...

Look, up in the sky … yes, that’s right, Hollywood is again returning to Metropolis to chronicle the adventures of the most famous super-hero of them all, Superman. We’ve put together a photo gallery with the filmmakers, cast, executives and interested bystanders in this project that promises to be one of the most-anticipated films of 2012. Click on the gallery’s  ”VIEW CAPTIONS” option to read the inside scoop on each of the players. The big question for everyone: Will the character created during the Roosevelt administration still fly with contemporary audiences? – Geoff Boucher RECENT AND RELATED Eastwood: I was offered Superman role in ’70s Snyder: My favorite Superman artist is… Grant Morrison on the socialist Superman Morrison to Hollywood: Make Superman a “brawler” Look, up in the sky it’s … Henry Cavill Synder: Superman is a tough one to crack U.K. actors now play Superman, Batman, ...

EXCLUSIVE This just in — three-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams will play journalist Lois Lane in Hollywood’s revival of “Superman.” The 36-year-old star got the news on Sunday from director Zack Snyder, who phoned her from Paris, where he was promoting his just-opened film, “Sucker Punch.” There had been a crush of Hollywood interest in the lead female role in the Warner Bros. project but Snyder said that after meeting with Adams, she was the clear choice to take on a character that dates back to 1938 and has long represented the strong, professional woman who can hold her own against any man – even if he can leap tall buildings in a single bound. “There was a big, giant search for Lois,” Snyder said. “For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had ...