Deadline and Heat Vision report that Zack Snyder has been officially chosen to direct “Superman: The Man of Steel” for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.
Snyder, who has made a name for himself directing adaptations of comics like Frank Miller's “300” and Alan Moore's “Watchmen,” beat out intense competition from the likes of other A-listers like Tony Scott, Darren Aronofsky, and Robert Zemeckis.
Not many details are known about the project besides that they need to get it going soon before they lose the rights.
Warner Brothers needs to be in production on a new Superman film by 2011 or risk losing copyrights to the heirs of creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Seigel.
The film, written by David Goyer and “Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan, is scheduled for a holiday 2012 release.
Snyder won the job by meeting with studio executives and producers Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, almost all of whom are familiar with him considering his last few movies have all been made at Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. He also just opened the animated adventure “Legend of the Guardians” at WB last month.
Snyder is currently working on “Sucker Punch,” an action movie focusing on an ensemble of females, which is planned for release next year.
But is Zack Snyder the right choice for a new Superman director?
Snyder comes with an impressive resume – His work on "300" and "Watchmen" has made him a favorite among the fanboy crowd. In addition, Snyder is also a genuinely impressive filmmaker with a unique signature style of cinematic storytelling that has already redefined conventional film genres.
However, as is the case with any adaptation, there are going to be fans who claim that Snyder is all wrong for this Superman movie. There will be those who say that Snyder’s slow-motion action sequences or faithful loyalty to his comic book source material, are going to bog down the film rather than enhance it – and those are valid concerns.
But Zack Snyder will be working under the supervision of Chris Nolan – a pairing that I don’t think anybody would’ve seen coming a year ago. Having two talented directors putting their heads together to bring a new vision of the most iconic comic book character there is to the big screen is one experiment that I think most of us can admit at least piques our interests, no?
I think Snyder is an ideal choice to helm the picture, as he is an acknowledged fan of comics lore and is known for the extreme care he takes in every detail. While his previous comic book movies have been R-rated, this will be a chance for him to make a PG-13 superhero film that appeals to a wider spectrum of audience.
Once we’ve exhausted the discussion about how good or bad this decision is, we’ll move on to the other big points of contention, such as who should play Superman, what story this reboot should focus on and which villains should be included in it.
What do you think of Zack Snyder directing Superman?
Sound off about this epic decision in the comments below.
