Earlier this week, I kicked off my 2013 Summer Movie Preview by concentrating on the 13 sequels of the season. Part two focuses on just two pictures that aren’t sequels per se but rather are reboots of well-known superhero franchises. They have something else in common: the previous films focused solely on their title characters were not particularly well-received and these entries hope to rectify that.
Man of Steel (June 14) looks to reinvigorate the Superman franchise after 2006’s lackluster Superman Returns. Let’s travel back to that picture for a moment. Superman Returns was the heavily hyped return of Superman after a nearly 20 year absence from the silver screen. It had great pedigree: Bryan Singer, who directed the successful first two X-Men features, was behind the camera. It seems crazy now, but Superman Returns was genuinely being touted as a rival for Titanic, which at the time was the highest grossing movie ever.
And then…. it opened. It got mixed reviews and while it did make $200 million domestically, most figured it would at least go over $300 million. Its reputation has only worsened with time.
So what’s Warner Bros to do? Try, try again, of course. The studio recruited Zack Snyder, maker of 300 and Watchmen, to direct. Relative unknown Henry Cavill is Superman/Clark Kent and the supporting cast is filled with more known performers such as Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, and Diane Lane. Once again, expectations are sky high. This could rival Iron Man 3 and Monsters University in the competition for biggest earning summer title. Or… it could go the route of Returns. Based on the excellent new trailer that was just released, I’m optimistic.
We move to The Wolverine, out July 26th. This is the second stand-alone Wolverine flick with Hugh Jackman in the title role. The first was 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which made $179 million domestic in summer 2009. However… like with Superman Returns, critical and audience reaction was mixed. The gross for Origins was actually less than the second and third installments of the original X-Men trilogy. The Wolverine features our comic book hero doing his Wolverine thing in Japan. James Mangold, who last directed the disappointing Tom Cruise action flick Knight and Day, is behind the camera.
The Wolverine will attempt to satisfy X-Men fans in a way that Origins did not. The picture marks Jackman’s sixth turn as Wolverine, counting his great cameo in X-Men: First Class. And, yes, he’ll return for a seventh appearance in the sequel to First Class, out next summer.
Two beloved heroes. Two attempts at movie redemption. We’ll see what happens!
Next up on Summer Movie Preview – science fiction, from After Earth to Elysium and more… stay tuned!
All My Life... I Wanted To Be A Blogster 