Welling Offered Superman?

[Ananas]

Singer Selects His Superman?

The latest casting buzz!

 

August 04, 2004 - Comics2Film points out an article at Superman-V.com that claims director Bryan Singer has offered Smallville star (and fanboy fave) Tom Welling the title role in Superman Returns.

The offer is reportedly a two-picture deal but, as Superman-V points out, "Welling has shown a reluctancy towards playing SuperMAN and from what we hear from our source that is still the case and it is unlikely that he will accept. With Singer and the Donners on board and rumours of Christopher Reeve being involved Welling MIGHT change his mind but we haven't heard anything to indicate that is the case."

Dark Horizons recently claimed that actors Eddie Cibrian (Third Watch) and Christopher Douglas (Passions) are also in the running to play Superman.

Superman Returns begins filming later this year in Australia for a 2006 release. Dan Harris & Mike Dougherty will script.

Source.

Someone needs to rip Welling's head out of his ass before they give the role to an unworthy actor. He probably doesn't want to be typecast, but I highly doubt Christopher Reeve is walking the pogey. 20 years later he's still geting residuals. Tom Welling is the only person out there that could play Superman right now IMO, unless you want to bring back Dean Cain . Discuss this sudden glimmer of hope for a mostly disappointing developmental process to Superman Returns.

[Xand]

Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum as Superman and Lex Luthor will only happen in dreams.

Tom Welling can be such an arsehole at times.

Unless he's waiting for Smallville to finish...

[thuganomic]

Superman movie after Smallville.........WOW...that would be awesome.

Xand knows this....that Rosenbaum and Welling have awesome chemistry.

[Xand]

Rosenbaum makes Lex the best character on that show. He's likable. I felt sorry for him. I cried when we saw Lex's 12th birthday in Memoria.

[Ananas]

I think the plan to film at the end of this year is rather unlikely, especially since there's absolutely no one cast yet. Hopefully they'll wait to see how Erica Durance turns out on Smallville as Lois, and if all goes well try to expand the TV series into movies, sans the pink one of course. She's good looking and not a bad actress, but Lana had best be out of the picture if they want 14 year old girls buying the Lois-Clark thing.

[thuganomic]

Kreuk is a horrible actress, although I still love her.

I really wasn't too thrilled with Lois going to Smallville. I always thought that Metropolis was the meeting place between Clark and Lois. At least, hopefully, they're not going to have Lex and Lois meet (seeing their future marriage).

I think the best thing to do (unfortunately very unlikely) would be for them to finish season 4, and say goodbye to Lana. Chloe and Lionel should both be killed by Lex to cement his evilness. Then, the epic Clark vs. Lex can begin in Metropolis with Lex as head of Luthorcorp, and being the main foe in the first movie, as Clark goes off to College. That'd be awesome IMO.

Xand.....that was the young Lex, and he did an awesome job as well in that show, but I know what you mean

Off topic: Annette O'Toole and John Schneider are the best Kents ever......hands down. They have the whole parenting thing down, and their scenes with Clark are goosebump-raising.

[Ananas]

Alright, I just came across this at the Superhero Hype Boards, and I'm not sure of it's accuracy, but it certainly does well to explain why Welling has yet to be cast:

The info I provide to you know is as is. I don?t know if the woman was lying through her teeth or not. What I do know is that she works with an important person at WB.

Most of you know me as Zing79 ? However I?m also one of Canada?s top reporters in Interactive Entertainment, and write for several major chains up here. I?m routinely introduced to very important people by the PR agents that I deal with. As an example I just did an interview while I was at E3 with Shigeru Miyamoto. Those of you interested in finding out weather I?m legit can do so on your own time.

I was at press event the other night. It had nothing to do with games, but I was still invited thanks to some friends I have at a PR agency. I was introduced to a lady there who works with people high up at WB. We small talked and she asked me about the Potter franchise and what I thought, and since I haven?t seen a single one of those movies I joked that the only thing I cared about that was made by WB was the Batman, and Superman movies. At which point she proceeded to tell me she worked with people on the Superman project, and I wasn?t about to pass up the chance to start asking questions. As I said, the info I provide is as is, because for all I know it?s complete BS. I just know that she does work for WB, and if she was at this event, and introduced to me that she is somewhat important.

Let?s start with who is the leading choice for Supes: it?s Cavill. I didn?t get into the rest of the cast because most of my conversation centered on Welling, and why the hell he wasn?t in the role. Several things came out that finally made sense to me about the man, and his involvement with the role.

If Welling had wanted this role it could have been his by now. HOWEVER, he?s only turning it down because of how WB wants to handle the whole thing. He does not under any circumstances want to do Smallville, and a movie franchise with the same character at the same time. WB won?t budge on this one issue ? they won?t kill off Smallville, and from their perspective they?re happy to see it play on for 10 years, with Welling eventually becoming Supes on the small screen. It?s just their opinion not that of the Smallville production team btw.

Here?s the big kicker ? Welling saying he has no interests in playing (you know the rest), was a quote being sent directly at WB who want him to do both roles. He has NO issues with playing Superman on the big screen; he just won?t do it in a feature and on the small screen at the same time.

I was also told that this whole deal with Welling not wanting to be Clark or Superman or whatever, has been grossly miss-interpreted. HE never turned down the role of Clark on Smallville (his agent was telling him to) ? his agent was also telling him to put in the no flights, no tights thing. His agent was looking at Dean Cain and what had happened to him, and wanted to avoid that with Welling. This is why Clark has been seen flying on a few occasions on the show ? Welling has no problem with doing that.

He did turn down the role at first, but it was at the request of his agent. A lot of what was said early on; was info Welling was being fed by his agent to try and distance himself from the role as much as possible (again because of fears of what it would do to his career). However when Welling started to become a household name, his agent changed his tune pretty fast.

From the moment the first numbers started coming back for Smallville Welling has been discussed by the execs for the role. As his stock with the public at large has continued to grow, so has the seriousness of the talks for him in the role. It comes down to this however ? from the very beginning Welling has taken the stance that he doesn?t want to do the TV show Smallville if he can be playing Superman on the big screen. WB is more then happy to see Smallville become Metropolis, from a money standpoint. This is also where things start to work against him: Welling?s stance early on (when he was a no name) has aggravated a few of the execs which is why they won?t bend over backwards to accommodate him now. They realize Welling is the public at larges overwhelming choice for the role, but they?re happy to milk Welling for all he?s worth on TV, and give the Superman role to someone else on the big screen.

That?s pretty much the gist of it. WB could have had Welling in this role if they weren?t greedy pigs. And in a world of egos they now refuse to give in to him, simply because he wouldn?t lick their boots when he was a no name being talked about for the role.

Again the info is provided as is, not as fact because I refuse to spend the time necessary to track down all the info of this story (and it?s also why I won?t submit it as news to Hype or anywhere else for that matter). I believe what she was saying because of where I was, and the setting ? not to mention her conviction (turns out she?s a big Welling supporter btw). Just something for you guys to read over, and think about I guess.

Source.

The reason I haven't completely written this off is that it makes perfect sense. While it seems pretty suspicious of the person to call themselves one of the top Interactive Entertainment reporters in Canada, but the writings ooze professionalism. I hope this is true, because it represents hope for: a) Smallville not being over within a year, or B) them doing Superman right (Rosenbaum and Welling).

[thuganomic]

In all honesty, if I had to choose between more Smallville seasons or movies, I'd go for the series. You have so much more time to focus on the details and the journey (which is what Gough and company do best). I've always felt that Superman isn't just several 2-hour films, that it deserved a series. I agree completely with Welling that it'd be ridiculous to do films and series at the same time.

[Laice07]

I hope he joins, but as for the movie itself, not looking forward to it, why did Singer have to let go of X-men!? NMow I'm scared like hell for the new director, or the likelihood of being no X3. WHY OH WHY!! What if the new director does not continue the stroyline that was left at the end of X2.

[Ananas]

That posting was from May, and as a little update, it seems Cavill has dropped out of the running, since it was under McG he was being considered. If you want more information on the plight of Welling as Superman, check out this site. Those numbers seem to indicate that just about everyone would prefer him in the role.

[Xand]

Welling should wait until after Smallville is finished, then you have the background set up for some amazing character development. Plus, the Superman/Lex relationship would rock in a film if they knew each other for years...

[Guest The Psychotic One]

I never really understood the positive reaction to Smallville. Always thought it was a bit on the crap side.

[Xand]

I never really understood the positive reaction to Smallville. Always thought it was a bit on the crap side.

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I thought it was when I watched most of the first season, it was only until near the end it got a lot better.

[Ananas]

'The Doc' is back after a brief respite with a response to Friday's rumours about "Smallville" boy Tom Welling being considered for the Supes role:

"Thought I'd drop by some info on everyone's favorite superhero and what's going on at Warner Bros. As you know I've had some dealings with the studio and can put straight some recent rumors. Tom Welling has not been offered Superman by Bryan Singer. Singer wants an unknown in the lead role. Trust me when I say Tom Welling will not be the next Superman. I'm not sure how that rumor came about but it's bogus.

My agency got a casting call last week for Superman. Actors are going to get put on tape starting next week. Singer and his team will then meet actors, sort through the tapes and decide which actors they want to come to Burbank for a final screen test. Word is Superman might be cast as early as September. The search is apparently all over North America. I guess they'll have casting directors in LA, NY and Canada.

Another interesting bit. Warners are apparently going to rent the Fox studios for the next 2 years. I don't know what that means. Maybe they're shooting two Superman movies back to back, maybe they're just keeping it for the inevitable Superman sequel, maybe Green Lantern is gearing up, hell, it could be Scooby Doo 3! I honestly don't know, but look for a big Warner production to be in Sydney after Superman".

Thanks to 'The Doc'.

Source.

Ah well. This could just be a smoke screen, but I doubt it considering they've put out a press release detailing the continent wide search they'll be doing to find a Superman. I guess we don't get Rosenbaum as Luthor either. :ohwell:

[Xand]

*cries*

[Ananas]

Hmm, maybe it was just a smoke screen:

"Smallville" star Tom Welling told reporters at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards that he's signed on for a movie but is not allowed to discuss it, fueling rumors that he will star in "X-Men" director Bryan Singer's new Superman movie. "I'm sworn to secrecy," Welling said with a smile. "It's too early." A spokesperson for Warner Bros. said the role has not yet been cast. Welling, in the meantime, will continue playing Clark Kent on the small screen. "We have a couple new characters [this season]," he said. "Lois Lane will be visiting Smallville, which keeps things interesting for Clark. ... And Clark isn't necessarily earthbound this season."

[thuganomic]

Credit: Kryptonsite

UPDATE 8/24: Superhero Hype posted a scan of the August 15 call sheet for Chicago shooting of next year's film "Batman Begins." Most interesting on the call list? An actor named "T. Welling" playing a character named "Kent..

Link

A cameo role in Batman Begins woulud be cool, but I'm still looking for Welling on the Big Screens....

Edited August 24, 2004 by thuganomic

[thuganomic]

Big bump to this topic as ihere is now reports from DarkHorizons.com that Brandon Routh (unknown) has been cast as Supes.

But here's the worst part....

MISCHA BARTON AS LOIS LANE?

EWWWW

Topher Grace is Jimmy Olsen.....heh

[Media 2.0]

Meh..personally I think the casting so far sucks. I don't know how well Welling would do in a 'big movie'...but now..I just can't picture a nonanimated Clark Kent as someone other then Welling. (Well other then the SM's we've seen before). And I can't picture Lois as not being Erica Durance, etc. they need to have a 'Smallville: The Movie' or something...even if it is made for TV.

This looks like a movie I'll probaly rent ( :thumbsup: ) when it comes out instead of going to see. But maybe it won't be that horrible..

Edited October 19, 2004 by Media 2.0

[ROC]

This looks like a movie I'll probaly download when it comes out instead of going to see .

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