Just to let you guys know I am acting on this cast as if this film would be a “Superman 5” ending the Christopher Reeves’ Films. I decided that would serve the story best as to give i a continuity to be grounded in. All Star Superman always read to me as the Ending Christopher Reeve's never got to make. Now I might not have chosen performers who look exactly like Christopher Reeves or Margot Kidder or anyone else, but performers who can harness the spirit of the performances and also give their own take as to make the tone of All Star Superman a perfect Ending to the Christopher Reeves Films and yet feel somewhat new in characterization. I hope you all enjoy my Take on ALL*STAR SUPERMAN!
SUPERMAN/CLARK KENT – Central character of the Comic Book Series and Main character of the film. He is the son of a dying planet, of desperate scientists, found by a kindly couple in a cornfield in Smallville, KA. Now he operates as Superman The Man of Steel! But to hide his amazing gifts he poses as dedicated, albeit clumsy, mild mannered reporter Clark Kent, dedicated in both personas as a man seeking Truth, Justice, and the American Way, but now cursed with hyperactive cells as a direct result of an overdose of Sun light. Superman is now on a ticking clock to complete 12 legendary challenges before facing the most dangerous opponent of all… DEATH.
HUGH JACKMAN (Age: 43, Height: 6’2½” Notable works: X-Men Film Series, The Prestige, Les Miserabe): The Australian actor is by far one of the nicest people, and has done well committing himself to the character of Wolverine. As an actor he is great, he’s got his characters down, he adds a sense of depth to them and he in all honest would have been the perfect Superman back in the early 2000’s when they were attempting a serious reboot. Here he is cast for All Star Superman, Which as an actor later in his 40’s he matches an aging Superman despite not showing any signs of it. Physically he’s still in his prime and yet he’s a person who’s been around the block, he is experience plus youth and a prime candidate for Superman!
LOIS LANE – The love of Clark Kent and Superman’s life. For years struggling to discover the Man of Steel’s Identity. With Superman’s own biological clock literally running out, He turns his attention to revealing everything to the lovely Lois Lane, While she hunts possible truths as to why Superman’s sudden change of heart, but ultimately fully supporting him and showing him the love and affection she’s always wanted to.
LYNN COLLINS (Age: 35, Height: 5’8”, Notable Works: John Carter, Merchant of Venice.): As it’s often odd to pluck an actor’s co-star and love interest and place them in similar roles I felt really compelled to cast her noting that she has a astonishingly active fan based campaign for Wonder Woman, and felt like she had the very hard-nosed, yet beautiful persona that I see in Lois, also the type of gentle optimist of the Lois Lane in the All Star book.
JIMMY OLSEN – the once exclusive photographer has moved up in the world of new now a reporter for the Daily Planet, aids Superman in one of his adventures.
SHIA LABEOUF (Age: 26, Height: 5’9”, Notable Works: Transformers Film Series, Disturbia, Eagle Eye): In all honesty I do like him as a performer, I find him very hard to find roles for, I think in the right role of the right Movie he would be fantastic and I definitely see him as Jimmy Olsen.
PERRY WHITE – The Daily Planets veteran Editor-In-Chief, having worked at the planet for nearly 50 years.
MICHAEL IRONSIDE (Age: 62, Height: 5’10”, Notable Works: Superman the Animated Series, Total Recall, Scanners): Aside from look nearly exactly like Perry in the book, he has the voice I heard when I read Perry’s lines. He’s an amazing actor who has for a long time been associated with Superman, having voiced Darkseid in his entire DCAU Appearances. And to be honest would have made one hell of a Lex Luthor in the late 80’s early 90’s.
CAT GRANT – A Cougar (A Woman over 40 seeking the company and pleasures, particularly of younger men) who’s had an on off relationship with the Daily Planet since her career had started.
JENNIFER ANISTON (Age: 43, Height: 5’6”, Notable Works: Friends, Wanderlust): Really this role just Screams for Aniston as a performer.
RON TROUPE – Political and Racially attentive Reporter of the Daily Planet who in the books has a type of parternship/buddy-rivalry with Steve Lombard.
DONALD FAISON (Age: 36, Height: 6’. Notable Works: Scrubs, Remember the Titans): I wanted to throw Faison in a role I know he hadn’t done. He is a good performer and does really well in bit parts and as part of large ensembles. He does feel like an essential Ron Troupe to me.
STEVE LOMBARD – A bully, Ex-Jock, and current Sports writer for the planet who comically messes with Kent, adding onto the disguise of his bumbling antics and comically attempting to seduce and being turned down repeatedly by Cat Grant.
JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN (Age:46, Height: 6’2”. Notable Works: Supernatural, Watchmen.): He’s just perfect, it’s all because of how amazing he was as the Comedian that I just see him Playing this Steve Lombard to Perfection.
DR. LEO QUINTUM – A professor who had planned a mission to the sun that had ultimately failed while also curator of a large space station on the moon dedicated to scientific exploration, he alerts to Superman his problem.
PATRICK WILSON (Age: 39, Height: 6’1”, Notable Works: A-Team, Hard Candy, Little Children, and Watchmen): One thing I had noticed and had researched is there is a popular theory that Leo Quintum is actually a Lex Luthor who had perfected time travel and had traveled back to the time of the book to attempt to set things right. Many lines, poses and even looks give a hint-hint, nudge-nudge, approach almost like an Inception of the idea for the reader to come up with. Patrick was chosen well before I discovered this, because simply he’s a performer that works, but was nearly my first choice for Superman. But knowing the deal with Leo Qunitum it solidifies that I would use a popular Lex Luthor choice as Leo Quintium, making it better if they were to be revealed as one.
AGATHA – Dr. Quintum’s assistant and possibly the Neice to Lex Luthor? They do share strkining similarities.
CARRY MULLIGAN (Age: 27, Height: 5’7”. Notable Works: Drive, Shame, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps): She is just a talented performer I wanted to see in this role.
GENERAL SAM LANE – Lois Lane’s Father, and Four Star General to the United States Army, who organizes Luthor to be placed into custody of the Army to work on Military grade Munitions.
J.K. SIMMSON (Age: 57, Height: 5’10”, Notable Works: Burn after Reading, Juno, Oz): This is a choice I made after seeing his performance in Burn After Reading, where he is absolutely phenomenal. He would be a good fit as General Sam Lane.
SAMSON – The Time Travelling biblical hero turned narcissist, travelling back in time to issue a warning to Superman, flirts with Lois Lane, and Trick Superman into competing one of his 12 Legendary Labors.
JOE MANGANIELLO (Age: 35, Height: 6’5”. Notable Works: True Blood, Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, Magic Mike): He is a fantastic actor who’s been wanting to nab a comic book role, and he as Flash Thompson played someone very similar to Samson but still different enough that to see him as Samson would breath air into the story.
ATLAS – The other Half of Samson’s Time Travelling Misadventures. Coming back for the same reason as Samson, ultimately challenging Superman to a countest of affection, and losing with a broken arm.
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD (Age: 36, Height: 6’4”. Notable Works: True Blood, Battleship, Straw Dogs): Skarsgard has the look down, and he’s got the right physique to bring Atlas to life. Not to mention this is a comic book role that Isn’t Thor.
KRULL – Son of the Dino Czar Tyrannko. He attacks Metropolis on Lois’ Birthday.
STEVEN BLUM {VOICE} (Notable Works: Transformers Prime, Megas XLR): He’s always been a great voice actor that would fit for the role of Krull.
TYRANNKO THE DINO CZAR – Leader of a Miniture race of Anthromorphic Dinosaurs who’ve had great respect for Superman, and the father of Krull.
TONY TODD {VOICE} (Notable Works: DC Universe Online, Candyman Film Series): I just really felt he had an Iconic voice for the role.
ULTRA-SPHINX – A Being of Unparralled power who had imprisoned Lois in a state of Quantum uncertainty pending the results of a question: “What happens when the Unstoppable Force meets the Immovable Object?” Superman answering this becomes one of the 12 legendary labors.
VINCENT D’ONOFRIO (Age: 53, Height: 6’4”. Notable Works: The Cell, Kill the Irishman.): A true Chameleon of Cinema and a fantastic choice for the role of the Ultra-Sphinx.
PARASITE – The famous Super-Criminal that has had many clashes with the Man of Steel.
TIM BLAKE NELSON (Age: 48, Height: 5’5”. Notable Works: Incredible Hulk, Oh Brother Were Art Thou, Leaves of Grass): I really loved his performance in the Incredible Hulk and really wanted to see him as Parasite in this adaptation, He’s done some very good, Human parasite-dickhead roles before that kind of fit Parasite one way or another.
LEX LUTHOR – Criminal mastermind who had orchestrated the Death of Superman! While also coming to a Crescendo on his greatest master plan and best super death trap of all by creating a cocktail of drugs giving Luthor the powers of Superman for 24 hours. While this Lex Luthor is the same from the Superman Motion Picture, he can also become more cerebral after having done an extensive amount of time in Prison.
BRYAN CRANSTON (Age: 56, Height: 5’11”. Notable Works: Drive, Breaking Bad, Total Recall): First and Foremost, John Travolta was a close Second, I loved his performance as Howard Saint, Cranston won out because he’s never done this role, but he’s perfect for it. He’s always been tailor made to play Lex Luthor and at his age he is perfect, All Star Lex is not a young man, he’s older, he’s late 40’s early 50’s and I like Bryan because he’s been doing roles about characters involved with creating and controlling empires, but he could add real depth to a character who is on a time clock and isn’t really caring about empires but cares about iconography.
NASTHALIA LUTHOR – The neice of Lex Luthor, implied to be a threat to a new Superman as Lex was to the original, or possible returns in the form of Agatha, Dr. Leo Quintum’s Assistant.
ROONEY MARA (Age: 27, Height: 5’3”, Notable Works: Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo): I enjoy her as an actress shes shown she knows how to act and how to broaden her range, and a role like this could give her an extra bit of range when it comes to playing villains instead of strong feminists heroines.
SUPERBOY/CLARK KENT – The younger Superman who’s battle with the Chronovore costs him dire time, where he could have saved Jonathan Kent’s life.
NICHOLAS HOULT (Age: 22, Height: 6’2”. Notable Works: X-Men First Class, A Single Man): A fantastic actor not hitting his prime, he was had done a great performance as Beast in X-Men and has been a creative choice for the young Superboy, which could work well considering he’s still got growing to do as a performer.
JONATHAN KENT – The strong willed adopted father of the Man of Steel and husband to Martha Kent.
CLANCY BROWN (Age: 53, Height: 6’4”, Notable Works: Shawshank Redemption, Highlander.): I’ve always wanted to see Clancy Brown as John Kent, I’ve always felt he would have the nurturing qualities and the Kansas sensibilities to play John Kent.
MARTHA KENT – The strong opinionated, nurturing and protective adopted mother of Clark Kent, married to Jonathan and has been devoted to raising their child and protecting him from any threats that could take him away.
FRANCES MCDORMAND (Age: 55, Height: 5’5”. Notable Roles: Fargo, Moonrise Kingdom, Burn After Reading): She is a lovely actress, beautiful in her own right and has the stylings of a farm-lived woman. Her role in Fargo is prime reason why for me she fits Martha Kent, she played a very ambitious morally just, nurturing individual. She was born to play Martha Kent.
KAL KENT – Superman of the future, who aids His ancestor in the past in the battle against the Chronovore.
MATT BOMER (Age: 34, Height: 5’11”. Notable Roles: White Collar, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.): He’s been a hot contender for the role of Superman since the early 2000’s when they were making the J.J. Abrams script. I have always felt he would be suitable for the role but I already had a Superman but enjoyed the idea that he could play a Superman of the Future.
REGAN – A suicidal youngster with no will left to fight the cancer eating her away from the inside.
JUNO TEMPLE (Age: 23, Height: 5’2”. Notable Roles: Dirty Girl, Killer Joe, The Dark Knight Rises): She is a lovely young actress who has the emotional pull to portray this key character. It’s Regan’s scene in the book that I found most profound and most touching, knowing that like Superman she has an expiring clock, and with all the important tasks Superman has to do, He stops it all to comfort her and giver her back the will to fight. She could really deliver a powerful performance along Jackman.
ZIBARRO – A scientist trapped in Bizarro world. Being the only highly intelligent person on the Squared World and comes to Superman’s Aid once he’s trapped there, assisting him in getting Superman sent back to earth.
LIEV SCHREIBER (Age: 44, Height: 6’3”. Notable Works: Manchurian Candidate, Defiance, and Salt.): He’s really the only person I’ve ever thought of for the role. I wanted someone similar but also dissimilar to Jackman for the role, and noting that he has worked with Liev before and has a genuine friendship.
BIZARRO – The A$$-backwards version of Superman, coming from the square-earthed Bizarro world, in a conflict that causes Superman to become stranded.
ANDREW BRYNIARSKI (Height: 6’3”, Age: 43, Notable Works: Batman Returns, Texas Chainsaw Massacre {Platinum Dunes Series}): I’ve always wanted him for the role of BIzarro, Despite playing Chip Schreck in Batman Returns I’ve been wanting him as Bizarro since, well I saw him in the P.D. TCM Films, He played Leatherface well but he did great at being an overarching monster.
BAR-EL – A last son of Krypton who, alongside his wife Lilo, were stranded in outer space until tracking a radiation field left by Kal-El’s ship and following it to Earth.
RON PERLMAN (Age: 62, Height: 6’1”. Notable Works: Hellboy Film Series, Sons of Anarchy, Drive): With Bar-El you really need a performer who can do action but also have a very defining and well known voice and Ron is just a perfect fit, he’s got a great voice, a deep movement that works so well along it that it makes him a primary choice for Bar-El.
LILO – Wife of Bar-El and fellow Astronaut from Krypton, the two begin a plan to stage a hostile take-over of Earth but when kryptonite radiation begins poisoning them they see the error of their ways in the kindness of Superman.
TERI HATCHER (Age: 47, Height: 5’6”. Notable Works: Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Tomorrow Never Dies): A wonderful actress who has become a recurring staple of Superman mythology and having portrayed a defining take on Lois Lane not to mention appear in a Bond Film, she was high on my list seconded by only Lucy Lawless, but her connection to Superman’s dynamic mythology had one me over.
SOLARIS – A Rogue Sun who joins Luthor in an attempt to kill the Man of Steel and double cross Luthor by Poisoning the sun and replacing it, forcing the earth to worship him as a god.
COREY BURTON (Notable Works: Superman The Animated Series, Transformers T.V. Series): His Brainiac voice is exactly how I read Solaris and who better to replicate that voice, and bring something new, then the voice behind DCAU’S Brainiac.
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE COMPOSER - A film score (also sometimes called background music or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score forms part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects, and comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental or choral pieces called cues which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in question. Scores are written by one or more composers, under the guidance of the film's director and/or producer, and are then usually performed by an ensemble of musicians - most often comprising an orchestra or band, instrumental soloists, and choir or vocalists - and recorded by a sound engineer.
JOHN WILLIAMS (Notable Works: Superman The Motion Picture, Star Wars, Indiana Jones): You look up Epic Score in the Dictionary, you find John Williams, his work as a composer has only gotten better as time goes on, nearly every score he’s ever done is as epic or more so than the film it appears in. And to be honest if this is a bookend to the Donner/Reeves Movies this is the man who should score it, while I also am curious to see how he would score a Superman Film after not having done so for nearly 40 years.
SCREENPLAY - Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the screenplay, and delivering it, in the required format, to Development Executives. Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film. They either pitch original ideas to Producers in the hope that they will be optioned or sold, or screenwriters are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept, true story, existing screen work or literary work, such as a novel, poem, play, comic book or short story.
GRANT MORRISON (Notable Works: All Star Superman, Batman R.I.P., The Return of Swamp Thing): The amazing artists who crafted the graphic novel and had rumored to have pitched an adaptation as the start of a new Superman film franchise, His work is amazing and could definitely be well adapted into live action especially as a bookend to the Reeve’s films.
DIRECTOR - Directors are responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a film under the overall control of the film producer. They often develop the vision for a film and carry out the vision, deciding how the film should look, in other words they make their vision come to life. They are responsible for turning the script into a sequence of shots. They also direct what tone it should have and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. Film directors are responsible for deciding camera angles, lens effects and lighting with the help of the cinematographer and set design with the production designer. They will often take part in hiring the cast and key crew members. They coordinate the actors' moves, or blocking and also may be involved in the writing, financing and editing of a film.
QUENTIN TARANTINO (Notable Works: Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol. 1&2): He’s a self-professed Superman fan, he even loves Superman Returns, not only that but All Star Superman secures every idea and every thought he has on Superman, as a person he fits the story to well for it not to work for him. As a director this would be a fitting challenge, he has directed high-ultra violent art films that have been some of the most profound works of art in modern cinema. His name is iconic with films and as a director he needs a challenge, and Superman is a challenge for any and every director, not to mention one of the most Iconic Superman stories of all time. Hell he could have a great job on the Death of Superman and make it Rated R and do a profound important film centered on a PG-13 Rating with Superman. He might not be a favorite for the director’s chair on All Star Superman, but to be honest, he’s personally and professionally the best guy for the job.