Richard Donner Shares His Thoughts On Zack Snyder Directing Superman!

Richard Donner Shares His Thoughts On Zack Snyder Directing Superman!

The director of the 1978 classic movie which made us believe that a man could fly discusses Zack Snyder being chosen as director, shares some advice and reveals whether or not he's been allowed to look at the script...

News
By JoshWilding - Oct 28, 2010 10:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: MovieWeb



On Whether He's Been Allowed To Look At The Script:

"No, they haven't even asked me to read it. It's Warner Bros!"

On What He Thought Of Superman Returns:

"I mean I thought Bryan Singer did a wonderful job with the other film (Superman Returns). You could just do massive action and blow up stuff, but he chose to do the characters more, although he had some beautiful stuff in there."

On What He Thinks About Zack Snyder Getting The Job Of Director:

"Well, I think he could do a great job. You know he's certainly a good director and hopefully he's got a good handle on it."

On How Zack Snyder Should Handle The Balance Of Action And Drama:

"I don't think he's going to want to compete with the best effects out there. I'm tired of it already. I'm tired of those ... what are those machines? Transformers! Really, I mean they were great but lets settle back people and focus on the characters. The characters in Superman are just wonderful."



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About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
A lifelong comic book fan who grew up on Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the '90s, Josh Wilding has been contributing to ComicBookMovie.com since 2009.

While he's also written for websites like Batman-News, HeyUGuys, and WhatCulture, Josh is CBM's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and the site's #1 contributor with nearly two decades of experience covering film and TV news (including interviews with Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Gary Oldman, Halle Berry, Jon Bernthal, Tom Welling, and hundreds more).

Based in the UK with his wife, Josh is also an avid WWE and Formula 1 fan and writes about those passions on CBM's sister sites, TheRingReport.com and FullThrottleHQ.com. Favourite superhero? Spider-Man. Favourite pro wrestler? CM Punk. Favourite F1 driver? Max Verstappen.
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LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/28/2010, 10:32 AM
Richard Donner is a genius!!!

Awesome find @ JOSH!

WB keep the SUPERMAN SCORE!!!

drfate
drfate - 10/28/2010, 10:35 AM
the Fate of Snyder's flick: greatness.
ironknight27
ironknight27 - 10/28/2010, 10:36 AM
Donner is awesome. I loved the Last Son storyline he did with Geoff Johns.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/28/2010, 10:38 AM
WATCHMEN = That and SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, best superhero movies ever made!

With SPIDEY 2, TDK, THE CROW etc! ; D
EdGross
EdGross - 10/28/2010, 10:43 AM
Terrific story, Josh! Gotta love Donner.

Hey, to show you how cool this guy is. Many moons ago I was supposed to go into New York City from Long Island to interview him about Lethal Weapon. Well, I got sick as a dog and couldn't go. All of a sudden, my phone at home rings and the voice on the other end says, "Ed Gross? Dr. Donner here. How you feeling? You wanna talk?" And that's exactly what we did.
BlueMex
BlueMex - 10/28/2010, 10:45 AM
I'm tired of it already. I'm tired of those ... what are those machines? Transformers! Really, I mean they were great but lets settle back people and focus on the characters. " lol Donner is the man , he made me laugh about how he s tired of Machines "Transformers"!
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 10/28/2010, 10:46 AM
Honestly LEE, have you nothing to say about me using a picture of Brandon Routh in a Superman related article? I would have thought you'd be the first to appreciate a subliminal message like that one! ;D



Routhboot FTW!!!

ED: Thanks man! :) That really is an awesome story (the fact it's true makes me jealous as hell though I must admit, lol - you got to talk to Richard freaking Donner after all!!!) and what a class act he sounds like.
StSharp
StSharp - 10/28/2010, 10:47 AM
HA! He's right about Tranformers...lol :)
EdGross
EdGross - 10/28/2010, 10:49 AM
Nah, he left the heavy breathing out of the conversation.
EdGross
EdGross - 10/28/2010, 10:51 AM
And, Josh, he IS a class act. He's always been supportive of everyone (well, okay, maybe not Richard Lester) who has come in to direct. I had spoken to him about Superman: The Movie at about the time Superman IV was getting ready to go, and he had nothing but positive things to say about Sydney Furie. Same thing with Bryan Singer and, now, with Zack Snyder. I would imagine from his vantage point -- having directed Superman: The Movie -- he can afford to sit back and wish the rest of 'em luck.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/28/2010, 11:03 AM
@ leee777

genius,he did say he thought byran singer did a wonderful job of superman returns.

i suppose no ones perfect. lol

i agree with the theme music & superman the movie,watchmen,the dark knight,spider-man 2 & the crow.

personally i think you can add v for vendetta,iron man,300,sin city & the incredible hulk to that list.
Protonite
Protonite - 10/28/2010, 11:12 AM
That last answer alone made me respect him on a whole new level. LOL!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/28/2010, 11:35 AM
JOSH @ You da man heh heh heh!

I saw it, and got it lol, didn't wanna be obvious about it! ; P

Kudos dude and class article!

Epic Ad PIC lol! ; D

ROUTHBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!


BRAZIL @ Okay TDK too and agreed dude! :)

DP @ I did actually put SIN CITY up there but took it down as I thought I'd be jumped on calling it a superhero movie lol!

Yeah, Iron Man, V, I-HULK, 300 also epic cbm movies, ya rite!
Shaman
Shaman - 10/28/2010, 11:36 AM
This franchise couldn't be in better hands! Nolan and Snyder FTFW!!!
Angelus
Angelus - 10/28/2010, 11:36 AM
I agree with every word he said.

BMP!
WeaponX
WeaponX - 10/28/2010, 11:47 AM
High-five to Donner for his remark about Transformers. [frick]-that-shit!
JR
JR - 10/28/2010, 11:49 AM
"I'm tired of it already. I'm tired of those ... what are those machines? Transformers! Really, I mean they were great but lets settle back people and focus on the characters. The characters in Superman are just wonderful."


He is the man!!
Themanwithashadow01101984
Themanwithashadow01101984 - 10/28/2010, 11:55 AM
Whatever Dick Donner,the Superman movies have tons of boring characters,TONS. And sub-par villains at best,if not crappy. At least the Transformers movies were more consistently fun and had villains that were a better threat,and they were more bad*** too.
valeriesghost
valeriesghost - 10/28/2010, 12:00 PM
Donners just jealous he didn't have transformers to play with when he was a kid! hahaha

The Crow is my favorite CBM

or maybe Watchmen

Well, there's TDK and X2

and i LOVED TIH

Sh1t!

I'm gonna have to default to The Last Airbender. wait, that doesn't count.

Ghost Rider FTW!!
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 10/28/2010, 12:04 PM
Good stuff Josh! I agree with everything he said. I also think that Nolan and Snyder are perfectly capable of making this the best Sups film out there.
BFGLOOM
BFGLOOM - 10/28/2010, 12:05 PM
Transformers is ASS..... Superman shouldn't even be talked about with anything Bay made. Man of Steel will be great.
JustinMSalvato
JustinMSalvato - 10/28/2010, 12:44 PM
EFF the characters! I want to see SUPERMAN FIGHT!
valeriesghost
valeriesghost - 10/28/2010, 12:50 PM
i was thinking the other day about Snyders slo-mo and i think it would be rad if somehow Lois and CLark got in a car accident and just seeing how clark would react and what he would do to save lois. that would be a badass use for slo-mo
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 10/28/2010, 12:54 PM
valeriesghost: Batman would save them. =D
valeriesghost
valeriesghost - 10/28/2010, 12:59 PM
hahahahaha, that would be sweet! Christian bale just swings by in slow motion growling and YOINK! snatches Lois right outta the car hahahaha
villain001
villain001 - 10/28/2010, 1:03 PM
hope its more 300 than watchmen personally
SupermanReturns2006
SupermanReturns2006 - 10/28/2010, 2:52 PM
A Superman reboot shall be called SUPERMAN FOREVER

I wouldn't start the early years of Clark Kent, it will make all the Superman fans stay desperately confuzed. I didn't want to offend anybody. The screenwriter needs to take his or her time to check in the Superman: Secret Origins. Superman: The Secret Origins is a perfect choice for Zack Snyder to get into. Not like every villain in the story is making every Superman fan fled off the ground.
UncleDrew
UncleDrew - 10/28/2010, 2:55 PM
One of the great comic book director and producers but he should tell his wife to stay home cause she don't know what she doing.
steelrocks
steelrocks - 10/28/2010, 3:00 PM

I respect this guy a lot, but no patting on the back. SR sucked monster balls mister.
steelrocks
steelrocks - 10/28/2010, 3:04 PM
"but he chose to do the characters more"... and that was his mistake! I bet P*ssy *ss brian singer almost cried when he saw decent movies such as iron man and the last hulk, and how they rocked. That's what a superhero movie is, you bastard (to brian singer).

I hate that guy much more than I hate Routh.
JYCowboy
JYCowboy - 10/28/2010, 3:07 PM
You have to understand that Donner owed some respect to Singer when he brought him in to consult for SR. Without that we would have never seen the "Richard Donner Cut of Superman 2".
Singer had the OK from WB on that script. WB has had a very poor record with the whole of Superman franchise and it just shows thier lack of respect and care to the character(s). I just pray that DC Entertainment can police this new venture.
Donner is a good guy all around in my book.
LP4
LP4 - 10/28/2010, 3:27 PM
Psh...I'm glad this old heap of bones will be kept away from this new film. I respect him for the old films he made being that they WERE great films. But come on people, I've had it with Donner homages. SR was just a nearly 3 hour cock-sucking fest for him and I'm sick of him being the SOLE advisor on Superman. Superman is BIGGER than Donner, people must remember that.

Donner didn't MAKE Superman great, Supes was already great before this old man came along. I hope Nolan and Snyder are smart enough to keep him, williams and ANY mention of reeve FAAAAAAAR AWAY from the new film IF it is to succeed. My saying goes- NO MORE REEVE, NO MORE DONNER, NO MORE WILLIAMS AND NO MORE FAILURE. This new film MUST stand on its own two feet.

So even to those people who want to keep the Williams score- DO YOU [frick]ING PEOPLE WANT ANOTHER SUPERMAN RETURNS???!! [frick] ALL OF YOU AND STAY WITH ALL THE ROUTH-FANS IN "SUPERMAN RETURNS WORLD" WHILE WE OTHER FANS WILL MOVE ON TOWARDS THE NEW MOVIE! A reboot is a REBOOT people! [frick]!
AshleyWilliams
AshleyWilliams - 10/28/2010, 3:27 PM
"Hamm, Cavill, Maganiellio or Harmon Walsh! Make it happen, Snyder!"

Why do I have to agree with you so much?!? Those are all great choices! :O
theangrytroll
theangrytroll - 10/28/2010, 3:43 PM
People are funny. Like the ones who keep going on and on about needing to stop sucking Richard Donner's cock. And all the while those same people are breathlessly awaiting their own turn at Nolan's knob.
LP4
LP4 - 10/28/2010, 3:50 PM
@theangrytroll- Us awaiting our "turn at Nolan's knob" is NOT the same shit as donner's crap for the past 2 decades. All we've gotten out of Superman media is donner cock-sucking. I'm sick of this dude. I really hope he won't be brought on board as a consultant EVER for MOS because HE made Lex Luthor into a GOD DAMNED JOKE. HE gave Supes powers he NEVER had in the comics- amnesia kiss, turning back time and the infamous throwing of the "S". Donner's Supes needs to stay buried...for GOOD. Singer tried to resurrect it...yet look at that [frick]en FAILURE. It showed Donner has no place in this modern society and I"m sure people can agree with that. Yeah I'm sick of Transformers...but he makes it seem like SUPERMAN RETURNS was somehow better...?? C'mon, at least I never fell asleep during a Transformers film. For me to have fallen asleep during a SUPERMAN film has never happened to me before...not until Singer's snore-fest Superman Returns came along.

You may hate Nolan, but he's lightyears beyond Singer. I also don't trust you point of view because you're the same guy who said Gene Hackman's Luthor was "evil" and "threatening" PSH! Hackman's Luthor was a [frick]en JOKE. He was lame, always tried to get real-estate and was just...PATHETIC and STUPID. Probably one of the lamest and dumbest portrayals of a CBM villain EVER.
jaysin420
jaysin420 - 10/28/2010, 4:01 PM
Donner rules, Superman 1 and 2 are absolutely perfect (especially the donner cut of 2).

But I disagree with him here cause this movie needs nonstop action.
LP4
LP4 - 10/28/2010, 4:08 PM
Yeah and his comment that Singer's film was "beautiful" and didn't need "massive action" or "blowing stuff up" Donner is a HACK. I can't believe he's glorifying Singer's Superman film but then turns around and knocks down Bay's Transformer films. They were WAAAAAAAAAAAY better than Superman Returns. He's only glorifying Singer's superman film because it was a 3 hour cock-sucking fest to his old, wrinkly ASS.

Donner needs to shut the [frick] up already, he's only making himself sound stupid and he's trying to bring Superman back to being boring again.
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