FROM THE ARCHIVES: J.J. ABRAMS TALKS "SUPERMAN"

With MTV's new interview with J.J. Abrams about how he would potentially be interested in revisiting the Superman movie script he had written at the beginning of the decade, VFK decided to dip into the archives to resurrect this 2002 interview with Abrams in which he talked a (tiny) bit about the project. As fans may recall, a review of his script was posted on Aint It Cool News and it was truly shredded. Shortly thereafter Warner Bros., based on fan outcry based on the review, shelved the script. Of course given Abrams' current status in Hollywood, WB could very seriously reconsider that screenplay. Back in 2002, while Abrams was in the midst of production on the second season of Alias, he spoke to VFK Editor Edward Gross about the project. He doesn't reveal much in the way of details, but certainly expresses his enthusiasm over the project. This was the version that was supposed to be directed by McG and potentially starring Brendan Fraser as Superman. VOICES FROM KRYPTON: The real question, of course, is how you came to be signed on as the writer of the new Superman film. 

J.J. ABRAMS: Pretty simple, really. They approached me about doing the movie. I took a meeting. For me, I miss doing movies. I love doing TV, but I wanted to do another film. What’s been nice is working with producers with incredible records, like Jerry Bruckheimer and my idols. What’s wonderful about working on Superman is that as a kid I was the biggest fan. My three and a half year old son goes to bed almost every night wearing a Superman shirt. I couldn’t pass it up. 

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: What’s the approach to the material? 

J.J. ABRAMS: What’s nice is that after a lot of years of trying to get this going and not succeeding, everyone’s coming at it with a very fresh, open mind. What’s exciting for me is that we’ve got some incredible, really big ideas that go beyond just the one story we’re telling. ALIAS has actually been an amazing training ground for me. In this Superman we’re talking a lot about where he’s come from and where he’s going. I can’t talk about specifics, but I can tell you that there are a lot of exciting, big ideas. I think it’s Superman for everyone and not just for people who already know the character. It’s for the uninitiated. 

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Do you feel the first two Christopher Reeve films are a tremendous shadow to overcome, or do you basically just ignore them? 

J.J. ABRAMS: I think it’s really a question of embracing what has come before it. This, in many ways, is a retelling of Superman. They did four of those movies, then they did Supergirl — you have to start fresh. I don’t think this should be looked at as the fifth sequel. 

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: From what I’ve gathered from people I’ve spoken to in the past, producer Jon Peters isn’t much of a fan of the Superman costume or the image of Superman flying. This, of course, begs the question: why bother making a Superman movie? 

J.J. ABRAMS: It’s safe to say that if Superman doesn’t fly, it would be a disappointment. I do think that we’re approaching this in a very fresh way, but there are certain things that people have come to realize are important. You have to have the costume and you want to do a Superman movie that will be so satisfying. I’m so sick of going to big blockbuster movies and leaving feeling like I died a little bit, like, “Oh my God, how disappointing was that?” What’s so exciting for us is that we’re approaching this thing knowing and feeling the kind of movie that as kids we used to see. I feel that we’re going to try as hard as we can to make this a satisfying experience.