At this point, what director isn’t interested in Warner Bros. gestating “Superman: Man Of Steel”? From new kids on the block like Matt Reeves to auteurs like Darren Aronofsky, it appears the Christopher Nolan-godfathered film is trying everyone in Hollywood on for size.
Buried in Deadline’s exclusive on a new live action Robert Zemeckis project, the site reveals the director “has lately been rumored to be kicking the tires on such live action projects as Superman.” The name is a bit of surprise considering Zemeckis has been following his motion capture muse for the last ten years with “Beowulf,” “A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express” and it’s been two decades since his last major live action tentpole film, “Back To The Future III.” But he definitely knows his way around effects, and is a respected director, so it’s not entirely out of the question (and he’s a much better choice than say, Tony Scott).
As for the live-action project, his first since 2000’s “Cast Away,” Zemeckis is attached to produce and possibly direct a pitch picked up by Warner Bros. called “Timeless” by Mike Thompson. Thompson, who wrote “Dragonfly” and “Love Happens,” is best known in Hollywood circles for teaming with Brandon Camp and earning a big day for their script “Steinbeck’s Big Day.” The film gained heat when Tom Cruise showed interest in the project, and the duo ended up earning millions thanks to play or pay deals when it fell apart. No word yet on the plot details for “Timeless” except that it’s a time travel film.
We presume with Zemeckis eyeing other projects that his “Yellow Submarine” remains on the back burner. The director was also looking at the futuristic young adult novel “Dark Falls” earlier this year, and that also remains on his plate as a potential project.