Three Actresses in Talks for Superman: Man of Steel Lead; Not Lois Lane

Casting rumors for Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, Superman: Man of Steel continue to roll out of Hollywood.

Today we’re getting word that Snyder has narrowed down his list of potential actresses for the female lead in Man of Steel – a female lead that is not Lois Lane.

Despite rumors and speculation surrounding a-list actresses, such as Olivia Wilde and Rachel McAdams, Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. is looking to cast lesser-known talent for the part – so as to not overshadow there new Superman, Henry Cavill.

While it’s still unknown what character (either old or new) the leading lady will play, the studio has reportedly narrowed the field down to three actresses – Diane Kruger, Rosamund Pike, and Alice Eve.

Check out the candidates below:

Diane Kruger, Rosamund Pike, and Alice Eve

Diane Kruger is probably the most well known of the three, though she’s hardly a household name. Fans will recognize Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, leading lady Abigail Chase in both National Treasure films, as well as Helen of/in Troy.

Similarly, Rosamund Pike has had significant parts in a number of well known films including Maggie (Bruce Willis’ wife) in Surrogates and Bond Girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day.

Alice Eve is likely the least familiar of the potential leading ladies with only a starring turn as Molly in the recent comedy She’s Out of My League to put her on moviegoers’ radar. That said, audiences will be seeing her soon as Emily in the Edgar Allan Poe/Detective mash-up The Raven starring John Cusack.

All three actresses have proven they’ve got what it takes to take the lead in a high-profile film but Diane Kruger is certainly the easiest to see headlining an enormous, high-stakes production like Superman: Man of Steel but, given the studio’s interest in a starlet that doesn’t outshine Cavill, could her resume actually hurt her chances?

Of course the biggest question remains: who will the winner play? Since the upcoming Superman film will focus on “the early days of Superman” it’s certainly possible we could see high school sweetheart Lana Lang – who was featured prominently in both Superman III as well as the CW’s Smallville. That said, since the filmmakers seem to be taking a fresh approach to the film franchise – it’s hard to imagine they’d rely on the same plot line as the recent TV series – with Lois inevitably overtaking Lana.

Superman love interests: Lori Lemaris and Lana Lang

Of course there’s always Lori Lemaris but working in the whole mermaid angle might be a bit convoluted for a franchise reboot – especially one executive produced by Christopher Nolan. Could Snyder take Nolan’s cue and create a non-canon love interest for the Man of Steel, similar to Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins? Of course, Snyder could also follow in Bryan Singer’s footsteps and cast the leading lady as Superman’s daughter… from the future… or something.

Whatever lady-character Snyder has selected, choosing to focus on a pre-Lois Lane female lead is a smart move on Snyder’s part – similar to what Marc Webb and Nolan did with their superhero love interests. Not only will it help differentiate this Superman picture from the Reeves and Routh projects, it’ll also give the filmmakers somewhere to go in future films.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know who you’d like to see get the role – and who you think the actress will play.

Superman: Man of Steel is targeting a December 2012 release date.

Source: Variety

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Olivia Wilde Testing for the Role of Lois Lane in Superman: Man of Steel

This past weekend, Warner Bros. made a huge splash with its announcement that Tudors actor Henry Cavill will play Clark Kent/Superman in Zack Snyder’s Superman: Man of Steel.

But what is a man (or a Superman) without a strong woman behind him?

Tonight, the scoop artists at Latino Review exclusively reported that TRON: Legacy star Olivia Wilde is in talks with Warner Bros. to play Lois Lane in the Superman reboot.

The confirmation comes from an inside source who is working on the upcoming Olivia Wilde film Kin, which co-stars Eric Bana. According to LR’s source, the dates of that film may potentially be pushed back depending on whether or not Wilde gets the part in Superman.

In addition to confirming that Olivia Wilde is in contention for the role, Latino Review is also reporting that Rachel McAdams is also up for the part. Earlier today, the Australian site What’s Playing ran a report that claimed Kristen Stewart, Jessica Biel, Dianna Agron, Malin Ackerman, Kristen Bell, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also were rumored for the role.

It should be no surprise that Olivia Wilde is in the running to play Lois Lane. The 26-year-old actress is the right age to match up with Henry Cavill, and she’s one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. Anytime a new female part is being debated, it seems like Wilde is in the discussion.

Likewise, Rachel McAdams could be another favorite for the role. At 32, McAdams is older than Cavill, but she doesn’t look her age and she has much more of a traditional Lois Lane look. The question is, what kind of Lois Lane does Zack Snyder want to bring to the big screen?

For what it’s worth, I think both Wilde and McAdams would make a good Lois Lane. With the former, you get an edgier more modern look for the character. With the latter, you get a look that better fits the traditional/serious reporter Lois Lane. Either one could be a strong casting decision.

With rumors openly floating around the web and auditions in full swing, I’m willing to bet that we’ll hear lots of casting news from Superman in the coming weeks. Ironically, I’m actually more interested in hearing what the film will actually be about.

In the past, Zack Snyder has said that the movie will follow the early days of Superman, but won’t be based on any specific comics. Apart from that, we know that General Zod isn’t the villain in the movie, and that’s about it.

We’ll be on full Lois Lane alert here at Screen Rant until the part is officially cast. Check back often for the latest news on Superman: Man of Steel.

Source: Latino Review, What’s Playing

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Hans Zimmer Will Score the Superman Reboot

Composer Hans Zimmer frequently collaborates with Christopher Nolan, and it always seemed like a strong possibility that he might score the upcoming Superman reboot, The Man of Steel.  Zimmer previously offered his thoughts on whether or not the iconic themes by John Williams should be utilized for the upcoming reboot film, but gave no confirmation of his involvement.

Zimmer is one of the most in-demand composers currently working and now Thompson on Hollywood is reporting that after he finishes working on the scores for Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Sherlock Holmes 2, and Kung-Fu Panda 2, Zimmer will compose the music for The Man of Steel. (I’m not sure this guy has enough on his plate.)

This tidbit evidently comes from Zimmer himself, who opened up about his future projects during an Inception DVD and Blu-Ray release party Tuesday night.

Nolan and director Zack Snyder are rebuilding the Superman film franchise from the ground up, so unlike Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns – any nods to previous films seems extremely unlikely. I think it’s safe to assume that includes the score.

Here’s what Zimmer said back in October regarding the approach he favored:

“It’s a hard one … but I followed one of the most iconic things on Batman with Chris [Nolan] as well, and it’s the same thing. You are allowed to reinvent, but you have to try to be as good or at least as iconic and it has to resonate and it has to become a part of the zeitgeist. That’s the job. On Gladiator I remember people always talking about Spartacus and I kept telling them, ‘When you saw Spartacus and how it affected it you, that’s how I want a modern audience to be affected by what we do now.’ So I think ultimately you’re supposed to reinvent.”

The Man of Steel is rumored to be a Clark-centric story that focuses on the mild-mannered reporter traveling the globe and coming to terms with his destiny. If that’s true, it sounds incredibly similar to the series Superman: Birthright. Yet, Snyder previously commented that Man of Steel isn’t based on any Superman comic. Regardless, if a total reinvention is the name of the game, it just doesn’t make sense to use any of John Williams’ music. Here’s why:

The theme is in your head right now, isn't it?

That theme music is just too closely associated with past films and with Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Superman. I know many fans probably feel that there’s no way to top a piece of music so completely perfect for the character (and that might be true), but as Zimmer stated – this won’t be the first time he’s been tasked with following up an iconic score.

As a matter of personal taste, I largely prefer Danny Elfman’s Batman scores to Zimmer’s work on Batman Begins and The Dark Knight – but I also realize that anything resembling Elfman’s music would have sounded wildly out of place in Nolan’s films. They had a different tone, style, and sensibility.

If Man of Steel is as different from past Superman films as Batman Begins was from prior Batman movies (and it should be), it’s going to require an entirely different musical approach. Something that’s still suitable for the character, but immediately recognizable as its own entity.

Is Zimmer qualified to deliver such a score? I do prefer him to Snyder’s usual composer, Tyler Bates, and I have no doubt he’ll bring something unique to the table; however, to be totally honest, I was keeping my fingers crossed for Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Up). It was a long shot, I know. Zimmer has a tendency to recycle cues from past work, and his formerly distinctive style is now being imitated by countless other composers.

However, Zimmer does seem to enjoy experimenting with new sounds and I get the feeling he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Do you think he’s a good match for The Man of Steel?

Source: TOH.

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Superman Reboot Plot Rumors; Anne Hathaway As Lois Lane?

The rumor mill for Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman franchise, The Man of Steel, keeps chugging along, even now that speculation about a middle-aged Clark Kent or General Zod as the villain in the film has been laid to rest.

Additional (possibly even accurate) information about the film’s plot has been discovered, while another 20-something, A-list actress is now being rumored as a top contender to play Clark Kent’s object of affection, Lois Lane.

Word is that a character description for Man of Steel has been sent out to a variety of casting agencies, who are currently searching for an unknown, 28-32 year-old actor to play the iconic superhero. What’s Playing claims that Snyder’s Clark Kent will be “a young journalist, traveling the globe, who would rather solve problems and help people without resorting to using his special powers,” and provided the following information about the reboot’s plot:

When he is compelled to use his secret powers to intervene in a crisis in West Africa, Clark returns to Smallville to learn more about his origins and the hero he was born to be.

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Recall that while Superman reboot “godfather” Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was the origin story of the Caped Crusader, it also plumbed the psychological depths of Bruce Wayne and sent him (literally) on a journey to understand himself and his purpose in life. These possible Man of Steel plot details should definitely be taken with a sizable grain of salt, but the proposed storyline would very much pave the way for Nolan and Snyder to examine the Superman character in a fittingly complex fashion.

Allowing Clark Kent to venture out and explore the world would also be an effective means to modernize the character, who would find himself in new territory by actually confronting, head-on, the global issues and crises that afflict the world – outside of Metropolis, that is. Nolan’s Batman films have benefited from shifting the setting beyond that of Gotham City – will the Superman reboot do the same?

Just about every young, established actress working in the biz right now has been (and likely will be again) floated as a possibility to play the role of Lois Lane in Snyder’s Superman reboot. While Warner Bros. was interested in Natalie Portman a while ago, the new gal rumored to be a serious contender for the part is Anne Hathaway.

The Oscar-nominated Hathaway would be a decent choice for the role of Miss Lane, though we agree with The Playlist that someone like Rebecca Hall (The Town) seems like a better fit to play the character, who has more than her share of beauty, brains, and focus on her career – especially when Superman is in the picture.

The Man of Steel is expected to begin shooting by June 2011, so it’s a bit early to expect any concrete information about the film’s plot or casting decisions to leak out just yet – but what do you make of these new rumors?

Source: What’s Playing

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Jon Hamm Mocks Middle-Aged Superman on ‘Conan’

Conan O’Brien continued premiering his new TBS late night talk show, Conan, last night, and one of the guests in attendance was none other than Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm.

Aside from Hamm being famous for playing suave ad man Donal Draper, or Liz Lemon’s hook-handed ex-beau on 30 Rock, Hamm’s name has also recently been a focus of the blogosphere, in connection to the lead role of Superman in Zack Snyder’s upcoming film The Man of Steel, which is being produced by Chris Nolan.

While on Conan, Hamm was asked by the late night host what he thought about fans nominating him for the role of Superman/Clark Kent, and Hamm’s response was clearly at wink to those who’ve voiced the opinion that the actor is too old to play the most powerful superhero in the world.

The video clip of Hamm’s appearance on Conan is about 8:00 long – the talk about his candidacy for the Superman role starts up at about the 6:30 mark:

Hamm’s a been a good sport about this whole thing – pretty much letting the hot air of Superman rumor-mongering blow past him without getting involved. It’s nice to see that he has a good sense of humor about the negative end of the opinion spectrum – and despite recent rumors that DC/Warner Bros. is looking for Middle-aged Supermen, Hamm doesn’t appear to have any real burning, egotistical desire to own the Superman role. I guess playing a ladykiller who gets drunk and laid every day is sufficient enough.

Anyway, the rumor mill has kind of taken its spotlight off of Jon Hamm in recent weeks – the new focus is True Blood star Joe Manganiello possibly playing Superman. I’ll admit I was one of those fans who was on “Team Hamm,” but maybe there still hope down the line for him (and some other key aging leading men) to play the DC superheroes we know in love in a different form…say a Kingdom Come or Dark Knight Returns movie?

The Man of Steel is due in theaters during the Holiday season of 2012. Stay tuned, as we’ll probably find out who is playing the new Superman fairly soon.

BONUS: If you haven’t been watching, check out this skit from a recent episode of Conan (which airs 11pm weeknights on TBS). It’s pretty funny.

Source: TBS

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