“We actually don’t have any current plans for Superman,” said Nelson when asked if the new environment (and the recent legal decision regarding the character) made a “Superman” movie more or less likely in the near future… We’ve obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it’s a key part of the family, but we don’t have current plans behind Superman,” she said.

Legendary pictures had a page online stating that one of their moviesin development was “Superman Unleashed” with the following plot synopsis:

“Ramping up the action of its esteemed predecessor, the sequel to ‘Superman Returns’ promises to raise the stakes and take the audience to heights of action that no other superhero movie can achieve.”

This could just be a working title, but it looks like the ‘Man of Steel’ name given to the Returns sequel is now unlikely. The page with the information has since been removed.

Via /Film

Sorry to get you guys all excited but I have just gotten confirmation from two independent sources that the report was completely false. I don’t know if an interview with James McTeigue actually aired on RTL1 or not (I’m guessing not) but The Wachowski Brothers have definitely never had any talks with DC or Warner Bros to helm a Superman film. This is confirmed.

- McTeigue confirmed that Plastic Man was the next project in the pipeline for the Wachowski’s and he had been signed on to provide Second Unit support. Says the movie has been delayed indefinitely due to a major shake up of projects at WB.

- Bryan Singer has refused to undertake a re-boot of the Superman franchise and has left the Executives at WB with no choice but to take a fresh creative direction.

This is it.…

- He stated the Wachowski Brothers had been approached to re-boot the franchise as a trilogy and they are currently reviewing their options as its like being asked to take the final play in a superbowl final. Says if they do agree, he will likely either succumb to providing second unit support on the movie or will champion the directorship of Plastic Man — He started to giggle as he stated its like a young child for the Brothers and they wont give that up easily.

- Says, the very thought of the brothers making a superman movie is unbelievable as they have grown up in the world of comic books and they would be ideal for the project.

- Stated that Bryan Singer is looking to move on to Logan’s Run a movie to be produced by Joel Silver.

What do you think about a Superman movie helmed by the Wachowskis?

Jordan Hoffman: Bryan, I have to ask you…..The Man of Steel! Superman!

Bryan Singer: I couldn’t – I wish I had an answer.

JH: I’m strapping you to a lie detector right now.

BS: (laughs) Yeah?

JH: You feel that on your arm?

BS: Yeah, yeah.

JH: That’s me strapping a lie detector to you.

BS: Okay.

JH: Tell me something about Superman and you and your relationship together.

BS: I love Superman and I can not tell you anything else. I, uh……

JH: Would you like to tell me something else? But you simply can’t?

BS: I can’t, I….no-no I wish I could! Yeah! I wish I could, but there’s nothing I have to tell. I’ve got a world tour (laughs) press tour on Valkyrie, a premiere in New York, uh –

JH: But there is talk of a new film, though. Are you officially involved in this talk of the new film?

BS: I am not officially involved in the talk, no.

JH: But when talk happens they’ll call you.

BS: Well it’s, you know, I have relationships with Warner Brothers and with the character and, and, and, and it’s just the way things work out.

JH: But you are not divorced from Superman at this point.

BS: No.

JH: All right.

Warner Bros. also put on hold plans for another movie starring multiple superheroes — known as “Batman vs. Superman” — after the $215 million “Superman Returns,” which had disappointing box-office returns, didn’t please executives. “‘Superman’ didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” says Mr. Robinov. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned.” “Had ‘Superman’ worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009,” he adds. “But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.”

[…]

“Superman [Returns] didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” said Robinov. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.”

[…]

Like the recent Batman sequel — which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far — Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as “The Dark Knight.” Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.’ DC properties. “We’re going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it,” he says. That goes for the company’s Superman franchise as well.

Fans have been clamoring all over the web–and on this blog–for a complete reboot. And within the halls of Warner Bros. the same debate rages on. They too believe that the last movie didn’t break the mold and wound up in some kind of middle limbo. Today I was told that it is a priority at the studio to find the right direction and if Bryan Singer is willing to do that, fine, but if he gets in the way, he may not stay on the project. There are no writers working on a Superman script now. The studio wants to figure it out. “It might be better to start from scratch,” one exec admitted.

We’ll keep you posted.

Would you prefer a Superman started from scratch?

“It’s just ‘Man of Steel’ now, I know, they’re busy writing a script and then I trust we’ll be starting next year, early next year. That’s my timeline anyway.”

“I’m just getting back with writers after the strike. We’re just in the development phase. I’m starting to develop a sequel…with the intention of directing it.”

In short, this means that Time Warner may now be liable, pending a court appeal, to pay out for Superman Returns. This ruling may also lead the Shuster’s to follow suit (the other half of the Superman creation team) and claim another large portion of the copyright. Ultimately it all puts the future of The Man of Steel into jeopardy, not to mention the already troubled Justice League film.

NYTimes