Kevin Smith Reveals Superman Movie Story WB Originally Pitched Him

Kevin Smith revealed the pitch Warner Bros. sent to him regarding a Superman movie back in 1996. Smith has long been associated with the iconic superhero, going back to the beginning of his career. Not only has he mentioned his love of the DC superhero in his movies multiple times, but he was also attached to write a script for Superman Lives, which eventually turned into Tim Burton and Nic Cage's canceled 1990s Superman movie.

An anecdote about his experience working with Jon Peters on developing that script went viral after telling it in the early 2000s. He was also an integral part of the 2015 documentary The Death of Superman Lives, detailing how the project fell apart. Smith has since gone on to work on several CW shows featuring DC characters, including Supergirl, but he hasn't been involved with the DC Extended Universe as a writer or director. Instead, he spends his days hosting his podcast and directing his independently-funded movies.

Smith revealed the full contents of a letter he got from WB in 1996 asking him to write their Superman movie on the latest episode of his podcast, Fatman Beyond. Smith says he found the letter while going through some old cabinets and details the movie's pitch, which involves Superman losing everything, including Lois Lane and his superpowers, and working to rebuild his life while also fighting off Brainiac. Smith shows off the letter, which has a date of May 15, 1996. You can read his full comments from the podcast, including the entire contents of the letter, below:

I've been cleaning my office and I found some s--t and I just wanted to share this with you all. This is from Warner Bros. and it's from, I don't know if you can see the date there, the date is May 15th of 1996. What I hold in my hand is a 24-year-old Warner Bros. letter. May I read it to you? “It's time for the rebirth of a hero. As you know, we are making a new Superman film, taking the world's most famous superhero into the 21st century. The enclosed collection of comic books forms the basis of the take outline. We would love to discuss this with Kevin Smith at his earliest convenience.” This was the storyline that I was handed. Ready? “Alienated from the world he protects, convinced his relationship with Lois Lane is doomed, Superman is suddenly defeated and left for dead by the villain Brainiac, an intergalactic genius intent upon collecting the best DNA in the universe. Superman is secretly nursed back to health by his mentor Cadmus only to discover he has lost his superpowers. As Lois mourns the loss of her love and Brainiac frantically searches for Superman's body, the Man of Steel returns, disguised, using a high-tech bodysuit to fight while he attempts to regain his superpowers. While battling Brainiac's henchmen Parasite and Banshee, Superman rediscovers his powers and his love for Lois Lane. In a final showdown, Superman destroys Brainiac and saves the world that he has come to call home.”

Smith's stories about the tortured pre-production process on Superman Lives are legend, including his most famous tale, which involves Superman fighting a giant spider. However, this is the first time the public has heard Warner Bros. plans for the movie in full detail. The unmade film is the subject of endless debate, with many saying its weird approach, plus Burton and Cage's presence may have made it the most interesting Superman movie to date.

Smith has famously said he'd love to see his script made into an animated movie. However, that's unlikely to happen, but it would be interesting to compare the finished product with the outline detailed in the letter from WB. Honestly, the best way to experience this version of Superman is via the late Jon Schnepp's The Death of Superman Lives documentary. Schnepp's masterpiece details the whole ordeal and even includes a look at some Brainiac concept art. Interestingly, despite Brainiac being pitched in the 90s, the villain has never appeared in a Superman movie.

Wonder Woman 1984 Chinese Box Office Plummets 92% In Second Weekend

Wonder Woman 1984 fell 92% at the Chinese box office during its second week in theaters there. The film debuted in China on December 16, nine days before its stateside premiere on HBO Max and select theaters. After its release, fan reviews on ticketing apps complained about the film's lack of action. The critical reaction mirrored the film's reception in the US.

Initially, Wonder Woman 1984 was well-received. Even though critical reception has fallen in the US since, that did not stop the film from having the highest-grossing weekend for any film during the pandemic. That box office even boosted movie theater stocks and helped revitalized fatalist views on the state of the exhibition industry. Still, it looks like the box office outside of the US is less than promising.

According to THR, the film's box office take in China dropped a whopping 92% in its second weekend. In total, Wonder Woman 1984 took in $1.5 million, bested by Hong Kong actioner Shock Wave 2. The film, which cost roughly $200 million, is now sitting at a total of $23.9 million in China. 2017's Wonder Woman grossed $90.5 million in the country, but the sequel isn't expected to gross much more than what it already has.

One tricky thing about early reviews - studios will typically invite people who are particularly excited to see the film early, potentially inflating initial reception. This could account for the film's lukewarm reception once it was available to general audiences. Wonder Woman 1984 also lost its Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a stark difference between early reactions and the general public's response.

The fall at China's box office is particularly worrying. Word of mouth drives the Chinese box office more than it does the US box office. If people don't like a film, it's likely they will make it known. With China being the second-largest box office market in the world, Warner Bros. was hoping the theatrical release there could make up for the thousands of theaters closed in the US. Now that it's clear that the Chinese box office won't be making up the difference, Warner Bros. will have to put all their hopes into recouping as much profit as they can through PVOD. Wonder Woman 1984 is still in its first week of release in the US - it has about three weeks left on HBO Max. Once it's done there, it will likely move to PVOD at a premium price, giving Warner Bros. the potential to make up for the losses.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Reveals In-Engine Gameplay Trailer | Screen Rant

The crew at GSC Game World released an in-engine gameplay teaser for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, which is meant to depict "how the game actually feels." Though the studio originally announced the sequel back in 2018, it didn't resurface until earlier this year. During Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase over the summer, the shooter bubbled to the top once more, complete with news that it would launch in 2021 as a console exclusive on Xbox platforms.

Based on the 1979 sci-fi film Stalker, which itself loosely takes inspiration from the novel Roadside Picnic, STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl launched in 2007 as an open-world FPS title. In the decade-plus since its release, the shooter has gained somewhat of a cult status, as so many were fond of its bleak setting and gameplay design. Fortunately, the little that's known about STALKER 2 suggests GSC Game World won't stray far from what fans love about the property.

Today, the studio let loose a first look at in-engine gameplay footage for STALKER 2. The teaser trailer runs a hair over 50 seconds in length, letting viewers get a sneak peak at a few environments and the game world's ever-present danger. In a statement, the team told IGN the video was designed to convey "how the game actually feels: fast-paced change of scenery, ominous landscapes and the ever-present feeling of an inevitable danger accompanied by a barely-distinguishable guitar soundtrack."

As of now, full-on gameplay has yet to be shown off. Still, this quick teaser trailer appears to offer a good preview of the development team's overall vision. And it's neat to see just how the developer is putting the Unreal Engine to use with environments, lighting, and weather effects. Now, the question is when GSC Game World plans to showcase more of the long-awaited sequel in action. Because the title has a nebulous 2021 release window, additional details could surface at almost any given time - akin to today's surprise teaser footage.

When STALKER 2 does eventually launch, it will mark the first time console players have been able to experience the franchise's gritty, post-apocalyptic setting. Although, PlayStation and Xbox users have explored another series that harbors some of STALKER's DNA. The much-beloved Metro series, also based on Russian literature, comes from 4A Games whose founding members once worked on STALKER ahead of the first game's debut.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is scheduled to be released on PC and Xbox Series X|S on an unspecified date in 2021.

Source: IGN

Sony Offers Refunds For Recent Purchases Of PS Plus Game Maneater

Sony made a very generous move this week for PlayStation Plus subscribers regarding Tripwire Interactive's Maneater. A Reddit user who recently purchased the survival game logged on to find that Sony had refunded them for Maneater since the ShaRkPG is being added to PS Plus for free in January. The automatic refund was a pleasant surprise for PS Plus subscribers, since users typically have to ask customer service for refunds in these scenarios.

Maneater was released back in May for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with later ports on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. A Nintendo Switch version is slated to arrive in the first half of 2021. The game sees players take control of a female bull shark who must evolve and survive in the ocean by attacking people, with an ultimate goal of taking down the fisherman who disfigured the shark and killed her mother. The single-player adventure was initially meant to be an expansion for the 2014 multiplayer shark game Depth, but grew to become a standalone product. Maneater even includes collectibles from the classic Jaws series and was said to draw inspiration from Jaws Unleashed.

Reddit user BraeWhyit revealed that when they booted up their PS5, they noticed that Sony offered them a refund for Maneater, which they had purchased last month. According to the message, Sony will refund the purchase price of the game to users' PlayStation Store wallets because of Maneater's addition to PS Plus, where subscribers receive monthly free games and access to online multiplayer. "This will not affect your ability to play the game as we have not removed the game from your library," the message added.

After receiving a few questions about how the license works with PS Plus, BraeWhyit clarified that they do get to keep the license and will not lose the game if they end their PS Plus subscription. In other words, unlike typical PS Plus titles downloaded during their free period, users will get to hold onto Maneater forever and for free if they purchased it before January, even if they drop their subscription.

The open world RPG's addition to PS Plus comes just months after players received free next-gen Maneater upgrades alongside the arrival of the PS5 and Series X|S. The upgrades brought ray-traced graphics to the game, as well as 4K and 60 FPS gameplay and haptic feedback on the PS5 DualSense controller. PC players can also expect an upgrade for the hit title in 2021.

These automatic refunds for Maneater are certainly an unexpected yet pleasant gesture from Sony, considering the money they'd be losing from the offer. As fans may know, it is possible to receive refunds on newly-free games that PS Plus subscribers recently purchased, but only if negotiated with Sony customer service. Sony has really been pushing PS Plus alongside the PS5, so this Maneater gesture could be another effort to draw fans to the service. Perhaps other games will receive the same treatment in the future.