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A hint of things to come in ''Superman Returns'' | 155140__clarkekent_l
illustration by John Ueland

From which prestigious institution of higher learning did Clark Kent earn his journalism degree?

A: ''Ummm...is that a trick question?'' asks a baffled Routh. Kinda: The matter of Clark's college education has always been a little fuzzy; according to current Superman comic-book continuity, it's Metropolis University. Nonetheless, Clark is a qualified if klutzy working journalist, and Routh says he dug doing the mild-mannered-reporter thing. ''First of all, I love doing comedy,'' says Routh. ''And second, I didn't have to wear a harness in those scenes.'' The exterior of the new Daily Planet building is Old Hollywood art deco — ''I wanted it to feel like it was frozen in the 1930s,'' says Singer — but the interior is modeled after the current offices of the New York Daily News, a nod to Richard Donner's 1978 Superman film, whose Daily Planet building was actually the old Daily News building. Got that?

Is Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor the spitting image of Gene Hackman's legendary Lex Luthor?

A: Only cosmetically. (And follicularly.) Spacey's Lex is much more classically eeeevil than Hackman's tongue-in-cheek take. The villain's master plan in Superman Returns is one of the film's most closely guarded plot points — something about swindling a fortune, infiltrating Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and a mysterious island. (What is this — Lost?) ''Kevin is fantastic in the film,'' says Singer, who guided Spacey's Oscar-winning performance in The Usual Suspects. ''There's a lot of humor, but there's also a real sadistic quality that makes him a really interesting Luthor.'' Superman and his archenemy have only a few scenes together, ''which [made it] all the more important to get them right,'' says Routh.

TRUE OR FALSE: Millions of dollars and countless hours have been spent in postproduction twiddling with the Man of Steel's, uh, manhood.

A: ''False,'' sighs Singer, responding to the rumor that Warner Bros. is worried that Superman's bulge is too distracting — or not distracting enough. ''I have no idea where the rumor started,'' says the director, ''but it just makes no sense. Besides, we don't have that kind of time! There are 1,400 special-effects shots in the movie. If we had to change every shot in which Brandon's crotch appears, we'd be here forever!'' But Singer does admit that the question of just how supersize the wholesome hero's package should be ''was discussed in-depth during preproduction. I mean, he is Superman, so you don't want to freak anybody out. But he is a super man.'' Singer pauses. ''I really want to give you a really dramatic and funny quote about this that you could blow up really big, and then connect it to a really big circle around Superman's crotch...but there's just no controversy here.''


Posted Apr 07, 2006 | Published in issue #872 Apr 14, 2006 | Order Article Reprints
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