Five Names Reportedly on Christopher Nolan’s Shortlist to Direct Superman

Deadline is reporting that Christopher Nolan has narrowed down a short list of five directors to potentially direct the David Goyer-scripted Superman reboot, which he is producing, due out in theaters December 2012. The report said that Nolan and wife/producing partner Emma Thomas have even begun meeting with said directors to discuss whether they’d be right for the project. He’s also doing all this as he’s working on the script for Batman 3 that his brother Jonah wrote. See which directors are on Nolan’s list after the break.

In alphabetical order:

• Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code)
• Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles, Clash of the Titans 2 [upcoming])
• Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Cloverfield)
• Tony Scott (Man on Fire, The Taking of Pelham 123)
• Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch)

Very eye brow raising, isn’t it? There isn’t anything in the report saying how Nolan settled on these particular directors. Actually, I’m starting to second guess the legitimacy of these names. Both Snyder and Liebesman have prior obligations that would undoubtedly cause scheduling conflicts with fast-tracked, $200+ Superman movie. Snyder looks keen to direct Frank Miller’s 300 spin-off, Xerxes next. And Liebesman has already committed to directing Clash of the Titans sequel for Warner Bros. Also, Ain’t It Cool News head honcho Harry Knowles Tweeted:

fyi – SUPERMAN director story – “most of the names on that list have never been discussed” fyi…

So, even with the conflicting reports, it’s still fun to speculate. And there is surely some truth to the report, as Deadline is usually very reliable. If this ends up being the the fab five for Supes, here is how I would rank them in order of preference:

1. Duncan Jones–For those of you who haven’t seen his indie sci-fi drama Moon, you really should. Jones wrote and directed the film, which is a great character study of a man’s progression into madness,  featuring a brilliant performance by Sam Rockwell. Jones just recently wrapped production on his newest sci-fi drama Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which is due out next year. Jones is a young, talented director, with a passion for science fiction, which Superman most definitely is. And he’s got a great sensibility for storytelling and character development, which Superman most definitely needs. I think with Nolan’s guidence, he would make the best choice.

2. Matt Reeves–He’s the guy who directed Cloverfield, which I really enjoyed. I thought was a very innovative sci-fi/action/disaster movie that he made very unique and memorable. His current film, Let Me In, is  getting RAVE reviews, and looks to be a home run. Reeves is also fairly young, 44, and seems to have a visionary sense that is just starting to grow. For me, Jones just “feels” right for the job, but if it ends up being Reeves, I’ll be  happy too.

3. Zack Snyder–Snyder has already proven that he “gets” comic books as source material, as both 300 and Watchmen were great graphic novel adaptations. He’s also worked with huge budgets before, so that would be a plus. BUT, Snyder has a very distinct and apparent stylized way of film-making that may not be right for Superman. If he were to get it, I would be totally fine with it. But again, scheduling could be a problem.

4. Jonathan Liebesman–The only movie if seen of this guy is Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The beginning from 2006. I mean, I think he did a good job directing? It was pretty much just Leatherface torturing people for two hours. But he did just wrap on Battle: Los Angleles, the slated alien invasion-action film that has been described as “Independence Day meets Black Hawk Down.” That is scheduled for a May 2011 release. So, I haven’t seen enough of Liebesman’s work to make an accurate judgment, which is why he’s #4.

5. Tony Scott–I’m just going to say this as plain as I can: HELL F*CKING NO! Look, I love a lot of Tony Scott’s movies. Top Gun, Crimson Tide and Enemy of the State are all classics, but his music video, seizure-inducing editing and puzzling current fetish with trains, makes Tony Scott is a no-brainer thumbs down. Plus he’s pushing 70 years-old. Superman needs a young, energetic vision to create a young, energetic reboot.

Stay tuned to The Movie Mash for more updates.

What Do You Think? Discuss.