I actually kind of expected this. The Playlist is reporting that Man Of Steel, the upcoming Superman reboot from director Zack Snyder, has suffered a delay. The film is currently in pre-production and the release date has been moved from December 2012 to June 2013. To be more specific, June 14, 2013.
It’s probably a smart move as well to delay the film. December 2012 is packed with high profile films like The Lone Ranger, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, and of course The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
By moving the film, Warner Bros. is also looking at a clearer schedule in terms of superhero films, now that The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man are out of the way. It may have been nice to have another year packed full of superhero films but hey, why not save some for 2013, right?
The delay is unfortunate but if it means that they’ll have more time to work on the film, then I’m all for it. Trust me, no one wants to see this film succeed more than I do. I love Zack Snyder. He hasn’t made one bad film yet. Ok, fine, Watchmen wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t bad. And yes, I did like Sucker Punch, I liked it a lot actually.
That being said, most of the world hates Snyder right now. If Watchmen didn’t fuel the hatred then I’m sure Sucker Punch did. The guy is skating on thin ice and has almost too much to prove with Man Of Steel. If it’s a flop, his career will likely take a turn for the worst. He has a lot riding on the film and if the delay means we’ll get a better final product, then sure, go ahead and delay it. Fine by me.
Warner Bros. also has a lot riding on this one. They need another franchise, especially since Harry Potter is now gone and the caped crusader is making his departure next year. Green Lantern wasn’t exactly what they had hoped for and they need another huge franchise that is going to bring in the big bucks. Man Of Steel could be that film, or it could be a total flop. Only time will tell.
Either way, both Snyder and the studio have a lot riding on this one and it will be interesting to see how it turns out.