Latest news with #ofSteel
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Heroism takes flight in latest Superman film
QUIRKY Hollywood director James Gunn's new take on the Man of Steel, simply titled 'Superman', is nothing short of a cosmic delight. Forget everything you thought you knew about the last few iterations. This one is a breath of fresh, super-powered air that reminds us why we fell in love with the Last Son of Krypton in the first place. Right from the get-go, Superman isn't wasting time with another origin story. We're plunged straight into a world where Kal-El has been Metropolis' protector for a good three years, even having faced his first major setback. This isn't the brooding, conflicted hero we've seen before. This is a Superman (David Corenswet, more on him later!) who is trying his best, still learning and, crucially, brimming with that good old-fashioned hope that has been sorely missed. The storyline, which sees our hero entangled in a political powder keg between the militarised Boravia and the struggling Jarhanpur, all while Lex Luthor, played by a chillingly good Nicholas Hoult, schemes in the background, is complex without being convoluted. It's a narrative that explores Superman's place in a nuanced, sometimes messy world, yet never loses sight of his core mission: to save people, with as little collateral damage as possible. And oh, the acting! Corenswet steps into those iconic red boots with captivating ease. He's not just playing Superman; he is Superman. His earnestness, that undeniable optimism that radiates from him, and his ability to convey both the mighty hero and the charmingly awkward Clark Kent are simply superb. Many are drawing parallels to the legendary Christopher Reeve, and for good reason. Corenswet's Clark is wonderfully human — a bit clumsy, utterly sincere, and you can't help but root for him. Then there's Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. What a powerhouse! She's sharp, witty and resourceful, and her chemistry with Corenswet is off the charts. You truly believe in their dynamic, and it's a joy to watch their relationship unfold on screen. And Hoult's Lex Luthor? He's pure, unadulterated villainy wrapped in a sophisticated package. His narcissism and sheer cunning make him a genuinely formidable foe, a true standout in a sea of cinematic antagonists. Now, let's talk about the spectacle. The pacing is fast, almost relentless, which means you're constantly on the edge of your seat. Some might find it a tad rushed, but honestly, nothing drags here. The film just moves, pulling you along for the ride. But where 'Superman' truly excels, and where it demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible, are the action scenes. They are, to put it mildly, breathtaking. The flying sequences are so magnificent and immersive, you almost feel the wind in your hair. There's one scene where Superman glides down to shield a child from an attack that is nothing short of a masterclass in visual storytelling. The special effects are top-tier, the sound design is immersive, and the choreography? It's like watching a comic book panel spring to life before your very eyes. This is the kind of cinematic experience IMAX was made for! Compared with previous iterations, Gunn's 'Superman' feels like a genuine return to form. It sheds the darker, grittier tones of its predecessors and embraces the inherent optimism and hope that defines the character. This isn't a film weighed down by existential dread; it's a celebration of heroism, a reminder that even in a complex world, there's always room for a beacon of light. The new Superman is definitely worth a watch for comic book superhero fans. It's entertaining, visually stunning and delivers a much-needed dose of joy and inspiration. Those who have not caught it should make a beeline to the cinema. You'll leave feeling like you can fly. NOW SHOWING SUPERMAN Directed by James Gunn Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult Duration: 130 mins Classification: 13
Kuwait Times
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
‘Superman' triumphs once again at North American box office
The Man of Steel has staying power: 'Superman' topped the North American box office for a second week running and surpassed the $400 million mark worldwide, industry estimates showed Sunday. Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned $57.3 million in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said. That puts its North American take at $235 million and its international sales at $171 million - or $406 million globally. 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' - the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga - also held its ground in second place at $23.4 million. Its worldwide total stands at $647.2 million. The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets - and genetically mutated dinosaurs - are lurking. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' a sequel to two 1990s slasher hits that bring back the franchise's original stars Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, opened in third place at a disappointing $13 million. 'This is another horror series returning after a long layoff, in this case after 27 years,' said industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. 'Generally, the layoffs don't bother these films; in fact, they get stronger... that's not happening here.' 'Smurfs,' the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, opened in a lackluster fourth place with $11 million in North American ticket sales. 'F1: The Movie,' the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, finished in fifth place at $9.6 million. 'The current lineup in theaters is strong, with a broad selection of big titles including superheroes, action, monsters, horror and animation,' said Gross. 'Superman' will soon get a new superhero rival when Marvel's hotly anticipated 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' starring Pedro Pascal hits theaters in the coming days. Rounding out the top 10 were: 'How to Train Your Dragon' ($5.4 million) 'Eddington' ($4.3 million) 'Elio' ($2.0 million) 'Lilo & Stitch' ($1.5 million) '28 Years Later' ($1.3 million). — AFP
Buzz Feed
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
James Gunn On Replacing Henry Cavill As Superman
If your social media algorithm is anything like mine, then I imagine you've probably seen a lot of hype surrounding Superman, which released in theaters earlier this month. Along with Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, the new movie marks David Corenswet's first outing as Superman, following in the footsteps of Henry Cavill, who played the iconic role for nearly a decade before him. If you can cast your mind back to late 2022, you might remember the confusion surrounding Henry's departure from the role. For context, in October that year, he announced that he'd be returning to play the Man of Steel, and then, less than two months later, he issued a statement saying that there'd been a change of plan. 'It's sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,' he shared on Instagram at the time, saying that he'd been 'told by the studio to announce [his] return back in October.' 'This news isn't the easiest, but that's life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that.' This all coincided with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over DC Studios in November 2022, and now, James — who directed and co-wrote the new Superman film — has opened up about the 'terrible' behind-the-scenes miscommunication that landed Henry in such an 'unfair' situation. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, James said that, despite Henry announcing his return, there were already plans on paper to take Superman in a different, younger direction. 'It was terrible…The day our [DC] deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,' the filmmaker said. 'And I'm like, 'What is going on?' We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do Superman.' James put the miscommunication surrounding Henry's return down to other parts of the studio trying to 'force' a vision for DC that was 'never part of the equation.' This, he said, was 'really unfair to [Henry] and a total bummer.' 'That was really unfortunate,' James continued. 'So Peter and I [thought] the right thing to do was to sit down with [Henry] and talk to him. And we sat down and we talked to him. He was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it. He said, 'The only thing I ask is that I'm able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys.'' As we now know, Henry was able to break the news himself, and six months later, it was announced that David Corenswet — who is 10 years younger than Henry — would be donning the cape next. And here we are! You can find James's full Happy Sad Confused interview here. Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
Spectator
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Superman has always been ‘woke'
The moment I heard that there'd been a backlash against James Gunn's reboot of the Superman franchise on the grounds that he'd ruined this great American icon by turning the Man of Steel 'woke', I thought, sign me up! Until then, I hadn't been planning to go. Even as a longtime enthusiast for all things men-in-tights, I have always found the big blue schoolboy a bit of a bore. But now I was intrigued. Were they going to make the Man of Steel gender fluid? Have him bop some thinly disguised avatar of Donald Trump on the nose like Captain America socking Hitler? Friends, I was bitterly disappointed. Of wokeness, in this messy and basically terrible new movie, there was very little sign. It turns out that there's one scene in which Lex Luthor denounces him as an 'alien' – which he is – and Supes makes some syrupy speech about our common humanity. This, I guess, has been taken to be a ruthless attack on ICE's mission to purge the US of immigrants. And, y'know, our hero stops one country with a very well-funded military from invading its armed-with-sticks-and-stones neighbours (it's Israel/Palestine! No: it's Russia/Ukraine!… or maybe it is, even more insidious, a general principle). And the villain is a megalomaniac tech billionaire, which comic book villains have been since long before megalomaniac tech billionaires actually became comic book villains. All comic book properties these days are positively marinated in nostalgia But if you think that broad-brush comic book endorsements of defending the weak against the strong, or objecting to rolling tanks over people armed with sticks and stones, or any suggestion that undocumented aliens can be human too, constitutes 'woke propaganda', you need to give your head a bit of a wobble. If standing up for 'truth, justice and the American way' strikes you as unfairly partisan, we may have to start wondering what principles we're allowed to give goodies in movies. I thought it was the left that these guys liked to accuse of moral relativism. Also, I can't wait to tell you about Jesus. Does it need repeating for the zillionth time that by these standards, Superman has always been 'woke'? That he was the creation of two nerdy Jewish boys whose families fled European anti-Semitism, that he made his debut just before the second world war made its debut, and that opposition to fascism was kind of his big thing? Do we have to dig out all those spot-coloured panels from half a century ago in which Superman piously lectures passers-by about how un-American it is to discriminate against people on the grounds of race, creed or colour? The more interesting and more subtle question, I think, is not to do with the predictable conniptions that this children's movie has caused in pantwetting Maga influencers of a certain stripe. It is, rather, that of whether superhero movies (and comics) are by their nature not 'woke' but, at a deep level, what the young people would call fascist-coded. There's a decent case that they are. Their narrative roots are in the oral mythologies of the pre-democratic, pre-Christian world. They are myths, and their heroes are spandex-clad godlings, and their basic message is that humanity needs the vigilante violence of near-invincible individuals, answerable only to themselves, to keep it on the straight and narrow. Comic book universes and superhero stories offer the fantasy of a world in which problems are simple to solve through violence, and the goodies and baddies are painted in bold bright colours – the same fantasy populist and, at the extreme of this tendency, fascist politics depend on. It can't have escaped anyone that 'superman' is the most common translation of Nietzsche's 'Ubermensch' – and we know who loved that idea. Also, all comic book properties these days are positively marinated in nostalgia – the nostalgia of the grown adults who encounter them now for the pristine thrill of their childhood encounters with these characters (I don't mind admitting that includes me). And nostalgia is a cornerstone of fascism – a fantasy of returning to a simpler, purer world before the wokes or the postmodernists or the feminists or the rootless cosmopolitans ruined it for everyone. All these, be it said, are points that the more intelligent writers of superhero comics have repeatedly addressed. Marvel's Civil War plotline (somewhat adapted for the Avengers movie) addressed the vigilante question: unexpectedly and interestingly, Captain America (Marvel's own big blue schoolboy), comes out in the no-democratic-oversight corner, while Iron Man goes to bat for democratic oversight and the military-industrial complex. Alan Moore's Watchmen – named for its on-the-nose evocation of Juvenal ('quis custodiet…') – had looked at just the same issue some years earlier. It concluded that anyone who wanted to set the world to rights by dressing up in a cape and mask and beating spit out of the bad guys deserved a psychological once-over. And it's no accident that 'Nostalgia' was the brand name of the villain's perfume. At the same time as that, back in the late 1980s, Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns drew thrilling power from the mythic grandeur of its set-up, without stinting on the darker aspects of that set-up's appeal: Bats, in despair at juvenile delinquents and liberal apologists for the Joker, comes out of retirement to beat and murder these unwelcome avatars of modernity. (Frank Miller's later politics suggest that he may have got a bit too high on his own supply.) So we can rebuke comics for peddling dangerously simplistic narratives of violent redress by godlike creatures answering to nothing so boring as democracy or the rule of law. But at the same time, I'd suggest we should also step back and – rather than getting our knickers in a twist about whether they are woke propaganda or fascist myth-making – sidestep the whole thing by recognising that they are children's entertainments. Children's entertainments can and should be enjoyed by grown-ups too, but their moral outlooks only make a difference in the world when those grown-ups are childish enough to think that they need to. I took my 11-year-old. What's your excuse?
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Superman second weekend holds strong with 54 percent drop, eyes $400 million global milestone
DC Studios' Superman continues to perform steadily at the box office, with a modest 54% drop in its second weekend. reports the reboot is on track to earn $57 million domestically this weekend, bringing its U.S. total to $235 million. In comparison, 2013's Man of Steel dropped 65% in its second weekend, grossing $41 million for a total of $210 million. While Superman isn't dramatically ahead, it signals encouraging interest in the DC Universe's relaunch. Internationally, Superman has collected $142.8 million through Friday, lifting its worldwide total to $337.2 million. With momentum still building, the film is expected to surpass the $400 million mark globally by Sunday. However, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to debut soon, Superman could face a tougher road ahead. Projections suggest the film might conclude its run between $550 million and $650 million — a range that may just allow it to break even, given its estimated $300 million production and marketing budget. Director James Gunn has acknowledged the pressure on the film, but remains optimistic. 'They hear these numbers that the movie's only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something and it's just complete and utter nonsense,' he recently said. 'It doesn't need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.' Despite its financial challenges, Superman has garnered critical praise. 'Superman is an indescribable joy,' said 'A beautiful, moving thrill... David Corenswet is the perfect Man of Steel.' The cast includes Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, and others, under Gunn's direction. With strong word-of-mouth and solid week-to-week performance, Superman remains a bright spot for the DCU. Superman is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
