Images of the Costume Sculpts from Tim Burton’s Failed Superman Adaptation, SUPERMAN LIVES

by     Posted 2 years, 233 days ago

superman_lives_costume_sculpt_slice_01

As you may or may not know, in the late 90s, Tim Burton was hired to direct a new Superman movie.  Entitled Superman Lives, the project was set to star Nicolas Cage as The Man of Steel.  Warner Bros. reportedly spent over $50 million on the movie and then dumped it without ever shooting a single frame.  Visual Effects artist Steve Johnson has now posted costume sculpts from the failed project.  In Jake Rossen’s enjoyable book Superman vs. Hollywood, Kevin Smith (who was brought on to write Superman before Tim Burton was hired and has this fantastic anecdote about producer Jon Peters) joked, “Maybe [Burton] wanted to see Superman in all black.  With scissors for hands.”  It turns out that Smith wasn’t that far off.  When Warner execs were reportedly horrified saw screen tests of Cage in the finished costume.  After seeing these images, I think you’ll understand why.

Hit the jump to check out the images.

Images are from Steve Johnson’s Facebook page via CBM.  And for a comprehensive explanation of how Superman Lives died, I once again highly recommend picking up Superman vs. Hollywood, which is a fantastic behind-the-scenes history of Superman’s TV and film adaptations.

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  • Ve2lomas

    that would be awesome, and very different

    • Tristanfey

      I think people are missing the point here. This is a prototype version of the black costume from the comics. The top pic is not the finished outfit, it is missing the black layer. Check out the pic at http://picsdigger.com/image/28ba0422/ and look at the design similarities down to the identical “S” symbol.

      • http://twitter.com/grapenutsrbt Jim Goff

        That picture is actually concept art for Tim Burton’s movie. The closest thing that appeared in the comics is this:
        http://uncivilsociety.org/_albums_z169_koleccionista_DC_DC-Superheroes-S3_BlackSuitSupermanDCSuperheroes_1.jpg

      • Rob

        No, Tristanfey is right. If you click on his link and look at the pic, it’s the same costume, right down to the re-designed S (which is different in your link).

      • http://twitter.com/grapenutsrbt Jim Goff

        AND THE PICTURE HE POSTED IS NOT FROM A COMIC, ITS CONCEPT ART FOR THE TIM BURTON PROJECT.

      • Anthony

        Actually, no. It IS from a comic. You’re clearly too fucking stupid to know anything about Superman. Moron.

  • http://baldowl.livejournal.com/ Baldowl

    That would have gone over like a turd in the punchbowl, but it’s interesting to look at now.

  • Cylon

    Thats a Nic Cage mannequin in the last pics.

    • Cmike723

      He was going to play superman in this movie before it was dropped so they probably already had it made for him and everything it woulda been cool to see him as superman

  • Manchops

    Thank GAWD this project failed. For starters, the script leaked online was horrible, and I don’t even wanna comment on the ugliness of Supes’ costume.

    • Guest

      …giant spider…

      • Anonymous

        You said it, Guest.

  • Anonymous

    I remember this.
    So WB bailed because they didn’t like the costume?

    Are there any photos of the Brett Ratner failed Superman?

    • Anonymous

      It probably involved a lot of leather and attitude.

  • old soldier

    If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

  • billylee

    attacking the different. no one thought batman was gonna be good when he did it

    • Guest

      different? everything he does looks exactly the same.

    • Godwhenwhesdrunk

      Burton’s Batman actually used the character and the backstory appropriately and was faithful to Batman as established. The Superman script Burton was going to shoot, which is viewable online if you know where to look, is widely regarded as a gigantic load of brown stuff and is essentially a betrayal of the character. To be fair that’s as much Kevin Smith and Jon Peters’ faults as Burton’s, but still. It’s not a case of attacking the different. It’s a case of attacking the wrongheaded and inappropriate.

    • Godwhenwhesdrunk

      Burton’s Batman actually used the character and the backstory appropriately and was faithful to Batman as established. The Superman script Burton was going to shoot, which is viewable online if you know where to look, is widely regarded as a gigantic load of brown stuff and is essentially a betrayal of the character. To be fair that’s as much Kevin Smith and Jon Peters’ faults as Burton’s, but still. It’s not a case of attacking the different. It’s a case of attacking the wrongheaded and inappropriate.

    • old soldier

      Tweeks are fine. Reimaginings SUCK!

    • old soldier

      Tweeks are fine. Reimaginings SUCK!

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  • Guest

    god i hate tim burton.

    • http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu David

      God I hate Guest.

      • http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu David

        that joke would have worked better if this thing had accepted my attempt to sign in as ‘Tim Burton.’ Seriously, though, the silvery stuff would have been quite interesting, in a concept-design kind of way. It’s probably for the best that this didn’t happen, but nice to see that they were thinking outside of the box. I do prefer a more traditional approach to the character, all the same.

  • Stanley

    ehh well it doesnt matter anymore, it looked kinda stupid from the images.
    if it did become a movie then who knows what would have came out for the future films now of DC.

  • http://twitter.com/merrcherr C.H. Lamb

    so instead of the potential awesome of another Tim Burton take on a beloved DC hero, we got Brandon Routh running around in his undies with a digitally altered little Superman (says cracked.com)

    • http://twitter.com/grapenutsrbt Jim Goff

      Seriously, you Tim Burton fans are so blinded by his “genius” that you can actually look at those pictures with NIC CAGE AS SUPERMAN and think that it automatically would have been better then Superman Returns?
      That suit looks looney-bin batshit terrible.

    • Tlorenzo

      Tim Burton does the same “thing” in every film and is all hype. Overrated for sure!

  • Dichotomize

    Reminds me of the Superman Blue/Superman Red costume from the late 90′s.

  • http://twitter.com/troyotts Troy Otts

    I’m actually very interested to see how this would have turned out.

  • Raaaagle

    No cape, no flying,giant spider… they wanted Kevin Smith to do the script, you should see what he had to say about it on an Evening with KEvin Smith lol.

  • Raaaagle

    No cape, no flying,giant spider… they wanted Kevin Smith to do the script, you should see what he had to say about it on an Evening with KEvin Smith lol.

  • Chevguy83

    These costumes would have worked great for a Krypton flashback scene or maybe a storyline where we see a future world with Superman in it. I can understand how Tim Burton wanted to get away from the generic blue tights look.

  • kc

    Anyone else thinks it looks like a bad version of the nano suit in crysis? lol

    • Anonymous

      I’m thinking Slim Goodbody meets Tron

  • LooksAwful

    Gotta be honest…kinda glad he didnt get to do it. I love Tim Burton, but wowzers…a little too different.

  • http://twitter.com/itswhatiam itswhatiam

    That’s almost as bad as Wonder Woman’s new look.

  • Whoiseyevan

    Well… to be completely fair. It looks like a costume for an extra-terrestrial… which Superman is.

    • Bigfiction

      Yeah, I think as a concept it is pretty well thought through and executed, but it definitely is a little loud for a lonely character alien or not. It reminds me a lot of what Martin Campbell is doing on the Green Hornet right now except he has the benefit of modern CG. This Burton design would maybe be better if he didn’t have to built a physical suit.

      • Anonymous

        Green Lantern, not Hornet.

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  • Fartnuggets

    was this supposed to be a ‘movie’ version of the “Electric Superman” costume? No one liked that suit. NO ONE. Why would they want to adapt it into real life? What the hell are these people thinking? Lady Gaga Superman.

  • Fartnuggets

    was this supposed to be a ‘movie’ version of the “Electric Superman” costume? No one liked that suit. NO ONE. Why would they want to adapt it into real life? What the hell are these people thinking? Lady Gaga Superman.

  • Omega

    I would like to know what drugs Tim Burton was on when he ok’d this outfit. Maybe Superman was tripping on LSD or something. I can’t imagine DC or WB going for this at all.
    It also sucks that all of these attempts at making a Superman movie were added to the cost of Superman Returns, that movie would have made a major profit if it were left to stand on it’s own.

    • Guest

      Probably the same drugs that inspired his take on Willy Wonka, or just about any of his movies, really.

    • Guest

      Probably the same drugs that inspired his take on Willy Wonka, or just about any of his movies, really.

  • sense11

    Looks like a fucking nightmare, I’m very very glad this abomination never got made.

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  • Fred Topel

    I like the shots with the Nic Cage head cast.

    • Alex

      That’s not a head cast, that’s the real Nic Cage standing in a table.

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  • http://twitter.com/danielsbraga79 Daniel Braga

    wtf

  • http://twitter.com/danielsbraga79 Daniel Braga

    wtf

  • http://twitter.com/danielsbraga79 Daniel Braga

    3 times wtf

  • Bloodandmetal

    i can kinda see it if they were going for the blue lightning look superman had a bit during a period in the 90s especially the picture in the dark whit the lightning the suit lit up and the superman s on the front looks allot like the logo from the comic book ..but if he was just trying to be creative and different then FUCK YOU tim…

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  • Hugocagnolini

    Failed is the right world alright.

    • Hugocagnolini

      “word” that is.

  • http://twitter.com/red_locker red_locker

    …I’m speechless.

    I’m almost saddened that this wasn’t made.

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  • Sangelia

    costume might have the special effects. but as a actual costume for Superman _Epic FAIL!!!!!

    • Sangelia

      showed this site to my man and also a friend. both agreed with me. that if you have to go super weird or fantastic costumes. you did NOT put enough effort into getting the actors, and script that would have made it a success.
      if you have to rely on crazy makeup, weird camera shots, and weird costumes to carry a movie. you are doomed to fail.
      even my technical college teacher for filming used to hammer this into us. rely more on great actors and a great script to carry the weight. and you will have a successful film. she was part of Prince’s movie about his beginnings.

  • not really here

    Well, at least they dumped Kevin Smith’s fat, untalented ass, sparing us a Superman that would have been yet another Jay and Silent Bob disaster.

    • sense11

      Agreed, Kevin Smith is more overrated then the movie “Scarface” and that’s saying a lot.

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  • Phantom Belcher

    Looking at the outfit, I’d say that it might have worked if Burton had been doing a Doomsday duology or trilogy, and this being the uniform of the resurrected Superman. Not having read the script, I’m taking your word for it that that’s not what he had in mind.

  • Derder123

    it could’ve been a huge success like the Batman reboot, who knows

  • Alex Cruz

    Haaaaa! Jesus Christ, the design looks good, I liked when I was looking at the pictures, but when I saw the face of Nicolas Cage I fell backwards. With her Ghost Rider and I have the full glass of Superman I can not bear to see this aberration. Timm Burton sorry, but you’re not as cool as you think.

  • MainFragger

    I think this would be a horrible costume for Superman..but if someone made a generic cool new hero, it might actually look cool. Nick Cage as Superman was the worst idea EVER! But I remember him being on either Leno or Letterman talking about it and how he was scared crapless from being on the wires..I’d love to see THAT footage..

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PGDTL7IAIOHQWUDDD7SMYGKP4E raymond

    This isnt -that- bad. Superman’s original costume sucks anyway. The guy wears his underwear on the outside of his pants, and has a cape for no reason.

    • Anonymous

      The Superman costume was reminiscent of the Circus Strong Men of the period. This went on to weave the sci fi elements in his origin.

      They are not underwear. They also help, on a design basis, to break up all the blue, but also having the “underwear” gives an extra bit of modesty as one does not clearly see the fine detail of his package.

      Aside from what is mentioned above, the cape adds an element of regal quality, and aids in depicting movement, for example, it makes for a less static pose while flying. Depending on how it’s drawn as he hovers or lands, it looks like wings, making the hero that much more a “saving angel.”

      If one is demanding purpose for the cape story-wise, it too is included in origin stories as to why it’s worn. Moreover, the cape has a hidden pouch where the alter ego’s clothes are compacted and stored.

      Superman’s costume is a template for many super hero uniforms, and is extremely iconic.

      This Burton creation, if not meant as an analog for the comic book Electric Blue Superman may be good for a Kryptonian flashback, part of the story, or great for another hero or villain, but not overall for Superman, a character who is so iconic and in the everyday he’s contemporary. :)

  • Edwarsly2

    For me who is sick of the blue-red superman suit this looks great. For others who like their blockbusters recycled over and over again I imagine is a nightmare.
    O my the suit is not blue-red. Buhu.

    And also how frequently does the guy on Smallville wear the blue-red one. Little to never.
    It’s probably why the show is successful.

    • Anonymous

      He doesn’t wear the costume in the show “Smallville” because he’s not Superman yet. It’s a different take on his existence as Superboy without the title and costume.

      The costume has been shown, a la “Superman Returns” but more red than oxblood in color. Kara Zor-El is shown in an outfit which will be her uniform minus the “S” shield as they are saving that for Kal-El’s big debut. :)

    • Anonymous

      He doesn’t wear the costume in the show “Smallville” because he’s not Superman yet. It’s a different take on his existence as Superboy without the title and costume.

      The costume has been shown, a la “Superman Returns” but more red than oxblood in color. Kara Zor-El is shown in an outfit which will be her uniform minus the “S” shield as they are saving that for Kal-El’s big debut. :)

  • Anthony

    Those costumes rule.

  • Ramseschay

    UAGHH !! NICOLAS CAGE SUPERMAN !!! AWFUL !! HORROR ! NOOOOO !! THANKS GOOD !

  • Anonymous

    If these still exist, they can use them for the Spider-Man musical. If not Electro, which might actually look good, then for something as, um, “amazing” as Swiss Miss. “The Neon Nympho.” “Chromium (variant) Cover Man.” “Metallic Mother (of) Pearl.” Or, perhaps, “Electric Windex Winnie.”

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