Filmmaker James Gunn shared his vision about reimagining the superhero in his new film "Superman" during an interview in Beijing on Thursday.
Warner Bros. and DC Studios' "Superman" debuted at the top of the North American box office this weekend, grossing 122 million U.S. dollars, according to data released Sunday by Comscore.
Directed by Gunn, the newly rebooted superhero film, based on the iconic DC Comics character, stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent.
The film begins with failure of the superhero, leading audience to see a distinct superman. And this scene when filming also left a deep impression on the director. "That's the first thing in the beginning of the movie, is also the first scene we shot. And we went up to Svalbard, Norway. It's an Arctic island. And it was very very cold. We shot David on the ground pretending to be hit by a dog, but no dog really there. And we had done rehearsals and we had worked together a little bit, but I didn't know him very well. And so I was afraid if he was going to complain or not want to do it. But he was so good. I think we're in good shape because he was laying there in the snow and I kept having to tell him, David, if you get too cold, get up because I don't want your face to freeze off," said Gunn. For Gunn, this superhero is also part of his childhood memories. He always wanted to create a "humanized" superman film.
"I kept thinking about 'Superman' and how I could tell the story. As we grow, we change. I'm a much kinder person than I was when I was younger. I see the value of family more than I ever have before, the value of friendships more than I ever have before. I also saw how this 'Superman' could be different from other supermen at that time because I really like the 'Superman' from the comics that has superhero friends and flying dogs and giant monsters and robots and all that stuff, and we have never really seen that in movies. So seeing that, plus getting to know him more in a more human level, the combination is what that excited me," said Gunn.
"Superman" has ushered in DC Studio's new cinematic universe. As a co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn said that next works will have richer emotional depth and greater stylistic diversity.
" 'Superman' is optimistic and colorful and fun. And about the emotions, you know, 'Supergirl' is different. We have 'Clayface' coming out. It's much different than that. So I think it's more fun to have these stories intersect when they are so different as opposed to all being the same," said Gunn.
