Joel Schumacher Eyeing Neil Gaiman's Sandman

[Killgore]

Joel Schumacher Eyeing Neil Gaiman's Sandman!
Written by Robert Sanchez
Saturday, 03 February 2007

The IESB had the opportunity to speak with veteran director Joel Schumacher during the press junket for The Number 23 today in Los Angeles. Amongst the many things that I had to ask Joel big on my list was what other comic book character he would like to tackle? The response - Neil Gaiman’s Sandman!

The possibility of a big screen live action feature film of Sandman has been talked about by many filmmakers, but for the past few years, it has become almost like the Holy Grail of comic book movie adaptations, unattainable.

Alan Moore’s Watchmen was facing a very similar problem for many years until recently. It is currently in development with Zack Snyder (300) at the helm.

Trying to turn a seventy-five issue opus into a two-hour film is almost an impossible task.

Last year during the San Diego Comic Con, Neil Gaiman told his fans, "I'd rather no Sandman movie got made than [to have] a bad Sandman movie."

That brings me to what Schumacher told me today. He would like to do a Sandman movie…but can he get it right?

Schumacher has delivered many good films including The Lost Boys, A Time to Kill, Falling Down, St. Elmo’s Fire, 8MM and Phone Booth.

But, of course, we can’t forget about the two Batman films that he directed. While I enjoyed Batman Forever for the most part, you have to admit that Val Kilmer as the Bat was pretty cool and Jim Carrey as the Riddler was genius, it is difficult to forgive him for Batman and Robin.

Everything from Arnold as Mr. Freeze (Patrick Stewart would’ve been perfect!), Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and the infamous Bat Nipples, Batman and Robin was a complete disaster.

But who was at fault? The blame will always land on the director even though the studio had to sign off on all the kooky details. The damage that film caused to the Batman franchise was insurmountable and it took 10 years and a total reboot to make the movie going audience have faith in Gothams favorite hero once again.

Would the studio allow him to direct Sandman? Joel himself wasn’t to sure if they would but like I mentioned earlier, he does have a pretty decent track record and I believe that a lot will have to do with how The Number 23 and his next horror film, Town Creek, perform at the box office.

Is he right for the job? That’s for you guys to decide.

Stay tuned for our exclusive video interview Joel Schumacher on The Number 23!

The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman. Published in the United States by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996, it was one of the flagship titles of DC's Vertigo imprint, and is currently kept in print as a series of ten trade paperbacks. It is widely considered one of the most original, sophisticated and artistically ambitious comic book series of the modern age and will be the only comic book to ever win the World Fantasy Award [1]. By the time of the series' conclusion, it had made significant contributions to the artistic maturity of English language comic books and become a pop culture phenomenon in its own right.

The plot, as summarized by its creator is: “The king of dreams learns one must change or die and then makes his decision.” Thus stated, the plot of the The Sandman centers around the protagonist, Dream, the immortal anthropomorphic personification of dreams. The series begins with the end of a long imprisonment of Dream and this first third of the series somewhat conforms to the horror genre. Later, the series evolves into an elaborate fantasy series, incorporating elements of classical and contemporary mythology, ultimately placing its protagonist in the role of tragic hero.

http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1822&Itemid=99


......

I


am


stunned.


Please let this be a demented practical joke.



I for one say we boycott Town Creek.

 

[CConn]

Scumacher is a talented director with a pretty good track record - despite his two Batman movies. As long as the studio doesn't pressure him to dumb it down, and he doesn't get a hankering to - to borrow a line from The Producers - make it gay, make it gay, make it gay!, I think he could do a fine job with it.

 

[Killgore]

I demand Schumacher's eyeballs on a skewer just for eyeing Sandman.

 

[CConn]

Why? He's a good director. He made a bad movie in B&R due to studio pressure and a misunderstanding of the source material. We don't even know his thoughts on Sandman; he could grasp it perfectly.

 

[Sun_Down]

Why? He's a good director.

Maybe.

But putting him back in charge of a DC film property would be like having Micheal Jackson babysit your kids. Nothing terrible may happen, but if it does, you look pretty damned stupid.

 

[Tempest19]

Sounds good. He has a knack for dark films, which I would imagine 'Sandman' is:

Lost Boys, 8 MM, etc.

Don't know if the Batman lightness was Joel or WB's fault... sounds like after Returns they wanted to Return to the TV show days of Batman-

 

[Agentsands77]

Scumacher is a talented director with a pretty good track record - despite his two Batman movies. As long as the studio doesn't pressure him to dumb it down, and he doesn't get a hankering to - to borrow a line from The Producers - make it gay, make it gay, make it gay!, I think he could do a fine job with it.

Schumacher's a hack. He's never made a single good movie. He's made watchable films, yes, but ultimately his track record ranges from mediocre to terrible.

 

[Katsuro]

Last time I checked Batman was a 60+ year old character who had a nearly infinite number of interpretations. So when Shumacher made his Batman films, he was adhering to the source material.

Meanwhile, Sandman is a done deal. It's a set story with a set tone and style. It's ridiculous to assume that Shumacher's gonna make a campy ridiculous Sandman just because he did that with Batman. You take campy source material (50s Batman comics) you get a campy adaptation (Batman and Robin). Sandman is not campy source material.

 

[spider-neil]

JS has a poor comic book track record and sandman though graphic and mature is a comic book. no thanks.

 

[Joker]

No. Just no. He has said many times before he doesnt take comic books seriously, he should not be put at the helm of something like Sandman. In fact, no one should make Sandman, unless Neil Gaiman writes the script. Just like Watchman. It's better left undone. Although, I would take a Lucifer movie...

 

[Manic]

If Schumacher makes this movie, he'd better prepare to receive his Razzie Award posthumously.

He always tries to defend Batman & Robin by saying the producers forced him to make everything a certain way. While I'm sure it was the producers who convinced him to make the Batmobile look as much like a toy as possible, I doubt someone at WB was telling him to film as many close-ups of Batman and Robin's asses and crotches as possible during every suit-up sequence.

 

[blind_fury]

Why? He's a good director. He made a bad movie in B&R due to studio pressure

So Warner Bros forced Schumacher to put nipples on Batman's costume and include close up shots of the Dark Knights ass?

and a misunderstanding of the source material. We don't even know his thoughts on Sandman; he could grasp it perfectly.

lolz! Schumacher couldn't understand Batman but he can understand a far more complex Sandman?

11 year olds can understand Batman! Schumacher just didn't care for Batman so he said screw everyone who loves the character and publicly sh--ed on the character.

You don't s--t on a comic book legend like Batman then get to adapt one of the most important comic books in history. That's like can invited back to White House after taking a steaming dump on the presidental seal.

Dude Schumacher is banned from comic book movies for life. There are hundreds of talented and respectful directors. We don't need *****ebags like Schumacher.

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

You guys are being too hard on him. He obviously realizes what a mistake his Batman movies was he even ****ing apologized for them. I also think he pretty much admitted to being a WB tool at the time making movies that were merchandise driven. I would love to see him take on a comic book movie in a serious manner.

 

[Octoberist]

honestly, I understand Joel is a decent director, but because of the heated moment with Joss dropping out of Wonder Woman and the nasty arrival of Shawn Levy with Flash, things are just elevated. Bad timing on the scoop, bascailly and now all the head is snowballing into an avalanche.

 

[blind_fury]

Last time I checked Batman was a 60+ year old character who had a nearly infinite number of interpretations. So when Shumacher made his Batman films, he was adhering to the source material.

Meanwhile, Sandman is a done deal. It's a set story with a set tone and style. It's ridiculous to assume that Shumacher's gonna make a campy ridiculous Sandman just because he did that with Batman. You take campy source material (50s Batman comics) you get a campy adaptation (Batman and Robin). Sandman is not campy source material.

That's such a lame excuse. Schumacher picked the worst elements of Batman's history because he thought the character was dumb. If he had any self respect or decency he would've spared the fans and walked a way but he didn't. He took the money and made a mockery of the fan and the character.

I guess if Nolan put Bat-Mite and Egghead in Dark Knight you'd claim he was just sticking to the source material and to give him another shot.

 

[blind_fury]

Maybe.

But putting him back in charge of a DC film property would be like having Micheal Jackson babysit your kids. Nothing terrible may happen, but if it does, you look pretty damned stupid.

Exactly! t:

 

[blind_fury]

When Joel Schumacher gives Sandman ice skates and neon sticks are you guys going to say, "ok that sucked horribly but let him try The Watchmen next."

 

[Octoberist]

I would rather not have Joel do another DC property ever again. He had his shot...he had two and he failed...big time. From the looks of it, he still has a decent relationship with the WB, but I'm sure he won't be able to touch it.

WB needs to straighten up after the whole Shawn Levy thing, which I still think is awful when you compare to the raw talent behind Iron Man, with Jon Faverare, and the writing team behind 'Children of Men' doing the script.

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

I would whole heartedly welcome Joel back for another shot at a comic book property.

 

[Octoberist]

but..but...shumaucher ends....!

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

I have a weird love/hate for Schumacher. I hate what he did with Batman yet if it wasn't for his ****-up we wouldn't have gotten the movie I would consider my favorite comic book film ever Batman Begins. But I do think he is a fantastic director I liked Lost Boys, A Time to Kill, and Phonebooth.

 

[Manic]

I have a weird love/hate for Schumacher. I hate what he did with Batman yet if it wasn't for his ****-up we wouldn't have gotten the movie I would consider my favorite comic book film ever Batman Begins.

Love the demon for making the angel look good.

 

[Octoberist]

i see.

I wouldn't let Joel near another DC property because I'm..just over him. He's better than Levy. I can't get over that. Business aside, as a studio, you have to get people who are serious about the properties. I don't know Levy personally, but I don't get that vibe.

At least Joel knows Sandman somewhat, assuming that he haas read the books. I don't Levy has that avantage.

 

[blind_fury]

I can't believe we're debating this!

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

Well it isn't like I am campaigning for Schumacher to do another comic book movie but I would be fine with him if he ever were to do one again. I knows he ****ed up, he has said he ****ed up, and can do it right.

But Levy...jesus...it is really hard for me to be positive about that decision. But who knows maybe he will surprise us.