At some point in 2015, filmmaker Jon Schnepp will unleash one of the most anticipated movie documentaries in recent years on audiences: The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? In this film the story of how this defunct Supes flick failed to get off the ground will be revealed. The film's end began with Kevin Smith penning a first draft script that saw Brainiac in the main villain role, as well as Doomsday and Lex Luthor being thrown into the mix, all topped by a finale where the Man of Steel fights a giant spider. Mooted casting choices included Courtney Cox as Lois Lane and Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen. It was a heady mix of ideas and a Superman movie that definitely played on the character's alien roots. One sure fire piece of casting was Academy Award-winning actor and self-confessed comic nut Nicolas Cage, who was appointed director Tim Burton's first piece of casting, going against Smith's orignal choice of Ben Affleck. With Smith's script being busily rewritten, and Cage suited and booted for various test shoots and dress rehearsals, the film stalled past its original summer 1998 release date, before stalling some more, and then eventually grinding to a halt. With a reported $30 million dollars spent purely on pre production faffery and not a whole lot to show for it, Cage left the project taking with him his $20 million pay cheque. They really don't come much bigger than that. Know of any other actors that have taken the money and done a runner? Movies that have collapsed but the stars still got paid? Then please do not hesitate to comment below.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
