It’s no secret that the Siegel and Shuster families are engaged in an epic, decades long lawsuit with Warner Brothers over who owns what in the Superman franchise. To say it’s been “convoluted” would be the understatement of the year: there are X-Men continuities less complicated than this lawsuit.
But it’s starting to look like the family will win control of the original 1938 Superman, while Warner Brothers will get the “modern” Superman. In short, after 2013, if Warner Brothers wants to make a Superman movie, he can’t wear the costume or anything resembling his emblem. Oh, and Lois can’t be in it.
Or the Siegels and Shusters could make their own Superman movie: he just can’t fly. Or use Lex Luthor.
Sound idiotic? It is! And the fact that this would basically kill any chance of another Superman movie beyond “The Man of Steel” in 2012 doesn’t make Warner Brothers happy. Especially since this entire lawsuit might actually be a conspiracy between a lawyer and a Hollywood agent to get control of the entire franchise, using the families as a lever.
We’ll see what happens, but either way, making a Superman movie’s going to be a whole lot more difficult starting next year.
[ via the superlitigators at Blastr ]