Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) contemplates Kryptonite in the "Hothead" episode of SMALLVILLE.
© 2001 The WB
Joker's Girlfriend, Superman Returns & Beyond!
By: Jarrod SarafinDate: Friday, February 29, 2008
Welcome to the latest edition of Top Maniacal Rumors of the Week, where we cover genre entertainment buzz ranging from wild speculation to straight from the horse’s mouth. Today we’ll cover everything from Lex Luthor putting on Freddy’s glove to a Last Starfighter sequel.
Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum is the Next Freddy Krueger?
The Rumor: After being spotted lunching with producer Michael Bay, Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) is said to be Platinum Dunes’ (Bay’s production company) top choice to play Freddy Krueger in the upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street remake.
The Source: Cinema Blend
The Mania Verdict: FALSE----To CB’s credit, they even joked about their own rumor here. Bay has quite a few productions going on with his Dunes shingle and the idea that being seen with Rosenbaum at lunch automatically makes him up for the Krueger role isn’t legit enough to believe. It may have been a business meeting with Bay but it’s likely nothing to do with the Nightmare remake.
Brandon Routh looking down upon Earth in SUPERMAN RETURNS(2006).
© Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Wants a Singer-directed Superman Returns sequel stat?
The Rumor: Warner Bros. no longer willing to hold off on a Superman sequel until after the Justice League film. The latest rumor suggests that big wigs over at WB Burbank want a sequel sooner than previously thought.
The Source: IESB
The Mania Verdict: MAYBE---For now, it seems true. WB can’t seem to make up their minds on which comic project to focus on but it seems to fit that they want a Superman sequel in production by the end of the year, ready for a late 2009-mid 2010 release.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel to Make an Appearance in The Dark Knight?
The Rumor: The Joker’s female counterpart, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, will be in the next Batman film according to Sarah Jayne Dunn’s RDF management site.
The Source: RDF Portfolio for Sarah Jayne Dunn
The Mania Verdict: TRUE---RDF may want some publicity for their client but they have no reason to lie here. Previous reports stated that Nolan will sneak in some other potential villains and characters for cameos.
Vegas Canned by NBC?
The Rumor: Halfway through its fifth season and before the last cliffhanger is resolved, NBC has decided to cancel the series.
The Source: Various
The Mania Verdict: TRUE----Unfortunately for fans of the NBC show, it looks like the WGA strike finally euthanized this sleeper hit for good. According to showrunner Gary Scott Thompson:
"At the end of the day, that's NBC's decision, it's a monetary decision. You know, I sold my soul to get a Season five, so I didn't have a soul left to sell. We fought an uphill battle from day one. We were the little big show that could."
The Puppet Master Storyline in Fantastic Four 3?
The Rumor: The “Puppet Master” will appear in the third Fantastic Four film as a great possible sub-plot between the Thing and his girlfriend Alicia.
The Source: Michael Chiklis talking to MTV.
The Mania Verdict: FALSE---Actor Chiklis is just telling the media outlets what he would desire for the third film. Actress Jessica Alba has voiced her own desires of a “mommy.” Sure, but it doesn’t mean the storylines will find their way into the third film.
The Descent movie still © Lions Gate 
Writer-Director Neil Marshall Didn’t Develop the Story for The De2cent?
The Rumor: Writer-director Neil Marshall had no involvement in the script for the upcoming sequel of the horror The Descent. The story was instead written by James Watkins.
The Source: Bloody Disgusting
The Mania Verdict: TRUE---Marshall closed out his horror film in precise fashion until the film was launched in the states and a different ending was installed into the DVD release, which opens the door on whether a sequel was even wanted by the creator. Marshall has also been busy on the upcoming action adventure Doomsday, which will hit theaters March 14, so he likely has little involvement inside the production of the sequel for Pathe productions.
Captain Marvel Movie Gets a Title Change?
The Rumor: The upcoming adaptation of the DC Comics Movie Shazam, starring Dwayne Johnson, has a new title and it’s called "Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam".
The Source: Peter Segal tells IESB.
The Mania Verdict: TRUE—Peter Segal is directing the adaptation of the comic. He would know the title. The question is whether that will be the title a few months from now.
A Separate Green Lantern Franchise Moving Forward?
The Rumor: WB is prepping a separate Green Lantern franchise outside of the upcoming Justice League franchise.
The Source: Newsarama
The Mania Verdict: TRUE—While it’s doubtful this film will be greenlit before the 2009 summer release of Justice League, aptly named screenwriter Michael Green did say the following:
"I'm co-writing it with Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, the best people you could hope to get stuck in a room with for any length of time. As for status, we're writing it now and having way too much fun doing it."
New Dark Knight Trailer Premiering with 10,000 B.C on March 7?
The Rumor: The next theatrical trailer for the upcoming Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, will hit theaters for the first time attached to 10,000 B.C on March 7. The trailer will focus on Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and of course, Batman (Christian Bale).
The Source: Dark Horizons
The Mania Verdict: TRUE---The upcoming action-adventure from Roland Emmerich is getting a distribution from WB and it’s the highest profile film from the studio between now and May. The first trailer focused on the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) and Batman. It stands to reason the second trailer will focus on Harvey Dent (Eckhart) and Bats.
A Last Starfighter sequel 24 years in the making?
The Rumor: A sequel to the 1984 sci-fi film The Last Starfighter will be hitting theaters near you soon, courtesy of Relativity Media, Universal and Warner Bros.
The Source: George Paige & Associates
The Mania Verdict: TRUE---Shortly after this scoop popped up on George Paige’s official site, Variety confirmed that Universal and Relativity signed a four year deal to co-finance 45 upcoming projects on the horizon. It stands to reason that a sequel to this genre cult classic is one of them.
