Return to the Wild About Movies homepage.

Movie Showtimes

Discount Movie Tickets

WAM Homepage

Free Movie Screenings
PRINCESS & THE FROG

Princess & The Frog

Free Movie Screenings

Movie Box Office




Brandon Routh
"Superman Returns" - The Interview
By Tim Nasson, Wild About Movies publisher
June 24, 2006


Superman, Brandon Routh

Brandon Routh, (rhymes with mouth), is a strapping six foot, three inch, dark haired, hulk of a man. Well, actually, he is not really a man. Nor a boy. At twenty-six, Routh wasn’t even born when the first “Superman” movie, starring the late Christopher Reeve, was released. And he was a mere baby, less than a year old, when “Superman II” flew into theaters.

“I am signed on for two ‘Superman’ sequels,” proclaims the confident actor, planning ahead, who, surprisingly, before “Superman Returns,” had never even been on the set of a movie, let alone in a movie.

“The first bit of professional acting I ever did in front of the camera that anyone saw was on MTV’s ‘Undressed,’” he says. “And that was seven years ago.”

Additionally, in 2001, Routh appeared in an episode of “The Gilmore Girls.” And in the “Gay/December Romance” episode of “Will & Grace” in 2004.

Superman Returns

As an English major at The University of Iowa, Routh wanted to be a novelist or graphic designer. “I needed to make money. I was a poor college student. So, I went to NYC for a modeling gig. I found a manager who told me to move to LA for modeling and for acting. So, I went to LA, intending to go for only three months, initially. The rest is history. I ended up staying in LA.”

It’s taken a while for Hollywood to find Routh. But he is not complaining.

Acting in “Superman Returns,” replete with “Superman” costume, and Clark Kent glasses, was something that came naturally to Routh.

“This is all a dream come true to me,” smiles Routh. “But, the funniest thing is, three years ago, I was dressed as Clark Kent for Halloween, and this Halloween kids might be dressing up as me.” The photo, with Routh dressed in a white unbuttoned, button-up shirt, revealing a “Superman” T-shirt underneath, wearing a pair of Clark Kent glasses has made the rounds on the internet as of late. (See photo, near bottom of page).

Brandon Routh, Halloween 2003

“People have said for about ten years, at least, that I have an uncanny resemblance to Christopher Reeve. And I guess I took their word, and used that to my advantage. I see the resemblance. But the question was, could I act? Thankfully, Warner Bros. and Bryan [Singer] thought so, and gave me the chance.” Singer seems to have a keen eye for not only choosing the films he directs carefully, but also its stars.

“What a lot of people don’t understand,” explains Routh, “is that this new ‘Superman’ movie took a long time to get off the ground, so to speak. I signed on for the role of ‘Superman’ in late 2004, and here it is mid-2006, and the movie is just being released. It took a lot of planning and prep work.”

The movie was shot entirely in Sydney, Australia. “The street scenes, the scenes where you see the outdoors, were the streets of Sydney. And believe it or not,” says Routh, “while there were a lot of special effects and green-screen shots, there weren’t as many as you may imagine. There were a lot more non-special effect scenes than I ever thought there would be.”

Routh grew up in a household that encouraged his artistic endeavors, but in a small town, kind of like “Smallville.”

“Well, actually,” says Routh, laughing, commenting on the size of his town, “the town I grew up in, Norwalk, Iowa, was small, but there seemed to be a few more residents in Norwalk than there are in the town of ‘Smallville.’”

Brandon Routh, Superman Returns

Routh spent the majority of his adolescent years performing at the regional theater company Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts. “I loved being in plays as a kid and teenager, and my parents really supported my efforts. But I don’t think they or anyone ever dreamed of seeing my face on the ‘Superman’ poster. It’s like winning the lottery. You never expect to win. But even though I have finished filming the first ‘Superman,’” – yes, a second and third are in the works, and unless this one bombs, which is highly unlikely, as it is the summer’s best movie, the second in planned trilogy will be in theaters just in time for Summer 2008 – “the fact that I am now a movie star hasn’t yet set in. Yes, I made a movie, but the general public, all the ‘Superman’ fanatics, who will ultimately decide if the movie is a hit or miss, haven’t yet seen it. Only the movie critics like you have. I still have butterflies in my stomach. And wonder how it is all going to turn out.”

Routh lived in Australia for over a year to prepare for his role as “The Man of Steel” and, while filming, and enjoyed every minute of it. “I had never been to Australia, and had always wanted to go for a vacation. The fact that I was able to live there for such an extended period of time and get to know the place, and have time to explore it, was an added bonus to signing on to the film.”

And, yes, he will be back in Australia, two more times, at least, for the sequels.

“But next time it will be so much easier,” proclaims Routh. “We learned a lot of things the first time, which will make making the sequels a lot easier. They will be a piece of cake.”

Bryan Singer, the openly gay director of “Superman Returns” and the one responsible for making the first two “X-Men” films the box office smashes that they were, is signed on for the two “Superman” sequels, as well.

Go behind the scenes of "Superman Returns" with Wild About Movies

end ornament



2008 Movies_2009 Movies

 




In The Spotlight!

"2008 Movies" & "2009 Movies" & "2010 Movies"
TODAY: Movie Poster & Website Premieres
Step Up 3 in 3D
By Tim Nasson
Publisher, Wild About Movies

Step Up 3 D


Wild About Movies provides you with the most comprehensive movie posters, movie trailers, movie synopses, Behind The Scenes of movies, and celebrity interviews, and current, updated movie release date information - than any other movie website. At WAM you are able to peruse the movie trailers, movie posters and movie synopses of more than 500 movies not yet in theaters (and thousands of movies formerly in movie theaters and currently on DVD, including all "2009 DVDS" and "2009 BluRays"). The latest additions to the Wild About Movies database: The (delayed) Rob Marshall movie "Nine," The movie "Kick Ass" and two Paul Bettany movies "Creation" and "Legion." The - now - non Avatar entitled movie "The Last Airbender" and Dwayne Johnson in and as "The Tooth Fairy." Aging actors Mel Gibson in "Edge Of Darkness" and Sylvester Stallone in front of and behind the camera in "The Expendables" and "Rambo 5." Also "Lovely Still" - featuring Martin Landau & Ellen Burstyn. Matt Damon in the Paul Greengrass movie "Green Zone." Jake Gyllenhaal as "Prince of Persia" and Rose McGowan as "Red Sonja 2010." And Seth Rogen is "The Green Hornet." "Witchblade 2010," as well as sequels: "Nanny McPhee 2" and "Narnia 3" and everything from Daniel Radcliffe (naked at WAM and fully clothed) in "Harry Potter 7: Part 1," to the Disney 3D films "Cars 2" and "Toy Story 3." Michael Douglas in "Wall Street 2." And the requisites, "Cloverfield 2" and "Iron Man 2." Need more movies? The big screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" - finally - with a release date in November 2009. Also, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio's two year delayed next collaboration, "Shutter Island." In addition, the big screen comedy "Leap Year" and the non comedy "The Escapist," and Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" and "The Hobbit Movies." And Kenneth Branagh's "Thor." Also "The Smurfs Movie" and the big screen version of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and Ben Stiller's "Chicago 7." And a slew of animated and non animated Walt Disney and non Disney movies, many in 3D: including "The Smurfs" and "Fraggle Rock: The Movie" and "The King of the Elves" and "Rapunzel," "The Bear and the Bow;" "Newt," "The Princess And The Frog." And also "How To Train Your Dragon." How about Heath Ledger's final movie, "Dr. Parnassus." The four Jonas Brothers in the big screen adaptation of "Walter The Farting Dog" and Also: Zac Efron naked but not in "Me And Orson Welles." Also, Chace Crawford in "Footloose 2010." Benicio Del Toro as "The Wolfman." And James ("Titanic") Cameron's "Avatar;" and Robert Downey Jr. as "Sherlock Holmes." In addition, the sequel to "Twilight," and "New Moon," "Eclipse" and all starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. And, "Captain America." Also, check out all of the "2008 Movies" that were released in movie theaters. We also bring you "2010 Oscars" pre-coverage - and the movie trailers and movie posters of all "2009 Movies" & "2010 Movies" in theaters, including today's IN THE SPOTLIGHT - "Step Up 3"... (continue)




Netflix, Inc.
Celebrity Interviews By Tim Nasson More Wild About Movies Interviews
Movie Showtimes, Movie Box Office

Features


2007 Films - 2008 Films

"Films Now Playing In Movie Theaters"


Wild Things Poster


 


2007 Movies - 2008 Movies - 2009 Movies

Movie Trailers and Movie Posters of ALL "2009 Movies" & "2010 Movies" Coming To Movie Theaters

Me And Orson Welles Poster

 

Road Poster

Princess And The Frog Poster
Shrek 4 Poster
Nightmare On Elm St
Prince Of Persia Poster
Alice In Wonderland Poster
Tron 2 Poster
Iron Man 2 Poster
Rambo 5

 

 


WAM Giveaways


The Box


Go to the WAM Giveaways Page to enter the The Box Giveaway Promotion


Wild About Movies In The News