from trivia:
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
bozo_500 — 10 years ago(August 31, 2015 09:21 AM)
from trivia:
Wes Craven was set to direct, but was replaced after creative differences with star Christopher Reeve.
also found Craven talking about it here:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2ATD5_VBE_kC&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=wes+crave+christopher+reeve&source=bl&ots=d3mGYOD_yG&sig=i11O0_y5pSoJI0hkNU7jbHJubOI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAGoVChMIorTjj9zTxwIVwhXbCh0wxwl4#v=onepage&q=wes crave christopher reeve&f=false
im guessing Reeve wasnt that fussed on Craven being so associated with horror? (although Donner had done Omen straight before Superman, but Cravens movies wernt that well regarded at the time - more slasher/video nasties than Omen which was a very well respected horror film like Exorcist)
I wonder if SIV would've turned out any better if Craven had directed? maybe more of a horror vibe with Nuclear Man? no doubt hed have struggled with the horrific budget cut too though -
Tiberius27-1 — 9 years ago(April 16, 2016 12:57 AM)
Craven couldn't have done much worse than what Sydney J. Furie did!
I wonder what Reeve's beef with Craven was? Do you have any other ideas other than him possibly being offended by his horror film past? Why would Craven even get an interview with Reeve if Reeve was so dead set against him?
"Be nice until it's time to NOT be nice." -
wallacesawyer — 9 years ago(April 18, 2016 09:03 PM)
Craven had previously directed the DC character SWAMP THING (1982), which does have a darker tone than SUPERMAN 4. Regardless of his horror film resume, maybe Craven did want to take the series in a darker direction, or possibly even avoid the Cold War/Nuclear weapons theme which Reeve seemed pretty eager about.
It probably would have been a different film. I don't know about the budget cuts. Craven was clearly experienced with low-budget films at the time. Maybe he hoped SUPERMAN 4 would have been his big budget Hollywood epic, or maybe he could have delivered us a low-budget character driven SUPERMAN film. But then again Cannon would probably have upped the budget in order to get more action sequences, possibly ruining his vision anyway.
http://www.freewebs.com/demonictoys/ -
TMC-4 — 9 years ago(June 24, 2016 07:44 AM)
http://superman.about.com/od/Superman/fl/How-Wes-Craven-Almost-Directed-Superman-The-Quest-For-Peace.htm
What Would a Wes Craven Superman Film Have Been Like?
Craven never talked about what his vision of Superman would have been like, but we can guess. Wes Craven's career began with the 1972 revenge flick "The Last House on the Left" but took off after he directed "Nightmare on Elm Street" in 1984. He was best known for horror films that explore themes of the nature of reality. Craven always liked to explore themes of reality versus fantasy. The main character from the Nightmare on Elm Street films is Freddy Krueger who's covered with burns, wears gloves with razors on the fingers and kills his victims in their dreams. There was a constant theme of the victims wondering what was real and what was a dream. In Scream there was a constant theme of the victims living in a world that simulated the world of movies.
No doubt Craven would have wanted to explore the duality of Clark Kent versus Superman and the nature of Superman's status as a hero. He definitely would have made a darker film than the previous ones and make it less "kid-friendly." That might have been what put Reeve off. Reeve was obsessed with Superman's status as a role model for children and traditional values. The idea that someone might subvert that would have made him defend his film with a passion. But while Craven is best known for his horror films, he also directed films outside his genre such as the 1999 dramatic film Music of the Heart starring Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett. He could have made a mainstream film that touched on everything the studio wanted. -
wallacesawyer — 9 years ago(June 24, 2016 09:19 AM)
The Clark Kent/Superman fight from SUPERMAN III must have been right up Craven's alley then.
http://www.freewebs.com/demonictoys/ -
TMC-4 — 9 years ago(June 24, 2016 07:41 AM)
The funny thing is that I don't think that Wes Craven always wanted to do horror. It was just the genre that he was "best" at and made him money. I mean he did after-all direct
Music of the Heart
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_Heart