The fracas over Superman‘s sexuality isn’t just hitting the cover of The Advocate — it’s reverberating back to the Warner Bros. studio, as execs continue to fight its summer blockbuster’s gay rep. And gay director Bryan Singer is caught up in all of it.
The gay buzz sparked by one-sheets presenting Brandon Routh as the Babyfaced Superbod. Then Warner’s ridiculous panic because of gay-themed Superman stories in, god forbid, The Advocate. Singer’s own desperate damage control that this was “probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I’ve ever made.” Things got so out of hand, I’m told, that Warner’s president of production Jeff Robinov sought advice from his Matrix pal Joel Silver on how the hell to sell Superman in a more butch fashion. After all, when it comes to making and marketing manly movies to manly men, Silver’s the manliest. (I’ve learned that uber-heterosexual Joel loved Superman Returns
when Jeff showed it to him.)
And if that’s not enough of a Hollywood headache, the studio managed to bungle the marketing of its $260 million project where it counts: MySpace.
I also hear that Warner Bros. screwed up the film’s promotion on MySpace.com, which has become a key component of any good campaign. Not only was Superman Returns late to display there, but for many days the wrong opening date was posted since no one bothered to update when the film’s opening was moved earlier to June 28th.
Warner Bros. Asked Joel Silver For Advice On How To Market More Manly Superman [Deadline Hollywood]
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