posted 07-19-2004 05:01 PM                    

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LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- "X-Men" director Bryan Singer has signed on to shoot the next Superman movie, replacing "Charlie's Angels" veteran McG, who dropped out a week ago over such issues as budget and location.

By signing on, Singer puts his next two high-profile projects in a gray zone. He was scheduled to direct "Logan's Run," and then return for a third shot at the comic-book franchise that propelled his career into the realm of big-budget tentpoles: Fox has already scheduled "X-Men 3" for a May 5, 2006, release.

There is no scheduled start date for Superman which, like "Logan's Run," is in development at Warner Bros. (Warner Bros. is a division of Time Warner, as is CNN.)

The Superman movie's script is probably the most time-consuming element that will determine any production start. The previous script was written by "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams. Singer has a reputation for being very involved in the writing of his movies, as well as working with his own stable of writers.

Singer has long nursed a dream to direct a Superman movie.

"My interest in Superman dates back many, many years," he said. "In fact, it was the Richard Donner classic film that was my day-to-day inspiration in shaping the 'X-Men' universe for the screen. I feel that Superman has been late in his return and it is time for him to fly again."

Singer's other credits include "Apt Pupil" and "The Usual Suspects."

Besides McG, directors Tim Burton and Brett Ratner have also been involved with the resurrection of Warners' once-profitable franchise. The primary reason given for the exit of McG, ne Joseph McGinty Nichol, was the inability to agree on a budget, which reportedly hovers around $200 million, similar to what "Spider-Man 2" cost. Casting also was an issue, as was the shooting location. McG favored a New York shoot, while the studio favored Australia. SOURCE

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