Christopher Nolan's Short List Of Potential Superman Directors Revealed

Drips and drabs of information about Christopher Nolan's Superman film have been leaking out for months now. While the David Goyer-scripted film has always sounded intriguing, today we got an even better idea of what direction Nolan is going in when news broke of the five directors that were on Nolan's short list to potentially direct the film.

Hit the jump to see the list of who's being considered to bring the man of steel to life on the big screen again.

Deadline's scoopmaster Mike Fleming broke the news, and according to him, the directors currently being looked at are:

  • Tony Scott (Unstoppable, The Taking of Pelham 123)
  • Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Cloverfield)
  • Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles, Clash of the Titans 2 [upcoming])
  • Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code)
  • Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch)
  • Noticeably missing from this list? Jonathan Nolan, who had been rumored for quite some time to be in the running for the director's chair.

    Nolan has already started meeting with directors and will submit his choice to Warner Brothers in the next few weeks. However, Fleming points out that "[s]everal of these directors have movie commitments like Liebesman, which make then unlikely."

    For the most part, I think these are interesting choices. My preferences are probably greatest for Jones and Reeves, both of whom I still think of as directors with great indie sensibilities (despite Cloverfield's blockbuster status). With Moon, Jones proved he could be extraordinarily resourceful with his budget while still delivering some amazing visuals, not to mention a fascinating sci-fi story. Reeves' Cloverfield was novel and breathtaking, and I've heard great things about Let Me In. Likewise, I think Zach Snyder has already shown he has a knack for handling superhero films with great action sequences and thematic heft.

    The one person who I don't think should be chosen under any circumstances is Tony Scott. He hasn't made a good film in years and his hyper-stylized directing would almost surely make Superman's next film foray into something regrettable and mediocre.

    Discuss: What do you guys think of this short list? Who do you think should direct the next Superman film?