Fans have been clamoring all over the web—and on this blog—for a complete reboot. And within the halls of Warner Bros. the same debate rages on.

They too believe that the last movie didn't break the mold and wound up in some kind of middle limbo. Today I was told that it is a priority at the studio to find the right direction and if Bryan Singer is willing to do that, fine, but if he gets in the way, he may not stay on the project. There are no writers working on a Superman script now. The studio wants to figure it out. "It might be better to start from scratch," one exec admitted.

It's an intimidating creative dilemma for Warners. Were it only as easy as one commenter's suggestion that they "make it more darker and not commerciallize [sic].. just like THE DARK KNIGHT the writer and the director make some risk to the movie and look what happen??" Indeed, look what happen. But the addition of a mutilated, lip-licking villain and surgically-implanted detonation devices won't necessarily guarantee that audiences seeking a jolt of unabashed and patriotic optimism will warm to a cynically repackaged Rottenguy: The Shadowy Kryptonian Prince Returns.

• Superman Status Update [Variety]

Meet Mark Millar. He's the dude who wrote the comic that Wanted was based on (along with several other good books too!), and since Wanted has proven itself to be a box office success, he now has a little bit of street cred in this town. Well, his lifelong dream has been to make a Superman movie, and he may just use that cred to do so.

As Millar says in an interview with the Scottish newspaper, the Daily Record:

"Since I was a kid I've always wanted to reinvent Superman for the 21st century. I've been planning this my entire life. I've got my director and producer set up, and it'll be 2011. This is how far ahead you have to think. The Superman brand is toxic after that last movie lost $200 million, but in 2011 we're hoping to restart it. Sadly I can't say who the director is, but we may make it official by Christmas."

Whoa, slow down there, Mark. I thought Bryan Singer was talking about restarting the Superman franchise himself, and making it more action oriented/less-sucky. And if so, who's this director Millar is referring to? Naturally the geekier regions of the Internet were up in arms about this, so Millar decided to clarify in the comments section over at slashfilm.com.

Millar writes:

" That Superman news is interesting, isn't it? In the interests of clarity (because I'm sure this will be picked up somewhere) a very well known American action director heard about my love of Superman, approached me and asked me to team up with he and his producer to make a pitch for this. We've been talking for several weeks now and, if this is going to happen, we'll know by Christmas. He has huge pull at WB so fingers crossed. But this is nothing more than a huge US name pulling me into his fold and making me part of a package."

So, there you have it, folks. The Superman franchise may or may not be restarted and either Bryan Singer or Mark Millar or both or neither will be in charge of it. Glad we could clear that up for you, fanboys.

• Mark Millar Has "Big Name Action Director" For a Superman Returns Revamp? Announcing at Xmas? Madness. [/Film]

· Parents of the Bride Steve Martin and Diane Keaton re-team for One Big Happy, a "comic pitch" purchased by Paramount from the creators of Party of Five. All we need is the return of Martin Short's Eurogay party planner, Franck Eggelhoffer, and we're really onto something here! [Variety]
· ICM welcomes Showgirls director Paul Verhoeven and Dude, Where's My Car director Danny Leiner into the fold, where they promise to find both filmmakers "the kinds of craptastic projects that will really let them shine." [THR]

If the original Indiana Jones sword, Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra wig or Madonna's stage-dusted "Like A Virgin" wedding dress suit any of your fancies, gather up your savings and join the Obsessive Hollywood Memorabilia Collectors With Too Much Money And Too Much Time Club! See a few of the most highly anticipated items below:

The sword used by Harrison Ford in the original Indiana Jones: Raiders Of The Last Ark, estimated to reach up to $50k:

The Wicked Witch of the West's original brimmed hat, as worn by Margaret Hamilton in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, expected to fetch $90k:

Christopher Reeve's complete Superman costume (including wig!) worn in the first two movies. Estimated winning bid? $90k:

And finally, with an estimated bid of 100 grand, we present Michael Keaton's Batman Returns costume:

You tell us: are these pieces worth all the moolah? Or do they look kinda like something you could pick up at Hollywood Toys & Costumes?

• FILM AND POP GEMS GO UP FOR SALE [BBC News]
• THE PUGLIESE POP CULTURE COLLECTION [Guernsey's]

The Man of Steel is officially off the market! 'Superman Returns' star BRANDON ROUTH married longtime girlfriend, actress COURTNEY FORD, on Saturday at JON and MINDY PETERS' 3000-acre El Capitan Ranch, just outside of Santa Barbara, CA.

It was a very exclusive, intimate wedding. The 150 guests were made up of friends and family, as well as KATE BOSWORTH, Warner Bros. President and COO ALAN F. HORN and director BRYAN SINGER. [...]

"The Insider"'s CHERYL WOODCOCK spoke to Mindy Peters, who revealed that she and Jon did about a $1 million ranch overhaul for Brandon's big day, including adding a man-made lake, rock walls and waterfalls, as well as fountains that will shoot water on cue when Routh gets the word, "You may now kiss the bride." There were also fireworks to mark the union.

We suspect the spectacular Dancing "I Do" Waters will soon become the must-have feature at every celebrity wedding. But don't expect any of those receptions to come close to the lavish ceremony held at the Peters' Hacienda, whose $1 million renovation was but a fraction of what crazy, mean, beautiful-hearted faded superproducer Jon Peters feels Routh, whom he loves "like my own, flying superson," deserves for helping to make him feel like a vital Hollywood force once again.

• Brandon Routh Gets Hitched! [ETOnline]
• Previously: Some Guy Who Played Superman Engaged To Girl You've Never Heard Of [Defamer]

MOVIE people are laughing over the cover of yesterday's Hollywood Reporter with a bleached-blond Jon Peters on the cover. Peters - the hairdresser who parlayed an affair with Barbra Streisand into a career producing such movies as "A Star Is Born," "Caddyshack," "Rain Man" and "Superman Returns" - was featured in the trade journal because he's getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Friends and business associates were asked to advertise in the paper, but did not. Streisand was conspicuously absent from its pages, as were Peter Guber, Mark Canton, Stacey Snider and Ron Meyer. "All he got besides Terry Semel and Warner Bros. was his business manager, his stockbroker and an architectural firm," said one Left Coast insider. At least Peters can enjoy his 3,000-acre Arabian horse ranch.

Above is the lone Variety ad from yesterday (we don't have a copy of the THR handy) recognizing Peters' Walk of Fame induction; even when it seems his supposed industry pals have abandoned him, he can at least take solace in the fact that his Superman partners cared enough to have an intern whip up that "Thanks for a Super time!" sentiment, sparing him the embarrassment of a Var shutout on his special day.

[Image: Digital Variety]

• FRIENDS ABANDON LEGEND [Page Six]
• Previously: Happy Suck Up To Halle Berry Day! [Defamer]

• Superman's costume matches Oz guard's at auction [Reuters]
• Hollywood Memorabilia [Profiles in History]

Think back, to long before Superman returned to our planet to thrill audiences with his heroic feats of lovelorn supermoping, to when the world's attentions were focused primarily on Kal-El's codpiece, aka the Bulge of Steel™—a protuberance of such reportedly goodly sized dimensions, a team of CGI artists were rumored to have been brought in to digitally diminish the young, unknown star Brandon Routh's groin into something less gasp-worthy. The Oh La La blog (somewhat NSFW if you don't want to be caught perusing a site featuring lots of muscley, shirtless dudes) has taken screencaps of a DVD bonus feature in which the newcomer is wearing a skin-tight, leave-no-nut-to-the-imagination leotard, even going so far as to magnify the critical area for your bulge-scrutinizing convenience. And while Mr. Routh has nothing to be ashamed of, it's certainly nothing close to the elephantine sex-organ-goiter the press had initially made it out to be. Perhaps it's a SuperGrower.

• THE BIG SECRET OF SUPERMAN REVEALED ON DVD ! [Oh La La Blog]

Brandon Routh is engaged to his girlfriend, actress Courtney Ford, his publicist tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"They are very happy," says Kacey Spies, who represents the Superman Returns star.

The couple, who have been dating for three years, will costar in the upcoming short film Denial. They plan to wed next fall.

To add to that exciting news, once the two are done wrapping Denial—what we're told is the first part of a short film trilogy—its sequels, Don't You Find Me Attractive Anymore? and What The Fuck Do You Mean You're Leaving Me For Stephen, Your Golfing Buddy?, will be rushed into production just as soon as financing is secured.

• Superman's Brandon Routh Engaged [People]

So that you wouldn't have to, Wired.com's Lore Sj berg sampled this summer's crop of breakfast cereal movie tie-ins, those boxed, promotional confections aimed at ensuring that the public is either breathing, eating, or excreting the studio's summer blockbusters at all times. Some of his findings:

Pirates of the Caribbean The cereal bits are shaped like "pearls," which is to say Cocoa Puffs, and the box doesn't explain what the marshmallows are supposed to be beyond "pirate-shaped."

Cars
I find it troubling that it's cereal hawked by cartoon beings that don't even eat cereal. That would be like Snap, Crackle and Pop selling motor oil. Which I guess would make them the Pep Boys.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown "Frosted multi-grain ice cube-shaped cereal with acorn-shaped marshmallows." I'm not certain what the difference is between "cube-shaped" and "ice cube-shaped..."

Superman Crunch
It's good to see Superman and Cap'n Crunch — the two most powerful beings in the universe — collaborating.

The fact that Superman Crunch turns your milk blue is a nice touch, as is its other, unadvertised feature: after several bowls, it also turns teeth a bright Kryptonite green that's appropriately effective at neutralizing their natural, cavity-fighting defenses. Still, the intended consumers of these products are a fickle bunch, and the youngsters will have long forgotten those gimmicky pleasures by the time they've moved onto the deadly, sugar-coated surprises awaiting them in Snakes in a Cereal Box.

• Sweet New Silver-Screen Cereals [Wired.com via BoingBoing]

The 26-year-old's parents were baffled when the hunky star snubbed the chance to hang out with other kids his age - until they realised how determined he was to make it to Hollywood.

Routh's mother Katie says, "I remember asking him why he didn't go out with the others. He turned to me and said: 'Mom, if you want me to, I'll go out. But they are doing drink and drugs, and I'm not into that.' I never asked him again. He was a very good-looking kid, but he did not date. He knew what he wanted to do and was in control."

The anecdote carries with it a great deal of comfort: We don't know how you like your fillers of iconic, red superboots, but we like them virginal, sober, and square as a slice of American cheese. Too many of our screen "heroes" hang their attributes up with their costumes, heading to the nearest whorelet-littered poker table the instant they hear the AD yell, "That's a wrap!" At least with Routh, parents can leave Returns secure in knowing that the boring guy on screen that their kids appear to have taken little to no interest in is just as flavorless in real life.

• Brandon Routh Shunned Dating & Drugs for Career [Starpulse]

The actor became annoyed when he saw pictures of himself posing up next to his Lois Lane, Kate Bosworth, who, he said, looked much more natural and sunkissed.

After the Superman Returns press conference at London's Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday afternoon, Routh's aides had new darker foundation flown in for him to use in time for last night's premiere in Leicester Square.

"To say that Brandon was livid with his make-up is an understatement," said an aide.

"The problem arose when he posed for photographs beside his co-star Kate Bosworth - who has a fantastic tan - and he realised that he looked pale and artificial in comparison. Basically there was a problem with the shade of his tinted moisturiser - it was slightly lighter than his natural skin tone - so he asked for an expensive fake tan moisturiser to be used instead.

The idea that Routh was sent into a hissy-tailspin by comparing his complexion to that of the "sunkissed" Bosworth is pretty good, but the added touch of claiming that Superman had his personal tanning team scrambling to have extra-strength bronzer "flown in" (we imagine a Warner Bros. private jet filled with Sephora shopping bags) to avert this crisis of pastiness is truly inspired. Really, the best we can do over on this side of the Pond is make jokes about his movie posters looking sorta gay.

• Superman star has tantrum after make-up made him look 'wimpy' [Daily Mail UK]

We'd never begrudge our newest, highest-profile cinematic superhero any endorsement opportunities that might arise from his gig as the Man of Steel, but there's something unintentionally hilarious about Brandon Routh's infomercial for Rope Yoga. We trust Routh's claims that this form of exercise was invaluable to his preparation for the physical rigors he would face on the Superman Returns set, but each time we see him demonstrating the machines upon which he trained for his strenuous flying harness work, it's hard not to imagine that archnemesis Lex Luthor has entangled him in Kryptonite ropes, bonds from which he's struggling to break free before Lois Lane takes her final step towards oblivion on a nearby booby-trapped StairMaster.

Maybe Routh should just stick to the quiet dignity of those Got Milk? ads and avoid the giggles of the immature.

• Brandon Routh Superman Returns talks about Rope Yoga fitness [YouTube]
• SUPERMAN DOES ROPE YOGA [RopeYoga.com]

• BRANDO NURSE SUES OVER WILL [NY Post]

"He's a madman, crazy and mean. But he has a beautiful heart. [...]

Mindy Peters also talked about the side of Peters that few get to see, such as his generosity. He donated money to the family of a deputy sheriff slain in the line of duty and paid for a terminally ill girl from the Pacific Northwest to come to L.A. for a week to visit Disneyland and other theme parks.

She said he also wakes up sweating, unable to breathe because of a recurring nightmare: "Jon is sitting on a curb waiting for his dad to come home and as he runs up to the car, the car pulls away."

Anyone with even the most cursory of dream-interpretation skills would assume Peters' recurring nightmare was rooted in a childhood trauma involving an affection-withholding father figure. Of course, they'd be wrong: Further analysis revealed the "dream" was merely a confused recollection of Peters' own favorite slow-day activity, in which he would push his assistant out of his BMW on Wilshire Blvd., then giggle uncontrollably as the underling tried unsuccessfully to catch up to his boss.

• Look, up in the credits, it's Peters [LAT]

1. Superman Returns—$52 million
That sum refers only to the fusty, traditional weekend numbers, but for its seven-day opening weekend take, Superman is on track to hit $110 mil. That's a number that has Warner Bros. execs, still wringing their underthings after the capsized bath they took on Poseidon, exhaling in relief. Analysts are crediting both a genuine fondness for the long-absent character, as well the organization of grassroots, The Passion of the Christ-style bussing campaigns to fill seats, with Christians, Jews and Gays pouring out of touring coaches and into multiplexes in support of their anointed Chosen Son. Inside, awed by the exalted presence of Brandon Routh's sizable (but not jarringly so) package and Kate Bosworth's mousey brown perm, the three tribes came together in an unprecedented show of reconciliation and mutual respect. Let the healing begin.

2. The Devil Wears Prada—$27 million
Fox's counterprogramming gamble may turn out to have been the savviest move of the summer, as Prada pulled in numbers previously thought impossible of a chick flick with nary a shirtless Matthew McConaughey in sight. Screenwriters take note: Find a way to work the word "Chanel" into the title of your searing Iraq war drama, you could be looking at a six-figure sale.

3. Click—$19 million
The supernatural electronic device comedy concept has proven so successful a vehicle for Adam Sandler, rumor has it Jim Carrey has been championing a similar script around town as his possible comeback. The Clapper, the tale of a clownish man who wakes up one day with the ability to "clap" events on and off, could potentially delight audiences the world over by summer 2007.

4. Cars—$14 million
We have to assume the only thing still pulling the crowds into this one is the great word-of-mouth Jeremy Piven is getting for his voice work as Harv, Lightning McQueen's oily, fast-talking, self-serving agent. Here's to avoiding typecasting!

5. Nacho Libre—$6.2 million
We're glad the filmmakers went with Jack Black in the lead instead of their first casting choice, Paul Walker, who, while a gifted physical comedian, just doesn't have the "jiggle magic" required to sell the shirtless, Spandex-clad wrestling scenes.

• Weekend Box Office Results For June 30-July 2, 2006 [Box Office Mojo]