SUBMITTED BY Typhon24

August 12, 2002 —

From Aint It Cool News:

Jude Law had the role. It was his. He was happy with the money that was being offered, and they were just waiting on the final contracts from what Nanobot 1 and others were telling us. The people around the office were in a happy talkative jabberjaw mode (typical Warner etiquette by the way) and when the deal fell apart, it wasn't about money, it was about Sequels. Jude wasn't adverse to playing Superman in multiple films, he just wanted to be able to commit to those projects individually based upon the quality of their respective scripts. Reportedly, Jude was very interested in the Andrew Kevin Walker script for BATMAN VS SUPERMAN. I've heard it is very good, and I've been told by Houdini to expect to read it soon. However, Jude... being a QUALITY PERFORMER and knowing Warner Brothers' shitty history on Superhero Franchises, where self-parody and out right spectacular suicide dives into empty swimming pools filled with broken beer glass on these types of things... Well he wanted to control his destiny. And of course, the concept of having a star with integrity that could vote one way or another in regards to his committment on a project... Well, that's just too much.

SO... Rather than giving your star performer an assurance of quality control... Rather than going with their first choice. Rather than that, they are going with Josh Hartnett. Now, admittedly, Josh is in the exact stage of negotiation right now that Jude Law was in. The Final Negotiations. That tick tock tick tock moment to moment of a project where the balance is precariously awkward.

For more info, hit the link below!