Zack Snyder to direct new Superman movie

LONDON - Zack Snyder is set to direct the new Superman movie.

The Warner Bros film, due for release next year, will be written by Christopher Nolan, the director of the Dark Knight movie.

Reports have claimed Snyder, the director of Watchmen and 300, was one of several filmmakers in negotiations for the job including Darren Aronofsky, Ben Affleck, Matt Reeves and Tony Scott.

Such was demand for the role that Robert Zemeckis, who has retired to the world of performance-capture animation, was said to have also considered returning to live-action filmmaking in order to get the coveted job.

The script is said to similar to “Superman Returns” with a connection to Richard Donner’s Superman films more than 30 years ago.

The new film will have a “villain connection” - General Zod, who was played by Terence Stamp in “Superman” (1978) and “Superman II” (1980).

The Superman movie is said to be one of the studio’s top priorities.

Snyder said he was “psyched” but surprised to have won the role.

“I had always been a huge fan of the character, but this is out of the blue,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“In the initial meetings, he (Nolan) has been super-amazingly smart and also amazingly kind, filmmaker-to-filmmaker.

“I definitely expressed my love for the character and interest in seeing him treated right. The character deserves to be loved. It’s his time,” he added. (ANI)