Duane Capizzi on Superman: Brainiac Attacks
Interview Conducted
by Jim Harvey
Duane Capizzi is best known as the writer, producer and story editor for
the Kids WB! hit The Batman. Fresh off of The Batman's
third season and direct-to-video feature ("The Batman vs. Dracula"),
Capizzi jumps headfirst into the world of Superman with the Man of
Steel's first direct-to-video feature, "Brainiac Attacks."
Duane took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us and
give us some insight on the process of Brainiac Attacks, as well as drop
some very interesting hints about the upcoming season of The Batman.
June 16th, 2006
First
off, take us through the plot for "Superman: Brainiac Attacks" and why
Superman fans should give it a spin on June 20th?
Well, that's a tall order -- will Superman fans take my word or that of
your reviewer? :-) For the die-hard fans of S:TAS, presumably the bulk
of your readership, let me first say that the movie is not intended to
be in continuity with the Timm-verse, despite utilizing those character
and background designs. Similarly, the depiction of Lex Luthor was
intentionally modeled after Gene Hackman's performance in the Donner
films, to dovetail with Luthor's depiction in the upcoming Bryan Singer
film. If a die-hard fan goes into 'Brainiac Attacks' with this in mind,
it should be a smoother ride -- and hopefully an entertaining one.
The plot involves a classic alliance between the two big Superman
rogues, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, while catching Superman at a crucial
juncture: he comes to feel he's living a lie with Lois Lane, and must
decide whether or not to reveal his true identity to her. While Superman
juggles these heroic and personal aspects of his life, the two intersect
when Lois becomes critically injured. Superman goes to the ends of the
Earth and then some to save her: it's as if we took the end of the first
Donner film and made it the dramatic center of our entire story, played
for high emotional stakes. It's an intimate story, yet at the same time
very epic.
How were you approached to write this project? And what’s it like
being asked to write a movie for such a huge icon like Superman?.
I wasn't sure I was the right guy for the job, since I'd been living in
Gotham City for so long and had never written for the Son of Krypton
before. I wasn't looking to reinvent the wheel, just to tell the best
Superman story I could.
Did you have to adapt to write for Superman, who’s such a different
character than Batman? Why or why not?
Mostly, I just did as much "homework" as I could in the time allotted:
revisited the Donner films, reviewed as much of the animated series and
Fleischer cartoons as I could, re-read some of the classic stories --
mostly to get the voices and tone in my head. Then I was off and
running.
Coming off a successful season of The Batman, how did that affect
your approach to writing this new movie? Did it rush you, and were you
forced to compromise due to time constraints? How? Why?
Let's just say a tighter-than-usual deadline forced me into a period of
very intense focus. But S:TAS nuances or continuity that may have been
lost on me aside, it was the script I wanted to write. Curt Geda, the
film's director and someone more intimate with Superman than myself by
way of S:TAS, was more than pleased with the results. He said he'd
always wanted to do a big romance story in a way that S:TAS never got to
do.
What inspirations did you draw from when writing
"Brainiac Attacks"?
Did you make sure to stay dedicated to the continuity of the series this
movie is based off? Were you intimidated to be writing a movie for the
Bruce Timm cartoon, with a notoriously imposing fanbase?
I was more intimidated writing and producing The Batman, knowing that
it was a conscious departure from the previous series. Little did I
know!! I never considered 'Brainiac Attacks' to be such a stylistic
departure (though again, it also wasn't intended to be "in continuity"):
aside from the afore-mentioned characterization of Lex Luthor, the movie
doesn't attempt anything too avant-garde -- though it does explore some
until-now unknown phenomena of the Phantom Zone (arguably my favorite
sequence among awesome sequences: it's this movie's "blood bank"
sequence, IMO).
Rumor has it that plans for a Superman series along the lines of The
Batman were in the works, with you at the helm. Any truth to those
rumors, and if so, any word on what the show would have been like?
If there are plans, I'm not aware of them. (Fans of S:TAS, you may
breathe a sigh of relief. :-))
Overall, how was your experience writing this movie, how did it
differ from writing "The Batman Versus Dracula", and would you like to
take a shot at Superman again in the future?
Aside from one being a horror film and the other an epic romance-tinged
sci-fi adventure? I suppose TBVD came more naturally because I'd been
living with the characters for a couple of seasons, whereas I had to
learn Superman as I was writing him. As for the future, I've learned a
lot by writing this one: I'm ready for more, bring it on.
And to wrap up, can you drop any tiny hints on what to expect on
The
Batman in season four?
Season Four may be the most fan-oriented season yet. It's no secret that
we're introducing Robin to the series; we're also going to meet
Nightwing in an episode, in a very interesting way. Penguin will attempt
to form his own version of an "injustice gang," and among other villains
we'll be meeting Killer Moth, the Matt Hagen version of Clayface, Black
Mask, and Harley Quinn (in an episode penned by none other than Harley's
creator, Paul Dini). We'll also discover more about Riddler's past, and
Batman will finally team up with a superhero from outside the 'Detective
Comics' universe. Yes, it's a JLA member -- but I won't say who, you
know I hate spoilers. :-)
The World’s Finest would like to thank Duane Capizzi for his
participation in this Q & A.
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