UPDATED: It looks like the secret cameo has leaked online. I guess that’s what you get when you test a movie months in advance.
EARLIER: Before I get into this story, here’s my PSA to subscribe to fellow independent journalist Jeff Sneider’s must-read newsletter (TheInSneider) which always has tons of interesting intel and stories.
Sneider has been heavily hinting that James Gunn’s “Superman” will have a surprise cameo. Last night, he further stated that, during a recent test screening of “Superman,” the cameo was met with very loud applause.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Because the character’s identity should be considered a significant and major spoiler, the cameo is never revealed by Sneider, but whispers now indicate that it could very well be Bradley Cooper playing Superman’s father, Jor-El. The actor is said to only appear during the first 10 minutes of the film.
Previous rumors had hinted that Tom Cruise, who recently inked a first-look deal with Warner Bros, might have been in the film, but it now looks like we’ll have to settle with Cooper (downgrade!)
As for test reactions from that screening, as usual, they’re all over the place, and I have yet to speak to anyone who attended the screening. According to “insider” Daniel Richtman, people “loved it,” while MyTimeToShineHello says the reactions were “decidedly mixed.”
By the way, we still don’t know how much “Superman” actually cost. Not even the trades know. Last year, an article in the Columbus Business Journal, citing the government website Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit, revealed that the film had a $363M budget. Gunn then quickly went on his social media to deny the figure.
Cory Finley, a talented filmmaker, has directed three films so far: "Thoroughbreds" (2017), "Bad Education” (2020), and "Landscape with Invisible Hand.”