UPDATE: In his review of “Heads of State,” Variety’s Peter Debruge couldn’t help but sneak in a jab at James Gunn’s “Superman.” It’s subtle, but the dig is there, buried in a line praising Idris Elba and John Cena’s chemistry.
You could be forgiven for writing off “Heads of State.” But then, you would miss a movie that’s no sillier than “Superman” and a lot more entertaining (a comparison worth making, since both adhere to a mythical sense of heroism).
Oops.
The Daily Beast mistakenly published its review of James Gunn’s “Superman” —five days ahead of the official embargo lift. The headline? Not exactly what Warner Bros. wanted to wake up to: “The Terrible New ‘Superman’ Movie Is the Final Nail in the Grave for the Superhero Genre.”
The piece was pulled within five minutes, but the damage is done. The review is already making the rounds online, and WB’s PR department is, by all accounts, having a very bad afternoon. You break embargo, that’s one thing. You break embargo with that headline? Total meltdown mode.
The “Superman” review embargo officially lifts July 8 at 3:00 PM ET, but the film has already screened for the trades in LA and NYC. Warner Bros. has been trying to keep this one tightly under wraps, and they’re hoping positive word of mouth can boost ticket sales — not drain them — as “Superman” is currently projected for a $100M opening weekend.
I’ll be seeing it Monday morning, but I’ve spoken to multiple press who caught early screenings. Reactions are all over the place. Word is, the plot’s a mess—convoluted in that classic Gunn-trying-to-do-too-much way—but most agree it’s an upgrade from the Snyder and Singer takes.
Take that however you want.