The PoP!-Stars narrow it down to the cream-of-the-crop in categories ranging from (but not limited to) Comics, Movies, Toys, and Geek Culture in general. This is the PoP! Top 6-Pack.

Batman Beyond

Back when the Batman movie franchise was on halt for a couple of years following the epic failure of Batman and Robin, naturally rumors about possible revamps resurfaced once in a while. In 2000, Warner Bros. was so impressed by the success of the animated TV show Batman Beyond about a futuristic young man acting as the new Dark Knight, that they OK’d a live action film based on it. The show’s creators Paul Dini and Alan Burnett wrote a draft, and a director was already set. But a year later, the studio ditched the idea and decided to go with Batman Begins instead.

While Christopher Nolan’s filmed version of the bat in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is the best portrayal of the character on the big screen, it would’ve been cool to see another character donning the cowl and high-tech spandex, set in a sci-fi backdrop. Maybe one day we’ll get that movie, after TPTB squeeze enough money from the classic franchise.

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Preacher

If you ask comic book readers what title comes up in their minds when it comes to Vertigo or Garth Ennis, most likely the answer will be Preacher. Not just that, but it was one of the books that symbolized everything that was good in ’90s comics. Anyway, usually a successful book or comic book garners interest in Hollywood, and Preacher wasn’t the exception. Ennis sold the movie rights in 1998 and was set to write the screenplay. Dubbed too controversial by producers and sponsors, Ennis got help from Kevin Smith’s View Askew Productions company. Harvey Weinstein of Miramax didn’t give the movie much of a chance and eventually declined it. With that falling through, the project entered production hell, moving from one production company to another, to this day.

At one point James Marsden (Cyclops in the X-Men movies) was cast in the leading role, but after a few years of non-production, he was no longer attached to it. In the middle of the decade, director Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) was part of an attempt to pitch Preacher as a TV show on HBO. With rumors surrounding the production, the network finally decided to shelve the show in 2008. A few months later, news outlets announced that director Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition) was hired by Columbia to direct the movie. The latest news regarding the production came in early ‘09 from John August (Big Fish), saying he’s writing the script for the film.

Knowing the history of the production, until we see a trailer, the Preacher movie is as dead as Granny L’Angelle.

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Watchmen

The first attempt to bring Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ innovative epic to the big screen started a short time after the release of the 12-issue series in 1986. After a couple of years of pre-production at Fox, the studio gave up the rights in the early ’90s, and Warner Bros. picked them up. Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys) was signed to direct the film. It was the most serious attempt at filming Watchmen (until Zack Snyder’s actual movie in 2009), but it got the axe due to failure in getting enough money from sponsors. The production was so dead that no one tried to start it again until a decade later. Gilliam was asked to direct it at least twice again, but refused, claiming it’ll work better as a miniseries.

Over the last decade directors like Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) were attached to the production, but eventually Snyder (300) was the one to actually make it. Sadly, his version wasn’t the best that could’ve been done with Watchmen, so we can only imagine what Gilliam or Aronofsky’s Watchmen would have been like if they had Snyder’s budget or more time (in the case of Aronofsky).

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1984’s X-Men

Everyone knows the series of films based on Marvel’s merry mutants from Fox, a series that brought us X-Men, X2: X-Men United, and the greatest achievements in the history of cinema – X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Some of you may even know that Fox tried to bring the franchise to the big screen in the mid-’90s when the studio purchased the film rights (with James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez attached as directors at some point). However, a little-known fact is that already in 1984, a pitch for an X-Men movie was scripted by comic book scribes Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway.

Both known for their various comic works at the time for Marvel and DC, they also tried their luck in Hollywood in the early ’80s. With one successful collaboration behind the duo (Conan the Destroyer), they were hired by the producers of an upcoming X-Men movie, to be released by Orion. The writers had several drafts, and the story was mostly reminiscent of the comic book team at the time. With Orion eventually opting out of the deal and the production company losing money (and later going bankrupt), the project was canceled.

A couple of years ago, TwoMorrows Publishing had an interview of editor Roy Thomas with Gerry Conway in Alter Ego #58, where they recalled their experience. Parts of the interview were reprinted in a free sampler in Free Comic Book Day 2008. If you’ve missed these issues, a free downloadable PDF version of the FCBD book, Comics Go Hollywood, can be found here.

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’90s Superman

Ever since the 1987 debacle called Superman IV: The Quest for Peace many producers, directors and writers attempted to resurrect the dead-as-nail franchise. Ironically, one idea was to kill Superman and bring back to life in the Kryptonian city of Kandor, while the other was based on the famous ‘93 story Death of Superman. In one of the versions Lois Lane was supposed to have a baby that will replace his father as Superman, and in the other Kal-El was meant to be revived by an alien. Thankfully, the pitches were ditched.

With Jon Peters still attached as producer, he hired young writer/director Kevin Smith to do the script. Smith based it too mostly on Death of Superman, however he improved it. With Peters asking to give the movie some bizarre elements (black costume, giant spider) and later director Tim Burton brought a new screenwriter to rewrite Smith’s script, it looked like the production is not going anywhere despite huge steps made by all involved. Also, Burton wanted Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage to play Superman and the actor signed a deal. After more bad luck hitting the production, high expenses forced Warner Bros. to close.

The movie was pitched over and over again since the late ’90s (even a possible Superman/Batman film was in the works), but only in the early-mid 2000s director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) managed to do it with Superman Returns. With the final result, I wish he had failed… But to make up for that, let’s see what could’ve been done with Nicolas Cage as Superman:

Looks fake but, you know - ewww.

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James Cameron’s Spider-Man

Another famous franchise to take its time before actually making it to the big screen was Spider-Man. Stan Lee tried to make it work ever since the late ’70s and after years of moving from owner to owner, eventually in the mid-’90s director James Cameron (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) signed as writer/director. After several years of pre-production, Cameron continued to other projects (like something small called Titanic). Adding to that Marvel’s bankruptcy at the time same as the production company backing the film, there was a small chance Spider-Man will be made any time soon. Years later we finally got the arachnid on film from director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead). It had its faults, but I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Besides, see for yourself what Cameron’s Spider-Man would’ve looked like. Bring your own paper bag.

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To contact Tomer Soiker: tsoiker@panelsonpages.com