Right before I left for San Diego last week, I spoke to John Singleton on his producing duties for his next film, Illegal Tender, which comes out on August 24. As I mentioned to him that I was leaving for Comic Con, I had to bring up the never-ending topic of him directing 'Luke Cage, based on the comic book. He's been attached to do this film for years with Tyrese playing the superhero, but the film can't get off the ground. He told me that it's a toss up between that film and 'The Black Panther' as which film will come first.
What's going with 'Luke Cage'? Seems that this is a never ending subject, especially since San Diego Comic Con is happening this week.
John Singleton: There is a race to see if I'm going to do 'Luke Cage' first or 'Black Panther'. I really wanted to do both of those pictures. I've always been a fan of Marvel comics, so it depends. I can do 'Cage' or 'Black Panther'. I've just been approached about doing 'Black Panther'.
What's the holdup with 'Luke Cage'? Is there even a script in place?
JS: There's scripts on it. Hollywood has a very limiting view on what makes a pop culture picture. If you put a black face on it, they think it's black thing; but yet we have all these movies that have come up and whenever they any black people in it, they make all this money. That's the thing that's holding 'Luke Cage' up. They think it's a small superhero movie. It's not going to be a small stupid movie like 'Meteor Man'. I'm trying to make 'Luke Cage'.
Comments: (12)
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By: Bree on 8/01/2007 6:16PM
Can someone tell me why it is important that John Singleton be involved with either project...they will get made...hopefully, but if they get made badly it is worse than not getting made at all....for those of you who wanted Spike to make Malcom X...remember what happened after he made it...and please note he made it so poorly Malcoms family would not talk to him...because of his poor story telling and need to have his face in it the legacy took a hit, but I digress.
John Singleton was the producer behind that piece of crap Hustle and Flow...and that pimp and ho crap is exactly what hollywood wanted to us portrayed as and he knew it and banked on getting paid because of it...please stop insulting our intelligence and touting all known near do wells as visionaries...cause they can get a movie made does not make them great movie makers.
bree
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By: Number 1 on 8/01/2007 7:32PM
John Single is a good filmmaker. But I think it's time to avoid the ghost of Jim Crow and Zip Coon characters of the comic book world. Still Black folks are treated as subhuman when it comes to developing images in Mass Media. Racism is still alive!
Okay, Luke Cage and The Black Panther are Marvel Comic titles with mainstream exposure. It's understandable how these two movies can be financially lucrative. But let's remember not all money is good money.
It's crazy to be persuaded to give up your integrity for half baked creativity. It's like going around he world and telling other ethnic groups who aren't white that White people are more creative and intelligent. Let's be wise here. If you know how to create the tools then utilize them without compromise.
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By: Number 1 on 8/01/2007 7:31PM
John Singleton is a great filmmaker, but please don't make Luke Cage and The Black Panther. Neither one is authentically myths created by black people. It's that old ghost Jim Crow and that old ghost Zip Coon.
Meteor Man was interesting. But Luke and Panther seem to be devalued in mainstream comic books. No one's rushing to comic book stores to purchase Luke and Panther. Racism is still alive!
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By: Charles Thompson on 8/02/2007 10:03AM
I would avoid Luke Cage like the plague but Black Panther would be interesting. If it had the dark look of Batman and the (better filmed) moves of DareDevil it would have fans flocking to the movie. Tyrese would be a good choice. His African heritage would have to be realistic not some Coming to America style Africa.
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By: Julius Turner on 8/02/2007 11:49AM
I dont think that Tyrese would be a good fit because if you're a marvel fan you would remember that Luke Cage was muscular, nothing against Ty but I think the WWE'S Bobby Lashley would be a better fit.
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By: Nicolas Duplessis on 8/02/2007 12:31PM
John Singleton is hardly a black man. When Universal sent their "token" J.S. to do films-he not only does want any blacks on the production staff but he white washed Ropsewood. Rosewood, Florida was way more brutal than he made it appear and the grandchildren of Rosewood,Fl said that John Singleton wasn't even interested in doing the story in the correct manner. He was forced by the studio to meet with the families, he complained about that and then never did any more research on Rosewood, Fl. He is fraud!
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By: Nicolas Duplessis on 8/02/2007 12:29PM
COON ALERT! COON ALERT! John Singleton is hardly a black man. When Universal sent their "token" J.S. to do films-he not only does want any blacks on the production staff but he white washed Ropsewood. Rosewood, Florida was way more brutal than he made it appear and the grandchildren of Rosewood,Fl said that John Singleton wasn't even interested in doing the story in the correct manner. He was forced by the studio to meet with the families, he complained about that and then never did any more research on Rosewood, Fl. He is fraud!
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By: al on 8/06/2007 3:41PM
IS ANYONE COMMENTING ON THIS SUBJECT A FAN OF THE GENERE?KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CHARACTERS? OR THE HISTORY????? DOES'NT SEEM THAT WAY TO ME...FIRST OFF---I DON'T THINK SINGELTON WOULD BE THAT BAD OF A CHOICE...WORD ON THE GRAPEVINE IS,THE STUDIO WANTED JAIME FOXX TO BE LUKE CAGE,I MEAN,WHAT THE FUCK ?!? JAIME FOXX ?!? ANYONE WITH ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHRACTER WOULD KNOW THIS IS AN ABSOLUTLEY HORRENDOUS CHOICE..SINGLETON KNEW THIS AND PUT HIS FOOT DOWN.WANTING TYRESE...NOT MY CHOICE,BUT HE'S BETTER THAN JAIME FOXX...
SECOND NONE OF THESE CHRACTERS ARE COONS..OKAY,CAGE WAS SOMEWHAT 70ISH BACK WHEN (SHAFT,HAMMER,ETC.)BUT CONSIDERING WHAT EVERYONE WAS INTO AT THE TIME,I.E. BLACKFOLK,THAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED..THE WAY HE'S WRITTEN NOW IS COOL AS HELL.TOUGH,SMART,COOL AS HELL BLACKMAN NOT TAKING SHIT FROM NO ONE...
AND AS FOR BLACK PANTHER,I'M NOT GOING THERE...WHAT REGINALD HUDLIN IS DOING WITH HIM NOW IN COMICS IS FAR BETTER THEN THAT "HOT GHETTO MESS"----OH,EXCUSE ME--"WE GOTS TO DO BETTER"---NONSENSE HE'S GOT GOING ON WITH STUPID ASS BET...PICK IT UP AND GIVE IT A READ.
AND FOR THE RECORD...TYRESE IS TO SHORT TO PLAY LUKE CAGE..
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By: Cassandra on 8/06/2007 11:25PM
KUDOS TO YOU JOHN SINGLETON. I KNOW THAT WORKING WITH WHITES IS VOMITING WORK!!
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By: The Mblem on 8/07/2007 6:04AM
If you like apples...how bout THESE apples?!?! Michael Jai White is Luke Cage!!!
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