Is Orson Scott Card’s ‘Superman’ Debacle Finally Over?

March 6, 2013

By Tom Blunt

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Orson Scott Card/Photo via Nihonjoe/Wikipedia

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A conclusion (of sorts) has been reached in the Orson Scott Card/Superman saga. Chris Sprouse, the artist who’d been appointed to illustrate Card’s story, has withdrawn from the project, citing his discomfort with the negative media attention; instead of pushing to meet the April 19 release date, DC will run a different story in its place. On the surface this seems like yet another chapter in a continuing saga — DC claims to be looking for a replacement illustrator. However, I suspect this is actually the last any of us will hear of Card as a Superman author. Sprouse’s resignation allows DC and Card the perfect chance to save face by just burying the issue and walking away quietly. I’m certain that’s what producers of the upcoming “Ender’s Game” would prefer.

If you think those issues are touchy, then you won’t even believe what producers of the new Broadway adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s are going through. Before previews start this weekend, they’ve got to find and train a real cat to do all the things that Holly Golightly’s cat does in the script — and so far, they’re coming up empty-handed. As The New York Times so cleverly puts it, “the role requires not only an animal that can handle lights, microphones and an audience, but also one that can cross the stage, sit, stay and exit on cue. In short, it requires a dog.”

Among Frank Langella’s creepier credits: He may have nearly given Barbara Walters the kiss of death. The two shared a smooch on New Year’s Eve, but shortly afterward Langella developed an outbreak of shingles, and the same virus is likely to be the culprit behind Walters’ recent bout with chickenpox — a disease that everyone knows can be quite serious in adults. With that in mind, I suspect the actor will have a slightly harder time finding a date for this year’s New Year festivities.

Despite his recent alleged unruliness, Alec Baldwin offered nothing but the most decadent, perfectly composed snark in response to Shia LeBeouf’s tweets about leaving the cast of Broadway’s “Orphans” last week. It’s as if there are two Alecs out there: one who rages at passersby and innocent children, and another who excels as a sensitive artist and skilled comedian. Perhaps someone should cast him as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? I’d watch it.

Tags: Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Frank Langella, Orson Scott Card, Shia LeBeouf