Singer, a University of Southern California film school graduate, experienced a strong association as a boy with the superhero that launched a genre, after being created in 1938 by DC Comics.

“I’m adopted and an only child,” he says.  “I was Jewish growing up in a Catholic neighborhood.  Knowing these things I always felt a little different.  Here was this guy who was adopted, an only child.  He also had blue eyes, and I had blue eyes.”

Since “Superman: The Movie,” which starred Christopher Reeve and was directed by Hollywood legend Richard Donner (“The Goonies”, “Lethal Weapon”) in 1978, and its three, less-popular successors (“Superman II, III and IV), Hollywood has made several attempts to get Superman off the ground again.  “Entertainment Weekly” reported that during the late '90s, director Tim Burton tapped Nicolas Cage (who even named his second child Kal-El) for the role.  In 2002, Brett Ratner ("X-Men: The Last Stand", “Red Dragon”) considered everyone from James Marsden and Josh Hartnett to Ashton Kutcher for the part.  Then director McG (“Charlie’s Angels”) considered the largely unknown, youthful Brandon Routh – who has finally made it to the screen in Singer’s version – as late as 2004.  That project crashed when, reportedly, the aviophobic director refused to board an airplane for Australia, where the film was scheduled to shoot.

Singer, who directed the first two movies in the successful “X-Men” series and executive produces Fox’s award-winning television show, “House, M.D.,” has long had ideas about a very down-to-earth superhero – one who carried the story forward from “Superman II,” while also incorporating elements from all the films.  Three years ago, he found himself at a conference with Donner and his wife. 

“I asked if I could bend their ear for a moment.  I said, ‘What would you think if I made a Superman movie?  I wouldn’t remake your movie.  I would make a return story.  He would return to a world that has moved on.’ He thought it was a fantastic idea, and I got his first blessing,” he says.

Singer immediately went into preproduction, working simultaneously on script development.  To get the film onscreen, the self-admitted workaholic has labored up to 17 hours a day for the past two years.  If his efforts pay off, however, this could be the biggest Superman project yet.