News that wasn't

I happened to stumble across this particular installment of the week's news from Science Fiction Weekly, dated from April 21, 1997 (scroll down past the long piece on the Nebula winners to see the week's news). Fascinating to read of the things that we were told were on their way to theatres back then, including:

Ringworld coming to the big screen

Ringworld, the popular SF adventure trilogy by Larry Niven, is being developed into a feature film by QDE Entertainment, the production company of music producer Quincy Jones, Daily Variety reports.

The Ringworld books tell the story of a massive artificial ring, as large as the Earth's orbit around the sun, discovered in deep space by a band of alien and human adventurers, and the efforts of the discoverers to unravel the mystery of the ring's builders.

The film should have a built-in audience: the Ringworld trilogy has more than 7 million copies in print. -- P.L.

and this:

Superman to get Dark Knight treatment

Wire-haired director Tim Burton, who did much to transform Batman from camp buffoon to Dark Knight, may be in the works to do the same to that All-American icon, Superman, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Burton (Ed Wood) is reportedly in talks to take the helm of Superman Reborn, a new, darker take on the story of Our Man from Krypton. Nicolas Cage (The Rock) is expected to don the Man of Steel's new tights (no cape this time around).

Evean as word of Burton's involvement came out, the film's writer Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Clerks) was quoted blasting the film's studio, Warner Bros., in a story in Buzz Weekly. Smith later said he didn't recall making the comments to Buzz, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "When I say 'anxious motherf---kers,' it doesn't mean I don't like the guys," he told the trade paper. "They were nice enough to tap me to write."

Burton -- reportedly unsatisfied with Smith's script -- has already approached at least two major screenwriters, Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp (Jurassic Park), to submit new versions, according to the trade paper. -- P.L.