Superman

The topic at the Batcave on Monday night was the future of that other superhero -- you, know, the one from Metropolis. "It's very exciting, we have a fantastic story," Christopher Nolan said while sipping tea in the sleek editing suite that fills the converted garage adjacent to his Hollywood home. "And we feel we can do it right. We know the milieu, if you will, we know the genre and how to get it done right." FOR THE RECORD: Christopher Nolan: An article about filmmaker Christopher Nolan in Wednesday's Calendar said his next movie, "Inception," opens July 19. It opens July 16. — Nolan was standing next to his wife, producer Emma Thomas, his partner in all of his films -- including " Batman Begins" and " The Dark Knight," the grim franchise that pulled in more than $1.3 billion at theaters worldwide -- and he was explaining their plan to take on a challenge that has frustrated Hollywood for two decades: Getting another Superman film franchise off the ground.

Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a new 40-story thrill ride on June 30 themed to DC Comics villain Lex Luthor that will rank as the world's tallest and fastest drop tower. > Photos: New attractions coming to Six Flags parks in 2012 The 400-foot-tall Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom will be attached to both sides of the Valencia amusement park's 415-foot-tall Superman: Escape from Krypton coaster tower. After ascending to the top of the new drop tower, Lex Luthor riders will freefall for five seconds at speeds reaching 85 miles per hour before a magnetic braking system stops the drop.

An irresistible force is going to meet an immovable object in November and something's going to give--Superman will meet his demise. The Man of Steel will die fighting to save Metropolis from the super-lunatic Doomsday, a new villain who is an escapee from a cosmic insane asylum. Wait a minute. Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Michael Shannon stands 6 feet, 3 inches. Big guy. Carries a big, George Costanza-size wallet too, which he plops on the table at the RH Restaurant at West Hollywood's Andaz Hotel with sincere apologies. "It's ridiculous," he says. "My whole life is in here. " A glimmer of Shannon's life can also be seen on screen in "Take Shelter," the critically praised drama in which the 37-year-old actor plays a father worried about losing his family as well as his mind. We talked to Shannon about the film, being a dad and taking on the role of the evil Gen. Zod in Zack Snyder's upcoming "Superman" reboot.

Tom Welling's first memory on the set of "Smallville" nine years ago was a chance meeting with a young production assistant named Chris Petry. The actor waved at Petry, who returned the greeting. Almost a decade later, Petry is all grown up and now serves as one of the show's producers and occasionally directs. As for Welling, well, he is still almost Superman. "The two of us were just sitting around the other day and going 'Eh, not too bad. Not too bad for nine years. [We've] done all right," said Welling, who is also an executive producer on the show and on the new CW program "Hellcats.

Amy Adams arrives at the Beverly Hills Hotel's patio doing what she calls her "zombie limp," the result of a broken pinky toe. Her hair is up, her guard is down and she's showing off an adorable photo of her 2-year-old daughter, Aviana, dressed up as a purple butterfly for her first Halloween. It's a deceptively relaxed moment. In the last 18 months, Adams, 38, has worked with Paul Thomas Anderson ("The Master"), Clint Eastwood ("Trouble With the Curve") and Spike Jonze (the upcoming sci-fi romance "Her")

When I saw John Johnson's letter (Sept. 7) knocking the selection of Nicolas Cage in the role of Superman, I felt his opinion was way out of line. Although he denied it, I believe he thinks Christopher Reeve's portrayal is cast in stone as the only interpretation for that character. I think Cage will give a fresh point of view to Superman. Johnson only notices the oddball characters Cage has portrayed. What he needs is a trip to his video store, so he can see Cage giving sensitive portrayals in "Moonstruck" and "It Could Happen to You."

Can someone please get Graham Elliot another cooking show? We were treated to just a taste of what Elliot can do on "MasterChef" when he was transformed, a la Superman, into one of the competitors facing the mystery box challenge. (That is, if Superman wore chunky white glasses instead of those nerdy black frames, and were a little more, um, barrel chested.) Only problem? That "taste" was more of an amuse bouche -- how about a multi-course dinner? Seriously: More cooking instruction by the judges, please!