It's been the subject of more contradictory rumors than pretty much any other film in (or not in) development -- but according to its once-and-perhaps-future director, the sequel to Superman Returns is very much alive.

Empire, responding to reports from IESB, contacted Bryan Singer about rumors that he was at work on the follow-up to Superman Returns -- a sequel that, as Empire points out, "some said would never happen because the first was perceived as a flop." The director responded with a bit of (admittedly quite appropriate) sputtering before answering the question at hand:

That movie made $400 million! I don't know what constitutes under-performing these days...Look, I can understand, I suppose, what some people mean. Perhaps some people went in with the expectation of it being like an X-Men film, and Superman is a tougher character than that. Especially bringing him back. It really goes back to the fact that you can only please some of the people some of the time. But, yes, I'm just getting back with writers after the strike. We're just in the development phase. I'm starting to develop a sequel...with the intention of directing it.

Calling Superman Returns a "romantic" and "nostalgic film," Singer told Empire that the first film needed to establish the characters -- and now that that's been taken care of, the next installment will "up the threat levels." Tongue seemingly in cheek, he then went on to promise "a body count" and "unrelenting terror" for "all those teenage girls who found [Superman Returns] and mooned over" male leads James Marsden and Brandon Routh.

Source: Empire