Litigation delays 'Superman' movie

The ongoing litigation between Warner Bros/DC and the estate of Jerry Siegel has been revealed as the cause of the delay of a new Superman movie.

Earlier this week, Warners announced that it had no current plans to make a follow-up to 2006's Superman Returns.

Warner Bros senior vice president of corporate communications Scott Rowe confirmed in an email to the Superman Homepage that this was due to the legal dispute.

"Superman is an important member of our family," he said, "but because of ongoing litigation we cannot announce any concrete plans at this time. That said, at some point in the future, you're likely to see a new Superman. So... have no fear."

A prior legal ruling states that Warner Bros must either get another movie into development by 2011 or seek the permission of the heirs of Siegel and Superman co-creator Joe Shuster if it wishes to make a film beyond that date.