Disney

I don't know if I am going to continue this blog...the whole Disney thing has me looking at Marvel in a new light...I'm no longer excitedly following the growth of a dynamic upstart movie studio whose work is based on some of the greatest modern myths of our time...myths created by a small group of caring individuals known collectively as "Marvel"...I'm instead now following one more arm of a corporate behemoth with countless arms, decades of experience and unparalleled success in many fields...Marvel is no longer an underdog...and from the X-Men to the Hulk to Wolverine to Spider-Man, Marvel in my mind has always been fundamentally about underdogs...and their ability to eventually succeed...if they just...tried...hard...ENOUGH!

To me, it always seemed like the path of Marvel the company mirrored the path of many of its characters...for years, Marvel, the underdog, survived despite not having a giant corporate parent......recently, with Marvel Studios, Marvel forced itself onto a playing field occupied by long established and deep-pocketed mega movie studios...Marvel was playing with the big boys...it may have been harder for Marvel...but they were doing it! ...because they tried harder...because they understood great storytelling...because they cared...because they wouldn't sell out...and then...

They sold out.

I am not sure what I think at this point. I may or may not continue this blog. Maybe in time this whole Disney thing won't bother me. I know it's business. I know the characters are the most important thing. The stories. But somewhere, in the back of my mind, I always associated the company with the characters. Subconsciously even, while I read.

So I don't know right now.

Fantastic Four reboot planned

All the Disney hub-bub overshadowed this bit of potentially promising news...

Marvel/Disney mash-ups

The comedic possibilities are endless...

STAN APPROVES

Stan Lee says buyout is a good thing for Marvel.

DISNEY TO BUY MARVEL

That's right - you read it correctly - DISNEY IS REPORTEDLY BUYING MARVEL!
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Just imagine...

...Raimi's episodes start to fizzle, or he loses interest, and Cameron decides to take a shot?

More Comic-con Marvel Movie fallout

• Captain America, Avengers possibilities: /Film
• Interview with Scarlett Johansson: io9
• Kick-Ass Comic Con clips: bscreview.com
• Jon Favreau interview: ComicBookMovie.com
• Robert Downey Jr. interview: ComicBookMovie.com
• Scarlett Johansson interview: ComicBookMovie.com
• Sam Rockwell interview: ComicBookMovie.com
• Kevin Feige on Iron Man 2: Latino Review

Ed Norton on his participation in Avengers: he didn't say "no"

Read this bit of non-news that may actually indicate there is news here.
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MMB: HULK

I thought Stark Industries was imaginary

And yet they have a website! :)
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MMB: IRON MAN

Jon Favreau discusses 3D technology

Perhaps we'll see Iron Man 3 in 3D...

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MMB: IRON MAN

New Iron Man 2 pic

Click for the larger image on JOBLO.COM.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Comic-Con 2009 tidbits

Some more Marvel Movie news coming out of this year's Comic-Con:

• Kevin Feige on Thor progress; starts shooting in 2010: ACESHOWBIZ.COM.
• Don Cheadle on War Machine in Iron Man 2: MTVSPLASHPAGE.COM.
• Feige on the Avengers roster: COLLIDER.COM.
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje possible for Black Panther: MTVSPLASHPAGE.COM.
• Ruminations on the possibility of the Skrulls in the Avengers movie: CHUD.COM.
  

Iron Man 2 at Comic-Con 2009: Description of footage; Scarlett Johansson interview

Read all about the Iron Man 2 footage shown at Comic-Con 2009 on Wired or AICN! And check out this interview with Scarlett Johansson:

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MMB: IRON MAN

Kevin Feige interview on THR.com

Is it me, or does everyone working for Marvel Studios seem to be really emotionally invested in what they're doing? Every time I read an interview with one of the actors, directors, producers, FX guys, or whoever, they always seem totally psyched to be on the team they are on and associated with whichever project they're involved with. Favreau and Downey Jr. seem like they genuinely want Iron Man 2 to be the best thing ever. Feige seems determined to make quality movies across the board - not just box-office hits but beloved films that people really enjoy, take to heart, and watch again and again.

I want to work for Marvel, dammit!
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MMB: KEVIN FEIGE

USAToday Iron Man 2 slideshow

Check out the eight image slideshow on USAToday.com. There are a couple of quotes from the cast accompanying the slideshow that seem to indicate they are all psyched for the film and very eager to deliver the goods to a very demanding fan base.

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MMB: IRON MAN

More pics from Iron Man 2

From /Film. Looks like some kind of courtroom drama in store for the sequel. Could Justin Hammer be using all sorts of attacks on Stark, including legal ones? Or might Stark be defending himself as a result of being framed by Hammer, as he was in the comics (the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline)...?

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MMB: IRON MAN

It's a wrap!

Iron Man 2 finishes principal photography.
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MMB: IRON MAN

And now the crispy clean first high-res image of Scarlett as Black Widow

Check it out on EW.com!

The accompanying article is pretty interesting and worth reading. Take for example this passage:

...Rourke, for his part, wanted to instill some lightness into the role of the heavy. "I told Favreau, 'I don't want to just play him as a one-dimensional p----,'" he says. "He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit."

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MMB: IRON MAN

First blurry image of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow

Thanks to FirstShowing.net!

She looks great! Rourke looks badass, Downey Jr. looks like Tony Stark come to life, Favreau is the best...this movie is going to rock.

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MMB: IRON MAN

Natalie Portman is Jane Foster

It's been rumored for a while, but now it's official: Natalie Portman has been cast as Jane Foster in Thor.

Two immediate thoughts:

1) She's perfect for the role. My 'mind's eye' summary of Jane Foster is: graceful, intelligent, energetic, beautiful, thoughtful and classy. In other words - Natalie Portman.
2) This says a lot about the growing clout of Marvel Studios. Robert Downey Jr., Ed Norton, Mickey Rourke, Samuel Jackson, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and now Natalie Portman. Big, big names for what is essentially a new independent film company.

What are your thoughts? Yay, or nay? Leave a comment.

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MORE: NATALIE PORTMAN ON IMDB
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MMB: THOR

Ant-Man being pushed back even further?

Edgar Wright spoke to Empire Online and it seems like Ant-Man may be moving further and further back in the pipeline. A quote from Wright in regards to Baby Driver, his next project:

"So once I’m doing one thing, like this, I’m only doing this. Other things – like Ant-Man and me and Simon’s next film – have all gone away until I’m done with this."

So we'll see what happens.
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MMB: ANT-MAN

Favreau twitters link to video of Iron Man 2 giant green-screen set

Favreau's twitter feed here.

Marvel continues to expand its empire

Marvel is really shaping up to become the next Disney. You see their characters everywhere. The licensing opportunities are endless, as evidenced by one of their newest pacts with Hallmark.

Spider-Man 4 script being re-written for the second time

So we all know that Gary Ross is rewriting the Spider-Man 4 script (he's the third writer to work on the project). But what we don't know is how this will affect the final outcome. Do several re-writes indicate trouble with the script? Or are several rewrites just a typical part of the movie making process? I did a ridiculously brief google search and it seems that rewrites are somewhat common and not necessarily a bad thing (it happened on Iron Man and look how that turned out).

The next thing to look at then would be the quality of the writer (or in this case, the writers). The first writer, James Vanderbilt, is listed on iMDB as having writer's credit on Darkness Falls, Basic, The Rundown, and Zodiac. I've seen Rundown and parts of Basic. Neither seemed horrible to me, but I wasn't overly impressed either. The Rundown was fun and delivered a bit more than I expected (which wasn't much). The second writer, David Lindsay-Abaire, is listed on iMDB for Robots and Inkheart, neither of which I've seen (and neither of which were critically acclaimed). Ross has, among others, Big, Dave, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, and The Tale of Despereaux under his belt, all fairly large productions, most critically acclaimed. I've seen all of these except Despereaux and I was generally impressed with each one. He is a quality writer.

Can he do superhero? Nothing in his resume comes close to the superhero genre. But does that matter? Well, Batman Begins had David S. Goyer, an experienced superhero/comic-book character scribe, and the film was great. But Dark Knight had only the Nolans, with almost no comic-book writing experience (outside of BB) whatsoever, and that film was spectacular.

So I'm going to go with the general rule that solid writers, with a good grasp of character and story, can do superhero, despite lack of pertinent experience. Anything they don't know about the super-hero genre, they can learn. Fundamentals of storytelling - that, they have to bring with them.
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Aerial shots of Iron Man 2 set

Check them out here.
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MMB: IRON MAN

I guess we can blame Twilight for this

Evidently a Deacon Frost film (a Blade spinoff/prequel) is in the works.
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MORE: DEACON FROST AT WIKIPEDIA

Spider-Man 4 villain revealed via slip of the tongue?

I know it's not a movie, but Marvel.com has a new web page up about the Spider-Man Broadway musical. The reason I'm writing about it here is because the first video on that page (embedded below) may contain what could be a verbal/mental slip regarding the villain of Spider-Man 4 (or more likely could just be me reading waay too much into things).

When director Julie Taymor discusses her approach to the Broadway show and how it will differ from the approach taken by the films, she mentions that rather than just pick one villain and work a story around that (as they did in the movies), she wanted the show to somehow encompass the conceptual totality of the Spider-Man/Peter Parker experience that spans 40 years worth of comics.

It is during her discussion of this topic that she makes what could be a telling slip of the tongue: she quickly rattles off the villains from the movies in an offhand manner, mentioning the Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and...the Lizard?!

Now this could simply have been her throwing in another villain as a random example of someone they might have discussed using at some point.

But...I would imagine that someone in her position could be in on Marvel's high level plans for the film series. Does she indeed know that the Lizard is the villain for Spider-Man 4? And did she accidentally let that slip while she was discussing a different yet related topic?

Again, I'm aware that it's more than likely I am reading waay too much into this, but you never know...



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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Sam Jackson on Nick Fury in Iron Man 2

Could be considered a very mild spoiler in a reverse sort of way - basically Jackson is saying that [very mild spoiler alert] Nick Fury sees no real action in the film.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Rourke wraps his shooting on Iron Man 2

Favreau says of Rourke on his Twitter page: "We have quite a villain".
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MMB: IRON MAN

Nukethefridge.com claims scoop on Stan Lee cameo in Iron Man 2

The site claims that [mild spoiler alert] Stan Lee will be playing Larry King (or perhaps a Larry King type character) in the sequel, interviewing Tony Stark.
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MORE: LIST OF STAN LEE CAMEOS IN MARVEL FILMS
MMB: IRON MAN
MMB: STAN LEE

Robert Downey Jr. is real-life hero

Actor interrupts filming as it is in progress to aid an extra severely injured during the scene.
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MMB: IRON MAN

More on Uncle Ben's death in Spider-Man 4?

Actor Michael Papajohn (who played Uncle Ben's 'killer' in Spider-Man 1 and 3) told Superherohype.com that he would be back for Spider-Man 4. What can this possibly mean? Why would they need this actor to shoot more footage, if not to reveal more information about Uncle Ben's death? And what could that information possibly be?
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Jon Favreau posts new 'pic of Iron Man 2 set'

What a comedian :)
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MMB: IRON MAN

Zak Penn discusses Avengers

Read what he had to say at scifiwire.com. Most promising quote:

"...There's a board that is tracking what is happening. [We'll see] how this movie overlaps in that movie. ... Marvel is autonomous now. It is night and day: Everyone has read every comic. They know how to make a cool movie."

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MMB: AVENGERS

Joe Quesada on the set of Iron Man 2

Read about his experience and his conversations with a few of the actors, primarily Mickey Rourke, over at CBR.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Rasputin sighting

ScreenRant has some shots that may or may not be Iron Man 2 set pics. Oooh, George Lucas is going to be so jealous!
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MMB: IRON MAN

Heavy Metal

Iron Man 2 promo poster from Cinema Expo International at film1.nl.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Iron Munn

Olivia Munn lands part in Iron Man 2.
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MORE: OLIVIA MUNN GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH
MMB: IRON MAN

Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Joe Quesada discusses Branagh and Thor, Favreau and Iron Man

Pop over to CBR for the interview, which was posted on Tuesday.
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MMB: THOR
MMB: IRON MAN

Eye in the sky tracks Rasputin

Jon Favreau reports on his twitter feed that helicopters are attempting to spy on the set of Iron Man 2. While it must be annoying for the crew and actors, on a positive note it does speak to the level of interest in the film . . .
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MMB: IRON MAN

Who do you think will be the Spider-Man 4 villian?

Leave a comment with your thoughts...only clue we have right now is producer Todd Black's comments:

"We’re just coming up with who the villain is now,” he said. “We’ll be shooting in New York again. Trust me, people will appreciate who we pick, because it’ll be a big part of New York.”

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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

/detectives

The guys over at /film should moonlight as private investigators - they really scrutinized the two official Iron Man 2 pictures that have been released so far and have come up with some theories on how the two pictures might be related. Nice work guys! [Warning: if their theories are correct, the article contains some mild spoilers]
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MMB: IRON MAN

Sam Rockwell aka Justin Hammer

Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors. I've enjoyed his work ever since first seeing him as 'Wild Bill Wharton' in The Green Mile. He was interviewed recently and touched very briefly on Iron Man 2. He mentions in the interview that he received the Iron Man 2 script only one week before shooting (which seems like a crazy short amount of time to prepare to me), and that one way Iron Man 2 production differs from that of other big studio films is that director Jon Favreau really likes to improvise, which he says allows the actors to 'play' more than usual. Rockwell is already a star and I'm hoping Iron Man 2 vaults him into mega-star status. The guy is great.
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MMB: IRON MAN
MORE: SAM ROCKWELL ON IMDB
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No Burger King Iron Man 2 marketing initiative

Wow. I never gave one second of thought to how these things happen. Evidently the 'franchisor' (sort of Burger King 'corporate', I guess?) floats marketing ideas to the 'franchisees' (individual restaurant owners), who then vote on those ideas. Looks like the Burger King franchisees didn't like whatever Iron Man 2 marketing plan the franchisor had proposed, and voted it down. Yeah, I don't really understand what I just wrote either, but if you're into that kind of stuff, you can read about it here.
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MMB: IRON MAN

What those tattoos on Rourke/Whiplash say (well, some of them)

So we've all seen the picture of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash - the one where we can see that his body is covered in tattoos. I was wondering what the tattoos said, so I asked my friend to ask his friend, who is from Russia, what she thinks they might mean. Here's what he came back with:

ok - its hard to make out - but this is what she thinks...

under the boat is the clearest - "will make me free" - but she said it is future tense and the phrase implies that many people "will make me free"....as in, the conjugation of the phrase...

the curved sentence on top of the boat, she said it could be many words so she isn't sure at all...the only word she can make out is the word "boat" which is the last word in that sentence - left side of his body, right side of the picture....

but right above what looks like "bro" in that curved sentence above the boat - as in, on the right side of HIS body (left side of the picture) are three letters that she says are common is a phrase used for praying - "save"...like saying to God "save me" - she said it is written on many crosses, including the one she wears....

then on his arm, above the strap (above the strap in relation to his arm - but "below" the strap in relation to us looking at the photo - as in, between the strap and the medal on his arm) - it says, "to live" - but she couldn't make out the other word on the other side of the strap....

then she couldn't make out what it says on his neck...

So there you have it (at least some of it)!
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MMB: IRON MAN

First pic of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash

Click here for the pic! Here for the USA Today article about it.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Kevin Feige updates

Firstshowing.net was at the "Produced By" conference over the weekend and has posted a summary of Kevin Feige's comments from that event. I'm not 100% sure if these comments are the exact same ones he made on the Iron Man 2 set last week (comments that were reported on, and then pulled, by most websites), but they do seem to cover some of the same ground. Some highlights:

• No Donald Blake in Thor
• No Shakespearian-style dialogue in Thor
• Samuel Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are signed on for..."multiple franchises" (read: crossovers)
• Captain America will be a period piece
• Bucky will appear in Captain America
• Captain America will be involved in the Avengers 'from the get-go'
• Another new movie will be announced in the next few months

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MMB: KEVIN FEIGE

Looks like Dunst is back for Spider-Man 4 after all; no Morbius the Living Vampire

Kristen Dunst is a fine actress but I never thought she was right for the role of Mary Jane Watson and was hoping we might get a new spin on the character in Spider-Man 4. No such luck, according to a NY Post blog entry featuring and interview with Spider-Man 4 producer Todd Black. The blog entry also mentions that Black says there is no truth to the rumor that Morbius the Living Vampire will be the villain in the film.
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Kevin Feige on upcoming Marvel movies

Durig the set visit to Iron Man 2, Kevin Feige gave reporters some information about Marvel's future movies (and movie characters). Moviehole has a breakdown of his comments here, and I'm sure more will be published throughout the day on the other sites whose people were lucky enough to be invited.

EDIT: Evidently the summary I linked to above has been pulled. It also appears that an actual transcript of Feige's comments was posted and pulled from another website, and other summaries of the comments have been pulled from other websites as well. The summaries are out there, and I actually managed to cut and paste a copy of one of them, but will withhold posting it for now. Will publish when (and if) I learn that the information was intended to be made public.

Fake?

What the...?
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Collider on the set of Iron Man 2

Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub was on the set of Iron Man 2 yesterday (along with a bunch of other online reporters and bloggers from various different websites; see the "more" links below) and reports back on what he can on Collider. He expresses a great deal of confidence in the entire production team after seeing whatever it was he saw on the set (he's extremely vague). He also hints that Jon Favreau will have something to show (I assume he's talking about video footage) at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego.
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MORE: IESB ALSO ON THE SET OF IRON MAN 2
MORE: IGN ALSO ON THE SET
MORE: AICN ON THE SET
MMB: IRON MAN

The web is ripped

While scrutinizing the Spider-Man 4 teaser poster recently posted on AICN (hoping to discover some kind of hidden clue about the film's plot or villain) I noticed something (besides the setting sun which everyone seems to think may be a hint that 'Morbius the Living Vampire' is the villain): the web is ripped. The majority of the web is neat and orderly, but the part around the 4 is torn. So what does it mean? I'll tell you what it means. It means that I'm pathetically desperate for something to write about today.
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Thor casting rumors - Brian Blessed to play Odin?

Bleeding Cool posted yesterday that actor Brian Blessed may have been cast as Odin in the upcoming Thor film. You may recognize him (well, his voice) as Boss Nass from the Phantom Menace; if you're really old you'll remember him as Prince Vultan from 1980's Flash Gordon (as I do). He's a 'larger than life' type and I think he can easily handle the role and all it entails.
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MORE: GEEKS OF DOOM
MORE: BRIAN BLESSED ON IMDB
MMB: THOR

Favreau 'discusses' Iron Man II on the Jimmy Fallon show

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MMB: IRON MAN

Upcoming movie logo artwork

AICN has a shot of what appears to be artwork for four upcoming Marvel Movies. If I saw this as a kid I'd have lost my mind with overwhelming anticipation and excitement.
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MMB: IRON MAN
MMB: THOR
MMB: CAPTAIN AMERICA
MMB: AVENGERS

Thor Official Synopsis

This may be old but I just saw it for the first time on IGN.com:

This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

I like it so far...

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MORE: JOBLO.COM
MMB: THOR

Ashley Miller on writing Thor

Ashley seems to be a good pick for the Thor writing team. She's got related genre experience, she's a fan of the comic, and if this interview on Cinefools is any indication, she is treating the subject matter thoughtfully and seriously. Below are a couple of choice quotes - check out the entire article here.

...Would you like me to pull my Simonson run out of its bags and boards? Zack [her writing partner] had to take me down with an elephant tranq to stop me from throwing in a scene between Thor and a frog.

...You want to see the dirt, and grime and blood. You want to feel every bone crunching moment of every fight. And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work. ... The best example I can give you is the end of Ultimates 2. When Thor shows up and kicks ass, he shows up and kicks ass.

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MORE: ASHLEY MILLER ON IMDB
MMB: THOR

Ryan Reynolds on Deadpool

Actor tells Hitflix the planned film is going to be "...just like the comic books".
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MMB: DEADPOOL

Iron Man 2 filming at half-way point, Favreau talks with Empire

Jon Favreau spoke with Empire and briefly touched on topics such as Tony's struggle with becoming a role model and James Rhodes place in the scheme of things.
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MORE: JON FAVREAU'S TWITTER FEED
MMB: IRON MAN

Downey Jr. and Favreau at Edwards Air Force Base

Check out pics of the star and the director of Iron Man greeting members of the USAF at Edwards Air Force Base (one of the many locations for the highly anticipated sequel).
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MMB: IRON MAN
MORE: COMINGSOON.NET

Katee Sackhoff reportedly researching role...for Daredevil reboot?

Supposedly Katee Sackhoff was in the Los Angeles Golden Apple comic book store buying Marvel titles in order to research the role of Daredevil reoccurring/supporting character Typhoid Mary. No official confirmation of anything at this point, only rumors. /Film theorizes that the potential role may actually be part of the planned Deadpool film, not the rumored Daredevil reboot.
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MMB: DAREDEVIL

Tracking Rasputin

Secrecy may be a thing of the past thanks to this newfangled internet contraption. Word on the web is that Iron Man 2's 'secret' shooting name is Rasputin, and it seems that sightings of Rasputin production are starting to pop up all over - Sepulveda Dam being the latest spot.
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MMB: IRON MAN

More Robert Downey Jr. fight scene training pics

Looks like the pictures are from the same training session linked to below, but this batch has a few more close-ups.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Pics posted of Robert Downey Jr. training for fight scene on Iron Man 2 set

Courtesy of ComingSoon.net.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Drama on the Iron Man 2 set?

According to an article (it contains minor spoilers so beware) on Hollyscoop, there is some friction between Iron Man 2 stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson. There is so much gossip out there you never know what to believe. But if Pepper and the Widow have an antagonistic relationship on-screen, maybe the actresses not getting along off-screen will actually help with their performances. But again, who knows.
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MORE: POP EATER
MORE: THE INSIDER
MMB: IRON MAN

It's official: Tom Hiddleston is Loki

Marvel announced the casting news on their website.
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MMB: THOR

Loki may be cast as well

Nikki Finke is breaking the Marvel movie news like mad this week! Hot on the heels of her Thor scoop, she brings us news on the casting of his nefarious brother, Loki. His name is Tom Hiddleston and according to her article he is relatively unknown here in the USA.
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MORE: TOM HIDDLESTON GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH
MORE: TOM HIDDLESTON ON IMDB
MMB: THOR

Say hello to the god of thunder

Chris Hemsworth (who can be currently seen as George Kirk in the new Star Trek) is apparently Marvel's choice for the big screen version of the Mighty Thor. Below is a Chris Hemsworth interview on The Morning Show (Australia) from YouTube.
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MORE: MARVEL STUDIOS TO OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE SOON?
MORE: CHRIS HEMSWORTH GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH
MORE: CHRIS HEMSWORTH AT IMDB
MORE: VARIETY ARTICLE
MMB: THOR

Captain America casting chatter

MTV Splash Page posted an interview with Channing Tatum today wherein the actor expresses his strong interest in playing Captain America as well as his having heard that Will Smith might still be up for the part. I'm still undecided on Captain America in terms of established actors and wonder if casting an unknown might be the way to go here. When rumors first circulated that Robert Downey Jr. might play Tony Stark it just immediately clicked: "yes, he's perfect". But for Cap, whenever an actor is mentioned as being in the running for the role, it seems to illicit an: "almost, but..." type of response.
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MMB: CAPTAIN AMERICA

Spider-Man 4 script three weeks away?

I would classify both Spider-Man 1 and Spider-Man 2 as comic-book movie "home runs". I'll call Spider-Man 3 a double that could have been stretched to a triple if the ball had travelled just a few more feet. Spider-Man 4 represents a make or break at-bat in the series. Another home run and we have a strong set of four films. A mere single, or even worse, a strike-out, and we're looking at a series in decline. So let's hope the script for the film, a first draft of which may at this point be only three weeks away, knocks it out of the park.
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Branagh on Thor casting: "...we are extremely close"

Thor is going to be tough to cast. He's a unique character and the role will require an actor who can successfully walk that tightrope between gravitas and camp. Branagh says they are in the final stages of casting - let's hope Marvel nails this one as they did with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.
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MMB: THOR

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' in 30 seconds

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' parody. If you've seen the film you'll understand.


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MMB: WOLVERINE

Now imagine Wolverine with a perm

Most of you Marvel Movie fans know that Hugh Jackman was actually not the first choice of the X-Men producers to play Wolverine. But did you know that it may have been the perm Jackman was sporting at the time of his first audition that initially turned them off?
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MORE: IO9's TALES OF CASTING WOLVERINE
MORE: YAHOO'S 10 ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT WOLVERINE

James Kirk dethrones James Howlett

Star Trek took over the top spot at the box-office this weekend, pushing Wolverine down to number two. Wolverine still maintains the best opening weekend numbers of the year, but it looks like it may end up being the worst performing film in the X-Men franchise.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Title Fight: Thor vs. Green Lantern

Who: Thor, Green Lantern
What: Superhero Slugfest
When: June 17, 2011
Where: Theaters all over the world
Why: Settle the Marvel vs DC score

My money is on the Hammer, but I'm biased
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MORE: IESB.NET
MORE: UGO.COM
MMB: THOR

More Iron Man 2 pictures

Check them out here.
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MORE: COLLIDER
MMB: IRON MAN

New pic of Downey Jr. in suit on set of Iron Man 2

Check it out on People.com
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MMB: IRON MAN

Wolverine might have opened with $100 million or more

Fox is now saying that the pirated workprint of Wolverine has been downloaded over 4 million times. Hollywood Reporter does the math on that and arrives at an estimate of potentially 28.7 million dollars in lost revenue. Add that to the 85 million dollar actual opening and you're looking at what could have been a 113 million dollar tally.
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MORE: NEWSARAMA.COM
MMB: WOLVERINE

Spin-off of a spin-off

NOTE: A few of these links contain Wolverine spoilers
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X-Men gave us Wolverine, and apparently Wolverine is giving us Deadpool.
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MORE: PEOPLE
MORE: EMPIRE

Thor, Captain America, Avengers

Brief bits on these upcoming films here and here.
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MMB: THOR
MMB: CAPTAIN AMERICA
MMB: AVENGERS

Wolverine sequel already in the works?

Seems like the formula these days: big opening weekend, guaranteed sequel.
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MORE: DEN OF GEEK

$87 million opening weekend for Wolverine

'X-Men: Origins: Wolverine' took home 87 million dollars in it's opening weekend.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Iron Man 2 first official picture

At USA Today.
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MORE: FIRSTSHOWING.NET
MMB: IRON MAN

Iron Man 2 new armor pics coming soon?

Jon Favreau has twittered: "First official pic from IM2 will run in USA Today on Friday. I'll post a link." Read about it at Superhero Flix.
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MMB: IRON MAN

Two claws down

NOTE: Many of the reviews linked to below contain spoilers.
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Yikes. Ebert not loving 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Wax on!

While we wait for the rest of the reviews to come in, let's take a look at Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas, where a wax sculpture of the mutant of the moment has just gone on display.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Mixed bag?

NOTE: Many of the reviews linked to below contain spoilers.
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So we're getting more of this:
"Well-acted, with spectacular action and witty one-liners. The special effects are top-notch."
- Claudia Puig USA TODAY review

But now some of this:
"A keen disappointment as action and effects take over from a poorly conceived story."
- Kirk Honeycutt The Hollywood Reporter

No clear-cut general consensus seems to be developing at this stage. Let's see how it goes. There are a lot of major critics we still have to hear from. Wonder what Ebert will think of it.
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MORE: REUTERS
MMB: WOLVERINE

More reviews for 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'

NOTE: Many of the reviews linked to below contain spoilers.
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"X-Men Prequel is Kickass Kickoff to Blockbuster Season"
- Lou Lumenick NY POST review

We've seen some great reviews of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', but the aggregate rating at Rotten Tomatoes has cooled somewhat for the time being. It's still above average, but down from it's initial '100% fresh' rating. What we're seeing right now is preliminary - most of the major critics have yet to weigh in.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Wolverine reviews are coming in!

NOTE: Many of the reviews linked to below contain spoilers.
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So far, so good!
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Wolverine premieres in Tempe Arizona

You have to hand it to Hugh Jackman. He's really making a consistent effort to incorporate the fans into the whole 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' process. Check out this little excerpt from an article about the premiere on ABC15.com:

Jackman also bought breakfast for the X-Men fans who camped out at the Tempe Marketplace early Monday morning. They were trying to stake out the best seats in the movie theater. "I was like, 'Man, that's what I love about Wolverine fans,'" Jackman said. "They're so passionate. I said the least I could do is buy them a muffin and a cup of coffee."

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MORE: HUGH JACKMAN PROMOTES FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
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MORE: HUGH JACKMAN SUPRISE VISIT AT COMIC-CON
MMB: WOLVERINE

Dunst still iffy on Spider-Man 4

It's being reported that Kirsten Dunst has not yet signed on for Spider-Man 4. I'm of the opinion that the franchise can continue without her and still be successful. Tobey Maguire really captured the essence of Peter Parker and the series would really need to find a fantastic replacement for him, if that were even possible. But Dunst was never a convincing Mary Jane in my eyes - she's a great actress, but a poor fit for this particular character.
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

Wolverine to have different secret endings?

Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net is reporting that Wolverine will have a few different 'secret' endings - and the one you will see will depend on what theater you see the film in!
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MORE: WIKIPEDIA - ALTERNATE ENDINGS
MMB: WOLVERINE

A new Wolverine clip from Empire Online

Check it out.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Now that's the look

Spider-Man 4...in 3D?!?

How great would this be?
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MORE: GET THE BIG PICTURE
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MMB: SPIDER-MAN

His attack is unstoppable

More Wolverine leak drama

Here's the cliff-notes version:

• Tom Rothman, chairman of Twentieth Century Fox, says the workprint is "about 10 minutes shorter..." than the finished film.
• "Apparently that was a lie", says Scott Mendelson, film critic for the Huffington Post. He notes that both workprint and final film have identical running times: 107 minutes.
• MovieLine cites a Fox source as responding to Mendelson's assertion with: "It’s lunacy". The source goes on a bit and seems to speculate that Mendelson may have misunderstood Roth's full statements and may simply be confused.
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  MMB: WOLVERINE

Lauren Shuler Donner on 'X-Men Origins:Wolverine'

SCI FI Wire posted a brief interview with Lauren Shuler Donner this morning. In it she discusses the Gavin Hood/Richard Donner directing rumors as well as her thoughts on the workprint leak.
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MMB: WOLVERINE

Charlie Hunnam confirms Thor screen test

IGN Movies spoke with Charlie Hunnam about rumors that the actor had been screen-tested for Thor. He confirmed these rumors, saying that he had one screen test so far. I'm not familiar with his work, but appearance-wise, he looks the part to me (although he would definitely have to bulk up a lot).
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MORE: CHARLIE HUNNAM ON IMDB
MMB: THOR

New 'X-Men Origins:Wolverine' clip

Check it out.

Think before blogging

I just read this article about one of the 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' trailers and thought it was a great example of the predisposition some people have to 'bash first' and ask questions later. Are people really this eager to find fault with things? That they would not even bother to research something before they verbally rip it to shreds?

Downey Jr. taking Iron Man 2 "more seriously than any movie I’ve ever done"

Collider.com ran a great interview with Robert Downey Jr. yesterday. In it, the actor discusses his desire to have the sequel live up to expectations, how the film will be "incredibly risky and artistic for a big genre movie", and how working with a large, big-name cast has been working out so far.
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MORE: EW.COM
MMB: IRON MAN

Tempe, Arizona beats Davis, California

You have to wonder about the dedication of big city fans. How did a city with a population of around 200,000 beat out NYC, LA, Chicago, etc? Nice work, Tempe! The Arizona city edged out Davis, California, to win hosting duties for the world premier of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'.
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MORE: AZCENTRAL.COM
MMB: WOLVERINE

Adamantium may reach $100 million on the open market

Advertising Age obtained a box-office tracking report indicating a 100 million dollar opening weekend for 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'.

Leak? What leak?
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MORE: DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD
MMB: WOLVERINE

Extended clip from Wolverine now available

An extended version of the 'helicopter scene' has been made available on the Papa John's website.
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MORE ON THIS TOPIC: CINEMABLEND.COM
MORE ON THIS TOPIC: NEW YORK MAGAZINE

I always thought it was adamantium

Turns out it was milk the whole time.
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FURTHER READING: SUPERHEROHYPE.COM
FURTHER READING: FLICKR
FURTHER READING: FLICKR

Marvel appoints Douglas Finberg Executive VP of International Marketing

Marvel announced the hiring of Mr. Finberg in a press release yesterday. As Executive VP of International Marketing, he will handle worldwide marketing of Marvel's feature films and will liaise with Paramount (Marvel's worldwide distribution partner for at least five films) on cross-platform publicity campaigns. Mr. Finberg is coming from Paramount, where he served in the almost the exact same capacity (Senior VP of International Marketing).
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FURTHER READING: VARIETY

Will the leak hurt...or help?

Torrent Freak claims that the unfinished workprint of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ may have been downloaded over one million times! Despite this, EW.com reports that Wolverine is still tracking well with key demographic groups, and may be looking at a very successful opening weekend. So the question today is: will the leak hurt the box-office numbers, or will it actually help? And if it does help, does that mean there may be some credence to the Jeff Vice ‘purposeful leak’ theory?

Also - according to a recent Gavin Hood interview, bootleg viewers may now have even more reason to catch the film in theaters (besides the fact that the version they watched is a crappy workprint).
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FURTHER READING: /FILM
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MMB POSTS: WOLVERINE

Conspiracy theory?

Jeff Vice’s Saturday column in the Salt Lake City/Utah Deseret News offers up this interesting theory: ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ was leaked on purpose. The article cites a few factors surrounding the leak that Vice feels are suspicious, and mentions that public awareness of the movie was relatively low before it. Since the leak, the film has experienced a tremendous boost in media coverage and awareness. So I suppose the logic behind Vice’s ‘purposeful leak’ theory is that the studio feels the film's box-office performance will benefit more from the media blitz about the leak than it will be hurt by the leak itself.
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FURTHER READING: E! ONLINE
FURTHER READING: NY DAILY NEWS
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MMB POSTS: WOLVERINE

No plans to shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 back to back

AICN has an interview with Sam Raimi wherein the director addresses the back-to-back rumor. He says that there are no plans that he knows of to shoot both sequels one right after the other, and that he is only concentrating on doing Spider-Man 4 right now.
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FURTHER READING: IGN.COM
FURTHER READING: REUTERS
FURTHER READING: SUPERHEROFLIX

Pic of Don Cheadle as the new Rhodey

Check out one of the first pics of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes on Newsarama.com. And read some comments from Terrance Howard regarding the casting switch at ScreenRant. Howard did a good job with the limited amount of screen time the character had in Iron Man, but Cheadle is a great actor in his own right. This one may be a wash, but let's hold out on forming an opinion until we actually see Cheadle's take on the character.

Venom spinoff writing team working on script

It has been reported that the film has a writing team and they are already working on the script. The question is, does a stand-alone Venom movie actually have mass appeal?
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FURTHER READING: COMINGSOON.NET
FURTHER READING: DEN OF GEEK
FURTHER READING: SCI-FI WIRE
ALL MMB POSTS: VENOM

Gary Oldman Iron Man 2 rumor apparently debunked

Websites today have been publishing updates/corrections to the Gary Oldman/IM2 rumor. They report that Oldman's manager states that Oldman has not been cast in the film.
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FURTHER READING: IO9.COM
FURTHER READING: CINEMATICAL
FURTHER READING: G4
ALL MMB POSTS: IRON MAN

Iron Man 2 production underway

Here we go!
FURTHER READING: MARVEL.COM
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