You are browsing the archive for April 2012.
The most revealing tidbit to come from talking with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is the idea that he equates box office success with the quality of a film – not the kind of mega-million dollar marketing campaigns that put characters’ faces on soda cans, or comic book fandoms that date back half a century, or any other factors that will surely help Marvel’s The Avengers seize the box office crown this Friday. Instead, with twelve years at Marvel and billions in box office under his belt, the exec who’s been integral to the new golden age of the superhero movie is still, refreshingly, idealistic when it comes to making movies: “Every time we actually do it, I get very excited and can’t believe that we pulled it off.”
Movieline caught up with Feige to discuss this week’s superhero super-team up flick The Avengers and its place in the larger, rapidly-expanding universe of Marvel comics adaptations — a tremendously successful world of comics-to-film franchises that Feige and Co. aim to keep proliferating with plans for upcoming sequels like Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, and possible spin-offs for Avengers characters The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow as well as vehicles for Guardians of the Galaxy, The Inhumans, and Doctor Strange.
With so many properties and potential franchises swirling around in the ether, Feige discussed the triumph of achieving what was once thought to be impossible at Marvel, the gratification of hiring out-of-the-box directors for their superhero movie launchpads, why Patty Jenkins might yet become the first woman to helm a Marvel movie, and the reason why female-driven superhero movies have earned a bad rap (looking at you, Elektra).
I wonder just how much is knocking around in your brain,…
Scan the latest from a busy Monday news day in Movieline’s newly minted Biz Break. Following this morning’s edition of the new column is a slew of casting news from Iron Man 3 to Woody Allen’s next project, while the folks at CAA caught a surprise break from the office today thanks to a power outage.
Robert Downey Jr. Chats Iron Man 3 Casting and more
Now that The Avengers is about to finally get its U.S. release, Iron Man 3 is next on Marvel’s slate. Downey said of casting rumors regarding Ben Kingsley: to Screenrant, “Sometimes you have to call for a good old fashioned British invasion.”
Iron Man 3 Targets Jessica Chastain for Starring Role
Meanwhile, Jessica Chastain is back in the mix to play a starring role opposite Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 3. The role is a sexy scientist every bit as smart as Tony Stark, Deadline reports.
Sally Hawkins Eyes Woody Allen’s Next Pic
The British actress starred in Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream and is in talks to play one of the female leads in his next movie, shooting in San Francisco and New York. Variety reports Allen is considering Cate Blanchett for the other lead.
Isabelle Huppert Joins Dead Man Down
Huppert will join Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper in the thriller. Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev (who directed the original version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will direct, Deadline reports.
CAA Has a Power Outage
A power outage of the electrical sort hit the Century City offices of CAA today, closing the building. CAA agents and execs were reportedly working “Off-site” today, according…
Where have we heard this before: MGM is moving forward with its planned remake of of the 1982 horror classic Poltergeist, this time with Sam Raimi co-producing and his Oz: The Great and Powerful screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire contributing the latest script. Some wailing and gnashing has ensued around the Web, but let’s just calm down — we’re only a year and a half behind the scheduled release date of the previous remake they threatened. Sounds like a high priority!
The beleaguered studio has long included Poltergeist among its list of post-bankruptcy remake prospects, with director Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) previously attached to direct a do-over written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White (Knowing). That version surfaced almost four years ago. Meanwhile, according to THR, the latest would have Raimi producing (but not directing) alongside Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee and Robert Tapert. And that’s… it. That is literally all the information anyone has about an unwanted remake taxiing down the MGM runway behind such sluggish studio jets as RoboCop and Carrie.
So let me just say it again: Relax! Plugging Raimi’s name into a project these days virtually ensures at least a few years of development hell, and the infamously accursed Poltergeist production legend should take care of scuttling the rest. Go back to dreading Short Circuit, already.
[THR]
With The Dark Knight Rises release fast approaching, Warner Bros. has launched their latest bit of buzz-driving viral marketing by teasing a brand-new trailer for the July release. But in order to see that trailer, Bat-fans must first “help” the Gotham City Police Department “find” Batman by tracking hundreds of pieces of Bat-graffiti strategically placed around the world; for each bit of graffiti located and tagged via social media, Warner Bros. will unveil the new trailer one frame at a time. Graffiti: it’s not just for Oscar-nominees anymore!
Tucked away in a dossier containing Batman’s GCPD criminal file (posted to TheDarkKnightRises.com) are documents detailing where Batman stands following the events of The Dark Knight: Namely, at the top of the city’s hit list, having taken the rap for murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault.
In a viral call to action cleverly disguised as a police memo, “officers” (that’s you, Bat-fans) are directed to find pieces of pro-Batman graffiti stenciled across Gotham City (that’s every box office-targeted metropolis, right?) in an effort to stamp out grassroots support for the caped crusader.
“Officers should also be directed to report any and all information pertaining to the investigation to the designated contact (#tdkr07202012 or tdkr07202012@gothampolicedepartment.com). This includes submitting photographic evidence of graffiti related to any movement in support of the vigilante’s return so we can suppress it before it becomes a problem. Officers should make sure that location services or store location is on in their camera settings.”
The campaign has already unlocked a number of frames from the trailer (see below, courtesy Coming Soon):
I’m sure Warner Bros. doesn’t endorse graffiti — except in bat form, and leading up to July 20, 2012, and in chalk,…
It’s not every day that a studio turns 100. As such, Universal is making the most of its centennial with a host of events including the recent Tribeca Film Festival shout out to the the company courtesy of Robert DeNiro and Judd Apatow. But today, April 30, is the big day itself, and to kick off the first day of its second century, the company released “100 fun facts” from its history.
The list includes many factoids sure to show up on a crossword puzzle near you, such as the name of the mechanical shark in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, what happened to the hole left by John Belushi when he smashed in a wall with his guitar in Animal House, and the store where the crew from American Pie bought that “warm apple pie” subsequently deflowered by Jason Biggs. There’s the skinny on what inspired Carl Laemmle to name his studio Universal a century ago.
Fans and film enthusiasts can celebrate online today at the official Universal Centennial website. Meanwhile, read on for 100 facts about Universal:
1. Universal Film Manufacturing Company was officially incorporated in New York on April 30, 1912. Company legend says Carl Laemmle was inspired to name his company Universal after seeing “Universal Pipe Fittings” written on a passing delivery wagon.
2. The only physical damage made during the filming of National Lampoon’s Animal House was when John Belushi made a hole in the wall with a guitar. The actual Sigma Nu fraternity house (which subbed for the fictitious Delta House) never repaired it, and instead framed the hole in honor of the film.
3. The working title for E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was “A Boy’s Life.”
4. In the movie All Quiet on the…
On the one hand, the difference between the domestic and international trailers for Prometheus is staggering: The former sells atmosphere and legacy while the latter sells both of those and story (and Charlize Theron, I guess). On the other hand, they have the most important component in common: They sell the hell out of Ridley Scott’s Alien throwback.
Can anyone wait? Me neither. This is how you do it, Hollywood.
[ENTV]
