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Monday, August 31
Early this morning Spider-Man, Wolverine, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America packed their bags and moved from the "House of Marvel" to the "House of Mouse," as Disney announced its 4 billion dollar purchase of Marvel Entertainment and its many hot comic book properties.
Comic book movie fans, who have been delighted over Marvel's recent movie productions, are already wondering what Disney's acquisition will do to the superhero movie genre. While in the past Marvel granted cinematic rights to their characters all over the place, some of which are still obligated to the likes of Fox (X-Men, Wolverine, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four), and Sony (Spider-Man). they've more recently kept tight control of their characters.
After the disappointment that was Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, Marvel took the rights to the green goliath back from Universal, vowing to do the Hulk justice with its reboot and along the way putting out its first fully-funded, Marvel-made movie: Iron Man, which ended up being a major summer blockbuster. Both fans and the industry soon saw the benefits of Marvel doing its own filmmaking — especially since rival DC Comics, wholly owned by Warner Bros since the late 80s, seemed to be having trouble getting even their major properties off the ground.
The Walt Disney corporation may look at Marvel's existing license agreements and renegotiate with each individual studio to buy back the movie rights ... or they could decide just to sit back and let the other studios do all the work. Superhero movies are currently cinematic cash cows and the Walt Disney Company could earn a substantial profit by continuing to license out the hot comic book characters.
The main fear amongst fans is that Disney's family-friendly focus will have a dumbing down effect on Marvel's more gritty characters. Hopefully they're financially smart enough not to tinker with hot movie commodities already in production, but long-term projects like The Avengers and The First Avenger: Captain America may come under scrutiny.
Posted 8/31/2009 by Jim
Related: Daredevil | Spider-Man 4 | Thor | The Incredible Hulk | Iron Man 2 | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers | X-Men Origins: Magneto | X-Men: First Class | X-Men Origins: Deadpool
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Monday, June 8
While talking to the New York Post, Spider-Man 4 producer Todd Black confirmed Kirsten Dunst's involvement in the upcoming sequel after months of speculation led Sam Raimi to personally ask Dunst to join.. Apparently, it worked.
Black did talk a bit about the villain for Spider-Man 4, first by ending rumors that Morbius the Vampire would appear in the movie, and then saying:
We're just coming up with who the villain's going to be now. We'll beshooting in New York again. Trust me, people will appreciate who we pick, because it'll be a big part of New York.
Black also mentioned that the villain will be from the comics and not someone invented for the movie. So, if the villain is from the comics and is "a big part of New York," that likely rules out rumored villains Electro and Carnage, Peter Parker's professor-turned-reptile the Lizard, or other villainous possibilities Kraven the Hunter, the Vulture and Man-Wolf.
Could it be the Kingpin, leader of the New York's organized crime, already portrayed by Michael Clarke Duncan in Daredevil? Considering Fox owns the rights to the character, that seems unlikely. With little else to go on, speculation will have to suffice until Sony announces the villains, which may happen once the script is delivered at the end of summer.
Next Showing: Spider-Man 4 opens May 6, 2011
Posted 6/8/2009 by Ryan
Related: Sam Raimi | Todd Black | Kirsten Dunst | Daredevil | Michael Clarke Duncan | Spider-Man 4
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Tuesday, May 26
The Battlestar Galactica actress was spotted at an LA comic book store buying everything she could get her hands on featuring Daredevil villain Typhoid Mary. When asked why, she responded it was, "in hopes to get a part for a Marvel movie."
Is this just wishful thinking, or does Katte Sackhoff know something we don't? We're going to be optimistic and lean towards the latter.
She's a mutant with multiple personalities, who develops various powers depending on which personality inhabits her at the time. There have been rumors floating around for some time of a reboot/sequel to 2003's Mark Stephen Johnson movie, which starred Ben Affleck.
Another possibility is that Sackhoff's research is for the recently confirmed continuation of the X-franchise -- Ryan Reynolds' coming Deadpool movie. In fact, with Typhoid Mary's mutant connection, she could be a candidate for any future X-movie from Fox. Let the speculation begin!
Posted 5/26/2009 by Jim
Related: Ben Affleck | Mark Steven Johnson | Daredevil | Katee Sackhoff | Ryan Reynolds | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Deadpool
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Friday, March 13
Looks like the release date change for The Avengers isn't because Marvel was worried about The Avengers going up against Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II in the summer of 2011. AintitCoolNews reports that a Marvel source has told them that the reason for the delay was not only financial (Marvel will have to pay "significant" money to Mickey Rourke for Iron Man 2 and Samuel L. Jackson for nine Marvel movies), but also because it gives Jon Favreau the best chance to direct The Avengers. The source claims that Favreau would not have had time to direct The Avengers after finishing the "accelerated schedule" of Iron Man 2 unless The Avengers had been delayed for another year, and Marvel wants to give Favreau the best chance to be available.
AICN's source wasn't done with The Avengers news. The source also confirms that Alexander Skarsgård is Kenneth Branagh's choice to play Thor, and that Josh Hartnett will likely play Thor's adversary Loki. Stellan Skarsgård is a strong possibility to play Odin, Thor's father.
Fox is indeed rebooting the Fantastic Four franchise, the source confirms, as well as Daredevil, because if Fox doesn't make a new movie based on those properties every few years, the rights revert back to Marvel.
Posted 3/13/2009 by Ryan
Related: Jon Favreau | Josh Hartnett | Stellan Skarsgard | Fantastic Four | Alexander Skarsgard | Samuel L. Jackson | Daredevil | Kenneth Branagh | Thor | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers | Mickey Rourke
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Thursday, March 12
Remember Ghost Rider? The movie with Nicolas Cage as the skull-faced comic book character riding around on a flaming motorcycle that looked like it might be good but ultimately was really disappointing? Ready for a sequel? Cage is.
In a recent interview, Cage told MTV News that a writer, and even a new director, will be needed for a potential sequel. Apparently, Ghost Rider and Daredevil director Mark Steven Johnson, according to Cage, "has his own thing going on." What, ruining another possible comic book franchise?
The changes might be a good thing, since Cage says a new Ghost Rider would have to differ greatly from its predecessor:
It has to have that action horror element and go deeper into that if it were to happen and [it should] keep us asking questions. Keep it interesting on a philosophical level.
While that does sound better, Cage admits that any decision to move forward is "up to the studio. It’s really in their hands."
Posted 3/12/2009 by Ryan
Related: Nicolas Cage | Mark Steven Johnson | Daredevil | Ghost Rider | Ghost Rider 2
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Wednesday, September 10
It's been a tough summer for 20th Century Fox, with the studio rolling out an unprecedented wave of box office bombs, led by such masterworks as Babylon A.D., Meet Dave, The Happening, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, and Mirrors.
Who can rescue the once-mighty studio from of its box office doldrums? Superheroes, of course. In addition to Hugh Jackman's much-anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Variety reports that Fox is contemplating a number of high-profile comic-book projects, including a young X-Men spin-off and a Deadpool vehicle with Ryan Reynolds in the lead.
Most intriguing is the prospect of a reboot of Daredevil,Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 disappointment, which starred Ben Affleck as the titular blind, red-leather-clad superhero attorney. Daredevil, a mercurial character with a tumultuous past, is a prime candidate for the Christopher Nolan "dark" treatment that's so trendy with the kids these days. But are the Fox execs, who are reportedly feuding with Wolverine director Gavin Hood over his gritty take on that character, willing to commit to a bold new direction for the Man Without Fear?
Posted 9/10/2008 by reelz
Related: Daredevil | X-Men Origins: Wolverine