Tuesday, February 9

• Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman

  The Wolfman has gone through several delays, and both Emily Blunt and producer Scott Stuber have tried to explain them. Blunt said the movie "needed to cook a little bit more" while Stuber said the delays were caused by the "complex" visual effects work. In an interview with ShockTillYouDrop, director Joe Johnston shed some light on the visual effects issues that caused The Wolfman delays.

  What happened — and this has happened to me many times before — in pre-production you try to make the film affordable. There's a certain amount of money you can spend and there was a sequence in the original script where [Benicio Del Toro] rampages through London, very similar to what we ended up with, and it ended at this conservatory. We couldn't afford a London chase, but we [could] afford the conservatory part. So we shot that. After we cut the film, we recognized — everyone recognized — that, "Gee, we want this action sequence of him rampaging through London." We went back to shoot it, along with another sequence. We added about 200 more visual FX shots, which meant not only did we have to push the release date, we had to come up with more FX money. Also, once we cut it together, the conservatory scene played at a different pace. It didn't fit anymore. You didn't want to see the Wolfman stop at this conservatory where a ball is happening and everyone thinks he's in a costume — which is what the gag was. So, it's in the deleted scenes. [laughs] If you really want to see it, there it is.

  Johnston also admitted that there was a bit of a struggle between himself and Universal over what kind of movie The Wolfman was going to be, but that Johnston was still able to make The Wolfman unique amongst typical horror movie fare.

  There's always a battle with the studio about what the movie is. I think I was fairly successful in convincing the studio that mine was the right version or with, at least, postponing the battles until it was too late. I don't think it's the movie they thought they were going to get and they're pleasantly surprised with what it is and how it turned out. With a movie this size you can't turn to them and say, "Hey, leave me alone to make a movie and I'll show you what I have in ten months." It doesn't work that way. It takes a lot of energy just to deal with that side of it. You've got the guys in the studio and it's like, "Okay, I'll listen to your ideas, but you have to listen to mine." It's definitely a power struggle.

  Visually I wanted the film to look like it belonged in 1890. That's important, I didn't want it to look like a film that was shot in 1890, but when you watch the film, you recognize you're in a different place. And you reset the constructs in your mind. You're not expecting Saw VI, or something. This is different. Something like that is tough for a studio to recognize. I understand why. Selfishly, it's not my money and I want to put my version of the movie on the screen.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman opens February 12
  

  The Wolfman - Clip

  Aberline pursues the Wolfman through the streets of London

  Posted 02/09/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | The Wolfman

Monday, February 8

• The First Avenger: Captain America Will Feature WWII Superteam The Invaders

  Director Joe Johnston must have been dying to talk about his next project, Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America, because information about the movie has been pouring out of him lately. Johnston spoke at length about the movie over the weekend, explaining that he aims to cast an "unknown" American actor in the title role (sorry, Sam Worthington), divulging how he plans to incorporate the character's colorful costume into the gritty WWII setting, and revealing the news that the Red Skull will be the major villain.

  As tantalizing as those bits and pieces of information may be to comic book movie fans, the latest news trumps them all. Devin Faraci of CHUD has reported that Captain America (Cap) will not be the only costumed adventurer in the movie. Faraci claims that he spoke with Johnston at the press day for The Wolfman and was told that Cap's wartime allies, The Invaders, would be appearing "in the entire second half" of the movie.

  For the uninitiated, The Invaders were an international coalition of superheroes that banded together to stop the Nazi threat during WWII. The roster of the Cap-led team changed over the years, but the primary members were: Cap's young protégé, Bucky (aka The Winter Soldier, current bearer of the Captain America mantle in the Marvel Comics series); the fiery duo of the Human Torch and Toro; Cap's British counterpart, Union Jack; and the Lord of Atlantis, Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

  The news of The Invaders' appearance is significant to comic book movie fans because it will be the largest collection of Marvel superheroes in a single movie since 2006's X-Men Origins: The Last Stand. Even more important, it will be an opportunity to showcase Cap's ability to lead other superpowered heroes into battle, something that he will undoubtedly be called on to do when all of Marvel Studios' heroes gather in The Avengers movie, due in 2012.

  
  
  Next Showing: The First Avenger: Captain America opens July 22, 2011

  Posted 02/08/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers

Sunday, February 7

• Joe Johnston Discusses Captain America Casting and Reveals Costume and Plot Details

  Director Joe Johnston recently said that he was ready to put his latest movie, Universal's The Wolfman, behind him and focus on his "next job," directing Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America, and that seems to be exactly what he is doing. While he has been making the prerequisite press rounds in support of The Wolfman, he seems to be talking far more about the upcoming adventures of the "Star-Spangled Avenger" than about the Universal update.

  Last month, Johnston spoke at length about what interests him about the character and discussed the basic plot of the movie. In the past week, Johnston has updated the movie to "in prep" and said that casting of the lead role will happen "soon." Now, Johnston has divulged even more information pertaining to casting the lead role of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Cap), discussed his depiction of Cap's iconic costume and revealed what villain will be working to foil the hero.

  At least a portion of The First Avenger: Captain America will be set in WWII Europe, so Johnson admitted to the L.A. Times that it was necessary to come up with a reality-based reason why Cap would be running around a battlefield sporting a brightly-colored flag costume.

  The costume is a flag, but the way we're getting around that is we have Steve Rogers forced into the USO circuit. After he's made into this super-soldier, they decide they can't send him into combat and risk him getting killed. He's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, "You're going to be in this USO show" and they give him a flag suit. He can't wait to get out of it.

  It was never in the comics because they didn't really need it. In comics, he puts on the costume and the reader just justifies because of the nature of the medium.

  Johnston also said that the USO costume will not be the only costume that Cap dons during the course of the movie.

  In the first USO sequences, the frustrated patriot will be wearing a version that is closer to the classic Jack Kirby-designed costume, but then later as the super-soldier hits the war zone he will be wearing a sturdier, more muted version that he makes himself that is more like battle togs. The stripes across his mid-section, for instance, will be straps, not colored fabric.

  He realizes the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor, it will be closer to the Cap costume in some of the comics in more recent years... this approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognizes the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time.

  Johnston went on to tell the Times that he was currently "testing five or six guys" between the ages of 23 and 32 for the lead role and that he had to "have somebody locked in before I leave March 1 for London." At a recent press junket for The Wolfman, Johnston elaborated on the casting further, saying that he didn't think he could make the movie "without an American playing the part" and that he was "looking for a complete unknown." Johnston also said that the movie would be shot in HD, which could be converted to 3-D, if the studio decides to go in that direction.

  We're not going to be shooting it specifically to be 3D, but this is the first film I will have shot in high def and I think it's one of the first's Shelly [Johnson, cinematographer] will shoot in high def too, [so] it'll be a new experience for both of us. And it gives you a lot of flexibility in post, which I learned from [editor] Walter Murch ... when you shoot a movie in high def if you want to zoom in 200% you can. But in film you can only go 15 or 20% at most before you start seeing grain and degradation. In high def you can basically reshoot the film in post — if you want to — so I'm looking forward to trying that.

  Last, but not least, AICN and ComingSoon both report that Johnston has revealed the villain of the movie to be Cap's perpetual comic book nemesis, the Red Skull.

  The First Avenger: Captain America is currently scheduled to begin production in June, with a release date of July 22, 2011.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman opens February 12, 2010

  Posted 02/07/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | Walter Murch | Shelly Johnson | The Wolfman | First Avenger: Captain America

Friday, February 5

• Casting of Lead Role in The First Avenger: Captain America Imminent

  Even though Joe Johnston's latest, The Wolfman, isn't even in theaters yet, the director admitted that he's "not going to worry about the success or the failure" of the movie, instead focusing on his "next job," directing Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America.

  Johnston recently updated the status of Captain America to "in prep," with principal photography expected to begin in June. But, the big question on everyone's mind is: Who will play Steve Rogers, aka Captain America? Johnston told SciFiWire that the answer to that question could be revealed very soon.

  We need to cast it soon. We have a very short list, but we're still juggling actors here. I'd say within the next couple of weeks we'll have ourselves a Captain America, I hope.

  Early Internet rumors linked Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, and even Will Smith to the role, while several actors have thrown their own names in the proverbial hat for consideration, including Channing Tatum, John Barrowman, Kellan Lutz, and Sam Worthington.

  
  
  Next Showing: The First Avenger: Captain America opens July 22, 2011

  Posted 02/05/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America

Sunday, January 31

• Joe Johnston Updates The First Avenger: Captain America

  With the release of The Wolfman imminent, director Joe Johnston is looking to put the troublesome production behind him and focus on his next project, Marvel Studios' The First Avenger: Captain America.

  I've got my next job and I'm not going to worry about the success or the failure of [The Wolfman]. I can only use my instincts and say, "I think this is the best version of that scene. This is the best take. This is the best piece of music for this scene." And I can't start second-guessing myself and thinking, "What does the audience want to see? What does the studio think is the best solution for this?" You can't start doing that, because after a while it all becomes a blur and you forget what your original instinct was.

  Johnston recently spoke about what appeals to him about the character of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and in a recent interview with FilmJournal, Johnston offered an update on the status of the production.

  We're in prep. Rick Heinrichs is production-designing and we're set up down in Manhattan Beach [California]. It's the part of the process that I love the most. We have eight or ten really talented artists, and we all just sit around all day and draw pictures and say, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could do this?" It's that phase of the production where money doesn't matter: "Let's put all the greatest stuff up on the wall and [then later] see what we can afford."

  Captain America is expected to go into production in June. The coveted role of Captain America has not been cast at this time.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman is scheduled to open February 12, 2010

  Posted 01/31/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America | The Wolfman

Friday, January 15

• Joe Johnston Dishes About Jurassic Park IV and The First Avenger: Captain America

  Director Joe Johnston has been quietly lining up his next projects while his long-delayed latest film, The Wolfman, languishes in post-production. In a recent interview with BoxOffice to promote The Wolfman, Johnston confirmed that he was in the process of developing not only a fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, but a fifth and sixth, as well.

  Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three — it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you.

  Johnston also dropped some plot details about of one of the most highly anticipated comic book movies currently in development, The First Avenger: Captain America. Johnston, attached to direct, teased that the film version of Captain America will be "something different" and not what fans might "expect," but added that it will be a "a lot of fun."

  

  It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction. It's the origin story of Captain America. It's mostly period — there are modern, present-day bookends on it — but it's basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. The great thing about Captain America is he's a super hero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of superhero stories, appealed to me the most. He can't fly, he can't see through walls, he can't do any of that stuff. He's an everyman who's been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen — the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? He was this 98-pound weakling, he was this wimp, and he's transformed instantly into this Adonis. You'd think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn't get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire. For me, that's the interesting part of the story. It's got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we've never seen before. But at the heart of it, it's a story about this kid, who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn't fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero — essentially go AWOL to save a friend. Eventually at the very end, I don't want to give away too much, but he does fit in. But it's the journey of getting him there that's interesting.

  It is unclear from the interview just how far along in the development process the new Jurassic Park trilogy might be or when Jurassic Park IV might go into production. The First Avenger: Captain America is currently scheduled to begin production in June.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman is scheduled to open February 12, 2010
  

  The Wolfman - Trailer

  Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins Star

  Posted 01/15/2010 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | The Wolfman | First Avenger: Captain America | Jurassic Park | Jurassic Park III | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Jurassic Park IV

Thursday, January 7

• Captain America Movie Released Online

  OK, so it's not exactly the upcoming The First Avenger: Captain America; rather, 1990's horribly cheesy Captain America, starring Matt Salinger in the title role and directed by Albert Pyun. The movie never saw a theatrical release in the U.S. but did find life on VHS. The movie still has no DVD release, but comic book fans in the U.S. can watch the entire movie courtesy of Hulu and see what director Joe Johnston shouldn't do with First Avenger: Captain America.

  Check out the trailer below and the full version here.

  
  

  Posted 01/07/2010 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | Matt Salinger | Albert Pyun | First Avenger: Captain America | Captain America

Monday, December 28

• The First Avenger: Captain America Production Starting in June

  Popular horror magazine Fangoria inadvertently dropped the news that Marvel Studios' live-action adaptation of the classic Captain America comic books will go into production during June of next year. The information appears after a quote from Joe Johnston about how little time he had to prepare for The Wolfman after taking over for its original director, Mark Romanek.

  Principal photography was now less than four weeks away. "By the time I got on a plane and arrived, it was three," recalls Johnston, speaking from the art department of The First Avenger: Captain America, which he's readying for a June start.

  Paramount plans to release The First Avenger: Captain America on July 22, 2011. No cast announcements have been made as of yet.

  
  

  Posted 12/28/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Joe Johnston | Mark Romanek | First Avenger: Captain America | The Wolfman

Sunday, December 13

• Emily Blunt Explains The Wolfman's Delays

  The release date for The Wolfman has been delayed several times, leading to much online speculation as to what was going wrong with the Joe Johnston-directed production. Emily Blunt, who stars in the movie, explained to ShockTillYouDrop why she thinks the movie has suffered from so many delays.

  I think with a film like that, because there are special effects and it's a big movie, you can't accelerate its release date. It's not fair and so I think it just needed some more time. They needed to cook a little bit more. But the film is so good, so I'm really happy that they waited and I think it's the best time for people to see it. This fall is all about the awards seasons and all of that, so I don't know if it's that kind of film. It's not. It's a werewolf movie. It's a brilliant…more of a throwback to the old Lon Chaney films and it's classic and gothic and eerie but I don't think it competes with the slasher movies in that way because I think it's better. I did my job, they loved the movie so, I almost feel this is the best time because I feel like more people are going to see it in February anyway.

  

  Blunt may be able to give some context to the delays, but couldn't explain why editors Walter Murch and Mark Goldblatt were hired to help work on the movie, including the footage from six weeks of reshoots.

  I don't know what happens behind those scenes. I think it's important to get as many influences as possible on a film of that scale, with that much effects that need to take place.

  Whatever Murch and Goldblatt did, it seemed to have the desired effect. The MPAA has rated the movie "R" for "bloody horror, violence, and gore". Blunt may not feel feel like The Wolfman will compete with slasher movies, but the rating is good news to slasher fans, who will make up a large percentage of The Wolfman's audience.

  
  

  Posted 12/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Emily Blunt | Joe Johnston | The Wolfman

Wednesday, November 18

• New Editors Hired for The Wolfman; French Trailer Released

  Buried deep inside a Variety piece, SlashFilm found news that Universal has hired editors Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now) and Mark Goldblatt (The Terminator) to recut Joe Johnston's The Wolfman.

  The release date for The Wolfman has already been rescheduled several times, but the move to put the movie out in February was clearly done so that Murch and Goldblatt could have some time to fix things. The two editors likely will be cutting together footage from six weeks of reshoots completed over the summer, mostly supervised by second unit director Vic Armstrong.

  Already, the work of the two editors has the movie looking more historic in the new French trailer, shown below ...:

  Ok, we admit that's the trailer for the 1941 original. It might be a little while before any work from Murch and Goldblatt will be seen in trailers, if at all. The "new" French trailer is nothing more than a shortened version of the original trailer, but with French subtitles. You can see it for yourself here.

  
  
  

  The Wolfman - Trailer

  Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins Star

  Posted 11/18/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | Mark Goldblatt | Vic Armstrong | Walter Murch | The Wolfman | The Wolf Man

Tuesday, August 11

• Louis Leterrier Talks About His Avengers "Dream"

  The LA Times caught up with Louis Leterrier on the set of his upcoming Clash of the Titans, where The Incredible Hulk director talked about The Avengers and the upcoming Marvel movies. The French director revealed that he wants to make another Marvel movie, but Leterrier seemed uncommitted to making The Incredible Hulk 2.

  Well, so far, no. I am contracted to do one more film with Marvel so when I'm done here with [Titans] I will go back to say to them, "Guys you need me? Is there something I can do?"

  Leterrier explained that making The Incredible Hulk took its toll on him.

  Hulk was such a challenge. It was to reboot something and follow [the Ang Lee-directed 2003 Hulk] movie that was absolutely adored by part of the fan population and then absolutely hated by another part. It was complicated for me. I wasn't sure what to do with that history. I did my Hulk but it was not easy. If I do another Hulk film it will always be compared to the Ang Lee thing, and my first one … if I come back I'd love to do another superhero, something different that I can really put my touch on.

  So if Leterrier isn't willing to direct the next Incredible Hulk, what movie would he want to direct?

  I would love to do the Avengers film. I'd love to work with Marvel again. I loved working with them. I like [Marvel President of Production] Kevin Feige, he's a good guy and a fan. I love him. I feel really good at Marvel because they are people my age who are obsessed with movies and comic books. We talk about the same things. And they are not the nerd army — they like when you change something [away from Marvel canon] if there's a good reason, they're open to new things. Kevin is smart about movies and he takes risks. I would work with him tomorrow. But it has to be the right project.

  But directing The Avengers isn't all Leterrier wants. He outlined a much larger dream for The Avengers that surely had Feige and his fellow Marvel executives talking.

  I'll tell you my real dream: To work with [First Avenger: Captain America director] Joe Johnston and [Thor director] Kenneth Branagh and Jon Favreau and make like a triptych. We do four movies. We release them one a month for the summer. Or even every two weeks or three weeks. And the whole summer would be Avengers summer. So we do it the way they make television shows. One story arc but told in installments by different directors. So all of the directors that touch part of the Avengers world would do a part; we could make the movies shorter, maybe less than an hour and a half, and we use the same sets and save Marvel money. I would love to sit around a table with all of them a kick around the story. That's my dream.

  
  

  Posted 08/11/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | Jon Favreau | Kevin Feige | Ang Lee | Louis Leterrier | Kenneth Branagh | The Avengers | The Incredible Hulk | The Incredible Hulk 2 | The Hulk

Thursday, August 6

• The Wolfman Release Delayed (Again)

  

  Typically, when a movie studio changes the release date of a movie, it's not necessarily a sign of trouble. Often this is done to take advantage of a holiday or to avoid competing with a movie with a similar target audience. However, when a movie's release is rescheduled twice, rumors start circulating that there are problems with the production. So what does it mean when a movie's release is rescheduled three times like The Wolfman? Well, if there are problems with Universal's The Wolfman, they're not saying.

  The Wolfman was initially scheduled for a November 12, 2008 release, but was pushed back to early 2009. When director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) left, citing "creative differences," the studio met with a whole host of big-name directors before hiring Joe Johnston (Jumanji). The resultant delay caused the movie's release to be pushed back a second time, to November 6. Now Universal has pushed the release date back for a third time, to February 12, 2010. While some have speculated that the delay has to do with the movie's special effects, Universal's Adam Fogelson told Variety that the move was purely for financial reasons.

  The Wolfman stars Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving. The first trailer for the movie will debut August 21 before Quentin Tarnatino's Inglourious Basterds.

  
  
  Next Showing: The Wolfman is scheduled to open February 12, 2010

  Posted 08/06/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Benicio Del Toro | Joe Johnston | The Wolfman

Wednesday, April 29

• Matthew McConaughey as Captain America Upgraded to Maybe

  The rumored choice to play Steve Rogers in the upcoming Joe Johnston directed First Avenger: Captain America, Matthew McConaughey may actually be interested. Long considered to be a rumor along the lines of a Will Smith casting, McConaughey told MTV that playing the superhero "sounds fun," though he also has not seen a script or been made an offer. It's better than what he said last year about the casting rumor: "That’s a super cool name — Captain America.”

  McConaughey's Ghosts of Girfriends Past co-star Jennifer Garner, who has played a superhero before in Elektra, agreed. "You would be a great Captain America,” Garner told McConaughey, “You could wear a cape and tights and little pointy shoes."

  Jennifer, the superhero you're describing sound more like Robin than Captain America, who wears no cape, boots, and carries a shield. Ring a bell? Red, white, and blue? He has a "super cool" name?

  
  

  Posted 04/29/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | Matthew McConaughey | Will Smith | Jennifer Garner | Elektra | First Avenger: Captain America | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Friday, November 21

• Captain America Movie Gets 2 Screenwriters

  On the heels of the news that Joe Johnston will direct the film version of First Avenger: Captain America, now Variety reports that the writing duties will go to Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the writers of both Chronicles of Narnia films. Before fanboys start worrying that Steve Rogers and Bucky will be jumping out of a wardrobe to keep a Red Skull from bringing an eternal winter to the Allied powers, remember the screenwriting pair also won Emmys for their Life and Death of Peter Sellers script. So, clearly, the costumed heroes will instead jump out of a wardrobe to find the thief of a valuable pink diamond.

  So far there's no casting news for the movie, scheduled for release on May 6, 2011, with Avengers Movie scheduled to follow two months later on July 15. However there is a heated debate on who should be cast. (Click on User Comments tab).

  
  

  Posted 11/21/2008 by Ryan

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers

Wednesday, November 12

• Captain America Has a Director

  Joe Johnston, the man behind blockbusters Jumanji, Jurassic Park III and the forthcoming Wolf Man, has signed on to direct First Avenger: Captain America. The release date is slated for 2011.

  Along with the already released Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, Captain America will be part of a series of Marvel releases including Iron Man 2 and Thor leading up to the highly anticipated Avengers movie in 2011.

  No word yet on casting for Cap, but personally, we're hoping the Matthew McConaughey rumors are false. Hard to imagine a shirtless Captain America...

  Source: Reuters

  
  

  Posted 11/12/2008 by reelz

  Related: Joe Johnston | First Avenger: Captain America | Iron Man 3 | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man