Friday, November 20

• Iron Man 2 Trailer Arriving for Christmas

  Iron Man fans won't have to wait too much longer to get their first peek at Iron Man 2. News of a trailer screening before Sherlock Holmes was announced by director Jon Favreau in a response to a fan question on his Twitter page.

  RT @Ann_Howard: @Jon_Favreau PLEASE tell us the trailer is coming soon - w/Sherlock Holmes, perhaps??

  OK, that's not definite, but Favreau's decision to repeat it makes us think this is a pretty strong rumor.

  Favreau is currently editing Iron Man 2, and while doing this he's also doing a good job keeping fans updated about the movie on his Twitter page. He's sent updates such as "Digital animated shots starting to come in" and "[screenwriter] Justin Theroux visiting the edit bay."

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010

  Posted 11/20/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man 2

Wednesday, November 18

• Faran Tahir Talks Iron Man 3 and Star Trek

  Earlier in the year, Iron Man actor Faran Tahir mentioned the possibility of a return as Iron Man's nemesis Mandarin in Iron Man 3 ... or at least as a "conduit" to Mandarin. Tahir told Moviefone that no decision has been made yet, but the possibility is there.

  Jon Favreau and [the producers] are not stupid. They're also listening in on all of this and wanting to get the pulse of where the audience is. But at some point, they want to introduce Mandarin into the storyline and my character, like Mandarin, was the leader of the Ten Rings. We're leaving it open because, partly, it makes good business sense for us to leave a little bit of uncertainty for people to speculate on.

  Tahir says Favreau has known "where he wants to take" Iron Man 3 "for a long time," and that there will be "linkage somewhere in [Iron Man 2" that will set up a third movie.

  In the meantime, Tahir has taken roles in television shows as well as the supporting role of Captain Robau in Star Trek. Tahir's screen time is brief, which may be why he feels that director J.J. Abrams may be out to get him.

  J.J. and I keep joking about that. I've done four things for him and every single thing I do for him, I die. It's like, "What the heck is your problem? Do you just not want me on Earth?" His last e-mail to me was, "I promise you the next time, you are not going to beepin' die."

  My thinking was that because it sets the mood for the entire saga, it was worth doing and was going to have an impact. So it's 10 minutes, but it's a good 10 minutes.

  
  

  Posted 11/18/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | J.J. Abrams | Faran Tahir | Iron Man 3 | Star Trek

Wednesday, October 21

• Cowboys & Aliens Unlike the Comic Book, Say Writers

  Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman can focus on the script for Star Trek 2 now that they're finished adapting the comic book Cowboys & Aliens for director Jon Favreau. However, their version, Kurtzman told IGN, won't be completely faithful to the graphic novel.

  We went away from it. We took the elements we all loved about it and took our own story, which I can't tell you too much about.

  And what is the biggest change according to Orci?

  Tone. How do you make it so it's not too funny? You hear the title Cowboys & Aliens and think, what is it? Is it Wild, Wild West? The exact same structure and story can kill you if you have the wrong tone. That's the hard part.

  Kurtzman agreed, saying the movie is " not a comedy" but rather like "watching Unforgiven and then the aliens from Alien land." The movie is currently in pre-production and the duo are having a great time working with Favreau. "He's the greatest," says Kurtzman. Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are producing the movie.

  
  

  Posted 10/21/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Roberto Orci | Alex Kurtzman | Cowboys and Aliens

Wednesday, October 14

• Jon Favreau Won't Direct The Avengers

  Jon Favreau has left hints that he'd be directing the upcoming Avengers movie for some time now, saying his involvement was "yet to be determined." It looks like fanboys let their hopes get away from them, though, as Favreau has now told MTV that his status is 100% determined ... and the decision is "no."

  They'll have to [find a different director], because I'm not going to be available. It's something I'm being the executive producer on, so I'll definitely have input and a say.

  It's going to be hard, because I was so involved in creating the world of Iron Man and Iron Man is very much a tech-based hero, and then with Avengers you're going to be introducing some supernatural aspects because of Thor. How you mix the two of those works very well in the comic books, but it's going to take a lot of thoughtfulness to make that all work and not blow the reality that we've created.

  Favreau also confirmed that Edward Norton will not be appearing as The Hulk in Iron Man 2, though Favreau says there will still be connections between Iron Man 2 and the other Avengers movies.

  We want to reinforce a lot of the stuff we started to tip off ... The Avengers is a much larger concern for Marvel and Kevin Feige, who runs Marvel. They're going to be doing Thor and Captain America, and the way we might start to tease those things in this movie, some of it is stuff that we've discussed [and] some of the stuff you do last-minute as you figure out how that stuff is coming together. It's an evolving, amorphous thing. If we decide and commit too early, the secret always gets out. As soon as we shot the Nick Fury thing [in Iron Man] — we had a closed set and nobody was supposed to know about it — a week later somehow it was all over the internet.

  While fans have to be disappointed with the news that Favreau's not directing The Avengers, Favreau certainly isn't. He thinks Avengers is in good hands with Feige.

  That's why it's good that you have the guys from Marvel like Kevin Feige, who knows the books well and has been involved with the making of all the movies, and he'll be very involved with Thor and Cap. You need somebody who has the perspective of all the different franchises to bring them together. I have the myopic vision of just knowing and loving Iron Man.

  
  

  Posted 10/14/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Edward Norton | Jon Favreau | Kevin Feige | Thor | First Avenger: Captain America | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers

Tuesday, October 13

• New Iron Man 2 Interviews and "Behind the Scenes" Video

  Vive la France! Check out what our French friends have provided for us — a lengthy "behind the scenes" interview with Iron Man 2's director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr.. Not only that, but there's also new footage from the movie.

  
  

  Posted 10/13/2009 by Jim

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man 2

Monday, October 12

• Vince Vaughn: All Grown Up

  

  Malin Akerman may have been "disappointed" with the more mature Vince Vaughn, but audiences clearly cheered his growth, since Couples Retreat dominated the weekend box office.

  Often playing petulant and obnoxious bachelors, Vaughn instead plays a committed family man in Retreat. Vaughn told CNN that this is because the life of a married man is right where he wants to be these days.

  Recently, for the first time, I decided that something I actively wanted was to be married and have kids. I always thought I would like to have kids someday, but it became a priority of mine just recently, and I met someone and I'm engaged now ... Just as your priorities change as you get older, so do the subjects that have you interested. Swingers came out of Jon [Favreau] moving to California. We had become friends on Rudy, and I started taking him around to underground swing scenes and swing bands that I like. So he wrote an over-exaggerated comedic movie based on him getting past a relationship

  The story with Couples Retreat was the same thing. As I started thinking about going to the next place in my life with kids and marriage, it was just on my mind. I think our films really reflect what is going on in our lives.

  And unlike Vaughn's other comedies, Vaughn says Retreat isn't "raunchy."

  There's no intentional F-words in the movie. There's no GD or taking the Lord's name in vain. This movie didn't warrant that. I think there's a love that comes off the movie in spite of the fact that we deal with adult stuff. I loved it because it didn't go so raunchy.

  It's like a [Bill] Cosby record in a sense in that you're dealing with something in a way that's funny but not too down and dirty.

  A Vaughn/Favreau movie being compared to a Cosby record seems a little off to us, but Retreat's $35 million at the box office this weekend proves that he's got at least something right.

  
  

  Posted 10/12/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Couples Retreat | Swingers

Thursday, October 8

• Faizon Love: Iron Man 3 Villain?

  First, a quick recap of Iron Man villains: Jeff Bridges anchored Iron Man's genesis story, with Faran Tahir supporting as the terrorist leader Raza (who may return as Mandarin in Iron Man 3), and Iron Man 2 will see Mickey Rourke battle as Whiplash with Sam Rockwell behind the scenes as Justin Hammer. So with that in mind, could fans see Couples Retreat actor Faizon Love as a villain in Iron Man 3? Love told Moviehole that he almost appeared in the first Iron Man.

  They already tried to put me in Iron Man but I couldn't. I think I would make it suck. I don't know that genre. These guys do. I didn't know it was a real comic book. [Jon Favreau] thinks I'd make a good villain. Maybe I should just get it out of my way and just do it?

  Love should take Favreau's advice. Someone has to play Crusher. Then again, Love took Favreau's offer to appear in Couples Retreat, which isn't looking so good.

  
  

  Posted 10/08/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Faizon Love | Jon Favreau | Iron Man 3 | Couples Retreat | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man

• Couples Retreat Reviews: Stay Single!

  We had bad vibes about this one when, at the movie's Chicago premiere, co-star Malin Akerman said Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau had "grown up a little" and are "definitely a little more subdued." Unfortunately it seems to have rubbed off on their latest movie, in a not-funny way.

  "It contains little comedy, except for free-standing one-liners, and no suspense, except for the timing of the obligatory reconciliation. It doesn't even make you think you'd like to visit its island paradise."

  — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

  "...a not lousy but unmemorable tropical-vacation comedy."

  — Dennis Harvey, Variety

  "This intermittently funny tale of four couples undergoing relationship therapy struggles hard for its occasional laughs."

  — Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

  "An ostensible paean to making a marriage work, Couples Retreat is instead so long, inert, and torturously unfunny that it makes a strong case for the drunk-and-promiscuous single life."

  — Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

  
  
  

  Couples Retreat - Trailer

  A comedy written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

  Posted 10/08/2009 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Couples Retreat

Wednesday, October 7

• Couples Retreat's Malin Akerman Disappointed in Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau?

  At last night's Chicago premiere of Couples Retreat, star Malin Ackerman (Watchmen) said she had a preconceived notion of Vaughn and frequent collaborator Jon Favreau, and they didn't meet it.

  Everyone has that idea of the single-and-crazy Vince and Jon in Swingers and Made, but I think they've grown up a little. They're still a little crazy ... but they're definitely a little more subdued.

  As big fans of Swingers and Made who were considering seeing Couples Retreat over the weekend, we're not very happy about this news.

  See also: The Hottest Comic Book Movie Babes of 2009, and a Malin Ackerman photo gallery.

  
  

  Posted 10/07/2009 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Couples Retreat

Sunday, October 4

• Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman Discuss Improv on the Set of Couples Retreat

  Couples Retreat, the latest comedy from Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, follows four couples on a tropical vacation where they are forced to participate in the resort's therapy sessions. The idea was conceived by Vaughn, who brought Favreau on to help him write the script. Vaughn and Malin Akerman (Watchmen) spoke to ComingSoon about the movie, with Akerman revealing that having a script didn't keep Vaughn and Favreau from improvising constantly.

  Yes. I think there was so much improv that we could probably do a whole other film on the side, but it was great. That was sort of some of the fun parts where you have your character, your intention, your goal for the scene and then it was really cool working with these guys because of the improv. I always love it. I think it's so much fun and so great. Although, once him and Jon start you're like, "Holy s**t." You can tell that there's some history there because you guys together are like husband and wife. You guys should've been a couple.

  Since Favreau and Vaughn's second movie, Made, improvisation has been a staple when the two actors work together. Vaughn said that they have a system worked out.

  I always do it the same way with Jon. I'll setup two cameras so that we can cut back and forth so that you don't try to match something that comes to your mind on the one side. I've always written, this is the first time I've taken credit, but I've always written a lot on all the movies I've done and not just dialogue but actual story and other people's lines. I've always done that. The great thing about doing that with Jon is that he knows what the story intentions of the scene needs. So it's not like you're with someone just rambling and saying bizarre things. It's all viable and cuttable choices. I think on the DVD of The Breakup, that scene in the bar where Favreau suggests putting a hit out on the new guy that she's dating, I put on that DVD a few other takes that are all really, really good that are just completely different ways to go to get to the exact same end result.

  Unlike their previous efforts, Retreat sees Favreau and Vaughn in a role reversal, with Vaughn playing the straight-laced family guy and Favreau as a cheating husband. Vaughn purposely put Favreau in the role.

  A lot of times the protagonist or the lead [in a movie] will [have] the burden of staying grounded so that the audience can see the movie through their eyes but a character like Trent [Vaughn's role in Swingers] is allowed more freedom to be out there because he's the comic relief. So for me it's just fun to watch Favreau in that role as it was in Breakup. I thought that he was really great and hilarious and in this one, too, he's so driven and ultimately so likable because Favs is very funny and also has a real warmth to him.

  
  
  Next Showing: Couples Retreat opens October 9

  Posted 10/04/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Couples Retreat

Tuesday, September 29

• More Mickey Rourke as Whiplash from the Iron Man 2 Set

  The latest from Entertainment Tonight's set visit of Iron Man 2 concerns Mickey Rourke and his character of Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash. While Rourke is never interviewed, the cast and director Jon Favreau talk about his contribution to the sequel, with Favreau calling Rourke a "very formidable adversary" to Robert Downey Jr..

  For more footage of Whiplash, and some kind comments about Rourke in the role, watch the video below:

  
  

  Posted 09/29/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 2

Friday, September 25

• Iron Man 2 Set Visit Reveals Whiplash in Action

  Entertainment Tonight got an exclusive Iron Man 2 set visit and revealed a few sneak peeks into the anticipated sequel. The video contains interviews with Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, and Jon Favreau about the em>Iron Man love triangle, the fitness regimes of the cast, and, most importantly, a few seconds of Mickey Rourke as strong>Whiplash using his whips to destroy a car on the Monaco Grand Prix. The scene is from the initial meeting between Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, and Whiplash, explained Downey Jr.:

  Tony Stark has come to Monaco, supposedly to observe the race, but then, as it happens, he is racing in it. This is where he meets his nemesis, and this big kind of action sequence unfolds on the track. This is probably about my favorite thing in the world to do professionally because you get the free adrenaline rush and it's all safe.

  Watch the complete video below:

  
  

  Posted 09/25/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Don Cheadle | Gwyneth Paltrow | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 2

• Extended Clips from Couples Retreat

  Couples Retreat, the latest comedy from Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, focuses on four couples who head to a tropical resort where couples therapy is mandatory. The trailer shows how Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell convince the other couples (Vaughn and Malin Akerman, Favreau and Kristen Davis, and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk) to join them at the retreat using a PowerPoint presentation.

  The group soon learns that Bell's pitch is far from the truth once they learn truth about the Eden resort from Peter Serafinowicz.

  The following clip has an extended look at the couples yoga session teased in the movie's trailer.

  
  
  Next Showing: Couples Retreat opens October 9
  

  Couples Retreat - Trailer

  A new comedy written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

  Posted 09/25/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Faizon Love | Jason Bateman | Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Peter Serafinowicz | Kristen Bell | Kali Hawk | Kristen Davis | Couples Retreat

Friday, September 11

• New Couples Retreat Poster Lacks Love

  With less than a month before Couples Retreat opens in theaters on October 9, Universal Pictures has finally released a new promotional item for the movie. Yet, rather than unveil a trailer or clip, Universal kept it simple with an international poster that's eerily similar to its domestic predecessor. Unlike the previous poster, which depicted four couples standing in water, the international poster shows only three couples, eliminating Faizon Love and Kali Hawk altogether.

  The recently R-rated comedy, written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, follows four couples who head to a tropical resort only to realize that couples therapy is a requirement. Love and Hawk will appear alongside Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Kristen Davis, Vaughn, and Favreau — at least domestically. If the international poster is any guide, Love and Hawk's relationship may not make it.

  
  
  

  Couples Retreat - Trailer

  A new comedy written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

  Posted 09/11/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Faizon Love | Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Kali Hawk | Couples Retreat

Wednesday, September 2

• Iron Man 2 to Arrive in 3-D?

  

  Iron Man 2 was not shot in 3-D, even though director Jon Favreau tried to convince Marvel to let him. Oddly enough, though, that may not stop the movie from entering theaters in the 3-D format.

  AICN reports that a one-minute 3-D conversion of Iron Man 2 has made Marvel/Paramount/Disney consider a 3-D conversion of the entire movie. Currently, the studios are listening to bids from 3-D companies to weigh the costs. There's even a chance that Iron Man will be converted to 3-D and re-released in advance of Iron Man 2.

  Considering Favreau's love for IMAX and 3-D formats and his directing ties to The Avengers and Iron Man 3, if Iron Man 2 makes the conversion we can probably expect more Marvel movies to happen in 3-D.

  
  

  Posted 09/02/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | The Avengers | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man 3

Monday, August 31

• Kick-Ass Director Matthew Vaughn Wants to Direct The Avengers and Superman

  

  Director Matthew Vaughn is a huge comic book fan, as his upcoming Kick-Ass adaptation hopes to prove. However, Vaughn has left more superhero movies than he's made, having abandoned both Thor and X-Men: The Last Stand.

  But that doesn't mean that Vaughn isn't ready for more. Vaughn told MTV about two projects he's hoping to direct:

  I grew up watching superhero films, so I want to make superhero films. I was desperate to do Iron Man about 8 years ago, and everyone was like, "Iron Man, no one will go watch that." Cut to now, and it's a huge hit. [I'd] love to do The Avengers. And Superman ... I think it would be great to reinvent Superman.

  Of course, Jon Favreau directed Iron Man, and he's also been discussed as the potential director for The Avengers. In fact, Favreau feels that The Avengers might keep the Iron Man series from falling into predictability:

  ...The Avengers might be the thing that helps rescue us from the inevitable sequel slump that you get into, because you're throwing everything on its ear. It might be a failed experiment or it might be something wonderful, but it allows you to add complexity in an organic way where you're culminating with something bigger, as opposed to trying to play out and not repeat the same story over and over again.

  Vaughn might have a better chance at the next Superman, though James McTeigue has been strongly rumored to be directing the project.

  
  

  Posted 08/31/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Matthew Vaughn | Thor | Kick-Ass | Superman: The Man of Steel | Iron Man 2 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Superman Returns | The Avengers | Iron Man

Monday, August 17

• Are there Too Many Villains in Iron Man 2?

  It's a common problem for comic book-movie sequels: too many villains. In Iron Man, director Jon Favreau kept things simple by having Robert Downey Jr. square off with only one major villain, Jeff Bridges. For Iron Man 2, Downey Jr. will face off against Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and possibly fighting with best friend Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) as War Machine, whose appearance was confirmed at the San Diego Comic-Con.

  Cheadle told MTV that his time in the War Machine armor was "significant" and that there will be tension between himself and Downey Jr.:

  We kept asking ourselves: How does that play out with Tony Stark being an independent contractor doing what he wants to do, and Rhodes actually being in the military. There's a real chain of command he has to follow. What's the conflict that creates?

  Will featuring so many potential adversaries in Iron Man 2 weigh down the movie? Favreau seems aware of the potential villain overload and doesn't see it as a problem:

  We had to walk a fine line. I think you're good for number two. Two seems to be the charm because you got your origin story out of the way. You can add some complexity to it and you have room, because you don't have to tell the origin story, to introduce the characters. When you get to number three, you can get hidebound. You're like a beached whale sometimes because you have so much, you collapse under the weight of the complexity that you've created.

  Favreau has suggested that a potential Iron Man 3 will likely focus on arch-nemesis Mandarin. Thus far, no other villains have been named. That ought to keep the "complexity" down.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010

  Posted 08/17/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jeff Bridges | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 3 | Iron Man | Iron Man 2

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

Monday, August 3

• Don Cheadle Discusses His Role in Iron Man 2

  

  

  Actor Don Cheadle's addition to the cast of Iron Man 2 as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine was one of the most controversial decisions made in pre-production because fans were very fond of the actor who played Rhodey in the first movie, Terrence Howard. During a series of Iron Man 2 roundtable interviews at the San Diego Comic-Con, we asked Cheadle if there was any "bad blood" between the two actors, and he said:

  I didn't take a role from Terrence, you know. It's potentially weird between he and them because, you know, that was their deal. But, by the time I came on, he was already not doing the movie.

  Terrence has been a friend for a while. I produced Crash and put him in Crash. And I was his friend before that, too, so he knew there was no beef. I didn't snake a part from Terrence. He was cool with me.

  When asked about how he prepared himself to play Rhodey, a Marvel Comics character that's been around since the late 70's, Cheadle said:

  

  I went back and looked at a lot of different... there's so many different iterations of James "Rhodey" Rhodes in comic books, so it was hard to go, "Well, I want to be the one in 1982..." It's like, which one am I picking? So...what's the common denominator here? The common denominator was really his friendship with Tony. And, that's what we really tried to track. How is their friendship impacted once Tony comes out and owns, "I am Iron Man," and now I'm in the military and there's a chain-of-command that I have to follow but you're working outside of the military and basically you're a live weapon that can do whatever it wants ... that was the strain, that was the tension that was between their relationship that drives the whole movie, for our characters.

  Cheadle said that he was happy to sign a multi-picture deal in order to win the role of Rhodey, but that if he had the opportunity to play any "superhero" he wanted, he would choose the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama.

  I mean, that's a crazy answer, but it's true. Comic books, you know, I really liked Swamp Thing. I loved that comic. And, I loved The Dark Knight. I was a fan of that comic book.

  Iron Man 2 also stars Robert Downey Jr., Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, and Samuel L. Jackson. There are also rumors that Edward Norton will reprise the role of the Hulk in the film, but Norton has refused to comment.

  
  
  

  Iron Man 2 Update

  Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as War Machine.

  Posted 08/03/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Robert Downey Jr. | The Iron Man | Iron Man 2

Saturday, August 1

• Jon Favreau Discusses the New Characters in Iron Man 2

  

  Writer, actor, director Jon Favreau understands the importance of winning over the core comic book fan base, which is why he debuted footage of both Iron Man films at the San Diego Comic-Con. About the über-zealous fans, Favreau said, "The geeks have inherited the Earth, and that's good news for us."

  In a roundtable interview after the Iron Man 2 footage was shown, Favreau explained why Whiplash (played by Mickey Rourke) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) were featured instead of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the original choice for the teaser.

  The jury was out on Scarlett for a while ... and when those pictures came out online everybody was like, "Wow." So, I was like, "Okay, that's not the big one," you know? And, with Whiplash, we kind of wanted to show a little bit more of what we're doing with the technology of that character and explain how it fits into the story.

  Favreau explained that the character of Whiplash is very much a dark version of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).

  

  We want to unify the technology of what's going on with Iron Man, what's going on with Whiplash, and ... when ... (Rourke's character is) building Whiplash, it's mirroring in a lot of ways the assembly of the (Iron Man) armor, except under different circumstances. So, it's almost like the shadow version of Tony Stark coming from a different place going through a similar journey as him.

  The part of the Iron Man 2 teaser that seemed to most electrify the audience in Hall H was the footage of War Machine, a souped-up, Iron Man-on-steroids hero. Favreau explained:

  The thing that's fun about War Machine is it's over-the-top ... Iron Man is the sleek, elegant version where everything is contained under the airframe and War Machine is, you know, the over-the-top, everything hangin' out and ... it creates a little bit of a rivalry between the two of them in that respect. So, we use guns ... there's lots of gun porn in this movie, lets put it that way. And it's not just with that character, there's a lot — we're living in that world and it's the extreme version of the military industrial complex. That's the pool that we spawn from.

  Iron Man 2 also stars Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. There are also rumors that either Bruce Banner or the Hulk will make a cameo appearance in the film, but Edward Norton has refused to comment.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010

  Posted 08/01/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man | Iron Man 2

Friday, July 31

• Jon Favreau Talks Iron Man 2 and the Future of Iron Man

  Jon Favreau had a lot to reveal about Iron Man 2 at the San Diego Comic-Con, and not just the inclusion of War Machine. Favreau told MTV that the sequel is not simply a prelude to The Avengers.

  We're working towards Avengers, but by the same token we want to resolve this film and make [Iron Man 2] play on its own. It's not a serial. It's a self-contained film. It's not building towards a cliffhanger that's the next movie. It's about wrapping up our story and making it a complete tale.

  Favreau has confirmed that Iron Man 3 is in the works, and says the third movie may bring out a villain that would make Iron Man comic book fans very happy:

  We're not feeling any pressure right now to rush to the whole Mandarin through-line. It's still intact. We're consistent with it. We know where it's going but I think audiences are pretty sophisticated.

  Faran Tahir, who played a terrorist leader in Iron Man, has already said he might return for Iron Man 3 as either arch nemesis Mandarin or a "conduit" for the villain. Considering Favreau thinks the theme of the Iron Man movies is "an arms race," that makes Mandarin, and Tahir, a strong possibility for Iron Man 3.

  For now, the villain is Mickey Rourke. Or Rourke and Sam Rockwell. Or Scarlett Johansson and Rourke and Rockwell. But definitely Rourke, who Favreau says will get a good amount of screen time:

  With Mickey Rourke [as Whiplash], we definitely did want to have an origin story. We wanted that origin story to shadow and mirror Tony because he's introduced this technology into the world and how does that affect the world?

  With Mickey, I didn't want to just have two guys in robot suits hitting each other again. I wanted to have a different type of villain that used the same technology, existed within the same framework and rules of our world, but that was going to present not just a challenge physically but also in how dark he was; how he's related to and how his fate and Tony's fate are connected.

  Should Favreau move on to direct Iron Man 3 or The Avengers or both, they may take on a new look. Favreau claims to love the 3-D or IMAX formats and was even trying to convince Marvel to let him shoot Iron Man 2 in 3-D.

  
  

  Posted 07/31/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Faran Tahir | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man 3

Thursday, July 30

• Couples Retreat Headed for Reshoots

  Jon Favreau, fresh off of promoting Iron Man 2 at the San Diego Comic-Con, is now back to work on the upcoming comedy Couples Retreat. Favreau announced on his Twitter feed:

  Just got sent script pages. Preparing for Couples Retreat reshoots tomorrow. No rest for the weary.

  The comedy about four couples going to an island getaway, where they are forced into marriage counseling activities, was written by Favreau and Vince Vaughn. While reshoots are typically a sign of trouble, the Couples reshoots likely are a good sign that director Peter Billingsley knows what works and what doesn't from the large amount of improv done on the Couples set. Co-star Kristen Bell described the improvisational atmosphere as a positive one:

  You know, it's just a fun environment to work in. You have to be really supportive if you're working with improv, because otherwise people don't bring up the right instincts and ideas because they feel like they'll be shot down. So it ends up being a really nice set to work on.

  The amount of reshoots is unknown, but Favreau did follow up by Tweeting that he is shooting with Vaughn ("haven't seen him in months") and his "movie wife" Kristen Davis.

  
  
  Next Showing: Couples Retreat opens October 9
  

  Couples Retreat - Trailer

  A new comedy written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

  Posted 07/30/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Peter Billingsley | Vince Vaughn | Kristen Bell | Kristen Davis | Couples Retreat

Monday, July 27

• War Machine to Appear in Iron Man 2

  

  

  Terrence Howard's prophetic utterance of "next time" from Iron Man is the key to Jon Favreau and company's biggest surprise revealed at San Diego Comic-Con. During an Iron Man 2 panel discussion, Favreau told the crowd that War Machine will indeed appear in the movie:

  We wanted to use Comic-Con as our venue to have the first images of War Machine come out. There's been talk of whether it was [in the film] or not, and we've been holding back. We haven't talked officially about it. We wanted to show the fans some of that.

  For those unfamiliar with the character from the comic books, Favreau explained:

  War Machine is another character that's based on the Iron Man technology. James Rhodes, or 'Rhodey,' the character in this film played by Don Cheadle [replacing Howard], he has his own suit. It looks different, different coloring, different weapons on it. War Machine and Iron Man, typically in the books, are at odds. And so, it's Iron Man facing up against someone of equal power and stature using the same technology.

  Favreau then showed a 5-minute clip of the movie that featured Cheadle being offered the armor by Tony Stark rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and ended in an action shot of War Machine firing weapons from his armor.

  With Mickey Rourke looking to complicate things as nemesis Whiplash and Scarlett Johansson possibly working to bring down Tony Stark as well, the addition of War Machine is sure to give Robert Downey Jr. a lot to deal with in the sequel. After seeing the footage of War Machine, Downey Jr. was not pleased.

  "I can't believe your rig is better than my rig," Downey Jr. said to Cheadle.

  "It was a contractual thing," Cheadle responded.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010

  Posted 07/27/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Terrence Howard | Sam Rockwell | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man | Iron Man 2

• Jon Favreau Talks Directing The Avengers While Marvel's Kevin Feige Details the Cast

  

  

  The San Diego Comic-Con was a boon for upcoming Marvel movie information, not only for next year's Iron Man 2 but for The Avengers as well. Jon Favreau has been mentioned as a possible director for the superhero mash-up, but Favreau explained that nothing has been determined yet:

  My involvement has yet to be determined on that project. Remember, you have to take into account what Thor is and you don't know that until the film's locked. You're not going to know about Thor for two years, what that really means. And Captain America, they haven't even started prepping yet. So there's a lot of discovery that has to take place before you can understand what Avengers really is.

  Also in the Avengers mix would be Iron Man, and while Favreau sounds on the fence about the Avengers, he would have a hard time not directing an Iron Man-related movie:

  It's strange when you have to switch those hats, because I'm not used to that, and just going from directing and creating this world to just being Happy Hogan in The Avengers would be — I'm not going to lie — it would be strange. I'll be involved as an executive producer, but it's a lot different being a consultant on something [compared to] being the guy calling the shots.

  As for future Iron Man movies, Favreau feels that "if there was a third episode it should be The Avengers," though he also confirmed that Iron Man 3 is already in Marvel's plans:

  Here's how I know. When they make the option deals, they include Iron Man 3. So I know they're planning on three. Whether that would be before or after Avengers, they've announced that Avengers is next but they pushed back The Avengers once which I thought was encouraging.

  With Favreau busy, Marvel's President of Production Kevin Feige was telling Collider the Avengers line-up:

  It's going to be Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury. I think it's safe to assume that there will be some members of the Hulk universe in the film as well. In terms of the additional, I think Black Widow for sure. SHIELD's organization form sure. And, again, what's exciting to me about the Avengers movie are seeing those four characters together and interact with each other. Anywhere from the first issue of the Avengers to [Marvel's comic series] Civil War, the dynamic between Steve Rogers [Captain America] and Tony Stark [Iron Man] is awesome and fascinating. It brings out sides of the others that won't be brought out in their own franchises. Throwing Thor into the mix is a whole other thing and I think that will be cool. So to pile in another ten or fifteen...or frankly even four...I think will be too many.

  The Avengers opens May 4, 2012, with Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010), Thor (May 20, 2011) and First Avenger: Captain America (July 22, 2011) preceding it.

  
  

  Posted 07/27/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Kevin Feige | Iron Man | Iron Man | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man 3 | The Avengers | Thor | The Avengers | First Avenger: Captain America

• Sam Rockwell Says Iron Man 2 Is "Awesome"

  

  The stars were out at the San Diego Comic-Con to promote their movies and we were there to talk to the cast of Iron Man 2. In the sequel to Iron Man, Sam Rockwell plays Justin Hammer, Tony Stark's competitor and, ultimately, his nemesis. However, according to Rockwell, the role of Hammer was not so clearly defined when he initially took the role. Rockwell said:

  We sort of didn't know where (Justin) was going and we discovered that as we shot the film, which is also kind of exciting. It also takes the pressure off you, because you're like — you know, I got a speech a half-hour before we shot it. I got a speech at lunch time, so I had to learn that and figure that out and use little tricks, you know, but we got it. It's on film, it's on celluloid.

  Only minutes before the interview, Rockwell had been on stage in front of more than 6,000 fans for the Iron Man 2 panel. He was somewhat subdued during the panel and did not say very much. When asked if the crowds were intimidating, Rockwell said:

  It's a little intimidating, but seeing the trailer is really wild because we've been working on the film — we just wrapped about a week ago, so it felt like a smaller endeavor to us, and then to see that kind of filmmaking up there is pretty awesome, pretty impressive. So, I'm kind of like, "Wow, this is a big deal."

  Rockwell couldn't divulge too much about the plot, but he admitted that his character and Mickey Rourke's character, Whiplash, team up against Iron Man. He even called Hammer a "patron of evil." When asked about the process of developing the character of Justin Hammer, Rockwell said that it was not difficult, even though he was only given bits and pieces of the script to work with. He said:

  It's kind of like the way we worked on Charlie's Angels, with the exception that we had 17 writers for that and we only had one writer, which was Justin Theroux — thank God, you know — but it's a similar process and yet, because (director Jon Favreau) is an actor who comes from improv it's really actor-friendly, this process. So, it's very character-driven. We didn't get a full script until like a week before shooting. I would get little pieces here and there. But, I would have conversations about it and I would get the scenes and go to my acting coach — a guy named Terry Knickerbocker — and we would work on the material. Even though the material might change ... the homework I had done on it still pays off because it's still the same imaginary circumstances even though (something has) changed. So, it is possible to do preparation for a movie like this, but it's an unconventional way to work.

  Iron Man 2 also stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Don Cheadle as Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Jon Favreau returns as director.

  
  
  

  Iron Man 2 Update

  Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as War Machine.

  Posted 07/27/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Jon Favreau | Sam Rockwell | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man | Iron Man 2

Friday, July 17

• Iron Man 2 Will Feature a Cockatoo and Other Spoilers

  Entertainment Weekly's coverage of Iron Man 2 did more than just show Scarlett Johansson in her Black Widow costume. It also revealed a few spoilers about the upcoming sequel. WARNING: If you'd like your Iron Man 2 viewing to remain unspoiled, time to stop reading.

  Most superhero movie sequels are given the "double villain" treatment and Iron Man 2 is no different. However, this time villains Mickey Rourke as Whiplash and Sam Rockwell as weapons-manufacturing rival Justin Hammer won't be working alone. They'll be joined in their fight against Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) by ... a cockatoo? Rourke explains the need for his new right-hand, er, shoulder, man.

  I told [director Jon] Favreau, "I don't want to just play him as a one-dimensional p----." He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I'm making my suit.

  Johansson's Black Widow will be complicating matters, specifically for Stark's former assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). "The men want it to be, like, 'Ooh, the girls are fighting over Tony,' but it's not as standard as that," explains Paltrow. Downey Jr. agrees that there's a "a weird male catfight fantasy" to contend with between the two women, but this is the Iron Man franchise, as Downey is quick to point out.

  We're horny. Not, like, can't-bring-your-kids horny, but just ... horny.

  The replacement of Terrence Howard's Colonel Rhodes with Don Cheadle will also be addressed "in one exchange," says Cheadle. "We're not trying to fool people."

  Considering the pressure put on a sequel whose predecessor was as successful as Iron Man, there are likely plenty more suprises in store. No one is more aware of that, however, than Downey Jr.

  There are a lot more invisible eyes on us now. People are going to be more critical. That's their prerogative.... In a way, there's no way to win, except to win. Big.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010

  Posted 07/17/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Don Cheadle | Gwyneth Paltrow | Jon Favreau | Terrence Howard | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man | Iron Man 2

Wednesday, July 15

• Tons of New G-Force Clips

  The family comedy/adventure movie G-Force has assembled an impressive cast of voices for producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first 3-D movie. Nicolas Cage, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Sam Rockwell, and Tracey Morgan are amongst the voices talents behind the highly-trained, guinea pig spy force. A huge number of clips have just been released online. Watch one below or visit here to catch more clips and see interviews with the cast members.

  
  
  

  G-Force - Trailer

  Nicolas Cage Voices Speckles - Releasing July 24, 2009

  Posted 07/15/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jerry Bruckheimer | Jon Favreau | Nicolas Cage | Sam Rockwell | Penelope Cruz | Tracey Morgan | G-Force

Wednesday, July 1

• First Couples Retreat Trailer Online

  Couples Retreat, a new comedy written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, has its first trailer online. The movie stars Favreau and Vaughn, along with Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, and Kali Hawk, who, as the title suggests, are four couples that go to a exotic retreat to work on their marriages.

  Peter Billingsley, the little boy from A Christmas Story and a longtime friend of Vaughn and Favreau, directs. Watch the trailer below:

  
  
  Next Showing: Couples Retreat opens October 9, 2009

  Posted 07/01/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Faizon Love | Jason Bateman | Jon Favreau | Peter Billingsley | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Kristen Bell | Kali Hawk | Kristen Davis | Couples Retreat | A Christmas Story

Saturday, June 13

• Sam Rockwell Talks Moon and Iron Man 2

  Sam Rockwell is an actor known for taking interesting and challenging roles, such as game show host Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or the sex-addicted Victor in Choke, which likely prepared him to take on two difficult roles, that of astronaut Sam Bell in Moon, a movie that revolves entirely around Rockwell's solo performance, and rich industrialist Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, a role Rockwell accepted "on faith" when the script arrived only one week prior to shooting.

  With both movies, Rockwell is having a great time, in part due to the amount of improvising he gets to do, especially on Iron Man 2:

  It's not dissimilar to other studio movies, but the thing that's different about it is [director Jon Favreau] really likes to improvise. So we get to play more on this movie than you would on a lot of studio movies.

  Moon, with only Rockwell as the camera's focus, also had opportunities for improvisation:

  The first [take] that you'd shoot you'd have more room for improvisation. The second one you'd have to get it within the window of time — you had a space of time for your line. I could change the ad-libs as long as they fit the same amounts of beats. You could ad-lib but you had to be very clever about it, otherwise it wouldn't work.

  Still, acting alone is a challenge no matter how much freedom you have, as Rockwell discovered working on Moon:

  I had a body double, and he was a young actor who I would work with sometimes. And sometimes I would work with a tennis ball, and I would act with myself. It was pretty complicated. My sense of timing came in handy. Whether that be comic timing, or like dance or something. Timing was very instrumental in making it work.

  With Moon finished and released Friday in New York and L.A. before opening in other cities, Rockwell can now concentrate on Iron Man 2 and his fight scenes with Mickey Rourke:

  We don't punch each other physically, but we do punch each other in other ways — it's emotional.

  And this time, he won't have to do it alone.

  
  

  Posted 06/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Chuck Barris | Sam Rockwell | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 2 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | Choke | Moon

Wednesday, June 10

• Jon Favreau Talks Iron Man 2, First Look at Mickey Rourke as Whiplash

  USA Today has posted a new image of Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2 as the Russian villain Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash. They also spoke with director Jon Favreau about the character, who sports a suit similar to the one worn by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Favreau was willing to divulge a few details, but wanted to leave a few surprises for the audience:

  The technologies are definitely related. That's part of the core theme of the film ... [Vanko] has has constructed his own version of a suit ... We like to play into and against the expectations that people might have, so we mixed it up a bit.

  Whiplash's unique contributions to the suit include a pair of whips (of course).

  The article confirms that the image of Rourke is set at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Now that we've seen Rourke, we can't wait to hear him, as he's been brushing up on his Russian to lend his character some authenticity.

  
  

  Posted 06/10/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 2

Thursday, June 4

• Marvel Movies Get Their Title/Logos at Licensing Show

  

  Comic book movies are almost as popular as sparkly vampires these days. Exhibit A: The Marvel movie titles/logos AICN found at the licensing show in Las Vegas this week for Iron Man 2, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America, and The Avengers. Pretty, huh? Plus, this lays out the comics company's slate of superhero movies all the way through 2012 when the Avengers will assemble for their big screen debut.

  
  

  Posted 06/04/2009 by Jim

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers | Thor | First Avenger: Captain America

Thursday, May 7

• 2 More Iron Man 2 Pics

  Iron Man director Jon Favreau is keeping the hardcore comic book movie fans happy by leaking out media minutia in steady streams.

  Apart from his frantic tweeting, Favs released the first "official" photo last Friday. Now, less than a week later, two more have hit the web.

  The first is for major behind-the-scenes buffs -- an image of the famous donut shop featured in the film. But the second has broader appeal, showing Robert Downey Jr. in his shades and breastplate and apparently savoring his red-hot career.

  
  

  Posted 05/07/2009 by Jim

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man 2

Wednesday, May 6

• Marvel President Updates Progress on The Avengers and Thor

  Kevin Feige, President of Production at Marvel Studios, told Empire some updates regarding the adaptation of Thor and Avengers. First, he talked about Thor:

  We will probably be having cast announcements in the next month or so on Thor. We're looking to cast Loki and Odin soon, and the main female role. And we'll also hopefully have lockdown shortly, gearing towards the beginning of production, which will be early next year. So I think there will be a lot of announcements between now and then.

  Director Kenneth Branagh has already confirmed that shooting was to begin in January of next year. As for casting rumors, Josh Hartnett has been mentioned as the front-runner for Loki, and Natalie Portman the female lead, likely Thor's wife Sif. Looks like fans will know for sure sometime next month.

  Feige also updated Branagh's pre-production:

  Branagh's here, we're prepping, and he's put together some spectacular animatics already for our first action scene. We're digging into the second and third now, and we are just embarking on a rewrite of the draft.

  As for The Avengers:

  Zak Penn [X2: X-Men United and The Incredible Hulk writer] is already on board The Avengers [as screenwriter] and he's spending a lot of his time looking into what we're doing with Iron Man [2], Thor and Captain America, seeing how we're tying it all together. And he's beginning to outline the script now -- he'll be doing that over the summer.

  Feige offered no update as to whether Jon Favreau will direct The Avengers. Thor opens June 17, 2011, while The Avengers opens May 4, 2012.

  
  

  Posted 05/06/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Josh Hartnett | Kevin Feige | Natalie Portman | Zak Penn | Kenneth Branagh | Thor | The Avengers | First Avenger: Captain America | X2: X-Men United | Iron Man 2 | The Incredible Hulk

Friday, May 1

• First Official Iron Man 2 Image

  USA Today has the exclusive first official photo from Iron Man 2. It shows "out-of-the-closet" superhero Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, sitting at his high-tech workstation contemplating his next armored adventure.

  Is it just me, or does Robert Downey Jr. look a little like a wax mannequin from Madam Tussaud's?

  If you look closely, you can see four of his alter-egos in the blurry background. Mark I-IV are there, but unfortunately, no War Machine armor can be seen. More than likely, that suit will be kept under wraps as long as possible to build anticipation among the fanboys. But mark our words, the heavily armed armor will make its live-action debut in this movie. Otherwise, side-kick Don Cheadle will be naked part of the time!

  This super sequel to last summer's blockbuster is sure to be a huge hit, especially with director Jon Favreau's cutting edge connection to comic book movie fans. He's a hit on Twitter -- enthusiastically tweeting his daily experiences on the set.

  
  

  Posted 05/01/2009 by Jim

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man 2

Thursday, April 9

• First Day Filming Iron Man 2 Reveals... Garry Shandling?

  Director Jon Favreau has started shooting Iron Man 2 and we've got the first footage showing the actors making their way to and from the set. Admittedly, it's not much, but only exciting because it showcases many of the key characters. From this, we even learn that comedian Garry Shandling is in the movie!

  
  

  Posted 04/09/2009 by Jim

  Related: Don Cheadle | Gwyneth Paltrow | Jon Favreau | Scarlett Johansson | Sam Rockwell | Robert Downey Jr. | Mickey Rourke | Iron Man 2

Thursday, March 19

• Brett Ratner May Never Get a Comic Book Franchise

  X-Men: The Last Stand director Brett Ratner wants to keep working with comic book adaptations, but may never get his chance. Ratner told MTV:

  I was so upset when I left Superman [Bryan] Singer has his X-Men, [Christopher] Nolan has Batman -- there's nothing left. Hulk has been exploited already. There's nothing left for me.

  Ratner originally left the Superman adaptation because he could not find a suitable actor to play the Man of Steel. Ratner's Superman script, written by J.J. Abrams, "took place on Krypton for about half of the movie," and was "darker, because there was a civil war on Krypton," according to Ratner. He then turned to the highly criticized X-Men: The Last Stand, which Singer had ironically left to direct Superman Returns.

  Is there a franchise Ratner wouldn't have touched? Yes, Iron Man. "I wouldn't have been interested in Iron Man. I have a lot of respect for [Jon Favreau] because, to me, it was a B-character.... But look what he did."

  Ratner still has a chance for a comic book franchise, just not a traditional, super hero one. The director, hard at work possibly killing off another franchise with Beverly Hills Cop 4, is close to officially signing on to direct a Conan reboot.

  
  

  Posted 03/19/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Brett Ratner | Bryan Singer | Jon Favreau | Christopher Nolan | J.J. Abrams | Beverly Hills Cop IV | Iron Man | Superman Returns | X-Men: The Last Stand

Friday, March 13

• Jon Favreau May Direct The Avengers and Other Marvel News

  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 03/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Jon Favreau | Josh Hartnett | Stellan Skarsgard | Alexander Skarsgard | Samuel L. Jackson | Kenneth Branagh | Mickey Rourke | Fantastic Four | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | Iron Man 2 | Thor | The Avengers | Daredevil

Monday, February 23

• It's Official: No Emily Blunt in Iron Man 2

  

  At the Oscars last night, E! caught up with Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau, who said that Emily Blunt was officially out as Black Widow for Iron Man 2. According to The Playlist, Favreau told E! that Fox was indeed exercising their option on Blunt for Gulliver's Travels, and that she won't be available for Iron Man 2. Maybe now Eliza Dushku's campaign for the role is more than wishful thinking!

  Favreau also mentioned that while Mickey Rourke was not "officially cast," Favreau was still a big fan of Rourke. We have an idea of what may entice Rourke to sign on: a sum of money above $250,000.

  
  

  Posted 02/23/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Emily Blunt | Jon Favreau | Eliza Dushku | Iron Man 2

Wednesday, January 14

• No Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury?

  With a cameo at the end of Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson spread joy across the fanboy universe by appearing as Nick Fury, a character designed in his likelihood in the Ultimate line of Marvel comic books. Now, it appears that Jackson likely won't reprise his role as Nick Fury.

  "There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury," Jackson told the LA Times, "There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], 'We're not making that deal.'"

  Jackson, as Fury, could potentially appear in 3 of the upcoming Marvel movies: Iron Man 2, First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers. According to Jackson, he would have at least appeared in Iron Man 2. "I saw [Iron Man 2 director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, 'I hope things are working out for you because we're writing stuff for you.' Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren't really working that well."

  While Marvel will only offer that they are in "active negotiations," but Jackson is not sold. "Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it."

  But who else could play a role fashioned after Jackson himself? Maybe it's time to call David Hasselhoff, who already played Fury in a 1998 TV movie written by Unborn director and Batman writer David S. Goyer.

  
  

  Posted 01/14/2009 by Ryan

  Related: David Hasselhoff | Jon Favreau | Samuel L. Jackson | David S. Goyer | First Avenger: Captain America | Iron Man | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers

Thursday, December 18

• Robbins Rumored to Play Tony Stark's Old Man in Iron Man 2

  The Latino Review is reporting that the role of Howard Stark, founder of Stark Industries and father of Tony (a.k.a. Iron Man), may be taken over by Shawshank actor Tim Robbins.

  If this casting rumor is true, director Jon Favreau's decision to dump Gerard Sanders, who appeared in the part for the first movie, will be because of an enhanced role and important story arc which may introduce The Avengers and Captain America in particular.

  This means that the elder Stark (and Robbins) will play a big part in Marvel's multiple comic book movies, and will probably involve Stark's company in the WWII Super Soldier experiment that created Captain America. Such set-up in Iron Man 2 will most certainly follow through in the two other Marvel movies -- already in pre-production.

  Also mentioned as possible players in Iron Man 2 are two other Avengers: Black Widow and Hawkeye.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man 2 set to open May 7, 2010

  Posted 12/18/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Tim Robbins | Iron Man 2

Wednesday, October 29

• Favreau Sees Bits of James Cameron's Avatar

  Iron Man director Jon Favreau has seen parts of James Cameron's highly anticipated Avatar and tells Ain't It Cool News:

  ...he's really pushing the boundaries on motion capture, he's integrating live action with motion capture and CGI. It takes a painstaking and technical approach to that. And he really wants to make it a very visceral, emotional experience and he's ... he's a bit of a P.T. Barnum in the sense that he likes to put on a big show.

  
  

  Read the full AICN interview.

  
  
  Next Showing: Avatar slated for release December 2009

  Posted 10/29/2008 by reelz

  Related: James Cameron | Jon Favreau | Avatar

Tuesday, October 28

• Downey Jr. Signs on for Iron Man 3, Avengers

  Robert Downey Jr. seems to like the whole superhero thing. And he better, because after signing today's extension with Marvel, the actor will be sporting the red and yellow metal for some years to come.

  According to Variety, Downey Jr. has extended his pact with Marvel to four movies. In addition to the Iron Man 2 and 3, Downey's Tony Stark will also appear in Avengers, although no mention is made of possible crossover appearances in the planned Captain America and Thor pics.

  Another interesting side note from the story is that newly crowned War Machine, Don Cheadle, is also signed on to portray Rhodey in the Avengers movie.

  Source: Variety

  
  

  Posted 10/28/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man 3 | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man

Wednesday, October 15

• Faizon Gets No Love in Favreau's Couples Retreat

  Rising stars Kristen Bell and Malin Akerman have joined Sex and the City's Kristin Davis as the female leads in the romantic comedy Couples Retreat. The script is from Jon Favreau, who somehow found the time to pen a screenplay while working 20-hour days on the Iron Man set. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Couples Retreat's story revolves around "four couples who go to a tropical island resort, with one couple working on their marriage and the others sucked into the resort's couples therapy." One can only hope that a series of grisly murders ensues. Now that would be funny.

  Playing the male leads in Couples Retreat will be Favreau, Vince Vaughn (shocking!), Jason Bateman, and Faizon Love. THR says that "Bell is playing Bateman's wife, Davis plays Favreau's wife, and Akerman plays Vaughn's." Which begs the only slightly ironic question: Where's the love for Faizon?

  Handling the directorial duties is A Christmas Story's Peter Billingsley.

  
  

  Posted 10/15/2008 by reelz

  Related: Faizon Love | Jason Bateman | Jon Favreau | Vince Vaughn | Malin Akerman | Kristin Davis | Kristen Bell | Couples Retreat

• Cheadle Replaces Howard in Iron Man 2

  In a surprising turn of events for the Iron Man franchise, Terrence Howard has reportedly been replaced by Don Cheadle as Rhodey/War Machine in Iron Man 2.
  

  According to the generally reliable gossip site Defamer, Howard's deal fell through because the actor wanted more money than the studio was willing to pay. Defamer also claims that Howard was stipulating that his single with Seal and Heidi Klum become the sequel's "love theme."

  We may never know what happened for sure, but either way, Howard's role as Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes has come to an end after one pic and it will be Cheadle who gets to step into the hotly-anticipated War Machine costume.

  We'll bring you more on this new Iron Man 2 casting news as we hear it.

  
  

  Posted 10/15/2008 by reelz

  Related: Don Cheadle | Jon Favreau | Terrence Howard | Iron Man 2

Friday, July 25

• Feige Indicates Favreau Back for Iron Man 2

  

  ReelzChannel is live on the Comic-Con scene today for the Marvel Your Universe panel with president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, president of publishing, Joe Quesada and Craig Kyle, VP of creative development for Marvel Animation.

  A fan asked about the recent rumors of contract disputes between Iron Man director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios over Iron Man 2 and whether they have worked that out so that he can return to direct the second film. Feige smiled and asked the crowd if they wanted to see Favreau direct Iron Man 2. The response was an eruption of "yes" cheers. Feige grinned ear-to-ear, saying that an announcement would be coming very shortly. Although official confirmation wasn't made, it appeared clear that Favreau would soon be announced as director of Iron Man 2.

  In other Marvel news, the Avengers Movie will officially have all five key characters and "you probably will see them all pop up together," says Feige coyly.

  More on Marvel's happenings at Comic-Con as we hear it.

  
  

  Posted 07/25/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Kevin Feige | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man | The Avengers

Wednesday, July 16

• Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Scribe to Pen Iron Man 2

  After settling their differences with Iron Man director Jon Favreau, Marvel is moving full speed ahead with Iron Man 2. Variety reports that Justin Theroux has been tabbed to write the screenplay for the much anticipated sequel to this summer's highest grossing flick (an achievement soon to be eclipsed by The Dark Knight). Theroux's previous credits include Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (yikes!) and Ben Stiller's upcoming comedy Tropic Thunder.

  Before fanboys start panicking over Theroux's lack of David Goyer-esque credentials, it should be pointed out that the first Iron Man enlisted an army of writers to pen multiple drafts, only to be re-written on-set each day by director Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. -- both of whom are returning for the sequel.

  
  

  Posted 07/16/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Justin Theroux | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man

Thursday, June 12

• Jon Favreau Battles Marvel over Iron Man 2

  The internets are awash with reports that Iron Man director Jon Favreau has threatened to opt out of Iron Man 2 unless he gets a hefty pay raise for the sequel. Depending on which story you believe, the bosses at Marvel Studios are either trying to make Favreau work for pennies, or Favreau is demanding compensation somewhere in the realm of Bolivia and two Caribbean islands to be named later.

  The spat started on Tuesday when Favreau reported on his Myspace forum that he hadn't heard from Marvel in weeks, adding that he wasn't too keen on Iron Man 2's rather ambitious release date of April 30, 2010. Then IESB poured gasoline on the nascent blaze, citing sources within Marvel that claimed the studio execs were simply "being cheap" in their negotiations with the director. Yesterday, Marvel fired back via DeadlineHollywoodDaily, claiming that Favreau was indeed offered significant salary bump for an Iron Man sequel.

  Look for the posturing to continue. The stakes are high in this battle, considering that Iron Man has earned upwards of half a billion dollars worldwide to date. We're not expecting the two sides to join hands and sing Kumbaya anytime soon.

  
  

  Posted 06/12/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man 2 | Iron Man

Tuesday, April 29

• Early Review of Iron Man!

  Iron Man hits screens this Friday and we've got the full Iron Man review ready for you today!

  Rest assured the review is spoiler-free so don't be afraid. You know you want to know... Does Robert Downey Jr. do Tony Stark justice? Is Jon Favreau now an action director? How is "The Dude" as a bald baddie? And of course, most importantly, is it any good? Click on our Iron Man review for all the answers!

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man opens nationwide May 2nd, 2008.

  Posted 04/29/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man

Wednesday, February 27

• Jon Favreau talks Iron Man

  ReelzChannel caught up with Jon Favreau at Wondercon in San Francisco. 

  Amongst other things, the director of the upcoming blockbuster, Iron Man, talked about the importance of post-production to get the CGI, suit, and action sequences just right on a fanboy flick such as this one. The video also reveals that a new Iron Man trailer will debut during Lost this Thursday! 

  Check out the full Favreau Iron Man Talk Below. 
  
  
  

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man hits theaters May 2, 2008.
  

  Iron Man at CES

  Director Favreau dishes on Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.

  Posted 02/27/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man

Friday, February 22

• Iron Man Likes Super Sunday

  Hitwise reports that this summer's highly anticipated Iron Man made a big splash from Super Bowl XLII advertisements on February 3, 2008. The website, ironmanmovie.com, jumped up 800 percent in market share of visits on Super Sunday.

  The Iron Man Trailer has been met with extremely positive reaction catipulting the flick, which features Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark, into one of most anticipated releases of 2008.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  First Trailer For Iron Man!

  Tony Stark Comes to Life - May 2, 2008.

  Posted 02/22/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man

Monday, January 28

• Favreau impressed by the creative freedom he enjoyed on Iron Man

  On hand at Santa Monica's Casa Del Mar on Saturday to help promote Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show, in which he enjoys a brief cameo alongside his Swingers buddy, Iron Man director Jon Favreau talked briefly about his eagerly anticipated comic book flick.

  Having recently locked picture, Favreau is now ensconced in the editing room, racing to have the CGI-heavy flick ready in time for its May 2nd release date. So far, he likes what he sees:

  "The stuff between Robert (Downey Jr.) and Gwyneth (Paltrow) and Jeff Bridges is really great," he raved. "There was so much freedom in storytelling, because they always knew that it was going to be about Iron Man and the flying and I never got pressure on the scenes. And so I had a tremendous amount of freedom to tell a story in a tone that I'm very comfortable with. So in a way, it was really the most creative freedom I can remember having on anything. And it works."

  
  
  Next Showing: Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show opens Feb. 8th

  Posted 01/28/2008 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man | Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights, Hollywood to the Heartland

Wednesday, September 5

• Iron Man Trailer September 10th!

  For those who made it into the Marvel or Paramount presentations at Comic-Con, it has been hard to contain the excitement we all felt viewing the Iron Man footage for the first (second and third) times. Yes, it's that cool!

  Now, the rest of the world will finally get to witness the awesomeness that is Jon Favreau's Iron Man when the teaser trailer is unveiled on MTV on September 10th.

  Favreau announced on Myspace today that the teaser trailer will be unveiled at the break leading into The Hills on MTV September 10th. The High-Def teaser then hits the net the next day on Apple.com/trailers. The trailer will also hit a variety of Viacom-owned channels on the 10th and 11th as well.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man hits screens summer 2008.
  

  Reelz Clip

  The cast of Iron Man talks to Naibe Reynoso.

  Posted 09/05/2007 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man

Saturday, July 28

• Downey Jr. game for an Avengers flick

  On the heels of Robert Downey Jr.'s appearance at Comic-Con, I asked the Iron Man star if he'd be interested in a possible Avengers movie.

  "Oh yeah," he joked. "I'd probably be the best deal on the lot."

  Indeed, bringing Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of the Avengers crew together would be an expensive proposition -- and quite logistical challenge, too.

  Marvel exec Kevin Feige didn't seem too worried when I asked him about the difficulty of assembling the Avengers. "Truth is, if we can do an X-Men film with 15-20 big name actors and get them all scheduled, you can do (Avengers)," said Feige. "It can be done."

  Yesterday director Jon Favreau became the runaway hit of Comic-Con when he debuted some dazzling footage from Iron Man.

  
  
  Next Showing: Iron Man opens May 2, 2008

  Posted 07/28/2007 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man

Wednesday, May 2

• Iron Man = Power Ranger?

  Entertainment Weekly just posted their exclusive first pic of the suit from Iron Man, and for some reason the first thought that occurred to me was of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

  Don't get me wrong -- the suit looks great, and so far Iron Man fans have every reason to believe the movie is in good hands with director Jon Favreau -- I just think it kinda looks like a Power Ranger. And maybe a little like Robocop.

  
  

  Posted 05/02/2007 by reelz

  Related: Jon Favreau | Iron Man