Ed Norton Says He Wrote 'Incredible Hulk' Screenplay
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, ComicCon
If you just casually glanced through Kevin Kelly's superlative coverage of the San Diego Comic Con Marvel event, then you may have overlooked a tidbit from Edward Norton that will have the Incredible Hulk producers wringing their hands while screenwriter Zak Penn politely asks the Writers Guild for a friendly arbitration. What was it that Mr. Norton said?"Well, you're making me be immodest ... I came into this and I wrote the screenplay. I was a Marvel kid growing up, and I used to subscribe to a lot of the books. Remember when they used to come in plastic with the little piece of scotch tape on the back? This story has almost limitless potential in it to be remade and redone. It's a really classic modern mythology."
Hmm. Now, I know full well that Mr. Norton is a multi-talented guy. In addition to being Oscar-nominated two times in three years (for Primal Fear and American History X), he's been consistently strong in The People vs. Larry Flynt, Rounders, Fight Club, 25th Hour, The Italian Job, The Illusionist, etc. He directed the romantic comedy Keeping the Faith, and his second directorial effort (Motherless Brooklyn) will mark his "official" screenwriting debut. He also produced The Painted Veil, edited Down in the Valley, contributed an amusing cameo to Kingdom of Heaven, and recorded music for Everyone Says I Love You ... and, um, Death to Smoochy.
But I thought Zak Penn was the one who wrote the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk. Penn, the comics expert who is credited on X-Men 2, (ahem) Elektra, X-Men 3, AND the Fantastic Four video game! (How does one receive credit for the game but not the movie??) Could it be that Mr. Norton signed on for the role of Bruce Banner under the arrangement that he could script-fiddle? Heck, maybe Mr. Penn knows all about it, couldn't care less, and is already knee-deep on his Spy Hunter and Avengers projects.
I just found it interesting is all. All I know is that if Norton's writing contributions make for a more entertaining flick, go for it. As I've mentioned only 455 times by now, The Hulk is definitely my favorite Marvel character. And frankly I'm pretty thrilled with the way the new flick is coming together.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-30-2007 @ 4:42PM
Cath said...
I think Norton is one of our most gifted actors, but "remember when comics came in plastic with the tape on back"? Is he saying he only ever purchased back issues preserved in mylar?
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7-30-2007 @ 5:12PM
ChainsawFilms said...
I think Norton contributes to the writing in a lot of the films he appears in. Off the top of my head I cant recall, but he's said as such before.
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7-30-2007 @ 6:27PM
BigTed said...
"Okay, in scene 3, I don't really think I would say, 'Me angry! Hulk smash!' I'm gonna change that to 'Hulk angry! Me smash!' It sounds more 'real,' y'know? Man, I love being a screenwriter."
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7-30-2007 @ 7:18PM
Green with Anger! said...
Cath that bugged me too.
His quote "Remember when they used to come in plastic with the little piece of scotch tape on the back?" makes it sound like the early 90s when comic collectors started putting their comics in those mylar bags to preserve them (could have started earlier but thats as far back as I remember people using those bags). I don't think Marvel ever sold comics that came in plastic bags sealed with scotch tape.
To me that right there is whats wrong with film adaptations of comic books. People that know little or nothing about the original comic books getting a job to write the screen play for them. WTF hollywood - get some real comic book nerds to write these films or at least hire them to double check the facts and give them some credibility. blah
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7-30-2007 @ 10:22PM
AL said...
One of the producers of "Frida" (a Wellesley alum, I believe) came to Wellesley back in 2002 and said that Salma Hayek's movie was basically dead for awhile, until then-boyfriend Edward Norton "rescued" it, giving money, a cameo, and a script rewrite to Julie Taymor and Salma Hayek's otherwise doomed movie.
I found this interesting at the time because Hayek had gone on Oprah and had listened to Oprah go on and on about how Hayek had "made" this movie, and Norton's contribution was never mentioned. I always wondered what the real story behind "Frida" was, but reading this, I wasn't surprised to hear Norton claim writing credit, at least. :-)
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7-31-2007 @ 2:08PM
MarcDom7 said...
If by "contributed an amusing cameo" in Kingdom of Heaven you mean a major character in the film, then yes.
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7-31-2007 @ 9:43PM
Thad Garrison said...
Wasn't there a big dust-up between Norton and the director of American History X over Norton taking credit for the screenplay and bullying changes in editing? Norton strikes me as an egomaniac.
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8-01-2007 @ 1:47AM
B9000 said...
Bravo to Mr. Norton- I hope he did a veritable ****load of rewriting!
As both an old comic book fan and a one time film student, I think what's wrong with these cookie-cutter comic book movies is that these so-called comic book expert screen-writers like Zak Penn and David Goyer are all over them- and will continue to be it seems for the near future, judging by announcements I've seen.
They all taste the same after awhile. (Proof- Why did both Spidey 3 and the FF2 practically fall off the cliff in their second weeks of release? )
Just another example of the dearth of creativity in Hollywood today. It's like Barton Fink having to write "wrestling pictures."
Please, anyone! Anyone but these guys!!!
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8-01-2007 @ 5:19AM
Uatu theWatcher said...
If you want to see the Iron Man Comic Con video check it out here.
http://www.makeminemarvel.com/2007/07/iron-man-comic-con-footage.html
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8-02-2007 @ 11:24AM
Robert said...
Norton said in an Onion AV Club interview earlier this year that he wrote "Frida," as mentioned above:
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/57162/2
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