A new trailer for The Incredible Hulkhas just arrived online, and I'm definitely diggin' it. This is the trailer currently playing before Speed Racer, and, is it just me, or is that a little tease of the classic TV show's music there at the end. Have we heard any of that yet? Maybe I missed it in another trailer, but I first noticed it just now -- and, man, did it take me back.* This new preview gives us a whole lotta Hulk and no Abomination -- just Hulk running and smashing things, like those two cars he's holding up at the end. (Does insurance cover a monster destroying your automobile?) The Incredible Hulk stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Tim Blake Nelson. The film marks Marvel's second self-financed flick, following the very successful Iron Man, and it was directed by Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, The Transporter 2). So now that you've gotten a good look at three trailers and tons of images from the film, whaddya think? Worth a shot? As good or better than Iron Man? Check our our pretty massive Incredible Hulk gallery, and sound off below ...
*The music is also featured at the end of the second trailer; thanks to Peter for pointing that out.
When Marvel officially announced the release date for Thor last week (June 4, 2010), news quickly followed that Matthew Vaughn was no longer directing, a script was being fine-tuned and Marvel was in search of an actor to fill Thor's mighty shoes. Seeing as he's blonde, a very popular actor and has starred in films like Troy, the first name to pop into the minds of fanboys (and girls) everywhere was Brad Pitt. And whaddya know: Latino Review is saying this week that Pitt is at the top of Marvel's wishlist. Who woulda thunk it?
On paper, this does seem like a logical -- and realistic -- choice. Pitt is at a similar point in his career as Robert Downey Jr., Edward Norton and even Johnny Depp (who surprised fans by starring in three Pirates of the Caribbean films for Disney). If there ever was a right time for Pitt to take a leap and "do one for his kids," Thor would be that project -- especially since his gal Angelina has already starred in two Tomb Raider flicks. But then the guy would have to sign for at least three films (most likely), not to mention the fact that he'd need to be in phenomenal shape. Plus, perhaps Troy was Pitt's Thor, and maybe he's tired of all those giant blockbusters; maybe he'd rather do some smaller stuff.
However, then you look around Hollywood and, honestly, who else could play the Marvel superhero? Taking into consideration the move by Marvel to hire bigger names for their films, is there anyone else who could muscle-up and play Thor? Or is Pitt the only name that could truly bring this project to the next level?
It's here, in glorious Quicktime, and not a moment too soon for a June movie. Head over to Apple to watch it. This trailer is a vast improvement on the first, shades of the television show abounding everywhere. And this is definitely going to be much more action packed than Ang Lee's version. Erik Davis was right on the money in his NYCC report -- read his take on the trailer here.
I can't help but feel it was too long though -- between the two trailers, I feel like I've seen the whole movie, barring 18 minutes of that purported 20 minute fight between Abomination and Hulk. The encounter (pictured above) between Tim Roth and the Hulk is absolutely priceless, though. I won't say what it is and spoil it -- but I can't say I haven't wanted to do the same to a few of Roth's nastier characters.
The picture above takes place toward the very end of the scene they showed us yesterday at New York Comic Con, and it comes toward the end of a battle between armed forces and the Hulk. This scene is also predominantly featured in the new trailer which will play before Iron Man in about two weeks. Essentially, the military have Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) on the run. They chase him into this glass tunnel, lock both entrances on either side and launch two smoke-type bombs into the area. Outside, jeeps and a slew of troops gather awaiting Banner's transformation. They want this monster and they want him bad.
Suddenly, as the smoke builds up, we see Banner press his hands against the glass -- his eyes go green, his face fighting the beast within. Smoke fills the screen; it's quiet. Everyone waits. Then ... BOOM! -- the Hulk crashes out of the glass onto this huge field, running for his life. Several jeeps give chase, guns firing from every corner of the screen -- bullets ripping into Hulk's skin; he bumps one jeep and the vehicle rolls over. He gets to another one, picks it up and proceeds to smash it until the thing is in a million pieces. Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who at this point has been given a few injections of that super serum, heads out to where Hulk is. Hulk tries to beat down Blonsky, but the latter has an extra bounce in his step. For some reason, he's not like the others -- he can move pretty fast. After a brief cat and mouse, the two approach each other (seen above). Blonsky says, "Is that all you got?" Hulk looks down, winds his leg back and goes to deliver a giant kick to Blonsky's stomach ... and we ... cut to black.
Davis has just reported in from The Incredible Hulk panel, where the new trailer played to a pretty impressed audience. Davis says it "looks awesome" and will be writing a detailed description of it later tonight. The rest of us will have to wait until it premieres in front of Iron Man.
Lou Ferrigno and Tim Roth were both in attendance -- and Ferrigno claimed he was the voice of the new big-screen Hulk, but it wasn't clear if he was joking or not. If that's true, the television homage has stopped being a homage -- it's a remake! But hey, you won't hear us complaining, the TV show was pretty awesome. On Ferrigno's part, it's said to be an actual part, not a cameo and it's "funny."
The panel audience got a special treat that we in theatres (most likely) won't -- after the trailer, they showed the much-discussed cameo that Tony Stark makes in Hulk. Stark is sitting with General 'Thunderbolt' Ross in a bar -- and Ross is completely drunk. Stark says "I hear you've got an unusual problem." "You should talk," replies Ross. Stark then shoots back, all smooth: "You should listen."
Additionally, Empire has two new stills from Hulk out -- one is posted above to provide a fresh illustration to some fun news. I hope they don't get mad at me for using it. Hey, buy the special Hulk issue when it hits stands! 3-D cover.
UPDATE: Erik here -- new Dark Knight trailer just premiered to a thunderous applause. The trailer will be available "in about two weeks" and from what I gather it will come via the viral marketing campaign (we were told to hunt it down from here). Trailer looks great -- lots of Joker dialogue, lot more of Harvey Dent and a possible prelim glimpse at Dent's transformation into Two Face -- though we do not see Two Face in the trailer. Dent does have one awesome line in the trailer; he says, "You either die a hero or you live long enough to become the villain." Once again, we were told everyone will see the trailer in about two weeks from now. The Dark Knight arrives in theaters on July 18.
For the past several months, folks have been questioning The Incredible Hulk and whether Edward Norton's extremely "hands on" involvement hurt or helped the finished product. It took a very long time for any images from the film to hit, and even longer for an initial trailer. Some have claimed that part of the hold-up had to do with a dispute between Norton, director John Louis Leterrier and Marvel -- with the latter wanting a more commercial cut of the film and the former, according to Entertainment Weekly, wanting a "more meditative cut of the film that ran about two hours and 15 minutes." From what I've heard, Norton is notoriously hard to work with -- so much so that everyone around him must refer to the guy as Edward, not Ed or Nort or Dude from Fight Club. I imagine folks just go along with it so they don't have to see him angry. In case you didn't know, you don't want to see Edward Norton when he's angry.
After trying for more than a month to interview the guy, EW has just published a 257-word statement (approved in advance by Universal and Marvel) from Norton. In it, he briefly addresses some of these accusations in saying, "Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other's opinions is the heart of filmmaking. Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a 'dispute,' seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen.''
I'm sure we won't hear the real story until well after the film is out in theaters (if there even is a real story), but we'd like you to chime in here: Should this sort of off-screen dispute worry fans of the film? And would you rather see a more commercial or meditative cut of The Incredible Hulk (which, mind you, hits theaters on June 13)?
Check out Norton's full statement to EW after the jump ...
UPDATE: Cinematical was contacted by Penn's rep a little while ago, and informed that Zak is NOT writing Captain America. The wording in the interview made it sound that way (and the transcript was correct), but Penn was actually talking about being attached to The Avengers, not Captain America. Obviously this probably means David Self's script is still in the mix, and we'll update you when there's more info.
In a new interview over at ComicMix, writer-director Zak Penn talked up a ton of projects including his latest film The Grand (which I loved, and which you should see), as well as his geeky comic-related screenwriting projects like The Avengers, that X-Men spinoff flick (featuring the young X-Men), The Incredible Hulk, a new one called Bermuda Triangle and, finally ... Captain America? Oh yes, though he doesn't go into much detail (aside from saying he's attached), apparently Zak Penn is now the guy writing Captain America. (Not sure what happened to David Self?) And assuming Edward Norton doesn't sign on to star, Penn's final script may actually make it before cameras this time.
As far as The Avengers goes, Penn admits they're waiting for other Marvel characters to debut their solo films first, like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and they may even wait for Captain America as well. So with all those films still left to go before cameras, I'd get used to waiting ... patiently. Penn also talked up the X-Men spinoff story he's still attached to write and also direct; he says it involves "a younger group of X-Men at the beginning" and that "it's a little bit more of getting back to the classic X-Men." No word on when that will see the light of day.
It's good to see Penn is writing Captain America, because if he's the guy penning that Avenges movie, you'd like to see him involved in as many of these as possible. Of course, I'd like to hope he'll find time to stuff in another tiny mock like The Grand, if only to see which ridiculous character he has Werner Herzog play this time.
The first official poster for this summer'sThe Incredible Hulk has just arrived over at IGN (head over there for a larger version). As you can see from the image above, the Hulk is trying to capture Edward Norton using the muscles in his back. Personally, this is exactly what I imagined the poster to look like -- some sort of combo between the green monster and Bruce Banner, with a bunch of helicopters and tanks shooting in the background. I expect a few character posters (one with the Hulk, one with Abomination, etc) to follow in the coming weeks.
Despite its solid cast, The Incredible Hulk has enjoyed (or maybe not) its share of controversy since word of the film first hit the net. An obvious re-do (following Ang Lee's not-so-successful effort a few years back), rumors have spread about Norton's control-freak mentality; how Zak Penn was quietly replaced as writer and how studio folks have clashed with Norton over the final product. Me? I still think it looks pretty cool -- and dammit if Tim Roth doesn't rock out as the villain in this movie!
What do you think? Does The Incredible Hulk have the, er, strength to compete with this summer's other big whales?
From National CineMedia comes this brand new in-theater promotional video for this summer's The Incredible Hulk. The clip above is sort of a behind-the-scenes look at what inspired the film (featuring interviews with producer Kevin Feige and director Louis Leterrier), as well as clips from a few scenes we haven't yet seen. Granted, a majority of what they show was already released in that first trailer, but there's definitely some new stuff thrown in.
Most of the people I've run into as of late are iffy on this film, but only because of the smaller marketing push. Personally, I really want to love it. In their last podcast, James and Scott spoke about Iron Man and the amazing cast that comes with that comic book flick. Well, Incredible Hulk isn't much different. You have Edward Norton, Tim Roth (who, honestly, will probably make a sick villain), William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Liv Tyler ... and, heck, Robert Downey Jr. will also make an appearance as Tony Stark. I dunno, it's hard for me to NOT anticipate this film with that cast. I really hope it rocks.
The Incredible Hulk arrives in theaters on June 13.
Over on Spoutblog, Cinematicalite and Spoutster Christopher Campbell has a couple of entertaining posts up detailing the five best and worst directorial sellouts of all time. From Francis Ford Coppolla's The Godfather and The Godfather 2 (Best) to Alien Resurrection (Worst), Campbell breaks down the whys and wherefores of his thoughts on these directorial missteps. Go take a look at what he has to say about the worst of the best and the best of the worst, and then let us know what you agree with -- or don't.
As a coda to these best and worst directorial sellouts lists, it would be interesting to see Christopher do the obvious follow-up -- the best and worst sellouts by otherwise respectable actors and actresses.
He might be struggling with Marvel over the edits to The Incredible Hulk, but going green isn't the only thing on Edward Norton's mind. Variety reports that he, along with his Class 5 Films, are planning to "shop a feature documentary about the historic presidential campaign mounted by Sen. Barack Obama" to get released in 2009.
The untitled picture is being directed by Amy Rice and Alicia Sams, who started shooting footage before Obama even declared his candidacy. That's some political faith! Norton says that this isn't about glorifying the subject, even though he and other involved parties are Obama supporters, but rather this came out of a discussion after a speech the man made in 2004.
"We were all so struck by Barack's speech and talked about how exciting it was to see someone from our generation, not our parents', make his presence felt in such an inspiring way. It was akin to the way I remembered my dad describing how he felt when Kennedy gave his inauguration speech." The speech led them to the project, before any of them were Obama supporters. I can see why. If the man makes it to the top, and they're there, it'll be one huge chunk of history that they've captured.
Rice and Sams will follow Obama along the entire run of his campaign for the White House, so a timetable is far from finalized.
I miss the days when the Incredible Hulk used to evoke only images of green-muscled mayhem and comic goodness. Since Ang Lee's take on the film, the name is met with as much apprehension as it is fan praise. Of course, we're getting a re-do soon courtesy of Edward Norton, The Incredible Hulk, but so far, the production has not quashed fan fears, and it looks like it might succumb to them.
We're finally getting the trailer debut on Wednesday night, 9:56 p.m. on all MTV channels, VH1, and Spike. The trailer's super-late release hasn't helped get fans pumped, and if Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily is right, that's not the only reason to be apprehensive. Her sources say that Norton and Marvel are fighting over how to cut the film. "Insiders say Norton was 'promised tremendous involvement and access'" into the feature, and now there is "a lot of posturing going on between Edward's camp and Marvel over how you edit the final version." They go on to say that the camps are meeting to try and come up with an "amicable resolution."
Some are saying that Norton is being his difficult self. Others say that Marvel won't listen to him. Whatever the case, this could definitely hurt the film -- will the best cut reach our apprehensive eyes? If Norton isn't happy, will he promote the film? And if he doesn't, what will that mean for the expensive, action-packed picture?
Universal has to be really hoping The Incredible Hulkis better received than 2003's Hulk, because according to Edward Norton, the 2008 comic book adaptation is expected to be the first of many. The actor talked exclusively with Total Film magazine and had this to say: "To me the whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. It's definitely intended as chapter one." (Quote retrieved from Ace Showbiz.) You may recall that Norton himself wrote the final draft of the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk, so he would know what was "left out." He could also be hinting that he means to write the sequels as well. But what happens if this version of the Marvel comic is not successful? Will it feel incomplete if it ultimately exists as a dead end?
It is hard to imagine just how much better The Incredible Hulk will be than Ang Lee's film, which really only failed because of a badly rendered Hulk and a truly awful climax. The title character will still be computer animated and the story could still have a disappointing denouement (we've never really witnessed Norton's writing skill before), and it's not unfair to say that Louis Leterrier is not quite as talented a director as Lee. Norton seems quite confident that he's going to deliver something possibly comparable to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in quality and tone, but it's easy for comic book geeks to be skeptical. Only 3% of Cinematical readers expect The Incredible Hulk to be the best comic book film of 2008. While that's not surprising since we've also got The Dark Knightand Iron Manto look forward to this summer, it still makes me wonder how many moviegoers expect The Incredible Hulk to be any good at all. So, I ask you:
I've been following the news about the upcoming Iron Man with great trepidation; I never read the comic as a kid, and as an adult I've become wary about any superhero movie where you can't see the character's face. (Might as well make it animated.) The casting of Robert Downey Jr. has me intrigued, though, as does the idea of Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in the new version of The Incredible Hulkthat's also due out this summer.
Comic book fans know that Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk joined forces as part of the Avengers starting way back in the day (i.e. the early 60s) and, with both movie versions rolling at the same time, rumors have been rife about a possible crossover of characters between the two. Erik Davis wrote recently: "It's obvious Marvel is hella serious about an eventual Avengers flick, and if all these rumors are true (including Sam Jackson in Iron Man as Nick Fury), then Marvel is definitely going about things the right way."
Now it appears that at least one of those rumors has been confirmed. William Hurt, who plays General Thaddeus Ross in Hulk, told MTV News on Friday that he has a scene with Downey as Iron Man. Hurt described the scene as "funky," though he couldn't -- or wouldn't -- say anything more about it. He insists that the new Hulk is "stylistically, a completely different film [from Ang Lee's 2003 version]. They just don't relate." Iron Man smashes into theaters on May 2, courtesy of Paramount; The Incredible Hulk stomps onto screens on June 13, via Universal.
Here's a strange twist to the writer's strike, and a postponement excuse we haven't heard before: New Line has pushed back Inkheartfrom March 2008 to January 2009 because of what the strike is doing to the television industry. Huh? According to Variety, the studio figures that without first-run programs on TV, it can't reach enough viewers through commercials, which is apparently the only way to market a movie these days.
OK, I kind of get it, but I hardly everwatch TV, and I've seen about 1,000 TV ads for Cloverfieldthis week, so there has to be a way to reach an audience by the original release date of March 18. They could have bought some time during the Super Bowl or the Oscars or, since its a family fantasy, any children's program. Seriously, kids don't care if their show is in repeats or not. I'm not going to go the usual route and accuse Inkheart of having production troubles. Judging by the trailer and Erik's visit to the film's set last year, the movie looks and sounds like it's a lot of fun, and anyway, it's reportedly all finished and ready to deliver to theaters. But since the TV marketing excuse seems odd, I'll assume that New Line is simply trying to figure out how to market a movie that could be accepted as just another fantasy movie and go mostly ignored by the same public that didn't go to see The Golden Compassor The Seeker: The Dark is Rising.
In other release date news, New Line has also pushed back Pride and Glory, which stars Edward Norton and Colin Farrell (which I remember them filming in Brooklyn back in Summer 2005), from March 14 to sometime in 2009, though the reasoning behind this one may have had more to do with Norton and Farrell having other new releases coming out soon, than it had to do with the writer's strike effect on TV ads. Meanwhile, Universal has moved up its Judd Apatow-produced comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall so that it doesn't have to go up against Sex in the City (which New Line will have no problem advertising on television) and Starship Dave(which I can't imagine really being a threat to anyone). Forgetting Sarah Marshall will now bow on April 18, which should perfectly fit in with some college kids' spring break. The same studio also pushed back its Baby Mamaone weekend, from April 18 to April 25.
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UPDATE: Cinematical was contacted by Penn's rep a little while ago, and informed that Zak is NOT writing Captain America. The wording in the interview made it sound that way (and the transcript was correct), but Penn was actually talking about being attached to The Avengers, not Captain America. Obviously this probably means David Self's script is still in the mix, and we'll update you when there's more info..jpg)
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
