While out at SXSW, Cinematical's Scott Weinberg and I had a chat about Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and we both agreed it was a pretty good flick. Naturally, it wasn't dark and intense enough for the hardcore fans, but we kinda liked the fact that there was this comic book film that was made for actual kids, as well as fans. It was goofy, fun, exciting and cool. Best comic flick ever? Hardly. But definitely worthy of another sequel.
Alas, according to Chris Evans (aka Johnny Storm), it would appear a third Fantastic Four is not in the cards. He tells MTV, "I'm pretty sure we won't do [another] one. I'm assuming that one is a closed book." Evans later went into a tad more detail: "After the first one was released we got wind of potential titles and plots [almost immediately], and I've heard nothing from anyone at Fox [yet]. We had all planned on doing [another] one but if there were going to be a third I think a week after the second one was released we would have heard." Too bad.
There's always a chance, however, that Johnny Storm will show up in another comic book flick; either a Silver Surfer solo film or, perhaps, a completely different hero. Will he do it if he's offered the part? "Absolutely. If Johnny Storm wanted to make a pop in appearance in one of those movies that would be a treat."
What say you? Were you hoping for a Fantastic Four 3?
I'm fine with the government providing financial assistance to the movie industry (via subsidies and such), but when it is directly involved with the marketing of a film, I think that's a bit too much. The U.S. Mint has gotten together with * the Franklin Mint and 20th Century Fox to create a limited edition version of the U.S. quarter that features an image of the Silver Surfer on the tails side. These coins, which have already been released into circulation, also include the address for the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferwebsite. There are only a total of 40,000 out there, so if you manage to find one, you might not want to go and use it in a vending machine; you should probably hold on to it. Besides the fact that it's a collectible (people are already selling them on eBay), there's also a contest open only to people who find one of the coins -- with the prize being a trip to the London premiere of FF:ROTSS.
Recently another government agency, the U.S. Postal Service, participated in movie marketing by placing 400 R2D2 mailboxes on sidewalks throughout the country. Of course, this was to celebrate the anniversary of a movie (also released by Fox) that has become something of a national treasure. The Silver Surfer coins are less forgivable because they advertise a new release that may not even be a big success. For that reason, the stunt seems to imply that our government agencies are for sale to advertising agencies. What, now, would stop the Federal Reserve from replacing George Washington with Spider-Man on limited edition one-dollar bills? How about we offer up the sides of government buildings and vehicles (including military vehicles, too) for logos and billboards? And why not have the President tell us to drink Coca-Cola at the end of his State of the Union speech?
Regular readers know I'm an avid fan of the Fantastic Four -- as a comic book, that is, not as a movie. Although I did enjoy parts of the first film, like most geeks I was more than slightly disappointed with the final outcome. However, director Tim Story has made many adjustments in the downtime between movies, largely due to the disappointed outcry of the geek community, and is making an attempt to come back strong with his second installment, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I've been covering all news with optimism, largely because it seems as though most of the steps taken by Story and company have been good ones. I keep insisting hope springs eternal, and I've repeatedly said I'm willing -- and eager -- to give the franchise a second chance.
And now, the time is upon us: Shooting has begun on the new film, and Story has updated his blog with some early thoughts from the set. From this point on, things get serious, and we move from talking a good game to actually playing one. So, stay tuned to CinematicaI and I promise I'll be all over the Fantastic Four news looking for signs of hope or despair.
Andre Braugher is a mystery man currently when it comes to Tim Story's upcoming Fantastic Four sequel. We have no idea what he'll be doing in the second movie translation of The World's Greatest Comic Magazine -- but we know he'll be in there somewhere, because of a Variety article about Forest Whitaker taking a guest role on TV's E.R. Stick with me here, it'll make sense eventually. Whitaker will be in a "multi-episode story arc" for E.R. this season as a stroke patient, but he was not the original choice for the role. Instead, he will be replacing ... you guessed it ... Andre Braugher, who had to back out of his original commitment to the show so he can "co-star" (their word, not mine) in the new Four flick.
Co-star? Not a bad gig to land, although it makes you wonder who he'll be playing. Definitely a step up in the world from "hospital patient who has a stroke." Stay tuned to Cinematical for further updates as they become available.
Doug Jones has been making ridiculously thinly veiled hints about taking on the role of the Silver Surfer in the upcoming Fantastic Four sequel. Due to ongoing contract negotiations, Jones has been unable to officially announce his role in the film, but he sure has been suggestive about the part. The general consensus from the geek community is very positive regarding the potential appointment, and director Tim Story himself commented on it recently, but even he was not straightforward about the deal.
A tipster to AICN met our boy Doug at his local comic book store, and asked Jones about the part. Jones told the tipster contracts were being signed and he would be in Canada in three weeks to begin shooting. No clever wordplay or disguised comments anymore, just an up front acknowledgment of the role. So we can finally stop pretending like it isn't official, and just call Mr. Jones the Surfer. Keep in mind, this just means he'll be doing the bodywork for overlaid CGI effects from WETA, there's no promise yet of voice work as far as I am aware. But at least he's in there, and putting Doug Jones in your geek movie -- especially teamed with WETA -- gives it an instant boost in my opinion.
Remember when Julian McMahon wasn't going to be returning for the next Fantastic Four film? That rumor was rather persistent for a bit, and then got blown out of the water by director Tim Story, who was assured us if Doom was coming back, so was McMahon. I had split opinions on this matter, because (like most fans) I severely frown upon switching main character actors partway through a franchise ... but I also strongly disliked the casting in the first place. We're now getting some clarity on the issue, and it seems as if McMahon will only be partly returning, if recent rumors are to be believed.
The new word on the rumor mill is suggesting McMahon will be providing the voice only for Doctor Doom. Maybe the guy isn't interested in portraying a character who will never be seen apart from a mask (V for Vendetta had this problem, you may recall), or maybe the studio wanted to go with someone who had a more intimidating build to fill out the most evil cape in Marveldom. Whatever the case, the name on the street is currently Chris Showerman to embody the physical aspect of Victor Von Doom.
Shame they can't replace the voice as well, though. I've always imagined Doom as a far more intimidating vocalist than our friend McMahon.
If you are of the geek persuasion, you have to think John Ottman has the sweetest gig in all of Hollywood. Aside from the folks at Marvel and DC, Ottman is one of the most frequent contributers to geek films these days. As a composer, he has been lucky enough to write the score for Superman Returns,X-Men 2: X-Men United, and The Fantastic Four. He did great work in all three films (I was particularly impressed with his efforts in Superman, as he not only did his own original work, but also included the original William's theme music), and has apparently impressed people in the Marvel camp, because they are bringing him back again for Fantastic Four 2 (which is still nameless). Ottman is excited to return for the second installment of the franchise, as it will mark the first time he has ever scored music for a sequel to a film he had scored in the past. He said it has always been a fantasy of his to do so, and is very excited to give it a try. Ottman also said "I can't say that the themes were intentionally designed to be expanded upon later, but it's something I hope to do. I like now that the characters are established I can have fun with them."
The prevailing thought from everyone involved with this film -- now even including the music guy -- seems to be "This one will be a lot better because we've got all that tedious character introduction out of the way." I'm firmly in that camp as well, and I hope everyone is correct about it. My little geek heart could really use a great Fantastic Four flick.
If you don't know who Doug Jones is you should be ashamed, because the man is fantastic. Mostly, he pops up in geek genre films; he's beloved for his role as Abe Sapien in Hellboy and he's the title character in Pan's Labyrinth. And, during the madness which was Comic-Con 2006, there was very strong rumor (mostly instigated by Jones and his agent) suggesting he would be joining the Fantastic Four team as the Silver Surfer. This made a lot of sense to anyone familiar with Jones, and we all just nodded our heads and said "yeah, that's a very strong choice." Then Jones started dodging the rumors he himself had created, and backed away from a promise to make a major casting announcement, leaving us all with the feeling someone above him had told him to keep his trap shut. Since then, Jones granted an interview to Now Playing but refused to confirm anything. He did, however, did drop several large hints:
He waved a silver ring he was wearing, and said he thought the color looked very good on him. He also said he planned to wear a lot more of the color in the future: "I actually found an outfit in this color recently when I was shopping and I absolutely loved it. It looked perfect on me. Nobody else is in line behind me to buy it, so I'm now kind of waiting for the store to approve my credit card."
He said he owns the first 18 issues of The Silver Surfer, and finds the character to be very inspiring.
Filming will begin in August, and according to Jones: "I would hope sometime around then that any other passing news regarding that film would be announced."
My two cents? Whoever is in charge of this decision at the studio needs to move on this with all haste; Jones is the perfect man for the role.
I know there are many legitimate complaints for True Believers to make when it comes to the recent Fantastic Fourmovie. Any of us could work up a pretty respectable list of grievances to hand in to the folks at Marvel. Despite said complaints, though, as mentioned before I genuinely enjoyed the film, unlike many of my fellow fans. If, however, I were to work up such a list, at the very top would be the character portrayal of Reed Richards. I know -- of all the things to complain about, why pick that one at the top? Because I love the Four, I guess. Reed is a tech geek, sure ... but he is not a weak, whiny pansy who gets pushed around by everyone. Dude is one of the most important leaders in the entire superhero world. In the movie, he was a pantywaist.
Imagine my joy, then, when I read the following comments from one of the primary script writers for the Fantastic sequel: "I think the one thing I really want to do is make Reed Richards, that character, smarter and tougher. He's the leader. I think Ioan [Gruffudd] did a great job [in the first film], but I think he could have had more stuff to play as the leader. Reed Richards has his nerdy side, but he ultimately has to make some tough choices." Amen. I am now fully ready to accept a Fantastic Four sequel with an open heart. Let us hope that they make many such changes for the better.
True Believers were somewhat disheartened by the script work for the initialFantastic Fourmovie. There were certainly some great moments in the film, but overall we felt it could have been (and really should have been) much better. We've been promised a stronger showing for the second film in the franchise, and we cling to that promise in a desperate hope for the Fantastic Four movie we've always wanted. And if recent rumors are to be believed, the script/plot for the second film is already off to a VERY strong start -- a start fully capable of igniting hope in all our hearts.
Here's the deal; Marvel is reportedly working off a script based very heavily upon the (very) classic "The Coming of Galactus" story arc which ran through The Fantastic Four issues 48-50. The story was penned by Stan Lee himself, with the inking (and story) aid of Marvel godfather Jack Kirby, creator of many fantastic Reed Richard machines. The story is a particularly famous and beloved one, and tells the tale of the world-eater Galactus coming to earth with his Herald the Silver Surfer. For True Believers, "The Coming of Galactus" is practically holy scripture. If the script stays true to the pages, we could be looking at a golden movie here, folks.
Kerry Washington played the popular Alicia Masters, the blind love interest of Ben Grimm (the Thing) in 2005's summer superhero hit The Fantastic Four. Like the rest of the cast, Washington is excited to return to the franchise, and also like the rest of the cast, she has begun discussing it with the media. Washington recently talked with MTV, and while she didn't have anything particularly new to say, she did confirm a few facts and convey her happiness at being a part of the project. Washington said there are still two scripts being considered for the second film, and no decision has been made yet regarding which they'll use. In fact, Washington indicated that a bit of both may make the final cut, as they're trying to lift the material they like from each script. Washington said to expect the second film to be a bit "darker" than the first, with the action able to really pick up now that origin stories are out of the way. Additionally, she commented on the inclusion of the Silver Surfer in the new Fantastic Four flick. She's very excited about it, and thinks it will be "huge." So huge, in fact, she thinks the Surfer (and his boss Galactus, of course) probably deserved their own movie.
The Silver Surfer is a very popular character in the Marvel-verse, although not as big as most of the "major" titles we've seen so far. He could certainly compete with The Punisher, Ghost Rider, orElektra in terms of popularity, however, so his own movie isn't a bad thought. I have nothing but my own suspicions to go on with this, but yours truly would not be at all surprised to see the Marvel using FF2 as a launching pad for the Surfer, if the film meets with a good reception. Expect a Silver Surfer movie, if Marvel films continue to perform well at the box office.
If you are at all plugged into the world of Marvel, you probably remember the dismal failure of an attempt to create a Fantastic Fourmovie back in the mid-nineties. Rumors of it's terrible suckiness abounded, and eventually a good portion of it leaked into the grubby little hands of bootleggers ... and if you chanced to watch a copy you probably wanted to gouge your eyes out with the nearest spoon. If you are a comic book fan, or simply a fan of cinema, and have not seen this yet, be warned: DO NOT try to get your hands on this movie. I know you want to see it just to learn how terrible it is, but trust me -- it will only crush your soul and leave you weeping.
Combine this famous failure with the free publicity of the internet, and you of course get fanboys hoping to capitalize for personal recognition. You've gotta love how anyone with a camera can get themselves shared with the world these days, and a handful of kids have done just that, creating what they call the "lost" trailer for the 1994 Fantastic Four movie. It is a glorious little web gem, poking fun of the production quality at every turn. The amazing thing is ... this may just be better quality than the failed film.
The ever popular Licensing Information Trade Show was held this past weekend in New York. While most of us shamefully missed this tremendous event, Ray's Galleries had a few eyes there, and those eyes were behind some cameras. This means that courtesy of Ray's Gallery, you can see some of the groovy promotional displays from the comfort of your own living room. Cool? You bet. Of primary interest to Cinematical's Geek Beat writer are the Fantastic Four 2display, the Spider-Man 3display, and the quite nifty looking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles display. There's also a nice looking Hellboy Animated photo or two for you to check out, amongst various other things you may find more interesting than I did. The display for the Fantastic Four sequel features the title The Fantastic Four and The Silver Surfer. Fun, but very probably not the actual title of the film. Sadly, the display shows no actual look at the Silver Surfer ... but no surprise there. We'll just have to keep impatiently waiting.
Okay, I'll admit right up front -- there is far too much alliteration in the title of this post. It wasn't intentional, but once I realized it I found it amusing and so it stays. I promise to do my best to avoid such painful linguistic dalliances in the future. For now, let's move on to the actual reason for writing this post ...
In full discloser mode, I always admit my crazy fanboy love for The Fantastic Four. I openly acknowledge I have a bias towards the Four and said bias occasionally taints my opinions when it comes to writing about the movie versions of my beloved comic book title. The news of the day is the possible finalization of a script for Fantastic Four 2, according to producer Ralph Winter. Silly me, I thought a finalized script was in place, given that Jessica Alba keeps talking about it; but maybe she's just read an early draft. Winter said he has rejected two scripts already, but he expects a third one by the end of this week.
Normally when you hear of multiple-script writings, you think one of two things. One, the script must be crap if they keep rewriting it. Two, they must really be honing it down to an excellent, top-notch story. Truth be told, many scripts get rewritten several times, so it isn't an immediate danger sign. However, one does get nervous hearing of a train of rejected scripts. Let's just hope the Silver Surfer survives several scripts. Dang it, there went that alliteration again.
News has been starting to seriously leak out regarding the Fantastic Foursequel, mostly due to Jessica Alba talking nonstop about the film recently. She seems to be genuinely excited about the film, and that's nice. Today, however, we get to hear from a different source. Ioan Gruffudd, Mister Fantastic himself, has spoken up about his thoughts for Fantastic Four 2. Gruffudd said he hasn't actually seen the script yet, and like most of us has learned almost everything he knows from Jessica Alba's recent discussions. Four major thoughts from Gruffudd --- bullet point style!
The success of Fantastic Four makes him feel good. He loves being Mr. Fantastic, and is as excited as Alba to return to the series.
He feels no fear about Alba's comments regarding a "love triangle" over the heart of the Invisible Woman. Said Gruffudd: "I'm sure Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic is very capable of holding onto his woman." He's correct, too. In the end, Reed always wins Sue's heart.
Dr. Doom, as played by Julius McMahon, will be back for the sequel. No word on the size of his role, but he will make at least some appearance in the film.
Kids sometimes pull on his arms to see if they will stretch. You know you've arrived as an actor when kids think of you as the character you portray. Just ask Gene Wilder, who still delights in being recognized as Mr. Wonka.
I'm fine with the government providing financial assistance to the movie industry (via subsidies and such), but when it is directly involved with the marketing of a film, I think that's a bit too much. 
Regular readers know I'm an avid fan of the Fantastic Four -- as a comic book, that is, not as a movie. Although I did enjoy parts of the first film, like most geeks I was more than slightly disappointed with the final outcome. However, director 
Andre Braugher
Doug Jones has been making ridiculously thinly veiled hints about taking on the role of the Silver Surfer in the upcoming Fantastic Four sequel. Due to ongoing contract negotiations, 
Remember when 
If you are of the geek persuasion, you have to think 
If you don't know who 
I know there are many legitimate complaints for True Believers to make when it comes to the recent 
True Believers were somewhat disheartened by the script work for the initial 
Kerry Washington played the popular Alicia Masters, the blind love interest of Ben Grimm (the Thing) in 2005's summer superhero hit 
If you are at all plugged into the world of Marvel, you probably remember the dismal failure of an attempt to create a 
The ever popular Licensing Information Trade Show was held this past weekend in New York. While most of us shamefully missed this tremendous event, Ray's Galleries had a few eyes there, and those eyes were behind some cameras. This means that courtesy of Ray's Gallery, you can see some of the 
Okay, I'll admit right up front -- there is far too much alliteration in the title of this post. It wasn't intentional, but once I realized it I found it amusing and so it stays. I promise to do my best to avoid such painful linguistic dalliances in the future. For now, let's move on to the actual reason for writing this post ...
News has been starting to seriously leak out regarding the 
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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
