mark protosevich Tagged Articles at Cinematical
What If The World Disappeared?
Filed under: Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », 20th Century Fox », Dreamworks »
There's just something about watching the whole world go boom on the big screen, isn't there? Case in point: Independence Day. Sure, not exactly what you would call a great film, but I think most of us were sold on the flick the moment we saw the White House go up in a ball of fire. It might be twisted, but audiences just can't get enough of the end of civilization; Roland Emmerich went with a Mayan doomsday prophecy for his disaster flick, 2012, but I Am Legend's Francis Lawrence is going for something a little more scientific for his next film. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Fox has hired Lawrence to direct a feature film version of Alan Weisman's book, The World Without Us. Weisman's book focuses on what would happen to the natural and built environment if humans suddenly disappeared. Sure, the whole thing is an educated guess based on Weisman's interviews with leading academics and scientists, but as educated guesses go, it's pretty good. So if you've ever wondered how long it would take for this civilization of ours to die out, here is your answer, and the bad news is that it won't take long at all. On the upside, though, at least Mount Rushmore would still be standing.
Mark Protosevich has been hired to write the script before heading off to work on the Oldboy update for Dreamworks. But Fox doesn't intend to make a documentary (which was done*
But this has me thinking: what are some of the best 'End of the Word' flicks? I'll even start you off with one of my nominations: Dr. Strangelove. Now it's your turn...
*Correction: The link provided for The World Without Us documentary was an error, and was not meant to make any political associations with Weisman's work.
By the Hammer! Kenneth Branagh Directing 'Thor'!
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
See, kids? Superhero movies are classy now! According to Variety, the man of many parts, Kenneth Branagh, is set to direct Thor for Marvel Studios. I am pretty confident no one saw this choice coming -- there has been nary a whisper on the project since Matthew Vaughn left, and I really thought he'd probably swing back to it after Kick-Ass.
But somehow, this actually seems like the right fit for Branagh, who's taste has often leaned towards the bombastic. After all, scriptwriter Mark Protosevich told the Daily Herald last year that he saw the story of Thor in Biblical terms: "It's going to be like a super hero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a new Testament god." That takes a Shakespearean sort of eye, and while Branagh's directorial resume is middling, his best (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet) suggests he might just be able to deliver on the action and wit Thor calls for. Check out the embedded Much Ado clip after the jump (a bit NSFW) and see if that doesn't feel a bit like a comic book movie. If it doesn't, well, leave thine comments below.
But somehow, this actually seems like the right fit for Branagh, who's taste has often leaned towards the bombastic. After all, scriptwriter Mark Protosevich told the Daily Herald last year that he saw the story of Thor in Biblical terms: "It's going to be like a super hero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a new Testament god." That takes a Shakespearean sort of eye, and while Branagh's directorial resume is middling, his best (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet) suggests he might just be able to deliver on the action and wit Thor calls for. Check out the embedded Much Ado clip after the jump (a bit NSFW) and see if that doesn't feel a bit like a comic book movie. If it doesn't, well, leave thine comments below.
Matthew Vaughn Set to Helm 'Thor'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Although he made his Marvel Comics debut in 1962, (The Mighty) Thor has been around for quite some time. In Norse and German mythology, Thor is the god of thunder ... and war. I'm sorry, but that alone makes him cooler than Superman. Say what you will about good ol' Kal-El -- but he's not exactly a GOD, now is he? Would a god run screaming from a glowing green meteorite? No ,I think not. Plus Thor has this awesome giant hammer called Mjolnir that spits lightning and returns to its owner when thrown at an evildoer. Yeah, Thor! Whack those villains with your gigantic hammer! (But remember the PG-13 rating.)Oh, and Marvel finally decided who'll be directing their big-screen adaptation of The Mighty Thor. According to Variety, it'll be Matthew Vaughn, director of Layer Cake and Stardust, and producer of Guy Ritchie's only two good movies. Comics fans will no doubt remember Mr. Vaughn as the man who was supposed to helm X-Men: The Last Stand, but bailed on the project (probably wisely) for personal reasons.
Marvel and Vaughn will be working from a screenplay by Mark Protosevich, and our source indicates that the studio might want to get the project rolling before the end of the year -- what with that black cloud of a Hollywood strike looming on the horizon. If Thor turns out to be anything like Marvel's current projects (The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man) then we can expect a whole bunch of nifty casting announcements to hit the scene soon. But for now I ask our readers: Who would YOU hire to play the massive blonde hero-god?
My vote is for DJ Qualls.
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