Cinematical

Okay, so we went through something similar with Frank Darabont's unused draft of the latest Indiana Jones installment, which managed to be a bit better (read: Mutt-less) compared to the still entertaining end result. Now, it appears that the original draft for Hancock -- long titled Tonight, He Comes -- has popped up by way of Jeff Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere (read it here). Oh, and if it's authentic, it happens to be missing the next-to-last page.

I've found the behind-the-scenes hearsay -- conveniently summed up in this NY Times piece -- on this film to be fairly fascinating. First, as scripted by Vy Vincent Ngo, Tonight had made the rounds as a reportedly hard-R superhero drama that capitalized on the somewhat sexual nature of the title. However, it seems once Will Smith was brought on board, Sony saw fit to tame things down considerably.

Even as recently as April, the MPAA had twice handed them an R instead of the sought-after PG-13, and now the finished result runs a choppy 92 minutes -- distinctly shorter than indicated in AICN test screening reports which made particular mention of a subplot involving statutory rape. Of course, as Wells brings up, it's hard to ignore the involvement of producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, whose recent work on Smith's last hit, I Am Legend, had a similarly slapdash second half at the compromise of the original material.

I've yet to get more than a couple of pages into this thing, but do you guys think this is the real deal, and if so, do you guys think that this is the real film compared to what's on thousands of screens this week?

I wanted to go into Hancock knowing as little as possible, so I deliberately avoided reading anything about it -- at least, as much as that was possible given the amount of movie blog reading I do on a daily basis. Nonetheless, it was hard to miss that early reviews trickling in from places like Variety and Hollywood Reporter were not, shall we say, overly positive. On the other hand, several of those reviews were written by people who often seem to have cinematic tastes directly opposite mine, so I wasn't too dissuaded.

And I'm glad I wasn't, because I'm here to tell you Hancock is both an enjoyable film and one of Will Smith's best performances ever, even if it is a bit schizophrenic in its execution. The film starts out as one thing -- all we know is we're getting a film about a grumpy, alcoholic guy with super powers who's awfully deficient in the social skills department. The film opens on a scene right out of COPS: three bad guys leading police on a chase down an LA freeway, firing away on police and other cars. In between shots of the action, we see a disheveled guy snoozing drunkenly on a park bench.

Warner Brothers has officially pulled the plug on Justice League of America, according to Variety -- or, to be more precise, put it on hold. Erik Davis alerted us to the possibility earlier this week: the studio had until Tuesday to decide whether to officially green light the project so production could begin this spring for release in Summer 2009. Variety says that the contract options were allowed to lapse for the young cast chosen by director George Miller, which rules out an early start. Now it looks like late summer or fall before the project can get underway.

Oddly enough, the cast members were reportedly informed Tuesday night that, while their options had lapsed, the studio still wanted them to play the roles for which they had been cast. Officially, the reasons for the delay are that Warners didn't get an official response on tax breaks they wanted for filming in Australia and that the script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney needed more work, which isn't possible right now because of the writers' strike.

The cast members included Adam Brody as The Flash, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and Armie Hammer Jr. as Batman. The project as a whole has not incited gale forces of enthusiasm so far, so maybe this delay will give everyone a chance to step back and reconsider whether this is really the superhero tent-pole that Warner Brothers wants to make.

I guess David Zucker wasn't satisfied with the quality of the superhero jokes in Jason Friedberg's Epic Movie, so he felt the need to make his own. Variety reports that Dimension films has finalized casting for their spoof flick, Superhero! Dimension had already cast Josh Bell (Drake and Josh), Sara Paxton (Aquamarine), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) and Kevin Hart (All About Polly), but the latest additions are comedy vets. Variety reports that Naked Gun icon, Leslie Nielsen, Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: TNG), and Marion Ross (that's right, Mrs. Cunningham herself) have all signed on for unnamed roles.

Back in 2006, while doing press for his other satirical masterpiece, Scary Movie 4, Zucker told JoBlo.com that, "Craig Mazin [SCARY MOVIE 4 writer] has written a script, and it's a...You know, we've identified about a dozen characteristics that are common to all these superhero movies, like Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men...and if you can get those common characteristics, there's a pretty good chance that the audience will share those references and you can poke fun at the cliches. So it's going to be pretty interesting." Mazin has also been signed to direct the film, and David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss will produce. Zucker and Weiss were the team behind Scary Movie 3 and 4, as well as some of the later films in the Naked Gun franchise. So it probably doesn't take much imagination to guess what the film will be about. If you have ever seen a Scary Movie, then you just switch the low-brow gags to a man in tights rather than wielding an ax. Superhero! is set for release on March 28th, 2008.

I bet this is a project you didn't expect to hear anything about, what with Joss Whedon bailing, leaving everyone confused as to how they should properly tackle the sexy superhero. Well leave it up to some random source to kick-start those Wonder Women rumors once again -- this time it's Star Pulse, which claim that none other than Katie Holmes recently flew into Los Angeles for a secret meeting regarding a starring role in the big-screen WW flick. And she flew in -- get this -- without Tom Cruise! Yup, according to Star Pulse's top secret source (who may or may not be a clever writer looking to bring some attention to the website), Katie wanted to take on these meetings herself, without Tom. And she's looking for a project that will help "put her back in the public eye." Sweetheart, you're married to Tom Cruise -- trust me, the "public eye" ain't going nowhere.

The article really makes it seem as if it was a big deal for Holmes to go at this alone, without help from her superhero husband. As we all know, rumors have suggested that Tom wants to be in complete control of his wife's career, telling her which roles he wants her to take and which roles he wants her to decline. In fact, when Holmes dropped out of The Dark Knight, folks immediately speculated that Tom played a major factor in that decision. But here's what I don't get -- if she wants a role in a superhero movie to put her back in the public eye, why not sign on to do The Dark Knight, a superhero movie? And what, was Batman Begins not good enough for her? Personally, I'd rather see Holmes doing smaller stuff. I loved her in Pieces of April, and was hoping she would go on to do similar character-driven projects. And then she married Tom. And then she squeezed out a kid. And now she's .... reportedly discussing a starring role in the Wonder Woman movie? I don't get it. But I guess that's Hollywood for ya!

I'm just putting this out there: I think that Hancock could be awesome. But, it could also be a career misstep so monumental for Will Smith that it might even make Wild Wild West seem like a good idea. French film site Les-Films.net now has a whole gallery of behind the scenes photos from the set of the superhero action-drama. The images taken primarily focus on the film's two stars, Smith and Charlize Theron, in both candid shots, and while filming. In fact, most of the pictures seem to be Smith and Theron rolling around on top of one another in the street -- and considering the 'intense' look on Smith's face, it's looking pretty dramatic (And as a side note; even in candid shots from 100 feet away, Theron still looks beautiful ... how depressing). The project had already undergone a title change and a revolving door of directors before finally getting down to business last June.

The film follows a superhero (Smith) who has fallen on hard times, and is prone to drinking and womanizing. To make matters worse for our soused hero is an "affair" with the wife (Theron) of a PR agent (Jason Bateman) working on his comeback. Directed by Peter Berg, the script was written by John August (Berg also helped out in the writing department.). August also recently signed to write the big-screen version of the DC comic Shazam! and has his own directorial debut, The Nines, arriving in theaters later this month. Early reviews of the Hancock script weren't exactly positive, but there have probably been more than a few re-writes since Latino Review got their hands on it back in May. There have already been a few photos released on the net, but this batch is the first to give us a look at more than Smith trussed up in wires. If nothing else, they seem to confirm that the movie is on track for July, 2008 release.

We haven't even started to devour this summer's slate of blockbusters, and next summer is already shaping up to be quite the doozy. Amidst highly-anticipated flicks like The Dark Knight, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, Will Smith is gearing up to star in his own superhero-type role; however, this character doesn't come from the Marvel or DC universe. Instead, he's just some dude from Brooklyn ... who happens to be capable of kicking a tremendous amount of ass. In Tonight, He Comes, Smith will tackle a superhero who has fallen on hard times. No longer in the spotlight and itching for love and affection, our hero becomes a little too involved with a family in desperate need of some rescuing -- emotionally, that is. Directed by Peter Berg, pic also stars Charlize Theron (as a wife who begins an emotional affair with the superhero) and Jason Bateman (as a husband who wishes he can be more of a man for his family).

On paper, it all sounds rather depressing -- kind of like a low-budget, character-driven indie, but with a big-budget, superhero sort of vibe. For those interested in whether the script works, Latino Review has posted their, well, review of it. Since it basically goes through the entire film, revealing spoiler-ish plot points and whatnot, I will say that they gave it a fairly disappointing C+. That said, I never put a lot of weight behind these script reviews; LR doesn't mention which draft this is and things are always changing. For example, according to the IMDb description, Bateman's character is a PR professional. However, in this review, the character is a night watchman at a department store. So, obviously, things have changed -- and since we have no idea which draft this is, it's impossible to tell which version is more accurate. As far as LR's overall opinion of the script, they say: "The story is definitely filled with action scenes and never boring. Sure to be interesting, the only thing I hope is they don't put some corny ass shiny suit on this superhero because he is almost like every other man; human." I will say that I love the everyman approach they're taking with Smith's character, but will it be enough to compete against the big guns? I guess we'll have to wait one more year to find out.

Since most of you read Cinematical while at work (and who can blame you -- we're so much cooler than those damn TPS Reports), I figured I'd direct you toward a fun little game that allows you to waste all sorts of time. I mean, ya know, that's if you're looking to entertain yourself during all those off-the-record 15-minute breaks you're not supposed to take. Check this out: UGO has come up with a way for you to design your own superhero. That's right! And when you're done, you can print that sucker out and start pitching him to random studios; God knows I'm sure someone is looking to discover the next great superhero franchise. So why can't you be a part of something special?

Yup, that's my dude over to the right of your screen. Feel free to name him and/or his special powers -- I was thinking of something along the lines of A.D.D. Man, and his unique special ability could be to rock out ... hard. The good folks at UGO give you a ton of options here; from designing your superhero's pose to coming up with a cute little companion to hang by his side -- it's all there. Be warned though, because once you start, there's no telling how long it will be before you finish. And if your boss discovers you're up to no good, don't come crying to us. After you're done, they do give you the option to either print your character or share him with other folks in some sort of message board-type area. Personally, my little dude is going right above my computer. This way, next time I'm on the phone with Warner Bros., I'll be ready ... and so will A.D.D. Man!

Since it did not stand up to some of the buzz surrounding the other superhero flick this summer, the sequel to Fantastic Four has had a relatively low profile. There have already been a few sets of posters so far, and now Marvel.com is hosting 10 new international posters for Fantastic Four 2: Rise of The Silver Surfer. The one-sheets have been pretty consistent, and these latest posters are no different. Giving us a look at all 4 heroes decked out in their "spandexed" best. We also get another look at the Surfer himself, and now since we know what he is going to sound like too, a pretty clear picture is starting to emerge for fans.

Director Tim Story has already promised fans a definite improvement from the last film -- namely more action. Opinions have varied so far on whether a sequel can deliver, although considering the reaction the trailer received back in December, expectations seem pretty low to begin with. It's not like this latest round of posters is going to convince anyone to see the film who wasn't planning on it already. Although I'm sure a 30-foot Jessica Alba in a skin-tight cat suit will draw at least a few glances. Considering no one was all that excited about this sequel in the first place, any talk of a third film is going to have to wait until opening weekend.

Since I don't speak Russian, there is not much I can tell you about the origin of the character posters for Fantastic Four: The Rise of The Silver Surfer that have just popped up on a Russian site and are now making their way around to our time zone. КиноПоиск.ru has the posters of the Four alongside some pictures of the Silver Surfer. They kind of struck me as "glamor shots" -- well, as glamorous as you can make a character called The Thing. So, unless you are a dedicated collector of all things Fantastic, I doubt they'll thrill you all that much. It's not like I am the first to notice the Four's lackluster marketing tactics -- Erik had some news on the sequel a few weeks ago about how Fox wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for the film.

The first poster to make its way to the web (The Silver Surfer in all his glory with the word RISE) was definitely better than the head shots they have currently settled on. We have had a look at one trailer already and as the release date of June 15th gets closer, I would presume that we will get to see at least one more trailer for the film, and I hope some more exciting poster art. [Ed. -- On a semi-related note, Cinematical will have more interesting Jessica Alba-related stuff to bring you, probably by the end of next week, so keep an eye out for that.]

Cinematical was invited to Sony Pictures on Saturday for a top-secret screening of several scenes from Spider-Man 3. Needless to say, they didn't have to ask me twice. I would have spent several days after I'd gotten the invitation building web-shooters if I needed to. Although Peter now uses organic webbing in the movies, so I'd have to try and genetically splice spider-DNA onto my own, which would have been too time-consuming. Thankfully, they weren't that demanding. OK, before we proceed any further, I should wave the giant spoiler alert flag. If you don't want to know anything about the plot of Spider-Man 3, then you should read no further. You especially don't want to find out from me that Aunt May is actually Galactus. Whoops. Sorry, but you've been warned. Just wait until you see a 300-foot tall May stomping on New York. It's not pretty. Although imagine the size of the cookies she could bake.

Anyhow, onto the screening and into the swanky Cary Grant theater. Sony, if you're not using that theater all the time, mind if we use it for movie watching and playing video games? OK -- here's what happened. Sam Raimi himself (dressed in his ever-present suit) came out and introduced the footage to us and called it a "super ... sneak .... preview ... scenelet." He told us the footage was brand-new, hadn't been seen outside of Sony, had a temporary score, and that some things had been shortened a bit for this preview. He then had to run off to do some audio recording with Stan Lee, who was next door, so we begrudgingly let him go. I mean, no one makes Stan "The Man" Lee wait, even if he does have yet another scene in this Spidey flick.

Fans of the screenwriting trade might be unfamiliar with Mr. Don Payne -- but that's about to change. After slaving away on a variety of ill-fated sitcoms, Don got his big break when he landed a sweet gig on the writing staff of The Simpsons. While hard at work helping to concoct new scenarios for everyone's favorite Springfieldians, Don still found the time to bang out a screenplay that attracted a lot of interested glances throughout Hollywood. That screenplay was called Super Ex (which has since been lengthened to My Super Ex-Girlfriend), and it not only attracted interest from Regency Enterprises, but also the attention of stars Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman -- in addition to veteran comedy expert Ivan Reitman. And with his very first movie poised to hit the screens (on July 21), Don landed an assignment to pen next summer's Fantastic Four 2, a project that the Marvel maniacs are keeping a very close eye on.

Don was kind enough to sit down and have a lengthy chat with yours truly (and on his birthday, no less!) to share some info on how The Simpsons gets made, how he penned the world's first superheroine rom-com, and how he hopes to be part of a reinvigorated Fantastic Four franchise. And here's how the conversation went down.

Before I start writing anything, I always jot down a few notes about the subject first. When I wrote my little 'note to self' about this article, I only put down one sentence, and I stand by it. "I can't decide if this is awesome or scary."

Here's the story. Sci-Fi Channel has teamed up with comic's biggest living legend, Stan Lee, to produce a reality television series called...you guessed it..."Who Wants to be a Superhero?" It will be a six episode, one hour show, and the stars will be picked by a process wherein hero hopefuls will get on stage in their very best superhero duds, and explain to the judges who they are, what their powers are, and what their hero's creed is. From this performance, Stan and Co. will pick eleven lucky heroes to be whisked away from their everyday lives and sequestered in a "secret lair," as they take on their super-personas "24/7." Here's a taste of the planned style from that point:

Each week, our aspiring heroes will be challenged with competitions designed to test their true superhero abilities. It's not all just leaping tall buildings in a single bound, a true Superhero will be tested for courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion and resourcefulness.

The winner, of course, gets to star in a new comic written by Stan the Man himself.

So...who wants to venture an opinion on this?

 

[via superhero hype]

JoBlo is pointing to this, the first big, clear image of the new Superman, Brandon Routh, in character, in costume, and in the middle of his superhero work day. The Blo boys are speculating that it's a scan from a magazine, probably either Empire or Wizard, as both have giant Superman spreads in the works. But the real question is: do you think it's pre or post "special effects"?