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's The 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?

It's been almost a year since I saw Zak Penn's poker mockumentary The Grand when it first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and I seriously cannot wait to see it again. You won't hear much about it because it's a smaller flick, but it packs one heckuva cast and it seriously rivals the films of Christopher Guest -- in fact, I'd go as far as saying The Grand is better than anything Guest has put out in awhile. I will admit, though, that The Grand is not for everyone.

It's tough to sell a mock, since some people just don't get the humor in it. Put it this way: If you dig shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Seinfeld, you'll certainly enjoy The Grand. It stars Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross (who's hysterical), Ray Romano (in his greatest role ever), Dennis Farina, Werner Herzog ... and so many more. This flick boasts an all-star team of funny folks -- and the entire story is set in the world of high-stakes poker.

I haven't seen one commercial or advertisement for The Grand, so since it was one of my favorite comedies last year (since that's when I saw it), I felt a post like this was necessary. I really want this film to get some love, because it's seriously a real comedic gem. Wanna laugh this weekend? Go see The Grand. Odds are you'll love it.

Check out a clip from the film after the jump ...

(For more, here's my review of The Grand from last year's Tribeca fest, as well as my interview with director Zak Penn.)

Something tells me you won't like Edward Norton when he's angry. Oh yes, Empire grabbed two new photos from this summer's The Incredible Hulk; one of which shows Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) all kinds of pissed off. I think it's safe to say you wouldn't want to be around that guy when sh*t hits the fan. These are the first images to hit in quite some time, as marketing for the new Hulk flick has been limited. The first trailer is supposed to hit early next month, but in the meantime feast your eyes on the new image above. Empire also has a second image featuring a first look at William Hurt as General Ross, which you can view to the right of your screen.

Director Louis Letterier also talked about this version will differ from the previous Ang Lee film: "We didn't want to make a cerebral movie. We wanted full action, Hulk smashing stuff up. But Ed Norton's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas – Marvel has always made their superhero movies with great actors to make it tangible and Ed has nailed it here. Admittedly, I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie, it doesn't just have to appeal to 13-year-old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods, so there's a classical undercurrent to Bruce's psycho-drama. It's Prometheus, Pandora's Box, Hercules...but with explosions." (Notice how he says "Ed Norton's script." Way to give Zak Penn the shaft on that one.)

The Incredible Hulk hits theaters on June 13.

I'm excited about this, and I really want you to get excited about this too. The Grand was one of my favorite comedies from last year, and I've been dying to watch it again ever since. The Grand? What's that? Well, the film premiered at the Tribeca Fest last May (where I reviewed it and interviewed writer-director Zak Penn), and it's a poker-themed mockumentary chock-full of some awesome character actors. Penn wrote and directed this gem, which stars folks like Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Ray Romano, Cheryl Hines, Werner Herzog, Richard Kind, Dennis Farina ... I seriously could go on and on.

But I don't have to, because the first trailer for The Grand has finally popped up on Yahoo. I stress, though, that this is a film where the best parts come in small packages. However, this trailer is pretty damn good. It establishes most of the main players, but the bits may not seem as funny until you're watching the actual film. Ray Romano, for example, is out of his mind here -- and I'm not a big Romano fan, yet I loved him in The Grand. Cross, as always, kills, and everyone else (from the main cast to the cameos) are all a riot. Seriously, go see this film when it comes out in March. You'll laugh your friggin' ass off, especially if you're a fan of shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld. The Grand hits theaters this March.

For more, check out the film's official website, where you can visit Larry's (David Cross' character) hysterical poker-themed website, http://icantbelieveigettoplaypokerdotcom777.net/.

As fans continue to cringe whenever more talk of that planned Justice League of America movie creeps online, Marvel is taking a much different approach with regards to their long-awaited Avengers movie. Marvel refuses to move forth on an Avengers flick until all of the characters featured in said movie are well established on the big screen first. Two such characters, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, will debut new looks this summer, while plans to bring the characters of Captain America, Thor and Ant Man are already in the works. As of now, Zak Penn has been tapped to write The Avengers movie script, but no director has ever been announced (probably because the project is still a good two, three years away from becoming a reality). But when it finally comes time to bring someone in to helm, Iron Man director Jon Favreau would definitely like to be considered.

While speaking to MTV, Favreau confirmed that he thinks The Avengers movie is "a great idea" and that he might like to direct it. He also talked a bit about Marvel's intentions, saying, "[But] in the case of Marvel they're pretty clear on wanting to do it with the actors who've established the roles or to not do it at all. That's what they've said to me. I think it's a good idea if you use the characters established in the other franchises that then come together for an event. I don't think they would do it like they're doing 'Justice League' where it's a whole different set of actors and a whole different take on the world." Can I get an Amen on that one, brutha!

So what it sounds like (or at least what's been told to Favreau) is that Marvel will not move ahead with an Avengers movie unless those actors portraying the characters in their individual films reprise those roles for the film. Which is a flippin' fantastic idea, and one that makes sense for a number of reasons. See, as a fan, I'd be more than happy to wait a few years to get a comic team-up movie that was done the right way, like this, than settle for a rush job. And the question now is -- would you want Favreau behind the camera? Or will you hold off on forming an opinion until we see what he does with Iron Man?

Extra Tidbit: A future Avengers flick will apparently be teased in the new Iron Man film, as Samuel L. Jackson is said to be playing a small part as fellow comic hero, Nick Fury.

Back and forth, back and forth -- The LA Times have finally come out and cleared up the rumor that Edward Norton started during ComicCon. As previously discussed, it was during Marvel's The Incredible Hulk panel where Norton made a comment that suggested he was writing the script. This confused a lot of people (including me) who were under the assumption that Zak Penn had (and was) penning the kind-of-sequel-but-not. Well, now it seems we know what happened. According to The LA Times, Penn was indeed the original writer and had written three drafts of the script prior to production. However, when the script needed more work -- and with Penn busy promoting his indie mockumentary The Grand -- Norton stepped in, offered up his own ideas, and came on as not only a writer, but also the film's star.

This, of course, is the story we're being told. As The Times even suggests, Norton is somewhat known around town for strong-arming his way into the writer's seat. There are rumors that he took it upon himself to re-write dialogue during Brett Ratner's Red Dragon -- not just his own, but also Anthony Hopkins'. Norton's reps insist that Ratner asked the actor for help, but others beg to differ -- not that it matters much; the film still turned out like crap. Keep in mind I'm in no way saying that Norton decided to take the role on the condition that he could re-write Penn's script, but it was part of his initial deal. And not for nothing, but if I was Penn, I'd be pretty pissed that I spent a whole year on three different versions of a script only to watch Norton come in and change up the entire thing. For all we know, Norton's additions helped the film, but one day I'd love to get my hands on both versions to see if Penn's would've translated better to the big screen. The Incredible Hulk is set to smash its way into theaters on June 13.

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.

Although producer Avi Arad is currently making the rounds promoting his newest film, Bratz: The Movie, all anyone wants is more information on the 10+ comic-related films he has in the pipeline. Some of those, of course, include those two X-Men spin-off flicks (Wolverine and Magneto), as well as Captain America, Thor, The Punisher 2, Ant-Man, Iron Fist and probably the most anticipated of them all, The Avengers. I've tried repeatedly over the past month to get word from Zak Penn on whether he's started The Avengers script, but unfortunately he's told me that he can't say anything. Bummer. But that's not stopping Arad from opening his mouth -- just the other day, he confirmed that both Samuel L. Jackson and Hilary Swank will have cameos in Iron Man, and now he's telling the Australian press that he plans to shoot a majority of those comic-related films down under.

While he wouldn't reveal which films were going to shoot in Australia, he did say that he's attempting to hire an Australian director for one of them. Though he wouldn't name that director or the film, folks have been tossing the name Alex Proyas around in relation to the upcoming Silver Surfer solo effort. Most recently, Proyas directed the Will Smith flick I, Robot, as well as the smaller budgeted Aussie pic Garage Days. Arad, who attempted to get at least one Bratz reference in by saying "Bratz is X-Men for girls," is real keen on Australia because, according to him, "it's such a fun place with great technical talent and some amazing special effects houses." Sounds wonderful, except I'm still stuck on the "Bratz is like X-Men for girls" line. Is he serious about that? Or should it have read, "Bratz is like X-Men for girls ... on drugs?"

As if he didn't have too many comic book adaptations to write, Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand) has been named as the new screenwriter of Joel Silver's remake of The Dirty Dozen, which we unfortunately heard about early last year. Originally it was reported that the movie was being scripted by three high-profile writers, André Nemec, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, but apparently their work isn't good enough and a rewrite is now necessary. Of course, one has to wonder why Silver needs to go through so many writers when there's already a perfectly good screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller. It isn't like too much needs to be updated; the movie is set in World War II. I'm not familiar with E.M. Nathanson's original novel, though, and I guess the first movie may have omitted some things that the new adaptation could include. Anyway, I guess it just isn't common practice to reuse an old script when remaking an old movie.

For those who haven't seen The Dirty Dozen, it's about a group of military criminals sent on a suicide mission to assassinate Nazi officers. It features an iconic ensemble of actors, most of whom were reunited to voice characters in Small Soldiers as a sort of homage. To the faithful, it will be very, very difficult to see a new version without Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, George Kennedy and the rest. I don't know what the time frame is for the production of the remake, but we may get to see it as early as next year. And if Silver can get the project going soon, maybe it can even go head to head with Penn's buddy Bryan Singer's Hitler assassination movie, Valkyrie. They might even make a good double feature -- or you can rent the original Dirty Dozen and then go see Valkyrie and more possibly experience a great double feature.