I was just about to post this; kind of strange as I thought the three leads (Downey, Howard, Paltrow) were each signed for a three picture deal.
I'm sorry to see Howard go as I thought he had very good chemistry with Downey and Paltrow. Still, Cheadle is a solid actor and should do fine, although there will definitely be a different dynamic at play. There's more info at the link, including a potential spoiler as to the story and villain:
I get the impression that with Cheadle we will see an entirely different character, created to fit the actor and bring a new dimension to the character relationship. Rhodey was a bit of a straight man to Stark's excess in the comics. Cheadle will add a unique personality to the dynamics.
It reminds me of the way they changed Al Giordino in the 'Sahara' movie a few years back...quite different from the Dirk Pitt books, but still fit well on the screen.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
I really enjoy watching Don Cheadle---he seems incapable of giving a poor performance---but agree with DH that it will have a different 'feel.' Perhaps just as well, as Rhodey will likely be hankering for the suit, and I can definitely 'see' Cheadle in that storyline. Terrence Howard would have been good as well, but I certainly don't think they'll lose anything with the change.
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited October 2008
Well if nothing else, the caliber in acting went up a notch. Cheadle's even shorter than Downey, who's of average height himself I believe, so that'll be odd-looking. But maybe...
...he might do pretty well. He still needs to bulk up more.
I've always thought that Michael Jai White resembled Jim Rhodes from the comic books.
Not only does he look very imposing (like the comic book character IS) but he sounds alot like the Rhodey from the 90s cartoon even though that was Dorian Harewood.
White was Gambol in The Dark Knight; the mob boss The Joker owned in that Trojan horselike ambush.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Funny you mention Michael Jai White (what ever happened to a followup Spawn movie, BTW?) as I also thought he would have made a good Jim Rhodes / War Machine, especially if they'd gone the route of the very early comics and made him a quasi-freelance copter pilot at the beginning. Though given all the other genre roles he's been in, I doubt he'd want to be involved in another comic book adaptation with the risk of typecasting.
Cheadle will be fine; he's a solid actor and I'm sure he'll adapt himself both physically and mentally to the requirements of the role. He's also a pretty well established star so I'd expect Rhodie to get significantly more screen time in the next film.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Funny you mention Michael Jai White (what ever happened to a followup Spawn movie, BTW?)
) I went and saw that back in the day; not what I call a masterpiece but it was No. 1 for its opening weekend.
MacFarlane just couldn't get the backing for a second film if I'm remembering correctly.
Back to Iron Man news:
Terrence Howard Speaks Out on Rhodey Recast
Source:NPR, CHUD October 18, 2008
Actor Terrence Howard appeared in the NPR studio to talk about his debut album "Shine Through It" with Scott Simon for the Weekend Edition. Of course, Simon had to ask him about the recent news that Don Cheadle would be replacing him as James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the upcoming Marvel Studios sequel Iron Man 2.
That news (which has yet to be confirmed by Marvel Studios, who remains as mum as usual) took many fans of the summer's blockbuster hit by surprise since Howard played a large role in many fans' love for the movie, and just as many were excited to see Howard step into the iron suit of War Machine. After the announcement a few days ago, speculation ran rampant about why Howard wouldn't return, but on Simon's radio show, Howard said that he found out about the news the same way the rest of us did.
"It was the surprise of a lifetime," he said. "There was no explanation. [The contract] just...up and vanished. I read something in the trades implicating that it was about money or something, but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on, sometimes. Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."
You can hear the entire interview on NPR.org with the comments about Iron Man 2 starting at roughly 4 and a half minutes in.
(Thanks to Russ at CHUD for bringing this to our attention.)
Typical Hollywood back and forth; I don't know who to believe. I really hoped that he could return to don the War Machine armor in the sequel.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Sam having an extended role in Iron Man 2? Bring on Ultimate Nick! B-)
Samuel L. Jackson Talks Briefly On 'Iron Man 2' and Don Cheadle
Posted Oct 19th 2008 4:17PM by Wilson Morales
Filed under: It's All Reel, Entertainment
While doing interviews for his latest film, 'Soul Men' in Los Angeles, Samuel L. Jackson talked briefly about his return as Nick Fury in the sequel to 'Iron Man' and working with Don Cheadle, who has replaced Terrence Howard in the role of Jim Rhodes. In the first film, Nick Fury appears to Tony Stark in his house letting him know that he wants to start the Avengers initiative.
Are we going to see more of Nick Fury in 'Iron Man 2'?
Samuel L. Jackson: I saw Jon Favreau last night (at the Scream Awards), and he told me we were. I was standing next to George Lucas and he said to me, 'Hey! I hope you are making your deal with them (Paramount)' and I was like, 'Really' (Laughs)
Are you excited to be working with Don Cheadle?
SLJ: Yes. Don and I are good friends and I think it's going to be an exciting difference. We'll see what happens. It's kind of amazing how (the switch from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle) that happened.
AICN is quoting an official Marvel press release which confirms that Jon Favreau will direct Iron Man 2 as well as serve as executive producer on Avengers. Here's the full article:
AICN is quoting an official Marvel press release which confirms that Jon Favreau will direct Iron Man 2 as well as serve as executive producer on Avengers. Here's the full article:
How much do you think a film like Avengers will run over budget? Especially when you've got all of those high caliber stars to pay before whomever directs yells "action"?
175 million? 250?
I'm seroius here; this is a big project with the CGI and all.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
AICN is quoting an official Marvel press release which confirms that Jon Favreau will direct Iron Man 2 as well as serve as executive producer on Avengers. Here's the full article:
How much do you think a film like Avengers will run over budget? Especially when you've got all of those high caliber stars to pay before whomever directs yells "action"?
175 million? 250?
I'm seroius here; this is a big project with the CGI and all.
As Favreau himself stated, other movies (like the George Clooney Oceans XX films) have shown that you can have a high caliber ensemble cast working together and checking their egos at the door. That part of it comes down to having a professional set of actors who genuinely believe in the story, want to be involved and work with one another and for whom money isn't the primary motivator. Tough to do but probably not impossible.
They also need to establish Thor and Captain America as viable franchises in their own right first. If those two films falter or even do the same levels of business as The Incredible Hulk, Marvel may rethink their whole Avengers strategy.
As for filming the action and all the CGI required, no doubt it will be a big project. Since the film is still a couple of years away I'm sure they're hoping that advancements in technology will make it more affordable to shoot. I'm also sure they'll factor all the money to be made from ancillary sources - books, toys, games, home video, etc. And if they can see their vision thru, they'll get a lot of business from people who are just curious to see how they weave all these disparate franchises into one cohesive movie (I'm curious to see that myself).
There's a long way to go before an Avengers movie becomes reality but yeah, at the end of the day, it will cost big bucks no mater what and they'll have to put lots and lots of people in seats to see it through and make it profitable. It will be quite the accomplishment if they can pull it off.
I finally watched Iron Man last night, before I start my review I should mention that I have never read an Iron Man comic, so I am not familiar with the source material. Also, I have never liked Robert Downey Jr. and I am not a big fan of Gwynth Paltrow. Having said that, I will now tell you that I really enjoyed the movie.
The movie grabbed me early and held my interest throughout. I enjoyed the small bits of humor and I thought the entire cast, Downey, Paltrow, and an almost unrecognizable Jeff Bridges. Downey especially was good, he appeared to have bulked up for the movie, but it wasn't just his physical appearance that was on display. He showed some real flair in his performance, and I have to say I enjoued his work.
I also enjoyed the way the Iron Man character comes to be, not sure if it is true to the comic book, but I found it plausable enough to be believable.
My only minor complaint was the final battle where we have one Iron Man battling another Iron Man, only bigger. While they were fighting I actually thought of the Transformers movie. I would have enjoyed a final battle against the terrorist organization more.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the movie Barry. FWIW, the movie was very true to the original comics in terms of how Stark is captured and subsequently builds the suits (though obviously brought forward in time to make it more up to date and relevant). Your concerns going in, praises, criticisms and overall reaction were pretty much in line with me and just everybody else around here I think.
And speaking of Iron Man, there's an article over at Entertainment Weekly's website with "inside info" on why Terrence Howard was replaced. In short, it intimates that Favreau wasn't happy with his on-set demeanor or the quality of his performance (it mentions significant edits and reshoots were required) and he had actually been minimizing his role in IM2 as a result. Since Howard was the first person signed, he was also the highest paid actor on the movie (even higher than Downey or Paltrow). Upon discovering all of this, Marvel Films swept in, offered him a drastically reduced fee and, when Howard's people balked, quickly recast the role.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
If only I knew the feeling... ;%
Marvel's Embarrassment Of Riches
5 November 2008 9:56 AM, PST
Iron Man was pure gold for Marvel Entertainment in the company's third quarter, with revenue pouring in from theaters faster than the company had expected. Profits were up 39 percent to $50.6 million on revenue of $182.5 million. Marvel had originally advised investors not to expect much revenue from its Iron Man feature until next year. However, the company said that $60 million of its third-quarter gross came from the superhero movie. Today's (Wednesday) Hollywood Reporter observed, however, that the windfall from the movie this year forces Marvel to reduce its revenue projections for next year when it will have no films in theatrical release. (Iron Man 2 and Thor are due to be released in 2010.)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
So when does "Wolverine" come out? Are the X-Men films not offical Marvel projects? I never hear them referred to as part of Marvel, as if they're some redheaded stepchild.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
So when does "Wolverine" come out? Are the X-Men films not offical Marvel projects? I never hear them referred to as part of Marvel, as if they're some redheaded stepchild.
Wolverine is due to come out in May through Fox who, btw, own the movie rights to the character. He's still Marvel's property but they(Marvel) cannot use him cinematically in any shape, way or form until Fox's contract expires and if Marvel or Fox chooses to renew the franchise/character at the end of term. If not then the product(s) goes back to Marvel and its studios.
The same thing with Sony owning movie Spider-Man.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
So when does "Wolverine" come out? Are the X-Men films not offical Marvel projects? I never hear them referred to as part of Marvel, as if they're some redheaded stepchild.
I'm pretty sure it comes out in early May, 2009.
My understanding is that whereas Marvel's film division owns the movie rights to Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor 20th Century Fox currently owns the movie rights to the X-Men characters (as well as the Fantastic Four) and as such can dictate whether those characters can appear or even be referenced in other films.
Louis Letterier wanted to have Peter Parker do a cameo in the Incredible Hulk; but Sony, who currently owns the exclusive movie rights to Spiderman, nixed the idea, preferring to keep the hero separate from everyone else. They didn't even let Letterier use the same university.
This kind of rights separation is why certain characters never appear or are even mentioned in other films.
EDIT: Looks like RogueAgent and I are on the same wavelength this morning. Almost identical answers within 2 minutes of one another )
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
EDIT: Looks like RogueAgent and I are on the same wavelength this morning. Almost identical answers within 2 minutes of one another )
Whoa. It would appear so. )
Even though I'm glad that Marvel owns a majority of their properties, I really hope that they let the Lionsgate lease run out and not renew it so The Punisher gets the attention he really deserves; I think Marvel Studios would know how to do their own character justice. I'm going to see the film come next month but I have a mixed bag of feelings on it.
I had read somewhere that they're going to do the same thing with Daredevil after its lease has run out with Fox.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
My Kotobukiya Iron Man movie statue finally arrived and boy was it worth the wait. The thing is about 14" tall, sculpted in cold-cast porcelain, painted with metallic paint, and even lights up. As far as I can tell it is exact to the movie version.
Here's a few pics (my camera really doesn't do the statue justice), click on them for larger versions...
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Well it's not as cool as Little Hal... :v
...but I'm very impressed with your purchase, Tony. Looks great. {[]
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I've seen those figures; they're well sculpted but I don't do plastic anymore as I've just about run out of room. These days I'd rather have one really cool piece from a movie that a whole bunch of items that I could never display.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Tony, you don't HAVE to get all three - one would be smaller than the Koto statue.
Tony, you don't HAVE to get all three - one would be smaller than the Koto statue.
Oh yes I would. I'm a completionist Night. If I got one, I would be compelled to get all three, not to mention all the ancillary toys. Years ago, I ended up buying almost every Toy Biz Marvel figure - even characters I'd never heard of. I think I still have a picture of all those figures surrounding a giant scaled Galactus. Compulsive? Maybe. Besides, the statue has layers and layers of detail that those figures could never match.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
I am. They look really nice (as to their Dark Knight figures, especially Two-Face), and I may even pick them up at some point, but plastic is plastic; its like comparing a Sideshow 12" Bond figure to a Sideshow 1/4 scale Bond statue - one's an action figure, one's a sculpture - apples to oranges. Based on the pics, the paint job seems a little better and more "metallic" on the Koto as well. And besides, the Koto is in my house right now; those won't be available until the end of the year in some cases.
Just what are you trying to do here Night? Make me go broke? )
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
I have to live vicariously through someone - I wanted the Iron Man stuff, but I can't afford it. I settled on Dark Knight Batman (which arrived recently), the Bat-Pod, and Bank Robber Joker, which I couldn't afford in the first place, but oh well.
I know, I know, this is extremely late, but seeing that it's been in my notepad for practically forever, I thought I would finally post my IM review.
Alright, I saw IM twice earlier this year. I liked it alot. I'll list my likes, and then my dislikes, in random order.
My likes: I loved Gwyeneth Paltrow. She's an actress whom I used to adore (in the days of Seven and Sliding Doors) but then whom I began to tire of; however I thought she was fantastic in IM. Sweet, intelligent, gorgeous, the kind of assistant that probably exists only in movies but would be wonderful to have in real life. I thought she was fantastic, and I really hope that she will be in all the sequals.
The music was amazing; in fact my only criticism is that there was not enough of it. (Tony, do you really not like the music? )
The action scenes were terrific. The first one, Stark's escape, was a fantastic example of Stark's creativity and resourcefulness. The second one, saving the people in Afghanistan, was enormously fun, although I wish that Stark wasn't interrupted so many times whilst flying (I loved watching him fly with the music blaring. ) The climatic action scene was fine, although the way it was resolved was a little confusing. Some people have accused it of being unexciting, but while it didn't have me on the edge of my seat, I did enjoy it.
The film was smartly directed and had a great feel (I love the way Stark's backstory was relayed to the audience.) The screenplay, although flawed (which I will discuss later on) was impressive, while Downer Jr did a very good job. I'm not the world's biggest fan of him. I think he's a very talented actor but I don't think he's the acting genius that alot of people seem to think he is. However he did a very good job as Stark (my favourite moments in terms of acting were when he blew up at the reporter about the benefits of his weapons, and of course the final scene.)
That said, I don't think it was among the best superhero portrayals that I've seen, and it might be because IMO, Iron Man doesn't lend himself to great acting in the way that Batman and Spider-Man do. Alot of Downey Jr's performance, whilst very good, was about facade, and I don't think it was as good as Christian Bale's performance in Baman Begins or Toby Meguire's performances in the first two Spider-Man films. :v
The final scene (pre-credits) was IMO absolutely wonderful, and completely stunned me in a similar way to the final scene of CR. I would go so far as to say that it's the best superhero final scene that I've seen since the last scene of Spider-Man 2 (and was IMO alot better than the final scene of The Incredible Hulk.)
My dislikes: I thought that Jeff Bridges was a disappointing villain. Although I love him, and he was great as usual (his anger towards Stark at the end was awesome; finally a villain who tells the hero just what he think of him ), he was however quite undeveloped. I would have preferred if his motivations had been more strongly laid out. Don't get me wrong; I think he was a good villain. I also think he was an essential villain as having a Muslim/Arab villain would IMO have been disasterous.
On that note, I would like to make a comment. Before I do so, I would like to point out that contrary to rumours, I do know how to have fun and nor do I go into superhero films checking out the ideology. However, I've read several reviews prior to and since seeing IM, that have specifically focused on ideology, so I feel that to not even comment on it would mean that I'm not doing my job, so to speak.
Nonetheless, all I will say is I think the film did a very good job. The main villain was American and as Tony reminded me in a PM several of the characters that Iron Man saved were American. Additionally the man who saved Stark and was one of the film's mmost honourable characters was Afghani, while the Muslim villain at the start (Raza I believe) had IMO one of the film's best lines; "Long ago, the bow and arrow was the ultimate technological achievement. It was used by Genghis Khan to forge an empire that stretched across Asia, from the wintry woods of Ukraine to the Eastern shores of Korea. Now, whoever holds the weapons manufactured by Stark Industries rules the world... and soon, it will be *my* turn." My one criticism is of the waterboarding which I felt was imapproptate.
However, forgetting ideology (and I do want to stress that I was't sitting in front of IM with a notepad in my hands writing up about the ideology )), I don't think that Stark's transformation was quite as believable as the filmmakers made it out to be, I don't think there was enough meat in the sandwich in terms of Stark being Iron Man and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent must be one of the most patient and least stressed characters in the history of cinema not to get at least a little annoyed at the way he was being ignored.
That all said, I really did enjoy the film, and while it's not my favourite superhero film, I had a great time, and I can not wait till the sequel.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited November 2008
Robert Downey Jr. Talks Avengers
Source:MTV November 25, 2008
MTV has an interesting interview with Robert Downey Jr. in which he talks about the fact that Marvel Studios will have to work hard on getting The Avengers movie right with so many characters involved. But this quote is the one that got us...
"The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is [director] Jon [Favreau] was very certain that 'Iron Man' should be set in a very realistic world. Nothing that happened in 'Iron Man' is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants it warrants much further discussion."
Interesting, very interesting! The movie doesn't hit theaters until July 15, 2011.
I strongly agree with Downey on this. It's like meshing Nolan's Bats with Donner's Supes. It can be done but not by just anyone.
I guess that rumor that Fing Fang Foom was going to be the villian in the sequel was just fanboy speculation; the franchise couldn't get more fantastical without him.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Comments
I'm sorry to see Howard go as I thought he had very good chemistry with Downey and Paltrow. Still, Cheadle is a solid actor and should do fine, although there will definitely be a different dynamic at play. There's more info at the link, including a potential spoiler as to the story and villain:
Howard Out, Cheadle In Iron Man 2
It reminds me of the way they changed Al Giordino in the 'Sahara' movie a few years back...quite different from the Dirk Pitt books, but still fit well on the screen.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
...he might do pretty well. He still needs to bulk up more.
I've always thought that Michael Jai White resembled Jim Rhodes from the comic books.
Not only does he look very imposing (like the comic book character IS) but he sounds alot like the Rhodey from the 90s cartoon even though that was Dorian Harewood.
White was Gambol in The Dark Knight; the mob boss The Joker owned in that Trojan horselike ambush.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Cheadle will be fine; he's a solid actor and I'm sure he'll adapt himself both physically and mentally to the requirements of the role. He's also a pretty well established star so I'd expect Rhodie to get significantly more screen time in the next film.
MacFarlane just couldn't get the backing for a second film if I'm remembering correctly.
Back to Iron Man news:
Terrence Howard Speaks Out on Rhodey Recast
Source:NPR, CHUD October 18, 2008
Actor Terrence Howard appeared in the NPR studio to talk about his debut album "Shine Through It" with Scott Simon for the Weekend Edition. Of course, Simon had to ask him about the recent news that Don Cheadle would be replacing him as James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the upcoming Marvel Studios sequel Iron Man 2.
That news (which has yet to be confirmed by Marvel Studios, who remains as mum as usual) took many fans of the summer's blockbuster hit by surprise since Howard played a large role in many fans' love for the movie, and just as many were excited to see Howard step into the iron suit of War Machine. After the announcement a few days ago, speculation ran rampant about why Howard wouldn't return, but on Simon's radio show, Howard said that he found out about the news the same way the rest of us did.
"It was the surprise of a lifetime," he said. "There was no explanation. [The contract] just...up and vanished. I read something in the trades implicating that it was about money or something, but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on, sometimes. Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."
You can hear the entire interview on NPR.org with the comments about Iron Man 2 starting at roughly 4 and a half minutes in.
(Thanks to Russ at CHUD for bringing this to our attention.)
The interview link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95833828
Typical Hollywood back and forth; I don't know who to believe. I really hoped that he could return to don the War Machine armor in the sequel.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Samuel L. Jackson Talks Briefly On 'Iron Man 2' and Don Cheadle
Posted Oct 19th 2008 4:17PM by Wilson Morales
Filed under: It's All Reel, Entertainment
While doing interviews for his latest film, 'Soul Men' in Los Angeles, Samuel L. Jackson talked briefly about his return as Nick Fury in the sequel to 'Iron Man' and working with Don Cheadle, who has replaced Terrence Howard in the role of Jim Rhodes. In the first film, Nick Fury appears to Tony Stark in his house letting him know that he wants to start the Avengers initiative.
Are we going to see more of Nick Fury in 'Iron Man 2'?
Samuel L. Jackson: I saw Jon Favreau last night (at the Scream Awards), and he told me we were. I was standing next to George Lucas and he said to me, 'Hey! I hope you are making your deal with them (Paramount)' and I was like, 'Really' (Laughs)
Are you excited to be working with Don Cheadle?
SLJ: Yes. Don and I are good friends and I think it's going to be an exciting difference. We'll see what happens. It's kind of amazing how (the switch from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle) that happened.
http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2008/10/19/samuel-l-jackson-talks-briefly-on-iron-man-2-and-don-cheadle/
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38902
How much do you think a film like Avengers will run over budget? Especially when you've got all of those high caliber stars to pay before whomever directs yells "action"?
175 million? 250?
I'm seroius here; this is a big project with the CGI and all.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
As Favreau himself stated, other movies (like the George Clooney Oceans XX films) have shown that you can have a high caliber ensemble cast working together and checking their egos at the door. That part of it comes down to having a professional set of actors who genuinely believe in the story, want to be involved and work with one another and for whom money isn't the primary motivator. Tough to do but probably not impossible.
They also need to establish Thor and Captain America as viable franchises in their own right first. If those two films falter or even do the same levels of business as The Incredible Hulk, Marvel may rethink their whole Avengers strategy.
As for filming the action and all the CGI required, no doubt it will be a big project. Since the film is still a couple of years away I'm sure they're hoping that advancements in technology will make it more affordable to shoot. I'm also sure they'll factor all the money to be made from ancillary sources - books, toys, games, home video, etc. And if they can see their vision thru, they'll get a lot of business from people who are just curious to see how they weave all these disparate franchises into one cohesive movie (I'm curious to see that myself).
There's a long way to go before an Avengers movie becomes reality but yeah, at the end of the day, it will cost big bucks no mater what and they'll have to put lots and lots of people in seats to see it through and make it profitable. It will be quite the accomplishment if they can pull it off.
The movie grabbed me early and held my interest throughout. I enjoyed the small bits of humor and I thought the entire cast, Downey, Paltrow, and an almost unrecognizable Jeff Bridges. Downey especially was good, he appeared to have bulked up for the movie, but it wasn't just his physical appearance that was on display. He showed some real flair in his performance, and I have to say I enjoued his work.
I also enjoyed the way the Iron Man character comes to be, not sure if it is true to the comic book, but I found it plausable enough to be believable.
My only minor complaint was the final battle where we have one Iron Man battling another Iron Man, only bigger. While they were fighting I actually thought of the Transformers movie. I would have enjoyed a final battle against the terrorist organization more.
That small complaint aside, it was a fun viewing.
And speaking of Iron Man, there's an article over at Entertainment Weekly's website with "inside info" on why Terrence Howard was replaced. In short, it intimates that Favreau wasn't happy with his on-set demeanor or the quality of his performance (it mentions significant edits and reshoots were required) and he had actually been minimizing his role in IM2 as a result. Since Howard was the first person signed, he was also the highest paid actor on the movie (even higher than Downey or Paltrow). Upon discovering all of this, Marvel Films swept in, offered him a drastically reduced fee and, when Howard's people balked, quickly recast the role.
Here's the full article: Why Was Rhodie Recast?
Marvel's Embarrassment Of Riches
5 November 2008 9:56 AM, PST
Iron Man was pure gold for Marvel Entertainment in the company's third quarter, with revenue pouring in from theaters faster than the company had expected. Profits were up 39 percent to $50.6 million on revenue of $182.5 million. Marvel had originally advised investors not to expect much revenue from its Iron Man feature until next year. However, the company said that $60 million of its third-quarter gross came from the superhero movie. Today's (Wednesday) Hollywood Reporter observed, however, that the windfall from the movie this year forces Marvel to reduce its revenue projections for next year when it will have no films in theatrical release. (Iron Man 2 and Thor are due to be released in 2010.)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Wolverine is due to come out in May through Fox who, btw, own the movie rights to the character. He's still Marvel's property but they(Marvel) cannot use him cinematically in any shape, way or form until Fox's contract expires and if Marvel or Fox chooses to renew the franchise/character at the end of term. If not then the product(s) goes back to Marvel and its studios.
The same thing with Sony owning movie Spider-Man.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I'm pretty sure it comes out in early May, 2009.
My understanding is that whereas Marvel's film division owns the movie rights to Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor 20th Century Fox currently owns the movie rights to the X-Men characters (as well as the Fantastic Four) and as such can dictate whether those characters can appear or even be referenced in other films.
Louis Letterier wanted to have Peter Parker do a cameo in the Incredible Hulk; but Sony, who currently owns the exclusive movie rights to Spiderman, nixed the idea, preferring to keep the hero separate from everyone else. They didn't even let Letterier use the same university.
This kind of rights separation is why certain characters never appear or are even mentioned in other films.
EDIT: Looks like RogueAgent and I are on the same wavelength this morning. Almost identical answers within 2 minutes of one another
Whoa. It would appear so.
Even though I'm glad that Marvel owns a majority of their properties, I really hope that they let the Lionsgate lease run out and not renew it so The Punisher gets the attention he really deserves; I think Marvel Studios would know how to do their own character justice. I'm going to see the film come next month but I have a mixed bag of feelings on it.
I had read somewhere that they're going to do the same thing with Daredevil after its lease has run out with Fox.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Here's a few pics (my camera really doesn't do the statue justice), click on them for larger versions...
...but I'm very impressed with your purchase, Tony. Looks great. {[]
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
There isn't much that could be as cool as Little Hal.
Thanks Rogue, feel free to show it to the Marvel Sisters. But make sure you have some paper towels on hand...just in case. :v
Oh yes I would. I'm a completionist Night. If I got one, I would be compelled to get all three, not to mention all the ancillary toys. Years ago, I ended up buying almost every Toy Biz Marvel figure - even characters I'd never heard of. I think I still have a picture of all those figures surrounding a giant scaled Galactus. Compulsive? Maybe. Besides, the statue has layers and layers of detail that those figures could never match.
Not so sure about that:
I am. They look really nice (as to their Dark Knight figures, especially Two-Face), and I may even pick them up at some point, but plastic is plastic; its like comparing a Sideshow 12" Bond figure to a Sideshow 1/4 scale Bond statue - one's an action figure, one's a sculpture - apples to oranges. Based on the pics, the paint job seems a little better and more "metallic" on the Koto as well. And besides, the Koto is in my house right now; those won't be available until the end of the year in some cases.
Just what are you trying to do here Night? Make me go broke?
Alright, I saw IM twice earlier this year. I liked it alot. I'll list my likes, and then my dislikes, in random order.
My likes: I loved Gwyeneth Paltrow. She's an actress whom I used to adore (in the days of Seven and Sliding Doors) but then whom I began to tire of; however I thought she was fantastic in IM. Sweet, intelligent, gorgeous, the kind of assistant that probably exists only in movies but would be wonderful to have in real life.
The music was amazing; in fact my only criticism is that there was not enough of it. (Tony, do you really not like the music?
The action scenes were terrific. The first one, Stark's escape, was a fantastic example of Stark's creativity and resourcefulness. The second one, saving the people in Afghanistan, was enormously fun, although I wish that Stark wasn't interrupted so many times whilst flying (I loved watching him fly with the music blaring.
The film was smartly directed and had a great feel (I love the way Stark's backstory was relayed to the audience.) The screenplay, although flawed (which I will discuss later on) was impressive, while Downer Jr did a very good job. I'm not the world's biggest fan of him. I think he's a very talented actor but I don't think he's the acting genius that alot of people seem to think he is. However he did a very good job as Stark (my favourite moments in terms of acting were when he blew up at the reporter about the benefits of his weapons, and of course the final scene.)
That said, I don't think it was among the best superhero portrayals that I've seen, and it might be because IMO, Iron Man doesn't lend himself to great acting in the way that Batman and Spider-Man do. Alot of Downey Jr's performance, whilst very good, was about facade, and I don't think it was as good as Christian Bale's performance in Baman Begins or Toby Meguire's performances in the first two Spider-Man films. :v
The final scene (pre-credits) was IMO absolutely wonderful, and completely stunned me in a similar way to the final scene of CR. I would go so far as to say that it's the best superhero final scene that I've seen since the last scene of Spider-Man 2 (and was IMO alot better than the final scene of The Incredible Hulk.)
My dislikes: I thought that Jeff Bridges was a disappointing villain. Although I love him, and he was great as usual (his anger towards Stark at the end was awesome; finally a villain who tells the hero just what he think of him
On that note, I would like to make a comment. Before I do so, I would like to point out that contrary to rumours, I do know how to have fun and nor do I go into superhero films checking out the ideology.
Nonetheless, all I will say is I think the film did a very good job. The main villain was American and as Tony reminded me in a PM several of the characters that Iron Man saved were American. Additionally the man who saved Stark and was one of the film's mmost honourable characters was Afghani, while the Muslim villain at the start (Raza I believe) had IMO one of the film's best lines; "Long ago, the bow and arrow was the ultimate technological achievement. It was used by Genghis Khan to forge an empire that stretched across Asia, from the wintry woods of Ukraine to the Eastern shores of Korea. Now, whoever holds the weapons manufactured by Stark Industries rules the world... and soon, it will be *my* turn."
However, forgetting ideology (and I do want to stress that I was't sitting in front of IM with a notepad in my hands writing up about the ideology
That all said, I really did enjoy the film, and while it's not my favourite superhero film, I had a great time, and I can not wait till the sequel.
Source:MTV November 25, 2008
MTV has an interesting interview with Robert Downey Jr. in which he talks about the fact that Marvel Studios will have to work hard on getting The Avengers movie right with so many characters involved. But this quote is the one that got us...
"The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is [director] Jon [Favreau] was very certain that 'Iron Man' should be set in a very realistic world. Nothing that happened in 'Iron Man' is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants it warrants much further discussion."
Interesting, very interesting! The movie doesn't hit theaters until July 15, 2011.
I strongly agree with Downey on this. It's like meshing Nolan's Bats with Donner's Supes. It can be done but not by just anyone.
I guess that rumor that Fing Fang Foom was going to be the villian in the sequel was just fanboy speculation; the franchise couldn't get more fantastical without him.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Not sure about Rourke but Rockwell should be good as Justin Hammer.
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk