Tuesday, November 07, 2006

The Hall Of Heroes

Today's agenda concerns two comic book sequels...

Stax of IGN-Filmforce wrote yesterday:

Another day, another Dark Knight rumor. Now that The Joker has been cast, the rumor mill has been buzzing about who will portray D.A. Harvey Dent (a.k.a. the man who will be Two-Face) in The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins.

Just weeks after
Ryan Phillippe dismissed talk that he was up for the role, Batman-on-Film.com claims that a new, heretofore unreported actor may be a contender to portray Dent.

According to a longtime "friend" of Batman-on-Film.com, Ethan Hawke (Assault on Precinct 13, Training Day) is up for the role of "a lawyer" in the Warner Bros. project. At 36, Hawke is about the right age for the young, doomed D.A.

Hawke's credits include Lord of War, Before Sunrise, Gattaca, Dead Poets Society, Reality Bites and Hamlet. He will next be seen in Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation.


The Dark Knight is slated to begin filming early next year for a 2008 release


Can Hawke Make A "Dent" In The Dark Knight Casting Quandry?

Wow! Ethan Hawke is a name that I never even thought of. But you know what? He would make a great choice for the complicated role...Like his rumored predeceesor, Ryan Phillippe, Hawke has played both good guys and bad guys over the years. Hawke definately has the acting chops. I hope that Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan will let the world know soon, which actor will fill the role, so that the casting rumor mill on the film can quiet down a bit

The second story of the day also comes by way of Filmforce:

Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures have officially announced the big-screen return of The Incredible Hulk. Undaunted by the ho-hum 2003 film adaptation starring Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly, the studios are plotting a new installment that's now set for a Summer 2008 release. Marvel announced today that The Incredible Hulk, as the sequel is called, will hit theaters on June 27th, 2008.

The Incredible Hulk, billed as an "action-packed adventure," is being independently produced by Marvel Studios through its $525 million, non-recourse film finance facility and will be distributed domestically and in several international territories by Universal Pictures.

Kevin Feige, President of Production for Marvel Studios, commented, "The Incredible Hulk will be the type of fun, high-octane event film people have come to expect from Marvel. We could not be more excited about this project and our summer 2008 prospects now that we have both our green goliath and our highly-anticipated Iron Man set for release."

Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed) is directing the movie which will supposedly take the franchise back to its roots. Marvel makes their case for the flick saying it will feature a "well-developed storyline with incredible action and fun."

X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand screenwriter Zak Penn is writing the screenplay.

There's no word yet on what actors might appear in the movie, but the press release circulated today mentions that casting is currently underway...

The Big Green Guy Is Set To Return To The Cineplex In 2008

The Hulk (2003) wasn't a bad movie... but it was too "internalized" concentrating on the dysfunctional family angle as the catalyst. By the time the climax came along--I thought I watching some daytime talk show---rather than a comic book adaptation. Great CGI can only get you so far...

Louis Leterrier certainly knows his way around an action film...I just hope Zak Penn can give the sequel/prequel/reboot what it needs most to work--a solid screenplay.

No comments: