i trust ed norton and they.ve let him work the script. rember american history x??
On 5/29/08, ravenadal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Let me go on the record as stating I am among the few who LOVE the Ang > Lee version. > > ~rave! > > > http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-word8-2008may08,0,5852443.story > > 'Hulk's' biggest obstacle: Ang Lee's version > > Can audiences forget the sour aftertaste from the earlier "Hulk"? > > By John Horn > Los Angeles Times Staff Writer > > May 8, 2008 > > COUNTLESS comic-book bad guys have made the fatal mistake of > underestimating the Hulk. Have Hollywood and the media made the same > costly error? > > For weeks, industry gossip and news reports have focused not only on > the shaky stance of Friday's "Speed Racer" -- which seems certain to > be spanked by "Iron Man" over the weekend -- but also the outlook and > production problems for June 13's "The Incredible Hulk." Some people > inside "Hulk" distributor Universal Pictures say picking on the > not-so-jolly green giant has become as much an industry blood sport as > talent agencies' raiding their rival firms. > > Universal and Marvel Studios, which bankrolled "Hulk," believe two > recent events have dramatically upgraded the film's prospects. First > was last weekend's stunning $99-million opening of "Iron Man," the > first movie independently developed, produced and financed by Marvel. > Second was "Hulk's" late-April presentation at New York's Comic-Con > convention, which immediately sparked a flood of rave Internet postings. > > Because "Hulk" doesn't open for more than a month from now, audience > tracking surveys have yet to show how interested -- or uninterested -- > ticket buyers might be in the adaptation. But Universal and Marvel are > both confident that once people see the new film, they will quickly > forget the sour aftertaste from the earlier "Hulk," which Universal > both made and released. > > "The biggest challenge on 'The Incredible Hulk' was Ang Lee's 'Hulk' > in 2003," says Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios. > > In absolute and relative terms, director Lee's superhero movie opened > fantastically, grossing $62.1 million in its first weekend. That > placed it among the strongest introductions of any comic-book movie, > trailing 2002's "Spider-Man" (which opened with $114.8 million) but > ahead of 2000's "X-Men" ($54.5 million), 2003's "Daredevil" ($40.3 > million) and 2005's "Fantastic Four" ($56.1 million). > > But "Hulk's" real (and crushing) story unfolded over its second > weekend, where middling reviews and corrosive word-of-mouth pushed its > grosses down a staggering 70%. > > More action this time > > In deciding to return to the property after such a brief hiatus, > Marvel and Universal tried to figure out what went wrong on the first > film and how they could better capture the enduring appeal of one of > Marvel's most popular creations. They also realized they would have to > cut through a wall of disbelievers. > > "We knew people would be out there saying, 'Why are you doing it > again?' " says Adam Fogelson, Universal's marketing chief. > > Universal and Marvel focused on three areas for improvement: Hulk had > to be more heroic and romantic and less brooding, the new film needed > to be a straight-ahead action film and not a psychological origin > story, and "Hulk" had to be cast and made in a manner to convince > moviegoers it was not a cynical shot at an easy payday. > > "The first 'Hulk' was not as much of an action film," says Gale Anne > Hurd, a producer on the 2003 original and this summer's retry. "And > this time the Hulk really has a foe -- the Abomination. The movie does > not examine how he became the Hulk." > > Feige says Lee's first "Hulk" film delved into a tiny fraction of the > character's mythology. "I just knew that 99% of the Hulk story hadn't > been explored yet," he says. > > As it did with "Iron Man," which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth > Paltrow, Marvel chose to cast "Hulk" with accomplished actors who > theoretically wouldn't get involved in a project that wasn't classy. > > The Hulk (known in friendlier moments as Bruce Banner) is played by > "Fight Club's" Edward Norton, while Emil Blonsky (who is transformed > into the Abomination) is played by fellow Oscar nominee Tim Roth ("Rob > Roy"). The film is directed by Louis Leterrier, a young French > filmmaker best known for the stylish, low-budget "Transporter" crime > dramas. > > Late start for trailer > > The five-year proximity to the first "Hulk" wasn't Marvel and > Universal's only challenge. Because the new edition involved elaborate > special effects, Universal wasn't able to release a teaser trailer > until March (many high-profile films launch their first trailers half > a year before they hit theaters). "We wanted to make sure that from > the very beginning of the creative campaign that we showed that this > movie was different from the first," Fogelson says. > > But since it took so long for the trailer to arrive, the pessimists > controlled the debate. "I never quite felt it was a whipping boy, but > I could feel the angst: Why aren't we seeing anything?" Feige says. > > Fogelson says that while the press and a few bloggers were asking > countless skeptical questions about the film (including a > behind-the-scenes drama involving Norton's script ideas), promotional > partners were sending a different message: They wanted in. "Hulk" will > have more such deals than any other Universal movie this year, with > the affiliates including Burger King, 7-Eleven, Best Buy, the GNC > vitamin stores and Kmart. > > But it was at April's Comic-Con gathering that Universal was able to > make its biggest impression. The San Diego version of the geek fest > attracts a much greater Hollywood and fan presence, but it happens > after "Hulk's" premiere. So Universal and Marvel went to Manhattan, > showing a new trailer, screening an extended scene and introducing the > fact that "Iron Man's" Tony Stark makes a "Hulk" cameo appearance. > (It's a cross-pollination strategy that Marvel has used in its comics > and recently applied to "Iron Man" when the film's final frames teased > to Samuel L. Jackson's upcoming appearance as the character Nick Fury.) > > The reaction was overwhelming. > > In a conference call with stock analysts Monday, Marvel Studios > Chairman David Maisel said the new "Hulk" trailer "is the most viewed > trailer on the Internet that [Universal has] ever released." > > Several fan sites gushed over the Comic-Con panel and were especially > impressed with the much improved and imposing look of the title > character: "I left dying to see the movie" (i09.com); "Surely, anyone > . . . who saw this presentation has little doubt that Leterrier, > Marvel Studios and Universal got it right this time" (comingsoon.net); > and "They won us over and we totally missed the panel" (nymag.com). > > Daunting competitors > > Unlike "Iron Man," which opened against little competition, "Hulk" > faces a far more challenging schedule. It opens opposite M. Night > Shyamalan's "The Happening," is preceded a week by Adam Sandler's "You > Don't Mess With the Zohan" and is followed a week later by Mike Myers' > "The Love Guru" and Steve Carell's "Get Smart." > > And as well as "Iron Man" did (with the "Hulk" trailer playing before > most of the film's showings), its premiere may set unreasonably high > expectations for Marvel's second effort. "The good news is it means > people want to go to the movies," Hurd says. "And it's a little like > 'American Idol.' Does it mean the person who gets the second most > votes isn't a good singer?" > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <john.horn%40latimes.com> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
