Thursday, May 13, 2010
IRON MAN 2 goes Disney?
"Of all the things a Disney fan might expect from box office smash Iron Man 2 — A-list celebrities, dazzling special effects, heart-racing action — a Richard Sherman tune might not be one of them. But moviegoers get just that when seeing the new movie, which took in a staggering $133.6 million this past weekend.
'It's a small part of the film,' scoffs Richard modestly, speaking exclusively to D23. Sherman's melody, 'Make Way for Tomorrow Today,' is the theme for the 1974 Stark Expo in the film, and can also be heard over the closing credits (an orchestral arrangement of the song is played over the Stark Expo 2010 web site). The Expo looks suspiciously like an updated version of the 1964 New York World's Fair for which Walt Disney himself played a leading creative role. In fact, the character of Howard Stark (father of Tony Stark — played by Robert Downey, Jr.) looks suspiciously like Walt himself and his on-camera addresses are reminiscent of Walt's personal talks with his audience during his many television appearances. 'Tony's father is a cross between Walt Disney and Howard Hughes,' explains Richard, who's crafted dozens of enduring Disney songs over the years — from 'It's A Small World' to 'A Spoonful of Sugar' — with his brother, Robert.
'The filmmakers wanted a Disney-esque song to be the theme song of the Stark Expo,' continues the Disney Legend. So who better to approach than then composer of one of the most iconic songs of the 1964 World's Fair? 'It's very much a Disney-style up-tempo number,' says Richard, who confirms the piece gives a wink and a nod to his 1964 composition for the Carousel of Progress. 'It's the feel of 'There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.' It has the same exciting Disney quality.'
Richard, who calls Iron Man 2 a 'great, fun movie,' says he thinks his old boss would be thrilled with Disney's acquisition of the Marvel label. 'It's entertaining — Walt was an entertainer,' he points out. 'I think Walt would be pleased about this. He's smiling down.'
Richard has reason to smile too: 'Make Way for Tomorrow Today' is slated to appear in the upcoming Captain America film ('different style, same song,' Richard notes), ensuring the music of this true Disney treasure will continue to be enjoyed by a whole new generation."
If you haven't heard this great melody go to - http://www.starkexpo2010.com
It's good to know that the Sherman brothers are still recognizable after all these years.
Friday, April 30, 2010
IRON MAN 2 gets down with a TV Spot!
"Recently, Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau spotted a trailer remix that was created by DJ Mike Relm. He showed the remix to Paramount who hired Relm to cut together an official TV spot, which has aired on TV."
Makes you wanna boogie!!!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Kenneth Branagh talks THOR
"It's no surprise to learn that back in Ireland, young Kenneth Branagh -- who would grow up to direct film adaptations of Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V -- fell under the spell of tales about royal family intrigue, ancient rivalry and clanging battlefields. What is unexpected, though, is that epic of obsession was by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, not William Shakespeare.
'Growing up, my single comic book passion was Thor,' says the 49-year-old actor and filmmaker who surprised many industry observers by taking on the director's job on the big-budget adaptation of the Marvel Comics thunder god. 'From my time in Belfast as a kid, that's the first time I came across that comic, really, exclusively, I don't know why, but it struck a chord. I was drawn to it. I liked all the dynastic drama.'
For the uninitiated, the Marvel character Thor first appeared in the August 1962 issue of 'Journey into Mystery' (it was a big summer for Marvel -- the first Spider-Man comic book hits stands that same month) as an odd mix of Norse myth and Marvel's distinctive brand of wildly kinetic cosmic melodrama.
With his winged helmet, magic hammer and odd old English diction, he fought evil aliens, ancient wizards and costumed crooks and even teamed up with Hercules in Marvel's no-borders brand of mythology.
Thor, due in 2011, is filming now in Santa Fe, N.M., and stars newcomer Chris Hemsworth (who played the doomed father of James T. Kirk in last year's Star Trek) will carry the magical hammer of Thor in the film, with Natalie Portman playing his mortal love, Jane Foster. Anthony Hopkins is Odin, Thor's father, and Tom Hiddleston plays the thunder god's duplicitous brother, Loki.
For both Branagh and upstart Marvel Studios (which arrived with a splash in Hollywood in 2008 with Iron Man) the cinematic mash-up of Viking deity and 21st century do-gooder will be a singular challenge in Hollywood's crowded superhero sector.
The story is split between Asgard, the majestic and eternal home of the Norse gods, and the modern world, which Branagh says he views more as an opportunity than a challenge.
'Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we've tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world,' Branagh said. 'It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different.... The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film.'
It was a different sort of tension that put the film in headlines this week. Gatecrasher, a report in the New York Daily News gossip column, quoted unnamed sources that painted a picture of a sour movie set, with Hopkins making it clear to the crew that he thinks little of 26-year-old Hemsworth's acting skills and Branagh growing frustrated with the Oscar-winning elder's pessimism and complaints.
Hopkins was said to be outraged by the report. The 72-year-old Welsh actor issued this statement: 'I am having the time of my life making Thor with Ken and Chris. They have made every day immensely fun and collaborative, and we're all puzzled that someone would fabricate a story suggesting otherwise. I'm proud to say that Thor has been one of the great experiences of my career.'
Branagh,meanwhile, went on at length about the esprit de corps of his cast, which also includes Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson and Stellan SkarsgÄrd.
There will also be elements that will move forward with Marvel Studios unprecedented plan to create a unified universe of heroes and stories that spreads across films, including the upcoming Captain America movie in 2011 and Iron Man 2, which arrives May 7 as one of the most anticipated movies of 2010.
'It's going very, very well,' Branagh said Wednesday. 'We're in New Meixco now where we have a contemporary Earth part of our story. I guess we're two-thirds of the way through the story and at this stage of the game what's surprising and delighting me is the way the cast, the ensemble, has fused together. It's kind of an interesting combination of very young and very experienced people and the double-up of that, it seems to me, is there is a lot of fire in the movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it doesn't try to be too solemn.'
Branagh made a point to praise Hopkins as 'an extraordinary actor with his Celtic passion and incredible technique' and said he has been a binding force for the film on the set and will do the same on the screen. The cast that plays Asgard's royal family are 'people who can embody larger-than-life characters but retain at the center a natural, recognizable, human dynamic ... and these people run the universe.'
Young Hemsworth will also star as Thor in the planned Avengers movie, the superhero team film where (if the current casting plan holds) the Aussie newcomer will have to hold his own with far more experienced peers -- Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man; Edward Norton Jr. as the Hulk's alter ego, Bruce Banner; and Chris Evans as Captain America.
Wednesday was a big day for Marvel Studios because director Jon Favreau wrapped up Iron Man 2. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studio's president and producer on Thor, was in a celebratory mood, but it was split with with anger over the New York Daily News reports, which Feige called 'garbage'.
Feige said the plan to meld the Marvel Universe on the silver screen will move forward dramatically now and he said there are some surprises in Iron Man 2 that set up an unexpected bond to the Captain America movie that director Joe Johnston is doing early work on now in England.
'Now many of the pieces are in place ... with Iron Man 2 finished and Thor more than halfway done, that lattice work is being built.'
Feige said Branagh is proving to be the ideal choice for Thor -- the executive knew he would be after seeing the buoyant and accessible Much Ado About Nothing, which made Shakespeare fun and funny even to 'comic book fans like me,' Feige said. He added: 'You could actually laugh and understand all of it.'"
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Kevin Fiege updates on Marvel Movie Universe!
From SuperHero Hype:
"SFX Magazine's March issue features an interview with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in which he talks more about the studio's upcoming projects and makes one fairly big reveal.
Feige talked about how Iron Man, Iron Man 2 (May 7), Thor (May 6, 2011) and The First Avenger: Captain America (July 22, 2011) will lay the foundation for what should be the ultimate superhero epic - The Avengers (May 4, 2012).
'It's fun now, and we're introducing some new characters in [Iron Man 2],' he told the magazine. 'But it's not about just cramming in lots of new people; that's sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel - adding in too many characters. This is totally Tony Stark's story. And that's gonna weave into Thor's story, and Steve Rogers' story, and it's already ingrained with Nick Fury's story and an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D.'
He says that it is important to first focus on each character. 'My only concern is that when we launch a franchise--whichever character's franchise that may be--it should stand on its own two feet... So by the time The Avengers comes in 2012, it's not just a team superhero movie with a bunch of characters with powers. It's three people - four including the Hulk; five including Nick Fury - who you've seen before in other movies, coming together for the very first time.'
Catch that Hulk bit? Feige also said that he won't rule out the possibility of a second Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton. 'That would be post-Avengers, if it happened... I think there's a chance. It's certainly our intention to use the same actors from film to film where we can.'
Feige was asked it will be difficult to meld the fantasy of Thor with the high-tech science fiction in Iron Man and The Avengers. 'No,' he said, 'because we're doing the Jack Kirby/Stan Lee/Walt Simonson/J. Michael Straczynski Thor. We're not doing the blow-the-dust-off-of-the-old-Norse-book-in-your-library Thor. And in the Thor of the Marvel Universe, there's a race called the Asgardians. And we're linked through this Tree of Life that we're unaware of. It's real science, but we don't know about it yet. The Thor movie is about teaching people that.'
The magazine asked Feige what other characters may come to the big screen after The Avengers. 'I love Doctor Strange. Ant-Man is like Whiplash - one of those chracters where you're like, 'Really?' that we've got a fun story with. I've always wanted to do something with Black Panther. I think what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done with Iron Fist lately is great, and the Iron Fist mythology opens up a whole other part to us. I'd love to break into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe even more - it's kind of there in Thor. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek got me jonesing to do that. It's what I grew up on - Star Trek and Star Wars. I want to do a big space epic. And we've got them in Marvel.'"
Sounds good. Just don't let Disney get its "gloved" hands on it.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
AC/DC "Shoots to Thrill" with IRON MAN 2
"Through a unique collaboration between Marvel Studios and Columbia Records, AC/DC's music will be featured in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2. Also, Columbia Records will release the album 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' on Monday, April 19, 2010. 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' features 15 classic AC/DC songs selected from ten of the band's studio albums, ranging from 1976 to 2008. The complete track listing can be found below.
The debut video from 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' is the AC/DC's classic album cut 'Shoot To Thrill', which was filmed live last month in Buenos Aires during the band's highly acclaimed Black Ice World Tour. The video also incorporates exclusive footage from Iron Man 2 and can be watchwed at ACDC.com! 'Shoot To Thrill' was originally recorded for the band's 50-million selling album 'Back In Black', one of the best selling albums of all time.
'Jon Favreau's vision and passion for AC/DC's music blend seamlessly into this incredible film,' said Steve Barnett, co-chairman of Columbia Records. 'The music really underscores the high energy and excitement of the film.' 'Music is an integral part of the Tony Stark and Iron Man experience, and we are pleased that Columbia and AC/DC are taking part in the franchise's phenomenon. Through this relationship, the band is delivering fans supercharged Iron Man branded music through all our combined consumer touch points, from the movie to retail outlets and even virally with the debut of the new video,' said Tim Connors, Chief Operating Officer, Marvel Studios.
In the U.S., Iron Man 2 will be released on May 7, 2010.
'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' Track Listing:
Shoot to Thrill
Rock 'N' Roll Damnation
Guns for Hire
Cold Hearted Man
Back in Black
Thunderstruck
If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
Evil Walks
T.N.T.
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Have a Drink on Me
The Razor's Edge
Let There Be Rock
War Machine
Highway to Hell'"
Now this is interesting.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Agent Coulson gets THOR a lot
"Variety reports that Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson in Iron Man and the upcoming Iron Man 2, will reprise his role for Thor as well.
Coulson is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D). In the Marvel Studios films, Samuel L. Jackson plays S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury, who will make multiple appearances as well.
Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7 and Thor is now filming for a May 6, 2011 release.
The Kenneth Branagh-directed adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard and Adriana Barraza."
Thursday, December 17, 2009
IRON MAN 2 gets a trailer
"Apple has posted the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Iron Man 2, opening in theaters on May 7. Directed by Jon Favreau, the sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn."
"Good to be back"? Good to have you back, Tony!
UPDATE:
NEW TRAILER -
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
IRON MAN 2 to fly out at you in 3D?
"Ain't It Cool News is reporting the rumor that Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios are considering releasing Iron Man 2 in 3D format, and possibly the first Iron Man as well. Here's an except from the article:
'Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of Iron Man 2 converted to high quality digital 3D. I'm told this one minute is totally like Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 Weeks. HOT! Crazy Hot! Right now the Suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute.
At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert Iron Man 2 to a complete 3D film. This same process is being done to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland - but if this comes to pass. What will this mean for the rest of Marvel's slate leading to The Avengers? Will Thor & The First Avenger: Captain America also go through this process? Or will they be shot from the get go in 3D?'"
I hate to say it but everybody I've talked to say they hate 3D. Maybe Avatar will change their minds.
UPDATE:
The film will not be adapted in 3D.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
S.H.I.E.L.D. Returns
"Kate Mara and Clark Gregg have joined Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2, being directed by Jon Favreau and currently in Manhattan Beach, California. Mara's role is being kept under wraps, while Gregg is returning as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. The duo joins a cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling and John Slattery. Paramount will release the sequel in theaters on May 7, 2010."
Of course this is not Kate Mara's first superhero movie, she did star in Zoom with Tim Allen.
BTW, I was hoping to see Robert Downey Jr. on Late Night with Jay Leno but instead they put on Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil?! Come on, get it together, NBC!!
