Tagged: Iron Man

Samuel L. Jackson signs as Nick Fury — nine times!

  • News
  • February 26, 2009

nick-fury-jackson-3247732Feel the Fury of SamJack!

The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Samuel L. Jackson has signed an unprecedented nine-picture deal to play Colonel Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., in a series of Marvel movies that include Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers and its sequels.

Also on the table is the possibility of toplining a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, which is in development.

Jackson, the unoffical model for the Marvel Ultimate version of Nick Fury, first appeared at the end of Iron Man and was expected to be part of the Iron Man sequel, but as Marvel negotiated with its cast, deals proved hard to come by. Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle. Mickey Rourke still doesn’t have a deal for the part of a villain despite almost two months of negotiations.

But now, Jackson has signed for a potential ten films as the same character. For perspective, Sean Connery only played James Bond in eight films, and that’s counting Never Say Never Again and The Rock— oh come on, he was playing James Bond in The Rock, you know it and I know it.

Marvel’s 4Q report: Studios and money making

  • News
  • February 25, 2009

marvellogo-7722713Marvel Entertainment announced today operating results for its 4th-quarter ended December 31, 2008 and record net sales, net income and earnings per share for the full year 2008. For Q4 2008, Marvel reported net sales of $224.3 million and net income of $63.0 million, or $0.80 per diluted share, compared to net sales of $109.3 million and net income of $27.6 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in Q4 2007. "The improvement reflects recognition of $135.5 million in film production segment revenues principally associated with the DVD performance of Marvel’s Iron Man feature film," the company said. For the full year 2008, Marvel reported net sales of $676.2 million and net income of $205.5 million, or $2.61 per diluted share, compared to net sales of $485.8 million and net income of $139.8 million, or $1.70 per diluted share, in 2007. The revenue and net income growth principally reflects the contribution from Marvel Studios which released its first two feature films, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, in the summer of 2008.

Below is an updated look at the Marvel Studios’ product pipeline. The company also announced today that Kenneth Branagh is set to direct Thor (our spies tell us sets are already being built) which Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide. It will be released domestically on July 16, 2010. Also, Iron Man 2 will begin principal photography in early April.

Marvel Studios Entertainment Pipeline
(According to its 4th quarter earnings report. Scheduled release dates are subject to change)

Self-Produced Feature Film Line-Up

  • Iron Man 2 (Marvel), scheduled for May 7, 2010 release, starts principal photography in April, directed by Jon Favreau, stars Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle
  • Thor (Marvel), scheduled for July 16, 2010 release, directed by Kenneth Branagh
  • The First Avenger: Captain America (Marvel), scheduled for May 6, 2011 release
  • The Avengers (Marvel), scheduled for July 15, 2011 release

Licensed Feature Film Line-Up

  • X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox), scheduled for May 1, 2009 release

Self-Produced Animated TV Series Line-Up

  • Super Hero Squad (Marvel Animation) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production with Film Roman, scheduled for Q3 2009 release on Cartoon Network
  • The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Marvel Animation) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production with Film Roman; scheduled for Q3 2011 release

Licensed Animated TV Series Line-Up

  • Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes (Moonscoop SAS – France), 26 thirty-minute episodes airing internationally and on Marvel.com and Marvelkids.com
  • Spectacular Spider-Man (Culver Studios – U.S.) Will air on Disney XD in the U.S. beginning in March and currently airing on various networks internationally
  • Wolverine and the X-Men (Marvel Animation / First Serve Toonz – India), 52 thirty-minute episodes. Episodes 1-26 are currently airing on Nicktoons in the U.S. and are on air internationally, Episodes 27-52 are currently in pre-production
  • Black Panther (Marvel Animation / BET) 8 thirty-minute episodes in production, scheduled for Q2 2009 release on BET
  • Iron Man: Armored Adventures (Marvel Animation / Method Films – France) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production, scheduled for Q2 2009 release in the U.S. on Nicktoons and various networks internationally

Licensed Animated Direct-to-DVD Projects

  • Thor: Son of Asgard (Lionsgate), scheduled for September 2009 release

Licensed Broadway Stage Project

  • Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, the Musical, Julie Taymor director; music & lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge (Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment/David Maisel, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Jeremiah Harris) Slated for a February 18, 2010 opening

Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow for Iron Man 2?

  • News
  • February 16, 2009

grab-cut-insert-cut-8415501-tracksretna1Man, this is getting vicious. First, Emily Blunt was announced as being cast as super-spy Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, in Iron Man 2. Then Eliza Dushku announced that she was interested in the part. Now we’re hearing rumors that Scarlett Johansson is in discussions for the role, according to Entertainment Weekly by way of Cynopsis, because Blunt has a commitment to Fox for its feature Gulliver’s Travels, which would conflict with shooting.

All this, after replacing Terence Howard from the first film with Don Cheadle. I mean, sheesh.

At least it’s nice to hear that husband Ryan Reynolds is letting her read his comic book collection. Reynolds will be playing Deadpool in this May’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

X-Men Forever: What was the Marvel Universe like in 1991?

  • News
  • February 8, 2009

In light of the annoucement of X-Men Forever and Chris Claremont‘s intention to continue exactly where X-Men #3 left off in 1991, we thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves what the state of the Marvel Universe was in 1991– before Stamford, the Super-Hero Registration Act, and Skrulls. Here’s all you need to know:

 

X-MEN:

Charles Xavier is adjusting to having lost the use of his legs again recently. The X-Men have recently reformed into two teams, with Cyclops leading the blue strike force and Storm leading the gold strike force. Gambit has just joined and is still a mystery to the others.

During the gold strike force’s latest mission, they investigated the recent death of the Hellions and have recruited the time-traveling Bishop. At this time, Bishop is still unaware who the “X-traitor” will turn out to be. Much of the world still thinks the X-Men are dead and it’s possible they are still invisible to technology (due to a spell cast by Roma).

During their latest mission, the blue strike force met the newly formed Acolytes and witnessed the apparent death of Magneto (at the hands of his Acolyte Cortez) on Asteroid M, which has just been destroyed.

X-FORCE:

Cable is still leading this team, which has only recently formed, and at this point in time all we know about the white-haired mutant is that he and Stryfe are identical to each other and that he apparently did some military missions in ‘Nam where he met Chord of the New Warriors. He also has an unclear history with Wolverine. G.W. Bridge of SHIELD is investigating Cable since he believes that Cable is also running Stryfe’s organization the Mutant Liberation Front.

As of yet, there has  been no revelations about Cannonball being an “Ex-Ternal” and there has been no revelation that Domino is actually Copycat while the real Domino is a captive of Mr. Tolliver.

X-FACTOR:

X-Factor has just replaced “Freedom Force” as the government’s mutant counter-terrorist team. Havok is in charge and is very green as a leader, still concerned about living up to his brother’s example. Wolfsbane cannot really turn to human form at this point, stuck between her half-lupine form and full lupine form.

EXCALIBUR:

The London based team still includes Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde in its ranks. At this point, half the team’s adventures seem to involve parallel realities and alternate timelines. Lockheed the Dragon has recently been revealed to be a sentient member of a telepathic race (though only we readers know that) and is recovering from injuries. At this point in time, Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde have not seen their X-Men teammates since the events of the team’s apparent death.

WOLVERINE:

Wolverine is still wearing the brown and tan uniform. In his own series, as 1991 closes, Wolverine has only just discovered the Weapon X facility and realized that some of his memories are false implants based loosely on real memories. He also now has the first inkling that he and Sabretooth are not related but perhaps used to work together for some kind of government unit. He has not yet learned about Team X, the group he was part of with John Wraith and Maverick.

AND NOW, THE REST OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE… (more…)

Happy 80th birthday, Don Heck!

  • News
  • January 2, 2009

Don Heck. Today would have been his 80th birthday.

I first met Don twenty-seven years ago at his house in Centereach. He and my dad frequented the same bar, the Emerald Pub. My dad knew I was a fan of his on The Flash, and thought I should meet him, and finagled an invite.

It was the first time I’d ever seen a comic artist’s studio– and to this day, the best analogy is the scene in the movie where the young boy visits the wizard’s cave and sees the dimly-lit wonders, or the hacker’s technical sanctum and all the neat knick-knacks, you know the scene.

It was magic.

And like any good magician, he gave a gift to the audience– the page to the right, from The Flash #292, was one of them.

Don still hasn’t gotten the appreciation he deserves– for creating Iron Man, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow; for his runs on Avengers, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Justice League of America; for hundreds of stories without a single costume in them– but there are those of us who still remember.

Thanks for the magic, Don. Happy birthday.

It’s a new year, and you know what that means…

  • News
  • January 1, 2009

…now we can start really compiling the best of the year lists. Dammit, you just don’t do that until you have a full year done. It’s like buying gifts for Jewish kids that haven’t been born yet.

We’ll be posting lists in the next few days, and soliciting your opinions for even more lists, but I’ll kick it off with some of my favorite posts from ComicMix in the past year…

What about you? What were your favorite pieces of ours?

 

Screen Actors Guild Honors Ledger, Downey

  • News
  • December 22, 2008

Following the Golden Globe nominations, Heath Ledger has received another posthumous nod for his role as the Joker, this time from his peers in the Screen Actor’s Guild.  He’s nomination once more alongside Robert Downey, Jr. who is recognized for his hilarious turn in Tropic Thunder. On the television side, William Shatner is once more honored for his work in the final season of Boston Legal.

The full release is here:

Nominations for the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® for outstanding performances in 2008 in five film and eight primetime television categories and for the SAG honors for film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s Silver Screen Theater in West Hollywood.

Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg introduced Angela Bassett (ER) and Actor recipient Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors. SAG Awards Committee member JoBeth Williams and Committee Vice Chair Daryl Anderson announced the stunt ensemble nominees.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. Recipients of the stunt ensemble honors will be announced from the SAG Awards red carpet during the TNT.TV and TBS.COM live pre-show webcasts.

Of the top industry accolades presented to performers, only the Screen Actors Guild Awards are selected solely by actors’ peers.  Two randomly selected panels–one for television and one for film–each comprised of 2,100 Guild members from across the United States, chose this year’s Actor and stunt honors nominees. Integrity Voting Systems, the Awards’ official teller mailed the nominations secret ballots were mailed on November 26. Voting was completed by noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008.

Awards ballots will be mailed on Friday, Dec. 26, 2008. The entire active membership of the Guild across the country will vote on all categories.  Votes must be received by Integrity Voting Systems by noon Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 where results will be tallied and sealed until they are opened by the presenters at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremonies on Jan. 25.

The Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala, benefiting the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, will be hosted for the 13th consecutive year by People Magazine and by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). (more…)

‘The Dark Knight’ Tops 2008 DVD Sales Charts

  • News
  • December 21, 2008

batman-the-dark-knight-still-0-2-6886703The Hollywood Reporter says sales are so brisk on The Dark Knight DVD in both standard and Blu-ray format that it will top the sales charts for both categories when the books for 2008 are closed.

The DVD sold in excess of 10 million discs after one week in stores according to Warner Home Video. Add in rental dealer sales, the number pushes 13.5 million worldwide which also includes 1.7 million in Blu-ray sales.

The discs that came with digital copy activation codes led to 300,000 copies legally downloaded to computers.

The disc will surpass the year’s current leader, Iron Man, next week according to analysts.

The Dark Knight also eclipsed Wanted as the number one video rental for the week ending December 14.
 

Rick Baker Wins Tesla Award

  • News
  • December 20, 2008

Rick Baker was honored by the International Press Academy this past weekend in Los Angeles.

Director John Landis presented Baker the Tesla Award for recognition of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology. It was the young director who first hired Baker in 1971 for Schlock. They have worked together ever since including An American Werewolf in London which earned Baker the first of six Academy Awards.

He later told Sci Fi Wire that his work on next year’s The Wolfman pays homage to the Universal original, not his own werewolf efforts. "I had a lot of trouble with that, because Benicio already looks like a werewolf, especially when he grows his facial hair out," Baker said. "I kept telling them that he wouldn’t look too much different.

"This one is different, and harkens back to the classic Wolf Man  I’m not sure what they are going to do about the transformation; I heard they are going to do it in CG, and I think that is a mistake."

As for the film’s delay from April to November, the makeup wizard was somewhat baffled. "It was a troubled project from the start,” Baker admitted. “The first director [Mark Romanek] left, and Joe [Johnston] took it over, but it looks real good. I saw how they set it in [19th]-century England, and it looks spectacular.”

"I had a lot of trouble with that, because Benicio already looks like a werewolf, especially when he grows his facial hair out," Baker said. "I kept telling them that he wouldn’t look too much different."

Dan Lebental won best editing for Iron Man. The film also won also for best DVD extras.

Richard King won best sound editing and mixing for The Dark Knight.

Best original song went to "Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace.

HBO’s True Blood won two acting awards in the television division.  Anna Paquin took best TV actress in a drama while Nelsan Ellis won best supporting actor in a drama.

‘Iron Man 2’ to Remain Grounded

  • News
  • December 13, 2008

Justin Theroux spoke with IGN about his early work on Iron Man 2 which will start shooting next spring for a May 2010 release.

"Iron Man is just a unique character in the comic book world,” Theroux said. “He can get away with being incorrigible, slightly awful, funny, sexist at times. He has a very high threshold for things that he can do and get away with.

"So in a weird way it’s a lot of fun writing for him and it’s not like writing a more stoic superhero part. Obviously, you have the story elements and the action elements and all those gears of that you want to make sure are well oiled. But within that you can have a lot of play."

To write the sequel, he recognizes the need to keep things set in a somewhat familiar world.  "[You] can’t really go crazy,” he said. “It has to live within the same world Tony lives in, which is the world of technology. So it can’t get too far afield. It’s not really our job to suit all the other characters. Our first concern – Jon [Favreau]’s first concern – is that we raise the level on Iron Man 2 and make sure the audience gets exactly and more of what they wanted before in a really satisfying story that’s really fun and playful. As good a movie as possible. And after that we’ll think about ways that we can plug in other elements that might exist in other films or other worlds."

Production Weekly lists the film as using the working title Rasputin lending credence to the rumors of Crimson Dynamo and Black Widow making appearances. "Everything is a moving target but we’ve kind of locked in on what we think will be satisfying bad people," he said.

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