Over at USA Today, they did a little feature on the Avengers movie, and while most of it is old news (Tony Stark at the end of The Incredible Hulk, Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, who they are, what this means, etc.), there was one new item for fans to chew on. Jon Favreau revealed the Avengers line-up Marvel was currently toying with: "The ones Marvel is talking about now are Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Iron Man. I would love to see that." (And no, he hasn't been confirmed as The Avengers director. The possibility isn't even brought up in this article.)
Of course, what this means for Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish's Ant-Man movie is anyone's guess. Marvel's goal is to get The Avengers in theatres by 2011, by which point Thor and Captain America will have gotten their solo origin movies. But will Ant-Man have gotten his? Wright is busy with Scott Pilgrim, which is due to be released in 2009. Could he get Ant-Man off the ground in time for him to join Earth's mightiest heroes? So many questions!
Early this week, we reported some ugly Iron Man 2 gossip, brought to us via IESB -- rumors that Marvel might not sign Jon Favreau to helm IM2 because they don't think he deserves whatever amount of money he's supposedly asking for the sequel.
As expected, IESB received a great deal of attention over this bombshell. Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles confirmed the story, while Devin Faraci of CHUD expressed skepticism that financial negotiations could be that far when Favreau himself had confirmed that he had only heard from Marvel once. But we all agreed that something was rotten at the studio of Marvel. It seems a bit presumptive to name a release date, but avoid talking to or signing your director, yes?
As you Iron Man fans know, the number one question everyone's been throwing at Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. has centered on which storyline we might see in Iron Man 2. The popular consensus was the famous Demon in a Bottle storyline, where poor Tony Stark hits rock bottom in his battle with alcoholism.
But that storyline might actually be in jeopardy due to another summer superhero movie: Hancock. Favreau told Collider, "The comic book fans might see Demon in a Bottle as a fresh story line but I haven't seen Hancock yet. From what I've seen it seems there is a lot of imagery that seems to be shared. Him flying through billboards and things. The idea of the hero whose biggest enemy is himself, and him fighting through his demons, you want to come at the audience with something fresh. You don't want to feel like you are echoing something that somebody else is doing." Hopefully, Hancock will keep clear of Stark's territory, and we might end up with that fresh storyline after all. Pop on over to Collider to read the rest of the interview.
Oh, but we're not done! Earlier today, Erik shared the news that Favreau was being very vocal on MySpace regarding the Iron Man 2 release date and how there needed to be more time to create a successful sequel. He mentioned that perhaps Iron Man should take the three-year route, like Nolan's Batman films. Then, IESB dropped the bomb that the reason Marvel hadn't signed Favreau yet was because he wanted more money and they didn't feel he deserved it. Apparently, Marvel's David Maisel thinks an Iron Man sequel would kill with or without Favreau. Read more about that here.
Over on MySpace, writer-director Jon Favreau (aka the newest Marvel superhero) has been answering a bunch of Iron Man-related questions from fans ... though I may want to slip in there and ask about a Swingers sequel and throw everything off balance. One thing Favreau has been very vocal about are the scheduled release dates for Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. He's already stressed that it would be near impossible for him to direct both since they're only a year apart, but now he's going on record complaining about the 2010 release date for Iron Man 2.
He says, "I am concerned, however, about the announced release date of April 2010. Neither Robert nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is in light of the fact that we have no script, story or even writers hired yet. This genre of movie is best when it is done thoughtfully and with plenty of preparation. It might be better to follow the BB/DK, X/X2 three year release pattern than to scramble for a date. It is difficult because there are no Marvel 09 releases and they need product, but I also think we owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one."
(Above: Transformers 2 filming in (and blowing up) poor Pennsylvania.)
Update: Paramount announced that the official title for Transformers 2 will be Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
And then there were two ...
Iron Man 2: I'm not sure how Coming Soon and IESB managed to ask the same exact questions to Iron Man director Jon Favreau (perhaps they're dating and, like, read each others' minds), but that's what it looks like from here. Both sites visited the set of I Love You Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, where Favreau was starring in a supporting role. But who cares about that when we've got Iron Man 2 to talk about!?
According to Favreau, he still isn't signed on yet and negotiations with all the actors are ongoing. Of course, he's interested in directing both Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, but because Marvel scheduled the films a year apart, he feels it's literally impossible for him to do both. Favreau also discusses the many potential storylines that could exist in such a sequel, but notes that it's hard to talk about any of this because Marvel is extremely busy prepping the debut of The Incredible Hulk (which we'll talk about in another post). Check either site for much more from Favreau.
Transformers 2: For the first time in a couple hundred years, Pennsylvania has become the cool place to be. Oh yes, that's becauseTransformers 2 is causing all sorts of mayhem -- with their blowing up of a steel factory, sending hundreds of Asian extras running through the streets of make-believe China. (Is it me, or should Michael Bay receive an Oscar nod simply for making Pennsylvania pass off as China?) Tons of photos from around the set have popped up online over at TFW2005 (see one above).
After the jump: Did someone say Star Trek sequels?
Attention, Marvel Studios: You forgot to call Jon Favreau about Iron Man 2 when you set the release date and stuff. Please put it on your To Do list. Thanks.
Favreau was on Howard Stern this past Tuesday, and revealed that he has not yet been signed for the sequel. "They haven't offered me anything yet. They're all talking -- they want to do it, they even announced a date."
I want to believe that it means nothing, that things are in such a talky, pat-on-the-back stage that they don't mean anything by it. But still, before you talked to Entertainment Tonight and announced a release date, wouldn't you slap the director on the back and say "I hope you're coming back for the sequel!" Just as a courtesy? A "Good job, Favs!"
After being pressed by Stern, Favreau revealed his director's salary -- $4 million for the first film, with a NET profit deal which will pay a very small percentage once the film begins to turn a profit. But that won't happen for years with the magic of movie bookkeeping. And when a film makes mega bucks, like Iron Man did, all previous contracts are pretty much thrown out the window. That includes those Iron Man actors who have signed on for sequels. "They're all signed for three but it doesn't work that way. That all goes out the window when you make $100 million dollars," said Favreau. "Because people want to have a good relationship with the people they are working with, and if they're making that kind of money, it's an understanding that they're going to negotiate." (Isn't this a fun look into the world of legalities? I thought so.)
In all the breathless excitement, possibility and release date for Iron Man 2, it's always good to step back and hear from the main men. You might be surprised (and maybe relieved) to know they haven't really started thinking about the sequel yet. On the other hand, one immediately begins to panic, thinking "Dear God, they won't actually ditch Jon Favreau, will they?"To answer that,Entertainment Weekly sat down with both Robert Downey Jr. and Favreau, the weariness apparent in their voices as they tried to actually comprehend doing it all again.
Let's start with Stark himself on where the sequel will go. "There's this idea of Terrence [Howard] putting on a suit and coming back as War Machine, who is pretty iconic in the Iron Man and Marvel universe. Just seeing where it can all go, but grounding it in a very modern mythology. I see it as the greatest dysfunctional family story ever told .... In The New York Post a couple days ago, [there was a cartoon] of Iron Man suited up, and he's telling the governor even his super-powers can't get him out of the budget problem. That was what Jon was hoping for and excited to see the most, the idea that Tony Stark and Iron Man can become part of the cultural fabric. When we heard posters were being defaced to promote political or social ideas, he just got such a hoot out of that."
Ever since Marvel announced release dates for a slew of new comic book-related films yesterday, the internets have come alive with scoopers. We were a bit burned on the last rumor Cinema Blend reported, so take all three of these with a huge grain of salt.
Captain America: According to CB, Matthew McConaughey is the first name to hit the possible cast list. The film, now titled The First Avenger: Captain America, has been given a release date of May 6, 2011, and so I wouldn't expect a name to sign on for awhile. That's not to say there isn't a wish list floating around -- and, if one did exist, I imagine McConaughey's name would be on it, along with several others. I'm sure fans already hate the idea of seeing Mr. Rom Com himself show up as their beloved Captain America, but I actually think it's a good choice -- an interesting choice -- and one I'd definitely support. With the right script, he'd bring the looks, the muscle and the charisma. (Actually, I could kinda see him playing Thor, too.)
Iron Man 2: Yes, work will begin on this monster right away as a release date of April 30, 2010 is already in place, giving Jon Favreau and his team two years to get what will soon become the world's most highly-anticipated sequel in the can. But what will it be about? Well, CB claims that one of the plot lines being considered involves Sam Jackson returning as Nick Fury in order to team up with Stark to go after a terrorist called The Mandarin (featured prominently in the comic books as one of Iron Man's greatest villains). They also claim Marvel may throw a Thor cameo into the sequel to further tie The Avengers thing together, and also because Thor will debut his own film a couple of months later on July 4, 2010.
Most of us haven't even seen Iron Man yet (though it's possibly just me -- everyone on my MySpace and Facebook is horrified I haven't, and it wasn't even midnight in my time zone), and already they're planning the sequel. Iron ManCinematical reviews are here and here.
Brad Grey, head honcho over at Paramount, told Entertainment Tonight that if all went as hoped with the first movie, the sequel will come out this very week in 2010. (I just saw into the future ... and I'm pretty much typing this same post with the third installment in 2012.) Since it doesn't look like Iron Man is going to be a disaster at the box office, I think it's safe to say you can start counting down to 2010.
Hopefully, as much care and attention will be lavished on the sequel -- again, I haven't seen it yet, but all appearances and reviews suggest that they really knocked it out of the park. It would be awesome if it surpassed X2: X-Men United, which I think is the best superhero sequel yet. (Though maybe your opinion leans more towards Spider-Man 2.)
Now would be a good time for you well-read Iron Man fans to jump in with where you want the sequel to go. (Or, if you're feeling mean, you can also start screaming "sell out!" or something along those lines.) I wish I could throw in a story suggestion here, but I can't ... I'm still waiting to see it! You should feel really bad for me.
One of the many nice moments in Iron Man comes as techno-titan Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey, Jr.) is consulting with his artificial intelligence majordomo, Jarvis, about the fabrication of the newest version of the high-tech power armor Stark intends to use to stop evil and protect the innocent. Looking at a holographic simulation of the proposed design of the glittering, golden armor -- which enables its wearer to fly, lift cars, shoot energy beams, withstand bullets and includes many other clever bits of engineering -- Stark makes a brief request regarding the color scheme: "Why don't you throw a little hot rod red in there?" Stark seems to be saying Sure, it's fancy and expensive and technologically majestic and wonderful, but a little style can still go a long way. ...
And as it is with the Iron Man armor, so it is with the Iron Man movie. Marvel Comics' first foray into self-financed film making has movie stars and impressive effects and a script where every plot point you would expect meshes with its neighbors as precisely as the plates and pieces of Stark's armor do, but it's the touches of style that make it truly sizzle. Director Jon Favreau does not seem like a choice you would expect as the director of a comic-book movie; Robert Downey Jr. does not seem like a choice you would expect as the star of a comic-book film. Between the two of them, they give us something different from the comic-book movies we've come to expect; a little swagger, a little strut, a touch of self-mocking humor that never undercuts the pleasures of the thing being mocked. It's as if someone snuck a hefty slug of bourbon into your cherry cola; all of the sugar and flavor and fizz you expect from a well-made comic-book movie are there, but there's something a little more grown-up going on behind them.
Who's excited about Iron Man? We are, we are! And we know you, like us, are counting the days -- nay, the hours -- until May 2, when Iron Man hits the big screen. In the meantime, though, we have this little behind-the-scenes tidbit from Moviefone's recent Unscripted interview with the Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr., Jon Favreau and Terrence Howard, interviewing each other with your questions.
The clip above (which is not included in the full interview over on Moviefone) is short, but funny -- how can you not like a video that includes Robert Downey, Jr. talking in a Jersey accent and saying, "What?! You feeling froggy, bitch? Jump!" Oh, yeah. If only I'd been there myself for this, perhaps Downey, Jr. would finally recognize his long unrequited love for me. Oh, wait, I'm the one who's had a crush on him forever ... ah, well.
Forget about all the fantastic action. Dismiss the disarmingly smart, wry screenplay, and ignore the phenomenal supporting cast. Feel free to overlook the dozen components that make Jon Favreau'sIron Man the most uniquely entertaining superhero movie in a long time ... I've got the one main reason that this flick is worthy of your two hours and ten bucks right here, and that reason is named Robert Downey Jr. Like many movie fans of my generation, I consider Downey to be sort of an old friend. We all wept when Jami Gertz noticed his odd demise in Less Than Zero, we loved watching his evolution in films like True Believer and Chaplin, and we all felt pretty great when the guy finally kicked his well-publicized drug addiction.
Downey is a survivor, no doubt, and he's also a refreshingly engaging actor to watch -- and boy was I thrilled when Marvel announced that this would be the guy to portray Tony Stark. To those who don't know the Stark character from the comic books, let me just make it clear: Downey is the perfect guy to play a smug yet charming, sarcastic yet likable, and perpetually womanizing multi-billionaire mega-genius with a bum ticker. We all know the guy can play sly, snarky, smart characters, so much of Iron Man's early stuff is light lifting for the actor -- but when he starts getting angry? Noble? Heroic? The guy is aces across the board. Bottom Line: Downey has paid his dues, he's been through a lot of hell, and now he's a freakin' superhero who delivers the best popcorn flick performance since Johnny Depp first played pirate. Sometimes Hollywood actually works.
I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for my job; having managed to successfully avoid anything even remotely 'spoilerish' about Iron Man (I was so anal I was even not watching all the trailers just in case they ruined any surprises), I finally cracked and watched four behind-the-scenes videos for the big budget comic book flick. Luckily for me there wasn't anything too revealing, although one of the videos gives you a preview of what it takes to get star Robert Downey Jr. into that suit (and let's just say it suddenly doesn't look so high tech when it takes four costume people to wedge you into the thing).
Despite starting its road to production as a low-budget comic book movie back in 1990, Iron Man has become one of the most anxiously awaited summer movies (and that is hard to do when your competition is Indiana Jones and Batman). These videos are just the latest in a series of trailers and teasers for the film, hell; there was even a VH1 satire on the Fabulous Life of Tony Stark. But all the marketing will finally come to an end, and I'm pretty sure it is going to be worth the wait. Iron Man opens in theaters on May 2nd.
The following post may contain spoilers, so beware!
The entire Iron Man crew are currently making the press rounds (they'll be in NYC on Sunday, so expect a slew of quotes to come flying next week), and already director Jon Favreau knows exactly where he wants to go with the Iron Man sequels -- so much so that he's dropped a bunch of hints in the first film, due out May 1. He tells Rotten Tomatoes, "I've got another two movies in my head; I'm ready to go and I know the cast feels the same way," he said. "Now it's out of the hands of us, of the filmmakers, and it's even out the hands of your readers. I know all the people who have been following this for two years are going to go and see the movie, and maybe they'll see it twice and I'm very grateful for that. If everybody comes out to see the movie and it's successful, then I'm sure Marvel's going to want to do another."
Be careful with that RT article because they do spoil some stuff, like whether Samuel L. Jackson actually shows up in a cameo role as Nick Fury. But perhaps the biggest set up for a sequel -- spoiler warning -- comes when Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) glances at Stark's Mark II Iron Man suit and says to himself, "Next time baby." It certainly looks like the second film would involve Rhodes in costume, possibly as War Machine, but as IGN points out, Rhodes first dons another suit in the comics. Howard told them, "If you've read the comics you'll know that that is the next phase, but there is another intermediate phase in there where he would have to put on his best friend's suit for a period of time."
It's almost like an episode of MTV's Cribs ... except we're on a movie set with Jon Favreau touring Tony Stark's fictional house. Yes, in case the 1,547 Iron Man trailers, clips, TV spots, images and posters weren't enough to hold you over, Yahoo has released a video featuring Favreau running around Stark's amazing house on the top of a cliff somewhere. In the video, they're at this real house as well as on a soundstage where other parts of his house are in the process of being built. In between the tour, we're also shown several different "trailer-ish" clips from the film for those who ... need to see more Iron Man? Anyone else feel like they've alreadywatched this film like ten times already?Yes, it looks like it kicks ass, but enough already. Cut it. Fade to black. Seriously, is there anything left to surprise us with? That said, a bit of a warning: There's a lot of Iron Man in this video, so if you're still trying to stay away ... don't watch.
The rest of Iron Man arrives in theaters on May 2.
Over at USA Today, they did a little feature on the Avengers movie, and while most of it is old news (Tony Stark at the end of The Incredible Hulk, Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, who they are, what this means, etc.), there was one new item for fans to chew on. Jon Favreau revealed the Avengers line-up Marvel was currently toying with: "The ones Marvel is talking about now are Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Iron Man. I would love to see that." (And no, he hasn't been confirmed as The Avengers director. The possibility isn't even brought up in this article.) 
Early this week, 
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Attention, Marvel Studios: You forgot to call Jon Favreau about Iron Man 2 when you set the release date and stuff. Please put it on your To Do list. Thanks.
In all the breathless excitement, possibility and release date for Iron Man 2, it's always good to step back and hear from the main men. You might be surprised (and maybe relieved) to know they haven't really started thinking about the sequel yet. On the other hand, one immediately begins to panic, thinking "Dear God, they won't actually ditch .jpg)
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