Joss Whedon

THE AVENGERS Blu-ray/DVD Hits Stores September 25; Includes Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Alternate Ending and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 2:48 pm

Marvel’s The Avengers continues to Hulk Smash records at the box office, but we now have a release date and details regarding the film’s home media release.  Joss Whedon’s excellent superhero pic will hit Blu-ray and DVD on September 25th, and as expected the combo set is loaded with special features.  The 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD pack includes an audio commentary by Whedon, loads of deleted scenes (including an alternate ending), featurettes and much more.  Additionally, a 10-disc Blu-ray super set is also apparently being planned.  Hit the jump for details regarding the release.

Marvel Releases THE AVENGERS Movie Timeline

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 17th, 2012 at 4:38 pm

On the seventh day, Joss Whedon created The Avengers.  Marvel has released a new infographic movie timeline that highlights specific super-heroic instances in time and places them in the context of The Avengers and the individual movies that built up to it.  While The Avengers franchise no doubt revolves around Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, the new infographic has made him into a pseudo-Christ figure by demarcating the timeline with BIM (“Before Iron Man”) and AIM (“After Iron Man”).  While it’s true that Iron Man had more movies than the rest of The Avengers (excluding 2003′s Hulk, which the timeline wisely forgets), I’d much rather see the scenes relative to one Special Agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) or even the beloved Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg).  Hit the jump to check it out.

Editorial: Marvel Needs to Re-Hire Joss Whedon for THE AVENGERS 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 11th, 2012 at 9:21 am

“Marvel needs to re-hire Joss Whedon for The Avengers 2.”  How does this require an editorial?  It’s such an obvious statement.  Not only did the movie have the most successful opening-weekend gross of all-time, but it was also successful among critics.  Why would you risk losing a single piece?  Why jeopardize a formula that delivered such a resounding commercial and critical success?  What studio would do such a thing?

Marvel would.  Their hit-it-and-quit-it relationship with directors has served them well in terms of keeping costs down and making the productions run smoothly.  No one rocks the boat, no one gets a pay bump for the sequel, and no director becomes bigger than the property he is directing.  From a business standpoint, it’s a sensible trend.  But it’s a trend that shouldn’t continue when it comes to The Avengers franchise.  Hit the jump for my explanation of what Marvel stands to gain from hanging on to Joss Whedon.

After Scoring Big with THE AVENGERS, Joss Whedon Thanks His Fans

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 9th, 2012 at 9:26 am

Before The Avengers, Joss Whedon had created three canceled TV series, but still found ways to wrap up Angel and Dollhouse despite the lack of a series renewal, and Firefly got a big screen ending with Serenity (Buffy the Vampire Slayer wasn’t canceled and continues to live on in comics).  Despite never landing a big, mainstream hit, his fans have always stuck by Whedon and revered him with a fervent devotion.  Now that The Avengers has set the record for highest-grossing opening weekend ($207 million was the final tally), his career is about to change dramatically.  However, he hasn’t forgotten his loyal following, and he took to his official fan site to thank his beloved Whedonites.

Hit the jump for Whedon’s Thank-You letter for his fans, and look for my editorial tomorrow about why Marvel needs to lock down Whedon for The Avengers 2.

Shocking News: Disney Confirms THE AVENGERS 2 Is in Development [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 8th, 2012 at 3:05 pm

In case anyone was worried that Disney and Marvel wouldn’t make a sequel to the film with the highest opening weekend gross of all-time (by far, I might add), Disney CEO Bob Iger is here to alleviate your concerns.  Per Deadline, Iger announced that the studio is developing a sequel to The Avengers, adding that the film’s success “is a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much.”  Anyone who sat through the film’s credits should have a good idea of where The Avengers 2 could go villain-wise, but I think the key to a follow-up will be the return of Joss Whedon as writer/director.  He is the reason The Avengers is a good film as opposed to simply an expensive film, and his recipe of humor, character development, and pure entertainment made for one of the most enjoyable moviegoing experiences in a long time.  Hit the jump for more.

[Update: It appears Iger's quote was taken out of context, and he actually said that there will "hopefully" be another Avengers.  Nevertheless, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point.  More after the jump.]

THE COLLISION: Episode 6 – THE AVENGERS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 8th, 2012 at 8:34 am

To the surprise of no one, Adam Chitwood, Dave Trumbore, and I gave The Avengers our full attention in the latest episode of Collider’s new podcast, The Collision.  We talked about the film, its record-breaking opening weekend, what it could mean for future Marvel movies, why Marvel needs to bring back Joss Whedon (provided he wants the gig), and the film’s epilogue (we put that at the end of the podcast to avoid spoiling it for people who haven’t seen the movie yet).  Finally, we finished up with our recommendations, and you can check out trailers for those recommendations after the jump.

Click here to listen to the new episode, click here for last week’s episode, and click here to add The Collision to your RSS feed.  Also, we are now on iTunes, and while it’s still not where we want it to be, we’re working on it and I thank everyone who helped us out.  Also, I’m in the process of looking for a new Skype recording program and a good mixing program for PC.  As always, please sound off in the comments section on how we can improve the show. [Special thanks to Jason Barr for mixing this week's podcast]

Cobie Smulders Talks AVENGERS, Stunt Work and Returning for Sequels

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 7th, 2012 at 6:17 pm

S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill was surrounded by superpowered characters in this weekend’s blockbuster, The Avengers, but she managed to hold her own.  Cobie Smulders was likewise surrounded by some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters, but the How I Met Your Mother star was equal to the task.  As one of only three women in the picture dominated by heroes and villains alike, Smulders managed to make her character stand out, if only for a short while.  Of course, this is due in part to the masterful work of writer/director Joss Whedon making each and every character memorable and identifiable in their own way.  That’s not to say that Smulders didn’t bring it; quite the contrary.  In a recent interview, Smulders talked about her character’s presence on screen, the amount of training and stunt work she was expected to do and her enthusiasm for returning in the inevitable sequel(s).  Hit the jump to see what she had to say.

Rumor Recap: THE AVENGERS [SPOILERS]; What Was True, What Was False, and What Was in Between

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 7th, 2012 at 4:08 pm

When a big geek project goes into development, fans are eager for any scrap of information they can find.  Inevitably, rumors begin to pop up in the film’s early days, and we report them on the off-chance that they could be true.  Some information may have been true at the time, but then the script changed.  Perhaps wishful geeking was misinterpreted as real information.  And then there’s always good, old-fashioned subterfuge on behalf of the production.

The Avengers was a blockbuster over four years in the planning, and plenty of rumors had time to surface over the course of its production.  The film has finally been released (to a record-breaking $200 million opening weekend), and now we know which rumors turned to be true, false, or somewhere in between.  Hit the jump for the rumor recap.

Joss Whedon and Kevin Feige Explain the Origin of the Mid-Credits Scene in THE AVENGERS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 7th, 2012 at 11:24 am

With this morning’s announcement that The Avengers scored a $207.1 million opening weekend—$6 million higher than yesterday’s estimate—Marvel’s superhero team-up pic now holds the record for the highest grossing opening weekend in history by nearly $40 million.  Given the massive box office take, I’m assuming most (if not all) of you reading this story saw the film at least once this weekend.  Just to be safe I’m keeping things spoiler-free here on the frontpage, but needless to say a certain character popped up in a mid-credits scene.

Writer/director Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently talked about how that scene came to fruition and whose idea it was.  Hit the jump to see what they had to say.  Obviously, SPOILERS for The Avengers follow after the jump.

Can THE AVENGERS Beat HARRY POTTER’s Box Office Record? [UPDATED: Yes]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 2:07 pm

As you’re aware, Marvel’s The Avengers is an enormous success.  Disney’s massive marketing campaign looks to have paid off in spades, and the film is enjoying the rare enthusiastically positive reaction from both critics and audiences.  Joss Whedon’s all-star superhero pic currently stands at a very fresh 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and a respectable 69 on the more nuanced Metacritic scale.  Moreover, the film scored a coveted “A+” rating from Cinemascore which measures audience reaction.  The film earned $80.5 million on opening day, making it second only to the $91 million take scored by last year’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

That franchise closer currently holds the number one spot on the All-Time weekend chart, but does The Avengers have a shot at dethroning The Boy Who Lived?  Hit the jump for more. [Update: The official estimates are in, and it appears that The Avengers bested Harry Potter by a not-so-narrow margin. More after the jump]

TOP 5: THE AVENGERS, SKYFALL Set Visit, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Trailer, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE EXPENDABLES 2

by Jason Barr    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 11:34 am

With this weekend’s domestic release of some little flick called The Avengers, the summer movie season is officially off and running. Although it’s easy for the comic book fan in me to rank The Avengers, The Amazing-Spider Man, and The Dark Knight Rises as my top three most anticipated summer pics, I thought it might be a nice exercise to quickly list what else the Summer of 2012 is offering that will likely tickle my moviegoing fancy. That said, because absolutely no one asked my opinion, here are five of my other most anticipated summer films (listed in chronological order by release date): Ridley Scott‘s Prometheus, Steven Soderbergh‘s Magic Mike, Seth MacFarlane‘s feature debut Ted, Fernando Meirelles‘ 360, and John Hillcoat‘s Lawless. As always, I’d love to hear from you, the reader, about what you’re looking forward to seeing on the big screen in the coming months. By all means, use the comments section liberally.

In this week’s Top 5 you’ll find a ton of interviews, Matt’s review, and other ancillary bits for the aforementioned The Avengers, Steve’s coverage from his visit to the Istanbul set of Skyfall, the third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, a new trailer, images, and posters for The Amazing Spider-Man, and the first full-length trailer for The Expendables 2. A quick recap and link to each ensues after the jump.

Friday Box Office – THE AVENGERS Amass an Amazing $80.5 Million for the Second-Highest Debut of All-Time!

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 8:51 am

It’s official. The Avengers is a monster. After earning a reported $18.7 million at midnight, Marvel’s long-awaited superhero mash-up posted an estimated $80.5 million on its opening day in 4,349 locations. That is second only to the $91 million of 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. In terms of its three-day prospects, The Avengers is set to challenge the aforementioned boy wizard for first place in the All-Time weekend race. The number to beat there is $169.1 million – completely do-able for these critically-lauded superheroes considering they have 77% of America’s screens all to themselves. Meanwhile, Tony Stark and company have already taken in an enormous $304 million since opening internationally last week.  That means that the Disney/Marvel release will likely pass $500 worldwide by the end of this weekend.  And they said Joss Whedon was worried!  Full details tomorrow…

	Title	Friday	Total
1	The Avengers	$80,500,000	$80.5
2	Think Like A Man	$2,700,000	$57.7
3	The Lucky One	$2,000,000	$44.3
4	The Five-Year Engagement	$1,700,000	$15.8
5	The Hunger Games	$1,625,000	$376.6

Joss Whedon Talks THE AVENGERS, Will he Return for the Sequel, and Reveals the Blu-ray/DVD Will Have 30 Minutes of Deleted Scenes

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 8:46 am

With The Avengers now playing, Marvel/Disney recently held a massive press junket in Los Angeles and I was able to interview most of the cast, director Joss Whedon, and Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios President).  If you missed the interviews I’ve been posting all week, here’s Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Chris Hemsworth with Chris Evans (Thor/Captain America) Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johansson with Jeremy Renner (Black Widow/Hawkeye), and Clark Gregg with Cobie Smulders (Agent Coulson/Maria Hill).  And the final interview from the junket, I’ve got Whedon.

During the quick interview, Whedon revealed The Avengers Blu-ray/DVD will have 30 minutes of deleted scenes and that his first cut was three hours!  We also talked about what was cut and whether he’d be back for the sequel.  Hit the jump to watch.

THE AVENGERS Earns $18.7 Million in Midnight Showings; Breaks Superhero Movie Record

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 11:09 am

Hulk smash records, indeed.  After a long, long, long wait for many fans, The Avengers has finally been unleashed on screens across the world.  As with most highly anticipated properties, a considerable number of fans took the opportunity to catch the film at midnight last night—some brave souls even sat through the 13-hour Marvel Movie Marathon leading up to the midnight screening.  I don’t think my body could withstand the latter, but I did catch a midnight showing and I wholeheartedly loved nearly every second of writer/director Joss Whedon‘s “mother of all superhero movies.”  The film raked in an impressive $18.7 million in midnight tickets, making it the highest grossing midnight showing for a superhero title thus far, besting The Dark Knight’s $18.5 million take in 2008 (your move, The Dark Knight Rises).  Hit the jump for more.

THE AVENGERS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 2nd, 2012 at 1:17 pm

Nothing like The Avengers has ever been attempted in Hollywood history.  No major motion picture has ever been the culmination of four different blockbuster franchises, each with its own protagonist, and crossing them over into one gigantic film.  It’s bigger than a sequel or even a planned trilogy.  Marvel had to take pieces from their previous superhero films to assemble The Avengers.  The studio wedged set-up into Iron Man 2, wove the covert government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. into Thor, and tacked bookends to Captain America: The First Avenger.  The plan for The Avengers was audacious to the point of near-hubris, but writer-director Joss Whedon has managed to deliver an absolute powerhouse of a payoff that’s truly worthy of Marvel’s astonishing ambition.

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