Thor

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, THOR, and HUGO Among Costume Designers Guild Nominees

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 9:12 am

Though many are busy finalizing their predictions for the Best Actor and Best Picture Oscar categories, the Costume Designers Guild today announced nominees for excellence in wardrobe. The nods are split into three categories: contemporary, fantasy, and period. Among the films singled out are superhero fare like X-Men: First Class and Thor, blockbusters franchises Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and dramatic critical favorites like Drive and The Descendants. Personally, I’m thrilled to see the excellent work in X-Men: First Class singled out, and I’m still waiting for a reasonably priced way to own Ryan Gosling’s ridiculously cool jacket from Drive.

Hit the jump to see the full list of nominees. The winners will be announced on February 21st, and the nominees for the upcoming 84th Annual Academy Awards will be revealed this coming Tuesday, January 24th.

THOR 2 Rewrite Handled by Robert Rodat

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 6:55 pm

Lately, Thor 2’s production has been in flux due to the original director Patty Jenkins leaving citing “creative differences” and new director Alan Taylor having to wait for a new writer to rework Don Payne’s original script. It looks as if Marvel Studios has settled on a new screenwriter so now everyone can just settle down and get back to work on making the sequel to one of 2011’s most successful films. Originally considered a contender for the rewriting job, Robert Rodat has bested competitors John Collee and Roger Avary for the position. The Oscar-nominated scribe behind Saving Private Ryan and the creator of TNT’s Falling Skies will have the task of scripting where the Asgardian’s story will head after he wraps things up with the The Avengers this May. Hit the jump for more on Thor 2.

Tom Hiddleston Says THOR 2 Starts Filming This Summer in London

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 11:29 am

Marvel’s Thor 2 appears to be back on track, and we’ve now got a brief update on the production. After running through what seemed like a revolving door of potential directors (the latest of which, Patty Jenkins, left the project in early December), television helmer Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) has been set to direct the superhero follow-up. Star Tom Hiddleston recently spoke to Empire and revealed that filming is poised to begin this summer:

“All I know about Thor 2 is that we’re supposed to film it in London in the summer and that it is being directed by Alan Taylor.”

Like I said, it’s a brief update, but it’s good to know that things seem to be moving forward. Both Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman are set to return, but plot details are being (predictably) kept under lock and key. We should have a better idea of where the story will go after The Avengers in May. Thor 2 is slated for November 15th, 2013.

97 Original Scores Up for Oscar; DRIVE and ATTACK THE BLOCK Ruled Ineligible

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

As the 84th Academy Awards move closer, we’re starting to get a better sense of how things will pan out. We recently shared the 39 songs that will contend for the Best Original Song category, and now the Academy has announced the 97 original scores eligible for the Best Original Score award. AMPAS is notoriously picky when it comes to eligibility in this category, and as we feared the scores for both Drive and Attack the Block have been deemed ineligible. Also disappointing is the ineligibility of Alexandre Desplat’s mesmerizing score for The Tree of Life.

While it’s upsetting to see some of the year’s best work side-lined, there’s plenty to be happy about. I was a huge fan of Howard Shore’s work in Hugo and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as The Chemical Brothers’ brilliant work in the criminally underseen Hanna. Hit the jump for the full list, as well as who I think will make the cut.

Watch “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer” from CAPTAIN AMERICA Blu-ray/DVD

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 16th, 2011 at 7:39 am

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on October 25, featuring the Marvel One-Shot “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer.” You don’t have to wait until then to see “Funny Thing,” though, since Marvel released it early online. The first One-Shot we saw, “The Consultant,” intends to connect The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers. The new One-Shot is meant to bridge Iron Man 2 and Thor. The slickly directed short follows Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) as he stops at a convenience store for some donuts, when two armed men burst in and try to rob the place. See how the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent takes care of the situation after the jump.

Patty Jenkins Confirmed to Direct THOR 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 13th, 2011 at 1:13 pm

Monster director Patty Jenkins has signed on to direct Thor 2.  Last month we reported that Jenkins was in early talks to direct and we commented on how it was surprising that Marvel would hire someone who’s biggest directing credit to date was an independent drama known primarily for how Charlize Theron uglied up and won an Oscar.  Jenkins is an interesting choice but one that makes me more interested in the film than if some journeyman director had been hired.

We don’t know much about the plot other than Marvel President Kevin Feige’s comment that “[Thor 2 will] primarily be the journey of that character, of he and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and how the new dynamic with his father is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds.”  Hit the jump for the full press release.  Thor 2 is due out November 15, 2013.

TOP 5: Fantastic Fest Coverage, 50/50, MACHINE GUN PREACHER, GHOST RIDER 2, Tom Hiddleston Talks THE AVENGERS and THOR 2

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 1st, 2011 at 3:56 pm

With the fall film season now in full swing, I’m 100% ashamed to admit that I’ve yet to see two of my most anticipated fall films: Moneyball and 50/50. Now, I have every intention of ending this charade at some point this weekend but, for now, I hope you’ll give me a pass. If I’ve still yet to check them out when we meet here next week, I’ll understand if you choose to revoke my “mildly credible film blogger” credentials. In the meantime…

…In this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you can find all of our Fantastic Fest 2011 coverage. After that, interviews abound with the cast of Jonathan Levine’s dramedy 50/50, the cast, creators, and real-life inspiration for Machine Gun Preacher, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance director Brian Taylor, and Thor/The Avengers‘ Tom Hiddleston. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

Promo Poster for THE AVENGERS from THE ART OF MARVEL STUDIOS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 2:39 pm

Today, Marvel Studios released their new book The Art of Marvel Studios and they sent me a copy. The surprisingly heavy box set collects the previously-released hard-cover art books for Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. These books are really a treat for anyone who wants to go through the concept art of these movies and see all the costume and make-up designs that weren’t used (there are some particularly horrific Red Skull designs that didn’t make the final cut). The box set also includes a promo poster for The Avengers. It’s simply the cover art to the box set with The Avengers logo, but since the cover art is nice, it’s a neat poster to have. Consider it a cool bonus to a box set that has the MSRP of $150.00. I don’t think I’d buy the set, but I also don’t have a spare 150 bucks lying around. If I did, I would consider getting it for my coffee table or a brick wall I needed to prop-up (seriously, this thing weighs almost 13 pounds).

Hit the jump to check out the poster. Click here to buy The Art of Marvel Studios from Amazon where it’s currently going for $94.50. And if you missed it, here’s a first look at the toy packaging for The Avengers movie.

MONSTER Director Patty Jenkins in Early Talks to Helm THOR 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 22nd, 2011 at 9:29 am

Marvel may be making a welcome move when it comes to choosing a director for Thor 2.  Deadline reports that the studio is seriously considering Monster director Patty Jenkins to take the reigns of the superhero sequel.  If Jenkins got the gig, she would be not only the first female director to helm a major superhero movie (no offense to Lexi Alexander who did a great job with Punisher: War Zone, but it was a small-scale superhero flick), but one of the few women put in charge of a summer blockbuster.  While I don’t think Monster is anything special beyond Charlize Theron’s performance, Jenkins did a great job setting the grey, dreary mood for the pilot of AMC’s The Killing (it was the story that zoned me out of that show).  The question is how much room she’ll have to redefine the distinctive look Kenneth Branagh established for Thor‘s universe.

It’s worth mentioning that last month we reported that Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) was also being considered, so it definitely looks like Marvel is pulling from the small screen to find its director.  Either way, we should expect an announcement soon.  Thor 2 is set to open July 26, 2013. [Update: Variety confirms that Jenkins is in early talks to direct.  The story adds that Kirk decided not to take the gig "due to creative and financial sticking point" and that Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods), James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin), Noam Murro (300: Battle of Artemesia) and Breck Eisner (The Crazies) were all considered for the job]

Tom Hiddleston Talks WAR HORSE, THE AVENGERS and THOR 2 at TIFF

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 18th, 2011 at 12:27 pm

At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, I was able to sit down with Tom Hiddleston for an exclusive interview about writer-director Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea.  Starring Rachel Weisz, Simon Russell Beale and Hilldeston, the film is set in post-war Britain and it’s about the wife of a high court judge who walks out on her marriage and moves in with a young ex-RAF pilot (Hiddleston), with whom she has fallen passionately in love.  The film is an  adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s classic play.

Since the interview with Hiddleston was almost twenty minutes, I decided to break it up into two parts.  In the coming days I’ll post what he said about The Deep Blue Sea, but I wanted to start with what he said about Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, Joss Whedon’s Avengers , and Thor 2. Hit the jump for more.

Kat Dennings Talks 2 BROKE GIRLS, RENEE and the THOR Sequel

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 14th, 2011 at 5:47 pm

The new comedy series 2 Broke Girls, premiering on September 19^th, is about two young women who waitress at a greasy spoon diner and strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business, if they can ever raise enough cash. Sassy and streetwise, Max Black (Kat Dennings) works two jobs just to get by, while uptown trust fund princess Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs) is having such a run of bad luck that she finds herself picking up shifts at the retro-hip Williamsburg Diner. At first, Max sees Caroline as yet another in a long line of inept servers that she must cover for, but she’s surprised to find that Caroline has as much substance as she does style, and the two girls from entirely different worlds become friends.

During a recent interview, actress Kat Dennings talked about what led her to make a weekly series commitment, that she loves how real her character is, how lucky they are to have such strong comedic forces behind the show, and how being in a business as risky as acting had often led her to wonder where her next paycheck was coming from. She also talked about playing a bi-polar girl in the indie drama Renee, and how her TV contract will allow for her to go do the sequel, if she ends up in Thor 2. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

First Look at Marvel’s Short A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR’S HAMMER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 13th, 2011 at 12:25 pm

The Blu-ray release of Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger is on the way, and included on the disc is another Marvel short film that fills the gaps between features. The first one we saw was The Consultant, which attempted to tie together the events of The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers with the use of Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson. This new short, called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer bridges Iron Man 2 and Thor. It again stars Clark Gregg, and today we’ve got a sneak peek at the short. It looks to be a bit better than The Consultant (which isn’t saying much), and Gregg instantly ups the watchability of anything he’s in.

Hit the jump to watch the sneak peek. Captain America: The First Avenger is set to be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25th.

THE AVENGERS “Sneak Peek” and Marvel One-Shot: “The Consultant” from the Upcoming THOR Blu-ray

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 31st, 2011 at 12:34 pm

As review copies of the upcoming Thor Blu-ray are going out, it’s not surprising that some of the disc’s noteworthy extras are being posted online.  First up, there’s the “Road to The Avengers“, a sneak peek which is almost entirely worthless.  There’s no footage from the movie, and it’s mostly a puff piece where talking heads celebrate the scope of the picture and how great it is to work with everyone.  The only moment of any value is when director Joss Whedon says that the idea that fuels the film is this group of superheroes becoming a team and “finding what they didn’t have before.”  The other special feature is a short film, “Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant”.  If you ever wanted to see the mundane behind-the-scenes activities of S.H.I.E.L.D., you’ll love this short, which feels like a fan film except they got Clark Gregg to star in it.

Hit the jump to check out the videos.  Thor hits DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D Blu-ray on September 13th.  The Avengers opens in 3D on May 4, 2012.

Editorial: What Did Marvel Disassemble to Make THE AVENGERS?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 2:36 pm

There’s never quite been a movie constructed like The Avengers.  No major mainstream movie (or at least none I can think of) has ever been both the sequel to and the cross over of three different franchises.    Furthermore, this vision has not come from a single writer or director but rather from a studio who wants to translate their business model for comics on to the big screen.  That model demands that characters and plotlines carry over between different stories and therefore the consumer must draw from multiple products in order to understand the larger narrative.  However, each story contributing to the collaboration must also stand on its own.

But there’s been a cost to this ambition and that cost has been felt in the plotting of Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger.  We normally feel miffed if a film provides a presumptuous cliffhanger but these three films have gone one step further by gearing elements of their plot towards a final product.  Has Marvel damaged three movies in order to build the biggest superhero movie of all-time?  Hit the jump for more.

Marvel Releases Final Concept Art from THE AVENGERS

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 24th, 2011 at 11:33 am

Marvel has released the final banner from its collection of exclusive Comic-Con concept art posters for The Avengers. On top of the art being pretty stellar, it’s really just nice to see the whole gang together on one sheet. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson, writer/director Joss Whedon’s The Avengers hits theaters next summer on May 4th. Hit the jump to check out the final banner and each individual poster. Click here for all of our previous coverage of The Avengers.

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