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To survive and thrive, comic book movies have to keep pushing the boundaries of what audiences expect, which is absolutely what director Scott Derrickson has done with his take on Doctor Strange. Loaded with amazing visuals that absolutely should be seen in IMAX 3D, the film is a fantastic journey into the concept of alternate realities and parallel dimensions and opens the door for the MCU to journey into new places. Trust me, if you’re a Doctor Strange fan, you’re going to be unbelievably happy when you leave the theater. (And if you’re a fan of composer Michael Giacchino, get ready to buy the soundtrack because he’s done some great work here).
For those still unfamiliar with the story of Doctor Strange, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the brilliant neurosurgeon Steven Strange. After a devastating car crash, Strange sets out to find unconventional means of recovery, which in turn sets him on the path to The Ancient One and the Kamar-Taj, where he learns the mind-bending mysteries of interdimensional magic and comes up against the villainous “man of ideas” Kaecillius — who threatens our very fabric of reality. The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Mads Mikkelsen.
With Doctor Strange about to open in North America, a few days ago I got to sit down with Scott Derrickson for an exclusive interview. He talked about how he spent a lot of money trying to get the job, designing a few action sequences before he was hired, if he was nervous pitching Marvel, a key deleted scene that might be on the Blu-ray, and more.
Check out what he had to say in the video above and below is a list of what we talked about.
Scott Derrickson:
- How close did Joaquin Phoenix get to being cast as Doctor Strange?
- On how he spent a lot of money trying to get this job.
- How he designed a big action set piece for his pitch which Marvel then bought.
- How nervous was he when he pitched Marvel for the job?
- What deleted scenes will be on the Blu-ray? Talks about one of them which was Strange’s sister drowning and why it didn’t fit in the movie.
For more of our latest Doctor Strange coverage, check out the links below, and be sure to stay tuned for our full review.
- ‘Doctor Strange’ Star Benedict Cumberbatch on Making His Hero More Vulnerable
- Mads Mikkelsen on ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘Rogue One’ and More ‘Hannibal’
- ‘Doctor Strange’: Listen to Michael Giacchino’s Psychedelic Score; Plus New Images
- ‘Doctor Strange’ Opening Weekend Box Office Tracking at $55 Million—$75 Million
- ‘Doctor Strange’: 45 Things to Know About Marvel’s Biggest Spectacle Yet