May 8, 2007 - From Comic Book's to the big screenBack
Behind the Screens
A Fanboy's Guide to Upcoming Comic Book Movies
11 Highly Anticipated Films Sure to Arrest Your Development
April 29, 2007
Ron Perlman as Hellboy will return to the big screen next summer.
With Spider-Man 3 and Fantastic Four 2 coming out this summer, comic geeks are again salivating at the bounty Hollywood has brought them, and there’s no end in sight. Several more comic-based scripts are in the works, ensuring a steady stream of fantasy-action movies for years to come.
There was a time not long ago when the most comic book fans had to look forward to in the way of movies were Joel Schumacher’s widely ridiculed Batman movies. Now, with the success of Spider-Man, X-Men and a host of others, studios have been snatching up every graphic novel property to hit the shelves since World War II. With nearly all the major names already filmed, moviemakers are seeing the potential of graphic novels like "Wanted" and "Watchmen."
Expect to be caught up in a world of superheroes you never knew existed, ones that seek to pique public interest without the built-in audience that Superman or Batman enjoyed. Thanks to the success of films like 300 and Sin City, R-rated comic movies are also becoming more viable, opening the door for many of the darker and ultimately more realistic graphic novels of the last twenty years. The following is a list of just some of the comic book-based films you can expect to hear a lot about in the next few months.
SPIDER-MAN 3
Release Date: May 4, 2007
The Comic: The biggest name in Marvel comics, "Spider-Man" was the first superhero book to focus more on the man than the powers. Besides fighting costumed maniacs, Peter Parker had problems all readers could identify with: school, romance, family, and money troubles.
The Movie: Director Sam Raimi brings us the third but probably not final installment of the Spider-Man series, this time pitting Spidey against Sandman, Venom, and Peter's old friend Harry – taking on his father's mantle as the Green Goblin. It may be the most expensive movie ever made, but S3 is expected to deliver the action, drama, and brilliant visuals that made the first two the highest grossing comic book films of all time.
FANTASTIC FOUR 2: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
Release Date: June 15, 2007
The Comic: The Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics' first superhero team, debuted in 1961, breaking the conventions of superhero books and transforming the publishing company into the giant it remains today. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), his wife Sue (The Invisible Woman), her brother Johnny, (The Human Torch), and Reed's best friend Ben (The Thing) make up Marvel's first family; repeatedly saving the world from such universal threats as Doctor Doom, Galactus, The Mole Man, and the Skrull Empire.
The Movie: Director Tim Story delivered a commercially successful movie the first time around, one that was controversial with the fanboy crowd, who questioned the direction of the FF franchise. The sequel already looks superior to the original however, with trailers showing high-speed aerial action between The Silver Surfer and Human Torch. Combined with new villains and a richer story, FF2 is getting some good buzz.
WATCHMEN
Release Date: TBD 2008
The Comic: This engrossing twelve-issue story changed the graphic novel forever when it debuted in 1985: heroes became darker, dialogue more natural, and morality forever grayed. When a former costumed hero is murdered, the remaining retired crime fighters must find out who is hunting them, and why. A man with god-like powers manages to change the course of human history, leading to a dark fantasy world in which America won Vietnam, Nixon is still president, and Woodward and Bernstein are just the names of a couple of reporters found dead in a warehouse somewhere. With some of the most memorable characters in comics history – like the Comedian and Rorschach – and dialogue and character development that made Alan Moore a god in the comics world, "Watchmen" is simply regarded by comic fans as an example of the world’s finest literature that happens to contain word bubbles.
The Movie: For nearly 20 years filmmakers have been clamoring to put this masterpiece on the big screen, but given the dense source material and adult subject matter, studios have been gun shy about financing the project with eager directors, most notably Terry Gilliam. Zack Snyder, fresh off his monster hit 300, seems a perfect fit for the helm of Watchmen; just the fact that he snuck a shot of Rorschach into the first 300 trailer shows a commitment to the hardcore fans, of which Watchmen has no shortage.
Daniel Craig is rumored to be the anti-hero Rorschach, and Ron Perlman as the even-less-of-a-hero Comedian, though early rumors of Tom Cruise as “Ozymandias, the World’s Smartest Man” didn’t pan out. Gerard Butler, 300’s King Leonidas is also reportedly in the film, with his chiseled features and commanding presence he could play several of the characters ably. One thing is for certain – whoever plays Dr. Manhattan needs to be in great shape, because a blue, nearly naked living god can’t have love handles. Alan Moore has famously disliked all adaptations of his books into films; League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, even V for Vendetta. Yet Snyder seems committed to staying true to the original and creating a film even the impossible-to-please Moore could tolerate. That means we can expect a very long and R-rated film, and that is exactly as it should be.
WANTED
Release date: March 28, 2008
The Comic: Writer Mark Millar has a gift for creating realistic supernatural worlds. In this one, his protagonist Wesley Gibson (whose looks are modeled after Eminem, down to the bleached Caesar) is a spineless nobody. His best friend and girlfriend are sleeping together, his boss treats him like an idiot and he’s never stood up for anything in his life. Suddenly, he discovers he’s the long lost son of a murdered supervillain. When Wesley is asked to take his father’s place in the underground fraternity of assassins and superpowered criminals, he embraces his new life as a supervillain.
The Movie: Russian director Timur Bekmambetov has been tweaking the script for some time, most notably to work on the character of the Fox, the former partner of Wesley’s supervillain father, modeled after Halle Berry and now rewritten for Angelie Jolie. Wanted fans probably realize that the story needs to be lightened up a little if it’s to appeal to a mass audience – and with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy (Narnia, Last King of Scotland) as Wesley, and Morgan Freeman as Sloan, a character created for the film, this has all the elements of a surprise hit, especially for an R-rated superhero flick... if done right.
THE DARK KNIGHT
Release Date: July 18 2008
The Comic: Chris Nolan’s story is apparently based on the age-old tale “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge,” as well as the quintessential Joker story “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore. The Joker has always been the character that brings out the best in Batman; he is chaos to Batman’s strict discipline, he is everything Bruce Wayne has fought against both in the streets and within himself.
The Movie: Nolan’s Batman Begins was a gritty, realistic view of the Caped Crusader. With his second time “at bat” and the franchise’s signature villain at his heels, this could very well be the best Batman film to date. Heath Ledger is cast as the Joker, a brave move considering that Ledger’s performance will be compared to Jack Nicholson’s in the 1989 film. Aaron Eckhart is also in the film as Harvey Dent, the doomed prosecutor destined to become the disfigured mobster Two-Face, a role played previously by Tommy Lee Jones and Billie Dee Williams. Also returning are Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Notably absent is Katie Holmes, replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal as prosecutor Rachel Dawes.
SIN CITY 2
Release Date: TBD 2008
The Comic: Based on “A Dame to Kill For” and other Frank Miller stories, this tale details the unspeakable things Dwight does for the love of Ava, the incredibly beautiful and charismatic woman who betrayed him years before. After being tricked into killing an innocent man, Dwight must go on a bloody crusade of lies, revenge and redemption. The book answers many questions: Why does Dwight have a “new face?” What happened to Manute’s eye? How good a friend is Marv, really? (The answer: a very, very good one).
The Movie: Sin City 2 looks to have a more cohesive story than found in the original’s triptych. Also, since it’s a prequel, we get to see a return of the character who stole our hearts, the grotesque Marv, who was put to death for murders he didn’t commit, plus several others he did. Also returning are Rosario Dawson’s deadly and beautiful Gail, and Devon Aoki as the petite and silent killing machine Miho. Angelina Jolie was the original choice for the role of Ava, but it now appears Rachel Weisz will play the cunning seductress. Expect a jaw-dropping scene of Ava diving into a pool, as well as more sexy lasso-twirling table dances by the inimitable Jessica Alba as Nancy. Judging by Sin City’s DVD sales and the box office monster that was 300, a whole new legion of Frank Miller fans should make this sequel an even bigger box office hit than the original.
IRON MAN
Release Date: May 2, 2008
The Comic: “Iron Man” has long been one of the deeper and darker characters at Marvel, as he is an alcoholic with a passion for women and wealth. After suffering a shrapnel wound in war, brilliant scientist-inventor Tony Stark creates a bionic suit of armor that keeps his heart ticking and gives him amazing abilities. Continually updating and augmenting his armor, Stark uses his genius and industrial wealth and power to fight crime as the Invincible Iron Man. Most recently, Tony was the central figure in the Civil War storyline, as he led the pro-government heroes against Captain America’s anti-registration forces, a storyline that famously ended with Cap’s death.
The Movie: Director Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura) seems committed to presenting a realistic and action-packed Iron Man story. Some chided the idea of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, but since Tony Stark is a man who is held captive by substance abuse, Downey actually seems like a poignant choice. But as any fanboy can tell you, the true star of this film will be the armor, an ever-evolving suit full of energy blasts, aerial battles and unstoppable metal fists. It taps into every adolescent power fantasy in a way that is utterly believable. At best, Iron Man could be alongside Spider-Man and Batman in terms of epic superhero flicks – at worst, it’ll still be really cool to look at.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Release date: June 13, 2008
The Comic: Dr. Bruce Banner was in the wrong place at the wrong time (although on second thought, there is no right time to be caught in a nuclear blast). A gamma bomb transformed the innocent physicist into the giant green smashing machine known as the Hulk, one of Stan Lee’s original silver age heroes, a counter-cultural icon hunted by the government just because he’s different – and often gets mad and destroys a state or two.
The Movie: Ang Lee’s challenging 2003 film received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, and Marvel Studios has made it clear that the new film would be a complete break from the first film, concentrating on high-intensity action and a more realistic looking Hulk. Edward Norton, who is no stranger to spilt-personality roles (Fight Club, Primal Fear), is an exciting addition as Banner; along with director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter), writer Zak Penn (X2), and the introduction of the Abomination – another super-powered monster. The Incredible Hulk is shaping up to be the fun, smash-em-up ride audiences are clamoring for.
WOLVERINE
Release Date: TBA
The Comic: A man named Logan, thanks to the Weapon X program, gets metal bones and claws, while the process erases his memory and drives him into animalistic madness. A former secret agent, soldier, samurai, and wild beast, Logan (aka “Wolverine”) has been fighting the world's toughest villains, as well as his animal within, for what may be hundreds of years. The gruff Canadian slashing machine is the Tom Cruise of Marvel Comics, both in popularity and height. The ultimate anti-hero, every kid dreams of being the invincible cigar-chomping X-Man who pops his claws and tells the bad guy: “You’ve got ‘till the count of five. One… four...”
The Movie: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was the standout character in the X-Men films, and so his own movie seemed inevitable. Unfortunately, production is at a standstill and no date is set to get the ball rolling again. With a script, cast, and director ready to go, however, it can be assumed that it won’t be too long before we’ll once again see billboards with a triad of gleaming claws. The script apparently takes place nearly twenty years in the past. Brian Cox is expected to return as Stryker, while Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones) may also return looking for a fight. Sabretooth is especially likely, as the two have been at each other’s throats for the better part of a century. Also, common sense tells us that in any Wolverine movie, there are going to be ninjas, and they are going to die.
HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Release Date: Aug. 1 2008
The Comic: With his giant stone hand and filed-down demon horns, Hellboy, a product of satanic Nazis and Rasputin, is the Earth's unlikely defender against the things that go bump in the night. Saving the world from werewolf ghosts, old world occultists, and giant space worms is all part of a day’s work for the top investigator at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola portrays our hero as more of an Indiana Jones meets HP Lovecraft than the traditional superhero. Hellboy tales are huge, reality-warping adventures that are strangely more subtle and mature than most comics.
The Movie: Though not a blockbuster, the first Hellboy was one of the first successful comic book films based on a lesser-known book, and has done smashingly well on DVD. Fresh off his award-winning fable, Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro expands on the Hellboy story with a grander saving-the-world epic – as Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Liz Sherman (the pyrokinetic Selma Blair), and Abe Sapien (still played by Doug Jones but no longer voiced by David Hyde Pierce) must stop an otherworldly army from consuming the earthly realm. Del Toro has said in interviews that certain elements of Pan’s Labyrinth will be visible in Hellboy 2, presumably, Pan’s seamless dichotomy of the physical world with the supernatural. If Pan is any indication, Guillermo is poised to make Hellboy the next comic book sequel to trump its predecessor.
MAGNETO
Release date: TBA
The Comic: One of the most complex supervillains of the comics world, Magneto has been the arch enemy and erstwhile of the X-Men since the gang’s 1963 debut. Despite being a victim of the Nazis as a young man, Magnus would grow to persecute all non-mutant humans, believing he, a homo-superior, had no choice but to eradicate human-kind in order to protect his mutant brethren.
The Movie: Marvel Studios has just announced that David Goyer – the writer of Batman Begins and the Blade trilogy and director of Blade: Trinity – will direct Magneto. This will be the fifth X-film of sorts: Wolverine may be the first X-Men spin-off and yet both films are expected to be prequels to the original trilogy. Magneto will tell the story of a young Erik Magnus Lensherr, whose mutant power of manipulating magnetic fields manifested itself as a child prisoner in Auschwitz during WWII. The film will focus on young Magneto and Professor Xavier (originally, an Allied soldier who helps liberate the camp), friends at first, but driven apart by Magnus' quest for vengeance against the Nazis who enslaved his family. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart may not necessarily appear in the films, but suffice it to say there is huge anticipation for this film. Then again, we’re excited about all of these movies, as Hollywood finally realized it pays to finance movies made by fans for the fans.
David Pollack, a former DC Comics employee, is a writer, illustrator and recovering comic book geek.
Source: http://www.fandango.com/commentator
