Peyton Reed Gets Marvel’s ANT-MAN Gig
Well, that’s disappointing. Just hours after the spectacular David Wain was name dropped as a possible Edgar Wright replacement on Marvel’s Ant-Man, director Peyton Reed, the man who has given us Bring It On (which I love), Yes Man (which I can take or leave) and The Break-Up (which I hate), was announced as the final choice. As a David Wain fan, this is doubly tough. Edgar Wright dropping out was sad, but I get it. David Wain, who could have actually brought something more than benign comedy to the mix, not getting the gig just salts the wound. Oh well, good luck to Mr. Reed. He’s going to need it. We may not get an interesting Ant-Man or an off-beat Ant-Man but at least we’ll get a harmlessly funny one. It’s worth noting that in addition to Reed, Marvel’s first choice replacement, Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers),...
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Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE Gets A Director!
While Marvel searches for Edgar Wright’s replacement over on Ant-Man, they’ve locked in the helmer for the highly anticipated adaptation of Doctor Strange. According to Variety, director Scott Derrickson, whose filmography includes Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the direct to video sequel Hellraiser: Inferno, is in final talks to take the reigns of a film that could be the next big Marvel superhero franchise. If you aren’t familiar with Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, he’s a former neurosurgeon who protects the Earth from magical threats as its Sorcerer Supreme. Derrickson has a history of turning in solid (and profitable) horror pictures with mystical/religious themes, which very well could mean see Strange versus Daimon Hellstrom (a.k.a. Son of Satan). Ant-Man issues aside, a Doctor Strange film could be pretty epic. I’ve been excited for it ever since he was name dropped in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And now that we...
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Why X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Is A Bigger Deal Than THE AVENGERS
I love The Avengers. I’ve seen that movie more than a dozen times, four of which were in a theater. In the era of the superhero film, The Avengers stood above the rest as not only the most entertaining of the bunch, but also as a revelation of what could be possible with the genre. Is it the greatest? Maybe so. What Marvel did to get to The Avengers is a miracle. But after seeing X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Avengers seems like seeing Jesus’ face on a piece of toast compared to the X franchise’s resurrection. X-Men and the Reinvention of the Franchise Reboot Sure, The Avengers laid the groundwork for what is possible with a cinematic superhero franchise. The character introductions. The narrative build up. The final execution. It was as risky as it was visionary. More...
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Charlie Cox To Star In Netflix & Marvel’s DAREDEVIL
The rumor mill started up today, but it looks like THR has confirmation: Stardust and Boardwalk Empire‘s Charlie Cox will play Daredevil in the upcoming series from Netflix and Marvel. Good news for people who want to be distracted from the fact that Drew Goddard is no longer in charge of the show. Now I’m sure there are people who are more familiar with Mr. Cox than I am. I’ve never seen, nor had the urge to see, Stardust. And Boardwalk Empire? Well, that pilot was good, but… Well, before I piss of Boardwalk Empire fans, I’ll just say, great. It’s kinda dreamy in the picture above, so that’s good enough for...
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Edgar Wright, Drew Goddard and the Beginning of the End at Marvel
In the last three days, we may have seen one of the most successful studio runs in movie history come to a snikting hault. Edgar Wright left Ant-Man due to creative differences, which were apparently dictated by the good folks above Kevin Feige’s head. The next day, Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard dropped out as the showrunner for Marvel’s Daredevil TV series. (He’s already been replaced with fellow Wedonite Stephen S. DeKnight.) While Goddard’s departure isn’t unexpected given that he just signed on to direct a big Sinister Six blockbuster over in Sony’s burgeoning Spidey-verse, Wright’s exit that smells of Disney micro management Disney is more concerned about product than movies, we all know that. And replacing director’s isn’t something new, as we’ve seen the door open and close on animators over at Pixar/Disney Animation Studios. A...
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May’s Top Stories: DJANGO UNCHAINED The Mini-Series
One of my only complaints about Django Unchained is that Quentin Tarantino’s endlessly entertaining, Oscar-winning Western lacked the heft of some of his more recent productions. It felt like it should have been a four-hour movie, and apparently Tarantino agrees. Tarantino told an audience at Cannes that he’s considering cutting a mini-series version of his hit movie. With the 90-minutes of footage that has yet to be seen, Tarantino’s plan is to do four one-hour chapters out of the existing and unused material. This wouldn’t be the first time in recent years that a mini-series/movie combo release made a splash, though. Back in 2010, director Olivier Assayas did the reverse, turning his IFC mini-series Carlos into a theatrical cut, a film that was easily the best movie released that year. But where would it air? Well, Tarantino’s buddy Robert...
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