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Iron Man

Iron Man is an upcoming 2008 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Iron Man. The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man. The film is slated for a May 2, 2008 release, and is the first film independently produced by Marvel Studios.

Premise

Stark builds his armorWeapons designer Tony Stark is in Afghanistan to introduce his new missile design to the Air Force until the unit he is traveling with is attacked and Stark is taken hostage. Injured by shrapnel embedded near his heart, his captors order him to assemble a missile for them, giving him access to a workshop. He puts his creativity to use by assembling a bulletproof set of power armor, complete with pacemaker and flamethrowers, and uses it to free himself.[3] Back at home, he becomes Iron Man, developing a flying suit with the red and gold scheme and advanced weapon capabilities.[4] Stark faces the Iron Monger.[2]


[edit] Cast
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark / Iron Man, a billionaire industrialist who builds the ultimate technological suit. Favreau originally planned to cast a newcomer in the role,[5] but cast Downey, who is a big fan of the comic book. Downey described his challenge as "making a wealthy, establishmentarian, weapons manufacturing, hard drinking, womanizing p***k into someone who is likable and a hero."[6] Downey set up an office next to Favreau, discussing his role and becoming highly involved in pre-production.[2]
Terrence Howard plays Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a pilot who befriends Stark when Iron Man saves his life after a plane crash left him stranded behind enemy lines.[7] He is the liaison between Stark's Enterprises and the military in the department of acquisitions.[8] Howard's casting in the role was part of long-term planning, as Favreau felt he could play War Machine.[9] Howard prepared for the role by visiting Nellis Air Force Base on March 16, 2007, where he observed HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and F-22 Raptors.[10]
Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia "Pepper" Potts, Stark's personal secretary.[11] Paltrow went to the source material, reading many of her husband's (Chris Martin) comic books.[12]
Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane / Iron Monger: Tony Stark's mentor,[13] and now his main business rival.[2]
Shaun Toub as Yin Sen, Stark's fellow captive in Afghanistan.[14]
Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, a "fast-talking" reporter.[15]
Bill Smitrovich in an unnamed role.[16]
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.[17]
Actress Hilary Swank will have a cameo in the film.[17] Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee will also cameo, where he appears with three blonde women and is mistaken for Hugh Hefner by Tony Stark.[18] Rapper and Iron Man fan Ghostface Killah also has a cameo.[19] Favreau announced the Mandarin as the film's villain at Comic-Con International on July 22, 2006.[20] After filming, Favreau compared the Mandarin to Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, in that his role is a menacing presence rather than a physical antagonist.[21]


[edit] Production

[edit] Development
In April 1990, Universal Pictures bought the rights to develop Iron Man for the big screen.[22] By February 1996, Twentieth Century Fox acquired the rights from Universal.[23] In January 1997, actor Nicolas Cage expressed interest in being cast for the lead role,[24] and in September 1998, actor Tom Cruise had expressed interest in producing as well as starring in the film debut of Iron Man.[25] Director Quentin Tarantino was approached in October 1999 to write and direct Iron Man.[26] With no deal made, Fox eventually sold the rights to New Line Cinema the following December.[27] By July 2000, the film was being written for the studio[28] by screenwriter Tim McCanlies.[29] New Line entered talks with Joss Whedon, a fan of the character Iron Man, in June 2001 for the possibility of the director taking the helm.[30] In December 2002, McCanlies had turned in a completed script.[31]

In December 2004, the studio attached director Nick Cassavetes to the project for a target 2006 release.[32] After two years of unsuccessful development, and the deal with director Cassavetes falling through, New Line Cinema returned the film rights to Marvel. Screenplay drafts had been written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and David Hayter, but they were not retained. In November 2005, Marvel Studios worked to start development from scratch,[33] announcing it as their first independent feature, as Iron Man was their only major character yet to be adapted.[2]

On April 28, 2006, Avi Arad, chairman of Marvel Studios, announced that Jon Favreau would direct Iron Man, with Paramount Pictures distributing. Favreau had wanted to work with Arad on another film after the Daredevil adaptation,[2] and found an opportunity to create a politically ambitious "ultimate spy movie" in Iron Man, with shades of Tom Clancy, James Bond and RoboCop.[3] Favreau also described his approach as like that of an independent film, "f Robert Altman had directed Superman",[2] and also cited Batman Begins as an inspiration.[21] Favreau changed the Vietnam War origin of the character to Afghanistan, as he did not want to do a period piece.[9]


Filming
The film was shot primarily in California,[34] with production based at the Playa Vista in the former Hughes Company soundstages.[35] Favreau said he rejected the East Coast setting of the comic books as many superhero films were set there, and wanted to avoid repetition in his film.[9] For filming, Favreau preferred improvisation in dialogue scenes, calling back to his Altman influence. Jeff Bridges noted, "I know Jon is very interested in grounding it as much in reality as he possibly can."[36]

Filming began on March 12, 2007,[37] with the first few weeks were spent on Stark's captivity in Afghanistan.[38] One of the sets built was the cave where Stark is imprisoned, which was 150-200 yards long, with movable forks in the caverns.[9] Filming at Edwards Air Force Base began in mid-April,[39] and was completed on May 2.[40] Filming concluded on June 25, 2007 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.[41]


Special effects

The Iron Man suit showcased in the film was inspired by Adi Granov's artFavreau stated he wanted the film to feel believable, and key to this was seeing the full construction of the suit in its three stages.[9] Iron Man comic book artist Adi Granov created the suit design with Phil Saunders,[42] which was built by Stan Winston Studios.[43] Granov's designs were the primary inspiration for the film's design, and he came on board the film after he recognized his work on Jon Favreau's MySpace page.[21] Armor designs by graphic artist Brandon Perlow were considered by Iron Man's visual effects supervisor John Nelson but were later rejected.[44]

Robert Downey Jr. will be involved with motion capture work eight months after the completion of filming in order to realistically portray the suited Iron Man's movements.[45] On May 14, 2007, Industrial Light & Magic was hired to create the visual effects, while Skywalker Sound will manage the audio production. EFilm will do color timing and mastering.



The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt. Norton also wrote the script, after a draft by Zak Penn. Penn said the film is a sequel to 2003's Hulk, but it will be different enough to also be considered a reboot. The Incredible Hulk has a target release date of June 13, 2008.[2]

Premise
Bruce Banner is on the run from the United States Army and General "Thunderbolt" Ross, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into the Hulk.[3] Meanwhile, a KGB agent named Emil Blonsky repeats the accident that gave Banner his powers, but as he is unable to change back to human form, he blames Bruce Banner and seeks his revenge.[4]

Louis Leterrier said that he planned to show Bruce Banner's struggle with the monster within him.[5] Producer Avi Arad has also said that the Hulk would be more strongly portrayed as a hero than in the previous film,[5] while producer Kevin Feige added the film would explore "that element of wish fulfillment, of overcoming an injustice or a bully and tapping into a strength that you didn't quite realize you had in yourself."[6] Arad also said the film would be "a lot more of a love story between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross."[7]


[edit] Cast
Edward Norton stars as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk, a genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation coupled with childhood trauma, transforms into the Hulk when stressed or enraged.[3] Eric Bana turned down reprising the role, as he viewed the first film as a one-off opportunity.[8] Norton was a fan of the character, particularly his first appearances in the comics as well as the TV show and Bruce Jones' run on the comic.[9] He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.[10] The filmmakers were interested in Norton because he reminded them of Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the TV series.[11] Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, stated that Norton reminded him of the actor, as "he has a similar physique, [and a] similar personality."[12] Zak Penn also compared Norton's character in Fight Club to that of Banner.[13]
Liv Tyler as Betty Ross: Bruce's girlfriend, who he is separated from due to his condition. Tyler replaced actress Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Betty Ross in the 2003 film Hulk.[14] Tyler was attracted to the love story in the script, and was a fan of the TV show, because of the "humanity and what [Banner] is going through".[9]
Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky: A KGB agent who exposes himself to gamma radiation to gain the Hulk's powers. Unable to change back into human form, he seeks his revenge on Banner.[4] Roth described playing the role as fun, and making the film was about pleasing his sons. He stated, "Pure, on set, all I'm asking is, 'Okay, this has got to be a cool shot for my kids, all right? Am I going to look cool in this shot?' It's truly about that for me, completely about that."[15] The character is known as the "Abomination" in the comics, but Zak Penn considered this name too silly, and he will only be referred to as Blonsky on screen.[13]
William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: Betty's father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk.[16] Sam Elliott stated he would have liked to have reprised the role, noting it was odd seeing someone take his role, "but I'll be looking forward to seeing this one".[17]
Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns: A scientist.[18]
Ty Burrell as Doc Samson.[19]
Lou Ferrigno has a cameo in the film.[12]

[edit] Production
At the time of the release of Hulk, screenwriter James Schamus was planning a sequel, featuring the Gray Hulk. He was also considering the Leader and the Abomination as villains.[20] On January 18, 2006 producer Avi Arad confirmed Marvel would be making the film, with Universal distributing.[21] In July, director Louis Leterrier and screenwriter Zak Penn were announced to be making the film.[5] Leterrier had expressed interest in directing the Iron Man film adaptation, but Jon Favreau took that project. Remembering his passion for Marvel Comics, Arad contacted him once more, regarding the Hulk, and it took less than half an hour for Leterrier to agree to the film and its less cerebral tone.[1]

Penn has said the film will follow up Ang Lee's Hulk, but tonally the film will be more similar to the TV series or Bruce Jones' run on the comic. He compared the film to Aliens, which was a very different film to Alien, but still in the same continuity.[10] Leterrier liked the original film but felt he would simply fail if he tried to copy Lee's direction.[22] Penn wrote three drafts, before departing in early 2007 to promote his film The Grand. Actor Edward Norton, who had rewritten previous films he starred in, wrote a new draft, which pleased the director and the studio in establishing the film as a reboot.[23] He also added Doc Samson and made references to other Marvel characters.[24] Feige added the film was a fresh start, with the Hulk's origin being revealed as the film went on. Norton explained, "I don't even like the phrase origin story, and I don't think in great literature and great films that explaining the roots of the story doesn't mean it comes in the beginning."[9]


Concept art for the film's incarnation of the HulkFilming began on July 9, 2007.[11] The Canadian shoot included Toronto, Hamilton, Ontario, CFB Trenton,[25] Vancouver and Belleville, Ontario.[26] Afterwards, there was a week-long shoot in New York City and two weeks in Rio de Janeiro.[25] The Incredible Hulk joined Toronto's Green-Screen initiative, to help cut carbon emissions and waste created during filming. Producer Gale Anne Hurd hopes the film will be a symbol of the drive to encourage less pollution from film productions. Norton used a hybrid vehicle on set.[27]

Leterrier has said he plans to use make-up and animatronics in combination with computer-generated imagery that had solely been used to portray the Hulk in the previous film.[22] Norton had indicated he will provide motion capture for the character.[9] Leterrier hired Rhythm and Hues to provide the CGI, due to being well known for their character animation. Industrial Light & Magic created the Hulk in the 2003 film.[28] Stylistically, the filmmakers chose a darker shade of green from the previous film,[29] and decided to not make him as large.[21] His size does not increase as he becomes further enraged, staying at a consistent height.[9]