Brand New Wizard Article about F4: ROTSS

[GoblinScrier]

This article was posted on Wizard Universe

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/fantasticfour2/004381510.cfm


SURF’S UP!
To amp up ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ Marvel’s first family travels the world, battles a cosmic threat and faces off against two classic villains! Wizard gets the scoop.
By Rickey Purdin

Posted April 24, 2007 4:30 PM

It’s 1:30 in the morning and Jessica Alba is desperately trying not to barf.

Freezing in unusually bitter, 12-degree Vancouver weather, Alba sits strapped into a battle-damaged Fantasticar pod as it spins and slides over 30 feet on its belly atop a gurney, smack dab in the middle of a set dressed as a Shanghai street. Extras scurry out of the way as the star of “Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer” cries, thrashes and screams in terror. The pod comes to a stop, the set erupts in cheers and Alba exhales heavy clouds of thick warm fog in the November evening.

“It made me a little sick, actually,” giggles the actress when asked about it later. “I got nauseous. It’s similar to the Universal Studios ‘Back to the Future’ ride. I was just hoping the damn thing didn’t fall off the tracks and I didn’t get thrown through a building. And I didn’t want to throw up in front of the crew. It would have been so embarrassing.”

Embarrassed? Alba? The 25-year-old bombshell who owns a spot on almost every “Most Beautiful Woman in the World” list? That’s almost as surprising as the original “Fantastic Four” opening to the tune of a massive $56 million its first weekend in 2005, surpassing the projected box office receipts like a rocket ship bombarded by cosmic rays, en route to taking in over $154 million domestically when all was said and done.

“I know how much we were the underdog for the first one,” admits director Tim Story, back for his second turn overseeing the adventures of Marvel’s First Family. “I must admit it was a complete surprise, and there were a lot of people that wanted it to fail just because it wasn’t, in their eyes, being put together the way they would put the movie together. The success allowed us to do a second [film], and made us think about where did we go right and where did we go wrong and correct those issues.”

And if Alba’s perilous crash-landing in the streets of Shanghai proves anything, it’s that there’s a serious addition to the recipe that made the first flick a success: danger.

“It is dangerous,” admits Alba, who portrays FF heroine Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), of the sequel’s tone. “We still have Johnny Storm running around being a hothead. And he and Ben Grimm still argue. There’s going to be a lot of moments that are similar to the first one but it’s going to be more developed and more mature. It’s definitely darker.”

Now, with opening weekend set for June 15, the world will get a chance to see the more mature, more dangerous exploits of comicdom’s First Family. And considering Silver Surfer, the film’s new star, is the herald of a planet-devouring being known as Galactus, the stakes literally couldn’t be raised any higher.

FANTASTIC GLOBETROTTERS
In the first flick, Story focused on an updated origin for Fantastic Four members Invisible Woman, Ben Grimm, aka the Thing (Michael Chiklis), Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch (Chris Evans), and Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd). Confronted by Victor von Doom (Julian McMahon), the team dealt with their new powers and their roles as heroes. Light and comical, the film bombarded fanboy funny bones with nods to fave Fantastic Four mythos such as the Baxter Building headquarters and Willie Lumpkin, a mailman who served the team for decades, played by real-life FF co-creator Stan Lee.

For “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” Story hired Production Designer Kirk Petruccelli (“Ghost Rider”) to update the look of the film’s setting and take the adventure global.

“The whole idea for the design element was, ‘How much danger and jeopardy can we put them in and how do they get out of it?’” says Petruccelli as he strolls through the Shanghai set he helped design in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown district. “I’m partial to Reed’s lab. That was the most fun. I got to update him and refine the style of the Baxter Building. We made things a little more contemporary. It’s more honed and refined and clear because their agenda’s clearer now. And it becomes a real-world travelogue. They are on a mission around the world.”

Thanks to the FF’s comic roots as “explorers of the unknown,” the global setting allows for a bigger, broader adventure unhindered by the constraints of New York City. And with the Silver Surfer involved, expect the film’s playground to be much more grand than the first flick.

“We go to London, Shanghai, Germany, Iceland—we’re all over the place and that’s what’s cool about this,” adds Story. “We take you for a world trip, and what’s great about that is that we’re probably one of the few major comic book characters that you can go around the world with. They’re more explorers and adventurers than they are heroes, and that’s what we wanted to take full advantage of.”

Traveling the world can be tough when you’ve got a member made of heavyweight, orange rock and another who has a habit of catching himself on fire. The multinational setting rolled out the welcome mat for an integral FF element missing from the first film—the Fantasticar.

Designed by Story and conceptual artist Tim Flattery, who also designed the Batmobile in “Batman Forever,” the Fantasticar serves as the team’s transportation and incorporates the same smooth sense of aviation that aeronautical engineers have been toying with over the last decade to build better airplanes. Flattery’s Fantasticar isn’t only one of the coolest-looking comic vehicles in superhero cinema—it’s the real-life future of flying machines.

“It’s pretty fantastic,” jokes Chiklis as he stares lovingly at the vehicle while standing in a studio hangar on the Twentieth Century Fox lot in Vancouver. “I’d love to have one of those.” But before Chiklis can finish singing the car’s praises, McMahon interrupts him with a devious promise as he leans into Chiklis’ eye line. “Sorry,” McMahon offers with a smile. “I’ll destroy it. I can tell you that.”

DOOMED FOR A MAKEOVER
When fans last saw him, Victor von Doom, aka Dr. Doom, was being shipped off to Latveria where, in the comics, he rules as a royal dictator. For fanboys, the look of the evil monarch failed to match expectations when filmmakers opted for a stylish costume lacking the simplicity and regality of his comic book look. For the sequel, Story swears that Doom makes a comeback fans have been waiting for.

“We’ve gone back to the comic book to what made Dr. Doom ‘Dr. Doom’ in look and attitude,” reveals Story. “In the first film, we couldn’t find an organic way to get what Doom should look like from the comic book. It was a leap to get the mask, and we found a way to kind of get it in there, but to bring the rest of the costume, it was just more difficult.

“In [the sequel], we went for it and the comic book fans and everybody else who goes to see the movie will like the organic nature in which we bring the costume to fruition.”

Opting for more of the classic caped look and less of the coat and pants feel seen in the first film, Story and Petruccelli decided to give Doom a threatening edge.
“Basically, we made him dark,” admits Petruccelli. “Much more sinister. Much more stoic. In the first film, you didn’t know if he was a good guy or a bad guy. We know who he is now and that helped us make him a darker character literally and metaphorically.”

As Petruccelli admits, Doom’s evilness was almost undetectable considering the comic book version of Doom is widely considered the most nefarious villain in the Marvel Universe.

“I always thought Dr. Doom was the most evil guy on the planet,” agrees McMahon, who himself grazed a royal life as the son of Sir William McMahon, the former Prime Minister of Australia. “[In ‘Rise of the Silver Surfer,’] he’s just a little more evil because he’s coming back for revenge.”

For those who think Doom may fall out of the limelight in “Rise of the Silver Surfer” because of shinier elements like the Silver Surfer, you’d better watch your mouth before Doom tosses you in his dungeon (which makes an appearance in the film. Natch!). Story says the statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Dr. Doom definitely does not take a backseat,” insists the director. “He has his manipulative ways inside of all of this and actually turns out to play a pretty major role in what this film ends up being. I was glad about that because just like Magneto is to the X-Men, you want Dr. Doom [for the Fantastic Four]. We definitely bring Doom back in a way that I think most [fans] wanted him to be in the first installment.

Von Doom has always been about one thing—power. And in “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” there just so happens to be a massive source of power ripe for the picking.

“We have to be pretty specific to the original comic, so it’s not like we can come up with powers that weren’t already there,” says McMahon. “The Silver Surfer has some pretty extraordinary powers and it’s something to behold and something to reckon with if [Doom] gets ahold of it and something else if [the FF] does.”

SILVER LINING
Central to the film’s story (just check that title!) is the naked, sterling spaceman himself, the Silver Surfer. After years of proposed solo film projects, rumors circulated he’d make a surprise cameo in the first “Fantastic Four,” but he failed to show. Eventually, after long talks with Marvel Studios and Fox, Story was told he could use the Surfer in the FF sequel.

“What better way to introduce this character than the true way he was introduced in the comic books—through Fantastic Four,” gushes Story, referencing the Surfer’s debut in Fantastic Four #48. “When it comes down to it, he and Wolverine, they’re the coolest comic book characters in the Marvel world if not in the entire comic book world. Why not have him join and be a part of this franchise? We thought it would be the best way to make the biggest and best movie we could.”

So far, the public agrees. As soon as preview trailers for “Rise of the Silver Surfer” featuring the debut of the sterling lead man hit during the 2006 Christmas season, fan interest exploded. Websites were erected overnight as viewers investigated every frame of the released trailer. Fansites began buzzing with Silver Age back-histories. Even overzealous analysis of the clip revealed how, um, anatomically correct the studio made the hero. In short, he was the successful addition the franchise had hoped for.

Starring as the galactic waverider is character actor Doug Jones (“Hellboy”) with a little help from special effects house Spectral Motion (“X-Men: The Last Stand”) and visual effects masters Weta Digital (“The Lord of the Rings” movies). Decked out in a motion-capture suit, Jones physically acted in most of the scenes that called for the rest of the cast to interact with the Surfer.

“It’s the same in essence as what Andy Serkis did for the Gollum [in ‘Lord of the Rings’],” describes Gruffudd, who, as the science-minded Reed Richards, has a lot of interest in the Surfer. “He was there for the off-camera work and Doug was there for our off-camera work. So we just have a physical presence there to work with. He has dialogue and it’s good to bounce off a real person rather than a tennis ball with an X on it.”

Story had worked with Spectral Motion on the first film in adapting the Thing’s costume for the screen. When he first met with the company, they introduced Story to Jones.

“[Doug] had done a lot with them through ‘Hellboy’ and other stuff,” remembers Story. “And when we got into talking about doing this character, they immediately said, ‘Hey, why don’t we have Doug test the makeup?’ I learned later how good of a physical actor he was. He just gets the movement of the character and when you do CGI effects like this, you need a great physical actor. That’s Doug.”

With Jones, who elegantly captured smooth motion as the amphibious Abe Sapien in “Hellboy” and terrifying calmness as a scary-ass Gentleman in the award-winning “Hush” episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” moviegoers can expect a cosmos worth of great physical acting. [See sidebar.] But don’t expect a bizarro, cold-blooded entity incapable of audience empathy. Just like his comic book counterpart was intended back in 1966 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first introduced him, the Surfer possesses a human side some viewers won’t expect.

“Everyone wants him to die and to take his power,” explains Alba. “I’m the one who brings out the human in him. I see his heart from the beginning [and] take a moment to communicate with him and see why he’s doing what he’s doing.”

That’s not to say the Surfer won’t kick cosmic ass as he always has. His origins do, after all, tie him directly to a colossal entity from space known as Galactus, who literally eats the lifeforce from entire planets. As his herald, the Surfer represents apocalyptic destruction, so if he shows up in your world, you’re pretty much screwed.

“The end of the world is coming in six days,” says Alba. “What do we do and how do we stop it? That’s a big, freaking deal. But [the movie’s] not a bummer and people are still going to have a great time watching it. So, yeah, the film is a little more dangerous. Slightly.”

GALACTIC SECRETS
During filming last last year, speaking about the Silver Surfer was almost punishable by death. The cast and crew were instructed by Story and studio executives not to speak about the character. Then, that edict was applied to Galactus, the Surfer’s boss. Will he appear? If so, what will he look like? Story himself eventually came out to officially verify Galactus’ appearance.

“There continues to be much speculation about Galactus,” Story stated via a blog post on his MySpace page in early March. “Major speculation. We haven’t finished the design of him/it so be careful about what you read and believe. Trust me…no one knows. One thing’s for sure, you can expect to see him/it. It will be pretty powerful. I’m having a lot of fun with the concept and believe me—most will be satisfied.”

That satisfaction depends heavily on what the classic character will look like when he pops his giant, forked helmet onto movie screens. (Though we’re pretty sure he won’t be sporting a giant, forked helmet). But Petruccelli does hint that a number of designs are possible.


“We did a lot of conceptualizing of what [Galactus] could be,” admits Petruccelli. “The studio and [Story] will really be the ones who have the final say because it involves a lot of [work] in the post-production process.

“Galactus is one of those intangible creatures,” he continues. “How do you comprehend or integrate the thought of Galactus in a realistic picture? It’s very subjective because comic fans would expect a giant human person. But there’re other ways of interpreting it as well…”

Despite the mystery of what Galactus will look like, everyone involved in the production agrees “Rise of the Silver Surfer” is a much more action-packed take of the Fantastic Four’s adventures and a clearer look at how they act as bonafide heroes.

“The fact of the matter is, the first movie was an origin piece,” explains Chiklis. “We can jump right in now and the stakes are raised immediately. We’ve introduced the Silver Surfer. His powers are enhanced. So now we have a bigger challenge on our hands and we can jump right into it. It’s bigger. It’s better.”

And with a planned wedding scene for Reed and Sue (“It’s my third wedding on film,” snickers Alba), a cosmic threat from the heavens and more sibling-like bickering between Johnny and Ben, what more could you expect from a movie about Marvel’s premier super-family?

 

[GoblinScrier]

Sorry didn't mean to double post....the computer slowed down and I wasn't sure it went through or not....


The article is amazing and I loved especially what they said about Doom....

 

[MattC]

Sounds awesome! Seriously, we need to see this trailer already!

 

[The Apatow Crew]

Yeah thats the same article in the new wizard mag i bought yesterday.

Its a cool read.

 

[Hellmistress]

Dear God, when are they going to stop this crap?? Doug NEVER wore a motion capture suit, and he DIDN'T do what Andy Serkis did in LotR. Sheesh. Anyway, at least he's finally getting kudos, incorrect though the facts may be. Better late than never, huh.

Still not convinced about Doom. I've now read the novelization, and I just hope ... HOPE ... they can pull Doom off in this one. I thought he was a sorry excuse for our favourite megalomaniac in the first one, and I've not been impressed with the images I've seen so far.

As for 'Gah Lak Tus' ...

“Galactus is one of those intangible creatures,” he continues. “How do you comprehend or integrate the thought of Galactus in a realistic picture? It’s very subjective because comic fans would expect a giant human person. But there’re other ways of interpreting it as well…”

That's what worries me. Will this 'realistic picture' of the Great Destroyer obliterate all we know of him? I hope their interpretation is as sensitive to the origins of the character as it can be and not a complete rework because the Suits, in their wisdom, think they know better than anyone else.

Ach, never mind me. I'm just a grumpy ol' fart, huh.

HM

 

[GoblinScrier]

Dear God, when are they going to stop this crap?? Doug NEVER wore a motion capture suit, and he DIDN'T do what Andy Serkis did in LotR. Sheesh. Anyway, at least he's finally getting kudos, incorrect though the facts may be. Better late than never, huh.

Still not convinced about Doom. I've now read the novelization, and I just hope ... HOPE ... they can pull Doom off in this one. I thought he was a sorry excuse for our favourite megalomaniac in the first one, and I've not been impressed with the images I've seen so far.

As for 'Gah Lak Tus' ...



That's what worries me. Will this 'realistic picture' of the Great Destroyer obliterate all we know of him? I hope their interpretation is as sensitive to the origins of the character as it can be and not a complete rework because the Suits, in their wisdom, think they know better than anyone else.

Ach, never mind me. I'm just a grumpy ol' fart, huh.

HM

Hellmistress, what did you think of the image of Doom that was released yesterday of him fully armored?

 

[Inhuman63]

Dear God, when are they going to stop this crap?? Doug NEVER wore a motion capture suit, and he DIDN'T do what Andy Serkis did in LotR. Sheesh. Anyway, at least he's finally getting kudos, incorrect though the facts may be. Better late than never, huh.

That is that, at least they stated he is starring as the Silver Surfer and they did say his portrayal is only with a little help from the cgi companies.

Nice article from the Wizard and it makes it seem as if this pic will be at least 3x better than the first movie. It appears that the potential of getting things right is there.

 

[Hellmistress]

Hellmistress, what did you think of the image of Doom that was released yesterday of him fully armored?

My first thought was 'Jeez, that looks bloody clumsy.' I dunno, it just wasn't imposing enough - seeing what Doom has to do in this film, I wanted something sleeker, more fitted, more seamless ... something that befits one of comicdom's greatest villains. Meh - I'm no expert, so don't listen to me.

HM

 

[Hellmistress]

That is that, at least they stated he is starring as the Silver Surfer and they did say his portrayal is only with a little help from the cgi companies.

Nice article from the Wizard and it makes it seem as if this pic will be at least 3x better than the first movie. It appears that the potential of getting things right is there.

Yes indeed. A grudging acknowledgement, but it is there, and that's nice.

For me the film has a lot going for it, but only if it's done with thought and a sense of what the uniqueness of the Fantastic Four and the Surfer have going for them. The first one was a fun popcorn movie, no more, no less. This does seem - if you can believe the novelization - to have that togetherness that is in the comics, with a lot more self confidence about the characters. It certainly does have potential, and I live in hope that it measures up to that potential. I'm not that much of a comic fan, so I perhaps may be a bit more forgiving of changes. But even I will find objectionable changes done for what the Suits perceive as being right (as opposed to what the primary source - the comics - illustrate), and all done in the name of the Mighty Dollar. I pray that isn't so.

So let's see what hits the screens on June 15th - then all will become clear.

HM

 

[Mercurius]

I'm so pissed off with all this Galactus BS. "Realistic picture"? They're tripping. What is "realistic" about an orange more-or-less human male made of stones?

I said: BS. They'll no doubt try to make people swallow this half-assed Gahk Laahh Ktuzz.

You know, Story: if you want to do a superhero movie, do it right. Don't give all these excuses, pretending the crew is "conceptualizing", or whatever. It is easier, repeat with me: "I-don't-give-a-damm".

 

[liesse00]

you guys are hilarious when you speculate

 

[MattC]

I'm so pissed off with all this Galactus BS. "Realistic picture"? They're tripping. What is "realistic" about an orange more-or-less human male made of stones?

I said: BS. They'll no doubt try to make people swallow this half-assed Gahk Laahh Ktuzz.

You know, Story: if you want to do a superhero movie, do it right. Don't give all these excuses, pretending the crew is "conceptualizing", or whatever. It is easier, repeat with me: "I-don't-give-a-damm".

I don't think it is completely fair to put it all down to Tim. There are decisions that are made in these movies, by the studio, that completely override what the directors want to do sometimes. If the suits don't want Galactus how we like him, then they won't allow him to be shown that way. It's as simple as that. I see no reason why Tim wouldn't want to show him like that, especially being a fan himself and knowing how much it would please all of us.

 

[Hellmistress]

I don't think it is completely fair to put it all down to Tim. There are decisions that are made in these movies, by the studio, that completely override what the directors want to do sometimes. If the suits don't want Galactus how we like him, then they won't allow him to be shown that way. It's as simple as that. I see no reason why Tim wouldn't want to show him like that, especially being a fan himself and knowing how much it would please all of us.

That's very true. Tim Story only has limited influence regarding this film, and he has very little say - if any - on how characters are portrayed. But Mercurius is also right in saying that all of this 'conceptualizing' can do more harm than good, and is often a result of Suits messing with something that doesn't need fixing in the first place, because they're afraid that it is too risky to leave it the way it is and ultimately harm the film's profit margin.

But again, I guess we'll have to wait and see. Come June 15th, we may have to eat our words along with a generous helping of humble pie. But sadly, somehow I don't think we will.

HM

 

[wobbly]

Not a bad article though it is laced with some fan bait to be sure..

A couple of examples...Since when has Galactus been "one of those intangible creatures"? If that guy has ever read one of the books he'd know what a rather daft comment that is to make.
Seriously, at this stage they would be better off saying nothing about Galactus than coming out with things that are just re-enforcing our worst fears.

And McMahon saying: “We have to be pretty specific to the original comic, so it’s not like we can come up with powers that weren’t already there.”
Not a smart comment for Julian to be making all things considered, eh?

 

[Inhuman63]

Not a bad article though it is laced with some fan bait to be sure..

A couple of examples...Since when has Galactus been "one of those intangible creatures"

I think that Galactus is considered intangible. Not so much during the original introduction but later in The Trial of Reed Richards storyline where it is stated that each being perceives Galactus as being like them. From my understanding noone has seen the true form of Galactus because it is beyond comprehension. That makes me believe that he would be considered intangible. Now how they make him in the movie, who knows but I hope they do him justice irregardless of which form they have him take.

 

[highguard]

That's very true. Tim Story only has limited influence regarding this film, and he has very little say - if any - on how characters are portrayed. .........

HM

Ummm.... he is the director. Whatever appears up there on film, that is his vision. Now granted Fox studio seems to have quite a bit of input on this film but I don't think for a minute that Story has very little say. I think that he has a lot. I think the Doug Jones situation happened because they really do not want the surfer to be identified solely with Doug.

I interpret that this way, they want to do a big budget film with the surfer, ala wolverine and they may want to cast a big name star for that role. To avoid the disconnect that would cause they are purposefully, seems to me downplaying Doug's part in this movie. I think that is a mistake but I think that may explain why Tim may have been overruled in the choice of the voice. Ultimately the studio seems to be looking to the future.

The power of Tim is significant however it was clearly Tim who got SS introduced. The studio and Avi were actually thinking at one time of using puppet master, which was considered very doable.

From what I have pieced together the correct scenario as of FF2 seems to be this: Tim brings his ideas and concepts to the table and the studio says, something like this, well our projections based on how our films perform is this, therefore the budget can't exceed this.... blah blah blah. Also you can use this character in this way given the fact that we have plans to use them in such and such a way.

Not for a minute do I think that the suits are responsible for the portrayal of the characters. That interaction between the 4 has Tim's fan boy stamp all over it.

Now it is clear that Tim did not feel as comfortable in the first film as he does now. Everyone is obviously more comfortable with their roles as the first film was a success and both the actors and the director have a better feel for what worked and what did not.

Now I hope that Tim is a fan of Kirby's Galactus design and he convinces the studios to use that as a basis. The wizard article talked about not seeing the Forked helmet, what is that? I expect to see that.

The only thing I think they should change is the costume color, only because some people hate the purple. I am not even one of those.

I like Kirby's design as is.

The Doom pic I saw is fine. The armor concept is ok, they just tweaked it a bit, like spiderman and his organic web shooters.

The original would have worked as well but minor changes like this is ok in my books.

And finally about the realism of a giant guy in a kilt. Is that guy for real. This is a movie about a guy that flames on and flies through the sky. Realism is pretty much shot there dude. That can't be an impediment to a giant purple dude.

Just give us Kirby's Galactus and be done with it already. Like another poster said, I am tired of all this messing around. You can't improve on Lee and Kirby's concept, These guys were the masters.

Respect them.

 

[coreymb16]

FANTASTIC GLOBETROTTERS
In the first flick, Story focused on an updated origin for Fantastic Four members Invisible Woman, Ben Grimm, aka the Thing (Michael Chiklis), Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch (Chris Evans), and Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd). Confronted by Victor von Doom (Julian McMahon), the team dealt with their new powers and their roles as heroes. Light and comical, the film bombarded fanboy funny bones with nods to fave Fantastic Four mythos such as the Baxter Building headquarters and Willie Lumpkin, a mailman who served the team for decades, played by real-life FF co-creator Stan Lee.

For “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” Story hired Production Designer Kirk Petruccelli (“Ghost Rider”) to update the look of the film’s setting and take the adventure global.

“The whole idea for the design element was, ‘How much danger and jeopardy can we put them in and how do they get out of it?’” says Petruccelli as he strolls through the Shanghai set he helped design in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown district. “I’m partial to Reed’s lab. That was the most fun. I got to update him and refine the style of the Baxter Building. We made things a little more contemporary. It’s more honed and refined and clear because their agenda’s clearer now. And it becomes a real-world travelogue. They are on a mission around the world.”

Thanks to the FF’s comic roots as “explorers of the unknown,” the global setting allows for a bigger, broader adventure unhindered by the constraints of New York City. And with the Silver Surfer involved, expect the film’s playground to be much more grand than the first flick.

“We go to London, Shanghai, Germany, Iceland—we’re all over the place and that’s what’s cool about this,” adds Story. “We take you for a world trip, and what’s great about that is that we’re probably one of the few major comic book characters that you can go around the world with. They’re more explorers and adventurers than they are heroes, and that’s what we wanted to take full advantage of.”

Traveling the world can be tough when you’ve got a member made of heavyweight, orange rock and another who has a habit of catching himself on fire. The multinational setting rolled out the welcome mat for an integral FF element missing from the first film—the Fantasticar.

Designed by Story and conceptual artist Tim Flattery, who also designed the Batmobile in “Batman Forever,” the Fantasticar serves as the team’s transportation and incorporates the same smooth sense of aviation that aeronautical engineers have been toying with over the last decade to build better airplanes. Flattery’s Fantasticar isn’t only one of the coolest-looking comic vehicles in superhero cinema—it’s the real-life future of flying machines.

“It’s pretty fantastic,” jokes Chiklis as he stares lovingly at the vehicle while standing in a studio hangar on the Twentieth Century Fox lot in Vancouver. “I’d love to have one of those.” But before Chiklis can finish singing the car’s praises, McMahon interrupts him with a devious promise as he leans into Chiklis’ eye line. “Sorry,” McMahon offers with a smile. “I’ll destroy it. I can tell you that.”

This essay alone gets me really excited for this movie and I can't wait to see the first trailer.

 

[Bishop2]

I think they kinda just confirmed that Galactus will be a cloud right there.

 

[Duneboy]

ditto

 

[Nokio]

Anyone reading the article knows that Galactus is going to be a cloud or represented by this cloud. It's obvious that Kirby's design isn't going to be used. All this hinting and saying that fans will be pleased, and that no one has seen galactus so don't believe what you read is all BS. Why would they still be working on some concept art this late in the game? The design of the Silver Surfer and Galactus are one of the 1st that should have been completed before filming even begin. It's all smoke and mirrors people. There is no Galactus in the film. Changing the character into something that is easy and economical for FOX to pull off does not make it Galactus. Galactus should never have been used at all, and the SS for that matter. I would have rather seen the Mole Man, The Inhumans or the Frightful Four. Those elements could have been done a lot easier then pissing off fans by raping and disrespecting 40 years of history as well as destroying one of the best story arcs in comic history. The Coming of Galactus.

 

[Malus]

I think those regurgitating the "Galactus is a cloud" mantra are in for a surprise on June 15th.

 

[Casius--J]

I dont think he'll be cloud, i've got a feeling he'll be a silhouette with cloud around him.

Good read though, they definatley know the right words to say, whether half of it is true is another matter.

June will reveal all!!

 

[wobbly]

I think those regurgitating the "Galactus is a cloud" mantra are in for a surprise on June 15th.

I hope you are right but I have to ask, based on what?

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Seriously, at this stage they would be better off saying nothing about Galactus than coming out with things that are just re-enforcing our worst fears.

I couldn't agree more. They need to just stay away from the whole subject. Period.

Great article though.

 

[Joe Rockhead]

There is absolutely no logic behind some of the decisions that have been made on either of these two films.

Two things that jumped out at me from the article...

“We’ve gone back to the comic book to what made Dr. Doom ‘Dr. Doom’ in look and attitude,” reveals Story. “In the first film, we couldn’t find an organic way to get what Doom should look like from the comic book. It was a leap to get the mask, and we found a way to kind of get it in there, but to bring the rest of the costume, it was just more difficult.

“In [the sequel], we went for it and the comic book fans and everybody else who goes to see the movie will like the organic nature in which we bring the costume to fruition.”

If you have a really tough time to try and reach Doom's look and powers organically... don't you think the light would go off that maybe, just maybe, Doom's looks and powers aren't meant to be achieved organically?

Having an 'organic' doom was probably the biggest mistakes of the first movie. And if you honestly, truly tried to fix the errors from the first movie... wouldn't you attack the biggest one first?

“Galactus is one of those intangible creatures,” he continues. “How do you comprehend or integrate the thought of Galactus in a realistic picture? It’s very subjective because comic fans would expect a giant human person. But there’re other ways of interpreting it as well…”

This should read... but we're not going to give the comic fans a giant human person.

A sentient being HAS to be at the heart of Galactus. Any other explanation eliminates the need for a cosmic powered herald. I liken it to the old Star Trek episode with the giant space amoeba. It destroys because it exists. There is no morality to it. It just lives. Something that just exists has no need for an intelligent servant.

This is one of the problems I had with Ultimate Gah Lak Tus. If you're a horde of biomechanical entities with a hive mind... what use is a humanoid herald? Wouldn't an advance scout for the collective just be a specialized version of one of the entities?