Fantastic Four reborn!

[Willie Lumpkin]

so you want him to be like johnny storm b4 he's the thing?

Do you mean Johnny Storm from the comics or Johnny Storm from the first two films?

DrCosmic described Ben Grimm pretty much as he always was in the comics. Johnny was a gear-head hot-rodding teenager in the comics.

 

[Obi-Ron]

For the sake of killing some time while we wait for real info, what are opinions on Thing design?

Brow dammit!

 

[The Overlord]

Here's an interesting question, what can be learned from the mistakes of the first two FF films, so that the reboot does not repeat these mistakes?

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Here's an interesting question, what can be learned from the mistakes of the first two FF films, so that the reboot does not repeat these mistakes?

.)skip the origin story.
start the film with the FF already known and refer to their origin only via dialogue, like in TIH. This way you have to be specific and don't have to update that origin beyond recognition.
.)stay true to the characters, especially Doom.
The characters worked in the comics all these decades, because they were written the way they were written.
.)hire a director with a vision...
and not a talentless hack
.)susan storm is more than **** and ass.
technically that's part of my second point but it's worth to repeat that
.)a good script matters
and it should be more than just a race around the globe to hunt down an alien

 

[Airwings]

.)skip the origin story.
start the film with the FF already known and refer to their origin only via dialogue, like in TIH. This way you have to be specific and don't have to update that origin beyond recognition.
.)stay true to the characters, especially Doom.
The characters worked in the comics all these decades, because they were written the way they were written.
.)hire a director with a vision...
and not a talentless hack

.)It should be to the previous films as TIH is to Hulk in the matter of how to continue a story and at the same time doesn't stand as a sequel
.)Leave Doom out. Have other villains
.)Peter Jackson isn't such a bad idea here (Thanks to Lumpkin). He's never done actual sci fi before.

 

[MARVEL ROCKS]

I think FOX should ask Shawn Levy to reboot this franchise for them. He knows how to make big hits and if Real Steel is any indication, he is turning into a different director.

The guy flat out admits that he never wanted to be a kiddy comedy director. He always wanted to be a director than can tackle various genres, and is working hard to become one. He says that when James Cameron saw 20 min of Real Steel, he offered Fantastic Voyage to him.

He even admits that he would like to do a comic book movie. He has a good relationship with Fox and is working on a Frankenstien movie with them. Wouldn't be surprised if Fox offers him the Fantastic Four reboot. Infact, I think he could make a pretty solid action/adventure/sci-fi/comedy/dysfunctional family movie.

 

[terry78]

Thing must be a CG character. Fanboys whine and ***** about practical effects, but that **** don't always fly.

 

[marcvader]

Especially for the fact that Thing needs to be really wide and powerful.

 

[Incrediblejeff]

Thing must be a CG character. Fanboys whine and ***** about practical effects, but that **** don't always fly.

I used to be guilty of this,but after seeing how great Dr Manhattan,The Apes from ROTPOTA ,and Davy Jones look.I say bring on the CG.It would work very well.

 

[Neo_3]

I think FOX should ask Shawn Levy to reboot this franchise for them. He knows how to make big hits and if Real Steel is any indication, he is turning into a different director.

The guy flat out admits that he never wanted to be a kiddy comedy director. He always wanted to be a director than can tackle various genres, and is working hard to become one. He says that when James Cameron saw 20 min of Real Steel, he offered Fantastic Voyage to him.

He even admits that he would like to do a comic book movie. He has a good relationship with Fox and is working on a Frankenstien movie with them. Wouldn't be surprised if Fox offers him the Fantastic Four reboot. Infact, I think he could make a pretty solid action/adventure/sci-fi/comedy/dysfunctional family movie.

Would be awhile to he gets to it. He has Frankenstein, F. Voyage, Real Steel 2 and NATM3. At lest the first 2 taking him to mid 2013, so if so a F4 movie would be out by 2014 at best. Thats if he doesn't do RS2 or NATM3 beforehand.

 

[bubbadoom]

Thing must be a CG character. Fanboys whine and ***** about practical effects, but that **** don't always fly.

...and CGI does? how quickly we forget I AM LEGEND and a list too long to mention of how many times this $#!+ does NOT work.

The proper Thing is a man-sized character, not unlike Hellboy; he's shorter than Reed and they got Ben pretty close with the last two attempts - all that is needed is a little digital tweaking al la the Red Skull.

FX wise, I would worry about fixing the things that did not work in the first two, like Reed's stretching, and leave well enough alone with Mr. Grimm.

 

[TheVileOne]

Ugh whatever on Shawn Levy. His reboot of the Pink Panther series was horrendously awful. Night at The Museum movies are terrible.

Real Steel looks like a bomb.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

...and CGI does? how quickly we forget I AM LEGEND and a list too long to mention of how many times this $#!+ does NOT work.

The proper Thing is a man-sized character, not unlike Hellboy; he's shorter than Reed and they got Ben pretty close with the last two attempts - all that is needed is a little digital tweaking al la the Red Skull.

FX wise, I would worry about fixing the things that did not work in the first two, like Reed's stretching, and leave well enough alone with Mr. Grimm.

thing really has no set size. he changes with each artist... so there's no rule book to ben, just what each fan personally wants. The guy has gone toe to toe with hulk, so i prefer him to be a little shorter, but not "normal human size" because hulk would just flick him across a state easily.

 

[Jordacar]

I think 7' is a good maximum height for Thing. Of course, make him too tall and it can get trickier to block the scenes with the other actors because he towers over everybody. I'd say between 6'7" and 7' flat.

Has anyone brought up Duncan Jones? He'd be magnificent in the FF director's chair.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I'm in the CGI camp. While I thought the costume of the second film was getting pretty good, the thing has proportions that can't be done right in a suit. Even with Kirby's relatively human proportions:

And when you want to get the dynamics out of the character, a man in a suit simply can't do it. I want to see Kirby's thing come to life, and I think CGI will be needed for that.

As long as he was standing still in the films, he looked somewhat like the Thing, but he could never leap or lunge or move the way he did when Kirby drew him.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Has anyone brought up Duncan Jones? He'd be magnificent in the FF director's chair.

He came up a page or two back and he's one I'd like to see.

 

[Airwings]

Duncan Jones is the flavor of the month and people keep wanting him for several superhero films. When the flavor has lost its taste, other better directors will be brought up.

 

[Obi-Ron]

thing really has no set size. he changes with each artist... so there's no rule book to ben, just what each fan personally wants.

He's six feet tall, according to the official Marvel universe wiki and Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. Both are "official rule books" with a "set size."

 

[spideyboy_1111]

He's six feet tall, according to the official Marvel universe wiki and Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. Both are "official rule books" with a "set size."

meh... those books are just for extreme fanboys who need to see numbers and compare them with everyone else. I can't stand those books, and it's hardly proof, when visually he's always changing size. And the VISUAL part is actually what matters most in the comics.. since that's what the movie is trying to capture.

 

[marcvader]

He actually seemed shorter than 6ft tall to me in the movies.

 

[terry78]

He's not as big as Hulk, he never was. He's just a very wide, rocky humanoid.

 

[Raiden]

If they can pull of a great CGI Hulk in The Avengers, I'd like to see a CGI Thing in the next FF movie as well.

 

[DrCosmic]

Do you mean Johnny Storm from the comics or Johnny Storm from the first two films?

DrCosmic described Ben Grimm pretty much as he always was in the comics. Johnny was a gear-head hot-rodding teenager in the comics.

Zactly.

so you want him to be like johnny storm b4 he's the thing?

Basically. That's the great part of the FF story, no one is the hotshot typical leading man. They're all off, that's why they're a family instead of a solo comic with three supporting cast. Reed's too old to be the hotshot leader, he's naturally more mature cerebral and methodical. Thing's too monstrous to make the ladies swoon, and he has angsty baggage. Sue's a woman, so she can't be it, and Johnny is going through puberty, so he can't always have it together or always be right.

There's no one for all the men to want to be and all the women to want to be with. It's fractured, prismed. If like smart heroes, go with Reed, if you like angsty heroes, go with Thing, if you like rebellious heroes, go with Johnny. None of them is everything, because they all have to need each other. The moment Johnny becomes a hotshot maverick adult, he doesn't really need the F4, they become supporting characters in a way, and you saw that with the lack of development they got under Fox.

I'm in the CGI camp. While I thought the costume of the second film was getting pretty good, the thing has proportions that can't be done right in a suit. Even with Kirby's relatively human proportions:

You make some good points about the action. There needs to be plenty of practical, because as much as you can have the action in CGI, you can't have the emotional resonance in CGI. He doesn't have the same weight if Sue's actress is trying to pretend she's touching an imaginary face. Perhaps a mix is the best solution. But all CGI isn't going to work for a critically acclaimed FF movie.

 

[terry78]

I think the main thing with Fantastic Four that Stan got was that all four of them are flawed in some way, whether it be arrogance, or tempers, or insecurity. Sue can be the level headed one, but she's had her own ****ed up traits.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

He's not as big as Hulk, he never was. He's just a very wide, rocky humanoid.

he's been drawn big enough for Sue Storm to easily "ride" on his shoulder.... I never said he should be as big as hulk, in fact i said he should be somewhat shorter.. but i also don't think he should be shorter than any of the fan 4 members. he should be Thor's height at shortest