Incredible Hulk director has been picked!

[Sava]

hey, i'm with you there, i just dont want someone who i have no faith in.

 

[Advanced Dark]

What directors are attached to Universal with first look deals. Uni's the distributor so I'm sure Marvel gives them first chance like Paramount did w/Iron Man. Imagine it was Ang Lee again. I really wouldn't mind that if he knew exactly how to make a real hero action film. Not sure if he can. Michael Bay really stands out as being able to lighten up the tone and The Island proved he can make a smart & fun film. With Transformers wrapping up he'd have time to do it before a 2008/2009 release.It'd be tight though. Ridley is wayyyyyyy to busy to come close to it. Del Toro has time. Fincher has time.

 

[co2]

I hope it is someone that will lend some heat to the project. Like the movie or not, Ang is an A list director and his name alone lent a lot of attention to the project. But then again, that could also be what handicapped it in that certain expectations go along with that.
Bottom line, I just hope it is the right guy for the job.

 

[lordofthenerds]

Has anyone thought of the possibility that Zak Penn might direct this? He's directed in the past and is going to direct a movie soon.
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0672015/

Also, i'm curious which top name (or lesser known) directors are fans of the Hulk.

I hope not. It would suck if Zak Penn was the director.

 

[Ions]

Imagine it was Ang Lee again. I really wouldn't mind that if he knew exactly how to make a real hero action film. Not sure if he can. Michael Bay really stands out as being able to lighten up the tone and The Island proved he can make a smart & fun film.

Reject Ang, but praise Michael Bay? Wow...
Just for some quick comparisons, driven by my surprise at this occurance. Taking personal taste out of the equation and sticking to sites that average out multiple sources of reviews..
On Rotten Tomatoes, Ang Lee has a 84% Fresh rating as a director. His least rating film is Hulk which sits on 60%, just clinging onto Fresh rating. This is his first CGI heavy movie, his first film with heavy action.
Again, on Rotten Tomatoes, Michael Bay is rated at 37% Rotten as a director. His most successful film is The Rock which sits at 62%, all his other films are quite rotten.
He's done action spectacle films since the start, and isn't very good at it.
As for the films on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hulk got a 6/10, and Island got 4/10.
Maybe that's just the elitest movie critics?
Let's move to IMDB, a site voted on by normal movie goers.
Island, 6.9/10. So moviegoers enjoyed it more than movie reviewers. But those that did, didn't really number high enough to up it's box office. Curious, no?
Hulk, 6.0/10. Wow movie critics and movie goers alike had the same split reaction. Curious, no?
Lets jump to the films cost vs box office themselves.
On Box office mojo, the Island has $126 million production budget(correct me if i'm wrong, but at that time BOM didn't include advertising costs, as they do lately). Island went on to do $35 million domestic box office, with $124 million in overseas theaters. For a total of $160 million worldwide.
On Box office mojo, The Hulk has a $137 million production budget(correct me if i'm wrong, but at that time BOM didn't include advertising costs as they do lately).
Hulk went on to do $132 million domestic box office, with $113 million in overseas theaters. For a total of $245 million worldwide.
Hmmm........
Still, with all this said. Personal taste trumps each others opinions. But it's some things for you to think about as far as opposing view points.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Yes. I loved the first Hulk film it's near the top of my list of Marvel films. That's just me though. Most of the moviegoers and fans wanted something more. Not a pychological study of Banner and his insane father but more Hulk Smash, and more consistent action to keep the story flowing for the low attention span crowd of popcorn munchers. I think that Marvel can make a smart enough action film and please both sides. I'm not rejecting Ang on his credentials but on his willingness to do a non-artsy action heavy comic book film without compromising himself, secondly he said he would not be back for any Hulk sequel because it almost killed him mentally, etc...I'm also not saying Michael Bay is a better director but I think he IS a better director as far as giving Marvel and the masses the kind of film they expect. I'm not gonna join in on the Bay bashing bandwagon. I really thought he did a great job with The Island. Clearly the Island is NOT in the same league as The Hulk as far as content and notoriaty so it wasn't a smash at the box office. I think his skill is clearly in over the top action films which is exactly what The Hulk should be. Ang Lee is more concerned about the art and his own self interest, and the awards that come with it. Michael Bay is not trying to win Best Picture oscars with his films. Not every director is meant for that and you know Bay is having loads of fun making these films. I'd love it if he got his hands on content like The Hulk. I'd also love to see Del Toro take a crack at it, or possibly Proyas but time will tell. Now I would sell all my Marvel stock and never watch the new Hulk film if McG was hired. LOL

 

[Sava]

Bay wont be the next director, neither will Ang (i'd give my let leg for this to happen but it wont.) We will either get a good up and coming director (like the guy who did Night watch) or someone who's been here a while but is not that well known (like MCG )

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ I doubt Bay will be the director but I'd love it. Ang is out for sure. I don't want any up and commer for The Incredible Hulk. I want someone savy with special effects, CGI, animatronics, and stylized action. Hell Tony Scott would be awesome if he could slow down on all the quick cuts and super fast flash editing. Jesus slow down Tony. You know who's at Universal probably praying for a GIG is David Twohy. He did awesome with The Arrival and Pitch Black, and made a valiant effort with Riddick but he tried to create the next Star Wars overnight instead of sticking with what made Riddick such a great character. I think Twohy could do wonders with The Hulk since that mythology is not something he has to recreate. The action sequences in Riddick were great and he did very well with the effects it's just the story was nothing what people were hoping for.

 

[Obi-Ron]

On Rotten Tomatoes, Ang Lee has a 84% Fresh rating as a director. His least rating film is Hulk which sits on 60%, just clinging onto Fresh rating. This is his first CGI heavy movie, his first film with heavy action.

I beg to differ.

 

[TheVileOne]

Um....maybe because Ant-Man started OFF as a solo character in Tales To Astonish, long before he JOINED The Avengers?

After watching Marvel take a relatively unknown character like Blade and turn that into a multi-million dollar generating machine, i think they've proved that any of their characters are worthy of a shot at the big screen, provided they get the proper script and direction.

That was in the 60's. Ant-man simply works better in the Avengers team environment.

Ant-man isn't like Blade.

 

[TheVileOne]

I's going to be a comedy. A superheroic "Honey I shrunk the kids".

This is even stupider. I guess people are forgetting about those nervous breakdowns he had or when he beat his wife.

 

[TheVileOne]

Hey Vile One,

There's nothing wrong with an Ant-Man film. The Avengers flick is being written by Zak Penn after Hulk is finished. It's also much more difficult and expensive to bring together than Ant-Man. It's a totally unique and different hero film. I'm all for it. Just because you don't want to watch it doesn't mean it shouldn't be made. Diversity is important for Marvel and the fans.

That makes me even more discouraged since Penn was responsible for X-men 3 and ELEKTRA. Elektra which was one of the biggest flops of 2005. Penn's not proven to me that he can be an exceptional screenwriter.

The Avengers is about diversity. Stop wasting, time, money, and energy on this movie like Ant-man that no one wants to see and won't go anywhere and use it on The Avengers. The Avengers should be a top priority now that they can make it a reality.

See how Ant-man does in Avengers and then maybe look into an Ant-man film.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

That was in the 60's. Ant-man simply works better in the Avengers team environment.

Ant-man isn't like Blade.

Ant-Man spent two issues as an Avenger before creating his Giant-Man and then Goliath personas...where are you getting he "works better in the Avengers team environment" from?

And no, he's not like Blade. He's far more unique, in the realm of genre movies.

 

[Spider - Man]

This is even stupider. I guess people are forgetting about those nervous breakdowns he had or when he beat his wife.

I think Pym only beat Janet in the Ultimate U(?)

He needs to be introduced solo to get his backstory out of the way so they don't have to muck with that in the Avengers film.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I think Pym only beat Janet in the Ultimate U(?)

He slapped her once in regular continuity during one of his mental breakdowns...

 

[TheVileOne]

Ant-Man spent two issues as an Avenger before creating his Giant-Man and then Goliath personas...where are you getting he "works better in the Avengers team environment" from?

He's returned to being Ant-man time and time again. He's been Ant-man during the Heroes Return and Busiek runs.

And yeah, Giant-man, Goliath, Ant-man, Yellowjacket, whatever. Hank Pym should be in Avengers, not his own movie.

And no, he's not like Blade. He's far more unique, in the realm of genre movies.

Movies with tiny or shrunken people are not unique.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Movies with tiny or shrunken people are not unique.

Indeed.

Reminds me of the Incredibles/FF debate from last year.

 

[superduperhero]

How about we critisize when we actually KNOW the story.... Or at least an official synopsis....

 

[Obi-Ron]

That's crazy talk!

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

He's returned to being Ant-man time and time again. He's been Ant-man during the Heroes Return and Busiek runs.

HUH? No, he hasnt. He was Giant Man and Goliath during Busiek's run. There was an Ant-Man appearance in #26 and #27, but that was Scott lang, NOT Hank Pym...i think maybe you're confusing the two (who have completely different personalities and attitudes), because off the top of my head, i count less than 10 times that Pym appeared with the Avengers as Ant-Man
during the books 43 year history...so again i have to ask where you're getting your "he works better in a team environment" statement from.

Yeah, maybe as one of his other incarnations, but not Ant-Man. Hell, he created Giant man to get over his inferiority complex as Ant-Man on a team with the likes of Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man... does that really sound like he "works better in a team environment" to YOU?

And yes; movies with shrinking characters are most certainly unique when compared with the number of vampire movies that have been made.

 

[Sava]

I beg to differ.

thats not action heavy, i freaking love that movie but its not action heavy, neither is Hulk for that matter

 

[TheVileOne]

He did appear as Ant-man during the Busiek run. He bailed them out pretty early into the run as well.

He also came in as Ant-man after he got over his nervous breakdown and saved the day.

It's semantics. Either way, Ant-man doesn't deserve his own movie. Use that money and put it elsewhere and devote it to a higher priority project.

 

[Ions]

I beg to differ.

No cgi characters, only cgi involved in that was hiding wires, and doing cgi backgrounds and panoramic shots. That cgi is nothing compared to a full CGI Character that interacts with people and other cgi objects. You can beg all you like, there's no comparison.
Not to mention Ang talks about this fact on the dvd extras and the commentary.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

He did appear as Ant-man during the Busiek run. He bailed them out pretty early into the run as well.

He also came in as Ant-man after he got over his nervous breakdown and saved the day.

It's semantics. Either way, Ant-man doesn't deserve his own movie. Use that money and put it elsewhere and devote it to a higher priority project.

Dude, i just looked at my Busiek run of Avengers...and Pum is not in there as Ant-Man "pretty early on", or otherwise. Trust me.

That's fine if you feel he doesnt "deserve" his own movie, but kind of a moot opinion at this point, because apparently he's getting one.

 

[Obi-Ron]

No cgi characters, only cgi involved in that was hiding wires, and doing cgi backgrounds and panoramic shots. That cgi is nothing compared to a full CGI Character that interacts with people and other cgi objects. You can beg all you like, there's no comparison.
Not to mention Ang talks about this fact on the dvd extras and the commentary.

I gave Crouching Tiger as an example of Lee's experience directing action (I'm really not sure how you can say there's not a lot of action in it, Sava ), not CG.