Jack Kirby's Fourth World

[Artistsean]

Another plus that would make it less hard, or not as hard as it used to be, is the technology they can do now. Almost anything is possible. And maybe even in a few years even more will be possible.
They could use the same effects that films like Lord of the Rings used to make this actor look like this character

Here is a little how "making Darkseid" could go: See previous page.

A could see something like Mantis' head gear being metallic armor

Also use some Green screen type stuff,

And alot of detail and quality costumes and make up and effects

I think it would be very hard to transfer to film but I think it would be very possible and very worth it.

 

[dnno1]

Why don't we just get Peter Jackson to direct it?

 

[The Empire Ape]

because he sucks?

===b to topic===:

and would you include Superman and Jimmy Olsen in this project?

 

[Artistsean]

That is something I am not sure about,
(one reason is I actually haven't been able to read it yet)
But also because including someone who is meant to be from our world might intrude on making their world totally seperate and having its own culture and such.
It would be like adding someone from our time to Lord of the Rings.
But if they are crucial to the story then I am sure they would need to be added. Plus I wouldn't want to change the story too much, as little as humanly possible.

But if they weren't crucial, like if the New Gods and 4th World were just introduced in Jimmy Olsen, then maybe Superman and Jimy wouldn't be needed. There would also be so many characters already. And maybe cutting their characters out wouldn't really matter, maybe.

What do you guys think?

Jimmy and Superman or no?

 

[luca_frontino]

The problem is the budget. Jack Kirby's Fourth World would be hundred times better than Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Matrix and so on...
The fact is that, if done seriously, it would cost 300-400 million dollars.
And I'm talking just for the first movie.
And since JKFW is very less popular than LOTR, it's a risk.

 

[Sharkfestation]

For the Female Furies, Darkseid, and Granny Goodness, they should use Michael Tunner's designs
which look very mencing. Here is a picture of the Female Furies. This how they should look.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

Darkseid - Ralf Moeller (Gladiator, Beerfest, Conan series)

 

[Artistsean]

The problem is the budget. Jack Kirby's Fourth World would be hundred times better than Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Matrix and so on...
The fact is that, if done seriously, it would cost 300-400 million dollars.
And I'm talking just for the first movie.
And since JKFW is very less popular than LOTR, it's a risk.

True, it is sort of an obscure story that most studios would probably be too hesitant to do. It would also end up being very expensive. while Lord of the Rings 1-3 cost about 200 million I could see JKFW costing around 3-4 million but not just on one film. Maybe 3-4 million on the first two or three.
That would be why the pitch would be so important. I wonder how Peter Jackson pitched, or whoever pitched it, Lord of the Rings to the studios and convinced them to give them that much money to fund it.
How did Water World get that much money?

I still think its doable though, just would have to get a studio behind it which might be what isn't doable.


Sort of Similar Shots,

As far as style, I would keep it as close (and unchanged) to Kirby's style as possible. This story was all Kirby's from the writing to the drawing, it was his vision. I would want this film to be done similar to Sin City in that way. Robert Rodriguez made Frank Miller's Sin City by transfering the panels to the big screen and even gave Miller top billing, I think Kirby's Fourth World wouldn't have to be panel by panel but to bring his world to life it should be kep to the story as much as possible and bring his character designs to life as much as possible. Not to say that influences from other artists wouldn't be allowed though.

I read that Fourth World has so many different aspects that Kirby put into it,
Conana, Thor, Inhumans, maybe Eternals,
Studios might like it because it is similar to other movies which have been popular,
300, Lord of ther Rings, Star Wars, Flash Gordan, Superman, Conana, and others.
Plus its not an average superhero comic film, its about Kirby's take on War. I think it would be original enough to be very successful and make lots of money.

 

[Sharkfestation]

We not talking about little swoard fights ( even though there is going to be some with characters like Kanto), we are talking epic battles between alien races with advanced techology. So to me very, very, very good CGI would b do justice for the Fourth World. For Darkseid, the Paradenoms, and maybe Mantis and Mad Harriet, I would prefer them to do motion capture CGI like what they did for Davy Jones and Gollum. Now let's talk casting. For Kalibak or Big Bear(a member of the Forever People) they should use the guy you showed eariler

For Darkseid, they should use the one and only Michael Ironside. For Orion, they should cast Ron Perlman who also voiced Orion in Justice League. For Lashina(a member of the Female Furies), they should cast Megan Fox.

 

[Artistsean]

I did sort of forget that there is a lot more to the fight scenes than regular sword fighting, although there was a little more to some of the fighting in Lord of the Rigns and Star War. Most of the money would go to effects on fight scenes.
I would rather the effects being more real by using real people more, but I can see them using that effect for Darksied or Calliback or some others.

Just some examples of effects already done in movies that could be used one way or another.
The Gollum effects

For Apocalypse

New Genisis

I just got Fourth World volume one.

 

[dnno1]

because he sucks?

===b to topic===:

and would you include Superman and Jimmy Olsen in this project?

I wouldn't quite call someone who has won numerous awards, including 6 Oscars, and 4 hit movies someone who sucks.

As for Superman and Jimmy Olsen, I wouldn't introduce them into this universe, because it is Jack Kirby's world and I think the intent should be to emphasize that. It is true that in the comics, Kirby used the Jimmy Olsen title as a springboard to launch the series, but It think there is enough recognition of characters (like Darkseid, Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, and Granny Goodness) now that the springboard approach is not necessarily needed. It would be different if they were trying to introduce a new concept and they used a Superman or Jimmy Olsen themed film to do that. I will tell you one thing though, for this film I would feature Dakseid as the main character.

 

[The Empire Ape]

I wouldn't quite call someone who has won numerous awards, including 6 Oscars, and 4 hit movies someone who sucks.

Awards don't mean anything. He messed up LOTR and King Kong. 4 boring movies. He was good with the weird stuff like Braindead but his blockbuster work is not good at all.

 

[The Guard]

I see no reason to even include Darkseid's invasion of Earth in an initial/solo New Gods movie. Just make it an epic about Apokolips and New Genesis.

 

[GuardianofOa]

I see no reason to even include Darkseid's invasion of Earth in an initial/solo New Gods movie. Just make it an epic about Apokolips and New Genesis.

HA! Yes, totally agree.

Who gives to craps about Earth? All these damn invasion movies leaves me wretched over. Buh.

So on to this topic. This movie would work much better for now as a cartoon.

There aren't too many youngsters out there who would know any of these characters and who the hell Jack Kirby is. So, if they made it live action, it would suck. Plain and simple.

Bruce Timm seems to have the best ideas for Kirby's work any way. Thankfully. Just look at his artwork.

I don't really know where I am going with this.

 

[Artistsean]

I also think that Jimmy Olsen and Superman's part in the story could be cut out. I don't think it is needed for the movie, in fact I think keeping Superman, Jimmy, and Earth, out of the story keeps their world seperate and probably more belivable.
The movie should just be about New Genisis and Apocalypse, and their war. It should star Orion, in the Luke/Froto starring role, while the second biggest star should be Darksied. He would be like the Darth Vader role, he should get alot of focus but not enough to draw too much attention away from Orion.

But the movie should also give focus to character like Mr. Miracle (High Father's real son), Big Barda, the Forever People, and so on. Its possible to give each character a moment to shine and good supporting roles without taking anything away from anyone else.

I also think this film is definately doable, but the cost would be insanely far more than a studio would probably be willing to spend. (Even when Kirby first put it out the sales were so low the title was cancelled.) So currently the film might end up coming out bad just because no studio would be willing to spend money on such an unsure product.
But if they did spend the full amount it would take, the movie in my head, it could be the next big Sci Fi franchise.
the movie I see it being, again in my head, is live action. Animation is great but since we already saw them in JLU and in comics, all of which are awesome, it would be great to see these characters turned into living breathing real people in a live action movie. But an animated mini series would be great, especially if Bruce Timm did it and he tried to make the style an animated version of Kirby's comic.

Another major problem, which has been brought up, is that not enough people know about 4th World, and they should know about Kirby, so I guess the question is how does DC and the studio spread awareness of 4th World and Kirby more than what they are doing?

More comparisons

 

[dnno1]

Awards don't mean anything. He messed up LOTR and King Kong. 4 boring movies. He was good with the weird stuff like Braindead but his blockbuster work is not good at all.

I don't know what you are talking about at all. King Kong, despite its slow start at the box office wound up becoming one of the top five grossing films of 2005 domestically and world wide. Not only that it also sold more than 7 million DVD's and grossed more than $38 million in rentals making the total gross for the film and DVD's over $700 million. The Lord of the Rings film trillogy was the highest grossing picture trillogy of all time (better than "The Godfather" and "Star Wars"). I don't know what you've been watching or what your adgenda is, but you certainly are way off from what the mainstream views are. Peter Jackson is a pretty good director (to say the least).

 

[kirbyfan]

I have to correct something, when the fourth world comics first came out, sales were not low at all, in fact just the opposite! The books were doing very well sales wise, but after awhile the powers that be wanted even more and since that didn't happen they started cancelling the books.

I think to this day, the cancellation of Kirby's fourth world books is one of the biggest mistakes in comic book history! The man was creating the greatest saga ever told in comics and they didn't allow him to finish?

They interrupted Kirby when he was on a roll, the Hunger Dogs graphic novel just wasn't the same as the original run of the books.

A live action Fourth World movie would be absolutely fantastic, it wouldn't suck in anyway and should be done immediately!!

 

[Artistsean]

I wasn't trying to say it was a bad book or that people didn't like it, I was just repeating something I read. Thanks for clearing it up.
And I agree, it is possible to make it now and it should be made now.

 

[Artistsean]

I just thought of another good series of films that I think the 4th World should try to be like, Harry Potter.
Harry Potter sticks to the plots of the books, and the character designs, and doesn't seem like it skimps on any part of it including the special effects.
I think Jack Kirby's Fourth World would be very successful if they stuck as close to the story as much as possible, and stuck with the character designs from Kirby's book as well as the effects that would go into, it even if it meant it would be costly.
Because I think the studio would probably make back all the money, and more, that they spend. (I think it would)

I just really want to see this movie made.

 

[SuperJAK]

Harry Potter sticks to the plots of the books, and the character designs,

How is this possible if they are absolutely no pictures in the books, and therefore no character designs

 

[Artistsean]

There are character descriptions and ideas of how they should look, they had to get approval from JK herself.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Bump. Artistsean had a great pitch. I remember reading this years ago thinking it’d never happen.