The Avengers Joss Whedon leading on "Avengers" short list of directors

[roach]

Of course you're allowed to not like something. I'm just surprised that you are, given how widely acclaimed the likes of Buffy or Firefly are. I just thought it was at the point where their quality was a given.

we all have different likes and dislikes. People loved the Transformer movies and people hated them...nothing is universally liked or disliked(save Twilightt. I tried to get into Whedon's stuff...because my exwife was a fan. It just did nothing for me.

I did expect arguments about Joss Whedon directing Avengers - we argue about everything on here - but I thought it would be more along the lines of "Yeah, Buffy and Firefly might have been great, but Dollhouse and Alien Resurrection? Not so much." Instead, it's "No, his great stuff is crap too."

To me, it's like the equivalent of going into an argument with someone who thinks Steven Spielberg ain't all that, expecting them to bring up 1941 or Hook, and instead they start with the opening gambit of "Jaws and Indiana Jones were S**T!"

I didn't want to create the impression that no one is allowed to hate Buffy or Firefly. Just that I wasn't expecting it.

In Hollywood you are judged by your last flick...do you think anyone is judging Spielburg's newest film based on Jaws or Lucas' based on A New Hope???? You are judging Whedon based on a tv series that ended nearly 7 years ago....in the minds of the GA they are going to be asking what have you done lately?

 

[Ace of Knaves]

IMO he doesn't deserve those bragging rights.

 

[NickNitro]

I did NOT Pee in the cookies and so what if the milk is la....I mean uhh...what type of cup would you like?

 

[Spider-Fan]

Yea but not hokey, try too hard, Whedon type awkwardness.

Fans of Whedon might like that, but i don't.

I think his type of awkwardness is a strength for this material. Like I said in a prior post, this film plays more to his strengths than WW or something else does. Only thing he might have been better for was Spider-Man.

 

[dsfjr1190]

I didn't have a problem with Whedon directing... until I found out he would be rewriting the script!

As much as I love Whedon's work, he will be the death of this movie. His style of writing (especially his dialogue!) just has no place in an Avenger's movie.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Yea but not hokey, try too hard, Whedon type awkwardness.

Fans of Whedon might like that, but i don't.

I don't think it's so much a case of "Whedon fans like hokey, awkward writing" as it is that Whedon fans don't find the writing hokey and awkward. I think Whedon has a good ear for natural, yet spiky and quick-witted dialogue.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Most of Whedon's filmwork has been in writing. You do know he was a writer on Toy Story, right? Not all the films he has written for were bad. I expected him to be rewriting the script as soon as I heard he was doing it. Would you rather it be Penn's script?

 

[Chewy]

EVERYTHING he has ever done has distincly been Joss Whedon. They have his style and sensibilities all over it. I don't want his style and sensibilities or "Whedonisms" as i call em, anywhere near Avengers.

As literally everyone, for or against Whedon, has been pointing out, he only has one film on his resume. And it was a spin-off of his TV show. Just because that one film is exactly in line with his television work does not mean that that is all he is capable of, just that it is all he has been given the opportunity to do.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Na see WW is better suited to him i think. He uses strong female characters, you don't get stronger than WW in that regard.

But hey his script got rejected.

And i don't think Avengers should be quirky at all really. Not Whedon's quirky anyway.

I can just see it now, the characters that have been established in their own solo films are gonna seem different in Avengers because Whedon has such a distinctive style. Whether you like that style or not is irrelevant. When it clashes with what has gone before, it's not good.

 

[roach]

I did NOT Pee in the cookies and so what if the milk is la....I mean uhh...what type of cup would you like?

COOKIESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[roach]

As literally everyone, for or against Whedon, has been pointing out, he only has one film on his resume. And it was a spin-off of his TV show. Just because that one film is exactly in line with his television work does not mean that that is all he is capable of, just that it is all he has been given the opportunity to do.

agreed.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Na see WW is better suited to him i think. He uses strong female characters, you don't get stronger than WW in that regard.

But hey his script got rejected.

And i don't think Avengers should be quirky at all really. Not Whedon's quirky anyway.

I can just see it now, the characters that have been established in their own solo films are gonna seem different in Avengers because Whedon has such a distinctive style. Whether you like that style or not is irrelevant. When it clashes with what has gone before, it's not good.

The styles were going to differ anyway, cause you need to make all 3 styles work in the confines of 1 film. This is no easy feat, and that means the characters will all have to adjust anyway. I'm sure Stark in this film will seem different than in the IM films, but that has to happen cause you need to make Thor and Cap work in the same world as Stark simultaneously. Banner too, should he be used.

 

[Keyser Soze]

In Hollywood you are judged by your last flick...do you think anyone is judging Spielburg's newest film based on Jaws or Lucas' based on A New Hope???? You are judging Whedon based on a tv series that ended nearly 7 years ago....in the minds of the GA they are going to be asking what have you done lately?

5 years ago he did a critically acclaimed sci-fi movie. Over the past couple of years he did a TV show that wasn't as popular as his previous work (I personally haven't seen it) but which still had a strong cult following. And in 2011 he's got a horror film lined up that's already generating positive buzz.

If the first response of the general audience is indeed "what has this film's director done recently?" (which I don't think is too likely - I doubt Chris Nolan or John Favreau were the primary selling points amongst general filmgoers for Dark Knight or Iron Man), I think Whedon has more to fall back on than Buffy.

 

[roach]

Most of Whedon's filmwork has been in writing. You do know he was a writer on Toy Story, right? Not all the films he has written for were bad. I expected him to be rewriting the script as soon as I heard he was doing it. Would you rather it be Penn's script?

One of 8 writers on Toy Story

and a Whedon script vs Penn script is like asking me if i want to be kicked in the left or right testicle

 

[kedrell]

What? The teen factor was mostly irrelevant in most of the story... You could have told the same adventures in any other setting, there wasn't that much of "teen element" in buffy to say it dumbed down the genre... While there was a lot of cool, respectful, aspects of vampires, like being demonic things with no reluctancy to kill for blood... Unlike Interview..., wich presented vampires refusing to take lifes... I find little of and "adult take" in Interview..., and I remember at the time was famous for showcasing teen idols like Pitt or Cruise...

Both Pitt & Cruise were adults when they played those roles and they played them as adults. And they took lives like nobody's business. Sure, Pitt's character had to gradually progress to that point but it was all very graphic and adult with no sappy commonplace teeny romance to be seen. It was a gothic period piece for the most part and it was awesome...and a huge BO hit. Then Buffy came along and teen and vampires became almost inseparable. Much to the chagrin of vampire fans of yesteryear. But we're getting off topic here.

 

[Keyser Soze]

IMO he doesn't deserve those bragging rights.

Why not? I'm sure if the film blows you will be the first guy saying Whedon is solely responsible and he should never have been picked to direct. The flipside of that is he deserves at least some of the credit if the film is great.

 

[Spider-Fan]

One of 8 writers on Toy Story

and a Whedon script vs Penn script is like asking me if i want to be kicked in the left or right testicle

Same can be said for Alien: Resurrection, which has been a film used against Whedon. If you're going to condemn him for his work as one of many writers on a bad film, you have to recognize his work on a great film in which he was one of many writers, also.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Making this film, and making it well, seamlessly blending the characters from their solo movies into one movie and keeping the characters intact is gonna be a serious undertaking. Probably the biggest undertaking in cinematic history.

I just don't have the confidence in Whedon to do that. I think you need either someone who has vast cinematic experience, and i'm talking YEARS. Or someone who is connected to the solo films.

 

[Kanon]

I can just see it now, the characters that have been established in their own solo films are gonna seem different in Avengers because Whedon has such a distinctive style.

Not gonna happen. Whedon is gonna have Marvel Studios, Dsney, Favreau, Marvel Comics writters, and some major stars on his back. The moment he makes a move that displeases someone, is the moment he is *****slapped and sent back to his corner...

Face the fact: Whedon is supposed to be the yes man here. Doing rewrittes, because Marvel wants rewrittes. That's it.

 

[Son of Coul]

In Hollywood you are judged by your last flick...do you think anyone is judging Spielburg's newest film based on Jaws or Lucas' based on A New Hope???? You are judging Whedon based on a tv series that ended nearly 7 years ago....in the minds of the GA they are going to be asking what have you done lately?

The GA isn't going to give a **** who's directing this thing in the slightest.

"Oh man Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk are all crossing over, this is cool! ...wait, the guy who did Buffy is directing? Well, what has he done lately? Screw this movie."

You people act like the man is universally known like Martin Scorsese or something, I hadn't even heard of the ****in guy until I read he was on the shortlist for Avengers a couple weeks ago.

 

[Yellow Cyclone]

50 years in the making
stan the man lee
jack king kirby
joe i don't need a nickname simon

together for the first time on the big screen

...

directed by joss whedon

 

[Keyser Soze]

Na see WW is better suited to him i think. He uses strong female characters, you don't get stronger than WW in that regard.

But hey his script got rejected.

And i don't think Avengers should be quirky at all really. Not Whedon's quirky anyway.

I can just see it now, the characters that have been established in their own solo films are gonna seem different in Avengers because Whedon has such a distinctive style. Whether you like that style or not is irrelevant. When it clashes with what has gone before, it's not good.

I can't recall the cast of Astonishing X-Men suddenly acting out of character and behaving like high school students in Sunnydale, all speaking in the same Whedony voice. Instead, each felt like a rounded, nuanced character in their own right, with Whedon boiling right down to the core appeal of each of them and giving them their own distinct voice. He knows how to respect a source material and do tenured superheroes justice. And given the reverence with which he built off Grant Morrison's concepts while simultaneously doing his own thing with them, I wouldn't say there's too much concern about him not respecting what Favreau, Letterier, Branagh and Johnston did before him.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Why not? I'm sure if the film blows you will be the first guy saying Whedon is solely responsible and he should never have been picked to direct. The flipside of that is he deserves at least some of the credit if the film is great.

If the film sucks you bet your arse i'll be screwing about Whedon.

But if it's good? I'm not a c**t and i'll give credit where credit is due.

 

[Keyser Soze]

50 years in the making
stan the man lee
jack king kirby
joe i don't need a nickname simon

together for the first time on the big screen

...

directed by joss whedon

Fixed it for you.

 

[roach]

5 years ago he did a critically acclaimed sci-fi movie.

a critivally acclaimed sci-fi movie that didnt make back its budget

Despite critical acclaim and Internet buzz, Serenity performed poorly at the box office. Although several pundits predicted a #1 opening, the film opened at #2 in the United States, taking in $10.1 million its first weekend, spending two weeks in the top ten, and closed on November 17, 2005 with a domestic box office gross of $25.5 million. Movie industry analyst Brandon Gray described Serenity's box office performance as "like a below average genre picture".

Serenity's international box office results were mixed, with strong openings in the UK, Portugal and Russia, but poor results in Spain, Australia, France and Italy. United International Pictures canceled the film's theatrical release in at least seven countries, planning to release it directly to DVD instead. The box office income outside the United States was $13.3 million, with a worldwide total of $38.8 million, slightly less than the film's $39 million budget, which does not include the promotion and advertising costs.

now let me ask you if I made a movie that didnt make its budget back should i be considered for another big budget film????