Patty Jenkins no longer directing "Thor 2"

I think Johnston is a good director but not outstanding. A lot of his movies I've found very good but others very boring and forgettable. He's basically like Spielberg-lite. I mean that's not the worst thing in the world either.

I'm sure they will get someone decent for Thor 2. Though I don't see why it can't be Branagh again since he doesn't seem to be very busy and he did a good enough job with Thor which was pretty much a breakout hit last year.
 
I think what we had in the first movie was perfect. It was the perfect tone for a Thor movie. Anything deeper than that would muddle the character just like they did with Superman Returns. The only areas where I would like some better character writing is with the Warriors Three and Sif. The relationship with Thor, Loki, and Odin as well as Thor/Jane was the right fit.


It was pretty good, over-all. I just think the story needed some more time added so it could breathe and not feel like Thor's change was rushed. And I'm not talking another hour added to the runtime or anything like that. 15-20 minutes more could have done it. Hell, maybe only ten.
 
Not a terrible loss, but it's never good to see a director drop out. Just further complicates the whole production. Hope they find a good replacement soon.
That being said, I'm glad Marvel is so tight-fisted about their movies. I want to see these films done marvels way, period, end of statement.

Like I said earlier...that philosophy has, however strangely, worked out well for them thus far.

Cashville.

:word:
 
I think the movie did need about another 10 minutes and a little more action maybe.

Like Thor's stuff on earth was fun and I kind of wanted more of that. And more on Asgard.

I mean the movie didn't make too many bold choices and that's understandable. Now that Thor's established hopefully they will make the sequel more bold.

I'm also fine with Marvel's philosophy because I mean they seem to know what they are doing most of the time. Have their been mistakes? Yes, but overall I think they know what these characters are and what they should be. Warner Bros. and DCE have freaking everything and all they can produce decently is Batman flicks.

You can bemoan the acting deals, but at the same time they shouldn't go around breaking the bank on all these ridiculous actor and director deals. A lot of these deals were set up before the Disney merger and Marvel couldn't just go around spending money they didn't have yet. I'm glad they were careful about how they structured everything. I think we need to see more shrewd deal-making like that again. Because we want to see this built up cinematic universe.
 
I think Johnston is a good director but not outstanding. A lot of his movies I've found very good but others very boring and forgettable. He's basically like Spielberg-lite. I mean that's not the worst thing in the world either.

I'm sure they will get someone decent for Thor 2. Though I don't see why it can't be Branagh again since he doesn't seem to be very busy and he did a good enough job with Thor which was pretty much a breakout hit last year.

My personal guess is that Branagh himself needs space at this point in his life. He just didn't seem like he was ready to make another major commitment so soon. Let him go do some other smaller stuff if that's where his heart is, I say. Maybe by Thor 3 he'd be refreshed enough to return?
 
I think the movie did need about another 10 minutes and a little more action maybe.

Like Thor's stuff on earth was fun and I kind of wanted more of that. And more on Asgard.

I mean the movie didn't make too many bold choices and that's understandable. Now that Thor's established hopefully they will make the sequel more bold.

I think the person who was planning to do that just got escorted out.
 
Agreed. Which is why it was (relatively) successful. Marvel's definitely still worried about getting too mythological on your a$$$$. As much as they like fan support, they like the Benjamins more...preferably from the general audience...in repeat visits...and owning a copy for the whole family.

Was that over the top? I can never tell... :word:
Relatively successful?
Almost half a billion dollars raked in at the box office, plus a successful run in DVD sales, plus a 77% on rotten tomatoes...
What is that relative to exactly?
Like I said earlier...that philosophy has, however strangely, worked out well for them thus far.
Agreed.
Cashville.

:word:
Haha, you know it :D
 
I think the person who was planning to do that just got escorted out.
Meh whatever. It's probably for the best she doesn't do a movie like this if she isn't ready or her heart's not in it.
 
My personal guess is that Branagh himself needs space at this point in his life. He just didn't seem like he was ready to make another major commitment so soon. Let him go do some other smaller stuff if that's where his heart is, I say. Maybe by Thor 3 he'd be refreshed enough to return?

Branagh is just being his typical reserved and respectable British self, not rocking the boat too much -- as Marvel are the ones who gave him this big break, him giving any other reason for bowing out now would seem ungrateful, and at worst, biting the hand that fed him pretty well recently.

He's a very smart guy, and I'm sure was able to foresee bigger problems on the horizon...
 
Relatively successful?
Almost half a billion dollars raked in at the box office, plus a successful run in DVD sales, plus a 77% on rotten tomatoes...
What is that relative to exactly?

Relative to how much they spent on production and marketing (which is always much higher than you're hearing), and relative to other successful superhero and blockbuster tentpoles.
 
Relative to how much they spent on production and marketing (which is always much higher than you're hearing), and relative to other successful superhero and blockbuster tentpoles.

Fair enough. It didn't make a staggeringly high, jaw-dropping amount of money so you've got a point.
But to be honest, it performed both financially and critically a LOT better than I expected...I didn't think it'd be to well received just because of how out there it is compared to other movies, but I know a lot of people who saw it and most of them really enjoyed it.
 
In all honesty, I would prefer somebody like Tarsem Singh. This movie needs to be epic, not some character driven drama. Get a director with a bold visual style and a sense of adventure.

Damn, that's a great suggestion. Given that Immortals got decent reviews, and even the people who didn't like the movie acknowledged it was visually stunning, with every frame like an oil painting, I would love to see what Tarsem could do with Thor. Since Thor will likely be exploring other realms and worlds in the sequel, it would be great to get somebody with that kind of cinematic vision who's worked on projects involving mythological characters before. Unless they can get Branagh back, I'm sold.

I think they should've just brought Branagh back anyway I think. It's a lot to ask to have a female director come in and carry on work someone else started. It's not really "her" vision.

Not trying to play Political Correctness Cop here, but why add the qualifier "female director"? As opposed to just, "it's a lot to ask to have a director come in and carry on work someone else started." Do you believe female directors are less capable of directing action films in general?

I think there's a few reasons why Cap's selling more DVDs and BDs...I don't think Johnston is one of them.

Oh, I very much disagree. Sure, Johnston's got friends in high places, but Cap was a much better film than it otherwise would have been precisely because he was directing. Marvel really made the perfect choice. Given his previous experience with period pieces, not to mention his pedigree working on classic sci-fi/action adventures and neo-serials like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, you couldn't have picked a better guy to bring to life a Captain America origin story set in World War II. This really sank in for me the last time I watched The First Avenger; I don't think the movie would have been half as good if someone else was sitting in the director's chair.

But I think there are other factors explaining Cap's superior DVD and Blu-Ray sales, chief among them the fact that the movie's box office take in the summer was hampered by coming right off the heels of the Harry Potter juggernaut, a billion dollar hit and the year's most successful blockbuster. At the same time, the general audience was probably experiencing superhero burnout by this point, with Thor, X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern having already come and gone. A lot of people probably just decided they could wait for the DVD, and Marvel is now seeing the fruits of that decision.
 
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Warner Bros. and DCE have freaking everything and all they can produce decently is Batman flicks.

Warner Bros. is also a studio (historically kind to creative talent, I would add) which produces 70% non-superhero pictures.

Marvel Studios' sole purpose is producing their own material.
 
I highly doubt Branagh will be back and my guess is that Marvel will eventually announce another 'bold' choice who can work within the budget and all will be well.
 
Fair enough. It didn't make a staggeringly high, jaw-dropping amount of money so you've got a point.
But to be honest, it performed both financially and critically a LOT better than I expected...I didn't think it'd be to well received just because of how out there it is compared to other movies, but I know a lot of people who saw it and most of them really enjoyed it.

Understood (I enjoyed it very much, too), but interestingly, "people" were even more concerned about Cap than Thor.
 
Not trying to play Political Correctness Cop here, but why add the qualifier "female director"? As opposed to just, "it's a lot to ask to have a director come in and carry on work someone else started." Do you believe female directors are less capable of directing action films in general?

Agreed in your response. Marvel's in a 'darned if we do, darned if we don't' position right now. If they hire another female director, it could almost look like an insult, in that they are specifically looking to paste over choice #1 with a facsimile. If they hire a male, of course people will accuse them of wanting this all along, and performing this charade of a 'bold decision' for the press and PR, after blaming the split on "creative differences."

...But people will also forget about all of it if the movie is successful.

:word:
 
I think the person who was planning to do that just got escorted out.

Man, I hope you're wrong. Historically for superhero franchises, the second film is usually the best of the series, because with the main character established and the origin story out of the way they're free to tackle new and exciting challenges. But Marvel still has yet to prove that they can do that. The only sequel they've gotten to, unless one counts The Incredible Hulk (which was more of a reboot than a sequel), is Iron Man 2 - a movie which proved itself the exception to the "first sequel is the best film" rule and was a letdown overall IMO.

Not only that, but The Dark Knight really raised the bar as well. As much as I get annoyed by fanboys who worship Nolan like a god, he really outdid himself with that movie, transcending the genre and asking hard questions that made the viewer think. I'm not saying Thor 2 has to reach those heights, but it would be nice to see a focus on character and drama that feels natural rather than forced, like they're just making a redundant sequel because the first one made money. Iron Man 2 had that feeling of "well, the first one was successful, and we had to make a sequel, sooo...here it is!" The Dark Knight, on the other hand, was an outstanding film on every level that stood on its own two feet.

Bottom line: I'd like a sequel to Thor that's even better than the first, if possible. If Marvel can do that, then I don't care who the director is.
 
Axl Van Sixx, in Hollywood there are very few female directors as well as ones that are successful that do big moves like this. Even Kathryn Bigelow struggled for a long time before she struck it big with Hurt Locker and now she has more clout. It's a very male dominated industry and there also very few minority directors as well (ie black, Asian, etc.). It goes against the norm.
 
Man, I hope you're wrong. Historically for superhero franchises, the second film is usually the best of the series, because with the main character established and the origin story out of the way they're free to tackle new and exciting challenges. But Marvel still has yet to prove that they can do that. The only sequel they've gotten to, unless one counts The Incredible Hulk (which was more of a reboot than a sequel), is Iron Man 2 - a movie which proved itself the exception to the "first sequel is the best film" rule and was a letdown overall IMO.

Not only that, but The Dark Knight really raised the bar as well. As much as I get annoyed by fanboys who worship Nolan like a god, he really outdid himself with that movie, transcending the genre and asking hard questions that made the viewer think. I'm not saying Thor 2 has to reach those heights, but it would be nice to see a focus on character and drama that feels natural rather than forced, like they're just making a redundant sequel because the first one made money. Iron Man 2 had that feeling of "well, the first one was successful, and we had to make a sequel, sooo...here it is!" The Dark Knight, on the other hand, was an outstanding film on every level that stood on its own two feet.

Bottom line: I'd like a sequel to Thor that's even better than the first, if possible. If Marvel can do that, then I don't care who the director is.

I agree on almost everything you say here; I'm highlighting the bold terms for emphasis.
 
Agreed in your response. Marvel's in a 'darned if we do, darned if we don't' position right now. If they hire another female director, it could almost look like an insult, in that they are specifically looking to paste over choice #1 with a facsimile. If they hire a male, of course people will accuse them of wanting this all along, and performing this charade of a 'bold decision' for the press and PR, after blaming the split on "creative differences."

Nah, I don't think Marvel risks any of that; they're going to choose the best director they can get for their vision, male or female. There might be more discussion if the director is a female, but then it might look like they're intentionally trying to get a female director (and it'll only look that way, unfortunately, because there are so few successful female directors in Hollywood).

As bad as the world has gotten in many respects, I have to say one of the good things about the present is that people are generally free of racist and sexist attitudes when it comes to choosing individuals for prominent and powerful positions. For example, I'll admit I was as surprised as anybody when Herman Cain took off in the Republican presidential race, because I was convinced the Republican base would never choose an option that would result in two black men running against each other in the presidential election. But I was wrong, and that says something good about people's attitudes in this area having come a long way.

In the end, while I can see how some people might criticize Marvel for limiting their directors' creative freedom, I'd be lying if I said the geek in me wasn't tremendously excited that they're trying to create a cohesive Cinematic Universe and characterizations of their heroes that stay true to what we grew up loving in the comic books.
 
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Very few directors get 100% creative freedom on all their projects. Even with indie films, you still have financial investors to answer to.

This is still a business at the end of the day. Just saying.
 
Axl Van Sixx, in Hollywood there are very few female directors as well as ones that are successful that do big moves like this. Even Kathryn Bigelow struggled for a long time before she struck it big with Hurt Locker and now she has more clout. It's a very male dominated industry and there also very few minority directors as well (ie black, Asian, etc.). It goes against the norm.

I know, and that's all very true, sad to say. I just wanted to clarify where you were coming from.

However, let me just say at this point that I loved Punisher: War Zone, which was directed by a woman, Lexi Alexander - and that was one of the most cartoonishly over-the-top action movies I've ever seen, a veritable encyclopedia of movie violence. I know a lot of people think it was crap, but I think it's a great, mindless action flick to watch with a couple buddies and a six pack of beer.
 
I'd really love to know what these "creative differences" always are.

- I have had a lot of ideas for the movie.
- Leave them at the door, this is going to be a Marvel movie. All the ideas have been already listed in this piece of paper. Read them, memorize them, execute them.



My personal guess is that Branagh himself needs space at this point in his life. He just didn't seem like he was ready to make another major commitment so soon. Let him go do some other smaller stuff if that's where his heart is, I say. Maybe by Thor 3 he'd be refreshed enough to return?

I think Branagh has always had his space. Which is why I believe he's not too excited about doing a movie that is more a product than a personal film. I'm sure he enjoyed the experience but not enough to spend another couple of years involved in a sequel.
 
Very few directors get 100% creative freedom on all their projects. Even with indie films, you still have financial investors to answer to.

This is still a business at the end of the day. Just saying.

Exactamundo.

People who want to understand how the studio process has worked for 30+ years should research "Final Cut": The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate.
 

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