News broke earlier this week that Edgar Wright was leaving the Ant-Man project over at Marvel, after 8 years of development, due to creative difference. Basically, Marvel wanted Ant-Man to fit into their already established, ever expanding, Cinematic Universe, and Wright wasn't willing to compromise his vision of the film to let them do that. Rumour has it that Marvel went ahead and got an in-house writer to do rewrites on the latest Wright/Cornish script, and Wright finally said to hell with it and walked. Not that I can blame him. I mean he's been working on this project since 2006... long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a blip on the radar. And it's definitely not cool for someone to tamper with and change your work without your knowledge. So, I can understand how it came to this in the end.
I got a chance to call in and talk with Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis, briefly, over on The Schmoes Know Movie Show this past Thursday night about this. (If you're not watching it, you really should be. It's a great show. 6:00pm-8:00pm every Thursday at www.schmoesknow.com ). I mentioned that, to me, this looks an awful lot like the problems that occurred in 2005 with Bryan Singer and Fox. For those that don't know, just before filming was to begin on the third and fourth X-Men films, Singer abruptly left the project, taking his script with him, to direct Superman Returns. The studio, in a bit of a panic, eventually hired Brett Ratner and we got X-Men: The Last Stand. Enough said! Kristian mentioned that he doesn't see it this way, as Marvel is a different studio than Fox, and that they have a better grasp on their properties. While I understand the logic, and do agree, it's still a huge gamble on their part, I think. Ant-Man is a risky enough character to begin with, but replacing a Wright/Cornish script with something written in-house and Wright as director with a capable, albeit average director (given the short-list that's going around, anyway!) is just not what you want to see happen. I liked the idea of Wright because he was outside of the box, and I think he would have brought an interesting take on the character. I also think that his name would have brought people, who might not have been interested in the character of Ant-Man but were definitely interested in the name Edgar Wright, to see this film.
But this got me thinking... Is Marvel at a place where they're now willing to sacrifice vision so that all of their properties can fit inside the little box that they've created, known as the MCU? These days, it seems that everything that they touch is forced to fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of their Avengers related movies are included, of course, and so is their Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television show. It makes sense that their new Marvel's Agent Carter show, debuting in the 2014-2015 TV season, will also be part of the MCU, as it will follow the life of Peggy Carter, after she loses Steve Rogers, and will basically tell the story of the development of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I'm assuming, the infiltration of HYDRA. To me, that makes sense as well. The main backbone of the MCU has been S.H.I.E.L.D. from the beginning, so I understand that properties involving the agency will play a part in the bigger picture.
When the Defenders project with Netflix was announced in the fall of 2013, I was glad that we were getting something a little different. Set to air sometime in 2015, it will be comprised of four, 13-episode story arcs, featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, culminating in a mini-series based on The Defenders. This is awesome. Netflix releases all of it's program's episodes at once, making it the perfect opportunity to binge-watch over the weekend. And then word came out that these properties too, would be part of the bigger, Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, even went as far as to say that if these characters prove popular on Netflix, that it's possible they could become feature films. And to this I say, why? Why do they all have to be related? Can't The MCU and The Defenders Universe be two separate entities?
Don't get me wrong... I love the idea of Marvel expanding it's brand and branching out in different directions. The winner in this scenario is clearly me, the fan. I just worry that things are going to get muddled, with so much going on. Let's face it, while I enjoyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it had some serious issues in it's first season, that were only fixed once Captain America: The Winter Soldier was finally released in April, and they could reveal that S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually compromised and was virtually HYDRA. This means that everything that happened with the battle of New York in the Avengers is going to play heavily on what happens in these Defenders projects, as they are based out of New York City, as well. This is an awful lot of canon to carry around and I'm not sure that it's going to work as well as they hope. Sure, a lot of people are interested in the movies that Marvel releases. That doesn't mean that they're going to watch the television shows and streaming series, in order to remain "caught up" in what's going on in the MCU. For example, you really needed to watch Winter Soldier on it's opening weekend in April, as the two episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D. that surrounded it, played heavily into the events that happened in the film. Not everyone watches every genre with the same enthusiasm, and I know that while Marvel's is hoping for it, they are banking an awful lot on the idea that those that care about the MCU are going to automatically care about the other related projects.
I fear, in forcing these projects to fit into the box that they've created, that they may be compromising part of their individuality, as well. Up until now, I've enjoyed the fact that Marvel has let it's characters be themselves, while using the threads of the MCU to bind them together in a cohesive package. With this Ant-Man debacle currently going on, it appears that they are getting more aggressive in what they will and will not accept in their universe. A lot of people have cried foul, and said that Marvel should have just given the reigns to Wright and let him do what he wanted, like they have in the past with their directors, like Favreau, Black and Whedon. Make no mistake about it, people, while Favreau, Black and Whedon were able to bring their visions to the screen, they by no means, ever had free reign to do whatever they wanted. Marvel has always been in the driver seat when it comes to their properties and what they do and do not want to see on the screen. It just may not have been as obvious as it is with this whole Edgar Wright thing right now, but it's always been the case. Marvel is in charge, and, it looks like, right now, is not willing to compromise on it's vision, no matter what kind of talent they are dealing with. Let's just hope that it doesn't backfire on them.
Showing posts with label Edgar Wright. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edgar Wright. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Friday, 23 May 2014
Say It Ain't So, Ant-Man! Say It Ain't So...
Disappointing news out of the Marvel offices today. According to Variety, Edgar Wright is taking his stuff and going home. That's right, you heard me correctly. Due to "differences in the vision of their film" Edgar Wright has stepped away from the Ant-Man project that he has been working on, on and off, since 2006.
This seriously sucks! I am not happy about this news at all...
Although a large part of the Avengers in the comic book world, Ant-Man is a relatively unknown property to the general public. Much like the hiring of James Gunn to direct the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Edgar Wright was an orthodox, but very interesting choice to helm the project. Wright is a bold film-maker, with a distinct vision, and I was looking forward to his take on one of Marvel's more interesting characters. Apparently, that's not going to happen now.
Now, this project has had it's ups and downs along the way, so, although disappointing, in the grand scheme of things, it's not really surprising. The development of the film began back before the release of the original Iron Man, and initial word out of Wright's camp in 2010 was that Ant Man wouldn't be part of the MCU, as it didn't really fit with the origin story that he had written for the character. Needless to say, Kevin Feige and Marvel were probably not pleased to hear this, as they are working very, very hard to make sure that everything in the MCU lines up just perfectly. By 2011 there had been three drafts of the script submitted. By early 2013, Kevin Feige was still talking about the script being modified to fit into the MCU. You can see where this is going, can't you? Wright still maintained that Ant-Man was a standalone film and that "it is pretty standalone in the way that we're linking it to the others." Although Marvel set an initial release date of November 6, 2015 (which they eventually pushed up to July 31, 2015) and pre-production began in the fall of 2013, it was obvious that Feige and Wright were still at odds in regards to this property and where it would fit in Marvel's overall, big picture, universe.
And then, Paul Rudd was cast as Scott Lang... very outside the box, but very interesting!... and Michael Douglas was cast as Hank Pym... again, outside the box and very, very interesting! And suddenly, this was a very, very, very interesting property. A little unorthodox, a little quirky, it along with GOTG showed that Marvel was willing to take risks. And all of us comic book nerds held our breath in anticipation...
And now here we are, 13 months out from the release of the film, and the director has packed up and moved on to bigger? better? more interesting? things. While this is disappointing, the real problem comes in regards to the script. Is Edgar Wright pulling a Bryan Singer (who famously left the third X-Men film, taking his script with him to direct Superman Returns)? Because if that's the case, then Marvel is screwed. Like, seriously screwed! I honestly can't see, if their visions of how and what the characters are, are so different, how Wright and writing partner Joe Cornish would leave their script with Kevin Feige and Marvel, unless they were contractually obligated to. And, without a script, Marvel is never going to make it's July 2015 release date. The movie hasn't started filming yet (production isn't slated to start until the fall, although isn't that a little late? Is it just me? I mean, isn't this going to be a pretty heavy special effects laden movie? Is that enough time to do all that?), meaning there is no way to tell where exactly in pre-production they are with the project.
Word is that Marvel already has a new director mind, so I would expect an announcement of some kind in the next few days. It will be interesting to see who they have chosen to replace Wright. No matter who it is, there will always be the rumblings of "But what would we have gotten if Wright had chosen to complete this project?" As sweaty movie nerds, we never seem to be content. And when studios make decisions like this one, I can understand our anger and confusion. Let's just hope that, whomever they choose, that director knocks it out of the park, and the only question we ask is "Edgar who?"
This seriously sucks! I am not happy about this news at all...
Although a large part of the Avengers in the comic book world, Ant-Man is a relatively unknown property to the general public. Much like the hiring of James Gunn to direct the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Edgar Wright was an orthodox, but very interesting choice to helm the project. Wright is a bold film-maker, with a distinct vision, and I was looking forward to his take on one of Marvel's more interesting characters. Apparently, that's not going to happen now.
Now, this project has had it's ups and downs along the way, so, although disappointing, in the grand scheme of things, it's not really surprising. The development of the film began back before the release of the original Iron Man, and initial word out of Wright's camp in 2010 was that Ant Man wouldn't be part of the MCU, as it didn't really fit with the origin story that he had written for the character. Needless to say, Kevin Feige and Marvel were probably not pleased to hear this, as they are working very, very hard to make sure that everything in the MCU lines up just perfectly. By 2011 there had been three drafts of the script submitted. By early 2013, Kevin Feige was still talking about the script being modified to fit into the MCU. You can see where this is going, can't you? Wright still maintained that Ant-Man was a standalone film and that "it is pretty standalone in the way that we're linking it to the others." Although Marvel set an initial release date of November 6, 2015 (which they eventually pushed up to July 31, 2015) and pre-production began in the fall of 2013, it was obvious that Feige and Wright were still at odds in regards to this property and where it would fit in Marvel's overall, big picture, universe.
And then, Paul Rudd was cast as Scott Lang... very outside the box, but very interesting!... and Michael Douglas was cast as Hank Pym... again, outside the box and very, very interesting! And suddenly, this was a very, very, very interesting property. A little unorthodox, a little quirky, it along with GOTG showed that Marvel was willing to take risks. And all of us comic book nerds held our breath in anticipation...
And now here we are, 13 months out from the release of the film, and the director has packed up and moved on to bigger? better? more interesting? things. While this is disappointing, the real problem comes in regards to the script. Is Edgar Wright pulling a Bryan Singer (who famously left the third X-Men film, taking his script with him to direct Superman Returns)? Because if that's the case, then Marvel is screwed. Like, seriously screwed! I honestly can't see, if their visions of how and what the characters are, are so different, how Wright and writing partner Joe Cornish would leave their script with Kevin Feige and Marvel, unless they were contractually obligated to. And, without a script, Marvel is never going to make it's July 2015 release date. The movie hasn't started filming yet (production isn't slated to start until the fall, although isn't that a little late? Is it just me? I mean, isn't this going to be a pretty heavy special effects laden movie? Is that enough time to do all that?), meaning there is no way to tell where exactly in pre-production they are with the project.
Word is that Marvel already has a new director mind, so I would expect an announcement of some kind in the next few days. It will be interesting to see who they have chosen to replace Wright. No matter who it is, there will always be the rumblings of "But what would we have gotten if Wright had chosen to complete this project?" As sweaty movie nerds, we never seem to be content. And when studios make decisions like this one, I can understand our anger and confusion. Let's just hope that, whomever they choose, that director knocks it out of the park, and the only question we ask is "Edgar who?"
Monday, 19 May 2014
Why Marvel's Winning The War....
So, the second Guardians of the Galaxy trailer dropped today...
Yeah, it's fricking amazing! Add that to the amazing first trailer that we got back in February... and I mean, yeah... this is... yeah, it's just.... YEAH! FRICKIN' YEAH!
Now, those that know me, know that I am a self-professed Marvel fan-girl. I like Marvel, always have, always will. That doesn't mean that by default, I hate all things DC. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like DC properties... I mean, what's there not to like about Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? They are incredible characters, and are a huge part of comic book lore, both past and present. Arguably the three most iconic comic book characters in history, they cannot be discounted, ever. I do, in fact, collect a number of DC titles currently... just not any of those titles and not as many as the number of Marvel titles I collect.
That being said, it's no secret that Marvel is winning the war between the two comic book giants, when it comes to big screen adaptations. (I wrote another blog post earlier this month on how DC is king of television, so you should check that one out!). Yes, I know that Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was extremely successful, as was Man of Steel. I'm not discounting those things, even though neither were my personal favourites, by any stretch of the imagination. I know there are many, many people out there who love them, and I can see the appeal. It's just that, the beast that is Marvel Studios has been relentless in it's plan, and have, for the most part, been releasing different, top notch comic book adaptations since 2008.
Kevin Feige had a plan. In hind-sight, it was brilliant. A quick, 30 second shot of Nick Fury in Tony Stark's living room... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." Those ten words changed everything. They altered our perceptions about what a comic book movie was, and more importantly, where they could lead. And then, systematically, Feige and his team ticked off the boxes as they released movie after movie, each separate, but with intertwining threads, all leading to something bigger, something huge. They named it the Marvel Cinematic Universe and history was made. The massive success of The Avengers cemented the idea that it was possible to bring different aspects of the comic books to life and that the general movie going audience was willing to go along for the ride.
DC and Warner Brothers, at this time, were basking in the success that came with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, awaiting the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Extremely successful and critically acclaimed, the Nolan trilogy set the standard for comic book projects over at the WB. Which was one of the reasons that the disaster that was the Green Lantern in 2011 stalled any future projects. While I didn't hate the film, I do recognize that it did have some serious flaws, and so did the rest of the movie going audience. A flop financially, it made the WB wary about diving back in to the world of superheroes and virtually shut down their Justice League plans. It was only after the release and success of 2013's Man of Steel that the wheels on the Justice League bus began turning again. The WB, afraid to commit to anything until they saw the reception that their new Superman property received, was finally willing to green-light a sequel. And the sequel they had in mind was going to blow the socks off of everyone. Using a quote from The Dark Knight Returns, Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Superman was going to battle Batman in the summer of 2015, pitting it directly against The Avengers sequel in the battle for the box office title. And the internet exploded...
By this time, Marvel had not only released Iron Man 3, but already had 5 other movies in different stages of development, four of which would lead up to the Avengers sequel, The Age of Ultron. At this point, even after the Comic-Con announcement, it wasn't even a contest... Marvel was so far ahead, that Warner Brothers couldn't even see them on the track. Again, the intertwining threads of the MCU were building towards something grand. Although the Batman vs. Superman news overshadowed everything else, Feige refused to panic and continued on as planned.
And then it happened... The WB realized that it over-played it's hand and wasn't going to be ready for a 2015 release date. Pushing the release of the Man of Steel sequel back by almost a year, they showed a chink in their armour. It was now going to be almost 3 years between the release of Man of Steel and the next movie in Warner Brothers arsenal. In that three year period, Marvel will have released 6 new titles. Yes, I said 6 new titles. We will get 2 new DC movies and 6 new Marvel movies. In terms of output, Marvel is miles ahead of DC. And it's not like they're putting out crap, either. Each title that has been released, so far, has been well received by audiences overall. And there is no indication that any of the remaining titles will be received any differently.
And while the WB is sticking with Zack Snyder to direct both the Man of Steel sequel and the announced Justice League movie after that (he also directed the first Man of Steel film), Marvel will have had 5 different directors direct their projects, each bringing a different take and flavour to their different characters. Names like Joss Whedon, Joe and Anthony Russo, Alan Taylor, James Gunn and Edgar Wright. Directors that you wouldn't automatically think of when you mentioned comic book movies. Directors with their own style and vision, who will take these characters that we know and love in directions that we never dreamed of. It's this diversity, this thinking outside the box that helps to push Marvel that much further ahead in the race. I'm not a huge fan of Zack Snyder, and I am not sure that keeping him on for all of your movies is the best course of action. But that's just me, and it's more of a personal preference.
But it's not just directors that Marvel is thinking outside the box with. They are making some interesting and daring choices in the properties that they are choosing to release as well. The addition of The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to the MCU are surprising and a little unorthodox. I get that Marvel, due to it's past successes, is in a position to gamble a little and I'm glad that they are willing to do so. By hiring Gunn to direct GOTG they are taking their properties in a whole different direction. It's funny, the WB is still dragging it's feet in regards to it's properties, especially a Wonder Woman stand alone film, as they are unsure if the movie going audience would be willing to accept a female driven comic book movie. Marvel counters that by bringing in a talking, foul-mouthed, machine gun totting raccoon, who's partnered with a walking tree. What the hell? But by the look of the above trailer, it's going to work and it's going to be amazing!
Earlier this week, the first pictures from Batman vs. Superman or whatever they are eventually going to call the Man of Steel sequel, were released. I will admit, Ben Affleck looks amazing in that Batsuit. And I really do hope that the movie is a huge success and that I truly enjoy it when I go to see it. As a comic book fan, I am the one who wins when these things work. And I love nothing more than being swept away by a fantastic story, with great visuals, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is what I get when I go to see a Marvel movie. Only time will tell if Warner Brothers figures out their own formula for success. But until they do, and they show a little more faith in their properties, Marvel will continue to win this war. Movie, after movie, they have the formula down pat. And apparently, Feige's plan stretches forward for many years to come. If they continue to think outside the box and make interesting and different choices, they may be impossible to catch. I guess we'll see...
Yeah, it's fricking amazing! Add that to the amazing first trailer that we got back in February... and I mean, yeah... this is... yeah, it's just.... YEAH! FRICKIN' YEAH!
Now, those that know me, know that I am a self-professed Marvel fan-girl. I like Marvel, always have, always will. That doesn't mean that by default, I hate all things DC. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like DC properties... I mean, what's there not to like about Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? They are incredible characters, and are a huge part of comic book lore, both past and present. Arguably the three most iconic comic book characters in history, they cannot be discounted, ever. I do, in fact, collect a number of DC titles currently... just not any of those titles and not as many as the number of Marvel titles I collect.
That being said, it's no secret that Marvel is winning the war between the two comic book giants, when it comes to big screen adaptations. (I wrote another blog post earlier this month on how DC is king of television, so you should check that one out!). Yes, I know that Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was extremely successful, as was Man of Steel. I'm not discounting those things, even though neither were my personal favourites, by any stretch of the imagination. I know there are many, many people out there who love them, and I can see the appeal. It's just that, the beast that is Marvel Studios has been relentless in it's plan, and have, for the most part, been releasing different, top notch comic book adaptations since 2008.
Kevin Feige had a plan. In hind-sight, it was brilliant. A quick, 30 second shot of Nick Fury in Tony Stark's living room... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." Those ten words changed everything. They altered our perceptions about what a comic book movie was, and more importantly, where they could lead. And then, systematically, Feige and his team ticked off the boxes as they released movie after movie, each separate, but with intertwining threads, all leading to something bigger, something huge. They named it the Marvel Cinematic Universe and history was made. The massive success of The Avengers cemented the idea that it was possible to bring different aspects of the comic books to life and that the general movie going audience was willing to go along for the ride.
DC and Warner Brothers, at this time, were basking in the success that came with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, awaiting the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Extremely successful and critically acclaimed, the Nolan trilogy set the standard for comic book projects over at the WB. Which was one of the reasons that the disaster that was the Green Lantern in 2011 stalled any future projects. While I didn't hate the film, I do recognize that it did have some serious flaws, and so did the rest of the movie going audience. A flop financially, it made the WB wary about diving back in to the world of superheroes and virtually shut down their Justice League plans. It was only after the release and success of 2013's Man of Steel that the wheels on the Justice League bus began turning again. The WB, afraid to commit to anything until they saw the reception that their new Superman property received, was finally willing to green-light a sequel. And the sequel they had in mind was going to blow the socks off of everyone. Using a quote from The Dark Knight Returns, Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Superman was going to battle Batman in the summer of 2015, pitting it directly against The Avengers sequel in the battle for the box office title. And the internet exploded...
By this time, Marvel had not only released Iron Man 3, but already had 5 other movies in different stages of development, four of which would lead up to the Avengers sequel, The Age of Ultron. At this point, even after the Comic-Con announcement, it wasn't even a contest... Marvel was so far ahead, that Warner Brothers couldn't even see them on the track. Again, the intertwining threads of the MCU were building towards something grand. Although the Batman vs. Superman news overshadowed everything else, Feige refused to panic and continued on as planned.
And then it happened... The WB realized that it over-played it's hand and wasn't going to be ready for a 2015 release date. Pushing the release of the Man of Steel sequel back by almost a year, they showed a chink in their armour. It was now going to be almost 3 years between the release of Man of Steel and the next movie in Warner Brothers arsenal. In that three year period, Marvel will have released 6 new titles. Yes, I said 6 new titles. We will get 2 new DC movies and 6 new Marvel movies. In terms of output, Marvel is miles ahead of DC. And it's not like they're putting out crap, either. Each title that has been released, so far, has been well received by audiences overall. And there is no indication that any of the remaining titles will be received any differently.
And while the WB is sticking with Zack Snyder to direct both the Man of Steel sequel and the announced Justice League movie after that (he also directed the first Man of Steel film), Marvel will have had 5 different directors direct their projects, each bringing a different take and flavour to their different characters. Names like Joss Whedon, Joe and Anthony Russo, Alan Taylor, James Gunn and Edgar Wright. Directors that you wouldn't automatically think of when you mentioned comic book movies. Directors with their own style and vision, who will take these characters that we know and love in directions that we never dreamed of. It's this diversity, this thinking outside the box that helps to push Marvel that much further ahead in the race. I'm not a huge fan of Zack Snyder, and I am not sure that keeping him on for all of your movies is the best course of action. But that's just me, and it's more of a personal preference.
But it's not just directors that Marvel is thinking outside the box with. They are making some interesting and daring choices in the properties that they are choosing to release as well. The addition of The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to the MCU are surprising and a little unorthodox. I get that Marvel, due to it's past successes, is in a position to gamble a little and I'm glad that they are willing to do so. By hiring Gunn to direct GOTG they are taking their properties in a whole different direction. It's funny, the WB is still dragging it's feet in regards to it's properties, especially a Wonder Woman stand alone film, as they are unsure if the movie going audience would be willing to accept a female driven comic book movie. Marvel counters that by bringing in a talking, foul-mouthed, machine gun totting raccoon, who's partnered with a walking tree. What the hell? But by the look of the above trailer, it's going to work and it's going to be amazing!
Earlier this week, the first pictures from Batman vs. Superman or whatever they are eventually going to call the Man of Steel sequel, were released. I will admit, Ben Affleck looks amazing in that Batsuit. And I really do hope that the movie is a huge success and that I truly enjoy it when I go to see it. As a comic book fan, I am the one who wins when these things work. And I love nothing more than being swept away by a fantastic story, with great visuals, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is what I get when I go to see a Marvel movie. Only time will tell if Warner Brothers figures out their own formula for success. But until they do, and they show a little more faith in their properties, Marvel will continue to win this war. Movie, after movie, they have the formula down pat. And apparently, Feige's plan stretches forward for many years to come. If they continue to think outside the box and make interesting and different choices, they may be impossible to catch. I guess we'll see...
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