The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
04-13-10, 04:15 PM
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The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
Provided the deal is finalized soon, Whedon will be directing "The Avengers".
http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/marv...rs/#more-31658
I'm told Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series architect Joss Whedon to direct Marvel Studios' The Avengers. That's the fast-tracked film that would amount to an all-star team of Marvel superheros, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as well as SHIELD leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Other signature superheros will likely be involved, but I've listed the actors in active superhero duty. Whedon has been rumored for this job for awhile, and is high on the fanboy wish-list. He's an interesting choice: despite his writing/producing TV series resume, his lone feature directing effort, Serenity, was not a hit. After Iron Man 2, Marvel has three pictures left on a distribution deal with Paramount before it moves to Disney, and the studio has been churning them out. Iron Man 2 gets released in May, Captain America will begin shooting this summer in Europe, Thor is in production, and Marvel Studios just set Pete Sollett to direct Runaways, based on the comic book series created by Lost writer Brian K. Vaughan. Whedon has written installments of the latter, so he knows how to make those superheros fly. Marvel has considered all of the individual superhero movies to be an intro to The Avengers, so the wanna-see on this one will be huge. The film will be released in the first weekend of May, 2012.
04-13-10, 04:18 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
The bits I've seen of Firefly and Serenity were incredibly lame, so I don't know if this is a great decision.
04-13-10, 04:24 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
I'm a total Whedon fanatic, but even I think its a horrible choice for him to direct a movie of this size and scope. I'd rather see him make a full length Dr. Horrible movie.
04-13-10, 04:55 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
No offense but...I liked parts of Firefly, thought Serenity was good not amazing. Dunno if I'd like for him to be on this thing.
04-13-10, 05:51 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
I got really excited for a moment, then realized this isn't the same "The Avengers" as what I was thinking of.
Nevermind, Mrs. Peel, we're not need...
Nevermind, Mrs. Peel, we're not need...
04-13-10, 05:59 PM
#33
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
Sigh, never been a fan. Why Marvel would go to a director with limited (yes, limited) appeal and success for this I don't know. But, I guess if The Avengers fail at least they have the individual franchises to fall back on, which I'd argue are more valuable. This movie's essentially just like any of those but more expensive, it's not like it'll make more than any individual Iron Man movie.
Edit: Hopefully he's not writing.
Edit: Hopefully he's not writing.
Last edited by Artman; 04-13-10 at 06:03 PM.
04-13-10, 05:59 PM
#34
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
No, I'd rather it not be completely ruined. He already fucked up Transformers beyond repair - he had his chance.
Whedon is a great choice. He'll keep it true to the comic roots, and he staged some pretty fun action sequences in Serenity.
Whedon is a great choice. He'll keep it true to the comic roots, and he staged some pretty fun action sequences in Serenity.
04-13-10, 06:02 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
Why the hell would a studio give a franchise this big to someone who can basically be described as a failure for the last couple of years?
Wasn't he the genius behind "Do you know what happens to a toad when it's hit by lightning?" line from the first X-Men movie? I don't care how Halle Berry delivered it. It's a stupid line to begin with.
Wasn't he the genius behind "Do you know what happens to a toad when it's hit by lightning?" line from the first X-Men movie? I don't care how Halle Berry delivered it. It's a stupid line to begin with.
04-13-10, 06:13 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
What you guys may not realize is that Whedon has a history writing comics, both of his own franchises and of established franchises for Marvel, including greats runs on Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Based on that, I think he's a very interesting and potentially excellent choice for the Avengers movie.
04-13-10, 06:18 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
THIS. I'm not happy on that choice but...good luck to the project. Loved his work on the comics he did but...dunno about him directing a MASSIVE film like this. I mean..this is huge film. 4 heroes (with their own films) and whomever else is in it is a lot to direct in a film like this.
04-13-10, 06:22 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
What you guys may not realize is that Whedon has a history writing comics, both of his own franchises and of established franchises for Marvel, including greats runs on Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Based on that, I think he's a very interesting and potentially excellent choice for the Avengers movie.
04-13-10, 06:22 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
i would love for him to direct Serenity 2 and let a proven comic book helmer direct this one, either Jon Favreau or hell give it back to Singer who did very well juggling the heroes in X2.
04-13-10, 06:25 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
But...Joss Whedon HAS directed a movie and many episodes of TV shows. Frank Miller did jack squat when it came to film production until The Spirit. Not a fair comparison. My point was that his film experience combined with his comic book experience makes him a good choice.
04-13-10, 06:37 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
It might be. I will say this, at least you know he will be true to the characters & understands what a comic book movie should be. More than I can say to whoever directed films like Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, & the Fantastic Four movies. Plus it means lots of Whedon-verse actor cameos which I'm all for.
04-13-10, 06:49 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
will be interesting, but i honestly think you could have ray charles direct this thing and it wouldn't matter. it's going to have a fuckton of talent in the cast and will have an incredible budget for a superhero movie. my main concern is seeing the cast fighting for screen time, since it's more of an ensemble movie than anything else.
04-13-10, 06:56 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
Ensemble or not, the filmmakers know that the biggest draw will be RDJ. He might not take over the movie, but he will take center stage.
04-13-10, 06:56 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
Well already we know Cap will be a focal point. Stark might be up with w/ Cap for screen time. Hulk and Thor I dunno.
Also to be honest. Louis Leterrier did a good job w/ The Incredible Hulk. It's issue was that Norton wanted one cut and Marvel got the other cut.
Also to be honest. Louis Leterrier did a good job w/ The Incredible Hulk. It's issue was that Norton wanted one cut and Marvel got the other cut.
04-13-10, 06:57 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
I for one think this could be good. Who would've thought that Jon Favreau would be a good choice for Iron Man based on his prior films?
The one director I believe we need to be worried about in this whole franchise is Joe Johnston (Captain America).
The one director I believe we need to be worried about in this whole franchise is Joe Johnston (Captain America).
04-13-10, 07:15 PM
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Re: The Avengers - May 2012 - D: Joss Whedon
It is an odd choice. Basically it boils down to this: If you want a picture high on character build-up, story telling and dialog he is a great choice. He took Toy Story from a picture nobody had any faith about and turned it into gold by making each character have its own voice and screen presence. Movie insiders consider him one of the best script polishers in the business. Since that time he has only had moderately successful projects (at best) due to their very limited mass-appeal... but he is already coming into this project with a concept that has mass appeal.
His comic books are both critically acclaimed and hugely successful by readers so you you he already has knowledge and respect for the source material. Even if most of the world as no clue who he is critics and entertainment-bloggers know and love this guy. Early word of it looking great will help keep buzz going even if the market becomes saturated or the the other movies are not great.
The bad news is he is not what producers want. They want a guy who says "I'm gonna make a part-Iron-Man-part-Batman-movie-with-a-Saw-ending-and-whats-her-name-with-the-huge-cans-running-a-lot-movie" as a film pitch. He, on the other hand, will try and do something original and respectful. He would never have made the Transformers into the ball of crap we all saw on the screen. Producers will only green-light movies that are exactly what Bay wanted to make. Once the tug-of-war happens it all falls apart for Whedon.
His comic books are both critically acclaimed and hugely successful by readers so you you he already has knowledge and respect for the source material. Even if most of the world as no clue who he is critics and entertainment-bloggers know and love this guy. Early word of it looking great will help keep buzz going even if the market becomes saturated or the the other movies are not great.
The bad news is he is not what producers want. They want a guy who says "I'm gonna make a part-Iron-Man-part-Batman-movie-with-a-Saw-ending-and-whats-her-name-with-the-huge-cans-running-a-lot-movie" as a film pitch. He, on the other hand, will try and do something original and respectful. He would never have made the Transformers into the ball of crap we all saw on the screen. Producers will only green-light movies that are exactly what Bay wanted to make. Once the tug-of-war happens it all falls apart for Whedon.
It's time everyone realized the Emperor has no clothes.