The Avengers and Captain America - Could the Skrulls and The Invaders feature in them?

Some interesting facts have been hinted at by Kevin Feige, over on CHUD, regarding various things that may feature in their forthcoming Marvel films.

'Will the Skrulls be the villain in The Avengers?' I asked.

Feige gave me one of those looks he's good at giving and just said, 'We do own them.'

More digging turned up the fact that Marvel Studios owns the Skrull race, while Fox own the Super Skrull.

The Skrull are a shape changing alien race who have had a hard-on for Earth for quite some time. They would make a pretty great big bad for the film for a number of reasons: first of all, there's a bunch of them, so the film wouldn't have to contain just one or two fight scenes with the main threat, and each of the team members could have their own battles at their own power level. For another, they allow Marvel Studios to do something really cool - what if it's revealed that certain characters from the previous Marvel movies have been Skrulls all along? And Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch proved in the first Ultimates series that the Skrull (called the Chitauri there) make a convincingly cinematic threat.

Of course the other possibility is that The Avengers will battle Hydra. As I mentioned in this story about The Invaders possibly appearing in The First Avenger: Captain America, Feige name-dropped Hydra as being something with which Steve Rogers had to contend. Might the truth be that Steve Rogers would just meet some of the Nazi supervillains who go on to head Hydra? And with The Avengers being a SHIELD group in the movies, it might make sense to make the villain a SHIELD villain. On top of that, like the Skrull, the sheer number of Hydra agents mean the film could contain lots of battles and that each of the Avengers could get something to do during the course of the film.

Having the Skrulls in the Avengers films throws up some interesting possibilities - the Hulk may feature but turn out to be a Skrull, other characters in Iron Man, Thor etc may turn out to have been replaced by Skrulls at some point.

What do you think of the news?
HOME

Kick-Ass news - Cage will be wearing the costume

In an interview with MTV News, Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn said promotional images of the film's pre-teen vigilante sporting a schoolgirl outfit and gun don't actually depict her costume for the film, and like her "Kick-Ass" co-stars Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, she'll have a costume modeled after her comic book counterpart.

"That's not her costume. No one's seen her costume yet," Vaughn told MTV News of the various images that have appeared online. "That's just part of a plan to take some people out. That's her alter ego."

Vaughn said that all of the costumes in the film were lifted as directly as possible from artist John Romita Jr.'s designs -- even those we haven't seen yet.

"We have to hold some stuff back," laughed the director. "But yes, they're 100-percent wearing their costumes from the comic."

Vaughn's desire to remain faithful to the comic extends well beyond the costumes, too. When asked whether he'll tone down the series' much-discussed level of violence (including various acts of dismemberment, bludgeoning and one scene in which Moretz and Cage's characters execute a criminal using a car-crusher), Vaughn's response was immediate.

"It would be like me buying the rights to 'The Exorcist' and saying 'We're not going to make a horror film out of this,'" he said. "What's the point of doing a watered-down, diluted version of it? You end up with a film that I wouldn't want to make... or see."

HOME

Angelina Jolie talks Wanted 2

Recently Timur Bekmambetov was talking about making Wanted 2 and how he would like Angelina Jolie to return. Spoilers ahead.

For those of you who know, Jolie's character bends a bullet at the end of the film that takes down all the bad guys including herself. The film, and the Mark Millar comic it was based on, was full of mad concepts and included a place where the characters where healed in super quick time. However, there was no mention of characters being brought back from the dead.
The comic did feature lots of parallel dimensions though so it could possibly bring back characters that way, but that still doesn't fit into the film version.

However, they could probably fit something into the universe they set up to do this and if that was the case could also mean a possible return for the other characters who died in the first one.

Now MTV have an interview with Jolie that seems to indicate in no uncertain terms that her character isn’t likely to return for a sequel, but that could just be movie talk while deals and money is being discussed.

Back in November 2008, MTV spoke to Jolie and she discussed her final scene in the film.

“In the original, she doesn’t kill herself,” said Jolie. “I actually changed the ending. I said, ‘If she was to find out she had killed people unjustly and was a part of something that wasn’t fair, then she should take her own life.’”

That means it was Jolie who wanted the character to die due to what she had done.

Discuss in the forum or leave a comment below.

HOME

Wanted 2 - Timur Bekmambetov says it is so....and Angelina is back?

The film based on Mark Millar's cool comic, Wanted, has spawned a sequel and looks as if there will be some surprises in it. Last I heard it was going to follow Wesley (James Mcavoy) travelling around the World hunting down more of the Assassin's Guild that recruited him. If you haven't seen the first one, beware spoilers ahead.

Evan Spiliotopoulos had been hired to write a script based off of a story by Wanted writer Chris Morgan

“In July we will start preparation for the film. I think in the late autumn or winter shooting will be performed” Bekmambetov said to Russia IC. “The shooting will take place in America, India and Russia”

The film director and producer promised that in the sequel he would bring back to life Angelina Jolie’s character, who perished at the end of the first movie. In addition to that, new characters will be introduced in the sequel.

“As for the character played by Kostya Khabenskiy (the bloke who ran the healing spa place), we’ll think about it. We might possibly resurrect him as well” the film director said.

Discuss in the forum or leave a comment below.

HOME

Kick-Ass 2 is in the works according to Mark Millar

SciFi Wire have an interview with comic book writer Mark Millar about Kick-Ass directed by Matthew Vaughn.

"Wanted made a fortune. It made a ton of money, and it was a property nobody had ever heard of. And I think Kick-Ass is going to be even bigger," Millar says.

"Kick-Ass 2 is already being plotted out. We're planning it, because all the actors are quite young and we have to make it relatively quickly. So we'll definitely do that inside the next 18 to 24 months."

We have yet to see a trailer to the first film and there is no distibutor in place for it just yet. However, as Millar says, Wanted was quite a big hit and if this is marketed just right Kick-Ass could be another.

Discuss in the forum or leave a comment below.

HOME

Kick-Ass - Here's Hit Girl

Here is our first proper look, via Empire at Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl from the adaption of Mark Millar's Kick-Ass. Below is how she looks in the comic.

Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) is the 11 year old daughter of Big Daddy (Nic Cage). He has trained her to be the ultimate assassin and she slices and dices her way through the bad guys. Imagine a mix of Elektra, Uma Thurman's The Bride, and Natalie Portman in Leon.

Kick-Ass is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake).

Leave a comment on this post below.

HOME

Hallelujah - Millar's American Jesus may rise to the big screen

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Stardust," "Layer Cake") is eyeing American Jesus, another adaptation of a comic by Wanted author Mark Millar, as his next film says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story centers on the return of Christ in the modern world, leading to a final confrontation with the Antichrist in a bid to save humanity.

The comic began life as a three-issue Dark Horse mini-series in 2006 entitled Chosen. That plan was expanded into a trilogy of mini-series with the second, The Resurrection, being released this Autumn.

Vaughn is presently in post-production on the adaption of Millar's "Kick Ass". Like that film, it's likely this one will be financed independently.

The pair are also developing a still unannounced action film project.

Now I've read Chosen and unless I'm getting mixed up with another comic that deals with a kid who finds out he is actually the second coming of Christ and then has to convince the World, then I am not sure how the series can carry on as expected. Anyone else read it and know what I'm talking about?

Needless to say that, like Kick-Ass, this will have people up in arms once it hits the mainstream.

Leave a comment on this post below.

HOME - Discuss in the Forum

Mark Millar has seen Kick-Ass. He says it kicks bottom

"'Kick Ass' will make $400 million at the box office." So said Mark Millar, writer and creator of the Kick-Ass comic. He had just returned from a trip to London where he screened 'Watchmen' and then saw a cut of his own movie at the production offices. He goes on "I loved 'Watchmen'...but I'm absolutely convinced Kick-Ass is going to be the biggest comic-based movie this year."

"The insane sales on the book suggest we've stumbled onto something here, tapped into an idea people wanted to see, and I think that same madness is going to carry over into the mainstream audience for the movie. Matthew sent me eight minutes of the picture last week and the energy in this thing, stuff I'd just never seen in cinema before, literally made me lose Tuesday and Wednesday at work. I just watched the clips over and over and this same feeling hit me like a juggernaut when I saw vast chunks of the picture in the editing suite. NOTHING can prepare you for Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) in particular. People are going to lose their shit when this comes out. I knew it was going to be good, but this is about four hundred times better than I even imagined and I can't wait until you guys see the first trailer in a short while.
What made it especially fun is that I watched a chunk of it with the marketing people drafted in later in the afternoon. These were three industry people who have worked on everything from Hulk and Wanted to romantic comedies for the various studios and their reaction was hilarious. Their eyes went wide, their jaws dropped and they kept looking at us, giggling and looking as excited as twelve year olds. I'm telling you, boys and girls, we are ONTO something here.

I. Cannot. Bloody. Wait.

Brad Pitt was over two weeks back and also lost his mind when he saw this. Buzz around the studios is great, Matthew releasing 40 mins to several if these guys in the last few weeks and studio heads losing their minds. After EVERYBODY turning it down (unless we heavily edited the scripts) we now have these suckas exactly where we want them. We've remained resolute, making exactly the kind of film we WANTED to make and I could not be more happy with the finished result. Big props to Matthew, Jane and Tarquin for making this all real and not buckling to the studio system."

Aaron Johnson stars as Kick-Ass and it also features Nicholas Cage, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Matthew Vaughn is directing.

Obviously it is his creation and he's great at bigging up his stuff so I'm taking all this with a grain of salt. However, it may well have the gore quotient for the fan boys out there. I have enjoyed the comic, but I can't see what it could have in it that we have never seen before. Maybe it would help if the comic book series was actually finished. Mind you I can't wait to see John Romita Jr's animated segment in the film. I wonder if Nicholas Cage will be in his good or bad phase in this?

Source: Mania

HOME - Discuss in the Forum

Superman Reloaded - Wachowski's may direct reboot. Oh and some Ninja Assassin and Plastic Man news.

AICN heard from a reliable source that James McTeigue (director of Ninja Assassin) had been on the radio in Berlin where Ninja Assassin had been filmed. He chatted about how the shoot had gone. McTeigue then chatted about his plans regarding Plastic Man and that the Wachowski Brothers had been approached to direct a trilogy of films for the Man of Steel (wonder if it is anything to do with Mark Millar's Superman trilogy). Here is a break down of what was said.

- Ninja Assassin is locked and complete. Awaiting a suitable marketing strategy and release from WB. Looking likely to be a late summer release.

- Action scenes are absolutely brutal, unbelievable vision from the Wachowski's in blocking the fights with the Hong Kong stunt team.

- Spoke about the benefits of tax breaks received from the German and British Governments in making the film.

- McTeigue confirmed that Plastic Man was the next project in the pipeline for the Wachowski's and he had been signed on to provide Second Unit support. Says the movie has been delayed indefinitely due to a major shake up of projects at WB.

- Bryan Singer has refused to undertake a re-boot of the Superman franchise and has left the Executives at WB with no choice but to take a fresh creative direction.

- He stated the Wachowski Brothers had been approached to re-boot the franchise as a trilogy and they are currently reviewing their options as its like being asked to take the final play in a superbowl final. Says if they do agree, he will likely either succumb to providing second unit support on the movie or will champion the directorship of Plastic Man - He started to giggle as he stated its like a young child for the Brothers and they wont give that up easily.

- Says, the very thought of the brothers making a superman movie is unbelievable as they have grown up in the world of comic books and they would be ideal for the project.

- Stated that Bryan Singer is looking to move on to Logan's Run a movie to be produced by Joel Silver.

Thinking about this I do feel that the Wachowski's could do a pretty cool Superman film. Neo was pretty much Kal-El by the end of the Matrix trilogy and even struck some Superman poses in his final battle with Agent Smith, as I mentioned when it appeared as one of The Best Fight Scenes Ever! (pity the Matrix Trilogy went steadily downhill as the series progressed in my humble opinion). However, they do get the whole comic book ethos and do always manage to push the special effects in all of their films. Fingers crossed that if they do take it on then they will make something truly special - it's got to be a damn site better than Superman Returns anyway (hope they get rid of the kid!)

If the Wachowski's do take on Superman what do you want to see in the trilogy? Should it go back to the very beginning? Should Brandon Routh still play Clark Kent or should someone else be brought on board to play him?

Discuss in the Forum

Kick-Ass - New photos

The photos above is Aaron Johnson as the title character Dave Lizewski. Below is a photo of Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz as Big Daddy and Hit Girl.

Kick-Ass is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layer Cake) and based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

Home / Forum / Guestbook

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) as Red Mist in Kick-Ass

Here is Christopher Mintz-Plasse, in the upcoming Kick-Ass movie. Ain't It Cool News had the shot and the scene here is apparently the first time Dave and Red Mist meet, which hasn't occurred yet in any issues of the Mark Millar, John Romita Jr comics that are already out.

What do you think of the look of them?
Home / Forum / Guestbook

Wanted: Weapons of Fate - Trailer for video game based on James McAvoy film based on Mark Millar's comic

Wanted: Weapons of Fate is an upcoming video game developed by GRIN and published by Universal Studios. It is set to be released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is set in the continuity of the 2008 film and picks up where the movie left off with Wesley (James McAvoy) taking on the French chapter of “The Fraternity”.

The Wiki entry states, "Based on Universal Pictures’ action-thriller Wanted, starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie, the Wanted videogame, Wanted: Weapons of Fate, promises to deliver the same fantastic visual style and edge-of-your-seat action as the blockbuster motion picture.

In Wanted: Weapons of Fate players continue the story of hero Wesley Gibson, picking up the action where the film left off to create an entirely new chapter exploring both Wesley’s journey to becoming an unmatched überassassin and the epic fiction of “The Fraternity" in the Wanted mythology. Players will take on the role of Wesley or his father Cross and confront all new enemies, including the French chapter of the Fraternity, a group that is fanatical about upholding the code of the Loom of Fate. The French chapter is headed by The Immortal, a severe Fraternity leader with a grudge against Wesley and his family, and also employs Araña, a beautiful but deadly Spanish assassin, and Brummel, the businessman assassin who is as street smart as he is sophisticated.

Featuring intense third-person action, Wanted: Weapons of Fate will take combat to the next level with iconic moves such as “Curving Bullets” and “Assassin Time” drawn directly from the film, as well as an innovative, multi-layered cover mechanic."

Now that states the game follows on from the film, but you can play as Wesley's father Cross, who apparantly died in the film. Not sure if this will be as a flashback in the game or just a wiki-error.

Here's the trailer.

Wanted (Game) Trailer
by GamersMOTION

What are your thoughts on this after seeing the trailer?
Home / Forum / Guestbook

First Official Photos of Kick-Ass

Here are the first official photos of Aaron Johnson as Mark Millar's Kick-Ass. Looks just like the comic book and appears to be the scene where Kick-Ass has his first the fight which gets filmed, put on youtube and makes him famous.

It is directed by Matthew Vaughn from a script adapted by Jane Goldman. I also recently posted the story that John Romita Jr will be directing an animated sequence in the film. What do you think of the photos?

HOME / FORUM.

Kick-Ass to have animated sequence directed by John Romita Jr

Comicsando have the news that Romita will get his directorial debut by directing an animated flashback sequence in the live action Kick-Ass film. This is cool as John Romita Jr is the artist who brought Kick-Ass to life in Mark Millar's comic.

Apparantly the sequence will show the origin of Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and his daughter, Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz). That's them on the left.

How do you like them apples?

HOME / FORUM.

Mark Millar has epic plans for the Man of Steel

I mentioned a while ago that Mark Millar (Wanted, Kick-Ass) had wanted to bring a cooler version of Superman to the big screens. Now he has been talking about his plans for the 3-film Superman story to Empire.

"It's gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him."

Millar explains that "The Dark Knight showed you can take a comic book property and make a serious film, and I think the studios are ready to listen to bigger ideas now." So he partnered with a big director and producer and went in to Hollywood to pitch his "Magnum Opus of Superman stories." The idea consists of an 8-hour saga, split into 3 films to be released a year apart, much like Lord of the Rings. Millar adds that "the problem with Superman Returns was like releasing Star Wars in '77, The Empire Strikes Back in '80 and then waiting 28 years to release Return of the Jedi — it wasn’t relevant. I understand what Bryan Singer was trying to do, to pay homage to Richard Donner's original vision, but I think you should pay homage by doing something completely different."

"I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers."

I think that sounds pretty cool and suitably epic. I wonder who the big director is that Millar keeps mentioning? What do you think of that? Would you go and see it?

HOME / FORUM.

Mark Millar's War Heroes to be Moviefied

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that “War Heroes,” the in-progress Image Comics miniseries by Mark Millar and Tony Harris, has been optioned for a film adaptation for Columbia Pictures with producer Michael DeLuca (“21,” “Boogie Nights,” “Seven”). Harris and Millar will executive produce.

“War Heroes” is set in a dystopian future where the American Empire has bankrupted itself on ceaseless military conflicts, and World War III will be fought with super-powered G.I.s. In the story, a group of these super soldiers employ the drugs that give them powers to pursue criminal ends.
No writer or director is currently attached to the project.

Source: CBR
HOME / FORUM.

Nicholas Cage photos in Kick-Ass

This from First Showing:

"If I absolutely have to go to jail for a comic-book movie then I accept no substitutes. This is the one. I hereby declare Kick-Ass as the greatest movie of 2009." That's how author Mark Millar starts out his blog on the production of Kick-Ass, the comic book adaptation directed by Matthew Vaughn that's currently shooting in London. In addition to Millar's lengthy update, the guys over at TheBadandUgly.com have snagged a few photos of Nic Cage, who doesn't play the title character, but rather a guy named Damon who is the father of a little 11-year-old hit-girl. Millar's blog update comes from Millarworld.tv (via SlashFilm) and is an interesting read, although he seems more excited about this movie than I have ever been.

Millar says that nothing "can prepare you for Nic and Chloe as Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. As I said to Nic after the first scene was shot on Saturday morning, this is a movie about comic-book guys MADE by comic-book guys. We are absolutely in our comfort zone here and doing something really special. Cage's eyes just gleamed. He said it's the most excited he's been by a role in a long time."

If you're just a moviegoer like me and haven't ever picked up the comic, let's give you an idea of what it's like. "The first scene shot on the movie was the first scene I wrote on the comic (now the opening to issue six) and it's Hit-Girl in her secret identity, wearing a Hello Kitty T-shirt and a kevlar vest as her Dad pumps round after round into her chest so she knows how a bullet feels." They've only been shooting for just a few days, but Millar has already proclaimed Chloe Moretz, who plays the hit-girl, as the star of the show. "Chloe Moretz is going to be a superstar after this picture. There are so many great actors and characters running around here, but this kid is just spectacular." Starring in the lead role is Aaron Johnson and also part of the cast are Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Lyndsy Fonseca.

More photos of Cage here.

HOME / FORUM.

Mark Millar sees Superman as a Lord of the Rings style Trilogy

Slash Film have this to say on the matter

In an interview with G4, comic book writer Mark Millar (Wanted) revealed his plans for a new trilogy of Superman films, which he would like to be shot back-to-back.

“A director approached me about three months ago,” Millar said. “and he said ‘look, [Bryan Singer's] The Man Of Steel might not be happening. If that doesn’t happen, it has been spoken about the possibility of me coming in, would you like to write it?’ And I was like Yeah.”

Yeah, we have already heard this before, but here is where the juicy details come in:

“I’ve had this plan for like 10 years for a big three-picture Superman thing, like a big Lord of the Rings epic, starting over from scratch again with a seven-hour Superman story. And hopefully release them one year after another,” continued Millar. “If it works out, we’ll have to start shooting next summer.”

Wow, big plans, but even Millar admits that nothing is firm yet, and while this is a “long shot”, the director in question is “a big deal” and he apparently said that he won’t do it unless Millar writes it.

So what do you all make of that then? Do you like the sound of Millar's vision for Kal-El? Who could the big name director be? It does sound very promising, but at the moment is all just one man's wish. We shall have to wait a bit longer to see if the money men go for it.

HOME / FORUM.

Nicholas Cage in Kick-Ass - He loves his comic books

The Hollywood Reporter have news that Nick Cage is going to star in the adaption of Mark Millar's Kick-Ass.

Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson and Lyndsy Fonseca are set to star in "Kick-Ass," Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the violent Mark Millar comic book.

Written by Millar and drawn by John Romita Jr., the Marvel Comics' Icon imprint book centers on a high school dweeb named Dave Lizewski who decides to become a superhero even though he has no athletic ability or coordination. Things change when he eventually runs into real bad guys with real weapons.

Johnson plays the dweeb and title character, while Fonseca plays the object of the teen's infatuation who believes Dave is gay. Cage is a former cop who wants to bring down a druglord and has trained his daughter (Chloe Moretz) to be a lethal weapon.

HOME / FORUM.

News on Mark Millar's Kick Ass movie - Mclovin?

Matthew Vaughn, who directed Stardusthas managed to get the cash from private investors to get the Kick-Ass movie on the roll as the studios felt it was just too violent. It follows a a 15-year-old boy named Dave Lizewski who attempts to become a real-life superhero. The catch is that he has no powers or any of the stereotypical reasons for choosing to fight crime.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse, aka McLovin from Superbad, will play a character known as Red Mist who is the angry teen son of a mobster who tries to find and uncover Kick-Ass' identity. Also starring alongside of Mintz-Plasse is Chloe Moretz, who will play a "ferocious, potty-mouthed 11-year-old who chops down crime thugs with a ninja sword."

Still no word on who will play the lead role.

Have you read the comic? What do you think of this news?

Discuss in the forum.