Your ScreenRant Newsletter Update

Posted: 29 Sep 2008 12:33 PM CDT

marvel-avengers

Paramount has sent us updated (and first time) releases dates for the big Marvel Studios movies coming out over the next three years.

Iron Man 2 has been pushed back one week, Thor has been pushed back a month and a half and we have release dates for Captain America and The Avengers movies.

The Avengers will be released a couple of months after Captain America, lending credence to the idea that Cap’s film may be a cliffhanger resolved in Avengers, which will likely show the formation of the team and their first mission.

Iron Man 2 release date changed:

From: April 30, 2010

To: May 7th, 2010

Thor release date changed:

From June 4th, 2010

To: July 16, 2010

The First Avenger: Captain America release date announced:

May 6, 2011

The Avengers release date announced:

July 15, 2011

Megan Fox To Star In Michael Turner’s Fathom?

Posted: 29 Sep 2008 09:16 AM CDT

Megan Fox photo Megan Fox, starlet of Transformers and recent recipient of the title “Earth’s hottest girl” by Maxim Magazine, has reportedly signed on to play super-powered mermaid, Aspen, in the big screen adaptation of artist Michael Turner’s groundbreaking comic book series, Fathom.

Megan Fox sleek, sexy and wet? Just point me towards the theater.

There’s been morbid speculation that Michael Turner’s death in June of this year (after a long bout with bone cancer) had stalled any plans for a Fathom movie, which has reportedly been in development since 2003.

Looks like that speculation was unfounded, because word is that Megan Fox signed on the dotted line to star in the film this past week, which is coming our way courtesy of 20th Century Fox’s “genre” branch, Fox Atomic. (You mean the guys who made the Hill Have Eyes 2, Turistas and 28 Weeks Later? Yay.)

A movie adaptation of Fathom has been long coming–however, even as recently as last year, Turner himself was doubtful that the film would happen:

“The ‘Fathom’ movie is now not really happening,” Turner announced. “We had some problems with some scripting … It was definitely an experience that we had with Hollywood. All the scripts were completely different from what you know of ‘Fathom.’ We’re going back and starting again…” Turner said.

And so, as is the case with all quality films, there currently is still no confirmed script or director attached to Fathom. According to a source over at IESB, the whole project is basically being built around Megan Fox’s gorgeous face and… considerable talent. (Double Yay.) But hey, I guess you gotta start somewhere (and Megan Fox is a pretty good starting point for just about anything.)

Fathom

The Fathom comic book series first debuted in 1998, under Image Comics’ splinter branch, Top Cow Comics. The series (about an amnesic and super-powered mermaid discovered at sea by a cruise liner,) ran until 2002, when Turner’s efforts as creator, owner, writer, and artist of Fathom were derailed by the sudden discovery of his bone cancer.

Other artists and writers continued to expand the Fathom universe until Turner’s cancer went into remission and he broke off from Top Cow to form his own company, a move which led to a legal battle with Top Cow.

Turner debuted a second installment of Fathom in 2004, under the banner of Turner’s company, Aspen MLT Inc. The second run lasted for a miniseries (Fathom: Dawn of War) and also created a spin-off series (Fathom: Cannon Hawke). A third, posthumous installment of the series has been planned for Winter of 2008.

(Thank IESB for providing this bit of fan art by artist Jamie Tyndall, depicting what Megan Fox might look like if she were cartoonishly proportioned and dressed as Aspen.)

Fathom: Megan Fox/Aspen fan art

Will Megan Fox do Fathom justice and honor its late creator, or her “talent” be limited to giving us boys a whole lot of what we want to see? (Are the two even mutually exclusive?) Let us know what you think.

Source: IESB, Comic Book Resources, Maxim

Kenneth Branagh To Direct Thor?

Posted: 28 Sep 2008 11:11 PM CDT

Thor Wow.

First Marvel goes with Jon Favreau for Iron Man and now it’s looking like another non-action/indie film director will come into the fold: Kenneth Branagh as the director for Thor.

The closest thing he’s directed to this would be Henry V almost 20 years ago, but he been directing other films since then.

Branagh also has a very long acting resume, having had a role in about 50 movies and TV episodes.

The movie version of Thor (a Norse god in Marvel Comics) has been written by Mark Protosevich. A source tells me that despite the fact that Variety says the screenplay will use the original version of the character, disabled medical student Don Blake who could turn into (or switch places with, I don’t remember exactly) the magic hammer-wielding Thor - the current screenplay does NOT include Blake as a character.

The film will be very heavy on Norse Mythology, Asgard (Thor’s home), mythical creatures, etc. Very Shakespearean in tone.

Personally I think this is a very interesting pick.

Thanks to Edward from the Marvel Movies Facebook group!

Source: Variety

Bill Murray Interested In Ghostbusters 3!

Posted: 28 Sep 2008 05:21 PM CDT

Bill Murray Interested In Ghostbusters There is an old expression: “never hurry a Murray”.

Who would have thought that the Murray in question was Bill Murray?

Twenty years after showing no interest whatsoever in another Ghostbusters movie, Murray now appears to have embraced his Proton Pack wearing days and shown his first signs of coming onboard Ghostbusters 3.

While at a screening of his forthcoming film City of Ember at Fantastic Fest, he had a few things to say about his love of Ghostbusters.

Murray commented on his love of the first film - how the first 40-45 minutes was some of the best material that he’d been in and how “the wounds have healed” from Ghostbusters 2.

He talked about his enthusiasm for the films and how recording his voice-over for the new video game had him singing the Ghostbusters theme in the street.

It looks like we may actually see Murray return to the character of Peter Venkmen, but it all depends on the script. The actor says that the main problem with the second film was the reliance on special effects.

Maybe it’s just the cynic in me, but what also helps his chances of returning is that he’s going through a divorce, and he may want to earn back some money that he will be giving to his soon to be ex-wife.

Source: Aintitcool

Nottingham: Not To Say We Told You So, But…

Posted: 28 Sep 2008 05:13 PM CDT

russell crowe is the sheriff and robin hood If you take a look over at MTV news you can see “breaking news” that Russell Crowe will be playing The Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood in Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Nottingham. However, if you are a regular Screen Rant reader you would have known this two months ago!

Yes, we brought you the news in July as the reason for the delay in the epic film, but now Scott has officially announced it at a press conference for Body of Lies.

Meanwhile Crowe has said:

“It’s one of those things where we’re taking our time with. You don’t want to be doing Robin Hood unless you’re going to be doing it really f*cking well. It’s got to be the best one ever done otherwise you should do something else.”

It is a fair point, but it doesn’t clear up how he will be playing both characters. Are they supposed to be the same person or is Crowe playing two roles?

Scott had this to say: