Sunday, September 28, 2008

Kenneth Branagh May Direct 'Thor'


Marvel Studios has an aggressive schedule of film releases planned for their Marvel Universe characters. Besides the various Spider-Man and X-Men related films they have a number of films in the works (that they have greater creative control over) that are all linked together in the same continuity, a first for the big screen superhero genre. Although it sounds like DC & Warner Bros may have now been inspired to do the same thing.

Marvel already released Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk this year. They plan on releasing The First Avenger: Captain America in May 6, 2011 and team-up a number of Marvel characters together with The Avengers in July 2011. In the middle of all that we will get Iron Man 2 (April 2010), possibly an Ant-Man film and yes, everyone's favorite Norse god turned superhero...Thor.

And now it looks like Thor may have a director.

According to Variety, Emmy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated director and actor Kenneth Branagh is in talks to helm the big screen adaptation of Thor.

Don't know who Branagh is? Well, his directorial debut was Henry V. The last film he directed was Sleuth starring Jude Law and Michael Caine, which grossed $703,000 worldwide. Some other films he has worked on include The Magic Flute, As You Like It, Hamlet (1996), Frankenstein (1994), Dead Again and Much Ado About Nothing.

Not exactly the first guy that jumps to your mind for a superhero film, but remember Marvel did say they wanted it to be less superhero and more fantasy. I am a little worried though that he hasn't directed an action film for 19 years. But Marvel usually makes good director choices, so I'm hopeful that it will be a good match.

The script is written by Mark Protosevich (The Cell). It is about a disabled medical student named Donald Blake, who can change into the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor. The arrogant thunder god Thor is forced to learn humility by his father Odin by sharing the body of Blake.

Thor is scheduled for a June 4, 2010 release.

No comments: