Should There Be Another Hulk Movie?
Five years ago we were treated to the first live action Hulk movie under the guidance of award winning director Ang Lee. Lee gave us a different vision of a comic book movie. He made the film more personal, more character centric… more human (with some hulk dogs thrown in for good measure). The vast majority of film fans seem to have hated that Hulk film (I liked it… but I can also see why others didn’t). So being just five years ago it struck us with a lot of amazement that Marvel was taking a crack at re-launching the franchise.
It’s not unimaginable to reboot a franchise obviously… but one that was only 5 years old (granted, there was only 8 years between George Clooney’s Batman and Robin and the Christain Bale Batman Begins)? It seemed terribly soon for a reboot… especially when you consider that the general movie going audience still had such a bad taste in it’s mouth from the first one.
But Marvel believed in the character and pushed forward… and it looks like a lot of people are happy they did as the majority of people seem to agree that this new Incredible Hulk is a lot better than the Ang Lee version. Fantastic. But here’s the catch… The Incredible Hulk is entering it’s 5 week of wide release (last weekend it made just over $3 million) and at this point it has made LESS money than the first Hulk film. Add on top of that the fact that this one cost more (just under $15 million) to make.
So while a lot of people can agree this Hulk was a solid effort, you’ve got to think that at this point the board rooms over at Marvel are debating weather another Hulk film is even a possibility financially. And I’ll tell you right now… THERE IS A VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY YOU WILL NOT SEE HULK IN THE AVENGERS MOVIE.
When all is said and done, The incredible Hulk will break even and probably make a little coin for the studio… but when a movie costs between $150 - $200 million to make (you know they’d have to make the budget for the next one at least a little bit bigger), just barely getting your head above water on the last film just doesn’t cut it. There is far too much money to be lost for a new production company like Marvel at this stage of the game.
Iron Man is a different story. That movie has made more money domestically (over $300 million) than Hulk has made internationally ($220 million world wide so far). It’s a no brainer to do a sequel to that film. The profit margin is huge. Not so much with the Hulk (if it ends up making profit at all when all is said and done).
WHY WE COULD SEE ANOTHER HULK FILM
Despite all the negatives listed above, not all hope is lost for the big green guy. Many could look at the box office results for The Incredible Hulk and see it as a big victory. After all… only 5 years removed from a previous version that just about everyone hated… and it STILL is going to make about the same amount of money? Doesn’t that suggest the possibility that since you now have a film people LIKED, then the next one could be even more successful? Iron Man didn’t have that giant monkey around it’s neck. No previous version with Kevin Costner as Tony Stark that everyone hated. It had a clean slate and it cleaned up. One could argue that The Hulk now has a clean (or better than clean) slate from which to move forward from. That’s no guarantee… but it’s at least something to think about.
Marvel clearly has grand plans, and we know that making another Hulk film in the next 3 years isn’t one of them. His appearance in the Avengers movie is questionable at this point considering he would be the single most expensive element in the entire film to bring to screen and it doesn’t look like he’s a huge attraction to the audience. It’s hard to call at this point.
Personally I really hope we see The Hulk on the screen again… in his own film and in the Avengers, but you certainly couldn’t blame the execs over at Marvel if they decide to go in a different direction.
So what do you think. Put your personal feelings aside for a minute and answer this: If YOU were an exec over at Marvel, would you look at continuing The Hulk character at this point, or would you move in another direction? Why?
68 Comments, Comment or Ping
HAZMAT
World War Hulk!!!
or Planet Hulk!!!
Jul 10th, 2008
John
Hey Hazmat,
Dude I’m totally with you on the WWH and PH ideas… but let’s be real… those movies will NEVER NEVER NEVER get made. They’d cost about $500 - $600 million to make. Never happen.
To bad… I can dream though.
Jul 10th, 2008
wxph8r
There absolutely should be another Hulk movie, I don’t know about no WWH script as that series was lame, I always ask myself when people comment on WWH if you actually read it cause it was lame! Planet Hulk on the other hand, kicked major butt! The whole idea of Planet Hulk would make a fantastic movie!
Yea, bring on the Planet Hulk!
Jul 10th, 2008
Mike
I’m actually a big fan of the Ang Lee’s artistic direction during the Hulk. Jennifer Connoly can act circles around Liv Tyler, and Eric Bana is probably one of my favorite actors out there. The desert fight scene with the military was awesome as well.
That being said…a boss fight with giant cartoon dogs and your dad who turns into a flying metaphysical jelly fish … that was stupid as hell.
Here are a couple quick thoughts on the second film:
The Bad: The negative media campaign that the studio and crew threw around regarding Hulk 1. Want a sure fire way to not get people to the theater? Remind them how bad your last movie was.
The Good: Tie-ins to Iron Man and the up coming Avenger’s movie. At this point Marvel would hurt themselves more by not putting the Hulk in Avengers…they ‘told’ you they were going to at the end of the film. Could you imagine what critics and fans would do if that payoff was a red herring?
Jul 10th, 2008
Mozzerino
Financially though you have to consider that THE INCREDIBLE HULK hasn’t even been released yet in some countries.
It is released just today in Germany for example (quite a big market for films).
Jul 10th, 2008
Rick
After leaving you hanging with the Samuel Sterns character (who becomes the Leader) they better make another one. I think people weren’t ready, but I’ll bet the DVD sales go off the charts. They even said there would be 70 minutes of extra footage, so many people figured they’d wait for the dvd… With that said, why would this situation even affect the Hulk being in The Avengers movie? I don’t get it
Jul 10th, 2008
movieblogsnumbah1fan
me neither….
Jul 10th, 2008
calviin
I think they can and still will use him in the Avengers movie. I also think it is like I heard suggested before, that the Hulk will be who they are trying to track down and capture. It was a recurring theme in the original Avengers and everything they are planning so far seems like they are heading in that direction.
Jul 10th, 2008
calviin
Also, they introduced Samuel Sterns, and CLEARLY showed that he was turning into the Leader, so there’s going to be that.
Jul 10th, 2008
Leo
Correct me if i’m wrong but wouldn’t the mutant poodles be something the leader would do ?
Jul 10th, 2008
ButterOnMyPopcorn
If there isn’t a seen of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor (well maybe thor just coming in to save Iron Man and Captain) in the Avengers I will go down to Marvel Studios personally with my giant green hulk punching gloves and wreak havoc.
Jul 10th, 2008
parker
I hope they make another one, I dont understand how this one did so poorly at the box office, I guess you have to pin it on ang lees version. I also, probably just cause I am ignorant to these things, dont understand how these movies could cost so much, is all the costs CGI graphics or what?
Jul 10th, 2008
Bill Clay
You’ll only see a second Hulk film if Edward Norton wants to do it, and is willing to work for a reasonable salary.
Hulk 3 (2?) is a definite, but slightly slim possibility. However, one this is absolutely certain: they cannot recast the role for a third time,.
If Norton wants to do it, expect him to lobby for more creative control, it will likely happen. If you hear him make two peeps expressing hesitancy or if he comes out and says he’s not interested, then there’s no way it happens.
I’ll disagree with John though: Hulk could still show up, Banner-free in an Avengers movie. They planted the seed at the end of the second (first?) film that Norton was working to control it, deliberately letting the Hulk loose, so it’s conceivable a more intelligent, reasoning Hulk could be in the Avengers flick.
Jul 10th, 2008
Orren Jensen
I believe that sequel to the Incredible Hulk could be profitable in five years after they tie in all of the other Marvel stories to the Avengers movie . If I was an executive at Marvel I would put Bruce Banner in the Avengers movie and build on the control his power storyline. Then in a big 30-35 minute epic battle near the end the Hulk show up to save the day. I think this would be just enough of a boost to bring fan to a second Incredible Hulk movie. This last film was good but like you and many other have been saying there is still the bitter taste of Ang Lee’s version. But me personally I almost want to say “do what ever the hell you want as long as you keep the Universe pure.” Personally I don’t like it when there major cast changes unless and this is a big unless it is a remake that follows John’s basic outline. But when I mean remake I really mean revamp or reworking. That’s beside the point, Should there be a sequel to Incredible Hulk, yes after they tie in the other Marvel stories to the Avengers movie.
Jul 10th, 2008
John
I think the studio execs have to be aware that this Hulk was up against some pretty stiff competition. Get Smart the following weekend, then Wall-E, then Hancock.
It’s still seems to be going fairly strong and brought in $4.9 million last weekend. I think we’ll still see more Hulk movies come out.
Jul 10th, 2008
Kristina
Okay, I’m a studio exec. I got a big house, kickass clothes, five cars, and I don’t want that to stop anytime soon. Therefore, I shall focus my resources on properties that are guaranteed money in the bank. Clearly, the public is not interested in the Hulk in any film incarnation, so I will not waste my sweet sweet time or my sweet sweet cash trying to make another one. It’s like trying to make a little kid eat broccoli at this point. It’s made money, but there are other properties making MORE money.
Jul 10th, 2008
Chris
A sequel’s success is mostly based on how good the last movie was. Considering all the negative hype, it’s a miracle the Hulk did as well as it did. It took a lot of word-of-mouth just to get it this far.
They should give a sequel a shot - or at least include Hulk in the Avengers movie. Ang Lee’s movie was the franchise’s poison, the new one is the cure. Give it some time to work it’s way through the system. The public will want to see Hulk movies again once they’re fully assured they won’t have to sit through two hours of stage drama. The studio execs should at least wait for the DVD release before making any rash decisions.
Jul 10th, 2008
Tvo
Hulk is much more marketable than Iron Man. Think of Hulk Merchandising. What kid wants an Iron Man helmet or giant fucking Hulk Gloves!? “Mommy, can I have the Tony Stark Alcoholic Lunch box?” or “Mommy, can I have the Hulk Smash rubber Stretch Armstrong dude” Hulk FTW!
I think Hulk will have legs, remember, its hasn’t been released in Japan and Germany which are two of the biggest movie watching countrys in the world. Especially in Japan with the strong appetite for Comics and american pop culture. So with international ticket sales, merchandising and DVD sales, it should do quite well.
IF they do a sequel they should give it a head start on the summe movie season like they did Iron Man and give it an early May release.
Jul 10th, 2008
Kevin C
I dont know if you really need another HULK movie, but I see no reason not to include him in an Avengers film.
If Marvelk wants to say that the Hulk is not viable or big enough for his own movie again, thats fine, but I think he would be perfect in an ensamble film like Avengers.
He could be there to increase the action and add alittle to the plot but he wouldnt have to hold the film on his shoulders like Tony Stark clearly can.
While I would certainly be game for Incredible Hulk 2, I wouldnt care if it doesnt get made as long as the Hulk is present in the Avengers.
Jul 10th, 2008
Black
Replace kristina the studio executive with someone that has talent.. as in the same talent it took to breath life into the batman franchise, which in it’s own debut did not really shock and stun like an iron man did- but somehow ppl still loved it- no staying power is the problem here, ready to bail or change everything- that’s stupid, there is a hulk market, it just seems half assed when it comes out, there was no damn need for louis or marvel to be so scared and cut off a lot of the film- you’ve edited the film into a popcorn flick… the first was way too melodramatic, and this one was there, it was good, but somehow lacked the punch it was promising — i wonder what that film would’ve made, had it had the extra scenes in it.
Jul 10th, 2008
Kevin C
Also, an Avengers film with no Hulk and no Spidey is the equivalent of a JLA with no Superman or Batman.
Hulk could represent the most intruiging plot element in the story, the whole Hulk Buster theme and how or if he will team up with the Avengers etc. Taking him out of the story leaves it pretty thin at this point.
Jul 10th, 2008
Tvo
Why would an Avengers movie need Spidey?
I would think to limit costs they would have the Wasp and Hank Pym on the team. Using A minus list actors or B+ List actors for it.
And how cool would it be to have Hawkeye on the Avengers? Not much CGI would be needed for ole’ Clint Barton!
Jul 10th, 2008
spiderfreak182
John,
I think your crazy when u think its possible for the hulk not to be in the avengers movie.
And if i was an exec, i honestly wouldn’t know what to do with the hulk. Ofcourse he’d be in the avengers films, but i honestly dont know if i’d risk another flop
Jul 10th, 2008
Hien
Although The Incredible Hulk didn’t do as well in the box office, I think it will do much better on DVD and Blu-ray. That will make up for the budget of the film. I think he will be in the Avengers movie, but it might be several years before they come back to the Hulk in his own movie. He won’t get the same treatment like Ironman did.
Jul 10th, 2008
Chris
We don’t even know how marketable Captain America, Thor, and especially Ant-Man are yet. If we leave out every Avenger who doesn’t bring in big box office, it’ll just be another Iron Man movie.
Jul 10th, 2008
Phil Gee
I don’t believe in film curses. There is no jinx on the Hulk being a big screen franchise. Incredible Hulk was, in my opinion, a very hollow film (and of course we know how much footage they cut from it) and there was very little to bring back repeat business, not to mention being stuck right in the middle of the summer with other heavy hitters coming from all directions.
It seems like the best thing to do will be to hold on another Hulk movie but put him in Avengers and see where things go from there. People like the Hulk; i’ve seen it.
Jul 10th, 2008
NORBERTO
Hulk will get a sequel, Why? It is one of the biggest franchises Marvel controls, it’s a juge character with very important relations with other major characters, they can’t just threw it out of the window yet. If he would appear in the avengers it would be a great way to have one of your biggest characters reappear in all its glory, a classic story for the fans and it could help to show new auddiences just how cool the Hulk is.
Jul 10th, 2008
kevin c
Im not saying that they need to have Spider-man, Im just saying that if you dont, you need to put Hulk in there.
In my opinion an Avengers movie meeds to have Hulk, Iron Man and Captain America and Nick Fury, Throw in Thor and you have a pretty sweet cast with endless possibilities for the story. If you subtract Hulk from that lineup you lose alot.
Its one of those “the whole equals more than the sum of its parts” kind of things to me.
Jul 10th, 2008
Mattiac
I would like another Hulk movie with Edward Norton involved. But he should get credit for all things he has done for the movie! He didn’t get the writer’s credit for this Hulk. :(
Jul 10th, 2008
aaron
i don’t get why people didn’t like this film. this movie was great, i friggin loved it. but another one? we’d see the same thing, maybe.
i’m not sure yet, i’d love seeing another one, but it’d be like the same thing. remember at the end when he opened his eyes and was controlling it. doesn’t that rule out a sequel for it?
Jul 10th, 2008
aaron
including that marvel has multiple projects coming up in the next few years, i don’t see it happening
Jul 10th, 2008
Darren J Seeley
First of all, let’s get one thing right. “The Incredible Hulk” didn’t bomb. So when the int’l friends are saying ‘it didn’t do well’ it’s somewhat misleading. However…
1) Marvel/Universal didn’t do a lot of hype on the film itself until about a month before release. Most of Marvel’s attention was on Iron Man.
2) Many people thought this *was* a sequel to the Lee film, just recast. Don’t hit me up with ‘Darren, “we, the fans, knew”. Yes, you and I did. How about the people who are brainwashed by Blockbuster? (”Before the see the sequel see the originals!” and guess what’s on the shelf!) How about average Joe Smith down the block who isn’t a comic or film nut like you or I?
3) Iron Man is a new thing; Hulk has been done before.
4) A crowded summer for superheroes.
5) Bad press/rumors of creative fallout with Norton / Marvel /Lou Lettiter and all that nonsense.
*****
Now, I hate to do this. Honest to God. But I do.
If I were a Marvel exec I would put my butt on the line and say:
Let’s have She-Hulk instead of ‘The Hulk’ joining Avengers…because:
1) Hulk was a member of The Avengers for only a few issues
2) Hulk could be a ‘mistaken’ heavy, but when it comes to a villain or villains for Avengers, I’m thinking Ultron, who in turn brings in Vision and Jostca, the latter two turning good and “becoming” Avengers.
as far as “Hulk 2″ goes…
Yes, but only under these conditions:
1) Ed Norton (at least) wants to do it. Tim Blake Nelson is game as the Leader (and have him look like the more ‘alien’ looking Leader at that) and let’s get Doc Samson exposed and/or Jennifer Waters (She-Hulk) . An added bonus is Liv Tyler and especially Will Hurt.
2) We can do it for about the same budget or under.
if these criteria cannot be met, we make a DTV sequel featuring Doc Sampson and tie up some loose ends.
Jul 10th, 2008
John
Also, Marvel is its own studio now. What would they replace Hulk with? They’re not going to do a romantic comedy or some Adam Sandler flick. They only have so many characters - they’re not going to give up on one of their biggest names.
They’ve set up Avengers right now to be Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Ant Man, and Wasp coming together to fight the Hulk. That’s the way they started in the comic books, and it’s a great way to start that franchise.
Hulk has grossed $222 million worldwide so far on a production budget of $150 million, and it’s not totally out of theatres yet. After DVD sales and merchandise, Marvel should still come out with a decent profit, even with marketing expenses. Figure also that the movie strengthens their other lines of business - toy licensing, comic book publications, etc. They’d be total idiots to give up on Hulk movies.
Jul 10th, 2008
Bruce
The hulk was the worst movie have seen all year i hated my self for seeing it. It was pointless and mindless and nothing happened in it, every aspect of the film was horrible. Almost B grade film making. If they make another hulk that’s it for me and movies. Te day after i saw it i needed ten bucks, but who had my money, the hulk. I fueled that horrible horrible film more maybe another or more like it to be made. I cant sympathize with anyone on this film, if you liked it, there must be something wrong with you, or you must know nothing about film making. Usb stick, saying hulk smash, what the hell was all that, coming from the guy who was in Fightclub.
Jul 10th, 2008
Jay
I’m a Marvel studio exec…a crafty s.o.b.
I will put HULK on hold for now…wait and see how anxious fans react and with the upcomming movies already lined up, I will review their box office receipts and if they are all successful as Iron Man then I will chip away some profits from those movies and save it to budget the 3rd HULK movie.
Jul 10th, 2008
Willie
Dude Bruce, are you crazy man? Who would’ve thought a swing kid(Christian Bale) could’ve played batman.. please don’t bomb it dude when it’s not a good bomb. Did you understand the movie even?
Jul 10th, 2008
Dan
They did great job on Hulk, time to FIX SPIDERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul 10th, 2008
Bruce
Wallie, arnt we talking about the hulk. And there was nothing to understand, the film was pure baby food.
Jul 10th, 2008
Raddy
why would they go through the trouble of having robert downey jr in the incredible hulk if the hulk wasnt going to be in the avengers
Jul 10th, 2008
John
Hey Raddy,
Intention is only good until practicality comes into play. It’s all well and good to INTEND to have Hulk in Avengers… but after the movie comes out and does or doesn’t perform well. At that point, intentions can go flying out the window.
Look at Eargon (the Dragon movie). They clearly intended to do a sequel… but that ain’t happening.
Jul 10th, 2008
Sahil
If YOU were an exec over at Marvel, would you look at continuing The Hulk character at this point, or would you move in another direction? Why?
If I was a exec at Marvel I would completly forget about doing anything with The Hulk.
I would not want to sign off on spending $150-200M and then barely breaking even or making a little money.
I would rather spend $200-$250M making Iron Man 2 and then get back $200-250M profit.
IronMan was a lot of fun and had a great cast and it only cost about $140-180M to make. If they had a bigger budget they could have put in so more action scenes that were needed in the first.
Jul 10th, 2008
Johnson
Well heres hoping the rumoured EXT cut dvd sells like hot cakes and makes back the rest of the money for Hulk because i’d love to see another Hulk film but if we do get another one i doubt it’ll be till after The Avengers movie which i i really think Hulk should be apart off either as a allie or a major threat.
Having him appear along side or up against other heroes may help increase the popularity and demand for more Hulk action. C’mon who doesn’t wanna see a smackdown between The Mighty Thor and The Incredible Hulk!
Jul 11th, 2008
Mehow
“The vast majority of film fans seem to have hated that Hulk film (I liked it…”
Hey, nice to hear i’m not the only one who liked the first hulk :-)
I think it was much better than Norton’s version.
Don’t kill me now but i think it would be even better if there was no Hulk in Lee’s movie ;). It was good enough just presenting character’s psycho-problems and his inner fight ;)
But that’s just me…
Jul 11th, 2008
NM
I hope ticket sale don’t influence the prospect of The Hulk not being in The Avengers. This movie was awesome and maybe people should go a see it a second time for the effects. It is OK to disagree with movie buffs and think for yourself you know. Unlike Hulk, Iron Man never had a previous movie to compare with (I think). Anyhow, Iron Man had a crappy final fight scene.
Jul 11th, 2008
Ransom
As much as I loved Iron Man, it DID have a shitty final fight scene. They could have done that one better.
As far as The Incredible Hulk goes, I don’t think we’ll see a sequel before the Avengers movie comes out, but I guarantee that the Hulk will be in the Avengers movie. Marvel Studios is going to make so much goddamn money with Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America that they can afford to have the Hulk in the Avengers. It’s GOING to happen, especially the way they set it up.
From what I’ve seen so far, Marvel is more concerned with giving the fans what they want and making the best movies possible than other studios have been and that’s what separates them from the pack. Can you imagine the fan backlash that would occur if the Hulk was not in the Avengers? It would be a mistake that don’t think Marvel Studios is dumb enough to make.
Jul 11th, 2008
finaljoe
THE INCREDIBLE HULK costed at least $200 million to produce and market. That means it has to make at least $400 million to break even — and it doesn’t look like it’s going to do that!
Jul 11th, 2008
Balcony Fool
The solution here seems obvious. The Hulk character clearly has a large-but limited-audience. How do you make money off that audience?
MAKE THE MOVIE CHEAPER.
Those who like the Hulk will go see it as long as the budget is reasonable. There is absolutely no reason a movie like The Incredible Hulk has to cost $150-$200 million.
Yes, it’s a CGI-heavy movie, but they could script appropriately, spend less, and even with an inferior product they will still lasso the fans, who will be more than happy to get online and bitch about how bad the effects were. :)
Jul 11th, 2008
Gfunk
The fact that Marvel already announced there movie plans up to the Avengers and a Hulk 2 was not one of them, should debunk your argument for no Hulk in Avengers right there. So I would have to think that they initially had no plans to make another hulk right away and maybe expected this result, given the past movie etc. So I have to disagree wholeheartedly that they would suddenly remove Hulk from Avengers because although it got generally good critical review, it didn’t blow up the box office.
So they will make back there money, but needed this movie to help set up the avengers. Also considering that the draw to avengers is not just Hulk fans. Will those Iron Man fans… Thor… Captain America be like, well I’m a huge Ironman fan but Hulks in it so Im not going to see it…hell no. Lets not dance around it, Avengers will make huge coin and can handle any added expense Hulk would add to make the story Marvel wants to tell. (Which my theory based on the end of TIH is them getting together to find the Hulk.)
Also, big stretch, John, trying to compare Eragon to Hulk no? A critically reviewed horrible movie to a pretty good movie just to start…
But anyway keep up the good work John, enjoy this site and podcast a ton ;)
Jul 11th, 2008
finaljoe
Well as it stands Eragon has made more money than HULK and it also cost $50 million less to make.
Jul 11th, 2008
scotty b
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)im prob gonna get reemed for sayin this, but…i DONT THINK the technology of CGI is good enough at this stage to really suppend disbelief that im watching a 1500 lbs green humaniod in a modern setting! i LOVED the new script, i loved the cast, i loved the directing, BUT couldnt help but think a was just watching a really good video game every time hulk was on screen! AND, really, THOR will be in the avengers movie…THIS incarnation of the hulk is SIGNIFICANTLY leaker than in the ang lee version..THOR will be comparatively a POWERHOUSE to this hulk! spiderman could leap the distances/heights that this hulk was depicted at leaping…
that said, HE SHOULD be in the avengers movie…it wouldnt be complete without him. he’s intricately tied to the avengers history…marvel should start NOW on testing some new CGI techniques, limit his screen time to maximize budget and get the bang for theyre buck in terms of really believing ur seein the hulk for real!
Jul 11th, 2008
Gfunk
How about this example, which is probably more relevant then using a stinker like Eragon to compare:
Hellboy made a gross of 59M domestic, 99M total (66m cost) in its full run, Incredible Hulk is at 124M domestic and 210M total (150m cost) after only 4 weeks. Yet today there is a Hellboy 2 releasing…
Jul 11th, 2008
John
Hey GFunk
Your comparison doesn’t work because it’s about risk. There is a WORLD of difference between a studio risking a $66 million investment vs. a studio risking a $200 million dollar investment.
The Eragon example is perfect for the argument (ie. just because a movie INTENDS at first to do a sequel and leave open ends… doesn’t mean they’ll do it)
Jul 11th, 2008
Djo
The Next Hulk should be called: “The Rampaging Hulk”.
It should be a Monster Movie.
They should NOT use CGI for a SINGLE close-up shot, but it will still be more than acceptable for wide-shot action, anything mechanical (as opposed to organic) and slow moving full body shots.
The sequence w/ the Sound-Blaster, for example, looked EXCELLENT. As did the first sequence of the Street fight, and the last Grappling scene, against the brick wall.
What these all have in common was utilizing CGI to render giant moving masses with texture. And in each shot, he was moving more or less SLOWLY.
One he started bounding around and even punching Blonskination into the pavement, Rhythm & Hues COMPLETELY lost their bearing on physics and yes, it looked like a ridiculously hi-res video game.
I design toys w/ a former Animatronics artist, who was put out of work by CGI. Having just watched a ‘making of’ for the movie Labyrinth, I can’t help but think of the droves of talented Animatronics puppeteers & engineers who were put out of business by what is clearly Sub-Par FX technology.
Until all FX artists are classically trained in artistic anatomy & physics, guys who’ve made a living SCULPTING clay will ALWAYS make more believable, enjoyable characters.
WETA was the only company that could have pulled off a giant monster (Kong) and not only manage to make it realistically blend in w/ atmospherics, but give it personality.
Their secret: They Still Employ Animatronics Artists & Puppeteers. So many LOTR shots were a mix of camera tricks, animatronics, and Clever CGI. What’s there to say- Cinema Magic! Just one new trick in the hat.
Andy Serkis, in his own right, is like a well-trained master puppeteer.
The Tech has changed, but the Craft hasn’t.
The day after I saw the Incredible Hulk, I found myself drafting a Sequel script - b/c that’s clearly going to be essential . I’m still finishing it (doing production design for my own play now, a little busy), but here are the basics:
-Insert Rick Jones. (so he’s not a part of the origin anymore. But it’s not like it’s too little be too late: he’s CRUCIAL.)
Have Bruce Banner save his life somehow, turning into Hulk in the process, and he’ll be his best friend. *The Hulk MONSTER & the Banner milksop NEED NEED NEED an ordinary human w/ charm, to make the whole package appealing. Jim Wilson? Maybe, but Rick ties into Cap in a way, too.)
-Give the Leader the McFarlane Big Brain. The other design was passable when Gil Kane drew it, but by the 70’s it just looked ridiculous.
-Have Gamma-Samson try to cure Bruce, and mess things up, like he always does. Then have them fight, like they always do.
-* Throw MORe of that Comic-Booky gadgetry at the Hulk! We need to see those Giant Mechanical Pliers, those ridiculous restraints (before he turned Gray), etc. The LEADER’s stuff should be even MORE ridiculous, and of course, he will try to raid the Hulk base, to create more Hulks.
- Gray Hulk. Take the risk - it sure worked for marketing the comics, granting him the ability to speak AND giving him that very nasty attitude. Not to mention I’d love to see the dapper suit as a Vegas strongman in the end. Oops… didn’t mean to give that away.
- Third time’s the charm. Get a new Betty Ross. Someone Norton (or someone approaching his caliber) would want to act against. Somewhat w/ a little more attitude to match her beauty. If Norton’s not on board, there’s no WAY you can keep Liv in the cast.
- A sample arc:
Desert / Bomb site / Leader, Bruce drawn to see test / Rick Jones / Bruce Hulks out to save him.
Samson works w/ Shield to head capture & cure Hulk project. Succeeds in separating them. SHIELD intervenes, wants Hulk killed. Samson goes awol, rescues Hulk, who then goes on a rampage.
Leader raids Gamma Base, gets Gamma Bombs. Has army of Gamma Beasts at his beckon call.
Betty reunites w/ Bruce, now Hulk-free. Wedding. Banner starts to disintegrate, Hulk as well. Bring in Iron Man, Cap or Fury or someone (for Star Power) to try to re-integrate Hulk/Banner by using the Vision (don’t need ALL the Avengers for this), so they can use Banner/Hulk to track down Leader.
In doing so, Ross tries to intervene & kill Hulk, & Rick tries to stop him, ending up in Gamma Bath where Hulk/Banner are re-integrating.
Leader is now taken over some city, threatening to “Hulkify” them all, w/ his Bomb.
You have the GRAY HULK, and the RICK HULK. And they both take Leader to TOWN.
The final Act will be Gray Hulk against Leader, Rick will somehow be taken down, cured by Clay Quartermain of Shield?
I dunno.
To any longtime Hulk reader, this is an OBVIOUS combination of JOHN BYRNE’S run on Hulk; the GRAY Hulk rebirth by Al Milgrom (who deserves props for longevity) ; and Peter David’s “Ground Zero”.
Marvel Exec who posted above?
Do the smart thing. Use the best ya got. (as in, best sellers throughout Hulk history).
Weave us a nice yarn outta those threads, and then take us all the way to Vegas.
The Crowds will come, so long as you don’t rely completely on CGI, and give us some nice implied Hulk shots for the first 3/4 of the film (like that first, awesome sequence in Brazil).
Please: NO direct 2:00 pm Sunlight shots of a CG-Hulk!
That’s just basic goddamned Photography, folks.
Jul 11th, 2008
Hulk Hulkhulkhulk
The idea that marvel is going with, i.e. creating a massive expansive universe, almost begs for the inclusion of the Hulk in cinema. With a foreshadowing ending like the one we saw in the new Hulk, it seems likely that he will be included and from a story point, the Hulk has always brought a little bit of tension into the Avengers and can be used in just that way for the movie. Furthermore, while the avengers will rake in all sorts of money the idea of making the Hulk more accessible by having him in more movies would probably lend itself to seeing more Hulk merchandise sold (including the Hulk dvd)…. it’s just a smart move to put him in the avenger
Jul 12th, 2008
Chris
This piece is incredibly misinformed. To compare the total box office takings of The Incredible Hulk (2008), which has been on release just 29 days, with those of Hulk (2003) which was in release for 119 days is incredibly misleading.
As of July 11th The Incredible Hulk has an estimated domestic gross of $128,244,000 and a worldwide gross of $223,381,257 compared to Hulk’s $132,177,234 domestic and $245,360,480 worldwide grosses. It is obvious that the Letterier’s film is going to far out-perform Ang Lee’s effort, particularly given that the film has yet to even be released in the majority of European and Asian territories.
As such, I would argue that the likelihood of the Hulk appearing in The Avengers is without question — SPOILER — particularly given the final scene set-up with Tony Stark and General Ross. — END SPOILER — Though a sequel to the Incredible Hulk is not on Marvel Studio’s current slate, I would not be at all surprised if we saw another in the future, given the success that the film is enjoying.
Jul 13th, 2008
Jamie
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so) I think it would be a bad idea, after time the hulk has got bigger and strong, so have the villains. The directers have to otherwise people are going to call it shit but in this one he’s massive so in the next one he’ll be bigger than the CN tower gaining the power turn invisible or something… and then people will call it shit anyway.
Jul 16th, 2008
Jamie
I think it would be a bad idea, after time the hulk has got bigger and strong, so have the villains. The directers have to otherwise people are going to call it shit but in this one he’s massive so in the next one he’ll be bigger than the CN tower gaining the power turn invisible or something… and then people will call it shit anyway.
Jul 16th, 2008
Digifan
IMO the movie’s ending is a dead give away of a sequel in the works. I think it will be a cross over movie project between two movies. This will be the first attempt at this level of big budget movie projects.
As for the the Incredible Hulk movie, he is suppose to be seven foot tall with a thousand pound of pure unstoppable power. We know he is bullet proof and his abilities grow exponentially when he get madder and angrier. This relaunch of the franchise is a good start. Rather or not it will have the staying power of other superhero franchises such as the Spider-Man movies remain to be seen.
Jul 16th, 2008
Lance Zechinato
I liked Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk movie better. In fact, I just bought the widescreen version of that movie online (used), to make sure my recollection was accurate. Sure enough. My daughter agreed. She and I went to see the new one a few weeks ago, then we watched the 2003 version. The 2003 version had better acting, better special effects, the Hulk physically jumped to travel around (like in the comics), and the body movements of the 2003 Hulk just “felt” more realistic.
I think it was Marvel that put a lot of effort into the comparison, putting the word our there that this one was better. It isn’t better. It’s a good movie, but it’s not better.
Jul 18th, 2008
john barrett
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)
Yes…there should be another Hulk movie; but make a Hulk movie that works. Let’s not cater to the six year old brain where a simple
story attempts to define the conflict between man and his fate-where
it comes down to a big fight between good and evil.
Let’s get some better writers on the subject of Hulk. The original Marvel comic books were more interesting than what I’ve seen in 2 Hulk movies. Where are the good writers of creative depth hiding?
With today’s high-end industry regarding special effects, the Hulk theme shough equal to as a gripping story.
Let’s make true Hulk fans happy.
-jb
Jul 19th, 2008
sanjoy alexander
Could somebody shed some light on why the Hulk movies are not that popular compared to the other superhero flicks?
Jul 22nd, 2008
angelo
yes they should make another one they did alot better at making this new movie. they should keep it going now.
Jul 26th, 2008
angelo
yes there should be another hulk movie because they just did a whole lot better on the new one and they should just go for it and make the next one.
Jul 26th, 2008
Jack
Personally and like many others, I was very disappointed in the Ang Lee film. Quite frankly, I think that guy should never work again; I hate his work, especially on The Hulk. I still watched the film at the movies and bought the DVD and I still enjoy watching the movie but the comic book transitions and the sucky theme music make me mad every time I watch it. I find no fault whatsoever with the acting in that film (I thought Eric Bana did an outstanding job) and the Hulk scenes were great. I didn’t mind the dogs either but that silly crap with his dad at the end of the film was horrible. They should have gone from the San Francisco scene to a breakout and then to Banner in hiding and written out the Nick Nolte crap at the end. Nick Nolte’s rant was good, reminded me of the old Nick before all the drug crap in his personal life. Anyway, no doubt about it, Ang Lee screwed the franchise.
I watched the latest incarnation and I’m impressed. My whole family enjoyed it but I was afraid from the start that it would suffer in performance due to Ang Lee and his horrible directing on the first one. I wish they’d been able to keep the same acting crew and just picked up where they left off with a new director but the restart, once I figured out what was going on, worked okay; it matches the original comics and TV series of the story better than Ang Lee’s version anyway. Did I mention that Ang Lee sucks? Go back to Taiwan dude and stay there! I know, Crouching Tiger, everyone loved it. I watched it and it was crap too. I hate when a movie gets over-hyped.
Anyway, being in business, I understand why they may not make another Hulk but man I hope they do. I enjoyed the cast in the Ang Lee version but I have no problem with the new cast either. Edward Norton is good and so is William Hurt. I think the next one, if they decide to do one, will do quite well; assuming they can keep the same cast and they do a better job of marketing it. I also expect The Incredible Hulk will do very well on DVD and that too will help if they decide to do a sequel; heck, at this point, its DVD performance may be the deciding factor.
Jul 29th, 2008
Abdul khaliq
It was about the hulk movies how to
Jul 30th, 2008
Shane
Ok. Ok. Here is the stone cold fuck fact: Ang Lee’s version was not a terrible film(keep reading, damn it!). It was an overly drawn-out representation of Bruce’s inner daddy issues, and that conflicted with the representation of the Hulk character. Plain. Simple. I liked the film because it was an artsy look at a rough character, with some creativity. I did not like the film because of it’s sour faith to the actual source material.
This new Hulk on the other hand, is exactly it’s opposite. It stayed pure and true to the character(except for the whole chair-over-bomb thing), the story was quick, and never settled long enough for boredom to set in, the action was entertaining and appropriate. It may not be the deepest thing you’ll see this year, but this is it. This is Hulk perfection. It cannot get any better at all. If you are looking for a different Hulk, you are looking for a different movie(character).
Now, I am an executive. I have just made a shit load of money from a unpopular character idea called “Iron Man.” I have recently made a nominal amount of money from a VERY popular character called “The Incredible Hulk.” There is definitely more to be done on both fronts, I have promised to expand on both fronts, and I have a full slate ahead of me already. Logic dictates that I go on with my proposed schedule, and wait for my recent projects to scrape every last drop of cash possible before revisiting them. Now, I know for a fact that this studio was founded on pure representations, and to please the fan base as well as everyone else, I would obviously continue with Iron Man, simply because it was popular, and made a lot of money. My other concern(Hulk), has had a crippling injury, causing it to produce fewer millions of dollars. But, I would make the decision and risk breaking even on one of my most popular characters, if not to buy another solid gold piece of furniture, but to see if it were possible to clean this wound, fix the limp, and see how far we can bring this thing without it. I know that this studio started out L-O-A-D-E-D, but with a very strict budget. That’s fine. We’re not going to get a winner every fucking time. Simple fact. But one of our most popular characters deserves a chance to see how far it can go without hinderance.
In human speak, I would see how my other projects worked out first. If I made money, and put a few years distance between myself and the dealbreaker, I would definitely take a stab at a sequel. If, of course, everything went smoothly: All previous actors/director agreed, nothing drastically compromises budget, and positive pre-reviews. This is a gaurantee right now. Hulk WILL show up in “The Avengers” one way, or another.
I will say this:
2003 HULK= 5.5/10
2008 The Incredible Hulk= 7.5/10
The 2 films are too closely matched financially to make a fuss over, and we recieved a more positive review from the newer one. Onward. Goodnight, goodmorning, whateverthefuck, It’s 4:30 in the morning here.
Aug 3rd, 2008
shadopup
I finally saw incredible hulk (it was only playing at one theatre now). Never saw the Ang Lee version.
I have to admit I liked this movie. There were amusing bits of humor and the action was great. It was fast paced and the acting was good enough to make me believe in all the characters’ relationships even though the movie itself doesn’t spend a lot of time on character development. I liked Iron Man quite a bit but can honestly say I enjoyed the Hulk more. It delivered good action with a simple cohesive story, a bit of humor and characters I cared about. A good summer popcorn flick.
The one flaw though is in the ending just leaving Abomination alive…I wouldn’t necessarily have Hulk kill him but what would’ve made more sense is that after choking him with the chain and hearing Betty say stop, he does for a moment but then continues to pound Abomination into the ground thus putting doubt into our minds that the Hulk has a mind and making us think that the Hulk has gone over the deep end and is a mindless killing machine. As Hulk furiously punches away, he suddenly stops and we see the Abomination unconscious but now having transformed back to human form. At least this way makes more sense ’cause then the army tranqs him so that he can’t turn back into Abomination.
Although to be quite honest Betty should not have said stop in the first place…I mean really Abomination is a worse threat than Hulk and it’s not like she said anything when Hulk was killing those army men earlier in the movie whom quite frankly didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving against the Hulk whereas the Abomination has all the tools to kill the Hulk.
As for another Hulk movie? They certainly set it up for one but I think they should wait until after the Avengers movie before revisiting the Hulk, although that may be quite a long time to wait.
Aug 3rd, 2008
melvin
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so) yes their should be another hulk movie ,this hulk was great , just make sure their even more action!the second hulk had some intense action scenei thought this movie was better than iron man at the at of the fight scene in iron man , it fell short!but the hulk was great ,hope to see even more intense action scene in the third hulk! buildup the action even more add a lot moreintense action in the third hulk, love the second hulk
Aug 16th, 2008
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