Marvel just announced a June 4th 2010 release date for Thor (six weeks after Iron Man 2), but Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) is no longer is attached to direct the live action adaptation because his holding deal expired December. Back in October Vaughn told the Guardian that Marvel loved the latest draft of the script, which he was working on with Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend).
“The only problem is that it has been costed at $300m and they ask how I am going to reduce it by $150m. I think I prefer being asked what it’s like working with De Niro.”
Vaughn was also previously attached to direct X-Men 3 but left the project at the last minute due to pressures. Marvel is now waiting on a script polish from screenwriter Mark Protosevich before they find a new director. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige describes Thor as a period fantasy in the vein of The Lord of the Rings series.
“It’s very much a Marvel superhero story but against the backdrop of nothing you’ve seen before.”
A $150-$300 million period fantasy comic book adaptation? Sounds like Marvel’s first disaster of epic-proportions. Count me in.
source: THR
May 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Thor is going to be hilarious on film.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I liked the Thor from the Incredible Hulk TV Movie! Man he could drink!
May 8th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Thor in a period fantasy? But how does that work with his human alter ego, Donald Blake? He’s supposed to be a medical student/surgeon who discovers he’s the Thunder God, right? Are they doing away with the back story then? I’m just wondering how that works since he’s supposed to be in the same world as the Incredible Hulk and with the rest of the Avengers until the void at least….I guess more details are needed.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Drunk Thor could team up with drunk Iron Man.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Peter- Question: If someone comes onto a project and then leaves like Vaughn did on X3 and Thor do they still get compensated for the work that they did do?
May 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
@Chimaera:
There is no Donald Blake (at least not in the draft I read, dated 4/4/07). The whole thing is like a Norse god family fued, set in Asgard and Midgard during the time of Vikings instead of the modern. It’s interesting and epic, but basically nothing like the Marvel character, which made me wonder why they were bothering, or how they’ll incorporate him into the Avengers . Trying to catch a LOTR type of audience, I guess.
(I kinda like the Ultimate comic version, myself)
May 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Maybe they will just pull a real life Dethklok and film a $500 million turd and establish the most epic fail ever.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Sue: Well Vaughn didn’t leave Thor, Thor left him. His holding deal expired, so for that he gets paid whatever is owed to him by his contract. Some movies like Tim Burton’s Superman movie that never happened not only pay the director (and star Nicolas Cage) for the development of the film, but also pays them the huge amount of money they would have made for directing/acting in the project, even if the film never actually happens. I’m not sure what exactly happened with Vaughn on X-Men 3, but I assume he got paid for his time in development, and nothing more.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
This sounds like starting Captain America in WW2 and then having him frozen, but I like the idea of grounding Thor in his “native” period first and then bringing him into the modern era. Some of these characters work best in different periods, at least to establish them.
Heck, I still think Fantastic Four would’ve been much better if it had gone for a ’60s period.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I agree with some of the folks here. Thor as a periodic fantasy? Can’t work. Thor has to be part of this world if we are to include magic in the Marvel universe; besides, he was put on earth and bonded ( or mystically linked ) to Donald Blake to learn humility by Odin (via the manipulating ways of his brother Loki) We need him in this universe and this era.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
thor as a period fantasy ala LOTR + the greek mythology element is EXACTLY what this story calls for!!! it will be a fresh take on the superhero film - which has become formulaic imo. not to mention it is what thor’s story calls for. i dont even care for thor, but if they do this story this way it will be a much needed injection of ‘NEW’ that these movies need, i’ll and be there to see it. bummer about vaugn, hopefully he can get back onboard, because i believe he was passionate about telling this tale.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
That’s sort of the question — anyone can make a Thor movie, since nobody “owns” the mythology. So if Marvel isn’t going to make a movie about Marvel’s comic version of Thor and the mythology, why are they bothering?
May 8th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I personally think the way to go about it would be to handle it in the way Mark Millar did in the Ultimates where he says he’s a God but everyone just believes him to be crazy.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
@ oc
well said. this is the comic book flick i’m looking forward to most after tdk, though vaughn’s exit is a bummer.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Whatever happens, just make sure Josh Holloway plays Thor. It would be cool to do the whole LOTR in the first film and then have the hammer be found in the future for the sequel. DC needs to stop dragging their feet and get some movies made. Marvel is box office crazy.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I have the Thor script.. its actually very good.
E-mail me for it?
May 9th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I say good, very good. Layer Cake was like Diet Snatch (mwahaha, not even going to do anything with that one) and Stardust was surprisingly horrible and I loved the book. I have zero faith in matthew vaughn to make a decent flick, so this is very good news to me since I love thor
May 9th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Can’t we just get Vincent D’Onofrio to reprise his role?
May 10th, 2008 at 4:24 am
they really need to include donald blake.
if marvel’s past success has taught them anything its that human alter egos are what provides the majority of tthe actual story in their films and the guys in costumes are around for the action scenes, not the drama.
i just don’t wan’t thor to be an action movie that comes out feeling like a video game movie, it needs to rival iron man to be respected and i think that donald blake is an integral part of that formula…so the period movie angle is disheartening.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:27 am
sad to see vaughn go though. i wan’t too struck on layer cake, but stardust was enjoyable.