Edward Norton And Marvel Studios Reportedly Arguing Over The Incredible Hulk

"I've got the touch."

Over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, Nikki Finke is reporting that actor Edward Norton and Marvel Studios are in an escalating tizzy over editing and final cut on The Incredible Hulk. Oh boy, this is not good. Norton, who pretty much received the right to rework Zak Penn's script however he wanted, is known for having strong feelings about the end product. His arguments with director Tony Kaye over American History X (Norton won) are the stuff of legend.

Finke reports that Norton and Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel are currently "holed up" alongside director Louis Leterrier (who is oddly mentioned in the news item like a third wheel) in hopes of reaching an amicable decision. It's not clear what the arguments are over and it seems that, like fanboys, even the insiders have little idea how the $150 million flick is shaping up.

Another unnamed source seems to throw some water on the flame, saying...

"There is a very healthy exchange of ideas going on. Discussions now are even more heated. But some of Ed's best movies have had this exact dynamic to them. Everyone's in the process of figuring it out and working it out. But I expect it'll all get resolved pretty quickly."

With The Incredible Hulk's teaser trailer, yes only a teaser, appearing tomorrow night on MTV, it's at once worrisome and kinda sweet how cloaked this project is from the public eye. Opening on June 13th, its secrecy has almost seemed like a Sun Tzu marketing strategy when compared to The Dark Knight and Iron Man; but while a secretive approach might work for a never-before-seen character that's eagerly anticipated, we've seen Ang Lee's Hulk already. Either Leterrier's Hulk is going to blow us away tomorrow or get a big "meh!" It's really that simple. And Norton is pretty sharp, so hopefully Marvel listens to him. As much as I pined for Liv Tyler in that Aerosmith video, Norton is the only reason why I'm interested in the remake.

Discuss: Does Norton's disagreement with Marvel over final cut bother you? What are you expecting from the teaser tomorrow? Do you find it cool to know so little about the film this far in?