Hellmouth Podcast

Archive for the ‘Joss Whedon’ Category

I wrote about this last week but there have been new developments that I though appropriate to share with all of you. Variety is now reporting the Joss Whedon is in final negotiations to direct The Avengers. Not only will Whedon direct the film is going to re-write the script as well. It is not official, and by I mean “not official” I mean that IMDB is not listing Joss Whedon as the Director, yet. For me IMDB is the Oracle of the TV and Film industry when it comes to that type of information. However, while Variety may run the ‘final negotiations’ story because they know it will sell papers, they typically don’t run rampant with unsubstantiated gossip.

Some other names that are reportedly a part of the project are Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Edward Norton (Bruce Banner), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and  (Captain America). As you can see, there is not a long list of names attached to this project but let’s take a moment to look at who is involved.

Robert Downey Jr. – I love, love, love Robert Downey Jr., there is no better Tony Stark/Iron Man than him in my book. I have been a RDJ fan for a long time. If you haven’t seen Chaplin or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang then you should definitely check those films out. He is a very versatile actor and a cool cat. Most recently, I saw RDJ in Sherlock Holmes, while I didn’t particularly enjoy the film overall, I did enjoy Downey’s performance.

Edward Norton – I much preferred Edward Norton’s take on Bruce Banner as opposed to Eric Bana. Compound that with the fact that Norton is a huge comic fan and has a passion for the stories, I look forward to seeing him reprise his role. Don’t forget at the end of the Incredible Hulk movie starring Norton, Tony Stark shows up to talk to him about joining The Avenger project.

Samuel L. Jackson – ‘Nuff Said

Chris Evans – This is the only casting so far that I have an issue with. If you didn’t already know, Chris Evans has already been featured in a Marvel film playing Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four series. I liked Evans in the Fantastic Four films but I am a little concerned about the ability to really accept him on-screen as Captain America when we have already associated him with the Fantastic Four. Captain America is the keystone of The Avengers and this role is going to make or break the film overall, I worry that this is a big gamble. Evans is a fine actor and he may be able to pull it off so I am reserving final judgment for the time being.

The Avengers is scheduled for release in May of 2012 and I have already made my opinions known about how this impacts Joss Whedon’s schedule between now and then. With a release date of May 2012 I would imagine the target would be to have principal photography done near the end of 2011 so that they have some preliminary footage to start promoting the film during the Christmas 2011 film season. That means that shooting begins early 2011. Now factor in the fact the Joss is going to re-write the script and we may see that this project starts in the next couple of months and continues until the film is released.

Again, I am not upset that Joss has landed this gig, I think it will be a fantastic film and I am really excited to see Joss’ take on The Avengers. Selfishly, it would not have been my first choice for his next project after Dollhouse for reasons I have expressed in my first post regarding Whedon directing The Avengers.

Does the fact that Joss Whedon is going to direct the film change your opinion on whether or not you are making plans to see The Avengers?

It has been confirmed that Joss Whedon is on the short list to direct the Avengers movie that Marvel Entertainment has been positioning themselves for, for the last 4 years. Joss has been working with Marvel recently writing for the X-Men series and having great success, in some way revitalizing that title for a large number of fans.

It makes sense that Joss would be considered. He brings a built in fanbase/audience to the film from both the Whedonverse and comic world, even though Marvel Entertainment doesn’t seem to have a problem filling theater seats. However, there is a large part of the Whedonverse that might go see the Avengers movie directed by Joss that might have otherwise skipped it.

Joss would be a great addition to the film, he has proven time and again that he is the cream of the crop when it comes to directing hero-based action stories. I would love to see him working with actors like Robert Downey Jr., Ed Norton, Don Cheadle and some of the others who are rumored to be on board for the film. I think that would make for some really fantastic interactions. Joss would also be able to add a point of view or a vision for the film that is unique and I believe will flourish in the comic movie genre. He has an eye for putting the audience in the story as opposed to simply observing the story. This has box office gold written all over it.

So here is the downside, I wrote previously about why I wanted Joss to steer away from the feature film market but I will recap quickly why I don’t like that idea. If Joss signs on for the Avengers then we lose Joss for approximately 12-18 months. At the end of that 18 months we lose him for 2 more months for promoting the film. We get a 150 minute film that completely rocks but that is really the equivalent of 4 television episodes. So what would you prefer, the equivalent of 4 tv episodes in almost 2 years? Or Joss holds out signs a new TV series deal and we perhaps get 30+ hours of Whedony goodness delivered on a weekly basis? I also think that Joss’ style of storytelling lends it self better to a weekly series than a one shot film. Top that off with the fact that Joss will probably not write the Avengers script he will only direct so we won’t get the dialogue, humor, etc that we expect from a Joss Whedon project. Marvel Entertainment has a lot of respect for Joss handing over the reigns of arguable their two largest titles, The Avengers and the X-Men, but I guarantee the suits will be all over the set making suggestions and putting their fingerprint on the project. Especially now that Disney has bought Marvel Entertainment.

I have two boys, so the Disney company and I have a close relationship and while I think they do a good job with their films, Disney is a movie manufacturer. They have a formula that they think works and they stick to it. I worry that Disney will not appreciate, understand or tolerate Joss deviating from the formula too much and this has the potential to be a huge source of frustration for Joss.

On the plus side, how fantastic would it be to see some of the Whedon Alumni popping up in The Avengers movie? Nathan Fillion as Captain America, I’d pay to see that. Eliza Dushky as the Black Widow, Amy Acker as the Scarlet Witch, James Marsters as Hawkeye the possibilities are endless. As a comic fan I am geeking out just thinking about it.

So if you had to choose between Dr. Horrible 2 – Feature Film, New Joss Whedon TV Series, or Joss Whedon’s The Avengers what do you choose? What Whedon Alumni would you want to see cast in the film?

Let me preface this post by saying that I think this news is being severely over-hyped. Obviously, this could come back to bite me, no pun intended should this story play out to be true.

I am informing all of you about the latest rumors buzzing about the internet because I know many of you, like me, are clamoring to find out the who, what, when and where of Joss Whedon‘s next project.

Read the rest of this entry »

In case you haven’t heard, news has surfaced about Joss Whedon‘s current project. Joss will be working with Morgan Spurlock who is most notably remembered for his documentary titled Supersize Me.

The two of them will be working together to create a documentary about comic-con. They will be selecting a small group of uber-fans and chronicling their preparation and attendance of comic-con the largest conference centered around comics and comic oriented film and television.

Whedon is no stranger to comic-con, he and his projects are often focal points of comic-con each year. His TV series have lead him to be a featured guest along with cast members holding audience panels, meet and greets and Q&As.

I myself have never had the opportunity to attend comic-con but all accounts are that it is a fantastic fan experience. I don’t doubt that Joss’ film will capture all of the enthusiasm, fanaticism and excitement that go into this conference. I for one can’t wait.

Michelle Trachtenberg is making a little noise in internet news today. In a recent interview Trachtenberg was asked about whether or not she would sign on for a new Buffy movie. Trachtenberg said,”there was a Buffy movie, that’s what started it all. We had an amazing seven-year run, and at the end Buffy, the universe ended. There’s not really anywhere to go.”

While many fans are clamoring for some form of on-screen revival of the Buffy series and cast, there are a lot of obstacles and questions that would have to be answered before a project like that would have any viability.

Here are a few things to think about…

Would you want a Buffy movie if the TV cast was not involved?

Should the movie be a continuation of the series or independent?

Would you see a Buffy movie if Joss Whedon was not involved in the project?

Let me know what you think hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com

Neil Patrick Harris

For those of you who did not tune in to American Idol last night to watch Neil Patrick Harris in his guest judge roll, shame on you. Harris did a fantastic job guest hosting on the show and achieved what some would consider the impossible, stealing the show from Simon Cowell.

From the onset, Neil Patrick Harris was witty, honest (sometimes painfully so) and entertaining. Before the day was over, Harris was calling for votes and asking Simon what he thought of the Idol hope-fulls. He was a breath of fresh air for a series that in it’s 9th season can seem stagnant at times and with Cowell already stating that he will leave the show when his contract is up, Idol should be hoping and praying that How I Met Your Mother tanks and Harris becomes available to take Cowell’s spot.

Don’t panic people, the odds of How I Met Your Mother tanking are slim to none and I like most of you would prefer Harris spend his time in ventures outside of American Idol.

Bring on Glee!

Felicia Day

Felicia Day will be in a Vanity Fair article titled “America’s Tweethearts” discussing her and other prominent women with a substantial twitter following. I myself am a follower of Felicia and find her tweets-a-treat every day.

Charisma Carpenter

For those of you in the Dallas area, you will be happy to know that the beautiful Charisma Carpenter will be appearing at the Dallas Comic Con this year so get your tickets, your tents, and your digital cameras and go ahead and get in line outside the venue.

For those of you like me who didn’t instantly know why the Pro-Golfers Association would be giving Joss Whedon an award… in this instance PGA is the Producers Guild of America.

Congratulations to Joss for what I am sure is a great honor. He is definitely deserving and it is nice to see his genius being recognized.

I believe that this presentation might be part of the Screen Actors Guild awards so one more reason to tune in.