‘Thor’ To Begin Shooting Today; Townsend Out as Fandral
The comic book adaptation that could change the genre forever–’Thor’–begins shooting today. The Kenneth Branagh-directed film features an outstanding cast and a supposedly brilliant script.
In other ‘Thor’ news, actor Stuart Townsend is out as Fandral, according to the Associated Press. ‘Creative differences’ was cited by the AP. Townsend has had this happen previously, when he was supposed to play Arragorn in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. We’re guessing that mis-step still stings.
Joshua Dallas replaces Townsend. We know nothing about Dallas, other than he’s in an upcoming George Lucas film.
Rene Russo Joins ‘Thor’ Cast
Rene Russo has joined the cast of ‘Thor,’ according to Variety. The actress will play Thor’s mother, Frigga.
With Anthony Hopkins, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Russo (and others), we’re wondering: is this the best cast EVER for a comic book film?
Stan Lee to Appear in ‘Thor’
Well, no surprise here: Stan Lee will have a cameo in the upcoming ‘Thor’ film. On his Twitter page, Lee wrote:
Kenneth Branagh (of course I call him “Ken!”) said my cameo’s set for the upcoming Thor movie. –To him, it’s a cameo, to me– it’s a ROLE!
The question is, which film will Lee NOT be in? Any guesses on his ‘Thor’ role?
Kat Dennings Joins ‘Thor’ Cast
Never underestimate the power of a brilliant director that has the respect of the acting community. That’s definitely the lesson to take from the Kenneth Branagh-directed “Thor.”
I have to admit that when Marvel announced plans to bring ‘Thor’ to the big screen oh-so-long-ago, I was a little scared. Or apprehensive. Or both. Why? Because of all of the scheduled Marvel films, ‘Thor’ had the most downside. There was a cheese factor that could easily get incorporated into the film, and that wouldn’t be good for the movie–or comic book films as a whole.
But then Branagh was hired as Director, and all he’s done has bring in a star-studded, extremely talented cast. Anthony Hopkins, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, and more. Now Portman drops another casting decision on Splashpage:
“Well, I’m really excited…Kat Dennings is going to be in it with me and she’s a good friend and an amazing actress, so I’m looking forward to that.”
So are we. The potential of ‘Thor’ keeps getting larger and larger. With people throwing around words like ‘Shakespearean’, we’re about to move past this being just a movie and heading toward it being EPIC.
Should be fun to watch this unfold over the next year and a half.
Thor Cast Picks up Anthony Hopkins!
Adding more and more star-power to the Kenneth Branagh-directed Marvel film Thor, revered actor Anthony Hopkins has been cast in the role of Odin, Thor’s father and the leader of the Norse gods. This is certainly big news for the project, which had already landed a high-profile actress, Natalie Portman, for the role of Thor’s love interest, Jane Foster. Read more
Robert De Niro and Jude Law in ‘Thor?’
AICN reported some interesting news regarding the upcoming ‘Thor’ film. Seems as if actor Matthew Schweighofer (Valkyrie) told the German GQ magazine that he was up for a role in the film, to be directed by Kenneth Branagh. But that isn’t the big news.
According to the actor, Robert De Niro and Jude Law have both already been cast for the film. Interesting.
Anything to it? I’d have to think so. Branagh can pull out his rolodex and whip up a nice cast of A list actors anytime, and Schweighofer wouldn’t have a reason to make it up. The problem for Schweighofer, though, is that HE hasn’t been cast yet. And leaking this news might not improve his chances of getting hired.
Spider-Man 4 Gets an Official Release Date!
Well, the collective holding of breath is over! Variety magazine is reporting that the holy trinity of director Sam Raimi and stars Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are all on board to make Spider-Man 4 a reality, with a release date of May 6, 2011 being confirmed! Even better, the film will be released in both traditional theaters and Imax as well on the same day. Writer Gary Ross will take scriptwriting responsibilities, and expectations are high from fans given the mixed reception Spider-Man 3 received. Read more
Thor Movie Adds Natalie Portman to Cast!
Marvel continues to roll out the announcements on its Thor movie. Recently, rumors swirled around Jessica Biel being cast, which is still a possibility, but Marvel has confirmed that Natalie Portman, no stranger to comic book and science fiction movies with her work in V for Vendetta and the Star Wars prequels, will be playing the role of nurse Jane Foster, Thor’s first love in the comic book series.
While the character will be receiving what Marvel describes as an update for the character, this announcement may help to frame the plot of the film more and more, which will center on Thor being cast to Earth for his behavior, and ironically will have to defend it against the plans of Loki, played by Chris Hemsworth. Portman brings an impressive list of credentials to the film, not the least of which is an Academy Award nomination for her work in Closer.
Ant-Man Movie Still has Interest, at Least From Edgar Wright!
Edgar Wright has certainly made a name for himself by directing a fair share of films that appeal to certain genres, such as his work on Shaun of the Dead and the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which may help to explain his continued interest in working on a big screen adaptation of one of Marvel Comics’ earliest, and arguably more niche, comic book characters, Ant-Man. Read more
Jessica Biel in the “Thor” Movie?
More casting rumors from the upcoming 2011 Marvel film Thor. Apparently, twenty-seven year old actress Jessica Biel is rumored to be playing a lead role in this adaptation of the Norse god of thunder and founding Avenger. Based on reports, Biel would be playing a “love interest” for Thor, which leads to two very distinct but intriguing possibilities for the film. Read more
