Variety reports that Kenneth Branagh is in talks to helm a big-screen outing for the Mighty Thor, the next Marvel character the new Marvel Studios Plc is planning to adapt to film. Its an unusual choice of director for a major ‘tentpole’ summer movie, with Branagh being best known more for working on films based on literary classics, not least adaptations of work by his good friend Will Shakespeare. And as Variety points out he hasn’t directed a large, heavy-duty action scene since the (exceptionally well done) battle scenes in Henry V (I thought he and the cinematographer captured the right mix of action and muddy, bloody horror for the combat, especially the Agincourt scene). Variety comments that this is another flick Marvel will finance themselves rather than through licensing the rights to a third party studio, although I can’t help but note that the article goes on to say their movie credit finance is through Merrill Lynch – that venerable financial institution is one of many to recently hit the rocks and has only recently been the subject of an emergency buy-out by the US government, so does that in effect mean the US government will be supplying credit for a Marvel movie? That makes me smile, for some reason.
(cover art from the recently published Marvel Masterworks: the Mighty Thor Volume 7, art by the one and only Jack Kirby, (c) Marvel)
September 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Branagh will make it 4 hours too long.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Perhaps, but it will have a great soliloquy scene
September 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Nightmare. Where’s the guy that directed Night Watch?
September 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Branagh is a great director – his Hamlet is fantastic cinema – and his Frankenstein under-rated.
Action scenes are all very well – and I am sure he will do them fine – but it is the character stuff that makes a movie good or not.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:21 am
brian blessed for odin !!! all father of asgard!
September 30th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Scott, I normally think he is a good director too – he gets tarred with the luvvy brush a lot, but he does know what he’s doing, I think and you’re right, the character is the thing that makes it a good movie as opposed to simple flash-bang-wallop spectacle effects. Maybe its a good sign they look to such directors for this kind of film, perhaps they want to elevate it above just being the dumb effects blockbuster. Must say though, wasn’t overly keen on his Frankenstein – had its moments but never really worked for me.
Jon, yeah, you’re right, we should start a Brian Blessed for Odin FaceBook campaign!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
A Joke:-
Thor: I’m Thor! I’m Thor!
Thor’s Girlfriend: You’re thor? I’m tho thor I can hardly pith.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
Ah, well done, Pádraig, I struggled manfully not to make that joke, secure in the certainty that someone would