As if this week's bombshell announcement about Disney acquiring Marvel Entertainment wasn't big enough, here comes yet another doozy for the comic book company–except this time, it might not necessarily be to Marvel's betterment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Iron Man" collaborators Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau will team up as director and star once again for "Cowboys and Aliens," an adaptation of the Platinum Studios comic book by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley. The screenplay was written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof.
Downey Jr. has been attached to star in the film for quite a while now, even if his commitment was wavering at times. Favreau, however, is an entirely new element. Read more...
Sure, we know about the debuts of War Machine and Whiplash, but there are lots of things we don't know about "Iron Man 2" at this point, too. For example, will Whiplash get an armor upgrade courtesy of Justin Hammer? And how much of Sam Jackson's "Avengers Initiative" will be revealed this time around?
The "Iron Man 2" footage at Comic-Con seemed to pose as many questions as it answered, so here's a quick recap of everything we do know about one of the most-anticipated films for comic book movie fans:
THE HEROES: While star Robert Downey Jr. has insisted that the "Demon in a Bottle" story won't factor into the "Iron Man 2" plot, he did hint at some inner demons for Tony Stark. Back in April, he described the film as a story about "how a dysfunctional family saves life on Earth"—something that certainly doesn't bode well for the Stark Industries crew. Read more...
"Iron Man 2" updates have been arriving non-stop since this year's Comic-Con in San Diego, from Jon Favreau talking IMAX and 3-D to viral websites for the film popping up online. Now, we have yet another image from the set of the eagerly anticipated blockbuster, featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige.
The new shot posted over at Marvel.com looks to be on the set of "Iron Man 2," but we're pretty sure Feige isn't making a cameo in the film (though we could be wrong). In the photo, Feige crouches next to the seated "Iron Man 2" star while the latter watches what looks to be a reel-to-reel film projector. What they're discussing (or better yet, what Downey's watching) remains a mystery -- and probably one that won't be solved until May 2010.
Oh, and is anyone else digging those big ol' boots Tony Stark is sporting? Read more...
If you were at Comic-Con this past weekend, you may have seen the dazzling “Iron Man 2” footage that included War Machine in battle and that iconic red-and-yellow suit soaring through the sky while dodging explosions.
It sure was impressive work from Jon Favreau, a man who came up in indie films like “Swingers” and “Made,” and not too long ago raised geek concerns with his appointment since the only big-budget film he’d ever made was “Zathura.” Recently, we caught up with the director on the set of “Iron Man 2,” and he was eager to talk about how much the first film had taught him about blending the two worlds. Read more...
Tony Stark is Iron Man. Comic book fans have known this since the character made his debut in 1963, but at the close of last year's blockbuster movie, the hero's secret identity became public knowledge in the film's fictional universe, too. So, where do you go from there?
"Now, the exciting action of the sequel is asking: 'What does that really mean, to a real person in a real world?' And then we heighten it for our superhero reality," director Jon Favreau said of the first flick's final scene.
During our tour of the "Iron Man 2" set, we visited Stark's "garage" filled with interactive virtual computing environments -- and a Shepard Fairey-style Iron Man poster on the wall. The sequel to last year's hit film finds Stark living an even more outrageous life, juggling the responsibilities of being both a businessman and superhero in the public eye. Read more...
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash have been dominating the swarm of new "Iron Man 2" pictures percolating across the Internet recently, but in the lead-up to Comic-Con this week, some new images of stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have made their way to the public eye. The fresh images show RDJ as Tony Stark amid the wreckage of a racetrack mishap and Paltrow as Pepper Potts doing what she does best, looking like the pinnacle of professionalism behind an office desk.
"I don't think anyone expected how big the first ['Iron Man'] was going to be," Paltrow told USA Today, where the pictures premiered. "Now we have kind of a family, a friendship, which is good because the pressure is on us to deliver again." Read more...
You don't need to squint your eyes any longer to check out those blurry images of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in "Iron Man 2," folks. The official images have hit the 'Net, and even though they're a bit on the small side, they give you a much better look at the previously unseen addition to Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" sequel cast.
So, what do the new images tell us? Well, it looks like Johansson's character will indeed sport a suit very similar to that of her comics counterpart. From the plunging neckline to the utility bracelets, the on-screen Black Widow looks as if she's taking more than a few cues from her comic book inspiration.
Along with posting the two official images, EW's PopWatch has also posted excerpts of the interview that shed some light on a few interesting elements of the project -- including Mickey Rourke's character and the between-films switch from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle in the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Read more...
FROM MOVIES BLOG: DreamWorks Animation and its recently renewed CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg today unveiled big announcements for the studio's animation plans through 2012, with new sequels for the "Shrek," "Kung-Fu Panda," and "Madagascar" franchises and parts for Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey in next year's "Oobermind." The flurry of announcements came during an investor's call in which Katzenberg also issued an edict that all forthcoming Dreamworks Animation features will be produced in 3-D.
"We now have three very successful franchises, but we also want to tell new stories," DWA co-prexy of production Bill Damaschke told Variety. "Now, in addition to one or two sequels a year, we’ll have a new original as well."
Continue reading about the "Shrek" sequel and "Oobermind" over at MoviesBlog.MTV.com.
FROM MTV MOVIES: If you wanted to be nominated for Best Male Performance at this year's MTV Movie Awards, it was all about embracing your inner action hero — unless you're Zac Efron.
With four of the men — Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man"), Shia LaBeouf ("Eagle Eye") and Vin Diesel ( "Fast & Furious") — nominated for action flicks, Efron stands alone, thanks to reprising his role as Troy Bolton in "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
Continue reading our breakdown of the MTV Movie Awards "Best Male Performance" nominees over at Movies.MTV.com.
Just last month, Robert Downey Jr. told MTV News that he might not be starring in a feature film version of "Cowboys and Aliens" after all, despite earlier reports. But "Cowboys and Aliens" producers and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman haven't given up on getting the actor to star in the adaptation of a Platinum Studios graphic novel.
The pair told SCI FI Wire that they have been speaking with Downey about starring in the movie.
"We've been talking to him about that," Orci said. "He's one of the busiest men on the face of the Earth. If the schedule can line up, we'd absolutely love it." Read more...
