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Creative 'Hulk' Differences Make Norton Smash! Norton Crash! Norton Bash!
Posted by Seth at 8:20 AM on March 12, 2008
Few came away from Ang Lee's vision of Hulk--about two freakishly massive, green cowboys who smash boulders and each others' hearts on the open Wyoming plain--feeling the director had really done the Marvel source material justice. So it was with a measure of relief that Ed Norton announced he would be sweeping in to reclaim the franchise, with a bold re-envisioning of the beloved tale of Dr. Banner and his rageoholic, gamma-bomb-enhanced Mr. Hyde. Now, reports Deadline Hollywood Daily, the legendarily exacting Norton has been locking horns with the Marvel Studios brass over final cut:
Insiders say Norton was "promised tremendous involvement and access" after Marvel invited him into the core team to rewrite Zak Penn's script. Says one insider, "There's a lot of posturing going on between Edward's camp and Marvel over how you edit the final version."
Sources also tell me that, starting last night and continuing at least throughout today, the actor will be holed up with Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel, Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige, and director Louis Leterrier to try to "reach an amicable resolution" to this $150+ million film feud.
We're confident that whatever discrepancies of vision have arisen between Norton and representatives from the Guild of Nervous Comic Book Rights Holders Hoping Their Valuable Franchise Isn't Mucked Again Up by Some Artsy-Fartsy Cinematic Visionary will soon be resolved, and that fanboys hungry for some Hulk redemption will soon be emerging from theatres, heartily agreeing that, "Well, he's no Ferrigno, but at least he was better than that Eric Bana-on-CGI-steroids crap."
- Ed Norton And Marvel In 'Hulk'-ing Feud [Deadline Hollywood Daily]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
heidiho
Posted 12:22 PM 12/3/08
Marvel, it's Ed Norton. Like this wasn't going to happen...
heidiho
Monsieur.Mind
Posted 1:04 PM 12/3/08
As long as we get DVD's of the The Director's Cut, The Norton Cut, The Hulk Cut, The Hulk uncut, and the extended edition, s'cool with me.
Monsieur.Mind
DrFeelgood
Posted 2:55 PM 12/3/08
Didn't he do this once before? With Tony Kaye over American History X? If I remember correctly THAT fiasco was about not enough close ups of Norton.
*sigh*
Maybe he should quit acting and become an editor.
DrFeelgood
SteamyMcFirecrotch
Posted 4:21 PM 12/3/08
Ed's not difficult, he's just an Avid fan of the art of filmmaking.
SteamyMcFirecrotch
SneakingThroughTheAlleyWithLalley
Posted 5:42 PM 12/3/08
@SteamyMcFirecrotch: Avid. hehe, you're funny you... but seriously, Ed Norton as Hulk? I'm not feeling it. Rounders II anyone?
SneakingThroughTheAlleyWithLalley
hummingpenguin
Posted 2:15 AM 13/3/08
Yes to Rounders II, so long as they have Malkovich actually eating a giant ham sandwich.
So...The Hulk is going to suck maybe, Pride & Glory is DOA, Motherless Brooklyn is nothing at all, and State of Play was a bust - no wonder Ed is falling back on a stoner comedy.
hummingpenguin
kathotdog
Posted 5:09 AM 13/3/08
If Bill Bixby could be the Hulk then why can't Ed Norton be the Hulk?
This version better use the TV version closing music - saddest music ever:
+ Watch video
kathotdog
Shumina
Posted 5:09 AM 13/3/08
I love Ed, but just how artistic do you expect to get with The Hulk?
Shumina
Juancho
Posted 6:43 AM 13/3/08
@hummingpenguin: Funny, I was just thinking about what the heck happened to Motherless Brooklyn the other night. Pride and Glory is in the can, but good luck on figuring out a release date.
Juancho
Superawesomerad
Posted 7:49 AM 13/3/08
What was wrong with Eric Bana again?
Superawesomerad
Leviticus_71
Posted 8:43 AM 13/3/08
Being an Avid fan of filmmaking, hopefully he'll make it to the Premier CS3...if he ever gets Final Cut.
Leviticus_71
hummingpenguin
Posted 9:44 AM 13/3/08
@Juancho: just read somewhere that he set aside one script to write the final draft of Hulk (yeah, that's basically his script they're editing which explains his urgency). i bet that other story was MB.
colin farrell said that New Line ran out of money after Golden Compass and totally abandoned Pride & Glory. Which sucks.
hummingpenguin
Juancho
Posted 11:08 AM 13/3/08
@hummingpenguin: Did some poking around. It does have a website.
In all fairness to Norton, Tony Kaye is a dick. A talented dick, but a dick nontheless. Too bad Norton the writer now has to inject himself into every project. Supposedly he did "free" rewrites to punch up the Frida script when he was with Salma.
Which makes the fact that Paramount had a contract that forced him to do The Italian Job even funnier.
Juancho