Comic Book to Movie Screen Part 2

[Heineken Skywalker]

Here's a link to the first pictures of the FANTASTIC FOUR cast members in costume.

www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=6445

Jessica Alba as Sue Storm AKA The Invisible Woman? Yowza!! ;D Maybe a little too hot, if you know what I mean. Sue was always sexy in more of a "girl next door" kind of way.
Sue (Invisible Woman) & Johnny (Human Torch) are brother and sister and they're supposed to be blonde. What happened with the hair? Alba's only "kind of" blonde and Human Torch not at all. He looks more like Reed Richards' brother. It's a geeky "fanboy" quibble, but really, how hard would it have been to make them blonde?
Reed (Mr. Fantastic) looks just like the comic character.
My biggest gripe? Where is The Thing's trademark heavy brow? His face looks a little too human and not quite apelike enough. And what's going on with his left arm? Does it look like it's breaking apart right above the wrist?
Overall they look okay. If they fix The Thing's brow I could live with the rest of it.

[Bartwald]

Jessica Alba too hot? Ha! She may be the reason for me to see the movie! But The Thing's left arm does bother me a bit.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Pretty cool.

[Heineken Skywalker]

From TheDigitalBits:

Here's some interesting news... some of our sources are telling us that Warner is currently working on a box set of all four live-action Batman films, which will include a new Batman: Special Edition. The set is being timed for release to coincide with the new Batman Begins film next year. We'll keep you informed.

Oh no! Does this mean that they're going to try to force us to actually purchase BATMAN & ROBIN?? I hope they're going to offer them seperately too.

[Phoenix]

FF Movie comments: I'll reserve judgement. The pics didn't blow me away, but I don't have any hots for Jessica Alba. After attempting to watch "Honey" I know she's not much of an actress. But I may be wrong, she might have taken some more acting lessons. The Thing looks too small for me, but maybe that will work for the film since they don't want a CGI catastrophe.

Batman Box Set comments: I'll buy it even if it does have Batman & Robin. It's a guilty pleasure for me. When it first came out I thought Chris O'Donnell was "dreamy." Whatever happened to him???

[LivingDeadGirl]

Phoenix said:

When it first came out I thought Chris O'Donnell was "dreamy." Whatever happened to him???

You know, I was wondering that too. I had the biggest crush on him when that movie came out. And that was unusual for me...I usually don't go for those baby-face types.

[ZapRowsdower]

Meh. These Hollywood types seem to think they can treat Batman the same way they treat Star Wars and get away with it. There's a major difference.

In the case of Star Wars, all three movies are excellent. They're classics. They have become a major part of American culture. In the case of Batman, there were only TWO that were really good. The third one was just mediocre, and the last one... don't get me started.

No, I am NOT interested in the Box Set. If they decide to sell the special editon of Batman separately, I'll buy it then.

I'm saving up for the Indiana Jones box set that's been out for a long time yet I never had the chance to buy because I'm poor.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Welcome to the club! ;D

[Bartwald]

IamTheSmitty said:

I'm saving up for the Indiana Jones box set that's been out for a long time yet I never had the chance to buy because I'm poor.

Ha! Same with me! Still don't have it!

And Phoenix: do you want to say that Chris O'Donnell is better at acting than Jessica Alba? Do you really?

[Bartwald]

Some news on Ghost Rider with Nic Cage; from Empire:

Empire had the opportunity recently to sit down with Cage, who talked in depth about the project, in which Cage will play Johnny Blaze, a circus motorcycle stuntman who, after a series of tragic events, is tricked by Satan into becoming the Spirit of Vengeance aka the Ghost Rider; a flame-skulled, motorcycle-riding demon. But with Johnny's pure heart initially over-riding the Satanic imprint, the Ghost Rider becomes a vigilante, charged with cleansing impure souls via various arcane weapons, including the blistering penance stare.

"What I love about this idea for a comic book is that, if you think about it, it’s really complex. Obviously the movie should be fun and it has to have humour but if you think about a superhero who’s using the powers of hell for good… I mean, that is a very profound, complicated concept for a superhero," said Cage.

And if that has you thinking Hellboy, then Cage is happy to set you straight. "Hellboy is a later character," he said. "Ghost Rider's been cursed by the devil but he’s not going to let the devil win. He sold his soul out of love, he was trying to save his father’s life, and then he got tricked by the trickster. But because he did it out of love the devil can’t get him. He can outfox the devil and use his powers for love and good, which is interesting."

Although the Ghost Rider – with its fiery skull, burning eyes, and motorcycle with flaming wheels – is one of Marvel's most easily recognisable characters, there are of course problems to reconcile when an A-lister is cast in the role: namely, how to include Cage's fizzog on the screen without compromising the iconic image.

"Well I won’t be THAT face," said Cage, who revealed that the Rider's face will be largely CG. "But it’s important to the filmmaker that there’s still moments in the CGI of the face where you can still see my own expressions, so I can work that out with them. It’s hard to have a skull make facial expressions."

Early reports suggest that the movie will see Ghost Rider take on Blackheart, the son of the Devil, and Cage is looking forward to the challenge of his first comic book movie.

"Ghost Rider is one of the original American Marvel comic icons," he told Empire. "He was sort of the icon for motorcyclists that the Silver Surfer was for surfers. Imagine Evel Knievel with a flaming skull for a head. It should be fun."

[Heineken Skywalker]

Hey look! It's Nic Cage as Ghost Rider!!
Naah... just one of my Marvel Legends figures. What a Hot Head!!

But he's pretty cool, huh? Let's hope Nic looks this cool as the character. This movie seems like it's been in development forever.

[Phoenix]

Bartwald said:

Ha! Same with me! Still don't have it!

And Phoenix: do you want to say that Chris O'Donnell is better at acting than Jessica Alba? Do you really?

I was wondering if someone was going to call me on that! You got me, I'm guilty.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Awesome fig Heineken!

[Heineken Skywalker]

Thanks, LDG!

Just read this over at AintItCoolNews:

IPW (Intellectual Properties Worldwide) has acquired the motion picture rights to the long-running comic book GROO THE WANDERER. Created by Sergio Aragones with writer Mark Evanier, GROO was first published in 1983 and generated an immediate outpouring of affection for its unique irreverence. Groo’s adventures now number over 170 issues, and Aragones and Evanier will draw from this wealth of material to write a screenplay as part of their deal with IPW.

Best described as Conan the Barbarian meets Shrek, the comic book has attracted many suitors of late.

Able to lay waste to entire armies while saddled with the mental capacity of sand, Groo roams the land with his swords and his adoring dog Rufferto, encountering dragons, wizards, witches and kings along the way. Villains often attempt to exploit his legendary swordsmanship by playing on his lack of smarts, but Groo’s charming blend of naiveté and stubborn literalness has an uncanny way of derailing their schemes.

Aragones is best known for his work for Mad Magazine, to which he's been a regular contributor since 1963. Evanier has extensive writing credits in comic books and television (including three Emmy nominations). Together, Aragones and Evanier have been nominated for fifteen of the comic industry's Eisner Awards since 1992 (twelve for GROO) and have won six times.

In addition to writing the screenplay, Aragones and Evanier will serve as executive producers. Toberoff and Harris will produce. Allard will executive produce.

I was a huge GROO fan back in the day when I was reading a lot of comics, still have them, and would love to see a GROO movie. I'm assuming it'll be animated, hence the SHREK comparison. Personally, I don't get that comparison, but anyway, looks like GROO:THE MOVIE is headed our way! ;D

Here's a pic for those of you who aren't familiar with the comic:

[LivingDeadGirl]

Maybe I should start reading more comics..or I should say ANY comics. The last ones I read yrs. ago were X-Men. I usually stick to graphic novels when I do read stuff like that. Both my brothers have extensive comic collections but they're the oh-my-god-dont'-touch-my-comics kind so I'd probably be beheaded if I dared to delve into their stash.