Branagh to Direct "Thor" film

29 September 2008 12:08 PM, PDT


Shakespearean star Kenneth Branagh is the surprise favourite to direct the next big Marvel comic book movie Thor.
The British actor - more famous for his roles onstage - is negotiating with Marvel bosses over the movie, due for release in 2010.
Branagh's last big-screen directorial outing was 2007's Sleuth, starring Sir Michael Caine and Jude Law.
But he is most recognised in film for directing 1989 Shakespeare epic Henry V; Robert De Niro in 1994's Frankenstein, and a 1996 version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, with himself in the lead role.
Thor follows the tale of a disabled medical student with the Norse god as an alter ego.

 

Why not? I think he's charismatic. I like his role in WWII movie "Conspiracy"

 

Interesting...wonder if we hear any Shakespeare-style conversation in the film?

 

he shan't tell thou my liege!

 

err. another comic book movie. I havn't liked any of them with the exeption of the first Spiderman

 

When I was a kid I bought a couple of Thor comic books. I couldn't get into it because it dwelved too deep into Norse Mythology. I loved the art though.

Hollywood can't seem to make a Batman movie without the Joker, can't make a Superman movie without Lex Luthor, and can't make a Spiderman movie without the goblin. I fear this will become a duel between Thor and one of his siblings. Snoooooooz. I'd like to see Thor take on bank robbers, maybe a crime boss.

Actually, Thor is at his best as one of the Avengers.

 

Hi Mike, "Thor" has already appeared in a Marvel Comics movie. This one dates back to the mid to late 1980's when they made I think two more Incredible Hulk movies-the ones w/ Bill Bixby as Dr David Banner/Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. I think this one was called: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk-or somehting like that? The other movie was called: Death of the Incredible Hulk. Anyway, I barely remember seeing these movies-which are out on DvD) and don't remember these made for TV movies being so bad. Im not a Hulk fan but, loved the TV series because of Bill Bixby-a great actor who died too young.

 

Hi Lias, I too used to collect Thor comics. I also used to have about 30 or so of his earlier appearances in the Journey Into Mystery comics too. I THINK the artist who drew most of the Marvel characters at that time-and also drew Thor-was one of my favorites in the business-Jack Kirby-who un-fortunately passed away over 8 years ago. Anyway, that Norse bit, was very heavy in those early J.I.M issues that he was in. Sadly, some prick broke into my house and stole several boxes of my comics-and I had many of those at the time.

Just for the heck of it, i'll toss a few names out to you who might be familiar to you such as:

Steve Ditko (The Amazing Spiderman etc) Carmine Infantino (Iron Man/Daredevil etc) Jim Sterenko (Captain America, etc) and John Severin (SGT. Fury and His Howling Commandos etc)

Some favorite DC artists:

Joe Kubert (Sgt. Rock, G.I. Combat etc etc etc) Russ Heath (Sgt. Rock, G.I. Combat etc etc etc etc) and Martin Nodell (The 1940's Green Lantern artist-among many others)

Thanks for the quick trip down memory lane! ;-))

 

I saw the movie-part of it anyway. Like many movies of the time, it was done on a shoestring budget. What I saw was a long haired blonde actor walking around with a giant hammer-and a confused look on his face.

Actually, I didn't get into comic books until my early adulthood. In the early 80's, there was some great talent in comics. Back then, Frank Miller was a great writer (Daredevil, Elektra, The Dark Knight Saga). I wanted so bad to be him, but he's since turned into a Hollywood hack who writes snuff movies, quite sad. Chris Claremont was a great writer (X-Men), but his work was absolutely butchered by Hollywood-just butchered.

Miller had a great artist, Klaus Janson, who understood shadows better than Picasso, or any other artist whose work hangs in the Louvre. I don't remember Claremont's artist. It wasn't great art, but he did an excellent job of bringing Chris' work to life in art.

 

You said it Lias . I did not recognize Elektra when the movie was released.

 

And what was the deal with Kirigi? Kirigi is to ninjas what John Wayne is to me and Carl. They turn him into a little dude who just poofs around a room, WTF?

(for those unclear-Kirigi was a giant ninja,a real bada**. Elektra fought some real knock down-drag outs with him. They went toe to toe like Ali and Frazier. Elektra was 5'10", Kirigi was 6'5". Kirigi was a master of death, but Elektra wasn't without resources. )

From back then-quoting Frank Miller: "In the days of feudal Japan, the samurai huddled around campfires and spoke of the ninjas-masters of death who moved in shadows and could kill in many ways. But the ninjas had a terror all their own. A sleepless night with hand on sword hilt would pass if but a single name was uttered-Kirigi.

Kirigi, it was said, had survived many masters over the centuries. His tales of cheating and dealing death were the stuff of legend."

 

Hi Lias, now that I think of it-your right about the actor who played Thor. I don't remember what he did since its been at least 20 years since I last saw these but Bill Bixby was always good in whatever he was in. I saw him in The Apple Dumpling Gang-and thought he was good in it but was also a wasted talent in it. Don Knotts and Tim Conway were always good too. Sorry for sliding off topic a bit.

Anyway, I was collecting comics banc in the days when Stan Lee was still writing and Jack Kirby was still the main artist. I do rememmber Chris Claremonts writing and if im not too badly mistaken-I THINK John Byrne was his artist?

Frank Miller waas good, very good. However, I agree with you-ever since he wrote one of those Robocop movies, his writing has gotten so dark that it really is terrible. I remember his Dark Knight series-that was an excellent piece of work. If I also remember-I think he did the 4-part Death of Robin mini-series.

Thinking about this stuff almost makes me want to get back into comicbook collecting.

PS, do you remember Mike Grell-and his Green Arrow/Green Lantern stuff? I loved anything he ever did. Back in the late 80's, I got heavily into the Justice League America comics-which had a great team that was unbeatable. I can't recall their names but, the books they put out for about 2 years-were some of the best I ever read. This was also when Guy Gardner was unofficially part of the JLA-and was always causing fights and such. Also, I think this was when Lobo really was being used as a sort of "middle-of-the-fence" character.

 

truthfully guys, will Thor have a Scandanavian accent or some guy from the bronx ?

 

I doubt it. hollywoodland probably wouldn't spring for the expenses to do so. Heck, a prime example is tom cruise as von Stauffenburg. I'd be willing to go see Thor on the big screen if the opportunity exists-same as cruise/Stauffenburg.

 

Hi Carl,

I was only into comics from 1980-85, only paying attention afterward for certain graphic novels.

I did have some unique experiences though. In 1991, when the Ninja Turtles were hot and they had four actors in rubber suits putting on a kid's show (touring), I got to spend a month bodyguarding them. The actors, like their characters, absolutely loved pizza. They also loved to dance. It was the funnest job I ever had.

A year later, I got to spend an evening with Sid & Marty Kroft. They were putting on the finishing touches on an elaborate puppet show. I got to talk shop with them about putting on a show with puppets and human actors in puppet suits.

 

Hi Lias, heh heh, that did sound like you had fun. It must have been quite an experiance. The only one like that I had-was when I met Mister T, when he was doing his Toughest Man contest and had come to the mall in Kingsville-to shoot a commercial and to do a promotion of somekind. Anyway, my then Girlfriend Patti-and I, got two front row cented seats free-but believe it or not-Patti and I actually forgot to go to the event because we had been busy doing other things. Another time we had a similar experiance-was when I was driving a 69 Valiant-and had a race all the way through town-with Geore Strait and his Limo driver. We raced from next to the Police Station-all the way down 6th street and out to Dick Kleberg Park. I beat them by about a quarter of a mile. Hell, we ran several stoplights and such also while speeding as fast as we dared in town. The Cops never saw us so we got away with it.

Anyway, the think w/ Mr. T. was that Patti and I spent a few hours with him in his Limo driving around town and through the King Ranch. We were his honorary "Bodyguards."

Then there was the time my friend Greg N, and I, were bodyguards to a now very famous rock group-but only for a day and this was in Austin, TX.

Thanks for bringing back these memories. If anyone interested? I can tell the longer versions of these stories at sometime.

Oh and speaking of Sid and Marty Kroft-did you know that actor Harry Carey Jr. worked with them on their show. Harry Carey had a sort of Spin-off from their series-I forget what it was called? Anyway, this actor is still living-is the Son of Harry Carey Sr-who you know was a great Western movies star. Also, Harry Carey married and still is married to Paul Fix's Daughter.