Iron Man

[Banky]

Cruise as Iron Man?

Source: Empire Online  by: Jim Law


Because the world needs more superhero movies, Tom Cruise has once again expressed his interest in playing the lead role in IRON MAN, a character that was also being looked at by Nicholas Cage. In the new issue of Empire Magazine, Cruise says he's still trying to work out a deal to portray billionaire Tony Stark who must wear an iron chest plate in order to protect his heart from a piece of shrapnel that he received in an explosion during battle in Vietnam. Stark likes his new duds so much that he builds an entire suit so his new found enjoyment of ass kicking is that much easier. Did I mention he's a drunk too? Here's what Tommy Boy has to say.

“He’s a fascinating character, but we’ve got to figure out how it’s going to work. And everyone is doing a Marvel character these days. How do we make that new, create something fresh where it doesn’t feel like, ‘Oh, here comes another superhero story’?”

According to Cinescape a representative from Marvel Films has alluded to not using the familiar red and gold suit that you see up top. Let me guess, they want a "much darker" version of the comic book. When is Hollywood going to learn that "much darker" means "much shittier" when it comes to messing around with icons of the comic book universe? The main reason these films are getting screen consideration is because of their popularity within loyal readers. Why take what they love and change it?

[Raikus]

I thought Ozzy was Iron Man?

[Gold Trumpet]

Tom Cruise is becoming a sore subject.

[nix]

Personally, I'd like to see Tom GREEN as Iron Man.

[Pubrick]

poor guy.

kubrick really messed him up.

[ProgWRX]

why is darker bad? the original Batman (Tim Burton's) was darker and it was excellent, while IMO, spiderman, was all "comic" like and it was horrible. (i know im in the minority on this)

then again, another superhero movie...is just completely bleh
(and im a cruise fan!)

[nix]

I pretty much agree with you about spiderman prog. I love Rami and all but sometimes (fuck it, most of the time) staying too faithfull to the comic spells disaster.

[A Fire Inside]

Speaking of much darker, wasn't Tony Stark black?  And whats up with the Kingpin being black in Daredevil?  I'm all for equality, but why sacrifice the original story?

[Raikus]

Tony Stark wasn't black. Whomever it was that operated War Machine was. I don't know what his name was, but I think he worked for Stark through some means.

Never really was into Iron Man.

And you forgot Lex LuTHOR in the Justice League and Superman cartoons.

[Sleuth]

Making the Kingpin black was like, a defeat for my race.  Marvel is a bunch of traitors

[MacGuffin]

David Hayter Rewriting New Line's Iron Man
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

X-Men and X2: X-Men United screenwriter David Hayter has signed on to rewrite Iron Man, New Line Cinema's adaptation of the Marvel Comics character, says The Hollywood Reporter. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar wrote the previous draft.

In the comic, Iron Man's real identity is that of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who develops an armored suit that lets him fly and shoot repulsor rays. The comic debuted in the 1960s, and Iron Man's origin involved Stark being a prisoner of the Viet Cong. The comic evolved into Stark fighting spies, both political and industrial, while also battling alcoholism.

The film will reportedly reflect a modern world climate, as well as modern technological, political and societal trends

[MacGuffin]

Cassavetes Pumped for 'Iron Man'
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Nick Cassavetes, who directed New Line Cinema's tearjerker hit "The Notebook," is in negotiations to direct "Iron Man," the studio's adaptation of the Marvel Comics character.

In the comic, Iron Man's real identity is that of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who develops an armored suit that lets him fly and shoot "repulsor rays." The comic debuted in the 1960s, and Iron Man's origin involved Stark being a prisoner of the Viet Cong. The comic evolved into Stark fighting spies, both political and industrial, while also battling alcoholism.

The movie, written by David Hayter, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, will reflect modern technological, political and societal trends. Cassavetes, also a screenwriter, will do a polish.

Cassavetes, whose directorial work includes the emotionally charged, modestly budgeted features "John Q" and "She's So Lovely," does not have a resume that automatically suggests him as the helmer of a big-budget, effects-heavy comic book franchise.

But Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad, one of the producers, doesn't see him as an unusual choice.

"Do you remember what Bryan Singer did before 'X-Men'?" Arad asked, noting that Singer directed the character-based "Apt Pupil" before the hit super-hero film and its sequel.

"That was considered an odd choice. Sam Raimi directed 'A Simple Plan' and 'The Gift' before 'Spider-Man.' We have a good track record of getting directors that get the material. ('Iron Man') is a huge movie, with big action and incredible technology, but without understanding and loving Tony Stark, then all the money in the world isn't going to get you where you want to go. It all starts with the emotional mix."

Arad said many directors that would seem to be more obvious choices to helm an action movie were discounted because they didn't have a strong emotional take on the project.

[MacGuffin]

Iron Man on Film
The armored Avenger goes Hollywood.

One of the many comic book movies currently in development is the big-screen version of Marvel's Iron Man. The project is set-up at New Line Cinema with Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) attached to direct for producer Don Murphy (LXG, From Hell, Transformers). Here's an overview of the project's status.

"Being able to work with such an acclaimed writer/director as Nick Cassavetes to bring one of our pre-eminent super-hero franchises to the big screen is really special," Marvel Studios prexy and Iron Man producer Avi Arad said in a statement last November. "Nick grew up reading Iron Man and personally loves the character. He shares our vision of how to bring Iron Man to life in a way that will appeal to a mass audience as well as the core super-hero fan base. This deal with Nick marks the perfect way to launch our second big Marvel franchise with New Line, a studio that we have enjoyed a great relationship with in building the Blade character into a Hollywood heavyweight."

Iron Man, Arad added, "is a huge movie, with big action and incredible technology, but without understanding and loving Tony Stark, then all the money in the world isn't going to get you where you want to go. It all starts with the emotional mix."

The rumor mill has kicked into overdrive lately suggesting that the long-in-development hell pic may have suffered another setback with Cassavetes reportedly leaving the project. According to my trusty inside sources, there is some truth to these rumors but Cassavetes has not officially left Iron Man.

From what I've heard, his deal is in flux. Whether it's due to internal politics at New Line, salary or simply scheduling, I don't know and no one's talking (on the record, anyway). The studio had wanted Iron Man for a 2006 release but that possibility seems more remote now that we're a quarter of the way through 2005 and there's talk of the director jumping ship. We shall see ...

Iron Man has gone through a number of screenwriters, including Smallville's Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, but it was actor-turned-scribe David Hayter (X-Men, Watchmen, Black Widow) who penned the draft that finally got the project greenlit. Cassavetes is expected to polish the script further (should he still direct it).
 
The film's storyline will reportedly follow arms industrialist Tony Stark's moral awakening and his transformation into the titular superhero. Comic book characters we know for a fact are in the film are Stark's love interest and security chief Bethany Cabe and engineer/best friend Jim Rhodes (the future War Machine).

"The whole origin is completely different," Millar said in an interview last year. The film's Tony is "not really in touch with where his money comes from, unaware that his wealth lies from weapons, and that history comes back to haunt him. ... It's a great arc for a character to begin with, this selfish reckless playboy, that in the end becomes a hero."

While The Mandarin had been included in early drafts, Shellhead's arch-enemy was jettisoned from the current storyline (quite probably because he's so politically incorrect). Replacing him as Iron Man's nemesis in the film will be ... Tony's father, Howard.

Military industrialist Howard Stark is deceased in the comics but he'll be very much alive in the movie. While details of the father-son showdown are being kept top-secret, fans probably shouldn't expect to see Shellhead beating up an old man in a business suit. Secondary costumed baddies will likely be used as the main villain's cannon fodder.

There has been some concern, however, that Iron Man could suffer from the same plodding "father issues" that plagued the Hulk movie, considering Hayter also worked on that script. But it is precisely those "father issues" that are said to have appealed to Cassavetes, whose late dad John starred in The Dirty Dozen and Rosemary's Baby and directed such films as Faces.

As for casting, Nicolas Cage had long been interested in the project but ended up playing Ghost Rider instead. Leonardo DiCaprio was also rumored at one point. Tom Cruise expressed serious interest in the role ("He's a fascinating character," Cruise said in a 2004 interview) but that didn't pan out, either. That nevertheless hasn't stopped comic book artists from recently giving Tony Stark a Cruise-like resemblance. Bottom line: no one is attached to star yet.

Whether or not director Cassavetes is still aboard the film remains a matter of speculation. Should he drop out, there have been no reported replacements waiting in the wings. Iron Man fans like myself, however, remain hopeful that Shellhead will make it to the silver screen sooner rather than later.

[jtm]

i don't know anything about this Iron Man, but i like the idea of a drunk superhero.

[MacGuffin]

Iron Blog
Favreau reaches out to fandom.

Actor-filmmaker Jon Favreau has started a blog at his official site at MySpace.com to provide fans with updates about his forthcoming Iron Man movie. The Iron Man Movie Group allows fans to post their thoughts on casting, the hero's armor, the special effects, the villains, pretty much whatever topic related to the film they desire.

In a posting at his blog, Favreau said, "Iron Man will indeed be my next movie. Marvel is distributing it through Paramount which, for those of you playing at home, is also the studio that is developing John Carter of Mars. That project is still a huge priority for me and I am still very much attached to it both as a director and producer."

"Iron Man is the first Marvel production under its new distribution arrangement," Favreau continued. "My hope is that this will be refelected in the quality of the movie. Their films are self-financed and, as a result, don't have to run the typical creative gauntlet of studio development. What Marvel says, goes. As far as specifics, it will be set in the present and, as you would probably expect, includes a version of the origin story."

As for the purpose of his Iron Man blog, Favreau said, "The internet is full of faulty info. I wanted to have at least one place where the facts would be correct."

Iron Man reportedly begins filming in early 2007.