Iron Man

[MacGuffin]

Gwyneth Talks Iron Man
Paltrow on playing Pepper Potts.

For some, the casting of Oscar-winning "serious" actress Gwyneth Paltrow in Paramount's Iron Man movie seemed curious. Now the Shakespeare in Love actress has explained why she went from indies and Oscar bait films to a big-screen version of a Marvel Comics superhero.

"I play Pepper Potts, who's Iron Man's assistant. They have a very charged dynamic," Paltrow told Entertainment Weekly. As for why she chose to do this film, the actress explained, "I hadn't worked in a long time, I was really committed to being home. Then I finally just agreed to do this movie Iron Man. I reached a place in my life where I thought, 'It's okay that I have a passion for something besides my family.' I love making films. If I do one thing that makes me fulfilled, then I'm a more interesting woman for my children. And then I got this call, and I thought, I love Jon Favreau [who's directing Iron Man]. And the cast was so good. This feels right to me."

She continued, "You know why? Because of the people involved. It had nothing to do with the size of the budget. It was like, if I got a call that there's a six-million-dollar movie, and these are the people, I'd do it. I've always wanted to work with Robert Downey Jr. He's a genius, and I had never been asked to do a film with him before. I'm really excited that it's Iron Man because I've never done anything like it. I'm really thrilled."

Paltrow jokingly added that her preparation for the movie will simply entail exercise. Iron Man begins filming in March.

[modage]

she was in sky captain.  and had that cameo in austin powers 3.  i dont find this all that surprising.

[picolas]

also her character in Sky Captain was named Polly Perkins. it's like she's got a monopoly on all the PP ppl.

[MacGuffin]

Bridges linked to Marvel's 'Iron Man'
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Jeff Bridges has joined the cast of "Iron Man," the first feature film to be produced independently by Marvel Entertainment. Jon Favreau is directing the movie, which Paramount Pictures will distribute.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as armor-clad superhero Iron Man and his alter ego, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark. Bridges will portray a confidant and close business associate of Stark, a longtime employee at defense contractor Stark Industries who plays a major role in shaping Stark's life.

"We've been talking to Jeff for long time," Marvel's president of production Kevin Feige said. "He's excited about doing a movie like this, and we're excited to have him in this particular role. There are many facets to this character which I can't discuss, but looking at the spectrum of all of Jeff's roles, this fits in nicely with the man who played 'Starman,' 'Tucker,' 'Big Lebowski' with a little bit 'Tron' thrown in.

"This rounds out our ensemble, and I think it's one of the strongest casts ever assembled for one of our films."

Bridges' boarding marks the fourth Academy Award-recognized actor signed on for the "Iron Man" cast, which in addition to Oscar nominee Downey includes nominee Terrence Howard and Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow. Bridges, a four-time Oscar nominee, will be seen in "A Dog Year" and has a voice role in the animated film "Surf's Up."

Filming on "Iron Man" is scheduled to begin in March in Los Angeles with a planned release date of May 2, 2008.

[MacGuffin]

HEAVY BOOTS OF LEAD

IGN has the first picture of the grey suit from Iron Man. In case you don't know the story, this is not how Iron Man will look the whole film: at the beginning he is forced to make an armor out of spare parts and this is what he comes up with. Later he creates a sleeker and, I assume, red and gold armor.

[picolas]

reminds me of

Junkman

(the guy at the front)

+

Glitch Bob

[Pubrick]

hahah, junkman and glitch bob.. make that movie!

[pete]

[MacGuffin]

First look: Downey forges a bond with 'Iron Man' role
By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — Robert Downey Jr. is hardly the obvious choice to play an iconic crime fighter.

After all, this is the guy who became a poster boy for Hollywood excess, serving a year in prison on drug and alcohol-related charges and checking in and out of rehab like it was the Four Seasons.

But it is exactly that past, says director Jon Favreau (Elf), that makes Downey the only choice to play playboy millionaire and recovering alcoholic Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, the comic-book superhero who hits multiplexes next year.

"We didn't want to just go with a safe choice," Favreau says from the set of the film, due in theaters May 2, 2008. "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic-book character who is having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl. Plus, he's simply one of the best actors around."

For his part, Downey is trying to become an iron man. At 42, he lifts weights five days a week and practices martial arts to get in shape to play the hard-bodied Stark, an arms manufacturer who uses his ultimate weapon, a jet-powered, missile-launching suit of armor, to fight evil.

More important, Downey says, he's been working on his emotional stamina since coming out of rehab in 2002. His supporting roles in Good Night, and Good Luck and Zodiac have earned critical raves.

And anchoring a big-budget summer film such as Iron Man could go a long way toward cementing that return.

"I'm more diligent than I used to be," Downey says. "I want to show Jon he was right to have faith in me. Whatever questions might have arisen about my life weren't issues with him."

Nor with many fans, says Rob Morley of Comics2Film.com.

"Fans need the heart of the comic to be in" the movie, he says. "Tony Stark had a substance abuse problem. He was built up and torn down many times. I think when people heard Robert Downey was going to play the part, there was actually a big relief."

Downey knows a thing or two about comics, and he can get downright geeky when discussing them. He prefers Marvel to D.C. comics. He liked Iron Man, "but mainly through his appearance with Avengers." His favorite early heroes, he says, were the relatively obscure Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury.

It wasn't until Downey matured that he came to appreciate the man in the iron suit.

"He struggles with his lifestyle, he struggles with the drinking," Downey says of Stark. "He faces the same issues a lot of people do."

[MacGuffin]

Exclusive: This is ''Iron Man''
Sneak a peek at the new robo-suit that will turn Robert Downey Jr. into a comic-book legend in the May 2008 movie
Source: Entertainment Weekly

Iron Man is the latest Marvel Comics superhero to jump from splash page to big screen. (The film is due May 2008.) Director Jon Favreau (Elf ) began shooting in March with star Robert Downey Jr. — in his first comic-book role — as the man inside the cybernetic Mark III suit (pictured) and Gwyneth Paltrow as his trusted assistant. In the film, Downey plays Tony Stark, a playboy industrialist who decides to don high-tech armor to fight baddies after suffering a life-threatening heart injury in war-torn Afghanistan. ''This is a decidedly adult superhero story,'' says Favreau. (Fanboy FYI: Look for Stark's legendary drinking problem to pop up in possible sequels.)

Faithful to the comics and constructed by Oscar-winning F/X maestro Stan Winston, the Iron Man togs — a far cry from Stark's normal black-tie attire — are robo-cool but make for restrictive, sweaty duds. ''Robert was very bullish on wearing the suit whenever possible,'' says Favreau of his star, who bulked up for the role. ''Now I don't know if he's such a fan of that idea.''

[picolas]

i like the first suit better but that's pretty amazing. it looks skin tight. also it would be super useful to have a light in your palm. good call, Iron Man!

[MacGuffin]

[cron]

that looks like an all-new cast of 24.

[Stefen]

This will be good.

[A Matter Of Chance]

palthrow doesn't even look annoying!