Marvel Comics' FANTASTIC FOUR
© 2001 Marvel Comics
Fantastic Four
By: Development HeckDate: Saturday, July 02, 2005
Genre:
Adventure/Comic Book Adaptation.
Studio:
20th Century Fox.
Production Company:
1492 Pictures.
Project Phase:
Released.
Who's In It:
Ioan Gruffudd (Reed Richards/"Mr. Fantastic"); Michael Chiklis (Benjamin J. Grimm/"The Thing"); Jessica Alba (Susan "Sue" Storm/"The Invisible Woman"); Chris Evans (Johnny Storm/"The Human Torch); Julian McMahon (Victor von Doom/"Doctor Doom").
Who's Making It:
Tim Story (Director); Simon Kinsberg, Doug Petrie, Sam Hamm, Michael France, Chris Columbus, Mark Frost (Screenwriters); Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, Bernd Eichinger (Producers); Stan Lee, Avi Arad (Executive Producers); based upon The Fantastic Four created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and owned by Marvel Comics.
Premise:
Exposed to the random mutation effect of a experimental machine while in space, designer Reed Richards, his fiancee Susan Storm, and pilots Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, are torn apart and reformed atom-by-atom.
Soon after they return to Earth, they each manifest fantastic superpowers. Richards can stretch his body to inhuman lengths; Susan Storm can become invisible and create force fields; Johnny Storm can
ignite his body into living flame and soar through the air; and Ben Grimm's human features have been erased - now he wears the rocky form of a super-strong, invulnerable 'thing'. Outsiders to the human race, the group of four decide to remain together and try to stop a madman who calls himself Doom. Doom will stop at nothing to use his powers to re-shape the world into his own twisted image and destroy those four adventurers who made him what he is today. The only thing that prevent the world from Doom is...the Fantastic Four.
Release Date:
July 8, 2005.
Comments:
The Atomic Age's version of Doc Savage and Flash Gordon, Kirby and Lee's Fantastic Four debuted in 1962 and introduced the four daring adventurers to comic readers around the world. Part of the characters appeal was due to the effort to 'root' them in the real world. For instance, the average issue of Fantastic Four would have at least one instance showcasing the common man's horrified reaction to the sight of the Thing shuffling down the street. However, the reader would be inside the thoughts of Ben Grimm, who desperately tried to find some way to come to terms with his loss of humanity and Mankind's need to fear that which it
brands ugly. Everyone who looked at Ben saw only a monster (except, of course, the rest of the Fantastic Four and the lovely, blind Alicia Masters.) And when Reed Richards wed Sue Storm, even the Beatles could be spotted in the aisles inside the church.
A Fantastic Four movie has been a long-time coming. A 1992 low-budget version was done for Roger Corman's film division; the rights to the property were held by Neue Constantine, and before the film rights reverted back to Marvel Comics, Constantine developed the property, produced it, and completed the film. Although bootleg copies can be found at some comic conventions, the film never made a wide distribution circuit. Some of the story details and special effects were, at best, mediocre when compared to the digital kalideoscopes seen on today's multiplex screens, but the heart of the Fantastic Four was still there. (In particular the Doctor Doom and Thing costumes were fantastic, and the acting done by all the main characters was on-the-mark, but that's just our opinion.)
At the eleventh hour, weeks before the film's intended release date, Chris Columbus received the backing of Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg's production company. The rights to the Fantastic Four, including the recently-completed film, were now owned by Amblin. The low-budget film was vaulted, and Columbus announced his interest in directing a big-budget, blockbuster version of the Fantastic Four. Columbus wanted to make an 'event' film, showcasing the superheroes (and their villains) powers on a scale worthy of the history of the project.
Developments:
April, 1997... Director Pete Segal (Tommy Boy) is now in the director's seat.
Late 1996... A press release is issued stating that development on the new Fantastic Four movie is proceeding. Although no casting has been done, the script has been written and a tentative release date has been set: summer 1998.
Scoop Feedback:
May 7, 2003... There's been two new developments to report about 20th Century Fox's long in gestation superhero flick, FANTASTIC FOUR.
Movie website JoBlo spoke with DOWN WITH LOVE director Peyton Reed, who's also attached to helm the FOUR movie, and uncovered a surprising fact: there's no script. Reed told the website that Doug Petrie's FF script has been junked and a new one commissioned from TWIN PEAKS co-creator Mark Frost. Reed also told JoBlo that, contrary to any reports elsewhere (and remember this when we move on to the next paragraph), any kind of casting decisions were not in the cards until they had
a script everyone was happy with. Based upon how many writers have taken a swing at doing an FF screenplay now, we might still be years away from seeing a greenlight.
Which makes Marvel's latest comments even more curious. During a conference call held yesterday to discuss first quarter earnings for the company, CEO Avi Arad said that the FANTASTIC FOUR film was currently being targeted for a November 4, 2004 release. That's just 18 short months away kids, and unless Arad knows things we're not privy to, it's hard to imagine the script being finished, the movie being cast, sets constructed, filming wrapped and special effects completed by 11/4/04.
[JoBlo heard it from a friend.]
June 30, 2003... A source has told us that the production company working on 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie is looking at filming the production in Canada, with their focus being centered on either Toronto or Vancouver. For the moment it appears that Toronto has the edge as all of the large studio space in Vancouver is booked for large productions (CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, PAYCHECK, I, ROBOT). Even with the Canadian dollar rising against the American greenback, Hollywood productions add an additional 30 cents on every dollar they spend in Canada, plus there are additional tax incentives to film in the land of hockey pucks and maple syrup.
Our source also told us that, at least behind the production's closed doors, the studio is now looking at a December 2004 release and not November.
We've known our insider for many years and they've told us much inside news before it's common knowledge.
[Name withheld, you sly rascal.]
July 30, 2003... First confirmed on Ain't It Cool News last week by Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad, today's The Hollywood Reporter reiterates that director Peyton Reed has exited Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie project. According to the Reporter, Peyton's departure was due to "creative differences". What specifically those differences were remains a mystery.
The studio still wants to release FF in December 2004 and it's drafted a shortlist of replacement directors. A screenplay is still being worked on by writer Mark Frost (TWIN PEAKS).
January 16, 2004... A Galaxia, a Brazilian website specializing in genre entertainment, landed a pretty big exclusive today with their interview with LORD OF THE RINGS star Sean Astin. The man who brought Samwise Gamgee to life in three RINGS films spoke with a reporter from SET Magazine and revealed that he is under consideration to direct the live-action FANTASTIC FOUR film.
According to Astin (who was coaxed to reveal which mystery project he was in the running for), his ideal candidates for Reed Richards and Johnny Storm are George Clooney and Orlando Bloom, respectively. "I got a meeting scheduled but I can't talk about it yet," Astin told the reporter. Astin has directed episodes of JEREMIAH and ANGEL.
Superhero Hype is running an English translation of the Astin interview worth checking out. [A Galaxia, Superhero Hype.]
January 21, 2004... As of this week, we're told that 20th Century Fox's bid-budget FANTASTIC FOUR movie is looking for a production office location in Vancouver, Canada -- which would mean the rumored $100+ million dollar production would shoot in the same city where X-MEN 2 lensed two years previous, and where BLADE: TRINITY is shooting now. [Anonymous.]
April 6, 2004... The first indication that a new director had been chosen for the live-action FANTASTIC FOUR film was heard yesterday on About.com. Speaking with Marvel Studios' chief Avi Arad, the producer told the website that "We have a director. I cannot tell you who he is until Tuesday."
Well, Tuesday is here and no official word has been heard so far -- but FilmForce believes they've got the scoop as to who it is. According to the site the new director of FANTASTIC FOUR is Tim Story, the director of BARBERSHOP and the Jimmy Fallon/Queen Latifah remake of TAXI, now in production. FilmForce also heard from their source that the new start date for filming to commence on FF is this coming August.
Now we wait and see if the other shoe drops from Marvel or 20th Century Fox... [About.com, FilmForce.]
April 7, 2004... Confirming the scoop first reported by FilmForce, BARBERSHOP helmer Tim Story has been cited as the new director of the FANTASTIC FOUR movie by the trade magazines. While speaking with Variety, Story said that the principal idea that attracted him to the project was that the superheroes are a family, squabbling with each other even as they have to save the world from evil.
Inadvertently the Variety piece also confirmed one of our earlier scoops from this past January, that being that the FANTASTIC FOUR production is looking at filming in Vancouver, Canada. Story was interviewed by Variety on location in Vancouver, scouting possible locations for his film.
And finally Latino Review broke word that Michael Chiklis (THE SHIELD) and Tim Robbins (MYSTIC RIVER) were being considered for the roles of Ben Grimm/The Thing and Victor von Doom/Doctor, respectively. The Chiklis casting scoop was also confirmed by Variety.
[The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Latino Review.]
April 12, 2004... Now that it appears that the long-delayed FANTASTIC FOUR movie at 20th Century Fox will go before cameras sometime this year, rumors about possible casting considerations have started to be heard. Last week the news was that Michael Chiklis (THE SHIELD) and Tim Robbins (MYSTIC RIVER) were possible players. Now a scooper has contacted us with what they've heard is being said on the set of BE COOL, the sequel to GET SHORTY that's presently filming.
According to our scooper, actress Christina Milian is one of the ladies being considered for the part of Susan Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman in FANTASTIC FOUR. Milian is starring in BE COOL as Linda Moon, an up-and-coming singer who attracts the interest of Chili Palmer (John Travolta) and eventually represents Moon as her manager. Milian was seen earlier this year in TORQUE and in last year's LOVE DON'T COST A THING. She has already established a diverse successful singing and songwriting career, having several hit singles of her own as well as writing the hit song "Play" for Jennifer Lopez.
Please remember that this scoop comes from a new scooper and is unconfirmed at the present time, and as should be taken as an interesting rumor first rather than fact.
[Thanks to anonymous for shielding us from cosmic rays.]
April 13, 2004... Another day, another pair of FANTASTIC FOUR casting rumors to add to the pile. Yesterday we broke the scoop that Christina Milian was one of the rumored actresses up for consideration for the role of Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman. Today another FF casting rumor hit the page of Latino Review and this time they connected Paul Walker as a contender for the part of Sue's little brother, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
Walker has been an actor that's been on the mind of fans for a couple of years now as a possible Human Torch, mainly because of his good looks and blonde locks, all traits that the Human Torch also shares. But is it a solid casting lead or just fan speculation that's been passed around?
Superhero Hype is adding their own FF casting rumor to the pile, that being German bodybuilder/actor Ralf Moeller (GLADIATOR) has an unknown part in the movie.
If Fox is serious about meeting its summer 2005 release date, director Tim Story and the studio will have to start annoucing the cast shortly -- and when that happens we'll know how close the online movie community was or wasn't to the inner workings of the production. [Latino Review, Superhero Hype.]
May 11, 2004... The internet. It's both a powerful tool for pushing the frontier of human civilization and communication ahead as well as a means to give ulcers to producers and studio executives working in Hollywood. Better grab the Tums fellas, we've got another scoop to break to the masses.
It's no secret that casting is happening right now on Fox's big-screen FANTASTIC FOUR film, and that announcements could happen any day now. That said, we've been scooped that one of the tryouts for a role in FF has been Cliff Curtis, the Maori New Zealand actor who apppeared in RUNAWAY JURY, WHALE RIDER, THREE KINGS, BLOW, DEEP RISING and VIRUS; he also played Arnold Schwarzenegger's nemesis in COLLATERAL DAMAGE. Our tipster told us that Curtis came in to the Fox Studios lot last Friday, May 7, and did his thing. As for what part Curtis tried out for...well, that our scooper wasn't so sure on (but we're pretty certain it wasn't for The Invisible Woman.)
[Anonymous.]
May 27, 2004... 20th Century Fox's new target date for the release of FANTASTIC FOUR is now July 1, 2005, which would give the film a prime position to benefit from the Independence Day long weekend.
A scooper for Latino Review has dropped off word that actress Kate Bosworth (BLUE CRUSH) is also up for the role of the Invisible Woman in Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR film. That now makes it three actresses rumored by movie websites to be in the running to play Sue Storm: Bosworth, Julia Stiles (first mentioned by Ain't It Cool News) and Christina Milian (which we broke last month.)
Over at IGN FilmForce, Stax has pointed out the fact that the director of FF has basically confirmed FilmForce's scoop that the superhero flick will follow the direction of Marvel's ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR comic book series. The new issue of Wizard features an interview with FF director Tim Story who states that his movie will draw more material from the newer comic take than the old school book. Still, Story reassures fans that earlier comments given by producer Avi Arad that the FF movie would be "a comedy" aren't accurate. "I know immediately people look at my resume and think we're trying to make a sitcom here and we're not," the BARBERSHOP helmer tells Wizard.
[FilmForce, Latino Review.]
July 6, 2004... Rumors continue to swirl about which actors may be leading candidates for roles in the live-action FANTASTIC FOUR movie, to be directed by Tim Story (BARBERSHOP). We ourselves have contributed to the cyclone by publishing a report last April that actress Christina Milian (BE COOL) was up for the part of the Invisible Woman in the film, followed by another scoop in May that actor Cliff Curtis had auditioned for a part in the film.
Other sites have had their share of FF casting buzz. Latino Review was the first to mention Kate Bosworth as Sue Storm, and then they dropped Chris Evans (CELLULAR) name as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch into the mix; Ioan Gruffodd (KING ARTHUR) hinted that he may be a player for Reed Richards; and Rachel McAdams (THE NOTEBOOK) said she had a copy of the script and was reading it. It seems that all of young Hollywood is up for a role in FANTASTIC FOUR.
And now there's two more names to add to the long list of candidates. Yesterday in Lying in the Gutters, comic book columnist Rich Johnson said that he's heard Elisha Cuthbert (24) has won the part of Sue Storm in the movie. This is the first mention of Cuthbert, but we know that she is to have a reduced role in the upcoming fourth season of 24 -- possibly opening the door for her to play Sue Storm, yes?
And then we too also received a new tip about an actor that's not been mentioned before. The latest scoop came anonymously and thus without any means to ID the scooper or prove their story. Because of this we must caution readers that this latest rumor could be false.
According to our anonymous scooper, David Boreanaz (ANGEL) also met with the FANTASTIC FOUR creative team. What role Boreanaz may be up for wasn't known by the scooper.
Producer Avi Arad recently told the press that casting announcements for FANTASTIC FOUR should be made shortly. Arad made the statement before the release of SPIDER-MAN 2 and said that a decision was coming around the last week of June. Nothing so far has been heard.
If the scooper that sent us the Boreanaz casting rumor wishes to contact us again, please consider using a codename and further information about your scoop. As always, all information given by our contacts and scoopers will remain completely confidential. [Lying in the Gutters, Dark Horizons, Latino Review, anonymous.]
July 8, 2004... Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety break word today that three of the FANTASTIC FOUR have been cast. They are:
That leaves two main parts still up for grabs, those being for Sue Storm/"The Invisible Woman" and Victor Von Damme/"Doctor Doom". Interestingly, this week's rumor published in the comic gossip column Lying in the Gutters stated that Elisha Cuthbert had landed the Sue Storm part. If that were indeed the case, wouldn't she have been revealed in the Reporter story?
Variety is the one that follows up on the missing Invisible Woman. The trade notes that they've heard buzz that the prime candidate for Sue is Jessica Alba (DARK ANGEL), but that Keri Russell (FELICITY) and Rachel McAdams are also possibilities.
[The Hollywood Reporter.]
July 12, 2004... With three of the FANTASTIC FOUR's quartet signed, sealed and delivered, all that remains is the announcement as to which actress will play the part of Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. Names have been swirling around for weeks, but this past weekend the amigos at Fanboy Planet decided to get in on the action and publish a tip they received. If it's real then we've found our Sue.
According to the Planet's scooper, actress Sarah Wynter (24, THE 6th DAY) isn't just up for the role, she's already got it. Wynter's name hasn't been mentioned by any outlet up until now, but if FB's scoop is right, we imagine that an announcement in the trades would be coming sometime this week.
[A shout out to Derek at Fanboy Planet for lending us the keys to their apartment in the Baxter building.]
July 14, 2004... Jessica Alba has won the role of The Invisible Woman in the FANTASTIC FOUR movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alba beat out other potential candidates Rachel McAdams (MEAN GIRLS) and Elizabeth Banks (SPIDER-MAN 2) for the part.
The DARK ANGEL actress is the final member of the superhero quartet which includes Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, Chris Evans as the Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as The Thing. Alba appeared most recently in HONEY and has a part in Robert Rodriguez's SIN CITY.
While no true details have leaked from Simon Kinsberg's script, it's believed that the movie's villain remains Doctor Doom. If that is still the case the character of Doom would be the final major member of the production left to be cast. [The Hollywood Reporter.]
August 4, 2004... According to The Hollywood Reporter, NIP/TUCK star Julian McMahon is in negotiations to play Doctor Doom in the FANTASTIC FOUR movie. The role of Doom, the picture's villain, is the final major part that the 20th Century Fox film is left to fill.
In the comics, Victor Von Doom was a brilliant but arrogant scientific genius as well as a friend and rival to Reed Richards before the latter flew into space with Sue Storm, her brother Johnny and pilot Ben Grimm. The four adventurers were bombarded by cosmic rays, developed superpowers and became the Fantastic Four. Back on Earth, Victor was injured through one of his experiments and was horribly scarred. Refusing to let anyone look upon his now-hideous face, Von Doom encased himself in a suit of armor and his megalomania ran unchecked. In the comic books Doom has been the greatest villain in the Fantastic Four's side throughout the decades, returning to strike against the team again and again.
Production on FANTASTIC FOUR is scheduled to commence this month for a July 1, 2005 release. [The Hollywood Reporter.]
August 23, 2004... With the cast for 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR now signed, and production slated to start on the film today, word has reached us of an important and rather large set that's been constructed inside an off-limits sound stage somewhere in Vancouver. Inside this building the creators of the FF movie have created a replica of part of New York City's famous Brooklyn Bridge, a landmark to the Big Apple for many decades and also a place where we've learned will require the special services of the Fantastic Four.
The mock bridge has been designed so that it's sturdy enough to support plenty of vehicles including (or so we've been told) ambulances, fire trucks and police cars, and it will be the focus of a major action sequence during the first act of the film. Construction on the bridge set has been going on for nearly all of this month.
In addition we've also learned that part of a downtown Vancouver parking lot will be dressed to look like a garden in the heart of New York City.
Filming on the FANTASTIC FOUR film will run until December. The movie is scheduled for release in July 2005.
[Anonymous.]
September 13, 2004... Ain't It Cool News has published a review of a recent draft of Simon Kinsburg's FANTASTIC FOUR screenplay. While it's not the shooting draft of the project, Moriarty's review of the superhero flick does fill in some of the story gaps that fans have been wondering about for a while. Among the items gleaned from the review is the nature of the relationships between the FF and Victor Von Doom at the start of the film; how the Fantastic Four and Doom receive their superpowers and what they are; a description of scenes from the script's first act that show the disasterous psychological affects that Ben Grimm's transformation into The Thing has on him and those around him; and it illuminates some of the changes made to Doctor Doom for the film from the comic book version.
All in all Moriarty remains guarded about what the screen story will mean for the end result. "I want to believe that Tim Story and Avi Arad and Kevin Feige and everyone at Fox know what they're doing and how to make that third act work on film," states Moriarty. "I want to believe that Dr. Doom isn't going to turn into an embarassment, and that Julian McMahon's going to be able to turn this stock character into something memorable. I want to believe that the film's structural weaknesses can be overcome by energy and a good cast and the right design team."
You can read the full script review here. [Ain't It Cool News.]
September 15, 2004... ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT reporter Maria Menounos has won a small part in Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR film, playing a nurse that catches the eye of Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. The movie is underway in Vancouver, Canada and stars Chris Evans as the Torch, Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Menounos will also appear on an episode of UPN's ONE ON ONE later this month as well as a future story arc on The WB's ONE TREE HILL. [The Hollywood Reporter.]
Early morning, September 16, 2004... With filming well underway on 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie, our network of spies have been hard at work digging up whatever facts we can land about the production. We were the first to tell you about a set that was to be constructed at a parking lot in downtown Vancouver, and today we're able to deliver to you photos of that location -- as well as shots of the art gallery which prominently displays a bust of The Thing! And to top it off, we also have a scoop report from yesterday's filming and an eyewitness description of the heroic character that everyone wants to know looks like -- The Thing!
For the past two weeks the movie's art department has been working on creating an abandoned, rusted out gas station-turned-art gallery/garden on the corner of Pender and Richards streets in downtown Vancouver. Our photos show the construction of the corner gas station from its start as pieces of lumber to its final form. It's testament to the craftsmanship of the show's production team that the old gas station looks like it's been standing there for years when in fact there was nothing in that space mere days before.
Right next door to the old gas station the production has built a store exterior for the "Kirby Gallery", the art gallery where we're told the sculptures of blind artist Alicia Masters will be on display. As fans of Marvel's FANTASTIC FOUR comic well know, Alicia is an important supporting character in the comic book, one of the few people that are able to look past Ben Grimm's mutated rocky exterior and see the kind, gentle man underneath. During the course of the FANTASTIC FOUR movie, Ben/The Thing will first be introducted to Alicia's creations when he passes by the front of the gallery and spots a sculpture of his rocky visage displayed in the front window. Gripped by what he initially believes is someone trying to profit from his misfortune, The Thing enters the art gallery and has his encounter with Alicia. It's here that the seeds of their friendship are first planted.
The photo above shows the sculpture of The Thing displayed in the window of the Kirby Gallery. As with all our spy photos, you can see larger views of them by clicking on the image in question.
Yesterday the production filmed the scene where The Thing, wearing the character's trademark street guise of an overcoat and fedora, passes by the art gallery window and sees his sculpture. For those who have been curious to know how the character has been translated for the screen, the actual full body Thing costume is surprisingly small, sized a little larger than an average man's dimensions except for the character's hands and feet which are proportionally bigger than the body. While The Thing's physical appearance does closely resemble the character from the comics, such as the orange-hued skin coloring, the rock-like plate skin appears to have been toned down just a little for the movie incarnation. Judging from our eyewitness report, The Thing's plates appear to be more rounded in their shape and not as jagged or craggy as the more modern versions of the character in the comic book. Our eyewitness was reminded a bit of the early Jack Kirby FANTASTIC FOUR comics where The Thing looked more softer and organic and not as rock-like. Perhaps there's more to naming the building the Kirby Gallery than just the obvious nod to the co-creator of the comic.
At the start of the day's filming the crew seemed to wish to cover up the look of The Thing as the actor prepared to film his scenes (it's unknown if Michael Chiklis, who has been cast as The Thing, wore the bodysuit for these scenes or if a stunt person was inside the costume.) Crew members draped a cape over the actor as he made his way to the street set, but once filming was underway it was easy for anyone passing by to see The Thing suit in full.
Click on any of the photos below to see larger views of the FANTASTIC FOUR sets.
[Our thanks to anonymous!]
Late morning, September 16, 2004... It's become a battle between the blockbusters for bragging rights to the Fourth of July long weekend for next year. 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR, which had staked out a July 1, 2005 opening and made it known months ago, now suddenly faces competition from Paramount Pictures and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. The Steven Spielberg directed sci-fi war epic has now set its domestic release date for Wednesday, June 29, 2005 -- two days ahead of Fox's FOUR.
The stakes are huge. Traditionally the Independence Day long weekend provides the richest opportunity for movie studios to earn a nice chunk of change from the box office. By moving WAR to an earlier opening slot, Paramount could steal some of Fox's thunder from its FANTASTIC FOUR grosses. While both films are special effects blockbusters, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS may have an advantage by being a Spielberg project that stars A-list leading man Tom Cruise. While it may not have the same star wattage as Spielberg's flick, FANTASTIC FOUR's major claim to fame is by being based on a popular comic book series that's been around for nearly four decades. That was enough for Sony Pictures' SPIDER-MAN when it bowed in theaters two years ago but will it be enough for the film debut of Marvel Comics' first family? [The Hollywood Reporter.]
Afternoon, September 16, 2004... Anonymous has returned with a new photo from last night's on-location filming of the FANTASTIC FOUR movie. This latest image shows the FF crew preparing to film the scene where The Thing walks down a New York street and spots a sculpture of his head/torso in an art gallery window.
This photo shows the Thing sculpture lit and in greater detail than the first image we published earlier today. In fact, this may be a different and more detailed art prop made for close-up shots. As you will be able to discern, the Thing sculpture does seem to match the description that our eyewitness provided in their initial report: the movie version of The Thing would appear to be more the size of Michael Chiklis' physique and not as massive as The Thing in the comic book. As well you can see the movie Thing's structure of his rock-like plates and how they appear to be much more smooth and organic looking than the comic book version's crag-like skin.
[Once again, thanks to anonymous.]
September 20, 2004... A number of new exclusives have popped up on the Web concerning the FANTASTIC FOUR movie, and we need to fill you in on what's been happening.
First up, Hollywood North Report has landed the best spy photo yet of Michael Chiklis as The Thing, snapped on the street during last week's filming at the faux Kirby Gallery location. The image confirms our earlier report from last week that the orange skin of the character appears to look more lumpy and less rock-like, similar to the way The Thing looked in the early issues of the FF comic book. There is also a rumor that this look may be just one stage of the The Thing's continuing transformation that we'll see in the movie.
Next is today's report from Comic Book Resources that IDs actress Kerry Washington (SHE HATE ME, THE HUMAN STAIN) as playing Alicia Masters, the blind sculptress that befriends The Thing and later becomes his girlfriend. Washington can actually be seen standing alongside Chiklis in his Thing costume in HNR's spy photo.
Finally, Superhero Hype reports that the FF production will film inside Vancouver's General Motors Place stadium this coming Wednesday, September 22. Extras are needed for the occasion and no one seems to know what the purpose of the scene is. [Comic Book Resources, Hollywood North Report, Superhero Hype.]
September 21, 2004... USA Today has published the first look of a member of the FANTASTIC FOUR in their superhero costumes. Jessica Alba, a.k.a. Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, is the heroine featured in the newspaper's exclusive image. The costume that Alba is wearing is similar to the dark blue spandex get-up worn by the FF in their comic book with two notable additions: there's a stripe that runs up the costume's side and upper sleeve, and there's a lot more cleavage to be seen from the movie version of Sue than there is in the comic book's version. Well, that's to be expected. [USA Today.]
September 24, 2004... High quality views of the FANTASTIC FOUR character photos that first appeared in the pages of USA Today earlier this week have finally sprouted online courtesy of 20th Century Fox. If you've been waiting for better resolution shots to see if there's grey in Reed Richards' hair, or what the skin of The Thing looks like in detail, now you have your chance.
Click on any of the four photos to see 'em big.
October 18, 2004... Superhero Hype has published the first image of Julian McMahon as Dr. Victor von Doom in FANTASTIC FOUR. The profile shot of the NIP/TUCK actor is of Doom as he first appears in the film and not in his metal mask or hooded green costume which comes later. Looking at the photo, one can certainly see why the rumors of McMahon playing the next James Bond sprang to life; the man sure makes a suit look good.
In other FANTASTIC FOUR news, Hollywood North Report has a round of new spy photos showing Michael Chiklis in his Thing costume entering a building. There are also shots of a street scene where dozens of New York taxis and cars are lined up. [Superhero Hype, Hollywood North Report.]
October 21, 2004... If you missed the Tuesday broadcast of Entertainment Tonight and the on the set preview of FANTASTIC FOUR, the internet is coming to your rescue. The segment is being hosted as a video file on a website, though for how long that will last we're unsure. The ET clip shows all four actors portraying the superhero team discussing their characters, as well as offering us actual clips from the movie, such as a scene showing Johnny Storm racing his bike or Ben Grimm lifting his fedora to show his rocky mug. There doesn't seem to be any completed special effects for Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch or the Invisible Woman, so if you were hoping to see what the powers of these three look like in action, it seems that you'll be waiting a little longer.
Meanwhile, continuing their spy coverage of the FANTASTIC FOUR movie while it films in Vancouver, Hollywood North Report has a new series of photos up showing the production shooting at the Plaza of Nations, an outdoor venue that's usually the site for concerts. The FF film shot at the Plaza (which was dressed as ESPN's X-Games) and Report's series of photographs show that it's a scene where The Thing (played by Michael Chiklis) and the Human Torch (Chris Evans) almost come to trade blows until Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) intervenes between the pair. Fans of the comic book will know that the Torch and the Thing have a well established antagonistic relationship and it looks like the movie is including that in its storyline. There are many shots of The Thing including a number that provide good detail on the layout of Chiklis' costume, from the layout of his chest plates down to the look of his stubby fingers.
Click here to begin thumbing through this latest batch of HNR photos. [Hollywood North Report.]
November 10, 2004... Via his website, comic book scribe Peter David has revealed that he will write the Pocket Books novel adaptation of 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie. In David's November 7 blog entry he states this fact and adds (no pun intended, we're sure) that this will be his fourth novelization of a Marvel comics movie.
"As for the FF film, I can tell you with authority (but without going into detail) that it is not at all the goofball comedy as first reported, but instead faithful in tone and style to the Lee/Kirby comics," David adds. "There's some major changes in terms of the origin, but less than what they did in ULTIMATE FF, and besides, c'mon--four people trying to get to the moon before the Russians? Just a TAD dated." [PeterDavid.net.]
November 19, 2004... Superhero Hype was the first to scan in and post today's image of Dr. Doom from the pages the new Entertainment Weekly magazine. The photo in question shows FANTASTIC FOUR star Julian McMahon in his emerald green Doom costume and wearing the trademark metal mask of the Latverian despot. Unlike the comic book version, Doom's mask isn't merely a faceplate in this film; instead it is a kind of living metal that has grown organically over his skin as a result of cosmic pay bombardment.
Hit the link above to see the Doom photo. [Entertainment Weekly, Superhero Hype.]
December 9, 2004... Superhero Hype has the first group photo of the FANTASTIC FOUR -- The Thing, Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman -- officially released by the movie studio. Strike a pose, cosmic powered heroes! [Superhero Hype.]
December 24, 2004... As principal photography on 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR winds down, we've been hearing stories about a last-minute change of plans that happened with the film -- and it's all due to another superhero movie called THE INCREDIBLES.
Two sources have now independently told us that the entire third act of FANTASTIC FOUR has undergone extensive changes as a result of Disney and Pixar's CGI family film THE INCREDIBLES. As it happens, we're told that once the creative FF team saw the stretching effects of the INCREDIBLES character Elastigirl, the final battle we're yet to see in FANTASTIC FOUR needed to be beefed up, especially what the character of Mister Fantastic was slated to do.
Here's what we're told: already burdened with a nine figure budget, and with five main characters all gifted with their own special powers (and thus their own expensive slate of special effects required to bring them to life), one of the ways to reduce the FANTASTIC FOUR expenses was to limit the time that Mister Fantastic would use his stretching abilities on the screen. However, once THE INCREDIBLES blasted on the scene, and audiences got a taste of what kind of things a human Mom could do with her super-stretching powers, the makers of FANTASTIC FOUR soon realized that they would have to push the envelope further. But how could they do that when the budget for FF was already well past $100 million dollars?
The answer turned out to be quite simple: 20th Century Fox stepped up to the plate and coughed up more dough. How much more is a matter of conjecture...but we've heard a check as big as $20 M may have been written by Fox just so FANTASTIC FOUR's Mister Fantastic could have more screen time to stretch across. Before you begin believinbg that FANTASTIC FOUR will be the mother of all stretching movies, that $20 M may not all go to just making Reed Richards stretch further than he was originally intended to do in the first place. After all, there's also the Human Torch, Invisible Woman, the Thing and Doctor Doom too...
It also turns out, in this post-INCREDIBLES landscape, that the third act of FANTASTIC FOUR had to undergo a major rewrite. We've heard stories of the writers and producers working overtime all through November and December as they thought about ways to ratchet up the film's final battles and the resolution. This has supposedly made for some frought moments as the script changed, almost daily -- and word has it, the changes made were to distance the FANTASTIC FOUR ending from that of THE INCREDIBLES.
Don't think just yet that all of this creative strife means the end result will be lacking; even while filming many productions undergo major changes to their storylines, sometimes requiring delays in filming as the script undergoes revisions. Entire sequences may be axed for any number of reasons while brand new scenes may be born as a result of adversity -- and if the film stands on its own, audiences will never know how many nights of sleep the cast, crew, director and producers lost. All final judgements on the merits of FANTASTIC FOUR will have to wait until opening day arrives.
[Special thanks to our sources working at the Baxter building for letting us know.]
December 29, 2004... Did Stan Lee ever dream of the day when he might star in the FANTASTIC FOUR movie when he and artist Jack Kirby created the world's greatest comic magazine? If Lee ever did, that dream has come true already: the legendary writer of some of Marvel Comics' greatest books has filmed a cameo appearance in Fox's FF film. With his cameos in X-MEN, DAREDEVIL and THE HULK, Lee's appearances in the big-screen Marvel movies have become something audiences have come to keep an eye out for when the next Marvel movie hits theater screens.
Yahoo Movies has posted a seven minute video clip showing Lee's trip to the set and filming of the mega-budgeted picture behind-the-scenes. As you'll see, Lee plays the part of the mailman for the Baxter Building (old school FANTASTIC FOUR comic readers will know the character's name is Willy Lumpkin), and during his scene he gets to greet and hand the mail to a smiling Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffuld). It looks like Lee may actually get to speak some dialogue in the film!
Download the FANTASTIC FOUR clip from here. The movie opens on July 1, 2005.
[Yahoo Movies.]
January 2, 2005... Thanks to the efforts of a well-placed and trusted source, we have been able to learn that the trailer for 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR movie will ship with prints of ELEKTRA, due out in theaters on January 14, 2005. While the placement of another Marvel movie trailer with ELEKTRA seems to be a no-brainer, confirmation of this didn't arrive until today.
Our source has also informed us that the trailer for FANTASTIC FOUR will be a teaser that will run one minute and 25 seconds in length. While nothing has been stated by Fox, we're guessing that the FF trailer will find its way onto the internet shortly before January 14 arrives.
[Special thanks to our cosmic-powered friend toiling in the trenches.]
January 14, 2005... As we we the first to report, today the long-anticipated trailer for 20th Century Fox's FANTASTIC FOUR film arrives in theaters attached to ELEKTRA. It doesn't appear that Fox will be releasing the trailer to the Web before the weekend starts, but they did give the trailer to MTV's Total Request Live, which aired it on yesterday's program.
Nevertheless, the team at The Fantastic 411, a fansite focusing on FANTASTIC FOUR information, has digitized the TRL trailer footage and is hosting it (for the moment) on their site. You can grab the trailer from here.
February 8, 2005... Twentieth Century Fox has pushed the release of "Fantastic Four" back a week to July 8.
July 2, 2005... ComicBookMovie.com recently did an interview with the FANTASTIC FOUR's Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards) regarding the soon-to-be released film.
Here's what Gruffudd had to say in regard to sequels:
ComicBookMovie.com: Speaking of sequels, you know Spider-Man is supposedly doing a total of 6 movies. Have they put a number on the Fantastic Four movies yet--assuming they are popular?
Ioan Gruffudd: As far as what we've signed up for, we've signed up to do 2 and 3. So, we're obliged to do 2 more, and we'd love to do more. [ComicBookMovie.com.]
