Fox Hires Akiva Goldsman to Reboot Fantastic Four
We live in an age where audiences are so desperate for their favourite properties to be absolutely perfect on the big screen that they are willing to sit through multiple incarnations until the studios get it right. If something doesn’t work the first time, just start over again and erase all memories of what came before. It makes great business sense, since it allows studios to save money by hiring a younger cast. Of course, it also goes against Marvel’s new approach to making comic book movies, which involves a commitment to continuity and plenty of crossovers between characters and storylines.
The latest reboot on the horizon is Marvel’s Fantastic Four franchise, which currently resides at 20th Century Fox. The first two movies combined made over $600 million worldwide, but comic book fans complained about some of the casting choices and the lighthearted treatment of the material. Variety reports that Fox has now hired writer/producer Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend) to oversee the re-invention of this franchise. Although we don’t know what their plans are specifically, we do know that they have also hired TV writer Michael Green (Smallville, Heroes) to pen a script. Green recently co-wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Green Lantern movie. What do you think, is a Fantastic Four reboot a good move? Do you want to see them take the series in a darker, more serious direction, or should they keep it light?
Comments (13)
What? It’s only been three years! This is the kind of scenario people joke about. Still, I had no interest in the last Fantastic Four, maybe I’ll care to see the new one.
Posted by Kim on September 1st, 2009I never understood the vibe that made them think that FF should be done lighthearted. Maybe it’s the suits, maybe it’s the fact that they’re not real dark or serious anyway, but the FF have dealt with a lot of big, weighty stories in their history. It can be balanced more for sure. It doesn’t have to X-Men heavy but certainly Spider-man for example has a somewhat more humorous character in the Marvelverse, so it can be done like Spidey.
Posted by Maopheus on September 1st, 2009A serious Fantastic Four movie will not work. Mark my words. It just will not. Sometimes certain properties need to stay somewhat lighthearted. And I didn’t even hate those movies. I thought overall they were okay. But the Fantastic Four just doesn’t have the potential to be the next Dark Knight. Get Guillermo Del Toro to do a story involving the MoleMan and you may have a winner. Otherwise, let it alone.
Posted by Dane on September 1st, 2009The problem with the first two Fantastic Four movies isn’t the tone – it’s that the action was minimal and/or not very good.
Posted by Goon on September 1st, 2009They are the Fantastic Four, but there was no sense of the fantastic in the last two films. Instead it was two rather mundane kids movies. If they want to keep it light, that’s great, but at least give the kids some spectacle, some worlds they have never seen before.
Posted by Patrick H. on September 1st, 2009Im so sick of hearing about. How every comic book needs to be serious. All you need is a decent story and some grade A action. Do we really need another story about a tortured soul?
Keep it light, kick ass action and not a big cloud at the end. It will work.
Posted by Hugo Van Nor on September 1st, 2009As an experiment I would like to see them take 4 writer/director teams and give them each 25% of the movie to work on separately… but only have the teams know only where the last story left off and make one movie out of it. This would be very comic book like. Of course use the same actors and sets. Think about how comics work they often pass off the story and art work as it moves on. Again just an experiment…. it could be a cluster though….
Posted by BigHungry on September 1st, 2009Jay is gonna be pissed.
Posted by mrbenning on September 1st, 2009I dont think the casting was all that bad –
The casting of Reed (Mr. Fantastic) and Johnny (Human Torch) I actually thought were pretty well done.
Obviously the choice of Jessica Alba as Sue was pretty friggin terrible: 1) She is supposed to be a blond scientist (not a teen hardbody) 2) She is blonde and fair skinned (not a dark skinned brunette), and 3) She is Johnny’s sister – and they looked nothing alike in the movie. Furthermore – Jessica Alba is an awful actress and can’t do action either – she should stick to films where she in a bathing suit for 90% of the time – thats where her strenght lies.
Ben (The Thing) – Terrific casting, and the suit even got the rocky skin texture right, the only problem was he was tiny-tiny-tiny!!! The Thing should be HUGE – not Hulk huge, but pretty damn close. They need to CG his body (but don’t use shitty Avatar CG) or use a bigger costume.
I hope they reboot the FF. Make mine Marvel.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on September 1st, 2009I actually like your idea BigHungry.
Posted by Deven Science on September 1st, 2009This concept (BigHungry) was done (not with a comic-book) but with the Hong Kong film Triangle between three directors (Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark). That film was called “TRIANGLE”
Posted by Kurt on September 2nd, 2009this is dumb and stupid.
the fantastic 4 movies only work as little kid flicks. they would look bad making it into a “dark” movie because its a silly ass concept with funny comics and a guy that says “its clobbering time”. but when it’s light-hearted, the action element never turns out any good.
either keep it what it is (a kids movie), or don’t make it at all. either way, im not going to pay ten bones to see it…
Posted by Ledgewood on September 2nd, 2009Typo-fixed:
This concept (BigHungry) was done (not with a comic-book, but) with a Hong Kong production between three directors (Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark). That film was called “TRIANGLEâ€
Posted by Kurt on September 2nd, 2009Leave a Reply