The Incredible Hulk trailer is on its way. It debuts Wednesday night at 9:56 pm on all the MTV channels and Spike TV and VH1. It gets shown Thursday at ShoWest. And it plays this weekend in front of Universal pics in the theaters. (But it’s also being teased on YouTube now.) I’m told the pic’s producer-screenwriter-star Edward Norton helped get the trailer ready last week and loves it.
But does he also love the movie? Not yet.
I’m told that’s because Norton and Marvel are clashing over how to cut the pic. Insiders say Norton was “promised tremendous involvement and access” after Marvel invited him into the core team to rewrite Zak Penn’s script. Says one insider, “There’s a lot of posturing going on between Edward’s camp and Marvel over how you edit the final version.” Sources also tell me that, starting last night and continuing at least throughout today, the actor will be holed up with Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel, Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige, and director Louis Leterrier to try to “reach an amicable resolution” to this $150+ million film feud.
Some insiders blame Marvel for not accepting Norton’s POV about the movie. ”There’s a problem. Marvel won’t listen to Norton about the cut,” one source claims. But Norton has bonafides: he did that uncredited rewrite of Frida for his then girlfriend Selma Hayek and made his directorial debut on Keeping the Faith.
Some blame Norton, known to be prickly. Remember his problems with Paramount over The Italian Job and with director Tony Kaye over American History X? “Never let an actor write a script,” one insider commented. “Marvel made a mistake letting the wolf into the hen house.”
But I say that, after Ang Lee’s troubled The Hulk left audiences cold, The Incredible Hulk needs Edward Norton’s warm support if the pic’s gonna have any street cred. Some fear things blowing up to the point where Norton might not publicize the movie. And Marvel is petrified that the new Hulk may be judged “prematurely and unfairly.” (Or that bloggers will start claiming the Hulk franchise is cursed.)
Right now, Marvel is said to be about 4 to 5 weeks away from locking the movie for its June 13th release by Universal whose top execs haven’t yet seen it (“though some marketing guys have been working off a rough cut that’s in pretty good shape,” I’m told). “At this stage you always have discussions about what’s in the film and what’s not going to be in the film. Everyone’s very passionate, and Edward is very opinionated.” Said another source, “There is a very healthy exchange of ideas going on. Discussions now are even more heated. But some of Ed’s best movies have had this exact dynamic to them. Everyone’s in the process of figuring it out and working it out. But I expect it’ll all get resolved pretty quickly.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.


Messy Messy Messy.
When the first one was announced I remember thinking, “Who, on this planet, is actually out there waiting for them to make a Hulk movie?”
The superhero movies make commercial sense but the Hulk was always a second-string oddity, more at home as a guest in other characters’ titles.
And then when I heard they were giving the Hulk a sequel my thought was, “What, you didn’t learn the first time?”
Um, Ed. Love your work, dude. But, um…
YOU’RE NOT THE DIRECTOR!
It’s HIS job to cut the movie the way he sees fit, not yours.
Take pride in your script and acting and let the director do his job. If you really want final cut on your films then DIRECT THEM YOURSELF!
Sheesh.
This is why people don’t usually hire him. Why didn’t they see this coming?
If you hear more on this I would be grateful if you can report it. Esp if there is any info on what they are differing over in the cuts.
Norton is the main reason I am interested in this adaption of the Hulk. It would be horrid after all the effort that has been put in so far for things to fall apart.
PS In Apples Safari webbrowser (v3.1beta) the text for the Name, Mail & Website fields are in a dark yellowish colour which makes it impossible to read what was written. (Its the same colour as used in the surrounding comment box)
I think Norton makes terrific decisions as an actor, but it must be maddening as the director having your star trying to make editing and writing decisions. I don’t care how great your leading actor is, you can’t let him or her take over creative control of the picture.
Ed’s people need to get him in check. Who is going to want to work with this guy after he pulls these stunts time and time again? He’s a great actor no doubt but there are other great actors out there who aren’t such a pain in the ass. Especially on a movie of this size? No one is going to want to take these kinds of chances with him in the future if he keeps throwing temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his way.
The 16 second teaser trailer already looks much warmer than Ang lee’s HULK!! I hope Marvel and Ed work things out!
Me Hulk! Hulk very angry! Hulk no like Norton! Hulk smash Norton! Smash! Smash! Smash! Hulk want new movie to be great big success! Hulk no want another disappointment like last movie! Ang Lee make Hulk mad! Hulk no like Marvel either! Hulk think Marvel don’t know what Hulk wants! Only Hulk know what Hulk wants! Hulk may be fictional comic book creation but Hulk gets what Hulk wants! And right now Hulk wants final cut! No final cut for Hulk no Hulk movie in June! Hulk will smash all prints of the picture! Smash! Smash! Smash!
I love Edward Norton’s work, and I hate what this imbicile is doing. MY WISH: THAT SOMEDAY HE DIRECTS A MOVIE HIMSELF WITH SOME STAR (like Brad Pitt) AND THEN THE STAR (BECAUSE HE’S BIGGER THAN NORTON) LOCKS HIMSELF IN THE EDIT BAY (WITH THE STUDIO’S BACKING) AND RE-EDITS NORTON’S PICTURE. AND NORTON CAN THEN KNOW THE GUT-WRENCHING FEELING OF HAVING A STAR STEAL THE MOVIE FROM THE DIRECTOR.
That’s my Christmas wish for the little bastard. But don’t get me wrong, I still think he’s a wonderful actor… and another thing – where in the hell is the DGA while all this is going on? Wimping out again? Hello? Director’s Guild? Anybody home??
“The Incredible Hulk needs Edward Norton’s warm support if the pic’s gonna have any street cred.”
Because if there’s one thing the kids on the street care about, it’s Ed Norton’s approval.
Sorry but can anyone take Edward Norton seriously anymore?
He thinks he’s hot shit and was turning scripts down left and right when he had a multi picture deal at Paramount and the only reason he did THE ITALIAN JOB is because Paramount threatened to sue his uppity ass to kingdom come.
Then there was the AMERICAN HISTORY X fiasco where he almost drove the director to suicide and out of the business thanks to his “meddling”.
Then he was bitching about not getting co-writer credit for “rewriting” FRIDA for his then girlfriend Salma Hayek after the WGA deemed his changes to be minimal at best.
Then while promoting THE PAINTED VEIL he tried to tell anyone who would listen that he broke his back during filming but didn’t realize it at the time and simply jumped back up and continued with the scene. HELLO??? If you break your back, you won’t be getting up and finishing a scene. My grandmother slipped a disk in her back and her life was never the same. Breaking your back would be even worse.
He pretends to be some great actor but his pathetic performance in THE SCORE opposite De Niro and Brando just showed how bland and fake he is when it comes to acting. Doing that movie was a bad movie because those two guys really showed him up.
Also, the first and only movie he’s directed was an overlong romcom that I had the misfortune of finally seeing a couple of weeks ago on cable. Jesus! Was that terrible. And the fact that the movie kept going on and on (an almost two and a half hour romcom) just goes to show what an ego he has.
And now he’s done a HULK flick and he still has illusions that he’s a great actor. News flash, Edward. If you were a great actor you wouldn’t be wasting your time with this cinematic drivel.
I mean, the guy isn’t even box office so why does Hollywood put up with his uppity act?
It’s funny reading all these posts about whether or not the “actor” should be involved in the editing process.
If it’s in his contract to let him have access then he is more than just the “actor”.
He is writer, producer, actor with aditional privaledges in the production.
They gave that to him. And that gives him the right.
Now, none of us knows what the final cut looks like.
He may very well be saving the film by being passionate and “opinionated” about it.
What I do know is that I like almost every movie this guy has ever made. He’s a top-notch talent.
Nothing is more annoying than to be the writer only to have a director misinterpret your vision of the story.
And I trust Norton over Leterrier(sp)any day!
Norton has an incredible body of work, what does Leterrier have….”the Transporter”???
Actually, Norton IS a director.
My concern here is with Marvel. Without enough time to get the script worked out, they insisted that Venom be included in Spider-Man 3, replacing the director’s preference,The Vulture. That resulted in the very dissappointing sequel and is probably why Raimi won’t commit to another one until a script is done.
Yeah, and I mean, you think Ang Lee didn’t bring the street cred? They’re obviously worried about another autuer stirring the pot. Though I don’t know why they hired him in the first place.
If he’s one of the acting Exec producers, presumably he wanted the role so he COULD have a say on the look and feel of the film? And if it’s going way off the mark he has a right to say so, surely?
Granted he’s more vocal than the usual actor, but he’s passionate and a perfectionist – things that should be lauded in these apathetic take-the-money-and-run times.
I hate this assumption, by the way, that actors are somehow thicker than the average producer or diretor, and couldn’t possibly know what they’re talking about when it comes to the look and style and direction of a film. There are bimbos out there, sure, and they may make up the majority. But you won’t find them turning up again and again in the kind of work Norton has done. Give this actor=idiot cliche a rest.
Funny Nikki, I was thinking to myself “Hulk and other comic-book movies are cursed”…and that was right BEFORE I got to your line above about the very same thing
I actually don’t think he’s all that great of an actor. I watch Ed Norton and get extremely frustrated. He comes off as exceptionally emotionally closed off and seems very self-involved. This sort of proves that that’s true. It’s all about him.
Ripper just got it spot on.
The only reason the movie has a chance is b/c of Norton, if they gave him access to the final cut in his contract, then give him access. I think he’s more than proven himself worthy. Also, stop w/the Norton bashing – after all, we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. I’m sick of people mentioning AHX everytime….in that case the studio ASKED Norton to help edit the film b/c Kaye (the director) sat on it for 11 months and they wanted a movie. I’d say it turned out pretty good, so I say Marvel should listen.
Norton used to be an interesting actor. But when was the last time he actually did a good movie? He was terrific in Primal Fear. He was terrific in American History X.
Everything else?
SUCKED!
Why does he continue to get offered anything?
So many issues, but bottom line for me, the ONLY reason I would see this film is because Ed Norton is in it..
I thought American X was a great film and he was great in it. And The Score, come on, he more than held his own with two men who re-defined acting. I’ve liked everything he has ever done and he HAS the talent to back up his requests. If he is given this control in his contract ( and I’m assuming he wouldn’t sign on if he didn’t get it) then he is entitled to use it. More power to him!
Peggy Lane O’Rourke
Norton’s career/profile has certainly declined but I recall him being very good in Spike Lee’s underrated 25th Hour a couple of years ago. As others have said though, his sole directorial effort – that film about the priest and the rabbi falling for the same girl (yikes!) – was woeful.
However, if the producers invited Norton to write and co-produce then they can’t really complain about him getting overly involved. If you want the actor to stick to acting then only hire them to do that!
Did you know Edward Norton supposedly gets furious if people call him Ed Norton, as he doesn’t like being compared to Art Carney’s famous and beloved character.
Edward WISHES any work he’s done has been half as memorable.
Well…I am sure that my kids will be happy to see it! There have to be fanatics for everything. I am sure there are Hulk fanatics as well!