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EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios is getting close to naming a director for Thor 2, and I’m hearing they might go with a surprise: Patty Jenkins, best known for directing Charlize Theron to an Oscar in Monster, and also for directing the superb pilot for AMC’s The Killing. This would be a real surprise, because women directors aren’t usually high on the list for superhero movies. Let’s see how this plays out, but it looks pretty serious. Kenneth Branagh directed the original.
This is all expected to happen soon. Marvel and Disney have set a July 26, 2013 release date for the sequel, which brings back Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding superhero, and Thor co-writer Don Payne is writing the script. The original grossed $448 million worldwide and launched the star of Hemsworth, who is currently playing the latter title role opposite Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman for Universal.
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Great. Because “Monster” and “The Killing” were both such great examples of a nice blend of action, camp and humor. Good idea. Not.
Jenkins has also directed episodes of Arrested Development and Entourage. So she’s capable of comedy (at least with AD) and dark drama, I think this film will be in good hands.
Yes, superhero movies should ONLY be directed by people who have great examples of action, comedy and humor. Like Christopher Nolan.
They went with Patty cause Atom Egoyan was unavail.
That’s kinda genius
What’s wrong with Branagh? I thought he exceeded expectations.
LOL! You’re kidding? Thor was a critical dud and not up to Marvel standards. Branagh can be a fine director but the script and his direction did not deliver a great superhero/fantasy movie.
Asgard, instead of looking like a Nordic mythic realm looked like a generic, high tech alien city. The film talked about science and magic being one but where was that scene in Asgard?
And the story? Ugh! It was paint by numbers cliche. Bad boy ne’er-do-well kid gets his comeuppance and then becomes a hero. Really? Even an old tale can be told with some novelty and flair.
In contrast, Marvel’s Captain America succeeded in telling an origin story that didn’t get stuck in cliche. It was a World War II story with super hero and sci-fi elements.
umm… from a critical standpoint, I think Captain America and Thor have pretty much the same RT score (78% to 77%)
>> What’s wrong with Branagh?
Nothing, Marvel wanted him back. He was the one who declined.
YES! Please let this happen. She won’t disappoint.
I hope they will include the following characters in future Thor sequels:
Balder, Beta Ray Bill, Frey, Hermod, Hercules, Hoder, Hrimhari, Idunn, Kelda, Thor Girl, Thunderstrike, Tyr, Valkyrie, Vidar, Volla, Zeus
I look forward to seeing the following villains in future Thor sequels:
Absorbing Man, Atum, Bloodaxe, Cobra, Desak, Ego the Living Planet, Enchantress, Executioner, Fafnir, Fenris Wolf, Grey Gargoyle, Hela, Karnilla, Kurse, Lorelei, Malekith the Accursed, Man-Beast, Mangog, Midgard Serpent, Mr. Hyde, Mongoose, Perrikus, Quicksand, Radioactive Man, Ragnarok, Seth, Surtur, Ulik, Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball), Ymir, Zarrko
Nerd.
LOLOLOLOLOL…I know, right….God bless him!!!
Hmmm…
Lest we forget Lexi Alexander’s Punisher: War Zone. (Which wasn’t Marvel’s decision, but still.)
Marvel’s penchant for unconventional choices in director has worked so far, though.
You mean like their “unconventional” choice Ang Lee? Yeah, that worked out well (spit).
Um…that was Universal’s movie (licensed from Marvel). Marvel Studios didn’t exist back then. And when Marvel made their own Hulk movie (2008′s The Incredible Hulk – distributed by Universal) – they picked a much better director/leading male team of Louis Leterrier and Edward Norton.
It’s not like the Shakespeare lovin’ Branagh was an obvious choice either and he did great work. I love that they’re thinking outside the box.
The only thing Lexi Alexander and Patty Jenkins have in common are that they are both women.
If that’s the level of comparison we’re going by, I’m going to say Jenkins’s Thor 2 will be as awesome as Iron Man 1 because she and Favreau are both white.
Wow! Didn’t love monster, but i find the choice to be inspired. let’s see what happens. another curve-ball from the house of ideas…
Interesting but Game Of Thrones Brian Kirk seems like a better fit?
With buzz that there could be at least one or two prominent new female roles in this one (who are on the surface, seemingly all about temptation for Thor), plus hopefully the return of Portman, Marvel’s potential choice here is significant, and shows that they know they need to get someone with a grasp on how to convey strong roles for women within a traditionally male-dominated genre… Nice left-field, but smart choice, once again, Marvel… (and cheap, I’d imagine)
Outstanding…
Glad to hear she gets to play with all the latest toys, since THOR was overbudget and to the gills with unnecessary design trappings.
Marvel, you are ridiculous. The end is coming soon… These movies are of minimal artistic value and audiences are tiring of the same recycled sh*t.
Love this idea. It might be a risk, but by putting “tentpole” type movies in the hands of skilled story tellers (as opposed to quick cut editors or pyrotechnic artists) you stand a better chance of having a compelling plotline to go along with the standard action.
I would have agreed with this until witnessing Marc Forester direct one of if not the worst James Bond movies and add the only bad movie to his body of work to date.
People keep saying that, but I don’t think those people have seen Moonraker.
Do we need anymore Thor movies? I don’t think so.
So will she get someone like Christina Ricci to bulk up and make herself ugly looking like a man to play Thor?
Why does Thor have to a blend of action, “camp” and “humor”? Why do people still think comic book is synonymous with “not being serious?” I swear people in Hollywood still think there is no difference between a comic book and a comic strip. I’d love to see Thor given a more serious take, not that I didn’t enjoy Branagh’s movie enormously because I did, but I don’t need camp or humor.
I hear what you’re saying, but even Nolan’s Batman franchise had moments of levity. It’s tough not to when you’re characters are grown men wearing rubber suits or spandex.
Some comic/fantasy/whatever projects can get by on straightforward dour humorlessness. The series about the Space Viking and his Magic Hammer is not one of them.
The fact that Marvel had to wait for the pre-release screening audience feedback to realize that “Thor” was playing better to children (No! Really!!??) was proof-positive of what a sorry state superhero-fandom is in.
Much as I’m expecting to enjoy “Dark Knight Rises,” I seriously want the candy-colored bag of pulp-scifi silliness that “Avengers” is bound to be blows it’s oh-so-serious ass out of the water. It’s time for dark to die.
Doesn’t sound like a bad idea – different directors. But personally I think most Marvel Characters can be played by different actors except for Iron Man which Robert Downey Jr IS. I would prefer Eric From True Blood be the next Thor. So Alexander, start doin those pushups!
Finally an inspired, out-of-the-box decision, she is remarkably talented, The Killing pilot was truly fantastic. I hope this happens…I also hope Natalie Portman will return for the sequel.
Couldn’t disagree more about Portman. She was useless and lacked any sort of charisma in Thor and she had zero chemistry with Hemsworth. I didn’t buy her as a scientist, much less an awkward love interest and I really hope they re-cast her. I think she’s a talented actress, but she was god-awful in Thor.
I believe Joss Whedon (currently directing “The Avengers”) will re-calibrate the yardstick by which directors of these comic-book movies are measured. He has vision. (And, BTW, I’m certain there are a lot of male directors who could do justice to bodice-ripping romance stories but do you want to INVEST in such a notion?) Some of these action stories require testosterone to understand the motivations. I, for one, really do not want to get in touch with my feelings and I’ll bet I have a lot of company.
There isn’t a Mrs. Maverick, is there?
Why? Mocking or Flirting? What they are trying to do makes no objective sense; it just another form of “outsourcing” to go a cheaper route. It’s for the same reason they have Pakistanis making our underwear (whether it makes any sense or not.) Cheaper.
I’d like to see a good Thor movie so I wish this director the best of luck. But what we really need is a good screenplay. The original Mark Protosevich screenplay was a work of art and it earned its way onto the list of best unproduced screenplays. Marvel Studios ruined that script by shoehorning it into the Avengers storyline – which is why you now have a film that shows Thor getting tasered by a teenage girl and eating scrambled eggs in a diner with poorly written, forgettable, contemporary human characters. By the time his godly compatriots show up to rescue him (walking through a dusty New Mexico town dressed like they just left Narnia) the whole thing is so laughable that even the SHIELD agents have to make a few jokes (as if to acknowledge the ridiculousness of this scenario before the audience realizes it first). My advice to this director is to keep Thor away from contemporary Earth. The best Thor stories take place in the characters’s mythological backdrop. Also, for the love of God, don’t shoot this thing in 2D and then post-convert it. It’s hard enough to make out what’s going on in the Jotunheim scenes when watching in 2D. In 3D, it’s unwatchable.
Sorry. The only woman director I would trust with Thor would be Kathryn Bigelow. She could direct the hell out of a Thor sequel. Any other woman is absolutely incapable of doing so. Get Kathryn Bigelow Marvel!
The Killing pilot was outstanding….