KENNETH BRANAGH REFUSES THOR’S HAMMER

What's Bernard Rose doin' next year?

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

What's Bernard Rose doin' next year?

Oh my God I think I am in LOVE with this suggestion.

I would like to see David Yates...but that's just me.

Hmm I haven't seen anything by Rose, but a director with a history of Tolstoy adaptations sounds almost as good as a director with a history in Shakespeare. They'd be smart to keep the "distinguished, classy director with literary tendencies" formula intact, I think.

Nice trailer. It does seem like a great idea, especially since Branagh proved action chops aren't crucial for this kind of a deal. I'm gonna Netflix a few of Rose's movies, thanks for the heads up.

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Originally Posted by JMulder 

Hmm I haven't seen anything by Rose, but a director with a history of Tolstoy adaptations sounds almost as good as a director with a history in Shakespeare. They'd be smart to keep the "distinguished, classy director with literary tendencies" formula intact, I think.

Dude also directed Candyman!
 

Even tho I'm a long way from a fan of the guys work normally, for some reason I keep imagining how interesting it would be if Baz Luhrman was let loose on Thor. It'll never happen - his Gatsby would have to bomb pretty hard and even then - but as far as a match of director with material goes I think the end result would be fascinating.

This is a little surprising... Since a sequel would most likely be Aasgard centered. And you could tell the Aasgard scenes were the only ones Branagh was truly invested in as a director.

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Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

Even tho I'm a long way from a fan of the guys work normally, for some reason I keep imagining how interesting it would be if Baz Luhrman was let loose on Thor. It'll never happen - his Gatsby would have to bomb pretty hard and even then - but as far as a match of director with material goes I think the end result would be fascinating.

Ewwwww, no. I love you, Rain Dog, but Luhrman drives me up the fucking wall with his migraine-inducing direction. I couldn't last 20 minutes into his Romeo x Juliet, and I've tried at least 3 times to watch Moulin Rouge, never lasting more than 30 minutes. I've been told to try and finish Rouge at some point, as it apparently calms the hell down at some point, but I dread the idea of him taking on a summer tentpole.

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Originally Posted by Erix 

This is a little surprising... Since a sequel would most likely be Aasgard centered. And you could tell the Aasgard scenes were the only ones Branagh was truly invested in as a director.

Would it? We can assume that by the end of THE AVENGERS that Thor will be Earth based. Asgard ain't a cheap place to film, and Marvel will no doubt want to squeeze a few extra pennies out of this sequel.

I'll a little disappointed to see Branagh go, even if he never made any claims that he'd be sticking around. Still, Marvel have had a good history with hiring talented directors (best represented by switching from Favreau to Black), so fingers crossed for an interesting choice (@Art Decade, Bernard Rose is inspired!)

I would be so down for a Baz Luhrmann Thor movie -- but with him in his more restrained Australia mode rather than his batshit Romeo and Juliet mode (and yes, I realize I just called the bloated slog Australia "restrained"). His style might be too distinctive to really mesh with the rest of the Marvel films, though.

Nicolas Winding Refn, in Valhalla Rising mode, just to screw with people.

Refn's exactly the kind of weird-but-plausible name I could see them going after, actually.

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Originally Posted by Disciple_72 

Nicolas Winding Refn, in Valhalla Rising mode, just to screw with people.

Nice suggestion but it's more likely I direct Thor than this.

I'm kind of sad about this.

I'm disappointed that Kenneth Branagh won't be directing Thor 2, but given that the sequel will less likely have those father & son scenes and probably emphasis more on action, perhaps it's not a bad idea to get another director and move the series into another direction. How about Sam Raimi? Spider-man 3 aside, I thought he did a good job with the first two Spider-man movies.

It'll never happen but... Zhang Yimon. Just imagine what he'd do with the Nine Realms...

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Originally Posted by avian 

It'll never happen but... Zhang Yimon. Just imagine what he'd do with the Nine Realms...

While we're in that avenue of thinking, a Thor film directed by Tarsem might work. He certainly knows how to make EPIC looking films on a shoestring. The Fall also demonstrated that he knows how to direct actors.

It is sad news, considering how much I like him as a director. But to be honest I never really saw him staying on beyond one film anyway.

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Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

Refn's exactly the kind of weird-but-plausible name I could see them going after, actually.

It could happen.  Let's not forget the fact that Refn is running all over Tinseltown practically begging to direct a Wonder Woman movie.  If DC & Warner Bros. aren't smart enough to scoop him up, Marvel should do it!

I haven't see the following name come up and he might actually do it, if he isn't burnt out on comic adaptations:  Matthew Vaughn.  After all, he was the original director attached to make Thor and ended up leaving when Marvel decided to scale back the Asgardian elements (the original script was almost entirely based in Asgard and the surrounding realms).  If Fox doesn't decide to push forward with X-Men: First Class II (or decides to sign a different helmer), Vaughn might be up for it.  As far as I know, he doesn't really have much in the works aside from two sequels on shaky ground (First Class II, Kick-Ass II) and a couple adaptations of lesser known comic properties (American Jesus, The Golden Age, Turf) that he is more likely to produce than direct.

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Originally Posted by Paul Allen 

 

Would it? We can assume that by the end of THE AVENGERS that Thor will be Earth based. Asgard ain't a cheap place to film, and Marvel will no doubt want to squeeze a few extra pennies out of this sequel.

 

I'll a little disappointed to see Branagh go, even if he never made any claims that he'd be sticking around. Still, Marvel have had a good history with hiring talented directors (best represented by switching from Favreau to Black), so fingers crossed for an interesting choice (@Art Decade, Bernard Rose is inspired!)

How exactly is it expensive?  I'm sure they've kept the sets at least partially intact (as well as the digital shots of the kingdom) and most adventures throughout the other realms could be shot on location.  Afterall, we are talking about a cave-filled dwarf realm, a forest-covered elf realm, etc.  Hell, if you actually decide to shoot in a wintery location, the Frost Giants homeland could be shot relatively cheap..............outside of a few sets here and there.  There is absolutely no reason that we couldn't have more Asgard in the sequel.  Obviously we will get Earth sequences, as Natalie Portman & co. all signed three-film contracts.  Who's to say that Jane Foster won't be kidnapped by the Enchantress?  There are countless possibilities and adventures that can be had with Thor.  Making him completely (or even mostly) Earth-based makes him no different than any other superhero and is a waste of the character.  Plus, setting it mainly in Asgard and the other realms is a smart way to avoid "Why don't the rest of the Avengers show up to help?" comments.  We need to see more of Sif and the Warriors Three!  More Odin and Frigga!  More villains (Enchantress, Executioner, Absorbing Man, etc.)!  We need to see the other realms!  Feige knows this and already seems set on expanding the cosmic and magical elements of the Marvel Filmverse (hence The Inhumans and Dr. Strange being scripted as we speak).  I would expect Asgard to have the same amount of screentime as the first, if not more.  If this series is to make it on its own outside of Avengers, it needs to continue distinguishing itself from the rest.

As for Branagh?  Apparently he wants to direct something small next, instead of practically going straight into prep work on a Thor sequel (which will likely shoot in about a year).  I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel got him back for the inevitable Thor III though.  Also, I won't be surprised to see him listed as a producer on Thor II.

Interesting. I think Matthew Vaughn (Who almost directed Thor in the first place) is a great choice.

Paul Verhoeven, John Milius, Danny Boyle and my even outer choice of Ronny Yu.

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Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 

 We need to see more of Sif and the Warriors Three! 

For emphasis.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

While we're in that avenue of thinking, a Thor film directed by Tarsem might work. He certainly knows how to make EPIC looking films on a shoestring. The Fall also demonstrated that he knows how to direct actors.

Tarsem's actually an inspired choice. He's good with actors and has the perfect visual sensibilites, though his movies are hit-and-miss.

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Originally Posted by Evi 

Tarsem's actually an inspired choice. He's good with actors and has the perfect visual sensibilites, though his movies are hit-and-miss.

With Immortals coming out, it looks like Tarsem is making an overdue stab at the big leagues. So far, he has one genuinely great near-classic film & one handsome but dreadful movie under his belt. But if Immortals actually plays, it'd be great to see him on the Thor 2 shortlist. And most importantly, since this is Marvel we're talking about, the guy knows how to stretch a dime like a muthaf*cker.

I wouldn't mind seeing Neil Marshall's take on Thor. I feel like he's been ready for bigger budget fare for a while now.

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Originally Posted by Anger Management 

I'm disappointed that Kenneth Branagh won't be directing Thor 2, but given that the sequel will less likely have those father & son scenes and probably emphasis more on action, perhaps it's not a bad idea to get another director and move the series into another direction. How about Sam Raimi? Spider-man 3 aside, I thought he did a good job with the first two Spider-man movies.

Doubt it'll happen, but I actually really like that suggestion. My biggest problem (and personal deal-breaker) with the Spider-Man films was the dud casting of Grace and Dunst, which obviously wouldn't be a problem here. Throw in some interesting new baddies, and I think he could do a pretty inspired take, with the mystical setting letting him go weirder places than he could with Spidey.

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Originally Posted by Sherman Davies 

I wouldn't mind seeing Neil Marshall's take on Thor. I feel like he's been ready for bigger budget fare for a while now.

Great idea!  Marshall has vied for studio projects before (Conan the Barbarian, Predators, Dune, Sherlock Holmes, Drive, etc.) but hasn't been lucky enough to snag one yet.  Chasing after a Marvel project (be it this or another) would be a great idea for him.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

With Immortals coming out, it looks like Tarsem is making an overdue stab at the big leagues. So far, he has one genuinely great near-classic film & one handsome but dreadful movie under his belt. But if Immortals actually plays, it'd be great to see him on the Thor 2 shortlist. And most importantly, since this is Marvel we're talking about, the guy knows how to stretch a dime like a muthaf*cker.

 

Let's not forget that Tarsem is also directing Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer in one of the two competing Snow White movies next year.  So if Immortals doesn't work out for him financially (I don't think it will), I'm sure that one might.

Raimi should stay as far away from this as possible. He's done three superhero movies already -- plus, Drag Me To Hell is still fucking amazing. I want more original projects from him, and I don't have much of a desire to see Thor realized in the Raimi aesthetic. I just don't see it working. Plus the Spider-Man movies only have two forms of baddie -- sympathetic baddie that inevitably achieves third act redemption (Doc Ock, Sandman, James Franco) and wildly evil, cackling baddie (GG, Venom). I don't want to see Loki, one of the most complex villains we've seen in comic book movie, slotted into one of those easy archetypes.

Personally I think the best suggestions have been Neil Marshall, Vaughn (who really doesn't need another superhero franchise either), Refn, and Bernard Rose. Tomas Alfredson could also be a great choice, especially considering the whole "dueling British thespians" angle Tinker, Tailor seems to be going for. And while a Verhoeven Thor sounds like it might be the most intriguingly bizarre movie ever made, I don't even want to imagine the behind-the-scenes conflict that would go down between him and Marvel.

Correction: Forget the idea of Tarsem directing Thor 2, Marvel needs to hire him to bring Dr Strange to the screen.

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Originally Posted by Sherman Davies 

I wouldn't mind seeing Neil Marshall's take on Thor. I feel like he's been ready for bigger budget fare for a while now.

I would most certainly be down for that, but I reckon Marshall would be ideal for one of those lower budget films Marvel have been rumoured to be looking toward.  Give me MJW and Scott Adkins as Luke Cage and Iron Fist as directed by Neil Marshall for a "scant" $20-30 million, and I'd be in Heaven.

The NZ Natural, I would be up for an...Power Man and Iron Fist film, especially if, Luke and Danny wear their...70's era outfits and are joined by...The Daughters Of The Dragon, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight!

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Originally Posted by The NZ Natural 

I would most certainly be down for that, but I reckon Marshall would be ideal for one of those lower budget films Marvel have been rumoured to be looking toward.  Give me MJW and Scott Adkins as Luke Cage and Iron Fist as directed by Neil Marshall for a "scant" $20-30 million, and I'd be in Heaven.

 

I think I love you. Make that film Marvel please....

My love for THE 13TH WARRIOR says "Let John McT outta director jail for THOR 2!"

But Milius or Verhoeven or Refn? Sure, if they can push the PG-13 rating to the max.

Seconded, John McT would be a great helmer for Thor 2.