Paramount has a distribution deal with Marvel Studios through at least The Avengers (I’m not 100% sure if it includes Iron Man 3 or not), so many people have been wondering what would come for the superhero studio once they began marketing their films through new parent Disney. The answer (possibly): Dr. Strange.
Dr. Strange has always been a favorite of Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige, and he’s definitely in keeping with Feige’s stated interests in expanding the Marvel Movieverse beyond obvious superhero franchises. Dr. Strange is the master of the mystic arts, a Soho-dwelling doctor turned mystic who also happens to be Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. He’s had a spotty comic history – often beloved, especially by creators, and important in the formation of the 1960s psychedelic movement (seriously), Strange has never quite found the popularity to keep his series steadily afloat.
This all comes from a Deadline Hollywood scoop that Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer have been hired to write a script for Strange. These two wrote the upcoming Conan movie (that script is terrible) and have written a script based on Drake’s Fortune and they pitched in on a draft of Cowboys and Aliens. I’m sure they’re nice guys and all, but if Marvel’s going to be doing Dr. Strange, where’s Guillermo Del Toro, who loves the character and who – hey! – is available?
Side thought: if The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a hit, Disney could find themselves putting out two different modern day wizard franchises. Is there enough of a market for that concept to allow the studio to put one such movie out a year?
11 comments
oh the scripts these guys wrote aren't so good — well, I'm sure Marvel can fix this up, right? RIGHT? what about Captain America script? did you hear about any rewrite..? /// PS1 you need to add intensedebate, disqus or something like that PS2 add a twitter option to 'spread the word'
You know what's interesting…a lot of people think that we're on the verge of another psychedelic movement (lots of articles about it). I could see this film really hitting well if a new psych. movement hits us. Although you have to wonder, how would Disney feel about distributing a film about a sorcerer with psychedelic/drug undertones? When we're talking about Disney distributing…would something like this be distributed through something like Touchstone or another arm of Disney?
I don't know shit about comics but I've always thought a Dr. Strange film had way more potential than 3/4 of the hero films being talked about. As long as they don't hire shitty screenwriters…
I can't look at Dr. Strange's collar and NOT think of the "jizzed in my pants" digitial short from Sandberg et al on SNL.
Well, I suppose I would like to see Del Toro take a crack, but Hellboy 2 was pretty damn weak, especially on a script level. The big reason for Del Toro getting on board would be to attract first rate talent, like say, ummm, Viggo Mortensen. I know, prolly crazy, but at this early point why not?
Barring a GDT Dr. Strange film, I'd honestly prefer to see this property handled as an animated movie– Not a direct-to-video thing, mind you, but a Pixar-level feature film. I wouldn't even mind if they did it cartoony like The Incredibles or Bolt. (Although the Beowulf approach might work as well.) In a live action film the color palette and trippiness would necessarily have to be toned down, but in an animated film you could just go balls-to-the-wall.
I would like to see Jan Kounen reteam with Mads Mikkelsen (as Strange or Baron Mordo; get Jim Caviezel for Strange then) for a truly immersive experience. Soon to be Disney exec favorite after Tron Legacy, Olivia Wilde as Clea, and Peter Weller as her creepy uncle, Dormammu.
Can I get this image as a poster?
#8 – I do not know if it is still available, I got a vintage one at comicon a few years ago. It is a black light poster. Also psychedelic Dr. Strange (ala Ditko) would look great in 3D!
Wachowskis would destroy this. So would Jodorowsky.
Jodorowsky would be great, but unfortunately it wouldn't exactly have mainstream appeal.
Comments are shown as archived from the original site; new comments are closed.