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The Incredible Hulk (film)

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For the 2003 film, see Hulk (film).

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The Incredible Hulk
File:Incrediblehulkrealearlyteaser.jpg
Teaser poster
Directed byLouis Leterrier
Written byScreenplay:
Edward Norton
Zak Penn
Comic book:
Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
Produced byAvi Arad
Gale Anne Hurd
Kevin Feige
StarringEdward Norton
Liv Tyler
Tim Roth
William Hurt
CinematographyPeter Menzies Jr.
Edited byJohn Wright
Music byCraig Armstrong
Distributed byUniversal Studios (USA)
Paramount Pictures (UK, Australia, New Zealand)
Columbia Pictures (Spain, Japan)
Marvel Studios (worldwide sales)
Release dates
June 13, 2008
CountriesUnited States
Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$130 million[1]

The Incredible Hulk is a superhero film based on the Marvel comic of the same name, set for release on June 13, 2008.[2] It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as her father General Thaddeus Ross and Tim Roth as the villainous Emil Blonsky, known in the comics as the Abomination. The film follows Banner as he flees the pursuit of General Ross and attempts a cure to rid himself of the Hulk. But when Blonsky injects himself with Banner's gamma formula and becomes an even greater monster, Banner must accept his own inner beast and defeat Blonsky.

After the 2003 film Hulk, Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the character, and writer Zak Penn began work on a loose sequel that would be closer to the comics and the television series. Norton rewrote the script after he signed on to star, severing ties to its predecessor by retelling the origin story in flashbacks and revelations. Filming took place primarily in Toronto, Canada in 2007. Letterier's direction aimed to make the monsters look more realistic and frightening. He redesigned the Abomination, who in the comics is a reptilian KGB agent, into a mutant soldier.

Premise

Bruce Banner is a fugitive in South America, trying to cure the condition that turns him into the Hulk. He is being pursued by the United States Army, led by General "Thunderbolt" Ross and Emil Blonsky, who want to use his power. Blonsky himself repeats the accident that gave Banner his powers, but when he discovers he is unable to change back into human form, he blames Banner and seeks his revenge.[1]

Louis Leterrier said that he planned to show Bruce Banner's struggle with the monster within him.[3] Producer Kevin Feige added the film would explore "that element of wish fulfillment, of overcoming an injustice or a bully and tapping into a strength that you didn't quite realize you had in yourself".[4] Avi Arad also said the film would be "a lot more of a love story between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross".[5]

Cast

"There's a thing in Hulk of the Prometheus myth: it's tapping the story of stealing fire from the gods and being burned by it [...] When you think about Banner's driving motivation, part of what was interesting to me was a sense of guilt, a sense of having monkeyed with nature. He's applied a certain arrogance to his work and assumed he can master forces that maybe aren't meant to be tinkered with casually, and he's driven by [...] wanting to put the genie back into the bottle. [...] There's a certain blowback to messing with nature."

—Norton on the subtext of the Hulk

Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk: A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation coupled with childhood trauma, transforms into the Hulk when stressed or enraged. Eric Bana turned down reprising the role, as he viewed the first film as a one-off opportunity.[6] The filmmakers were interested in Norton because he reminded them of Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the TV series.[7] Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, stated that Norton reminded him of the actor, as "He has a similar physique, [and a] similar personality."[8] Zak Penn also compared Norton's character in Fight Club to that of Banner.[9]

Norton was a Hulk fan, citing his first comic book appearances, the TV show and Bruce Jones' run on the comic as his favorite depictions of the character.[10] He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.[11] He initially turned down the part for this film, recalling "there [was] the wince factor or the defensive part of you that recoils at what the bad version of what that would be," as he felt the previous film "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, [...] which is a fugitive story". When he met Letterier and Marvel though, he liked their vision, and believed they were looking to him to guide the project too. Thus, Norton rewrote the script.[12] "Norton's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas," Letterier said. "Admittedly I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie it doesn't have to just appeal to 13-year old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods."[1]

  • Liv Tyler as Betty Ross: Bruce's girlfriend, whom he is separated from due to his condition. Tyler replaced actress Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Betty Ross in the 2003 film Hulk. Tyler was attracted to the love story in the script, and was a fan of the TV show, because of the "humanity and what [Banner] is going through".[10] She said filming the part "was very physical, which was fun for me. I got to do a whole bunch of action stuff I'd never done, [like] running in front of tanks".[13]
  • Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky: A soldier who exposes himself to gamma radiation to gain the Hulk's powers. Unable to change back into human form, he seeks his revenge on Banner. Roth described playing the role as fun, and making the film was about pleasing his sons. He stated, "Pure, on set, all I'm asking is, 'Okay, this has got to be a cool shot for my kids, all right? Am I going to look cool in this shot?' It's truly about that for me, completely about that."[14] The director is a fan of Roth, noting "it's great watching a normal Cockney boy become a superhero!"[1] However, Marvel and Norton were initially reluctant to cast him.[15]The character is known as the "Abomination" in the comics, but Zak Penn considered this name too silly, and he will only be referred to as Blonsky on screen.[9]
  • William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: Betty's father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk. Letterier cast Hurt because "Ross is more physical, more explosive in this movie, and no actor goes from zero to 100 as well as William."[1] He compared Ross to Captain Ahab.[15] The Hulk is Hurt's favorite superhero, and his son is also a big fan of the character. Hurt found production very different from the typical "pure anxiety" of a studio movie, finding it more akin to an independent movie.[16] He described Ross as "humiliated by Hulk's conscience: he actually sees and recognizes that it's more developed than his own, even though he's a patriot and a warrior for his country. He's sacrificed [much] for that purpose, but at the expense at times of his humanity — which he occasionally recovers."[17] Sam Elliott would have liked to reprise the role, noting it was odd seeing someone take his part, "but I'll be looking forward to seeing this one".[18]

Hulk co-creator Stan Lee has yet to shoot his cameo appearance, as he was unable to organize his schedule to fly to Toronto during principal photography. However, a pick-up may be scheduled for him during February or March 2008 in Los Angeles, in order to film his cameo.[20] Lou Ferrigno and Michael K. Williams also cameo.[8] Norton wrote a role for Williams because he is a fan of The Wire.[21]

Production

Development

File:IncredibleHulkTVreference.jpg
The Incredible Hulk is influenced by the TV series of the same name. Above is Edward Norton, and below is Bill Bixby, both sitting in a similar machine.

At the time of the release of Ang Lee's Hulk, screenwriter James Schamus was planning a sequel, featuring the Gray Hulk. He was also considering the Leader and the Abomination as villains.[22] On January 18 2006 producer Avi Arad confirmed Marvel Studios would be making the film, with Universal distributing.[23] Marvel felt it would be better to deviate from Lee's style to continue the franchise.[24] Louis Leterrier had expressed interest in directing the Iron Man film adaptation, but Jon Favreau took that project, so Arad offered him the Hulk.[25] Although he liked the first film, Letterier concurred with Marvel for a less cerebral tone.[24] As a child, he had enjoyed the TV series, and read Hulk: Gray by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale to get into the mindset of directing.[26]

Screenwriter Zak Penn said the film would follow up Hulk, but tonally the film will be more similar to the TV series or Bruce Jones' run on the comic. He compared the film to Aliens, which was a very different film to Alien, but still in the same continuity.[11] Peter David's run is also referenced in the film.[26] Penn wrote three drafts, before departing in early 2007 to promote his film The Grand. Edward Norton, who had rewritten previous films he starred in, wrote a new draft, which pleased the director and the studio in establishing the film as a reboot.[27] Norton explained, "I don't even like the phrase origin story, and I don't think in great literature and great films that explaining the roots of the story doesn't mean it comes in the beginning."[10] "Audiences know this story," he added, "[so] deal with it artfully." He wanted to "have revelations even in the third act about what set this whole thing in motion".[12]

Marvel chose the Abomination as the villain because he was the most famous enemy, and because he would be an actual threat to the Hulk, unlike General Ross.[24] For the Abomination, Letterier updated his KGB background from the comics, making him a soldier. The character acts as Banner's foil: "a fighter, he’s a machine, he’s a very effective, cool-as-a-cucumber soldier that is over the hill – 38, 39 years old – has finished his life as a soldier, should be a Colonel by now and has never accepted that failure. He loves being a fighter, loves being on the field."[15] Norton explained, "[Abomination] really does have his own arc, so he's not just some creature that pops up."[12] Norton's rewrite also added the character of Doc Samson and made references to other Marvel characters.[28] Letterier stated, "We don’t go against anything that the first one established, but it’s brand new, a fresh start."[26]

Filming

Filming began on July 9 2007.[7] The Canadian shoot included Toronto, Hamilton, Ontario, CFB Trenton,[29] Vancouver, British Columbia and Belleville, Ontario.[30] Afterwards, there was a week-long shoot in New York City and two weeks in Rio de Janeiro.[29] The Incredible Hulk joined Toronto's Green-Screen initiative, to help cut carbon emissions and waste created during filming. Producer Gale Anne Hurd hopes the film will be a symbol of the drive to encourage less pollution from film productions. Norton used a hybrid vehicle on set.[31] Leterrier had to direct four units with a broken foot.[1]

Effects

File:The-Incredible-Hulk--1-.jpg
Concept art for the film's incarnation of the Hulk. The character's scar on his left cheek is modelled after Edward Norton.

The director said of the special effects in the first film "that there was no weight to [the Hulk]. He was flying around and it was very poetic, but [...] I want everything to be gritty, darker, even a little scarier. Frankenstein, King Kong, these monsters are pretty scary. They’re not smooth-looking, fluorescent-green-looking characters. They’re pretty dark and, still, within, there’s a tenderness and a humanity that you can see through them."[26] Leterrier planned to use prosthetic makeup and animatronics in combination with computer-generated imagery that had solely been used in the previous film.[32] Norton and Roth provided motion capture for their characters, and filmed their fights on a stage with 37 digital cameras.[1] Leterrier hired Rhythm and Hues to provide the CGI, because of their skills in character animation. Industrial Light & Magic worked on the 2003 film.[33]

The filmmakers chose a darker shade of green for the Hulk,[34] and decided to not make him as large.[23] His size does not increase as he becomes further enraged,[10] staying at a consistent height of nine feet.[34] The Hulk is not directly modelled on Norton as he was cast after the designs had begun. After the main look was approved, the filmmakers did decide to add subtle elements of his features, such as the scar on his left cheek and a mole on the right side of his mouth. They were careful to make sure the character's hair did not look like a mullet.[26] As a nod to the live action TV series, Banner's eyes change green first when he transforms.[35]

File:MovieAbomination.jpg
The Abomination

The Abomination's look deviates from the reptilian scales of the comics because Letterier felt it made no sense. "I really wanted to wrap my head around the original scaley-with-big-ears monster that was in the comic book, but I couldn’t justify it," he explained. "The guy isn’t crossed with a fish; he’s not crossed with a lizard. Just like the Hulk he's an über-human – his body, everything, grows out, and the way he gets injected with the serum, he's shot in the skin and the muscles, and shot inside the spine." They designed his skin to reflect light, (so his dark green skin appears orange because of surrounding fire), and to have sharp bones that stick out.[15] Zak Penn said the Abomination would "definitely not [be] all CGI", mentioning the make-up artists on the film also worked on X-Men: The Last Stand. Their approach to Blonsky was, "When this guy transforms, he's not used to having these properties. Like he's much heavier, and we talked about how when he walks down the sidewalk, his weight destroys the sidewalk and he's tripping. [It's all about] the humanization of these kinds of superhero characters, showing the effects physics may actually have on [them]."[9]

Music

Marvel has bought the rights to "The Lonely Man Theme" from the TV series. The piano piece was composed by Joe Harnell and was used over the end credits to represent Banner's never-ending search for inner peace.[26] On February 14 2008, it was announced that Craig Armstrong would compose the original score for the film.[36]

Marketing

Hasbro created the toy line, due for release on May 1 2008.[37] Sega will release a video game of the film on June 3 2008.[38]

Sequel

Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson was introduced to set him up as a villain in a future film, where he would become the Leader.[26] Norton said, "The whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. [The Incredible Hulk is] definitely intended as chapter one."[12] In addition, Marvel Studios is keen to have Norton reprise the role in an adaptation of The Avengers. Iron Man director Jon Favreau said "[Marvel is] pretty clear on wanting to do it with the actors who’ve established the roles or to not do it at all."[39]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "News Etc". Empire. April 2008. pp. 15–16.
  2. ^ "Universal Pictures Sets 2008 Tentpoles". Comingsoon.net. 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Comic-Con 2006: The Incredible Hulk Panel". IGN. 2006-07-23. Retrieved 2006-07-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Kevin Feige on Fantastic Four 2, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk". superheroflix.com. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2007-09-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Make Ours Marvel". Empire. 2006-05-26. p. 66. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Adam Weeks (2007-05-20). "Bana talks The Incredible Hulk". Moviehole. Retrieved 2007-05-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b "The Hulk's Incredible Return". IGN. 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b Shawn Adler (2007-10-23). "Lou Ferrigno Says Hulk Cameo A 'Smash'". MTV. Retrieved 2007-10-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c Scott Collura (2007-05-03). "Hulk Villain Talk". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d Edward Douglas (2007-07-28). "Live from Comic-Con: The Marvel Studios Panel!". SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved 2007-07-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b Edward Douglas (2007-04-16). "Zak Penn on Norton as Hulk!". SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b c d Nev Pierce (March 2008). "Edward Norton". Total Film. pp. 81–84.
  13. ^ Donna Freydkin (2007-11-29). "Liv Tyler loves being the Givenchy girl". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-12-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Fred Topel (2007-10-14). "Tim Roth Promises Fun Incredible Hulk". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b c d e "Director Louis Leterrier on The Incredible Hulk". Empire. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ a b Larry Carroll. "William Hurt Says New Hulk Is More Heroic, Reveals Iron Man Crossover Scene". MTV. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  17. ^ Jamie Portman (2008-03-05). "Putting Hurt on Hulk". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2008-03-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Jennifer Vineyard (2007-11-03). "'Hulk' Stars Give Thumbs-Up For Sequel Counterparts; Marvel Goes Red". MTV. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Borys Kit (2007-06-26). "The Hulk to Face Tim Blake Nelson". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-06-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Matthew Kirdahy (2008-02-07). "Q&A with Stan Lee". Forbes. Retrieved 2008-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Eric Goldman (2008-02-28). "Wire Star Hulks Out". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ William Keck (2003-06-18). "Busting out: 'Hulk' stars aglow for the premiere". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-08-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ a b Harry Knowles (2006-01-18). "HULK 2 story BS!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ a b c Rickey Purdin (2007-11-27). "'HULK' DIRECTOR SPEAKS". Wizard. Retrieved 2008-02-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Leterrier Talks About The Incredible Hulk". SuperHeroHype.com. 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2006-07-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Danny Spiegel (2007-12-27). "2008 Preview: 'The Incredible Hulk' Movie". Wizard. Retrieved 2008-02-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Norton's Double Duty on Hulk". SuperHeroHype.com. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2007-09-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Jarrod Saraffin (2007-07-29). "Comic Con: INCREDIBLE HULK Highlights". Mania Movies. Retrieved 2007-07-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ a b "Hulk Filming at CFB Trenton". SuperHeroHype.com. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Craig Campbell (2007-08-10). "Hollywood blockbuster scouting locations in the Valley Town". Dundas Star News. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Tim Lai (2007-09-11). "City's film industry aim to be eco-friendly". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-09-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ "Director Louis Leterrier on The Incredible Hulk!". SuperHeroHype.com. 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2006-11-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Carol Giardina (2007-04-05). "Rhythm & Hues bulks up 'Hulk'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-04-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ a b "The 25 Most Exciting Movies of 2008". Empire. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  35. ^ Shawn Adler (2008-03-12). "'Incredible Hulk' Trailer: Shot-By-Shot Analysis Shows Green Guy Has Control Issues". MTV. Retrieved 2008-03-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ Upcoming Film Score (2008-02-14). "Craig Armstrong: The Incredible Hulk". Upcoming Film Scores. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  37. ^ Edward Douglas (2008-02-17). "Hasbro Previews G.I. Joe, Hulk, Iron Man, Indy & Clone Wars". SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved 2008-02-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ "The Incredible Hulk Trailer Coming Early March". Superhero Hype!. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ Shawn Adler (2008-01-03). "'Iron Man' Helmer Jon Favreau Wants To Assemble 'Avengers' Flick". MTV. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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