Why do I sometimes smack down other media?
The story of the grey Hulk is a classic.
Collider sits at a Spider-Man 3 table. Avi Arad uses the phrase “new color” in the midst of a long quote about the changes in the next Hulk film.
There is a follow up question about color, which in Hulk history could be grey, and Arad answers, “We
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Not only never seen outside of comics…but barely seen in the comics as well. The Hulk was grey for one or two issues in the beginning and they tried to revive it later to try to explain the color change in continuity, but most people know it as green.
Unfortunately, Collider is turning into another IESB, a site so desperate for hits and attention that they’ll post anything as a scoop. Now I’m not saying that ComingSoon.net is that much better –I’m responsible for the classic “Daniel Craig says No to James Bond” post, which has a funny back story–but c’mon guys… Avi Arad knows what to say and not to say and when he doesn’t say something, then it isn’t news.
Then again, reading the story, he does say “new color” and then changes the subject when Steve asks about a “grey Hulk”… maybe he’ll be like a chameleon and change colors.
Sorry, third post (I do this a lot… just ask my editor who often gets four Emails where one would suffice)… but Avi wasn’t talking about Louis Letterier being asked to do the first Hulk, he was talking about Edward Norton. I can confirm this because Zak Penn told me the same thing when I interviewed him last week:
http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=5506
(He told me a lot of stuff about the movie, why Norton would make a great Bruce Banner, the potential Avengers movie, and not one single other outlet linked to it despite him saying more about the direction of the movie and why they should do it than anything said in that junket over the weekend.)
Why, of all colours, would they choose GREY?!
And in Spider-MAn 3 “news”
“The Most Expensive Movie Ever Made
How Sony’s $500 million Spiderman sequel spun out of control”
http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/04/kim_masters_spiderman.php
As if I will ever trust anything with radar in the title (gamesradar is schlocky enough), but outside of shooting in New York, the production costs for these movies have always astounded me.
The Hulk was grey for quite a while in the 90s, when he was going by the alias “Mr. Fixit” and working in Las Vegas (of course, this was a smarter Hulk, that could actually hold conversations with people). That storyline seemed pretty lame when I read it back then, and I can’t imagine they’ll be picking up that storyline for the new film.
Me, this is storyline actually has some classic status. it was also set up to a lot psychological stuff that writer Peter David did later, most of it was used by Ang Lee, so it’s weird they are going there again.
I’d like to see a purple Hulk played by Samuel L. Jackson. Honestly, why is this even a story at all? Is it really that much of a slow movie-news week?
With all the upcoming product this summer, you’d think there’d be more discuss than the shade of the Hulk’s skin. When did the media (new and old) turn into a bunch of basement-dwelling nerds?
Here’s my uncredited contribution to MCN…
Arad said as far back as the marketing of Ang’s Hulk that he and Schamus had talked about the Grey Hulk for the sequel because it gave the character a lot more range. They had also settled on Abombination and Leader as the villains. Arad had Penn brought into the fold after Ang-Hulk tanked and while Stacy Snider was still deluding herself into thinking it was a workable franchise.
So, he will be grey and green, depending on Banner’s level of rage. It’s a big version of the TV show, so think Prison Break or The Fugitive with powers. Rumor had Biel signed for Betty Ross, which I have no idea what to make of. Statham was approached for a villain role, but it looks like he’s passed. Arad’s been after Malkovich since the early Spidey days, so he might get him this time. As for Norton, he’s turned down X-Men, Daredevil, FF, Hulk, and he pulled himself from consideration for the Two-Face role in the Batman films. He’s not keen on wearing anything that resembles a costume, so Banner fits in that regard. Also, it’s a nice payday, the lead role, and a lot less days on set. And since it’s technically an indie production, his deal with Arad should be pretty nice. IIRC, he made out on The Illusionist for that reason.
And Daniel Craig for Captain America which would be near the end of his Bond deal.
Similarly, Godzilla was always grey until GODZILLA 2000, when he bcame green with purple highlights in his dorsal fins. Now that’s trivial!
Might want to update this piece, David… you were right. It was a deliberate misreading of what was (or wasn’t) said:
http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=5556
Not making Hulk green? Typical Hollywood.
This is the same guy whos ruined Fantastic Four, Punisher, and Daredevil, so Im not surprised in the least. You’re talking properties, if done right, that are billion dollar franchises.
You’re behind the curve, Hicksville.
Punisher and Daredevil could never be ‘billion dollar franshises’. Fantastic Four, possibly but not likely.
Plus Arad is not responsible for all decisions made on those franchises, as he dealt with other studios (Punisher = Lions Gate, FF and DD = Fox), whereas Iron Man and Incredible Hulk are purely Marvel Productions. And between the decisions made for those films, i’d say he’s off to a good start (helluva lot better than Rothman to boot).
A friend of mine is working on Iron Man and according to him, the cast/crew was screened Ghost Rider before production began as an example of what _not_ to do.
Jeff, I hope that’s true because that’s some funny shit.
Empire now has Arad saying the Grey Hulk is a mis-read of his comments. I’ve been told it’s very possible since no one is sure about budget,(Avi’s number has always been 125M), few have seen a final draft and the new FX house, (Rythym & Hues I believe), means they’re not going to be able to build off the ILM programs, which would be much quicker to generate a second Hulk.
Avi was set on an expansive toy line to shore up expenses, but that was when he was CEO. His incentives might have changed since he’s no longer controlling the direction of the company.