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Super Bowl Commercials Debut New Trailers For ‘The Avengers,’ ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ And ‘Act Of Valor’

traviswoods — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:08:41 +0000

Well, the annual orgy of advertising every possible combination of beer, soda, potato chip, automobile, credit system and film occurred on Sunday night, despite being repeatedly interrupted by some kind of organized game in which something called “The Giants” apparently did something awesome and a strange, well-muscled and blonde corpse danced and lip-synched in what was obviously some kind of pagan or voodoo ritual. And, in the middle of that ruckus, a few new movie trailers shook loose.

First up, a new clip for The Avengers. This trailer features a little more Hulk than we’ve seen before, as well as Chris Evans looking impossibly goofy in that ridiculous Captain American outfit:

Next up, we’ve got a G.I. Joe sequel trailer, in which loud things happen with loud explosions and loud music happening in the background. It’s loud. And things happen. That’s what I got out of this one. Oh, and Bruce Willis gets all Bruce Willis-y and does that dead eyed Bruce Willis smirk thing. Then some loud things happen again:

Next up, we have a film about the Navy Seals, called Act of Valor:

A new trailer for John Carter also popped up, but we previewed that for you on Friday.

So, what did you think of the Super Bowl ads this year?

Trailers for Trailers: Super Bowl XLVI Movie Previews

Damon Houx — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:24:28 +0000

Are you ready for (some ads during) Football? If you love movies, but aren’t so crazy about sports, the Super Bowl has become a time where some of the biggest films of the year drop $3.5 Million dollars for thirty seconds of your attention. Summer blockbusters looking to build buzz and get people excited about the year in film. So much so that there are now teasers for these ads. Trailers for trailers. Here’s a round-up…

There are a number of film-related ads that aren’t for movies, some of which have already premiered. There’s already been some buzz about the terrible Ferris Bueller/Matthew Broderick car commercial (which we already wrote about), but this year we’re also getting more Volkswagen Star Wars ads. Check out the latest:

And here’s a Teaser for the Transformers 3-D ride:

Then there’s a spot for Sacha Baron Cohen‘s The Dictator:

There’s also a new trend – as I mentioned – of teasing the teaser, so there are a number of ten second excerpts from some of the big trailers of the day. These are the ones that will hopefully get people stoked to see these movies. First up is the biggest question mark. John Carter:

And then there’s Battleship:

And Finally, The Avengers:

These full spots will be hitting on Sunday and we’ll have updates throughout the game.

Who are you rooting for this Super Bowl: The Avengers or Battleship?

New Photos of The Avengers Looking At Things

Damon Houx — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:22:28 +0000

Marvel wants to get you excited about their upcoming film The Avengers. Really excited, as much of the future of their cinematic empire rests on its success, and so prepare to be inundated with ads and trailers and such until it hits theaters on May 4. Until then, Marvel.com has issued five new pictures that show stars Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, and Scarlet Johansson looking at things. But, you know, looking intently. Take a look…

As you can see from this gallery, much of the movie involves looking at things. Some of those things include files and paperwork, while others include cast members. They talk, they stare at the camera, and perhaps perform unnecessary surgeries on unsuspecting patients. This was always a concern when Joss Whedon was hired, as he’s known for his gab-fests and elective surgery bent.

In case you forgot, the film is in 3-D. It’s interesting to note that this is rarely a selling point any more, and sometimes you have to study a poster to know for sure if what you’re seeing is going to be offered in more dimensions than two. Such should make the film’s intense “looking at things” moments all that more realistic and engaging.

If you see The Avengers, will opt for 2-D or 3-D?

Latest Avengers Pictures and Superhero Cameo Rumors

Damon Houx — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:12:50 +0000

With less than four months to go until the launch of the The Avengers, we’re getting all sorts of stories, pictures and rumors about the film, which has a May 4 release date. Of late, Empire Magazine has had four character-specific covers, there’s hints at what the film’s Hulk might look like, and a completely baseless rumor about a possible Marvel franchise cross-over. Take a look….

Empire has four covers for the movie with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth, and you can view those on their site, or right here:

Empire also has a sculpture for the upcoming Hulk Toy, and here’s some artwork from the likely film-approved comic-book tie-in.

But the most iffy news to come out is that Jenny Agutter (best known for her work in such films as Walkabout and An American Werewolf in London) was interviewed by The Radios Times, and talked about her role in the film where she mentioned how much secrecy was involved in making the movie. Though Agutter is not directly quoted, she supposedly shared Winnebagos with Iron Man and – more interestingly Spider-Man. Spider-Man is currently owned cinematically by Sony, and though it’s possible that the companies could work out some sort of cross-over for promotion, it seems more likely that the journalist or Miss Agutter are not all that comic-book savvy and thought the web-slinger was in the film. But what is the internet for if not baseless speculation?

What is the internet for if not baseless specualtion?

The Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2012

Laura Aguirre — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:38 +0000

As we bid farewell to 2011, it’s time for us to look ahead and get excited about the movies that 2012 will bring. The Golden Globes and Oscars haven’t named their favorites yet, but we’re not waiting around for that. We are excited about the future. There are some great movies to look forward to in 2012 – sequels, re-releases, film adaptations, and even a Pixar movie. Distinguished directors like Judd Apatow and Quentin Taratino both have movies coming out next year, so we’re excited for that too. Below is a list of what we think are some of the most anticipated movies of 2012.

10. The Comedy: This Is 40

Judd Apatow’s last directorial effort was the 2009 dramady Funny People. The film showed us a new side of Apatow, whose previous films Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin had been mainly comedies. Although This Is 40 is a spinoff from Knocked Up, the film will follow in the footsteps of Funny People in terms of tone (don’t worry, it’ll still be a comedy). Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl won’t be reprising their characters, instead the film will focus on Paul Rudd‘s and Leslie Mann‘s characters.

Release Date: December 21, 2012
Director: Judd Apatow
Biggest Draw: Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Melissa McCarthy

9. The Re-Release: Titanic 3D

One of the highest grossing films of all time is returning to the big screen – Titanic. James Cameron has given his epic romance and disaster film a new 3D look and is going to re-release the film just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sailing. While some may scoff and roll their eyes at a re-release thinking the studio just wants to make more dough, let’s look at it this way – some movies are meant for the big screen and Titanic is definitely one of them.

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Director: James Cameron
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, 3D

8. The Pixar Movie: Brave

Brave is different than other Pixar films. For starters, this will be the studio’s first fairy tale; and second, the film is directed by Pixar’s first female director Branda Champman, who also penned the screenplay. Brave tells the story of a royal Scottish family and its Princess Merida who is determined to follow her own path as a warrior. Who’s excited for another Pixar movie?

Release Date: June 22, 2012
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Biggest Draw: Um, it’s a Pixar film!

7. The Period Piece: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a classic tale that has been made into a movie plenty of times, so why is this one so special? Well, aside from its stellar cast, there’s whole generations who haven’t seen this story brought to life. The last Gatsby to hit theaters was in 1974 with Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, and the film wasn’t a total critical success (despite its two great leads). With a December-release date, this version seems to have its eyes set on an Oscar.

Release Date: December 25, 2012
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire

6. The Unconventional Drama: Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is following his 2009 Nazi drama Inglorious Basterds with Django Unchained, a film that will touch upon another sensitive subject – slavery. Tarantino is known for his violent and bloody films, and this topic is exactly that. Django Unchained will follow a slave-turned bounty hunter (Jamie Fox) who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). This will be the first time we see DiCaprio play the actual villain. If anything, Django Unchained is going to shed some light on one of our country’s most disgraceful moments, and we can count on Tarantino to make this history lesson very entertaining.

Release Date: December 2, 2012
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Fox, Kurt Russell

5. The Twisted Tale: Snow White and the Huntsman

When the first photos of Kristen Stewart as Snow White were released, we were shocked to see her dressed in armor instead of the iconic blue and yellow dress. The photos showed that Rupert Sanders‘ version of the timeless fairytale would definitely be twisted and dark. The trailer confirmed our suspicions, and made Snow White and the Huntsman our favorite of the two Snow White films being released in 2012.

Release Date: June 1, 2012
Director: Rupert Sanders
Biggest Draw: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth

4. The Comic Book Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

Just a few years after Spider-Man 3, there whole superhero franchise got a reboot. In 2012, we’ll see Spider-Man take another form in the shape of British actor Andrew Garfield, who won audiences over with his cute stunt during this year’s Comic Con. Marc Webb‘s version, The Amazing Spider-Man will not include Mary Jane Watson; instead, it will highlight Spider-Man’s first real love, Gwen Stacy, who will be played by Emma Stone. Despite how fans of the comics may feel about this new take, there’s no denying that it’s a film we really, really want to see.

Release Date: July 3, 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Biggest Draw: Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield

3. The Summer Blockbuster: The Avengers

The Avengers is a crossover movie that will bring together our favorite superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye. This is a comic fan’s dream. We’re going to be seeing all of these superheroes on-screen, at the same time, fighting the forces of evil. More important, we’re going to see these characters interact with each other, which based off the trailer, we can garner that it’ll be very entertaining to watch. We’re excited!

Release Date: May 4, 2012
Director: Joss Whendon
Biggest Draw: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson

2. The Sci-Fi Adaptation: The Hunger Games

With Harry Potter over and just one more Twilight film to go, many are wondering if The Hunger Games will be the next big franchise. Like the two before it, The Hunger Games is being adapted from young adult novels. This film is set in the future United States where 24 young boys and girls are pit against each other in a bloody battle to the death, while their efforts are broadcasted for everyone to see. Could this be Lionsgate’s answer to Harry Potter and Twilight? And you excited to see this series brought to the screen?

Release Date: March 23, 2012
Director: Gary Ross
Biggest Draw: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth

1. The Sequel: The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan‘s super-sequel The Dark Knight Rises is probably the most anticipated movie of 2012. The film even won the award for Most Anticipated Movie at the 6th annual Scream Awards. Every time new footage or photos are revealed, fans and bloggers alike jump with eagerness. When The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters this Summer, it will be the end of an era. This will be the last time we see Christopher Nolan at the helm (of the Batman franchise) and Christian Bale as the famed cape crusader.

Release Date: July 20, 2012
Director: Christopher Nolan
Biggest Draw: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Honorable Mentions:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
World War Z
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
The Bourne Legacy
Prometheus
Skyfall
Life of Pi
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Paranormal Activity 4
Haywire
The Gangster Squad
Okay, this one too — The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

What do you think of our Most Anticipated Films of 2011? Who would you include on the list?

Editorial: John Carter Isn’t the Only Film That Needs to Make a Lot of Money

Damon Houx — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:16:01 +0000

One of the most interesting films of next year is John Carter, the Andrew Stanton-directed film starring Taylor Kitsch and Willem Dafoe. The long-in-gestation project (which has had Harry Knowles, Kerry Conran and Jon Favreau attached at different points) is hoped to be the first in a franchise. Stanton talked to the New Yorker about the film, and told them the film needs to make $700 Million at the box office to generate a sequel. As large a number as that is, we’re moving into a period of very risky projects, including films like The Avengers – where we’re seeing bigger and bigger budgets for films that are not sure things.

That said, the business of writing about numbers is often foolhardy. Though I write about them every week, how much a film actually costs is often downplayed or hidden (Art Buchwald famously sued Paramount for monies owed on the concept for Coming to America and was told that the third most successful film of the year failed to turn a profit). But the hard and fast rule is that a film needs to make two times what it cost to be profitable.

Which would suggest that John Carter cost around – or at least – $350 Million to make. Stanton’s accounting may be slightly different, as to move forward on a sequel it may mean that film has to do better than break even, or it could mean that breaking even or coming close to even with that much gross is good enough for more (now that they’re figured it out and introduced the universe). A good low-ball of the budget would mean $250 Million, which suggests it would need to make half a billion just to be profitable.

Again, when you get into the numbers, they don’t necessarily include things that can make a huge difference, including advertising costs (a blockbuster title often has a marketing budget around $100 Million), advertising tie-ins (say, a McDonald’s happy meal with a John Carter figure), product placement (unlikely for a period and science fiction piece), toys, and ancillary and home video sales, many of which help lower the budget or raise the profitability – and that’s not even talking about the constant stream of tax incentives now thrown at movies to get them to shoot in certain locations. Profitability isn’t always the only goal: A movie can also be about keeping the ancillary money flowing. Cars 2 was not a hit by any stretch, but because the toy sales are so high, the film’s relative success s in keeping that brand current.

Regardless of how much the film cost – which may be more or less than numbers previously listed – Carter is a huge risk, but as we’ve seen a number of recent franchises come to an end (Harry Potter for instance), there has to be fresh blood. The problem is that in making these spectacle pictures, you’re seeing films that cost a lot with no guarantee of breaking even. 2012 will be an interesting year because John Carter has yet to generate a pulse – though we’re a ways out from its March 9 release. But it’s not the only one that should be a little sweaty: 2012′s summer will offer such films as Battleship and The Avengers that will also have to figure out how to get themselves into the ” over $500 Million worldwide” club.

What’s interesting about both these titles is that they have budgets already estimated around $200 Million (with The Avengers being listed at $220 Million in a recent Entertainment Weekly cover story). Both of these are films sold on well-known brands, but neither are the guarantees that one might hope for.

It may seem like I’m beating up on The Avengers – which just had its trailer premiere – for no good reason, but when you look at the math, it’s not that strange. The most successful character in the film is Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark. The Iron Man films have done over $300 domestic and around or over $600 internationally. But after that, the other prominent Marvel characters have not performed as well. Thor did $181 domestic ($448 Worldwide), Captain America did $176 domestic (currently $362 worldwide) while both previous Hulk films did a little more than $130 domestic (and around $250 worldwide) – and both Thor and Captain were in 3-D, which may have inflated their grosses.

And as cool as it might seem to assemble a team, there’s going to be a number of characters in the mix that audiences didn’t take a shine to when their films came out (we are on our third Hulk actor) even if films like Thor and Captain America are considered successful. The bottom line is that people went to see those movies, but the numbers don’t suggest that audiences responded with any great passion – $300 million has become the new $100 Million (twenty years ago $100 meant that a film was a phenomenon). And if both Hulk films are considered misfires, both Captain and Thor are closer to Hulk numbers – especially when you consider 3-D inflation – than they are to Iron Man‘s (though Cap and Thor fared better internationally).

The Avengers is the film Marvel studios has been building to over the last four years – it’s their crown jewel – but there is no guarantee it will do Iron Man numbers, and last I checked Iron Man 2 was not as warmly received as the first film. But watching the trailer, they are selling Iron Man and spectacle more than anything else. It’s just as likely the film will open to $100 million if – by the time May rolls around – the engine of hype is fueled, and word is positive, and it benefits from the “first week of summer” release date. It’s also possible that if Fast Five hadn’t been a spoiler that Thor would have done $200 Million plus. I would never argue The Avengers couldn’t be a massive hit. But where combining Matt Damon, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts can make for a sense of greater spectacle by appealing to a broader section of the populace, comic book films play to the same core audience… and then sometimes attract outsiders. Or – that is to say – most of the people who saw Thor also saw Captain America, and those people likely have also seen all the Marvel movies. Bringing this group together doesn’t create a multiplying effect – you’re hitting mostly the same audience with each character.

As for Battleship, it’s a film that speaks to the problems of branding in Hollywood. much like the constant stream of remakes, Battleship stems from the same thought process in that it’s easier to sell something people have already heard of than an entirely new concept. And though that’s a troubling thing to consider in terms of the art of cinema, the problem is that the way box office moves these days, you need that name brand, because most – if not all pictures – decline considerably after the first week. You need to hit fast and hit hard to do over $100 Million. Sure, we’ve seen films as diverse as Taken and The Help play longer than average, but part of their success is due to not being marketed at the 18-24 demographic, and not being released in the most heated of money months. Comedies are the exception to that rule, but those aren’t the films we’re talking about here.

Battleship cost a lot of money based on a premise that is on the surface laughable. The film might work or not, but they’ve got a hurdle in front of them. Sadly, the main reason why the film was greenlit was because they knew they had a name brand, the very thing that works against the film. Everyone knows the board game Battleship, so why not start there? Though it doesn’t reflect on the film (which can be anything as long as it has battleships fighting), the thinking that made this happen is inherently problematic.

It’s possible all of these films could be successful, but as we see more and more inflated budgets, the stakes for blockbusters has become so high that many of the films that are trying to become the next Spider-Man or Star Wars will eventually fail and fail big. And though we saw some of that this year with Green Lantern, Mars Needs Moms and Cowboys and Aliens, it’s possible that the industry could be hit with a number of films that – even if they do $100 Million or more domestic – will be huge money losers.

2012 has franchise continuers/rebooters/starters in films like The Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black III, Dark Shadows, Prometheus and Jack the Giant Killer to name a few. It’s unlikely that any of these (save possibly Dark Shadows) didn’t cost at least $200 Million. The stakes are higher than ever, and it’s hard not to be reminded of the industry in the 1960′s, where bloated musicals started to destroy the studios until the independent and Blaxploitation movement reinvigorated the industry. When – as the makers of John Carter know – your film must make over a half a billion dollars to be successful, the stakes couldn’t be any higher.

Which of these films do you think is most vulnerable?

‘The Avengers’ Full Trailer Has Been Released

traviswoods — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:29:25 +0000

Well, it’s finally here—the trailer for the Marvel Films juggernaut in which they mash together the Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America films into a gargantuan, two-hour plus sandwich of explosions, Robert Downey Jr. quips, unconvincing Hulk CGI, and Scarlett Johansson doing things in tights: The Avengers. Toss in some Nine Inch Nails music, the bad guy with the slick mullet from Thor, and some Sam Jackson action in which Sam Jackson acts all Sam Jackson with that Sam Jackson style (did I mention Sam Jackson is in this? Sam Jackson is in this), and you’ve got just about every single Marvel movie trailer you’ve ever seen, all rolled into one convenient mush for you to slurp up.

Dig the trailer:

So, what do you think? The film is directed by Joss Whedon, the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse, and Serenity, so there’s a sliver of hope that this won’t simply be a directed-by-committee film which is essentially a checklist of studio-mandated moments that just barely hang together and exist solely to generate ad revenue via action figures, video games, fast food tie-ins, and overseas markets. Oh, who am I kidding—there’s loud rock music, Scarlett Johansson is kicking things, and stuff goes boom real loud. I’ll see you there on opening day.

What do you think of The Avengers trailer?

Source: The AV Club

The Avengers Are Assembled (Via Photoshop)

Damon Houx — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:25:45 +0000

Marvel studios has been building to Joss Whedon‘s The Avengers since 2008, when Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson had an end credit scene that laid out the possibility of Tony Stark working with a team. Since then we’ve seen Chris Hemsworth cast as Thor, Scarlett Johansson cast as Black Widow, Chris Evans cast as Captain America, Jeremy Renner cast as Hawkeye, and Edward Norton cast as the Hulk. Six out of seven isn’t bad. All of The Avengers save Jackson grace the latest Entertainment weekly cover, and features the new Hulk Mark Ruffalo. Check out the cover….

The Avengers has a teaser poster out, and we’ve been hearing word that an official trailer may hit as soon as next week on Real Steel. Which means shooting is about done, and post is already under way for the film, which opens May 4, 2012. AND THIS is the best they can come up with? What the heck is that look on Mark Ruffalo’s face?

The Entertainment Weekly story has more pictures of the shooting and suggests that the shoot went well-ish (though Robert Downey Jr. asked for lots of rewrites) which may get people excited. Bottom line is that the fanbase is pre-sold, so though this may be putting the wrong foot forward, it does get across what to expect from the film. An ensemble. Hopefully they work together better than this cover suggests.

There’s no way this would dissuade you from seeing The Avengers, right?

D23: Avengers Footage Description – Robert Downey Jr. points out that “We Have a Hulk!”

Damon Houx — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:34:11 +0000

Saving the best for last, D23‘s movie panel concluded with footage from The Avengers, which is still shooting and has two weeks left to go. Though some of the cast was unavailable, Disney brought out Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston and Colbie Smulders to wave at the crowd before they showed the footage twice. Here’s the breakdown…

The footage

Loki (Hiddleston) is locked in a glass cage, while Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) taunts him about how the container will drop him 30,000 feet into steel if he so much as scratches the glass “Ant. Boot.”
Loki then notes why they have the cage in the first place (to hold The Hulk) as it cuts to Black Widow (Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Hemsworth) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) watching (and possibly Tony Stark, though he’s kept off screen).
Loki taunts Fury that they’re so close, but don’t have what they’re looking for.
Banner notes that Loki “grows on you.”

There’s a montage of action (Thor’s hammer hits Cap’s shield, there’s a chase after Loki, Iron Man flies)
Tony Stark is at a bar at his house, having a conversation with Loki, where Stark talks about having assassins (then it highlights Black Widow and Renner’s Hawkeye), a demi-God (Thor), and ” a living legend, who kind of lives up to the legend” (Cap).
Loki interrupts with “I have an army!” And Stark replies “We have a Hulk.” And then the footage cuts to the Hulk. Boom, title card, end.

The best part of the footage was getting to see Ruffalo’s Banner in action, who’s the newest actor to play the Hulk character, and the one who it’s most exciting to see play in that world. This very much feels like a Joss Whedon script as everyone says snarky, kind of funny things. I was surprised that the footage was not scope (2.35:1), but it’s hard to know if the film is being shot flat (1.85:1), or if that’s just what was available for the footage. Still, it sent everyone out on a high.

How stoked are you for The Avengers?

First Look At ‘The Avengers’ Leaks, And It’s Horrible

traviswoods — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:57:05 +0000

Well, after months of breathless rumors and conjecture about the film, the first bit of Avengers artwork was released today. The film, set for release on May 4, 2012 and starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, features a supergroup of superheroes saving the earth and learning to work together despite their differences and blah blah blah. What’s more amazing is the horribly cheesy leaked poster, which looks like something you’d find painted on the side of a van in circa 1983 east L.A.

According to Coming Soon, “a promo poster for Marvel’s The Avengers was spotted at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas and photographed by ESQ.” And guess what? It looks awful; that said, it’s better and more entertaining than Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Elektra, and Wolverine combined, so it’s not totally without merit, despite the fact that it resembles the front cover of a bargain bin coloring book. But hey, it’s got lightening and a cool hammer and Scarlett Johansson in tights, so I guess that’s kind of cool, too.

What do you think of the poster?

Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner Discuss The Avengers

Krystal Clark — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:56:38 +0000

Two stars of the upcoming Marvel superhero movie The Avengers were in attendance at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Not only were they at the ceremony, but they were both nominated, and in the same category! We’re talking about Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner who both lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Christian Bale. The actors weren’t too sad because their careers are still flourishing with the impending Avengers project. Over at MTV, they opened up about their alter egos Bruce Banner and Clint Barton aka The Incredible Hulk and Hawkeye…

Ruffalo on The Hulk’s appearance in The Avengers:

“There’s some great Bruce Banner stuff [in 'Avengers'], kind of a slant on him that we haven’t seen before,” said Ruffalo. “He’s introduced in a really great way.” “All the great Hulk stuff, which I’ll be doing too,” he said. “I’ll be the first actor to do them both.”

Renner on the other hand was less forthcoming about his appearance in the film:

“Yes, I have [read the 'Avengers' script],” Renner said. “It’s tremendous. I can’t tell you anything about it.”

He also teased at his [possible] cameo in this summer’s Thor.”I might [have a cameo in 'Thor'],” he teased. “Go see it. Check it out.”

On an interesting side note, Renner revealed that he has yet to see his Hawkeye costume, which means his appearance in Thor may be as a civilian prior to his induction into S.H.I.E.L.D. Who knows?!

Are you excited to see their takes on Hawkeye and Hulk in The Avengers?

Confirmed: Cobie Smulders to Play Maria Hill in The Avengers

Krystal Clark — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Last week, we learned that Samuel L. Jackson’s alter ego Nick Fury would have a helpful sidekick in The Avengers. At the time, the actor was mum on the character’s identity, but he revealed that he would be reading with the candidates that Friday. Cut to Monday evening and a deal has been made! According to Variety, “How I Met Your Mother” star Cobie Smulders has been cast as Maria Hill in The Avengers.

The trade reports that Smulders, has been confirmed to play the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who’s Fury’s second in command. The actress supposedly beat out Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Morena Baccarin, and Jessica Lucas for the role. On an interesting side note, how many Marvel movies will Winstead audition for before they finally give her one? She was also up for the female lead in the new Spider-Man but lost out to Emma Stone.

Smulders will be able to fit The Avengers into her busy schedule, because the film starts shooting in April when “HIMYM” is on hiatus. When we first heard that she was on the shortlist, our response was lukewarm. But after giving her a second glance, we’ve realized that she shares a striking resemblance to Hill. She could definitely work.

What do you think of Smulders playing Hill? Is she the right choice?

ScreenCrave.com » THE AVENGERS

Super Bowl Commercials Debut New Trailers For ‘The Avengers,’ ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ And ‘Act Of Valor’

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The Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2012

10. The Comedy: This Is 40

9. The Re-Release: Titanic 3D

8. The Pixar Movie: Brave

7. The Period Piece: The Great Gatsby

6. The Unconventional Drama: Django Unchained

5. The Twisted Tale: Snow White and the Huntsman

4. The Comic Book Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

3. The Summer Blockbuster: The Avengers

2. The Sci-Fi Adaptation: The Hunger Games

1. The Sequel: The Dark Knight Rises

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The footage

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