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War Horse Trailer

Damon Houx — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:21:14 +0000

Steven Spielberg‘s latest film War Horse is already considered an Oscar contender even though no one (outside of its makers) have seen it. Once you see the trailer, you’ll know why. Set in World War I, it tells the story of a boy (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse, with the horse shipped off to war, only for the boy to chase after it. Some have called it Saving Mr. Ed, but with Spielberg’s touch it looks to be a powerhouse. Check out the trailer…

What’s interesting here is that Tom Hiddleston shows up, and post-Thor it’s hard to know if he’s playing the good guy he appears to be on screen. Playing an arch villain can do that. The trailer also highlights that Spielberg has one of the greatest eyes in cinema history, so what could be cloying about the film may be kept at bay.

The film is set to be released December 25, so it’s definitely going to be in the Oscar race. We’re still at least a month out for long-lead reviews that could cement the film’s place as the front-runner. That said, let’s just hope for a good movie. But considering Spielberg’s track record, the worst thing that could happen is that it’s another Amistad. That though seems doubtful.

What’s your favorite (and least favorite) Steven Spielberg film?

The Poster for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse

Damon Houx — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:26:18 +0000

The nice thing about being Steven Spielberg is that if you’ve got a film scheduled for release in December, you’re already considered one of – if not the – front runner for the Oscars. Such is his War Horse, which stars relative newcomer Jeremy Irvine along with Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Watson and David Thewlis. This buzz is also based on the trailer, and now there’s a poster. Check it out…

This appears to be Spielberg in John Ford territory – sweeping vistas, war torn countries, a painter’s eye. It’s the story of Jeremy Irvine’s Albert, whose horse ends up in World War I. Too young to fight, Albert decides to go off to save his horse. This “boy and his horse” angle seems a bit cute for Spielberg of recent – this might have been a bit saccharine had he directed it in the late 80′s, but post-Munich, it’s hard to say that this won’t have some bite.

War Horse is set to be released December 28, where it will be going up against Tintin, which is also directed by Steven Spielberg. Though not specified, likely there will be a New York/ Los Angeles roll-out, and then a nation-wide release (possibly a week or two later). As for its Oscar chances it’s hard to say at this early date, but I wouldn’t bet against Spielberg.

Who do you think is the front runner currently for the Best Picture Oscar?

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?

Midnight in Paris: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:07:50 +0000

Woody Allen‘s highly mysterious (and rightfully so) film Midnight in Paris has made its way back from Cannes and will be appearing in theaters in America this weekend. For me, this is one of my favorite Woody Allen films in a long time. It’s not necessarily what you would expect from Allen, though it does follow certain patterns we’ve come to know from him and one can definitely see references to his earlier work. There’s something both nostalgic and yet fresh about the film that makes it fun to watch. It’s finely made, finely acted and overall a fine picture to find yourself at this weekend…

The Players:

Director/Writer: Woody Allen
Actors: Owen Wilson, Tom Hiddleston, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Alison Pill, Kathy Bates, Corey Stoll
Cinematography by: Darius Khondji

The Plot:

Mightnight in Paris is romantic comedy with a twist (that will not be given away in this review). The film starts with a couple traveling to the French capital for business and their different reactions to the world around them. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.

The Good:

The Acting: For me Corey Stoll who plays Ernest (no need for a last name here) steals the show. He does a fantastic job of bringing his character to life in a fun and lively way. Wilson is one of Allen’s best leads in a while, mainly because he’s so NOT Woody Allen like. His laid back persona allows you to watch a Woody Allen film without watching Woody Allen. Michael Sheen, brilliant as an American playing an anglophile. Alison Pill, Kathy Bates, Tom Hiddleston (I’m just listing the cast now) and all the rest all gave wonderful and surprising performances.
The Concept: Without giving anything away, it’s a bit far-fetched and not something entirely new, but the way that Allen handles the idea with such a nonchalance is really quite fun.
The Scenery: Allen and his cinematographer Darius Khondji really do an amazing job of capturing the feel, almost the smell of Paris in the spring time. They take their time establishing the location, light the scenes in a way that makes everyone and everything glow, and use some classic music to help you take it all in. Really well done.

The So-So:

Not Broad: This is not a film for everyone, and without giving too much away, you need to have a certain amount of knowledge of art history and literature and desire to know more about it in order to really find the film amusing. If you’re a nerd like me, it’s a blast and really fun to see so many well known faces, as well known names on the big screen.
Allen Cliches: It’s hard not to see patterns repeating themselves, it’s up to you whether you see that as good or bad. I for one didn’t mind them, in fact I rather enjoyed them, others may easily have a different opinion and one I can understand, just not relate to.

Overall:

This was a really interesting film and if you have any knowledge of literature or art your will definitely appreciate the references and find it humorous. It’s one of Allen’s better films of late, it’s extremely well made and the acting is superb. It was really a pleasant, fun experience to sit down to, and one well worth watching,

Rating: 7.3/10

Midnight in Paris will be in theaters starting May 20th!

Photo Gallery:

Thor: Review

Damon Houx — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:01:01 +0000

Thor may be the trickiest of the big Marvel characters to adapt. Both a Norse God, and an extra-terrestrial being, Thor doesn’t have the “normal person thrust into superpowers” hook – which is both good and bad. And to that end Thor is not really an origin tale, so much as a learning experience for the main character. There’s a lot to do here, on top of director Kenneth Branagh putting a big budget fantasy movie on the shoulders of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, both actors who – at best – had some notable supporting performances previous to this. Did they succeed?

The Players

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Writers: Don Payne, Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (Screenplay), Mark Protosevich and J. Michael Straczynski (Story)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard

The Plot

After nearly being crowned King of the other world Asgard, Thor (Hemsworth) is banished to Earth by his father Odin (Hopkins) until he learns some humility. There he meets Jane Foster (Portman), and falls in love. His hammer is also on Earth, but it can only be retrieved by someone who can use it correctly. Meanwhile Thor’s brother Loki (Hiddleston) is now in line to be king, but he learns some dark secrets that change who he is, and leads his father into a sleep that puts him in charge. But Loki is a bad leader, and the only thing that can save Asgard (and possibly Earth as well) is Thor.

The Good

Tom Hiddleston: Hiddleston compares his character to Iago, and what makes the film work at its best is when Hiddleston is on screen. It’s hard to get a bead on his character, in the best possible way – you keep watching him in hopes of getting a better understanding of machinations. But at the center of the character is a real person, who is lashing out in a way that is perfect for a younger, and possibly underestimated brother.
It’s Not an Origin Film: Though it is a lesson film, which in some ways is similar to the origin tale, the film spends little time showing Thor becoming Thor. He’s Thor.
The Cast: Though this leads into some of the problems, everyone is cast perfectly. Hopkins may be the only conceivable choice for Odin, Chris Hemsworth is pretty much perfect as Thor, and the supporting cast are note perfect. but…

The Bad

Talented Cast, Too Bad They Have Nothing to Do: Rene Russo is the wife of Odin, and she probably has about three lines in the film. The Warriors Three and Sif (Jamie Alexander) are in the film, and are defined by their look, or that one likes to eat a lot. Portman’s Jane Foster is sexually attracted to Thor, but other than being at the right place to meet Thor, she doesn’t have much else to do. This is the Thor and Loki show, and everyone else serve the plot to move the story forward. Only Idris Elba seems able to have a little bit of fun. The film is 114 minutes, and it’s possible that the film plays better with an additional half hour or hour of footage.
Empire Building: S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up in the film to build a tent around Thor’s Hammer, but nothing they do in the film is of any consequence, other than to give Thor someone to battle on Earth. Too much of the film is dedicated to things that are more important to the Marvel canon than the film itself. Like the last point – as Marvel has spoiled – Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye shows up in the film, but all he does is point an arrow at Thor and then disappear from the film. It’s cool if you know who Hawkeye is, but Renner has nothing to do but show up. This was fun when Sam Jackson showed up at the end of Iron Man, because it didn’t get in the way of the story, but here it’s the cinematic equivalent of standing behind a newscaster and waving.
Narratives That Are Self-Evident: The film is about how Thor got back his hammer, and the idea of a leader learning humility is a good plot, but how Thor learns humanity almost happens off screen, and the change – though apparent in the character – is not made cinematic. Something happens and Thor changes immediately. On top of that, Thor is kept from his hammer for the majority of the running time, but it’s not even a spoiler to say that he gets his hammer back. Because of that, the majority of the film is a slog when Hiddleston isn’t on screen because there’s little to latch on to, and the thing that would have made this more palatable are characters to care about. It also comes across as a cost-cutting measure, as the middle then is mostly spectacle-free.

The Mixed

Kenneth Branagh: As a director, Branagh lost his way quickly after the great success of Henry V, and his work with the cast is excellent, but his sense of making this exciting is using canted angles, and he doesn’t use the massive amounts of CGI in interesting ways. I think that the film had to exist in some way that sets up the characters, and the film does introduce Thor to cinema in a way that suggests he’d be a good character to follow, and has a number of great friends and foes, but it feels more like a pilot than complete narrative. Sadly, that’s how so many of these comic franchises have been going.

Overall

Not so much terrible as all set up, Marvel seems more interested in getting to The Avengers than they are in telling great stories. Thor may have been toughest to crack cinematically, but that can’t defend a very uninteresting story that offers few grace notes outside of Hiddleston’s performance.

Score: 3.5/10

Thor opens May 6.

1-1 Interview: 2011′s Star of the Year and Thor Villain Tom Hiddleston

Damon Houx — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:59:18 +0000

Previous to Thor, Tom Hiddleston was mostly known for his TV work, but post-Thor, he’s been working like crazy and has three more picture due out this year – all with great directors. And then there’s The Avengers, which is also on his plate. And though Chris Hemsworth may be a star in training, it’s Hiddleston who walks away with the most interesting performance in Thor – no mean feat when your surrounded with Oscar winners like Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman. We got a chance to sit with Hiddleston and talk about this film and his impressive year. Check it out… We started by talking about the Diet Dr. Pepper I was drinking, which has Jamie Alexander’s Sif on it.

Is there one with your face on it?

Tom Hiddleston: I’ve got Cherry Dr. Pepper.

Did you have any say in that matter?

TH: No. (laughs)

Character Work

With this film what’s great about your character is that you ride a line. You’ve said that villains don’t think of themselves as villains, and there are a lot of levels to your character, whether or not some actions are intentionally evil, or just serve a purpose that becomes more terrible. Did you always have a bead on that?

TH: Absolutely. One of the things we talked about was Iago – who was a real touchstone. In the beginning of Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is just annoyed that he’s been passed over for promotion in favor of somebody else, by the end of the play six people are dead because of him, and it’s not that he meant to destroy the lives of six people, it’s that he’s incredibly deft at improvising with situations and turning them to his advantage. I absolutely think that a massive strength of Loki’s. He’s like a chess master; he’s thinking six, ten moves ahead of everybody else. And I genuinely think at the beginning of the film he doesn’t mean to destroy Thor or Yodenheim, it’s only through what he learns in the course of the film – no matter how misguided his intentions – it’s fuel to his fire. The scene in the vault with Odin is a big deal, and the things that he finds out are the big dark secrets at the center of his soul, and that’s what sends him over the edge in a way.

Were there any sort of cinematic references? Was there anything you were trying to avoid?

TH: I remember skyping with Kenneth (Brannagh) when he was already in LA working on the film and I was still in London, and he said he wanted me to have a look at two performances. One was Peter O’Toole in the Lion in Winter, he plays Henry II with a degree of emotional volatility that is unpredictable. He’s capable of being incredibly charming and very dangerous in a second, and the second thing he said to take a look at that might seem left field is Charlize Theron’s performance in Monster. He said “I know these two are going to sound weird, and I don’t want you to copy them in any way, but I just want you to try to come to work with a layer of skin peeled away. Every time I point the camera at your face, I want to see your brain working like a ticker-tape machine, it’s just churning stuff out.” So that was an interesting handle on that.

Would you say Kenneth Branagh’s direction was like that normally, a lot of left field stuff?

TH: I think it’s his way of helping you get your arms around the part. Chris was given Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, and Natalie Portman was given a book about a scientist who did a lot of research and was passed over for the Nobel prize when somebody stole her idea. And Ken says “It’s not going to give you the performance that I need, but it in some way informs the way you say one line or one look then I know it’s worked.” It’s his way of helping actors ground their performances into something relateable to them, instead of a bunch of in front of a green screen pretending to be gods.

Hiddleston’s 2011

You’re having what has to be one of the most amazing years in cinema. You’ve got a film with Steven Spielberg, you’re got a film with Terrence Davies, you’ve got a film with Woody Allen, was this the first?

TH: This was number one, yeah.

Did the others come from that? I’m guessing Woody Allen didn’t watch this film, but you never know.

TH: I don’t know if Woody is a big Marvel comic fan, I didn’t ask him actually. It was very strange, I went immediately from the end of Thor into the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris, and then I was already doing my horse riding training for The War Horse before going to Paris for Woody and they’re all strangely interconnected. I haven’t said this on record, and I’m going to say it now. You get an exclusive. Every actor needs a break, and Kenneth Branagh has given that to me. Kenneth Branagh worked with Woody Allen on Celebrity, and I think when he found out I had been working with Ken that may have been some rubber stamp of approval that I was legit in some way. And when I met Steven, we talked about Kenneth a lot, and Steven expressed his admiration for Ken. And Ken really gave that to me, I think I’ll be eternally grateful to him. Thor wasn’t my first opportunity, but as Chris said, a year and a half ago he was knocking on door to get a chance to come and play, and people would say “you’re talented but not this time.” And Ken was the first man who said “Chris, Tom, up you come, come play with the big boys.” So I’m eternally grateful to him. They’ve all been so different, that’s the amazing thing. I’m playing the bad guy in Thor, and then in War Horse – to some extent – I play one of the heroes, I play a really decent upstanding Cavalry officer, and in The Deep Blue Sea I play an ex-RAF pilot in love with a woman, and it was about exploring the chemistry between man and woman, which I hadn’t done, and the Woody Allen I have to keep under my hat, because it’s a big surprise. It’s a really interesting surprise. But thank you for saying that about my year, because it has been amazing.

Well, it’s impressive, and Terrence Davies…

TH: Have you seen Distant Voices, Still Lives? A masterpiece.

How would compare working with an actor director like Branagh versus Spielberg? Can you tell the difference?

TH: Absolutely. When he’s asking me to go to some sort of emotional extreme, I know that he knows the challenges of doing that in a way, and the great enemy you have is self-consciousness. It’s almost like he’s going through it with you. Spielberg is so humble when he talks about acting, he says “I tried to be an actor, but I can’t do it. I defer to you. If there is ever a moment where what I’m asking you to do is not true, this is a European war, it’s a British, French and German story, and you’re playing the guy, and I trust you so let me know if I’m pointing you in the wrong direction. Which immediate makes me think: “Steven Spielberg is telling me that I can tell him to back off.” That doesn’t equate in my mind. But every director is different, and that’s the thrill of doing what we do. Woody writes his script and fine tunes it, and whittles it down, and then he expects you to shoot exactly what he’s written. The handle that Steven Spielberg has on storytelling, he’s steering a ship, and his mastery of keeping the audience in the exactly right place is extraordinary. The speed of creative execution is mind blowing. And Ken goes through it all with you. He is a director who has acted, so he pushes you that extra mile.

Spoiler Territory

Did you talk to people who were adopted?

TH: I didn’t, I read an amazing book called “They Fuck You Up.” I don’t know if you know Phillip Larkin, a British Poet wrote it, and it goes:

“They fuck you up, your mum and dad
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had,
And add some extra just for you.”

And the book takes its title from that poem, and it’s about the formation of the personality from the kind of parenting you get in the first ten years of your life, and he leans very heavily on nurture over nature in the big debate. “Are we who we are because of our nature, because of our genetic inheritance or are we who we are because of nurture?” And if all this sounds very pretentious, it’s just me trying to give a villain layers and I thought with Loki, he has questionable parenting. Who knows what happened in his infancy? Someone was talking this morning about rescue dogs, and sometimes you don’t strike it lucky and you’ve got a violent, angry dog on your hands because of what happened to them when they were puppies. I think when Loki was a puppy he went through some very serious damage, so that’s one of my touchstones for the character.

Thor hits theaters May 6, but you’ll be seeing a lot of Hiddleston shortly.

Interview: Thor’s Actors

Damon Houx — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:15:39 +0000

For the Thor press conference we were joined by Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Jamie Alexander, and Anthony Hopkins. It was a fun chat, and the group talked about the hardships of maing a big franchise production, and the fun of being in comic book movies. For more with Hopkins, there’s another great interview. But check out the press conference…

Casting/Costumes

We heard from the last panel that Tom thought you were the hero of the movie; and two that you wanted to be Thor. Could you talk a little about that?

Tom Hiddleston: I think there are no villains in this world – there are just misunderstood heroes. And – Loki definitely – I think Loki thinks he is the hero. There’s an aspect of Loki that if you boil this film down to its barest elements, it’s about a father and two sons. And both those sons are competing for the love and affection and pride of their father, Odin. And I think there’s a deeply misguided intention within Loki. And he has a kind of a damage within him. He just goes about getting that pride in the wrong way. I didn’t actually want to be Thor, but I’m 6’2”. So like every other English speaking actor over 6 foot who’s got blonde hair, I went up for the part of Thor. But I’m not built like a house. And there’s no way in Odin’s Asgard I could have delivered what Chris has done.

Chris, could you talk about the most miserable things you did to actually get that kind of physique?

Chris Hemsworth: The most uncomfortable thing was the eating. I didn’t mind so much the working out; I’d never really lifted weights to that capacity beforehand, and – and it was certainly a whole new sort of education, for a good six months. I just don’t naturally sit at that weight, so I had to force feed myself 20 chicken breasts and rice and steak – and all very boring to the plain things. And that was the most exhausting part out of the whole film was the eating. It wasn’t the fun stuff, either. It wasn’t hamburgers and pizza and what have you.

With the physical demands of the role aside, how did you as an actor approach the mighty role of Thor? Did you look into the six hundred-plus issues of the comics, or did you pay more attention to the mythology, like the actual Norse mythology, or did you find a way to combine both? What was important to you, when taking on this role?

CH: Yeah, I started with the comic books, but I didn’t read all – however many of them – there are thousands of them, 40 or 50 years’ worth. But I certainly read enough to get a sense of who he was and the world he was from. And then I read some things on Norse mythology and this sort of fatalistic view they have that everything’s preordained and that leads the Vikings into this fearless sort of attitude in battle and with their lives. And they certainly back their opinions. And they’re not swayed easy. And that spoke volumes to me about the character. But then it was filling your head with whatever information and research you have. But on set, it was just about making it truthful and finding a simpler way that I could relate to it. Instead of thinking, “How do I play a powerful god?” it became about, as Tom said, scenes between fathers and sons and brothers. And you personalize that, and that helps ground the story, I think, for an audience. And then we can relate to it and hopefully an audience can, too.

Kat, your character held the largest comedic role throughout the film. How was that, how did you enjoy it in such a serious superhero film?

Kat Dennings: That’s the thing. I saw the film a week ago, and I hadn’t seen any of the Asgard stuff. I know when you got to our parts in Santa Fe, you felt like you were on a different film. So it didn’t feel like, “Oh, I feel like I don’t belong anywhere.” It felt like he didn’t belong, which is why it’s hilarious. Natalie and I have been friends for years so it was pretty easy. We just hung out and goofed off and were girls; and poor Stellan had to listen to us talk about boys and nail polish.

For the actors who played as Guardians – was it more challenging or more fun to wrap your mouth and your mind around the film’s mock heroic middle English? And as a follow-up for Mr. Elba, how much of a pleasure was it to not have to do a fake American accent?

Jamie Alexander: I had a good time. It was fun learning the accent and training for the film and goofing off with these buttheads. We all trained together, prior to shooting. And it made for a good time.

Idris Elba: One of the challenges for the script and the story and now the audience is that you have these two huge worlds, but they’re equally as well thought out, well written. And Kenneth wanted us to all have a sort of uniform sound. Even though you do say mock English, it was set in that world, but exactly “not English,” which is what I was told. And yeah, fake American accents? Try some Asgard, you know what I mean?

Sir Tony had mentioned facetiously that the costume really does the work for you. But I’m just wondering for the other actors that were in elaborate costumes and the eye gear and things, how does that inform your character, in terms of creating and becoming that person? Or is it just, you’re pretending?

TH: The costumes are incredibly heavy, and if you got up in the morning and you wear a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and some flip-flops, it’s a signal that you might be going to the beach. And if you get up in the morning and you wear a breast plate and a back plate and a cape, and a pair of golden Satanic horns on your head, it’s quite clear that you’re doing something else. We were so helped by not just the costumes, but by the beautiful sets built by Bo Welch, the production designer. You’ve got no furniture to lean on and no props to busy your performance. So there has to be a kind of simplicity, too. The costumes make you stand straighter. And when you’re in big set – it’s like being in a neo-classical museum, and if you go up to the Getty, you have a sense of the size of the place, and that just does stuff to the way you stand.

CH: With Kenneth, one of my biggest notes for me was “just let the costume do it,” because I had this huge helmet on my head and couldn’t hardly see. And Kenneth would just say, “Don’t worry. Just live in it, and just stay as still as you can and just let the costume and the opulence of where I was – my bridge, which is beautiful – do the work.” And the script, of course.

Future Projects/ The Avengers

Loki’s such a great villain because he is so relatable and dimensional, and you don’t really know if he’s right or if he’s wrong, or what he’s feeling or thinking. So when you guys were crafting this, was it with a trajectory towards The Avengers, and are we gonna continue to see Loki as that kind of a character in The Avengers, or is it gonna be a little more diametrical?

TH: I took the character that I saw in the comics. Loki is a master of magic. And he is – in the Marvel universe- the agent of chaos. And his superpower is his intelligence, if you like. He’s a shape shifter; and it’s his ability to stay ten steps ahead of everybody else. So Ken and Chris and Tony and I all talked about having those layers in a way that he’s someone with a fierce intelligence, but also a very damaged heart. I think a red dot will form on my forehead if I give any more information about Loki and The Avengers. All I can tell you is that Loki will be in The Avengers. And it’ll take more than the man to my right to stop me this time.

Regarding the Avengers, you guys play very larger-than-life roles in this film. You’re going into a movie with four or five other larger-than-life characters. So what’s the biggest challenge that you guys see, in combining all these archetypal heroes and villains into this one film?

TH: I think the thing that looks like a challenge is actually the reason it’ll work, as in how can one movie contain so many different flavors and colors and characters. Joss Whedon has made that his strength. And the conflict between each of them will be something that will be expanded on, I think. Would you say?

CH: Yeah, sure. Also, we don’t balance all the other characters. That’s just the writer and Joss Whedon, who’s the writer–director, his job is to navigate that. We come in and do our bit. And that’s all you can concern yourself with. But I definitely think it’ll be an interesting combination. And as Tom said, why it will work is that conflict in those larger than life characters and egos clashing, I think it’ll – there’ll be some great tension there.

Since we now know that Tom secretly wants to be Thor, is there another character in the Marvel canon that anybody would like to take on?

JA: Oh, I have one – X-23. Yeah.

CH: Loki.

TH: Keep the – yeah, the horn in the family. The horns are all yours, Man. Yeah.

IE: I think I’d like a stab at Luke Cage at some point.

KD: I’m just thrilled that I’m still in Thor. I can’t believe I didn’t get cut.

Brothers/Joking Around

Could you talk about the dynamic between yourselves as actors, vying for the attention of Sir Anthony Hopkins, as well as the brotherly dynamic that went from brotherhood to rivalry, and so much as to the bloody nose one of you received on set from said rivalry.

CH: I nearly caught Tom talking about having breakfast with Tony at one point. And I said, “What? He’s having breakfast and I’m not?” But Tony said it, that it’s much easier to like someone on screen if you actually like them off screen. It’s just a more enjoyable ride. And we got along and came into this at the same point in our careers, with the same sort of enthusiasm and love for these types of films. And just had a great time doing it. Yeah, and you either have chemistry with someone, or you don’t. And thankfully, I think it was there, and so to play brothers was, it was easy and fun.

TH: It’s quite literally a bromance. Right, it’s the bro – the bro aspect of the word is for real. But Chris is absolutely right. I can’t imagine having to go to sort of the emotional extremity that we both have to go to if we actually didn’t like each other. It’d be just horrendous to go to work. And I think the fact that we get along makes it easier to just egg each other on, and between takes, we’d raise each other’s game. We had a really, really good time. Also, there are so many things that went wrong, accidents that make you laugh. And it’s such a huge journey. We both spent two years of our lives working on this film, and it’s nice that there’s somebody else who’s alongside. Like Chris had a few drinks at the wrap party, and was hanging out the window on the way back to the hotel, saying -

CH: That’s not true. You’re ruining my career right there.

TH: Sorry. He said to me before we went up to our rooms, he was like, “You’re the only one who understands me.”

CH: I have no idea what I was talking about. Yeah.

TH: But in terms of vying for the attention of Tony, Tony was amazing. And I haven’t actually said this on record, but whenever we had our days working with Tony, he would just regale us with stories of when he was a young actor and starting out in “The Lion in Winter” with Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. I’ll never forget that story you told about Katherine Hepburn saying, “Stop acting, Tony. You’ve got a good face; you’ve got a good voice. You’ve got a good body. Stop acting.”

Anthony Hopkins: She said, “May I talk to your mama?” And I said, “Yeah.” She says, “Don’t act; you don’t need to act. Watch Spencer Tracy.” I said, “Oh, okay.” It was good advice. But she was a – she was good. Yeah.

TH: And actually, then, then we did the scene in the vault, where Loki finds the sort of, the big, dark secret of his personal history. I think after the first couple of takes, Tony leaned across and said, “Have you got a good agent?” And I said, I said, “Yes, I – I think – I think so.” And he said, “You’re going to need it.”

AH: Obviously, I love to have a laugh. I like to tease people. Ken is part of that as well. I said, “Is he gonna play it like that?” He said, “Yeah.” He said to all the young actors. “Is that the way you’re gonna play it? It’s your career.”

CH: I remember that, being on set with Tom, our first day with, with Tony. And, and going through the rehearsal, and Tony giving us that reaction. “Is that how you’re gonna do it?” And going… “He’s kidding, right?”

TH: But then there was something he said, when we were walking down towards the casket and I said – and he said, “Can I tell you something, Tom?” And I went, “Absolutely. Say it up straight. Tell me, tell me anything.” And he said, “You’re doing this very strange thing with your wrists.”

TH: “Oh, my god, what am I doing?” And he said, “You – you’re just – it looks a little bit camp. Maybe you can butch it up a bit.”

Thor opens May 6. Check it out.

More Thor! (Posters, that is)

Damon Houx — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:16:38 +0000

WonderCon may be the less successful but still respectable sibling of ComicCon, but that doesn’t mean it can’t offer some exclusives. And today Marvel has put out two new posters for Thor, which opens May 6. These posters feature Chris Hemsworth as Thor looking at Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Having not seen the film, advertising suggests that Idris Elba‘s Heimdall is the main baddie in this picture, but rumors are that Loki has a much bigger role in an upcoming Marvel spin-off. Take a look…

Thanks to Marvel for the link. These posters are keeping with the marketing of the film, but also give us another look at Tom Hiddleston – who is going to be a player in the Marvel universe. It’s possible that he’s more than bad guy than Elba, and that Idris has been given greater prominence to give the film a more racially diverse look to the Nordic sensibilities of these characters.Or maybe he’s been given his own poster out of respect for Stringer Bell, his character on “The Wire.”

After yesterday’s release of the first clip from the film, it’s fair to say that marketing’s kicking up, and that the film hopefully delivers more and better than what we’ve seen so far. The film has got the best release date for a launch, and it has no real competition that weekend, so the film should be able to open. After that, we’re still in “wait and see” mode with this project.

Will you line up for Thor?

Thor Teaser Trailer With Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth

Krystal Clark — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:53:53 +0000

The official teaser trailer for Paramount and Marvel Entertainment’s latest feature, Thor has premiered. Just yesterday we gave you a nice description of what you could expect from the video and now we have it for you to view! Are you ready to rumble with the outer worldly warrior who carries a lightning fueled hammer? Take a look…

Thor is scheduled to hit theaters next year on May 6, 2011 and it will be available in 3D. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, and Clark Gregg.

Official Synopsis:

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, “Thor,” which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

A lot of this footage was shown at Comic-Con, but they do try to mix it up a little bit by adding more shots of Hiddleston and Rene Russo (where has she been?).

What do you think of the first trailer for Thor?

Source: Yahoo Movies

Comic-Con 2010: The Cast of Thor Speaks!

Krystal Clark — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:30:41 +0000

After months of waiting, we finally got to sit down and have a chat with the cast of Marvel’s next theatrical release, Thor. The film will be directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Australian native Chris Hemsworth as the title character. He’s a relative newcomer who’ll be supported by several veteran actors like Anthony Hopkins who plays his father Odin. At the official Comic-Con press junket a lot of the main talent from the film were in attendance including Branagh, Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, and even Marvel Chief Kevin Feige got in on the action. You can listen to the interviews below…

Hemsworth, Hiddleston, and Gregg all did their round table interviews alone while Portman was paired with Dennings and Branagh with Feige. They were asked a variety of questions including how it feels to be a part of Marvel’s ambitious Avengers project. Hemsworth spoke about what he does and doesn’t know about the team-up film and how he feels working opposite such a huge ensemble cast.

Director Branagh elaborated on his vision of Thor and how he tackled the story the same way he would a Shakespearean play. And Dennings was on hand to clue us in on exactly who it is she plays in the movie. Her character Darcy isn’t in the comics and we’ve been in the dark as to what it is she really does.

Chris Hemsworth Interview:

Tom Hiddleston Interview:

Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Fiege Interview:

Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings Interview:

Clark Gregg Interview:

Further Reading:

What do you think of what the cast of Thor had to say?

Like what you read? For more fun, check out our top stories from Comic-Con…

Comic-Con 2010: Thor Footage First Look!

Brendan Walsh — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:19:35 +0000

***Update: Thor Comic-Con Trailer Online Now – Watch It here.***

Today at Marvel’s Thor panel, they presented the audience with what is almost certainly going to be the full theatrical trailer. Since we’re not allowed to show you the footage, it being exclusive to Comic-Con and all, I’d like to do my best to describe it to you. Check it out, after the jump…

Spoilers! Beware!

The trailer begins in an underground cell as Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) interrogates an unseen suspect. “You made my men, some of the most highly trained professionals in the world look like a bunch of minimum wage mall cops.” As he says all this, there are flashes of soldiers being beaten, in the night rain. He continues, “It takes someone of similar training to do that to them. Why don’t you tell me where you learned to do that…Afghanistan? Pakistan? No, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. Who are you?” The suspect looks up, revealing a glaring Chris Hemsworth, as our hero, Thor.

We then find ourselves in outer space, traveling through the galaxy, until we end up in Odin’s hall, as he reprimands his son. “I have sacrificed much to achieve peace, he says. So too must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility! Duty! Honor! These are not mere virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier, to every king. Thor, Odin’s son, through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and devastation of war. You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy.” Thor spits back, “You are an old man and a fool!” Odin replies, “Yes, I was a fool to think you were ready.”

Loki leans in to interject. “Father…”

“HEY!” Odin stops him. Back at Thor, he says “I now take from you your power. In the name of my father, and his father before him, I cast you out!” Thor screams and we travel through a wormhole, landing in the desert. “Oh no, this is Earth, isn’t it.” He says as he opens his eyes glaring up at Natalie Portman who finds him.

We are introduced to the film’s ladies, who are wary of him. He takes his shirt off and changes into normal clothes, and Kat Dennings says, “For a crazy homeless guy, he’s pretty cut.”

Over shots of Thor and Miss Portman, we hear him say, “Here you call it magic…when you can explain it you call it science. Where I come from, they are one and the same.” She asks him, “Who are you?” He tells her, “The answers you seek shall be yours once I reclaim what’s mine.” We then see him struggling to lift his hammer, Mjolnir, out of the stone in which it’s embedded.

Back in Asgard, Odin is dying. Frigga (Rene Russo) stands over him and says, “The line of succession falls to you. Asgard is yours.” Loki, wearing his helmet, smiles wickedly.

Back on Earth, Thor says, “For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do.” A woman’s voice says, “His fate is in his own hands now.”

After a pause, we see S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gathered in the desert, staring at a giant armored metal being: The Destroyer. “Is that one of Stark’s?”An agent asks. “I don’t know. That guy never tells me anything,” Coulson says. He addresses The Destroyer, “Hello. You are in possession of unauthorized weaponry. Please identify yourself.” The Destroyers face opens up to reveal nothing but fire. “Here we go,” Coulson says. The Destroyer then blasts all the cars, and as the battle begins, smash cut to the title logo.

END SPOILERS
THIS LOOKS AWESOME! Thor comes out May 6, 2011.

Further Reading:

Like what you read? For more fun, check out our top stories from Comic-Con…

New Photo From Thor, Marvel Confirms 3D Captain America

Krystal Clark — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:04:37 +0000

A new photo has surfaced online from the much-hyped Marvel film, Thor. Over at The Los Angeles Times an image featuring Chris Hemsworth as the title character, Anthony Hopkins as his father Odin, and Tom Hiddleston as his archenemy and brother Loki has debuted. Along with the picture, we also got some new information regarding whether or not the studio will release the film in 2D or 3D. Check out the full photo below…

According to the article, not only will Thor be released in 3D but so will Captain America: The First Avenger even though neither film is being shot in the format. That means we’ll have another horrible run in with the conversion process, which will probably take away any good visual stylings the films originally had to offer.

“We came to feel that in our case 3-D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience,” Thor director Kenneth Branagh said, “It’s another draft of the story that can reveal itself in a different way… I had a healthy degree of skepticism up front… I’ve become somebody extremely excited about working with possibilities of doing it this way.”

“Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston added, “I think it tends to be overused and can be a little bit gimmicky… A lot of people are using 3-D now because they feel have they have to… that will come and go and the pictures that deserve to be in 3-D will continue to be. When it’s done bad, it can make you carsick.”

I have yet to enjoy any movie that’s been converted into 3D over the past year. The extra money just isn’t worth it for the consumer. On another note, does anyone else think these costumes look campy? Granted it’s Thor, and his character is literally out of this world in comparison to all the other Avengers heroes but still. Don’t these outfits look kind of — cheap.

Thor hits theaters on May 6, 2011 and Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22, 2011.

What do you think of the photos of the gods from Thor? What do you think of their costumes?

ScreenCrave.com » tom hiddleston

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