New FANTASTIC FOUR Posters; Cast Talk Haters!

Twentieth Century Fox has released a new banner and four character posters for Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four!

An origin story said to be inspired largely by the “Ultimate Fantastic Four” comics (the first arc of which was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar with Joe Kubert illustrating), Fantastic Four offers a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team. The story centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Speaking to MTV, the cast of Fox’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot film reflected on the early apprehension that the movie received from fans.

“I was very surprised at first, before any trailers were out, how negative people were about it without seeing anything,” said Kate Mara, who plays the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm, in the film.

A lot of that apprehension was likely due to Fox’s previous two Fantastic Four movies, which were not well-loved by fans. Mara noted that, once director Josh Trank’s vision for the franchises was put out there for audiences to see, people began to come around.

“Then, that very quickly changed when we actually showed some footage,” she said. “So that was a nice thing.”

“Marvel’s First Family” will include Whiplash‘s Miles Teller as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), “House of Cards” star Kate Mara as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Fruitvale Station and Chronicle‘s Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and The Adventures of Tintin‘s Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘ Toby Kebbell will also star as Doctor Doom alongside Reg E. Cathey (“The Wire”) as as Dr. Franklin Storm and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as Harvey Elder, aka The Mole Man.

Fantastic Four features a screenplay by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and is set to hit the big screen August 7.

Josh Trank Exits STAR WARS ANTHOLOGY Project And WHY?

Josh Trank said Friday that he had “made a personal decision” to leave the Star Wars universe, sources say reports of the young director’s unusual conduct during the making of Fox’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie had raised alarm among Lucasfilm executives that were entrusting him with the second Star Wars standalone film.

Trank, 30, had raised eyebrows in April when he didn’t appear as scheduled at a Star Wars celebration in Anaheim. At the time, both Disney and the director cited illness as the cause but multiple knowledgeable sources say the studio had asked the filmmaker not to attend while considering whether to proceed with him on the second spinoff in a planned series of films.

Indeed, producers on Fantastic Four, set for release July 30, are said to have faced great challenges pulling the film together given behavior described by one insider as “erratic” and at times “very isolated.” Trank did not offer clear direction, this person adds, saying, “If you’ve got someone who can’t answer questions or who isn’t sure or is in hiding, that’s not good.”

A Fox spokesman says the studio is “very happy with the movie and we can’t wait for audiences to see it” but acknowledges, “There were definitely some bumps in the road.”

Among those bumps: Trank has several small dogs who were left in a rented house in New Orleans while the film was shooting there. According to sources, as much as $100,000 worth of damage was done to the property. A source says the production considers any destruction of the property to be Trank’s responsibility.

Citing Trank’s work on the 2012 found-footage superhero movie Chronicle, an insider says: “No question there’s talent there. You can’t do Chronicle by accident.” But Trank seemed “like one of these kids who comes to the NBA with all the talent and none of the character-based skills to handle it. There’s equipment he doesn’t yet have.”

According to sources, Trank was sometimes indecisive and uncommunicative. Producers Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker had to step in to help pull the film together, though sources stress that Trank was still on set and directing the film. (Were that not the case, the production could have run afoul of the Directors Guild of America.)

Just over three months from opening, Fox’s Fantastic Four has done re-shoots. Those were complicated because stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan had obligations on other films. The most recent round, which involved three days of re-shoots at the end of April, had to take place on weekends because of Teller’s work on Todd Phillip’s Arms and the Dude. Parker and Kinberg are said to have been heavily involved in those re-shoots, pulling them away from duties in Canada on X-Men: Apocalypse, which they also are producing.

Given the issues with Trank’s performance, the production added Stephen Rivkin (Avatar) to help pull the film together. Trank had hired his Chronicle editor, Elliot Greenberg, on the project.

Fantastic Four is meant to reboot the Marvel superhero franchise for Fox. The comic is venerated for its place in history as it launched Marvel Comics in 1962 and was the early creation from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Fox made two movies, released in 2005 and 2007, that made $330 million and $289 million respectively but failed to capture moviegoers’ imagination. Fox hastened to make a new movie as it risked having the rights revert back to Marvel.

Kinberg, who is producing the second Star Wars standalone project (the first, Rogue One, is being directed by Gareth Edwards for a December 2016 release), is said to have communicated his displeasure with Trank to Kathleen Kennedy and the team at Lucasfilm. As the Star Wars brain trust heard more about Trank’s behavior and working style, they became less confident in handing over the film to him.

Source: THR 

FANTASTIC FOUR New Images, Stills, And Character Bios

Some new character bios from the updated official website also reveal a few additional details about Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing. Head on over to the site by following the link below for extended versions narrated by Dr. Storm along with a look at the cellular changes which each of the heroes has undergone.

REED RICHARDS IS A SCIENTIFIC PRODIGY WHO HAS BEEN QUIETLY EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE’S DEEPEST MYSTERIES IN HIS GARAGE, AFTER SCHOOL. AFTER BEING TRANSFORMED BY ONE OF HIS EXPERIMENTS, HE CAN WARP THE SPACE AROUND HIM, AND APPEAR TO STRETCH HIS BODY INTO IMPOSSIBLE FORMS AND TO INCREDIBLE LENGTHS.

SUE IS BRILLIANT AND BEAUTIFUL, INDEPENDENT AND SARCASTIC. THE POWER TO BECOME INVISIBLE AND TO GENERATE HER OWN FORCE-FIELDS CAN MAKE HER HARDER TO REACH THAN EVER—BUT THAT WON’T STOP SOME OF HER TEAMMATES, ESPECIALLY REED, FROM TRYING.

A TROUBLEMAKER AND A THRILL-SEEKER, JOHNNY IS THE ROCK STAR OF THE TEAM. HIS POWERS ALLOW HIM TO SHOOT FIREBALLS, FLY AT BREAKNECK SPEEDS, AND REALLY LIGHT IT UP.

A RARE BREED BRAWN AND HEART, BEN IS WARM, EVEN SENSITIVE, DESPITE HIS ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE UPBRINGING. HE IS ROCK-SOLID—IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. A LOYAL AND PROTECTIVE FRIEND, HIS STONE BODY GIVES HIM EPIC STRENGTH AND MAKES HIM VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE.

20th Century Fox has released 3 new images from Josh Trank’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. At first glance a couple of them appear to be hi-res screen-grabs from the trailer, but there is a slightly different pic of Victor Domashev/Dr. Doom which provides a more detailed look at the villain.

FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Directed by Josh Trank, The Fantastic Four reboot stars Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch, Kate Mara as Invisible Woman, and Jamie Bell as the Thing. The film is scheduled for release on August 7, 2015.

Source: Via Live For Films / Fantastic Four

New FANTASTIC FOUR Trailer And Poster Really Are Fantastic!

Fox has released a new Fantastic Four trailer, this time with some great new scenes of not only Doctor Doom, but also the team in action showcasing their powers. The final shot of The Thing needs to be seen to be believed. Plus they have also released another fantastic poster!

FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Fantastic Four stars Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as The Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch, Jamie Bell as The Thing, and Toby Kebbell as Victor Domashev/Doctor Doom. Directed by Josh Trank and written by Simon Kinberg, Fantastic Four is set to be released on August 7th, 2015!

Simon Kinberg And Josh Trank Talk FANTASTIC FOUR Cast In Four New Featurettes

20th Century Fox has released some extra bits from Josh Trank and Simon Kinberg’s previously-released trailer commentary for the upcoming Fantastic Four focusing on the core actors that make up the titular team and how they came to be in the film. Check them out below!

An origin story said to be inspired largely by the “Ultimate Fantastic Four” comics (the first arc of which was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar with Joe Kubert illustrating), Fantastic Four offers a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team. The story centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

“Marvel’s First Family” will include Whiplash‘s Miles Teller as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), “House of Cards” star Kate Mara as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Fruitvale Station and Chronicle‘s Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and The Adventures of Tintin‘s Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘ Toby Kebbell will also star as Doctor Doom alongside Reg E. Cathey (“The Wire”) as as Dr. Franklin Storm and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as Harvey Elder, aka The Mole Man.

Fantastic Four features a screenplay by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and is set to hit the big screen August 7.

New FANTASTIC FOUR Poster

Take a look at the new Fantastic Four gang in an all new poster. Marvels’ First Family assembles in new poster for director Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four (2015). Are Mr. Fantastic (Miles Teller), the Human Torch (Michael B. Jordan), Thing (Jamie Bell) and Invisible Woman (Kate Mara) gazing at a portal to the Negative Zone, home of Annihilus and Blastaar?

The Fantastic Four releases on August 7, 2015.  Simon Kinsberg and Jeremy Slater penned the script. The film also stars Toby Kebbell as Victor Von Doom (Victor Domashev), Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Franklin Storm and Tim Blake Nelson as the Mole Man.

Miles Teller On FANTASTIC FOUR: "We’re Humanizing These Characters In A Way That’s Never Been Done."

MovieFone’s recent discussion with Miles Teller (who plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic) reiterates a lot of what we’ve already heard, with the Whiplash actor once again explaining that Josh Trank’s film is “taking a lot from the Ultimate Fantastic Four, but I think we’re humanizing these characters in a way that’s never been done.” However, there are a few new nuggets in there, primarily about the inevitable planned follow-up. Teller doesn’t know if Trank will return to direct the next instalment, but is confident that writer/producer Simon Kinberg will remain heavily involved. “He is so good at creating those worlds,” he explains. “He’s invaluable to Fox. He’s really smart and seems to have a good handle on these worlds and what he was able to do with X-Men and being able to re-energize that with the younger cast.” Teller also addresses the progression from a science-fiction based origin story to a more superheroic sequel. “I mean, the more superhero stuff you get to do, the cooler it is. We’ll see what happens, but yes, absolutely, as the thing evolves they should start to materialize to the Fantastic Four people more readily associate with.” Fantastic Four is released August 7th, 2015, with the sequel set for 2017.

Source: MovieFone

Miles Teller Talks Cryptically About The Classic FANTASTIC FOUR Costumes Being In The Reboot!

Many fans of the Fantastic Four were divided when the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot was to have no link to the classic costumes emblazoned with the “4” logo i.e be “containment suits” which help them to control their newfound abilities. But now Miles Teller may have now given them a reason to chill out.

Talking to ScreenCrush recently, he indicated that the team will indeed wear their original costumes at some point in the reboot. “These are the beta versions of the costumes, which is great […] But, yeah it would be very odd if the Fantastic Four didn’t don the traditional costumes. You’ve got to. There is some servicing there. You’ve got to give that to the fans. That’s what it’s all about.” Perhaps Fantastic Four will have more in common with the comics than most think?

Source: ScreenCrush

Miles Teller Talks FANTASTIC FOUR

http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:1179135/cp~vid%3D1179135%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A1179135

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Talking to MTV News, Fantastic Four star Miles Teller reveals that while he has yet to see Josh Trank’s reboot, he is hopeful that humour will have made it into the final cut. “You should have some laughs in there,” the Whiplash star says. “You want to see some enjoyment and The Thing better say ‘It’s clobbering time’.” As for faithfulness to the source material, Teller said he delved into the Ultimate Fantastic Four series but was told not to pay too much attention to the comics for one very good reason. “We were looking to kind of put our stamp on it. We were looking to pay respect to the history of the characters but to bring them up to date.” There’s a lot more in the video above, but one more interesting tidbit came when the actor was quizzed about the possibility of a crossover between the Fantastic Four and X-Men. He confirmed that he’s heard no plans, but added: “I would love to kick it with Wolverine. I don’t know what we would talk about, but…”

Source: MTV News

FANTASTIC FOUR: Details On ‘The Thing”s "Transformation Cocoon", Race Change, And New Stills

The Fantastic Four reboot has split opinions (even though it’s still months away from being released), with some fans excited to see Chronicle director Josh Trank’s new take on the property and others wishing Marvel had the rights back already. When Empire Magazine caught up with the filmmaker recently, he had this to say about how his version of Marvel’s First Family will differ to both the last attempt and other unnamed recent releases. “The original two films to me are very similar to a lot of recent movies that have come out, in terms of that kind of cartoonish. It’s just not something that me and Simon are interested in as storytellers.” In fact, anyone expecting an action packed movie along the lines of The Avengers might be disappointed with Fantastic Four, as Trank has a very different interpretation of their adventures it seems. “There’s the opportunity to make something that is challenging and tragic and dramatic,” he said. “The opportunity is right there in the material. We’d rather steer it in that direction as opposed to just embracing a tone that comes right off the page.” That last comment might not sit well with some comic book fans…

Regardless, Trank’s vision for each member of the team is pretty interesting, and after praising Miles Teller’s intelligence and resemblence to the comic book version of Reed Richards, he talked more about the “controversy” surrounding his decision to chance the race of Johnny Storm. “I have mixed family,” he said. “When I go home for Christmas, you’ll see white people and black people. That’s normal to me. I wanted a Storm family that represented 21st century families.” For Sue then, Trank also wanted to update her from the classic comics, adding: “There have always been two categories of Sue – the slutty secretary version, and this brilliant scientist version. This is a really, really smart Sue, and one that is dignified and has integrity.”

For Ben Grimm/The Thing, it sounds like he’s sticking a lot closer to the comic books, as Trank went on to discuss the relationship between him and Reed as well as what makes Jamie Bell the right man to play the character. “Ben is supposed to be a smaller guy in terms of height. That idea of Ben being Reeds best friend in the archetypical way, you want that character to have warmth and strength, qualities Jamie has.” The director then confirmed that what we saw in the trailer was a “transformation cocoon” that The Thing punches his way out of. At that point, the character will be portayed almost entirely with the use of motion capture effects. As for whether or not Trank will pay homage to the comic books by including elements like Reed’s greying temples, he would only tease: “There are surprisises for everybody in the movie. We’ve had time to figure out every single iconic and subtle aspect of the Fantastic 4, and how it can organically belong to this film.”

Source: Empire Magazine