§ Geoff Boucher chats with Guillermo del Toro and finds out SWAMP THING is his “Holy Grail”:

“Oh, I would love to make a Swamp Thing movie,” Del Toro said, smiling broadly at the notion. “Really, Swamp Thing is one of the last Holy Grail projects that is still out there. Those stories were fantastic, with the hallucinogenic feel of that world. I don’t think anyone is tackling that one anytime soon. It is one of those Holy Grails that dates back to that same boom as ‘Watchmen’ and ‘The Killing Joke.’ For me it would be an honor to do it. Right now, I don’t think it’s happening. If I had enough time to tackle it. But I will be 50 when I get out of ‘The Hobbit’…”


Del Toro also comments on the “original gangsters” of the nerd revolution.

“What it means is right now, I think the comic-book films that succeed were reignited by hardcore fans. Tim Burton and Sam Raimi and people like [‘X-Men’ producer] Tom DeSanto and all of a sudden what you’re going to see is everybody jumping on the bandwagon because of the successful movies. Then they will be less successful and then, just as it happens in horror films, only the hardcore people will remain. And it will start over again … I’m happy to see stuff like ‘Preacher’ and ‘Jonah Hex’ being adapted, more edgy and less superhero-ey stuff. When people ask me my favorite comic-book adaptation, I tell them ‘Ghostworld’ and people are surprised. But it is. There’s also ‘Road to Perdition’ and ‘History of Violence.’ There are very intersting films made from comic books without traditional superheroes. But of the classic superhero movies, my favorite is still Richard Donner and Richard Lester’s ‘Superman II.’ When I was a kid, it was the first one where they were throwing cars around and doing all the things you wanted to see in a movie.”


Who will be the Trotskys and Lin Biaos of this cultural revolution?

N246322§ Stan Lee is producing yet ANOTHER SUPERHERO SHOW, this one based on Perry Moore’s HERO about a gay, second-generation superhero.

Moore is penning the script and also exec producing along with Hunter Hill.

Previous series television produced by Lee includes whimsical reality-competish skein “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?,” which ran on the Sci Fi Channel from 2005-07.

The comicbook maven is in development on several features for Paramount, including “Thor,” “The First Avenger: Captain America” and a sequel to last summer’s “Iron Man.”

Project joins more than a half-dozen others in development at Showtime, including a series retelling of “Camelot” from “Tudors” creatives Michael Hirst and Morgan O’Sullivan.


§ Actress Elizabeth Banks isn’t just staying behind the camera for THE SURROGATES; she’s producing!

“It’s a very cool world that’s been created by Robert Vendetti — who created the comic books that it’s based on — in which it’s sort of an extension of the world we live in right now, but there’s less and less of human contact,” explained Banks, saying the film is very timely when you consider where the world is headed. “We’re constantly on the cell phone. When you go to the bank, you go to the machine now — you never see a teller. You can check out of the grocery store without ever seeing somebody. So it’s an extension of that world, where essentially going out becomes something you do through a surrogate.”

1 COMMENT

  1. I am SO looking forward to ‘The Surrogates’ film. The book had a great ‘mood’/feel to it, and I thought it was very relevant subject matter. The more I hear about the film, the more excited I get.

  2. I love the title-“Stan goes gay.” Does he chase after everything these days? He has absolutely no dignity left, does he? I remember a guy with the same name, who worked at Marvel comics during the 1960’s. Now there was a guy with talent. Although, I do remember some controversy about him taking credit for other people’s work. That guy seemed to be a blow hard too. I’m sure it was just a bad rumor.

  3. Elizabeth Banks is terrific — we definitely need to see more of Betty Brant if there’s a Spider-Man 4 — especially since it looked like she was ready to get it on with Evil/Symbiote Parker!

  4. After The Hobbit i want del Toro to make At the Mountains of Madness, none of this messing around with lesser films

  5. Seriously Blackeye – what’s up your ass with Stan Lee? Practically everytime Heidi brings him up on this board – you have a freakin’ hemmorage!!

    I don’t see you out there trying to revolutionize the comic book industry with any original creations.

    ~

    Coat

  6. You’re funny “Coat”, maybe I am out revolutionizing the comic book industry. In fact, I’ve got a great idea about turning some “B” list celebrities into super heroes, and then I was thinking about an animated stripper who fights crime.
    It’s cute how you run to the old codgers defense, you might want to calm down, though. Peace sweetheart!

  7. Blackeye,

    I’m confused. If Stan has no dignity left after getting involved in a gay-themed project, that presupposes he had some dignity before that. Was that from those years when he was just taking credit for other peoples’ work, or from something else?