Jon Favreau Already Starting Work on Iron Man 2http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/08/21/jon-favreau-already-starting-work-on-iron-man-2/
This shouldn't really be a shocker to anyone, but Jon Favreau has already started work on Iron Man 2. This is definitely great news for most, except those who said he could've done a better job during the Favreau debacle in early June. He also sounds as anxious as Michael Bay, working before there's even a script (as far as we know) and putting in plenty of early pre-production work. Robert Downey Jr. is just about to head to England to film Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, so he won't probably get back into the role of Tony Stark until early next year. But as Favreau now confirms: "It will be released in 2010."
The update today comes from Geoff Boucher's LA Times blog, where Favreau tells him that "we're working on it now, which hasn't been officially announced." We do officially know Justin Theroux, the actor turned screenwriter who penned the Tropic Thunder script, will be writing the script for this sequel. We can also expect Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard to reprise their roles again. Other than that, we're all anxiously awaiting to hear more. Marvel has set a release date of April 30th, 2010 and Favreau has now begun the arduous two year process to bring us the next fantastic installment of Iron Man. We'll probably hear a lot more from Favreau and company over the next two years, so stay tuned.
Rumor: Iron Man 2 Might Be Shot in Glorious IMAX 3D?!http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/09/11/rumor-iron-man-2-might-be-shot-in-glorious-imax-3d/
Oh no! This isn't really confirmed news, but a report from our friends at Collider today quotes Jon Favreau as saying that he'd love to do Iron Man 2 in 3D and even potentially shoot scenes on IMAX, just like The Dark Knight did. Considering Iron Man is currently ranked as the #2 box office earner this year, I imagine that Paramount and Marvel might be up for giving Favreau the budget he needs to do both of these. The report is a bit sketchy and Favreau only said that he wants to do it in 3D, not that they actually were going to - but time will tell if they actually make it happen. Although I'm not the biggest fan of 3D, I'm going to let this one slide and still remain considerably excited to for Iron Man 2 to hit in 2010!
Favreau attended at a press conference for the Iron Man DVD and said that he'd love to do the sequel in 3D. "He also called the IMAX Dark Knight footage a game changer and he said he’d love to shoot part of Iron Man 2 in IMAX." And as for the 3D, "it's all about the cost, but if they can make it happen he'd like to do it." This is very exciting news and I know I'm not alone when I say that it would truly be badass to see Iron Man in glorious IMAX 3D kicking Mandarin's ass for two hours. As I said, I hope Paramount and Marvel do give Favreau the money he needs, because if this actually happens, it could potentially give The Dark Knight a run for its money in 2010.
End of the Rhodes for Howardhttp://movies.ign.com/articles/919/919595p1.html
Cheadle replaces him on Iron Man 2.
October 14, 2008 - Back when Iron Man came out, Terrence Howard was very excited about the direction his character -- Tony Stark sidekick Jim Rhodes -- would take in the sequel, telling us he was already thinking about how he would play the character in Iron Man 2.
Well it seems all that talk was in vain, with the actor now dropping out of the movie due, according to The Hollywood Reporter, to "financial differences, among other reasons."
Marvel has quickly stepped in, hiring Don Cheadle to replace the departing actor. He's probably most famous for his awful attempts at a cockney accent in the Ocean films, but has serious acting credentials having nabbed an Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda.
The role is set to be greatly expanded in Iron Man 2, with all the sequel buzz suggesting that Rhodes will become War Machine next time around. Filming on the sequel will get under way next year.
'Iron Man 2': How Terrence Howard Lost His Metalhttp://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20236884,00.html
Marvel's decision to recast the role of Col. Jim Rhodes said to be a combination of salary issues and concern about the performance
When a summer blockbuster grosses more than $300 million, putting together a sequel is typically as simple as throwing buckets of money at your stars and signing a few pieces of paper. That hasn't been the case with Iron Man 2. It took months for Marvel Studios to lock in director Jon Favreau for the sequel. And reports that Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as Col. Jim Rhodes — a supporting character who seemed poised for a big role in the follow-up after he muttered ''Next time, baby'' to Iron Man's steel suit — hint that IM2 isn't quite as infallible as the superhero at its center.
Hollywood insiders believe the exit stems from Terrence Howard's difficult behavior on the set of Iron Man. But those with intimate knowledge of the situation suggest a far more dramatic backstory: Howard was the first actor signed to the film and, on top of that, was the highest-paid. That's right: more than Gwyneth Paltrow. More than Jeff Bridges. More than Robert Downey Jr. And once the project fully came together, it was too late to renegotiate his deal. It didn't help that, according to one source, Favreau and his producers were ultimately unhappy with Howard's performance, and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes. (Favreau could not be reached for comment, while Howard's publicist says: ''Terrence had a tremendous experience working on Iron Man.'')
As such, when Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux went to map out the sequel they found themselves minimizing Howard's story line. Once Marvel learned that Favreau was thinking of curtailing the role, the studio went to the actor's agents with a new and drastically reduced offer — a number that's similar to what supporting cast members were paid for the first movie. The agents, according to sources, were so taken aback by this new figure — estimated at somewhere between a 50 and 80 percent pay cut — that they questioned it. Why did they blanch? Multiple sources say that Marvel execs never told Howard's reps that they had issues with the star's on-set conduct. (Marvel would not comment for this story.)
It's unclear whether Howard's team walked away first, or if Marvel ended the discussion at that point. Either way, the studio moved quickly to secure Cheadle and the story leaked out the next morning, Oct. 14. And alas for Howard, there will be no next time.
'Iron Man 2': Scarlett Johansson to replace Emily Blunt as Black Widow?http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/iron-man-2-will.html
Feb 13, 2009, 07:30 PM | by Nicole Sperling
Because Emily Blunt's commitment to Twentieth Century Fox and the studio's upcoming Gulliver's Travels movie may prohibit her from costarring in Iron Man 2, Marvel is in discussions with other actresses, most significantly Scarlett Johansson, to take her place, EW has learned exclusively. Marvel will not confirm, but sources around Hollywood say Johansson has indeed met with the filmmakers and is interested in taking the role of Russian superspy Natasha Romanoff, who doubles as Black Widow. Blunt's reps are still trying to make both projects work, but Gulliver's is further along, with a start date of April 15. Iron Man 2 still doesn't have a shooting script and a start date has not yet been determined.
Robert Downey Jr Promises Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Iron Man 2http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/03/robert-downey-jr-promises-harder-better-faster-stronger-iron-man-2/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/03/robert-downey-jr-promises-harder-better-faster-stronger-iron-man-2/)
The Soloist star Robert Downey Jr. talked recently with ET Online about Iron Man 2, which starts shooting in the next few weeks. "The film is almost entirely about character, and yet we still have twice as much action as we did last time, so it's going to be nuts," he said. And here's the best part of his update. "Essentially Iron Man 2 is about looking behind the armor, or the armature, of a superhero. It's one thing to say you're Iron Man, it's another thing to be fully ready to do that." Apologies for that Daft Punk reference in the title, but I think it worked well, because that's exactly what we're going to get with this!
When asked about Scarlett Johansson taking on the role of Black Widow, Downey Jr said, "We've been rehearsing and she's in insane shape. She's getting lean and mean." I hope that's the truth, because right now I think she's the weakest link, and has a lot of hard work to do if she is indeed going to pull this off. I'm considerably excited for Iron Man 2 and can't wait to see what Jon Favreau and his screenwriter Justin Theroux have whipped up this time around, even with Johansson on board It's great to hear that it will be even more about the character this time, because as we all know, great characters make for great movies.
Kate Mara Joins and Clark Gregg Returns for Iron Man 2http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/22/kate-mara-joins-and-clark-gregg-returns-for-iron-man-2/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/22/kate-mara-joins-and-clark-gregg-returns-for-iron-man-2/)
Two minor casting updates for Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2. We Are Marshall actress Kate Mara has joined the cast, and Choke writer/director/actor Clark Gregg has officially returned to reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. We know who Gregg is set to play, but Mara's role is "being kept under wraps." That's a bit odd, considering Favreau and company are already shooting in Manhattan Beach. No hints as to who she might play, but I'm intrigued by her casting. We already know that Scarlett Johansson is playing Black Widow and Gwyneth Paltrow is back as Pepper Potts, so what other female characters are there?
If you haven't been following Jon Favreau's Twitter, you should be, as he updates it quite often and occasionally posts cool photos like this one of his director's chair. So far it sounds like everything has been going great. On the same day he posted two great updates: "Wrapped. Heading home. Robert was on fire. We're hitting our stride," as well as, "Scarlett's first day. Very exciting." In addition, if you didn't hear previously, small cameo roles have been shot featuring actors Garry Shandling and Gary Oldman, but no one really knows much about who they play. Those are all the latest updates from the set of Iron Man 2.
First Official Photo from Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2!http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/30/first-official-photo-from-jon-favreaus-iron-man-2/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/04/30/first-official-photo-from-jon-favreaus-iron-man-2/)
Exactly as Jon Favreau promised on twitter, the first official photo from Iron Man 2 has been unveiled tonight over at USA Today. Although I wasn't expecting to see much, this is actually an awesome first photo, giving us a big hint that Tony Stark may be building a "Hall of Armor" of Iron Man suits, just like in the comics. But of course, we won't know more details about that or even know how many different suits he has until we get to see Iron Man 2 next summer. "It's never easy with summer movies, but we're trying to keep as much a surprise as possible," Favreau says. Without further ado, check out the first official photo!
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5075/ironman2firstofficialph.jpg)
Iron Man 2 takes place "six months after Stark revealed his identity as Iron Man" at the end of the first movie. Favreau explains that the story this time will indeed involve a little bit of that public relations crisis. "How many superheroes are open about their true identities?" Favreau asks. "We wanted to play with that idea. But it obviously has consequences — in his relationships, on the team. There are a lot of areas we can explore." As for the villain(s) or how much we'll get to see of S.H.I.E.L.D., Favreau won't be talking about that. But it's good to keep everything so mysterious, right? I know it definitely makes me more excited!
Marvel Considering Converting Iron Man 2 Entirely to 3D?!http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/01/marvel-considering-converting-iron-man-2-entirely-to-3d/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/01/marvel-considering-converting-iron-man-2-entirely-to-3d/)
It was inevitable, wasn't it? Especially after I saw Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige going in to watch the Avatar Day footage at the same theater I was at. Eventually Marvel (and the rest of Hollywood) would want to make all their movies in 3D, too. And while people are saying negative things about the way the CGI in Avatar looks, no one is saying anything bad about the 3D. Harry at AICN has published a scoop claiming ("I can state that the following is absolutely true") that Marvel is looking at converting Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 into 3D. On top of that, they're considering converting Iron Man 1 to 3D and re-releasing it a bit earlier.
Here's an excerpt from Harry's article about why Marvel is so damn interested in paying for the conversion. Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of IRON MAN 2 converted to high quality digital 3D. I'm told this one minute is totally like Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 WEEKS. HOT! Crazy Hot! Right now the Suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute. At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert IRON MAN 2 to a complete 3D film. This same process is being done to Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
Before I go on any further (about how awesome it would be to see Iron Man flying and fighting in 3D), let me recall a quote from James Cameron himself that comes from a conference he spoke at. At last year's 3D Entertainment Summit, Cameron participated in a Q&A and was asked at one point about his thoughts on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in 3D. "It doesn't make any sense to shoot in 2D and convert to 3D," he said. He also criticized the red-and-blue 3D movies on DVDs, saying it was "stunting 3D growth." I've been a strong anti-3D advocate for a long time, but have openly said that it will be Cameron who changes my mind. And yet he's dead on with that statement - converting 2D to 3D does not make any sense.
I don't want to get into all the technical details, but personally I just don't think the conversion process results in high quality 3D (it looks layered). Did anyone see the 3D segments of Superman Returns or Harry Potter? They looked terrible. The only movies that I have praised for their use of 3D (U2 3D, Monsters vs Aliens, Pixar's Up) have been movies that were shot in 3D and/or created from the ground up in 3D. It really makes all the difference and I feel like this decision is simply because they're getting excited about 3D and want to be a part of that revolution (which I predict will fully kick off with Avatar). But do we need this?
Getting back to the news at hand, though, apparently this 1-minute 3D demo reel looks so good, that they're even considering converting Iron Man to 3D. "There's a chance they'll actually pony up to convert Iron Man for a reissue in advance of Iron Man 2's summer release," Harry says. Hell, I'd love to see Iron Man re-released, because it'd be fun to watch that in theaters right before seeing Iron Man 2 in theaters, but as for the 3D, I'm just not into it. I'm also stunned that so many people are unsure of seeing 3 hours of Avatar in 3D (like this comment) yet are probably going to be excited by this news. Need I remind you that the 3D probably won't look that good if it has to be converted? I just want a great movie, it doesn't need to be in 3D.
Robert Downey Jr. Definitely Had a Hand in Writing Iron Man 2http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/11/30/robert-downey-jr-definitely-had-a-hand-in-writing-iron-man-2/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/11/30/robert-downey-jr-definitely-had-a-hand-in-writing-iron-man-2/)
It's no secret that actor Robert Downey Jr. had a hand in crafting the somewhat life-mirroring character of Tony Stark in Marvel's Iron Man. So it comes as no surprise that his involvement in writing Iron Man 2 was more than a fleeting instance. Director Jon Favreau recently told Empire (via WENN): "Robert is a real partner in the process. He's been very involved in the screenplay. When he went away to do Sherlock Holmes he was still part of our creative process." And if you're at all worried about an actor like Downey Jr. becoming heavily involved in the writing process of a property like this, read on to put your mind at ease.
Favreau points out: "Even in the first film, where he was originally a hired gun playing the role, he really stepped up to rewrite scenes - he's a great writer, too. So we really are sharing the responsibilities." It's nice to hear that there's some fusion among actor, director and writer with Downey, Favreau, and (the actual) screenwriter Justin Theroux (who also happens to be an actor) collaborating so nicely. It's much more reassuring than Edward Norton's involvement in the re-writes and editing for The Incredible Hulk, which sparked more than a small debate between Norton and Marvel. And of course, this is just more fuel for the fire that's already burning in anticipation of Iron Man 2. We'll keep you posted on any further updates.
End of the Rhodes for Howard
Cheadle replaces him on Iron Man 2.
~SNIP~
'Iron Man 2': How Terrence Howard Lost His MetalNow while I know I said that I was disappointed with this turn of events, I couldn't help but chuckle at this:
~SNIP~