The following was originally posted on Comic-Con.org:

3:30-4:30 A Marvel Studios Production: The Future of Marvel’s Film Franchises

The next great era of comic book films begins as Marvel Studios launches its new slate. The studio is currently developing many of its landmark titles for adaptation to the screen, including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Nick Fury, and Ant-Man. At this presentation, the directors of Iron Man (Jon Favreau), The Incredible Hulk, and Ant-Man (Edgar Wright) will share their visions for these highly anticipated films. Producers Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, and Ari Arad will join the panel and be on hand to answer questions from the audience. Moderated by Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter. Room 6CDEF

Hopefully, the director of the next Hulk film will be present, or at the very least an announcement will be made.

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The following was originally posted on CHUD.com:

It's definitely not a remake. We’re not going to tell the origin story of the Hulk. Reboot? It's harder to say. I think the tone will shift. We all loved the action [in the first one], and I like a lot of the creature stuff and I liked the performances in the movie. What I didn’t like was the father/son stuff. Honestly I didn’t like the dogs.

I felt – weirdly since I get so much shit for fucking with the continuity on X-Men 3, which not all of which was my doing but some of which is – I feel like on the Hulk that was one which didn’t need to be revamped. I didn’t like that the Hulk was something his dad injected into him as opposed to him being a repressed guy with all this rage to unleash.

The other thing is that there’s something about the tone of the TV show – despite the fans’ insistence on going with ‘Hulk smash’ and all that stuff- there’s something about the man on the run with a dark secret, Jekyll and Hyde, theme that we could do more with. There wasn’t much of that in the Hulk movie. I can’t think of one scene where he was trying to solve his problem while keeping it a secret from anyone. To me that’s essential to the Hulk. That’s what’s great about the Bruce Jones run [in the comics]. When I read that, I thought, ‘This is a Hulk movie.’ You know, with the laptop and Mr. Blue. We’re using all that stuff. I think it uses the tone of the TV show but keeps the scope as big as you want with a Hulk movie. The problem with the TV show is that you don’t want a guy running around in green paint knocking walls over. It’s a matter of combing that tone with a bigger scope, and that’s what we’re doing. So I don’t know what to call that. I felt like we should keep as much continuity as we can while changing the tone. That’s my personal preference.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Reuters.com:

"Hulk" making incredible return to big screen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Evidently underterred by the lukewarm reception that greeted "The Hulk" just three years ago, Marvel Studios is bringing the jolly green giant to the big screen once again.

Action filmmaker Louis Leterrier has signed on to direct "The Incredible Hulk," which will return the monstrous superhero to his comic book roots.

The 2003 version, "The Hulk," directed by Ang Lee and starring Eric Bana, cost about $150 million to make, and earned $132 million at the North American box office.

Producers Avi Arad and Kevin Feige first met with Leterrier two years ago and were struck by his passion for the Marvel Comics universe. It was that passion that shone through recently when -- after being approached to gauge his interest in directing a new Hulk movie -- Paris-based Leterrier went back to his studio and, with the help of an artist, storyboarded two action sequences and developed a take on the monster.

Casting will begin shortly. The script is being written by Zak Penn, whose credits include Marvel's "X2: X-Men United" and "X-Men: The Last Stand." Universal Pictures will distribute.

Leterrier established his action credentials with the Jason Statham flicks "The Transporter" and its sequel, "Transporter 2," which opened at the top of the box office last year. He also directed the Jet Li movie "Unleashed."

"His movies have humor and character depth set against fantastic action, and these aspects will be explored to the fullest extent in 'Hulk,"' said Feige, Marvel Studios' president of production.

Leterrier will be formally introduced Saturday during a Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Hulk, created in 1962, remains one of the biggest characters in Marvel's stable and rivals Spider-Man in terms of pop culture iconography and mainstream appeal.

"People want to see the green guy again," Feige said.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

Stéphane ARGENTIN' from Ecran Large tells us they already got a chance to speak to The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier after last night's announcement:

We were able to get in touch with director Louis Leterrier this morning regarding The Incredible Hulk to ask him a few precisions about the project. He told us that he was previously in relation with Marvel to direct Iron-Man before the project finally went to Jon Favreau. Seeing Leterrier's passion for Marvel comics, Avi Arad told him about this new Hulk and it took Louis less than half an hour to get convinced by the new orientation of the movie and agree to direct.

"We won't be spending times presenting the characters, which is unfortunately pretty much unavoidable as far as number ones are concerned. Someway like Spider-Man 2, Marvel wants this Hulk to be the one fans would really want to see on the big screen. I'm not badmouthing Ang Lee's movie which has its supporters but I think the tone was overall a little bit too serious. As far as the casting is concerned, we don't know yet if Eric Bana will be onboard and regarding Hulk, I can already tell you that I don't intend to use as much 3D as the first movie did. As for the budget, it will be over 100 millions".

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

The Marvel Entertainment movie team of Kevin Feige, Ari Arad and Avi Arad invited three directors of upcoming Marvel projects – Ant-Man, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man - to share some details about the highly anticipated projects with attendees at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday.

Newly named The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier (the "Transporter" films, Unleashed) told attendees that his vision for Hulk would still focus on Bruce Banner's hate for the monster inside him and carry a tone closer to that of the television show. Ari Arad added that the new film would focus more on the Hulk as hero theme.

"This is Marvel's horror movie," said Leterrier "It's Frankenstein meets Jekyll and Hyde with a little bit of Edward Scissorhands."

As for characters returning from the first film, Leterrier confirmed that General Ross will be there. Avi Arad addded that filming will start in April, 2007.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Newsarama.com:

The highly-anticipated A Marvel Studios Production: The Future of Marvel’s Film Franchises panel at Comic-Con was held Saturday and Newsarama was there has has this following full report.

Kit then introduced the just-announced director of the second Hulk movie, Louis Leterrier.

Killing rumors, Kit said that the next Hulk movie will not be straight-to-DVD, and will not star David Duchovny or Brendan Frasier, as rumors have alluded to.

Letterier said that initially, he had reluctance to taking the job, given that he is a relatively unknown French director who would be following in the footsteps of Ang Lee, and said “No” when he was first offered. Later, on a trip to Hollywood, Letterier met with Arad, who whispered the pitch for the movie in his ear, and shortly afterwards, he decided that he wanted to do it, and accept the challenge of returning the character to film.

Letterier said that shortly after deciding to do the film, he started storyboards and put together concept art for the film, something, Arad said, convinced them that they had the right man for the job.

When asked by Kit how the new Hulk film will be different in tone from the first film, Ari Arad [Avi’s son and fellow producer} said that the idea behind the next movie is to make the Hulk the action/adventure movie that fans want to see.

"A lot more Hulk as hero," Arad said.

In teasing the cast, Letterier said that General Ross will return, as well as a new villain - the Abomination. The director said that he felt that the Hulk needed an opposite number, and will give the threatening feeling you find in other superhero movies, where the hero could actually dies at the hands of the villain.

In regards to the screenplay for the Hulk, Letterier said that they're currently shooting ideas back and forth, and will begin filming in April.

Feige said that Marvel is very open to the idea of films with more than one hero, noting that if you look at the films that have been announced, it's no coincidence that they are members of the Avengers.

Asked will the Hulk talk in the new movie, "We don't know about that," Letterier replied. "But I just met Lou Ferrigno, and he said, 'I want to do the voice’. So we'll see."

The director said that his Hulk will be less green, and that he loves the grey Hulk. All in all, the film will resemble the television show in its fundamentals, in that Banner will be on the run, and knows he is cursed with a monster inside him, and the challenge will be to see that the monster can also be a hero.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on IGN.com:

July 23, 2006 - Hulk 2 (actually titled The Incredible Hulk) is not going straight to DVD. David Duchovny will not star now that Eric Bana has left the project. Neither will Brendan Fraser. The franchise will, however, have a new director. Mere days ago Louis Leterrier, most recently responsible for The Transporter 2 was tapped to direct the big green one's latest screen adventure.

Speaking about the wooing process, the French director said, "We've been turning around each other like dogs in love." Ultimately, he was selected, and President of Production Kevin Feige said, "What he has planned in terms of the fun aspects of the Hulk, Hulk as hero, you guys will really be excited."

Members of the panel seemed dedicated to distancing themselves from Hulk. Louis Leterrier said, "The idea… is to make the Hulk action adventure movie everyone wanted to see."

In addition to being an action/adventure movie, Leterrier stated, "It's Marvel's horror movie… It's Frankenstein, it's Jekyll and Hyde and a little Edward Scissorhands." The script is going to hearken back to the television show, focusing on Banner's journey and his difficulty dealing with the monster. "The good thing abour number twos is that you don't waste your time on the origin," said Leterrier.

Every superhero movie needs a villain, and since this installment is focusing on Hulk's more heroic qualities, it's only right that he gets a gnarly enemy. That ultra-bad-ass is going to be Abomination. "I think we needed an anti-Hulk this time," said Leterrier. "Abomination is mega-bad Hulk."

Warming the hearts of many Con-goers, Leterrier delivered one last piece of good news about the sequel: "No poodles. Promise." Keep your eyes on IGN FilmForce for more information on this and other Marvel movies.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

It was at this point that Borys introduced Louis Letterier, a man who only just signed on to direct the Hulk sequel three days ago.

"I've known these guys for a while," Letterier said of the Marvel Studios execs. "We've been running around each other like dogs in love."

Letterier admitted that he was initially apprehensive about following in the footsteps of Ang Lee, who helmed the first Hulk film, but after a meeting with the Arads, he was convinced that there could and should be another Hulk movie.

"I had to convince myself," Letterier explained, so he took it upon himself to draw up storyboards and conceptual art. This kind of initiative, Avi said, was how they knew they'd picked the right man for the job.

"The incredible Hulk will be born again," Avi said.

When asked how this film will differ from Ang Lee's vision, Ari said their intent was to make the "Hulk action-adventure movie" they'd always wanted to see.

"More hulk as hero, more savage transformations," he said. It will hearken back to the Hulk TV series, portraying Banner as a man on the road, struggling with his curse. General Ross was the only character from the first film that Letterier would confirm would be returning, but he did confirm the identity of the film’s villain: The Abomination.

"We needed an anti-Hulk this time," he said. "You have to believe the hero is in jeopardy."

Now that Marvel Studios is an autonomous production company, one fan asked about the chances of seeing characters cross-over from one film to another.

Avi said the "possibility excites all of us." It's no coincidence, he said, that the films they currently have in development could one day lead to an "Avengers" movie.

When asked whether the Hulk sequel will have any connection to the first film, Letterier avoided directly answering the question.

"The good thing about sequels," he began, "Is that you don't have to deal with the origin." It's not the origin that interests the director, so much as "the struggle, Banner's hate for this monster."

The degree to which the monster will or not talk remains up in the air, but Letterier did recount his recent meeting with TV's Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno.

"I wanna do the voice!" the bodybuilder had said. Ferrigno also reportedly gave Letterier his blessing.

Letterier characterized his vision of the Hulk as "Frankenstein meets [Doctor Jeckyll] with a little bit of 'Edward Scissorhands.'"

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on IGN.com:

July 24, 2006 - At the first ever Marvel Studios panel at this weekend's Comic-Con, President of Production Kevin Feige made statements that indicate Marvel is headed in a direction that will lead to a full-scale, live action Avengers movie.

The studio announced it's starting production on three new projects: Captain America, Nick Fury and Thor. All three figure heavily into the Avengers mythos, as do The Hulk and Iron Man, both of which already have movies in production.

In the past, an Avengers movie would have been unlikely, not only because movie technology was not advanced enough to handle some of the complicated characters, but because rights to various Marvel entities were scattered among several studios.

"Now that it's all under one roof, it could be done," said Feige. Jon Favreau, in a separate interview, stated that he always thought of Iron Man 3 as Iron Man: The Avengers. Stay tuned to IGN FilmForce for news on all of the Marvel movie projects.

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The following was originally posted on ComicsContinuum.com:

Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige says the time is right for Marvel to start producing its own films -- and the studio seems to be off and running in that endeavor.

At Marvel Studios' panel on Saturday, Feige -- joined by studiomates Avi Arad and Ari Arad -- introduced directors of three of Marvel's first independently produced films: Ant-Man's Edgar Wright, The Incredible Hulk's Louis Leterrier and Iron Man's Jon Favreau.

"We feel we have a pretty good handle on how to make these movies and make them ourselves," Feige said.

"We have some amazing talent around us," Arad said.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

* Letterier said he was hesitant to follow Ang Lee and didn't want to do it at first, but was convinced by Marvel that there could be another Hulk movie.

"I've known these guys for a while," Letterier said of the Marvel Studios executives. "We've been running around each other like dogs in love."

* Letterier said he did several storyboards and conceptual art because he had never worked with a super-hero before.

"The things he put together were some of the best sequences we had ever seen," Feige said. "And what he has planned for the aspects of the Hulk -- the Hulk as hero -- I think is going to make you guys very, very excited."

"The idea behind this movie is the make the Hulk the action/adventure we're all dying for," Ari Arad said. He added that it will feel a little bit more like the television series, with the Hulk on the run.

* The Abomination will be the villain, and General Ross will return.

"Super-heroes, for me, they work when you feel your hero is in real jeopardy," Letterier said. "Spider-Man is amazing movie for that because you really feel could be done in at any moment.

"I want to see that. We needed it. So the Abomination is a mega-bad Hulk. He's going to be an amazing creature."

* Leterrier also said there will be no poodles, a reference to the first film. "Promise," he said.

* Leterrier said production will start in April.

* Asked about crossovers, Feige said it's not a coincidence that the characters Marvel is working on might some day end up being The Avengers.

"That possibility excites all of us," he said. "Now that it's all under one roof, it could be done."

He added that Marvel's pre-existing pipeline with other studios will probably "continue for a long time to come."

* "The good thing about No. 2s is that you don't have to deal with origin," Leterrier said. "You don't waste 45 minutes of your time explaining the origin and then cram the whole plot of the movie into a 45-minute sequence.

"It's not so much the origin that's interesting about the Hulk. It's the stuggle, Banner's hate for this monster. We'll explore that much more. It's more about how you deal with yourself being a monster."

* Leterrier said he wasn't sure how much the Hulk will talk. "But I just met Lou Ferrigno and he said he'll do the voice," he added, drawing laughs and cheers.

* Leterrier described the movie as "Frankenstein meets Jekyll and Hyde with a little bit of Edward Scissorhands."

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on ComicBookResources.com:

With its second quarter report on Monday, Marvel Entertainment listed its movie schedule with no significant updates -- unless you listened to the webcast.

David Maisel, vice president of Marvel Studios, said that Marvel will have two independently produced films for 2008.

According to Maisel, one will be Iron Man, with a scheduled May 2 release. "We haven't said what the second film will be," he said.

Likely candidates for that position are Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man or Captain America.

Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige previously told The Continuum that Hulk could go into production as early as April, which would make it a strong candidate for 2008.

In addition to its two self-financed films, 2008 also could see a Wolverine film from Fox and a Punisher sequel from Lionsgate.

Maisel declined to list a budget for Iron Man and it was noted that Marvel gets $5 million from Sony when it options a Spider-Man sequel and another $5 million when the film goes into production.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

Marvel Entertainment has releases its Q2 2006 Earnings which includes an updated list of upcoming projects for Marvel Studios. We've left off the projects that have already been released:

Licensed Marvel Character Feature Film Line-Up For 2007
Ghost Rider, Sony - In post-production, February 16, 2007 release
Spider-Man 3, Sony - In production, May 4, 2007 release
Fantastic Four 2, Fox - In early pre-production, June 15, 2007 release

Film Projects Being Developed by Marvel (Partial List)
The first two films are anticipated for release in 2008.
Ant-Man, Marvel - Writer and director engaged
Captain America, Marvel - Writer engaged
The Incredible Hulk, Marvel - Writer and director engaged
Iron Man, Marvel - Writer and director engaged, slated for May 2, 2008
Nick Fury, Marvel - Writer engaged
Thor, Marvel - Writer engaged

The Avengers, Black Panther, Cloak & Dagger, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye,
Power Pack and Shang-Chi are also projects to be developed by Marvel.

Licensed Marvel Character Film Development Pipeline (Partial List)
Deathlok, Paramount - TBD
Gargoyle, Sony - TBD
Luke Cage, Sony - TBD
Magneto, Fox - TBD
Namor, Universal - TBD
The Punisher 2, Lionsgate - TBD
Wolverine, Fox - TBD

Marvel Character Animated TV Projects in Development
Fantastic Four, Moonscoop SAS (France) - 26, 30 minute episodes airing in 2006; U.S. distribution expected on Cartoon Network
Wolverine, First Serve Toonz (India) - 26, 30 minute episodes in development
Iron Man, Method Films (France) - 26, 30 minute episodes in development

Marvel Character Animated Direct-to-Video Projects in Development
Partnership with Lionsgate to develop, produce and distribute original animated DVD features. Titles include: Ultimate Avengers 2 (scheduled for August 8, 2006), Iron Man and Doctor Strange.

Marvel Character Live Action TV Projects (Partial List)
Alter Ego and Skrull Kill Krew in development.

2006 Video Game Releases
Activision, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - To be released Q4 2006

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The following was originally posted on Variety.com:

Marvel Enterprises will pay Paramount, or any other studio, a 10% distribution fee as it sets out to make its own pics.

Company disclosed the maximum fee allowable under its loan structure during a conference call with Wall Streeters. Briefing was designed to introduce the studio's new management team sans Avi Arad and detail its upcoming slate.

The absence of Arad, who shocked many by stepping down from his post as chairman of Marvel Studios in May, was somewhat surprising as he is still producing several Marvel pics and is drawing his full salary until the end of the year as a "creative adviser."

Asked about Arad's absence, a Marvel spokesman noted that "Avi has his own production company now, and these are the Marvel executives putting forth the long-term strategy."

Investors and the press had become used to the boisterous exec as the public face of the company; Thursday call was the first major Marvel Studios event with prexy Michael Helfant and production topper Kevin Feige out front.

Marvel will use the $525 million Merrill Lynch debt facility to fund its slate, which will kick off with "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" in 2008. Par is set to release most of the Marvel pics, although Universal will distribute "Iron Man."

Responding to an analyst's question, studio execs said they aren't worried about saturating the marketplace by turning out two pics a year. They said there continues to be a "large appetite" for such pics.

Films are expected to cost $130 million or less.

Marvel execs also tried to allay concerns over New Line putting "Iron Man" into turnaround and U giving back the rights for the "Hulk" sequel. They said these are common practices in Hollywood.

Asked about potential sequels, studio said there would probably be a gap of 18-30 months between installments.

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The following was originally posted on CHUD.com:

The word got out this week – Marvel is planning an Avengers movie, and Zak Penn, one half of the writing team on X-Men: The Last Stand and the writer of the upcoming Incredible Hulk, will be doing the screenwriting chores. I contacted Zak to ask him for some more info about what his vision of The Avengers would be. First I wanted to know where he would be getting his inspiration: the normal Marvel Universe Avengers or The Ultimates, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s widescreen re-envisioning of the team?

“No question the thing that it inspired me was the Ultimates run,” Zak told me. “I thought it was brilliant, cinematic, and made me realize that a super hero team didn't have to be goofy. There has been a lot of discussion about whether it will be live action or a next-gen big budget CGI thing, but we've tabled it for awhile while I write the Hulk. I imagine we will make all these decisions next year.”

One of the things that has fans excited about The Avengers movie is the possibility of scale. While there’s a long time between now and real work getting done on this project, Zak does have his eye on making this a real Marvel U movie – a real Marvel Film U movie, that is. “One thing I can tell you is that when I was a kid, I loved Marvel Team Up, Marvel Two in One, anything where you got a sense of the whole Marvel universe. The more we can draw from the other Marvel movies the better.”

It’ll be interesting to see where that goes – will whoever gets hired to play Iron Man also be contracted for The Avengers? Or at least for his voice, if the film does go CGI? And with Marvel having so many of its characters home under one roof again, we could be seeing a massive showing of Marvel characters.

And we may not have to wait for The Avengers movie for that. “By the way, I'm hoping you'll see some other Marvel characters in the Hulk,” Zak teased.

Look for more from Zak Penn in the coming weeks as Dave Davis and I recount our massive and epic Las Vegas adventure on the set of his improv poker movie, The Grand. And it won’t just be Zak – we’ll have on set interviews from Werner Herzog, David Cross, Avi Arad and more.

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The following was originally posted on MTV.com:

After Spidey, Marvel To Focus On Hulk's Relaunch, Captain America's Big-Screen Debut

Meet the new president of production for Marvel Studios, a surprisingly fresh-faced exec with big plans for the comic book blockbusters you'll be lining up for over the next decade.

"We always stay true to what we feel is the right story to tell," Feige added, referring to Marvel's relationship with its Web-savvy fans. "But they can have more of an impact than they know."

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword, however, and those very same fans have voiced skepticism over Marvel's decision to rebirth the Hulk, a character whose 2003 movie was widely seen as a disappointment.

"[It's going to be] a little more Marvel," Feige explained. "[We want] to make it a little more true to the comics."

Feige wouldn't discuss the future of Eric Bana, who has said that he'd like to return for another shot as the big guy.

"It's much too early for specifics," Feige said. "But Hulk remains one of our biggest characters, second only to Spider-Man in terms of popularity, so we're going to bring it back to the screen in a big way."

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on EW.com:

Marvel Entertainment says it plans to unleash The Avengers as soon as they get Iron Man, the Hulk sequel, and a few other projects off their plate. Set to pen the screenplay is Zak Penn, the writer behind the last two X-Men movies from 20th Century Fox and Marvel. The comic book The Avengers began as a team consisting of superheroes Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, Iron Man, and Hulk. Later, Captain America and a host of others joined. Marvel calls the Avengers ''Earth's mightiest heroes.''

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier (the "Transporter" films, "Unleashed") stopped by the Superhero Hype! message boards to chat with fans about Marvel Studios' anticipated sequel, to be released by Universal Pictures. The film will return to the roots of the long-running comic series, combining a well-developed character storyline with incredible action and fun. Zak Penn, who previously collaborated with Marvel on X2: Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, is writing the script.

Here is a list of Leterrier's answers to questions asked by the fans:

Q: Can you confirm the method for which the Hulk will be presented?

We're studying every method and we'll pick the best method for every shot. It's important to make the Hulk tactile in this one. As an audience member I love to be confused and not know if it's CGI, animatronic, make-up (loved Davy Jones in Pirates... all CG!!!).

Q: Can you confirm if Dominic Purcell is in talks for a role in your movie, and possibly what role that is.

Let me show you something...

ITW: Hello Louis Leterrier.
LL: Hi.
ITW: I hear you've been asked to direct Indiana Jones 4.
LL: Huh...
ITW: INDY, you're so lucky!!!
LL: Huh, well, I love these films but...
ITW:That's going to be amazing. Good luck"

... and a day later every one says that LL is directing the next Indy.
Listen to Dominic Purcell's interview again.

Q: Will you get Statham a role in this film if not Abomination perhaps someone in the military.

He's Betty...

Q: We know the budget is not over 180 million per the terms of the merril deal but do you have an estimate yet? Zak said it was quite a bit.

It's enough. Listen, I made Transporter 1 for 17M$, Unleashed for 20M$ and Transporter 2 for 22M$ (this one could have used a couple of extra bucks, sorry about some of the vfx's). I'm used to small budgets. This one's very big in Hollywood standards and huge compared to my first films. I'm going to put every penny on screen.

Q: Is Bana officially eliminated from contention or is he still a possibility?

He's not out.

Q: How far are we away from a casting announcement and a release date?

Nothing's set.

Q: Is this a sequel or not? There has been alot of confusion over this. Sometimes yes, and other times no.

It's a hard question to answer. You have to be the judge of that when you see the film.

Q: Is Lou Ferrigno really in the running to voice Hulk? (I hope not)

I've only met Lou once and I was star-struck. Who do you think should do the voice?

Q: Avi & Zak have said they liked the action in the first film (desert battle), do you also share this opinion? And plan to live upto/top it?

There's only one way out of this one and it's up...

Q: Ang sometimes used interesting wipes to go between shots, although you don't need to, will you slip a few in during editing for people like me that loved that?

Too early to say.

Q: Was the distancing from the first movie (even as a sequel) at Comic-Con more of a way of getting attention of those that were dissatisfied with the first film rather than condemnation of the first film itself?

I like the first film. I just think I'm a maggot compared to Ang Lee. I'm not going to try to copy him, it would be an enormous failure. I'm going to do my version of a Hulk film. There's a lot of me in Unleashed. If you liked this film, you'll like our Hulk.

Q: Will you also be checking out Ultimate Fighter matches to get a feel for the influence on Hulk's fighting style in the first film (assuming you aren't familiar with that already)? Or will there be no consistency in this regard? Speaking of consistency, will there be any?

I'll surround myself with the best fight choreographers. It's going to be special.

Q: Has there been any talk of doing an online video blog from behind scenes of the film as many movies are doing these days?

I don't know. I'm not very photogenic.

Q: Has there been talk on where this will be filmed (U.S., Canada etc)?

Too early to say.

Q: Are you focused on casting an unknown or well known actor for Abomination? Or are you open to either?

Open to both.

Q: If there is some sense of continuity between films is there a chance will Harper return (even if it's just a cameo)? Are you expecting rewrites for Zak's first treatment?

Zak's turning in the best screenplay I ever read. I'm serious.

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The following was originally posted on TheManRoom.com:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced 'The Hulk' will be released on HD-DVD on December 12, 2006.

'The Hulk' will carry an SRP of $29.98 and be presented in widescreen 2.35:1 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. Extras will mirror those found on the standard DVD and include a Feature Commentary with Director Ang Lee, Hulk Cam: Inside the Rage, Deleted Scenes, Evolution of the Hulk, The Incredible Ang Lee, The Dog Fight Scene, The Making of the Hulk, The Unique Style of Editing The Hulk, and My Scenes.

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The following was originally posted on Businesswire.com:

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced today that it has completed the amendments required to enable the funding of its Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk feature film projects through its $525 million non-recourse debt facility. The films, which are being produced by the company's Marvel Studios subsidiary, were not included in the initial film financing facility but have now been added on the same terms.

Iron Man will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is scheduled for release on May 2, 2008, and The Incredible Hulk will be distributed by Universal Studios and is planned for release in 2008. Borrowings under the film facility are non-recourse to Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliates.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

Scooper 'Fred' wrote in from France with the following bit:

Louis Leterrier talked about Hulk 2 last night on French TV Show "la grande émission". He mentioned a 120 $ budget and said it won't be a sequel (that's the scoop I guess). He's looking for a bookish glass-wearing type for Banner, no mention of Eric Bana.

The Incredible Hulk is targeted for a 2008 release.

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The following was originally posted on Philips.com

Philips Consumer Electronics has launched a holiday consumer advertising campaign that for the third-year in a row is focused on its unique Ambilight flat-panel TV technology, using national Internet, TV, print and movie theater vehicles.

Consumer surveys revealed that movie lovers typically are interested in having a "transformative" experience from their home-moving watching.

For that reason, DDB, an Omnicom company, and Philips' in-house creative team selected "Bruce Banner and The Hulk" as the central character(s) for the TV, cinema and Internet spots.

The recent movie was popular in Europe and continues to deliver a clear message that resonates well with U.S. movie lovers.

The 30-second TV spots began on Oct. 23rd and will run eight weeks, through the second week of December. The TV ads are placed against national Primetime broadcast network programming, movies, news and sporting events.

The cinema component of the campaign will place 30-second ads promoting both Ambilight with the Hulk and Philips' Sense & Simplicity brand awareness messages. National CinemaMedia is handling ad placements at 5,500 theaters across the county, Gay said, targeting exposure to between 25 million and 30 million people. In addition, Philips will offer sweepstakes programs giving way products at select theaters.

Ambilight Hulk

* Click here to view the commercial
* Click here to download the high-res storyboard (JPG - 0.1 MB)
* Click here to download the high-res print advertisement (PDF - 11.1 MB)

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The following was originally posted on Marvel.com:

LEGENDARY MARVEL SUPER HERO TO RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN IN ALL-NEW, ACTION-PACKED ADAPTATION HITTING SUMMER 2008

HOLLYWOOD, CA, November 6, 2006 – You WILL like him when he's angry! Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures will unleash Marvel's renowned, larger-than-life green Super Hero onto moviegoers everywhere in summer 2008 as they have announced a June 27th release date for the action-packed, new big screen adaptation: The Incredible Hulk. The announcement was made today by Michael Helfant, President and COO, Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige, President of Production for Marvel Studios.

Directed by top rising star Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed), The Incredible Hulk will return to the roots of the long-running comic series, combining a well-developed storyline with incredible action and fun. Zak Penn, who previously collaborated with Marvel on X2 and this summer's smash hit X-Men: The Last Stand, is writing the script. The project is being produced by Avi Arad, Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd and will be executive produced by Michael Helfant, David Womark, and Ari Arad. Marvel Studios is currently casting the project.

The Incredible Hulk is being independently produced by Marvel Studios through its $525 million, non-recourse film finance facility and will be distributed domestically and in several international territories by Universal Pictures.

Feige commented, "The Incredible Hulk will be the type of fun, high-octane event film people have come to expect from Marvel. We could not be more excited about this project and our summer 2008 prospects now that we have both our green goliath and our highly-anticipated Iron Man set for release."

Helfant added, "We're very happy that Universal is distributing The Incredible Hulk. We have a history together and this is a great opportunity for both Marvel and Universal to take the Hulk film franchise to another level."

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The following was originally posted on Variety.com:

Marvel makes plans for super summer

Marvel is turning the summer of 2008 into the season of the superhero, setting June 27 as the release date for its new Hulk pic.

Release of "The Incredible Hulk" will be the second in a two-month span for the nascent studio, which plans to open the Jon Favreau-helmed "Iron Man" on May 2. Both movies go into production next year.

Even as Marvel was touting its film releases, its traditional publishing division was driving revenue.

Publishing sales growth of 20% helped to drive up overall sales for the third quarter by about 13% to $92.2 million.

Despite a 44% drop in net income to $13.2 million, the company satisfied Wall Street with solid projections for the coming year, and investors responded by sending up its stock price by 6%.

"Hulk," whose rights reverted to Marvel last winter, is being pushed out relatively quickly, observers said, in part to reassure Wall Street that the film division is running smoothly in the wake of Avi Arad's surprise departure in June.

If they remain in place, the timing of the two releases could be an earnings boon for the company, whose second quarter ends in June. "Iron Man" coin and opening-weekend B.O. from "Hulk" would be booked in the second quarter, while the remainder of "Hulk" money would spill into the third quarter.

Marvel insiders pointed out that the company has had properties open in a compressed time frame before, including the release of "X Men 2" in May 2003 and "Hulk" a month later.

Nearly two years out, summer 2008 is already shaping up to be a busy one for franchises -- Warner Bros.' next "Batman" installment, "The Dark Knight," is a likely summer release; Disney's next "Narnia" pic is set to open in May; and Paramount's "Indiana Jones 4" and Universal's "Hellboy 2" are both possible releases during the season.

Marvel is taking pains to distance its Hulk pic from Ang Lee's 2003 movie. Marvel licensed the rights to U for that film, which earned $132 million at the U.S. box office but which was considered a disappointment by some.

Company resists calling the new project a sequel and noted in a press release, "You will like (the Hulk) when he's angry," a not-so-subtle reference to fans' criticism that the character in the earlier pic was too ponderous.

Company has brought on genre director Louis Leterrier ("Unleashed") to ensure a more commercial feel.

Arad, Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd are aboard to produce; Zak Penn ("X-Men: The Last Stand") will pen the screenplay.

Marvel predicts sales will grow to between $375 million and $435 million in 2007; company generated sales of $391 million in 2005.

Marvel also could see a bump in the year from licensing related to Sony's release of "Spider-Man 3" in May and other pics as it releases products tied to its new deal with Hasbro.

"Hulk" announcement wasn't the only one aimed at exciting investors Monday. Company also disclosed it would pact with Sega for an "Iron Man" vidgame. Sega will publish the game day-and-date with the pic's release and also has secured rights to make future games based on the superhero.

Interactive rights for "Iron Man" had been held by Activision, which has an overall licensing deal with Marvel. But Activision gave back the rights to "Iron Man" earlier this year when the two companies renegotiated their agreement.

Sega is in negotiations to license a second Marvel property, possibly the Hulk.

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The following was originally posted on WizardUniverse.com:

Wizard caught up with Zak Penn, the screenwriter for “The Incredible Hulk” for the scoop on where he stands on the sequel to the Ang Lee-directed 2003 movie. Penn, who is profiled in the Wizard 2007 Movie Spectacular that comes out Dec. 6, shared his insight on where the next “Hulk” movie is, which is slated to be directed by Louis Letterier (“The Transporter 2”).

Penn submitted a draft for the original “Hulk” movie, which was rejected, but that script grabbed the attention of the current filmmakers. His original pitch, along with his success writing “X2: X-Men United” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” earned him the gig.

“My draft of the first ‘Hulk’ opened with him already having transformed into the Hulk,” explained Penn. “It opened with him at a roadside bar with these guys picking on him and him saying, ‘Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry,’ and then transforming, and then you flash back to reveal how it all happened.

“Part of the way that this ‘Hulk’ came about is that they went back and read my draft. They went back through all of the stuff that they had commissioned and said, ‘This is more of the tone that we wanted.’ So it doesn’t really require us ignoring the first movie, but that said, there’s a lot of stuff in the first movie that I’m not even going to touch on.”

To read more about Penn’s “Hulk” movie and his plans for an “Avengers” film, pick up the Wizard 2007 Movie Spectacular on Dec. 6, featuring the full scoop on over 120 movies.

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The following was originally posted on HighDefDigest.com:

Hulk (HD DVD)
Universal Studios Home Video / 2003 / 138 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: December 12, 2006
List Price: $29.98 (Buy it at Amazon and save)

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

'Hulk' looks fantastic on HD DVD. I'm tempted to give it five stars for picture quality, despite the fact that I'm sure someone will email me, complaining that I missed that one dead pixel in frame 38,394. But fuck it, I will give it five stars -- 'Hulk' is truly one of the best catalog releases I've ever seen on either next-gen format.

Presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and 1080p/VC-1 video, every element of the presentation is demo quality. The source material is pristine, and apparently Universal has been keeping 'Hulk's HD master in some sort of Fort Knox vault on the studio lot. Blacks, contrast, colors -- perfect. Hues are wonderfully smooth and clean, but not over- or under-saturated. Depth, detail and sharpness are all wonderful -- this is the kind of thoroughly three-dimensional high-def transfer that I imagined all HD DVD titles would be like when I first heard of the format. Universal is also to be commended for a tip-top job on the encode, which suffers from no noticeable compression artifacts or intrusive edge enhancement. I just can't find a single thing to complain about with this presentation. Stand back, 'King Kong' and 'Batman Begins' -- you have a new challenger to the throne of HD DVD supremacy.

The Audio: Rating the Sound

He lives! He breathes! He smashes things! That Hulk sure loves to throw temper tantrums of mass destruction, and it's all the more enjoyable in Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1. Okay, so maybe it is not Dolby TrueHD, but 'Hulk' still sounds terrific thanks to a full 1.5mbps encode and the film's aggressive sound design.

An excellent, enveloping 360-degree soundfield is created almost constantly during the film. Discrete effects ping-pong all over the place, especially during the Hulk's third-act rampage. Imaging is as transparent as you're going to get on a lossy format, and clarity of tone in the rears excellent. Dynamics are top-notch, and low bass is incredibly deep and forceful. Even the fairly typical Danny Elfman score booms to life, with a vibrancy lacking in the standard resolution Dolby Digital track. Oddly, though, for such a dialogue-driven movie, the center channel is so pronounced it sometimes comes off as a bit too loud for the mix. Certainly though, that's better than speech being too quiet, and I never missed a word.

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier is answering fans' questions at the Superhero Hype! message boards and has already revealed a few items on the new movie, scheduled for a June 27, 2008 release.

Leterrier said that the role of Bruce Banner, played by Eric Bana in the first film, is close to being filled (Bana is not ruled out yet) and the rest of the cast will follow soon after. "Thunderbolt" Ross is the main villain with Emil Blonsky (aka Abomination) not far behind. The Hulk will be CGI with prosthetics used in certain scenes where needed. The title character will also show feats of strength.

Leterrier added that the film is still on track with no delays. Aaron Sims is working on the Hulk design, which will still be green.

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The following was originally posted on FortWayne.com:

2008 release date is also set for "The Incredible Hulk." The green-skinned behemoth first stormed into theaters in director Ang Lee's "Hulk" in 2003. Feige says he's proud of the angst-ridden first film.

But he's eager to deliver a movie that explores a different angle of the Hulk, "which is that element of wish fulfillment, of overcoming an injustice or a bully and tapping into a strength that you didn't quite realize you had in yourself."

For the complete article, click here.

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Universal has moved The Incredible Hulk away from Disney/Pixar's WALL• E and up two weeks to June 13, 2008. There is also no competition on that date yet.

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The following was originally posted on Scifi.com:

Former Marvel Comics chief Avi Arad, who is now a producer, said that his plate is full with upcoming Marvel film adaptations through 2010, starting with Iron Man and the sequel The Incredible Hulk. That's in addition to the upcoming sequel for The Punisher, a possible fourth Spider-Man film and a second Ghost Rider; the first one opens Feb. 16.

"We have Iron Man starting in March, and The Incredible Hulk is starting in June, and across town somewhere happening right now is a meeting about Punisher 2," Arad said. "And we will see what happens to Ghost Rider [2], but I would like to get that going."

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on Superherohype.com:

This is a big year for Marvel Comics and next year's going to be a big one for Marvel Studios, so producer Avi Arad has a lot of his plate right now. "Every year is a big year," he told us, and when asked what they might have coming up after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk he replied, "This is enough for now. They're starting production in March on one and the other one in June."

He also shared the story of how he picked Louis Leterrier to make the Hulk sequel, since he directed one of our favorite action movies Unleashed: "Actually, Louis turned me down the first time, and then I met with him again and I had laryngitis, so I pitched him the story for 40 minutes. I think he felt so bad, he really listened, but he fell in love with the project. Then we met in France, and he went home and actually did some homework and came back with storyboards and amazing art, and I knew he was hooked. We love him, he's a great filmmaker."

For the complete article, click here.

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The following was originally posted on BrandWeek.com:

MARVEL Entertainment is looking ahead to summer '08 with licensing programs for Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the first two movies from its new self-financed and -produced film slate.

Partners include Hasbro and Hallmark.

With retail real estate so competitive among film-based properties—especially during the summer blockbuster period—Marvel is signing licensees that will take on both superheroic stories in order to get a full-season of shelf space at retail.

"What we're looking to do, from a strategic standpoint, is kind of 'own' 2008," said Paul Gitter, svp-consumer products for North America, Marvel Entertainment. "The goal is to go out to manufacturers and retailers, and create some continuity with both films from May through the back-to-school window."

Iron Man and Incredible Hulk licensees include Hasbro (master toy licensee), Hallmark (social expressions and party goods), Kids Headquarters (boys & girls apparel), Jay Franco (domestics), Mad Engine (T-shirts), Fruit of the Loom (underwear), Disguise (costumes), BBC (footwear), Berkshire (headwear and cold weather), Mega Bloks (construction toys) and Jakks Pacific (plug & play games), AME (sleepwear), Sideshow (collectibles), FAB (back-to-school & arts and crafts) and MGA (die-cast vehicles). Marvel is looking to add partners in other key licensing categories, such as food & beverages, consumer electronics and publishing. Licensees were given a directive to incorporate innovation into their products and urged to view their creations as components of a collection, not one-off items. Transformation also is a key element of both properties.

The strategy of signing licensees for both properties to "own" summer follows a successful run with Spider-Man on screens and at retail. Sony's third film in the franchise hits theaters this summer and Spidey has become a day-in, day-out business for Marvel.

Gitter hopes new film properties could turn in to perennials, too.

The Paramount-distributed, Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man (May 2, 2008) stars Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Incredible Hulk (June 13, 2008) will be distributed by Universal, but is not a sequel to the studio's Hulk (2003). The film is not yet cast.

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The following was originally posted on Businesswire.com:

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL), a global character-based entertainment and licensing company, today reported operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2006.

Marvel’s Chairman, Morton Handel, commented, “We are pleased to announce that we intend to launch the next stage of our evolution as a global entertainment company by commencing principal photography on our Iron Man film on March 12th. The profile of the Iron Man character and the Marvel brand have been instrumental in attracting top-tier talent to this project. Later this year, we also plan to commence principal photography on our second self-produced feature film, The Incredible Hulk. With both of these movies scheduled for summer 2008 release and work on other Marvel-produced films also underway, future growth prospects for Marvel are strong.”

For the complete article, click here.

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