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The Hulk (2003)
Plot: Dr. Bruce Banner is irradiated with gamma rays when he gets caught too close to the testing of a nuclear bomb. Now he finds that when his emotions get away from him he transforms into a giant green skinned monster of phenomenal strength.
News:
5 August, 2002
Shooting was originally scheduled to finish shooting July 5th, but it is now rumored that Universal has given the production till the end of the month to finish what they can. That footage will be examined and then further shooting will be scheduled to fill in the gaps.
6 May, 2002
Here's another brief report from San-Francisco on the shooting of Hulk:
"I work one block from where current filming is taking place at Sansome & Vallejo Streets in San Francisco. They've been set up here since this past weekend. They're filming a large scene with a cable car/auto accident at the base of a steep SF hill. They've been waiting since yesterday for the weather to clear so that they can film a helicopter fly down the street and land for the shot. They have had to evacuate homes on the street due to local ordinances, I believe. There was footage shot yesterday by local news crews of large numbers of extras dressed in fatigues and SWAT uniforms marching with guns drawn down the street in unifromed order. Also a shot of J. Connolly kneeling and talking to E. Bana, as they sit in the middle of the street inside a ring of onlookers/soldiers. Also along the street, there are overturned cars and such, making one assume The Hulk had been down that path."
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1 May, 2002
Here's a brief report from San-Francisco on the shooting of Hulk:
"I was the extra who sent in the report from the Matrix sequels shooting last summer. Yesterday, they had me come in to play an undergraduate (there were about 30) on Hulk. There were 'professors' (10?) and 'graduate students' (10?) as well. After waiting around the whole day (7 hrs), they told us we weren't needed. Most of the extras seemed to be completely ignorant of the cast. Ang Lee was ate in the Lawrence Berkeley Lab Cafeteria with us (he didn't sit with us, but he was there). The students at the Lawrence labs seemed amused, and the staff and faculty slightly irritated. They told us not to wear purple or green. Oh- you know how the Matrix sequels were called Burlyman? Well, they called this BGP. I thought it was Big Green Party or Big Green Picnic, but it's actually Big Green Productions. I prefer Picnic, myself."
(Scoop sent by 'Bunbun'.)
22 April, 2002
We received a report today on a future location for filming. "'The Hulk' will be fiming at location in the mountains of eastern Tulare County. It will take place at the "Mountain Home State Forest". The dates are May 16-20 2002."
29 March, 2002
According to a Universal Pictures press release, principle photography has begun on the project. The press release says that Bana will play both Banner and the Hulk, with digital effects transforming him into the green monster. The release further states that the story will be heavily influenced by the early years of the Marvel comic.
13 March, 2002
The Beau Bonneau casting agency is looking for extras for the film. A notice on the site reads, "We are seeking all types with a particular emphasis on military types. Actual military experience is a plus!"
27 February, 2002
Eric Bana spoke to Empire Online about his role as the Hulk. "I think the Hulk is the only reluctant superhero," Bana tells the magazine. "Superman puts on the cape, Spider-Man puts on the suit and Batman goes into the cave, but The Hulk has no control and for me that's an awesome prospect." So what does he have to say about the movie? "I can't give much away, but The Hulk is not the size of a human being."
19 February, 2002
Josh Lucas (A Beautiful Mind) has joined the cast. He will play a soldier and rival to Dr. Banner.
7 February, 2002
The Californian, the student newspaper of the University of California Berkely, reports that the campus is under consideration as a location for filming. Specifically the lab there is being considered. The domed Advanced Light Source building is the focus of attention. "They like the looks of it from the inside. It's pretty fantastic," Ron Kolb, a spokesperson for the UC-run lab said. "They're looking at us as a prospective place, (but) we haven't made the commitment yet."
"One of the stipulations if we were to agree to this commitment is that none of the research could be negatively impacted," Kolb told The Daily Californian. That would likely put some serious limits on filming, possibly restricting it to weekends or evenings.
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23 January, 2002
Coming Attractions struck gold when they got a review of the script for this movie. That's the good news. The bad news is that the script reviewed is not the latest version rewritten by James Schamus. Still, it can give us an idea of where the project is going.
Bruce Banner is a researcher at the University of California (Berkeley) where he and fellow scientists (also consisting of computer maintenence guy Robert Creel, hematologist Jennifer Sussman, her boyfriend and team leader Samuel Sterns). They're working on a project that if successful will enable humans to heal faster and regenerate lost limbs (like a lizard). The amry has been funding this research. Their work is done in a large domed arena called the 'gammasphere.' Also hanging around with them is Betty Ross, daughter of General Thaddeus Ross and Banner's love interest. The project is going well until Creel suspiciously makes copies of the gammasphere's data, inadvertantly causing the gammasphere to be filled with radiation while Sterns, Jennifer and Banner are inside. Soon, the three of them begin to manifest strange abilities.. Jennifer and Banner become super strong, while Sterns becomes super intelligent, with the ability to effect electronic appliances such as telephones and computers with his mind (the script describes it as a strange green energy flowing from his fingers).
You can read the entire review here.
20 December, 2001
Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte are now onboard as part of the cast. Nolte had long been rumored to play General Ross. Instead, it's Elliott that lands that role. Nolte will instead play Bruce Banner's father, also a brilliant scientist who "passes on a tragic legacy to his son." Universal Pictures has also named June 20, 2003 the release date for the film.
13 December, 2001
Jennifer Connelly spoke to SCI FI Wire about playing Betsy Ross in the movie. "I asked him why he wanted to make The Hulk, and he said, 'Well, it's really a Greek tragedy. It's actually a psychodrama,'" Connelly said in the interview. "He talks about the rage inside all of us, he talks about fathers and sons, and he's talking about using a heightened format to get at something really profound that is otherwise more difficult to access. So, I'm hearing it like Brechtian theater."
She adds, "It's really interesting and ambitious. He's not talking about a guy running around in green tights and a glossy fun-filled movie for kids. He's talking along the lines of tragedy and psychodrama. I find it interesting, the green monster of rage and greed, jealousy and fear in all of us."
So far she hasn't seen a full copy of the script.
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27 November, 2001
Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream) has signed on to the cast for the female lead. Filming should begin in spring 2002. It is also rumored that Nick Nolte is close to nailing down the role of General Ross, described as "the man in charge of the military base where scientific developments occur".
18 October, 2001
In an interview with Comics Continuum, producer Avi Arad discloses that this will be a movie with deep psychological implications. "The television series never got into the psychological reason of [Bruce] Banner being who he is. If you look at the early books, Banner was an abused child. His father was a terrible man. You'll see it will be a deeply psychological movie," says Arad.
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15 October, 2001
The lead role of Dr. Bruce Banner will be played by Eric Bana. Who? The little known Aussie actor got the role largely on the basis of his performance in the movie Chopper. He will first appear in a major film in the upcoming Ridley Scott movie Black Hawk Down.
"He was immensely appealing, and we are lucky to have him to be Bruce Banner," said producer Avi Arad. "He's a fresh face, but he's a veteran performer who has a unique combination of great strength and the most soulful eyes. That is a difficult combination to find."
Bana has been signed to a contract with options for two sequels, should the movie prove successful.
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10 October, 2001
Industrial Light & Magic has been hired to produce special effects for The Hulk. Reportedly ILM has already spent millions to create test footage for the film.
13 June, 2001
Universal trotted out some promo materials for the not so jolly green giant at this year's New York Licensing show. The poster you see here is just part of those materials. The studio is pushing heavily on their signing of Ang Lee to direct the movie. Clearly this was the kick in the pants needed to let this project escape development hell.
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23 January, 2001
Ang Lee spoke to EON magazine about this project and his plans. "I'm developing [The Hulk] and we're hoping for a 2003 release," says Lee, "But, it's just in the beginning stages. We've got to do so much research and prepare work and just see what's happening."
Lee has indicated that he wants to start fresh and not use what Universal has already developed during the project's long stay in development hell. "I'm familiar with the comic, but not as fanatic as some of the people," says Lee. "I'm just beginning on the script and [will] probably be changing it entirely. I don't know. I would like to have a new approach to the material. I like to bring drama and character study into a pop-entertaining genre."
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12 January, 2001
I guarantee that you didn't see this one coming. According to Variety, director Ang Lee, hot off his success with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is in talks with Universal to direct the live action adaptation of the Marvel comic book The Hulk.
The script was first drafted seperately by Michael Tolking and Mike France. David Hayter (X-Men) has recently given it a full rewrite. The story focuses on the origin of the Hulk and Banner's fugitive status as the military pursues him for a crime he didn't commit.
Gale Anne Hurd and Avi Arad will be producing, along with James Schamus. "We are really thrilled," said Hurd. "Ang will bring the characters and the drama to the foreground, and in addition to his visual storytelling ability, I can't think of anyone today who is operating at a higher level across the board," she added. "The relationship that has always been neglected in the various screen versions of the Hulk is that (one) between the protagonist and his Hulk inner self," Schamus said. "This will be an old-fashioned Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type story that has character and depth and psychology and meaning as well as a lot of new twists."
21 August, 2000
David Hayter, fresh off the highly successful X-Men, gets to sink his teeth into some more genre material. Universal Pictures has hired him to write a script for Pitch Black 2. The original, writtena and directed by David Twohy was released earlier this year, proving fairly successful. The star of that film, Vin Diesel, is already on board to star in the sequel.
Hayter has also been asked by Universal to try his hand at rewriting their script for The Incredible Hulk. Based on the long running Marvel comic book, Hulk follows scientist Bruce Banner, who was accidently blasted by gamma rays during a nuclear test. Now when ever he gets mad he transforms into an unintelligent raging beast with superhuman strength. Hayter appears a good choice considering his success with translating X-Men from the comics to the big screen.
27 April, 1999
Cinescape received a review of the script by Jonathan Hensleigh for the Hulk movie. The reviewer wasn't too impressed with the script. However, we shouldn't take this too seriously since Hensleigh is reportedly off the project at this point. This means newer versions of the script are likely, so the movie could end up being very different.
