Beginning this week and already spreading like wildfire all over the media and news sites,
Paramount Pictures,
Marvel Studios, and director/ writer
Joss Whedon have commenced pre-production and shooting for next year's mega-superhero team flick - The
Avengers! Movie sites like
Slash Film,
Entertainment Weekly, and
SuperHeroHype have already reported this in, and the first official pic from the set of the movie has appeared. Take a look:
Yup, there be goosebumps already after seeing those chairs with familiar names positioned just in front of a
S.H.I.E.L.D logo in the background, so we're all waiting for more news to pop up for this much anticipated film! Until that time comes, here's the official press release from Marvel Studios!
"Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios' highly anticipated movie "Marvel's The Avengers," directed by Joss Whedon ("Serenity") from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2") returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") as Thor, Chris Evans ("Captain America: The First Avenger") as Captain America, Jeremy Renner ("Thor," "The Hurt Locker") as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are Alright") as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson ("Iron Man 2") as Black Widow, Clark Gregg ("Iron Man," "Thor") as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2") as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, "Marvel's The Avengers" is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.
Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man 2," "Thor," and "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Marvel's The Avengers" is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, "Marvel's The Avengers" brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders ("How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston ("Wallander") and Stellan Skarsgård ("Angels & Demons," "Mamma Mia!") who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios' feature "Thor."
"Marvel's The Avengers" is being produced by Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D'Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios' Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.
The creative production team also includes Oscar nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey ("Atonement"), production designer James Chinlund ("25th Hour"), Oscar winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age"), Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs ("Iron Man 2," "The Matrix"), visual effects producer Susan Pickett ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2"), stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell ("Superman Returns"), and four-time Oscar nominated special effects supervisor Dan Sudick ("Iron Man," "War of the Worlds"). The editors include Oscar nominated Paul Rubell ("Collateral") and Jeffrey Ford ("Crazy Heart").
Marvel Studios most recently produced "Iron Man 2" which was released in theatres on May 7, 2010. The sequel to "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the number one spot its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million. To date the film has earned over $620 million in worldwide box office receipts.
In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies, "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." "Iron Man," in which Robert Downey, Jr. originally dons the super hero's powerful armor alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008 and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million its opening weekend and grossed over $571 million worldwide. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released "The Incredible Hulk" marking its second number one opener of that summer. The spectacular revival of the iconic green goliath grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office receipts."
The Avengers assemble on theaters next year on May 4, 2012! Before that, go see Thor on May 6 and Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22 this year!
Confusing as it may sound, it seems that the rumor/ news that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Alberto Falcone in The Dark Knight Rises may not hold up some water due to some conflicting reports. On one hand, you got Variety reporting that he is playing the son of Carmine Falcone, and on the other you got Entertainment Weekly debunking that report and saying that JGL will be in the movie, but not as Falcone. As movie blog news site Slash Film points out, both sources are reliable, and the reports could be different information leaking out to confuse different parties about what exactly is the scoop on TDKR, whom director Christopher Nolan and his team keep under a strict veil of secrecy. In any case, what IS confirmed is tha JGL is in the film. It just can't be confirmed at this point what role he'll be officially playing... yet. For more info on the story, visit Slash Film, EW, and Variety.
As expected, it's the WWII uniform with an Ultimate Cap twist... but the Wingtips are painted and present in the helmet! This is looking better than those production photos we saw all those months ago. Now I'm eagerly looking forward to the movie this year! For more info, visit Entertainment Weekly, Superherohype, and Slash Film!
