Ben Stiller’s new Vietnam comedy, “Tropic Thunder,” – which stars Robert Downey Jr. as an overzealous Academy Award winning method actor who’s gone to great lengths to play an African American – was apparently inspired by his small role in “Empire Of The Sun,” not getting a part in “Platoon,” and a bunch of other Vietnam-era war films. “My actor friends, myself included, were going on auditions for war movies like ‘Platoon’ and ‘Hamburger Hill.’ I met with Oliver Stone myself – I never read, just had a meeting. He said ‘You’re cute” and I knew it was over. Every actor that got a role was coming back saying ‘Man, it was like boot camp; it changed my life.’ I don’t know if it was bitterness because I didn’t get cast, but there seemed a certain amount of irony in them feeling they were having this experience of war when they really weren’t. I thought that could be funny to have the actors caught up in a real situation.” [Empire]
Forget Seth Rogen, apparently Jason Segel is the new red-hot member of the Judd Apatow family players. The “Freaks & Geeks” star has never carried an Apatow film on his shoulders yet (just supporting roles), but this spring he has “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and already greenlit, the similar-sounding comedy, “Five Year Engagement” (with his “Undeclared” buddy Nick Stoller). So what’s next? Apparently Disney has tapped these two to revise “The Muppets” franchise with Kermit the Frog and company. No seriously. Apparently ‘Sarah Marshall,’ contains a funny musical performed by puppets and the Mickey Mouse execs were impressed. We can’t hate on those that take big paychecks so they won’t have to take on stupid projects later in life. And hey, a little scratch can’t hurt. [Variety]
– Americans can’t understand Michel Gondry’s heavy French accent (and with good fucking reason, he’s near indecipherable). The imaginative director’s project about kids who invent water that creates is music is actually called, “The Return of the Ice Kids,” and not the return of the ‘Ice Kings.’ “Because of my accent it’s all over the Net with the wrong title!” he laughed. “But if you say ‘Ice Kings,’ that’s cool too, I guess.”[MTV]
– Much to the happiness of every dork on the planet. The trailer for Marvel’s “Incredible Hulk” reboot is now online. Much to the chagrin of anyone with a modicum of decent taste, the CGI monster-hero of the film looks as mediocre and unrealistic as he did in the fairly-maligned Ang Lee version. [MTV]
– Perhaps more importantly, the micro-managing lead actor Ed Norton appears to be feuding with the studio over the how the film should be cut. Norton has major involvement in the film having fucked with rewritten the script by Zack Penn and superceded the authority of suggested gently to director Louis Leterrier to make on-set changes. Everyone will remember the nightmare that Norton’s recalcitrant attitude caused director Tony Kaye on “American History X.” [Deadline Hollywood]
– After some speculation whether he would return for the sequel, director Bryan Singer is officially onboard for the follow-up of “Superman Returns” with Brandon Routh again playing the man of steel (there were thoughts he might get replace too). Many fans griped and complained (as they do with every comic film) that there wasn’t enough, kapow!, blammo! and kerrang! action, but to those whiners we say don’t forget Singer’s “X-Men” and “X-Men 2” films. With the backstory dispensed in the initial film, “X-2” became the perfect balance of super heroics and drama (and perhaps the finest comic book film made so far aside from arguably Chris Nolan’s ‘Batman’, so stfu. [Empire]
[ed. revealing your nerd tendencies today a little, are we?]
Watch: “The Incredible Hulk” trailer
Watch: “Tropic Thunder” teaser