So Tim Robbins will play the father of a major comic book super hero (sort of). Just not the one that many thought. For months it was rumored that Robbins would play Robert Downey Jr.’s father in flashbacks of “Iron Man 2.” Those rumors seem to die and them come back all of a sudden, but now they should be safely squashed for good. Robbins won’t be in a Marvel Films movie, he’s now taken the role of the disapproving father in Martin Campbell’s adaptation of the D.C. Comics super hero “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds. However, he won’t play the Lantern’s father, instead, he’ll play Peter Sarsgaard’s dad, Senator Hammond.
The super hero pic is quickly making its mark with an excellent cast that also includes Blake Lively, and possibly Mark Strong as the villain Sinestro who will actually play a mentor figure in this film, with a concluding plot move said to set him up as the central antagonist of “Green Lantern 2” (yes, they’re already thinking of a sequel, natch). Though note, last time director Martin Campbell spoke about Strong in the role he still said they were trying to work around some potential scheduling conflicts.
If fans has recently posited that Warner Bros. & D.C. were behind in the super hero films hegemony race next to Marvel Films, the excellent “Green Lantern” cast is certainly a step in the right direction to make pundits forget that stance.
Sarsgaard will play the film’s main villain, Dr. Hector Hammond and Lively will play the love interest. THR says the film will shoot in March in New Orleans where tax incentives are high (it’s quickly become a Hollywood hotspot with a big handful of productions coming through the city in the next little while). This cast is shaping up nicely. The film is set to hits theaters June 17, 2011.