Caffeinated Clint
Actor taps into his ‘Primal Fear’
I’m the guy that likes the “Incredible Hulk” TV show – yep, I’m the one – so my opinion’s worth about as much as a quarter melted to the cement, but Edward Norton… as Bruce Banner? Ah, er, Um, Yeah…what was that they were saying about not making this second “Hulk” the psychological drama that the first film was? Do they realize who they’ve just hired?
Norton IS a psychological drama. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great at what he does, but he’s at his best when he’s playing tortured screwed-up souls who swim in a river of their own self pity…. Now isn’t that the character from Ang Lee’s film?… and don’t they want this film to be a big-screen comic-book?
Still, it’s too early to judge, so I’m just going to wait and see. Heck, I remember when Eric Bana was first cast as The Hulk – knowing him as the ‘stand-up comic’ and ‘skit’ performer – and couldn’t swallow that, and he surprised me – to an extent – so Norton’s no doubt been hired ‘for a reason’ too, assumingly. I suppose what it does do for the film, by having Norton in it, is give it a little more appeal…he may be the bait that’ll draw people back to see another Hulk movie, right?
This is a very rare mainstream outing for Norton – whose known for his heavier efforts like “The People Vs.Larry Flynt”, “The Illusionist”, “The Painted Veil” and my favourite, “American History X”.
The new pic begins with Banner on the run, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into a misunderstood green menace.
“Edward Norton is a rare talent and one of the most versatile actors in the business,” Marvel Studios production president Kevin Feige tells Variety. “His ability to transform into a particular role makes him the ideal choice to take on the character of Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Edward is perfectly suited to bring one of the most popular and important Marvel icons to the bigscreen in a new and exciting way.”
The movie, currently titled “The Incredible Hulk”, and based on a script by Zak Penn (“X-Men 3”), is set to get before the cameras in the Summer. Canadians might want to keep their eyes peeled for big fat green guys chasing down choppers in Toronto.
The role of General Thunderbolt Ross has yet to be cast.
