PROMETHEUS And BLACK HOLE Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Could Rewrite DOCTOR STRANGE Script

Deadline is reporting that Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts is in talks to write Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil). Jon was recently tasked to write Disney's Black Hole remake and Universal's Mummy reboot. I have to assume that Disney is very happy with his work on Black Hole and was suggested to Marvel. Jon and Scott are a perfect match as both have a horror background, a strong element of the world of Strange.

Jon confirmed the news himself via his Twitter account.

Doctor Strange was always my favorite Marvel hero. It's a good day. http://t.co/1hInjPWnbQ
— Jon Spaihts (@jonspaihts) June 18, 2014

The words rewrite aren't mentioned as the original script was penned by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, the pair are best known for writing the Conan The Barbarian reboot. I doubt it will be a page-one rewrite, but I'm sure they're hiring Jon to overhaul the entire thing. When I first heard Marvel's requirements for directors from my source, they specifically mentioned writer-directors for Strange. The studio wanted extensive rewrites, mainly because of industry leaks and the early script review from LatinoReview.

Casting is still going-on, as recent names such as Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy have been mentioned for being on Marvel's radar/lists.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

RUMOR: DOCTOR STRANGE Coming May 2016 And Villans Revealed?

It was recently announced Marvel/Disney secured two new release dates for untitled projects. The unknown films are slotted for May 6th 2016 and May 5th 2017. It looks we might be getting an official announcement at Comic-Con about these films. DailySuperHero is reporting on a rumor that Marvel could reveal their Doctor Strange film plans (along with casting?) at their pannel and which might fill that May 2016 slot. A while back it was reported by Twitch that the studio had been circulating a script from writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to potentinal directors. Kevin Feige all but confirmed to Collider that Strange would be among the new releases in Phase Three. Which would come after Edgar Wright's Ant-Man (the first film of Phase Three) in November 2015. A May 2016 release date sounds about right for the project. As Marvel is looking like they'll be shooting Ant-Man/Avengers 2 in 2014 after Guardians of The Galaxy wraps up leaving some room in 2015 for new a production.

ThePlaylist mentioned that there was talks the studio was looking at Joel Edgerton for the lead role of Dr. Stephen Strange. However, this was also around the same time that it was rumored the character would show up in Thor: The Dark World. Viggo Mortensen (History of Violence, Lord of The Rings, The Road, Eastern Promises) had been linked for the lead but Marvel came out to deny it. More recently Iron Man 2/Tropic Thunder writer and sometime actor Justin Theroux (Your Highness, American Psycho, Zoolander) had been linked for being in the mix as well. There had been previous rumblings that Javier Bardem (The Counselor, No Country For Old Men, Skyfall) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Hobbit, Sherlock, Atonement, Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse) had been wanted for possible roles. Considering the pair are best known for playing solid villains it's possible they might end up being in the mix for Dormammu or Mordo.

LatinoReview, who is best known for outing villains for big blockbusters believes they know who the baddies will be. They state that the villains of Doctor Strange include Dormammu, Karl Mordo and The  Giant Mindless One. It's interesting mix of two staple villains from Strange's rouges gallery. I would have expected more of the horror/occult elements to come into play but it's only the first installment. Just remember this the same site that revealed villains General Zod (Man of Steel), Thanos (Avengers) and Khan (Star Trek Into Darkness.

A director hasn't been named but LatinoReview reported on talk that Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez and his writer Rodo Sayagues being linked for the project. Nothing besides rumors and meetings at this point but I'm sure something more solid will be announced at Comic-Con.

RUMOR: EVIL DEAD's Fede Alavarez And Co-Writer Rodo Sayagues Developing DOCTOR STRANGE For Marvel?

LatinoReview is reporting on a rumor concerning a new project at Marvel. Apparently the studio is impressed by the success of the Evil Dead reboot. Even with the mixed reactions most liked the film with it's minor flaws. Sources tell the site that writer/director Fede Alavarez and co-writer Rodo Rayagues are meeting with Marvel or even pitching a film. Which just might be Doctor Strange which will be released along with Edgar Wright's Ant-Man in Marvel's Phase Three post-Avengers 2.

A draft of the script written by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer had been shopped around to potential directors not too long ago. Marvel's new trend is to develop their own directors with unique visions instead of hiring big names. Benedict Cumberbatch (Hobbit Trilogy, Star Trek Into Darkness, Crimson Peak, Sherlock) has long been a fan favorite to play Dr. Stephen Strange but no actual casting development has been reported. A rumor over the Summer from some respected sources pointed to Marvel introducing Strange in Thor: The Dark World.


Fede's connections to Sam Raimi might not hurt his chances considering both Spider-Man and Strange are Stan Lee/Steve Ditko collaborations. I have pegged Raimi to be a prime candidate so having Alavarez in the mix sounds about right. Since Marvel isn't likely to get Sam sign on to another franchise with Army of Darkness 2 in development. Nothing too solid here since Fede has talked about making Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead 3.

Roman Coppola Still Open To Making DOCTOR STRANGE, Neil Gaiman And Benedict Cumberbatch Need To Be Involved

Roman Coppola revealed a couple of weeks ago that he was once attached to make a live-action Doctor Strange film back in the days of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four. His vision never did make it to cameras and the company eventually created Marvel Studios to control quality. Roman has become a very accomplished screenwriter earning an Oscar nomination this year for co-writing Moonrise Kingdom with Wes Anderson. He previously worked as second unit director on films such as Dracula (cutting his teeth in the horror genre) and Lost In Translation. While promoting his new film Charlie Swan (which he directed) he commented if on he'd still be interested in making Strange to FlickeringMyth (via CBM). Marvel recently announced that the occult superhero would apart of their Phase Three lineup.

“Nowadays it’s over saturated with so many comic book movies. It has lessened in my mind. In the past, 15 to 20 years ago, when I talked about Doctor Strange most of the comic book movies were terrible. They’ve [I’m speaking of the Marvel Universe] managed to make them more true to the spirit of the comics as I recall reading them as a boy. If someone said to me, ‘We’d love you to do Doctor Strange. Run with it. What’s your take on it?’ I’d be delighted to have a shot at that but it seems that many comic book movies are made with a certain mentality that pervades all of them. If I had my choice I’d rather do an individualistic than a factory movie but you never know. I’m open to whatever adventure comes my way.” 

I'd love to see Coppola direct theres another name I'm dying to see get involved. That is legendary comic book writer/novelist Neil Gaiman. He's been invovled with the development of the Strange film back when Guillermo del Toro was attached to direct. Neil was tasked to come up with a script which ultimately also fell-threw. He's obsessed with Steve Ditko (who created Strange)  participating in Jonathan Ross' Searching For Steve Ditko documentary. Gaiman has enough geek credibility like Whedon to bring a faithful but cinematic take on the Sorcerer Supreme. His novel Stardust was adapted into a film by Matthew Vaughn. Gaiman wrote screenplays for Beowulf and Coraline along with two episodes of Doctor Who. Having Gaiman do re-writes on the existing script written by Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Donnelly or at least consulting is a must.

There has been rally to get Benedict Cumberbatch cast in the lead role. It's not hard to see why he would be perfect for the role with his series Sherlock amassing such a loyal international following. Not to mention film credits that include in Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse, Atonement, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug/There And Back.

Second Marvel Film In 2014 Will Feature A "Character" Outside Of Avengers

Kevin Feige has been somewhat coy about the second phase of the Marvel's release slate. We know that on May 2014 the studio plans to release an unannounced project on that date. It had been thought that Ant-Man or Guardians of The Galaxy would be prime candidates. Until Edgar Wright announced that he'd would be starting production on World's End this fall and could possibly shoot some of Ant-Man (likely green-screen scenes or a sizzle reel for Comic-Con) sometime during 2012 as well. This doesn't mean that Ant-Man would even be ready to released for 2014 considering the amount of special effects needed for the film. New word from Marvel gives the impression that Guardians is also out of the running.

A new quote from Fegie during an interview with Empire seemingly excludes Ant-Man, Black Panther and even Guardians of The Galaxy for the second 2014 slot. Kevin states that they will be introducing "a character outside of the Avengers' world". This gives the impression the first two are out as they're both Avengers. While the latter is a team film similar to the Avengers in that it would include multiple heroes, not one single "character". It leads me to believe that Kevin Feige is hinting to the mystical fantasy film Doctor Strange. There is another C-level character like Strange that could be a possibility as well which is The Immortal Iron Fist which will be a pulpy martial arts/shoot em' up flick.


"Our next step," said Feige, "will be to introduce a character outside the Avengers' world."

DOCTOR STRANGE:  The first thought is Doctor Strange as they already have a script complete with the studio shopping it around to directors back in August. It's unknown which version of the character they'd be aiming to make since they have a few different takes. Steven Strange is famous surgeon who searches for a new calling when his sister dies. It leads him to an ancient order that teaches him the mystical arts leading him to become the Sorcerer Supreme. It could be a mystical period piece set in the 30's or just a straight up contemporary. His powers vary but could be somewhat limited in the first film since it would be an origin film with Strange learning the magic ropes. The cosmic universe has been explored with Thor and Avengers so it wouldn't be a stretch to see this character fit into the Marvel cinematic universe. While Kevin states the character won't have connections to Avengers it wouldn't stop them from introducing an Avenger like Scarlet Witch as a villain or supporting character.

IRON FIST: A project less likely is Iron Fist which hasn't been in development as long as Strange but had a script from Rich Wilkes. We haven't heard much on it but like Strange this character isn't a prominent Avenger and like Iron Man (before the original film's release) was basically a niche character. Ed Brubaker (known for the modern Captain America) reinvented the characters' mythology with The Immortal Iron Fist which gave an edge to both Danny Rand and Orson Randall. I could see how a martial arts/shoot em' up film with Highlander elements would be completely different from what they've already done.

Benedict Cumberbatch And Steven Moffat Visit Marvel Studios

Marvel has posted a string of images of Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat visiting Marvel Studios. The Sherlock actor had long been rumored to be in talks with Marvel for a possible starring role in a future film. Originally he was linked to Doctor Strange which had it's script put out to directors last August, so it's very possibly that's the film they're looking to cast him in. Ben was given a tour of Marvel's office and comic department, possibly getting a ton of comic book goodies. Along with a room that may or may not have concept artwork for a Marvel movie.

Cumberbatch has been getting a lot of attention for his recent supporting roles in films like War Horse and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Not to mention his high profile villain role as Khan in the upcoming Star Trek sequel. Steven Moffat's involvement here could mean that they might be looking for him to write or direct a film as well. Moffat is the creative mind behind Sherlock and the reboot of Doctor Who, not to mention his very successful sitcom Coupling. He also worked with Ant-Man writers Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish on the script for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn. All signs are pointing to Doctor Strange as it seems a project Moffat and Cumberbatch could easily pull off.

What Marvel Hero Will Take The Second 2014 Release Date?

With yesterday's announcement that Captain America 2 has been given the greenlit and the release date of April 4th 2014. We're one step close to finding out what that mystery Marvel film will be in May 2014. Cap 2 likely won't start shooting until later in the year or even until 2013 given it's two years away from release and that untitled Marvel film will shoot not soon after. The studio has finally lined up their three main sequels so they can now focus on new characters. Marvel has been pussy-footing around the thought of spin-offs that include Black Widow, War Machine, Hawkeye and even Winter Soldier. Yet they have yet to lock down a release dates for their many new hero projects. A few other movies that have been in the works include Black Panther, Guardians of The Galaxy, Inhumans, Runaways (put on-hold/axed), Sub-Mariner, Luke Cage and Iron Fist which all seem to be still in development phases. Currently there seems to be only three films ready to go into production at this point and below is a quick rundown.

ANT-MAN: Ant-Man is a clear standout between the three films as it has both a script and direct set for it. Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish have been working on the script for years with Wright being on board for eight years. Marvel will have to move quickly because there is already talk of Edgar lining up at least three other films. The characters of Hank Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet (Wasp) would have been added to Avengers but Wright had been stating their introduction and origins were meant for his film. Edgar has promised a spectacle to a scale we've never seen from him before along with Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, MI3, MI4, Star Trek 1-2) stating he'd love to play the film's villain.

DOCTOR STRANGE: Strange is another future film that Marvel producer Kevin Feige has been spending a lot of time winking at during the summer flood of press interviews last year. Quoted as saying it would be coming "sooner rather than later". Given the fact it has a script in place from Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer it's a strong candidate. There have been previous casting rumors linking Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek 2, Sherlock Holmes, Hobbit) and Javier Bardem for the film. I think Doctor Strange is just different enough from the other characters with the horror/occult genre, he could be a great second wave of heroes added to Avengers 2. Since it's already been hinted that Marvel is planning on working towards that in their second phase. Including heroes like Ant-Man, Wasp and Strange into the Avengers lineup could shakeup the sequel.

NICK FURY/S.H.I.E.L.D: A S.H.I.E.L.D. film has aslo been in development for years. With a script from Air Force One screenwriter Andrew Marlowe that's been kicking around. However, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have mostly been sprinkled in as filler supporting characters in other Marvel Studios films. There has been talk of Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) playing a larger role in Avengers than previously seen before. Personally, I'm not sure if we really need a S.H.I.E.L.D. film if we already have them in the other franchises. It's been stated that S.H.I.E.L.D. will have a large presence in Avengers and the upcoming Captain America sequel. If Marvel does make this project they're going to have to hurry up as Sam Jackson isn't getting any younger if they're looking to make this a franchise. I assume that the ten directors being looked at for Captain America 2 might also end up in the running to direct the S.H.I.E.L.D. film among their other projects. This would be the first spin-off from the studio and could lead to other supporting heroes getting their own films.

Genesis Of The Doctor Strange Film

When is was announced a few years back that Marvel Studios would be bringing Doctor Strange to theaters some might have been asked themselves, why? The short answer is that a Doctor Strange movie has been in works since 1986. A slew of bad luck and good intentions were futile. Below is the history of the film's development which included nine different writers and five directors previously involved. It's interesting to see some of the names that were once attached at one time. Currently, Marvel hasn't named a director, cast or even a release date for the film.

-1986 Bob Gale (Writer) ?
-1992 Wes Craven (Writer/Director) Savoy Pictures
-1994 Columbia Pictures Acquires Film Rights
-1995 David S. Goyer (Writer) Columbia
-1997 Jeff Welch (Writer) Columbia
-1998/2000 Michael France (Writer) Columbia 
-1998/2000 Chuck Russell (Director) Columbia
-1998/2000 Stephen Norrington (Director) Columbia
-2001 Dimension Films Acquires Film Rights
-2001 David S. Goyer (Writer/Director) Dimension
-2001 Miramax Film Acquires Rights
-2005 Paramount Acquires Rights
-2008 Guillermo del Toro (Director) Paramount
-2008 Neil Gaiman (Writer) Paramount
-2009 Marvel Studios/Disney Takes Over Film
-2010 Thomas Donnelly/Joshua Oppenheimer (Writer) Marvel

Venture Bros. Creators Want To Make Doctor Strange

Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick the creators of the infamously funny adult themed cartoon series Venture Bros. is again commenting on the  Doctor Strange film. The series is a giant love letter to adventure junkies including references from Johnny Quest, James Bond and pretty much every single Marvel comic ever made. The character Dr. Orpheus is pretty much a comedic parody of Doctor Strange himself.

I can't believe I missed this but during the NY Comic Con back in December, Doc joking commented on still not being contacted by Marvel about Strange. Hammer also states he has notebooks full of ideas of how to make an entertaining Strange movie and even gives a gab at their current choice of screenwriters. The screenwriting pair that have been tasked to write the script recent credit is the Conan reboot which was a total disaster and bomb at the box office.



I get a strong feeling that these two have a great vision and that they could end up putting something together on the level of Edgar Wright's Ant-Man. Considering they are equally comedy writers as they are great at creating wild action scenes. Doc and Jackson seem to honestly care about and are massive fans of Strange. Personally I think the pair should at least be given a shot at a rewrite of the current script on spec. Which I assume they'd be willing to do if not handing in their own script as well. At the moment Doctor Strange has neither a director or even a release date.

Marvel Studios seems to be one of the more open-minded studios and has given many directors and writers big feature breaks. Similar to Disney they are very creative focused and having these two aboard could have nothing but great results. The pair also bring their rabid Venture Bros' fans to table which seems to be the target audience to begin with. In my opinion Doc and Jackson would be an asset to bring onto a film like this. It wouldn't be that different than when Marvel hired Simpson's writer Don Payne to write Thor and now it's sequel.

Possible Synopsis For Doctor Strange?

JoBlo has posted a synopsis for Doctor Strange but it's unknown if this the film's official tagline. A script by has been handed into Marvel Studios by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer. There have been rumors that actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes, War Horse, Star Trek 2, Hobbit) and Javier Bardem (Skyfall, No Country For Oldmen) have been wanted for the film. Marvel's Kevin Feige has stated we would see the film "sooner rather than later". Take that statement as you will but Strange seems to be high priority to Marvel. If the studio does indeed shoot three productions in 2012 it wouldn't be hard to see Doctor Strange go into production in 2013. Leading the film to fill one of the 2014 release dates Marvel has set aside.

"Doctor Strange centres around a New York surgeon, who stops running his practice after suffering injuries in a car crash. He then becomes a drifter and heads to the Himalayas, where he meets a healer and discovers that he has a great psychic power to fight against evil. Doctor Strange boasts powers that includes telepathy, teleportation, energy and astral projection."

 Io9 also had some Doctor Strange tidbits as well. They spoke to theoretical physicist Sean Carroll. A science expert that contributed to Thor and is now working with Marvel on Strange. Sean talks about limiting the heroes abilities and the setting real limits for this world.

"You need constraints to provide tension...A world where anything can happen makes for a very boring movie. It's when science imposes boundaries on what a superhero can do that the real drama begins."

Universal In Talks To Make Mark Millar's War Heroes

HeatVision reports that Universal Pictures is in negotiations to develop Mark Millar's War Heroes into a film. Previously the project had been with Columbia Pictures but the rights lapsed. The studio is in talks with screenwriters Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer who wrote Conan The Barbarian (2011) and recently handed in a script for Doctor Strange to Marvel Studios. The premises is an alternate America where soldiers are given pills to unlock various superpowers to fight the country's enemies.

This is yet another boost for comic writer/creator Mark Millar who is starting to become the next Stan Lee in the world of comic book films. War Heroes will be his 7th comic book turned into a film. Two movies have already been completed [Kick-Ass, Wanted] and six others in development [Wanted 2, Kick-Ass 2, Nemesis, Superior, The Secret Service, Supercrooks]. It will be interesting to see who they'll get to direct the film.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Justin Lin in contention considering Fast Five/Fast Six writer Chris Morgan is producing. Lin has been rumored/attached previously to Terminator 5, Highlander, Oldboy, The Wolverine and Die Hard 5. Robert Schwentke (RED) also seems like a possbility since he walked away from directing RED 2 and is currently helming another high concept comic book adaptation R.I.P.D. (his second comic book film) for the studio.