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The Hulk Gears Up To Vent Its Rage On London
London, July 04: Ang Lee has brought his Hulk to London town. The film, based on Stan Lee`s comic book creation, has already grossed more than $100 million in the United States. Now the big green monster gets to take on Europe.
London, July 04: Ang Lee has brought his Hulk to London town. The film, based on Stan Lee's comic book creation, has already grossed more than $100 million in the United States. Now the big green monster gets to take on Europe.
Taiwan-born director Ang Lee's interpretation of the Hulk follows such critically acclaimed films as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Sense and Sensibility", "Eat Drink Man Woman" and "The Ice Storm".
Universal Pictures' offer of the Hulk marks his first foray into Hollywood blockbusterdom. Opening box office figures in the USA were very strong - despite Charlie's Angels knocking it off the number one spot - but Lee is still nervous for the European reception. But relieved that "I didn't screw up". Despite the difficult task of persuading actors to come and act alongside an imaginary green figure - that Ang Lee for much of the time stood in for - he managed to persuade Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Josh Lucas... to come on board his superhero adventure. And Nick Nolte.
Nolte plays the man that gives birth to the Hulk (aka scientist Bruce Banner). His character steals the show in its wild and frenzied madness - "a crazy actor, a brilliant actor... that's why I went to him - the classic training, I recognize brilliancy in carrying something bigger than life. He has that volume so to speak, the operatic volume and skill to carry out something more Shakespearian than real life. To play that insane character, evoking, that's him. I met him and he has this great look, this insane look." Eric Bana by contrast is all repressed anger... that eventually emerges in the form of the big green raging machine. Jennifer Connelly plays Betty Ross, his scientist ex-girlfriend who is intent on helping Banner open up to her. But she knows that she is fighting a losing battle.... not so in real life where she is happily married to British actor Paul Bettany with whom she is expecting a child in August. It will be her second. 6 year-old Kai is a Hulk fan but he did not join his mum at her premiere. "I thought tonight was probably a bad night to see it for the first time. But I think he will." As for whether the team are ready to do it all over again, the director at the helm says that is not a question that he can consider just now. "At this point I'm like a woman who's just given birth to a monster's child! There's no way I'm going to do it again! But three months from now I might have different thoughts. The premise is that whatever I want to devote a year, two years of my life, to making a movie I need to be really excited. Elements have to inspire me. Usually it's not the story, not the character development but elements of a movie need to inspire me in such a way that I think two years from now I'd be still be excited completing it."
Bureau Report
Universal Pictures' offer of the Hulk marks his first foray into Hollywood blockbusterdom. Opening box office figures in the USA were very strong - despite Charlie's Angels knocking it off the number one spot - but Lee is still nervous for the European reception. But relieved that "I didn't screw up". Despite the difficult task of persuading actors to come and act alongside an imaginary green figure - that Ang Lee for much of the time stood in for - he managed to persuade Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Josh Lucas... to come on board his superhero adventure. And Nick Nolte.
Nolte plays the man that gives birth to the Hulk (aka scientist Bruce Banner). His character steals the show in its wild and frenzied madness - "a crazy actor, a brilliant actor... that's why I went to him - the classic training, I recognize brilliancy in carrying something bigger than life. He has that volume so to speak, the operatic volume and skill to carry out something more Shakespearian than real life. To play that insane character, evoking, that's him. I met him and he has this great look, this insane look." Eric Bana by contrast is all repressed anger... that eventually emerges in the form of the big green raging machine. Jennifer Connelly plays Betty Ross, his scientist ex-girlfriend who is intent on helping Banner open up to her. But she knows that she is fighting a losing battle.... not so in real life where she is happily married to British actor Paul Bettany with whom she is expecting a child in August. It will be her second. 6 year-old Kai is a Hulk fan but he did not join his mum at her premiere. "I thought tonight was probably a bad night to see it for the first time. But I think he will." As for whether the team are ready to do it all over again, the director at the helm says that is not a question that he can consider just now. "At this point I'm like a woman who's just given birth to a monster's child! There's no way I'm going to do it again! But three months from now I might have different thoughts. The premise is that whatever I want to devote a year, two years of my life, to making a movie I need to be really excited. Elements have to inspire me. Usually it's not the story, not the character development but elements of a movie need to inspire me in such a way that I think two years from now I'd be still be excited completing it."
Bureau Report