Screen Rant » hancock

Will Smith and Charlize Theron Confirmed for Hancock 2

Paul Young — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:55:46 +0000

In the summer of 2008 Will Smith showed off his ability to go days without shaving, act like a jerk and stop trains with his head by starring as the title character in the superhero movie Hancock. The movie had a good box office run, banking over $600 million worldwide; so it’s no wonder that talks of a sequel weren’t too far behind.

While Hancock 2 has been in the pipeline for a minute, what was unconfirmed was whether director Peter Berg would be able to lure Will Smith and co-star Charlize Theron back for the sequel. Theron had talked late last year about her interest in continuing her role as the female counterpart to Smith’s godly hero, but until now, the only confirmed facts were Berg returning as the director and the addition of Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara as the script writers.

Well, all the fog of uncertainty has been lifted Berg recently talked to MTV News and dropped the following bomb about Hancock 2:

“Everybody’s going to come back for a sequel.”

It’s nice to hear Berg actually confirm the return of all parties involved with Hancock but does he really mean it? I liked Jason Bateman’s character in Hancock and I hope he returns to play Theron’s human husband – but up to this point, the actor has only expressed interest in the project; there has been no official announcement of his return.

When MTV pressed Berg a bit about some insider, spoiler-ific information, he let it “slip” that there will indeed be a third superhuman, an all-powerful god that will be introduced in Hancock 2. Nothing like staying true to the first film where they explain that Smith and Theron are the only two remaining old gods in existence, is there? Oh well, anything can happen in a $equel…

So who will we see playing the new god? Berg is being something of a Slick Willy about that:

“We have [someone in mind]. I’m not gonna tell you who, but we have!”

I love when directors and studios do this type of super-secretive withholding of info, while simultaneously dropping bread crumbs for us to follow. Usually it means that they have no firm idea what they’re going to do or who they’re going to get to do it, and are waiting to read some feedback from the fanboy blogosphere for ideas. So…let’s give them some.

Who would you like to see as the third all-powerful demi-god in Hancock 2 (I vote Justin Timberlake, he’s the new red)? And are you happy to see Will Smith and Charlize Theron reprising their roles?

Hancock 2 has no release date and will more than likely have a name change by the time it does.

Source: MTV Splash

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Hancock 2 Gets 2 Writers

Ross Miller — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:35:51 +0000

It was only last week that we reported on director Peter Berg talking about a possible plot for Hancock 2, and yet today The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that two writers have been brought on-board to pen the script for the superhero sequel. Berg stated recently that we might not see a Hancock sequel anytime soon because he and star Will Smith are busy, but it looks like Sony isn’t wasting much time.

The two writers Sony has brought on-board for Hancock 2 are Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara, both writers of The Shield. The pair’s producing credits include other such TV work such as 24, Dexter and Nash Bridges. The plot for the film is being kept under wraps, but the two writers are going to be working with Berg and Smith to build on “the world” that was created in the first Hancock. This hints back to what Berg recently pitched as the plot for Hancock 2, and personally I think it’s the inevitable direction a follow-up film would have to go.

However, as I said in my last post – didn’t we cover Hancock’s story well enough in the first film? There’s certainly interesting little points and details here and there about the mythology that could be explored, but from a story point of view I’m not all that interested in seeing another one.

Even so, it’s clear why Sony would put this one on the fast-track, considering the first movie made over $600 worldwide. Making a sequel is not exactly what I would call “a gamble.” They have Will Smith, one of (if not the) most bankable movie stars on the planet (his name anywhere near a movie seems to equal automatic box office success); a truly original (i.e. not based on any source material) superhero character; a successful first movie to play off of; and the usual potential for eye-popping, visual effects laden, action scenes. It really does √ all the boxes, don’t you think?

Even though the same producers are rumored to be returning for Hancock 2, there’s no official word on if Berg and Smith will be back, but I’d say it’s pretty likely – I’m sure they’ll make room in their schedules for a movie that pretty much guarantees them a huge amount of money. Screen Rant will keep you posted on that front.

What do you think of the two writers that have been hired for the sequel to Hancock? Are you surprised the studio is pushing forward so quickly with this one?

Hancock 2 is currently in the development stages and doesn’t have a planned release date yet.

Source: THR

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The Top 10 Summer 2008 Movies: It’s Been A Hell Of A Run!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:45:16 +0000

It’s almost September and that means that the big summer movie season of 2008 is finally over – but what a summer it’s been!

2008 delivered the kind of summer that superhero and action movie geeks dream of – this is the year that brought us three bonafide superhero movies: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and what was that third one… oh yeah: The Dark Knight.

We also had the chance to see the long awaited Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the latest Pixar flick Wall-E, Will Smith as a superhero in Hancock, Angelina Jolie as an assassin in Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. To keep us laughing we had Tropic Thunder, The Pineapple Express (which I haven’t seen) and Get Smart.

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight: Summer 2008 box office winner

The Dark Knight was this summer’s box office juggernaut, and no doubt will be the year’s biggest earner. The big surprise of the summer (and the film that kicked it all off) is Iron Man, which came in second and actually beat Indy 4 in the US! That speaks to both how great Iron Man was and how poor an addition the latest Indiana Jones movie was to the original trilogy.

Iron Man: Surprise hit of the 2008 Summer movie season

Here are the top ten movies this summer based on US box office:

The Dark Knight – $493.7MM
Iron Man – $317.6MM
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – $315.3MM
Hancock – $226.5MM
Wall-E – $216.8MM
Kung Fu Panda – $213MM
Sex and the City (yeah, I know) – $152.4MM
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – $141.6MM
The Incredible Hulk – $134.4MM
Wanted – $133.8MM

One big suprise in the above list is Pixar’s Wall-E: I’m really shocked that the R-rating-pushing, PG-13 and mediocre (according to most critics) Hancock actually beat the family friendly Pixar film. Also surprising is that Kung Fu Panda made almost as much as the Wall-E. It looks like despite the universally rave reviews for Wall-E, that the overly message-heavy plot of the movie wasn’t as much of a winner with families as other of their films like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. Heck, even Cars (considered by many to be Pixar’s weakest film) made more money than Wall-E at the box office.

Wall-E: Below Summer box office expectations?

I’ll take a moment to toot my own horn and point out that I was one of the lone voices pointing out the fact that Wall-E was too heavy handed with its messages.

Also, despite the “cool factor,” Wanted didn’t manage to beat underdog summer flick The Incredible Hulk. I guess more people thought it was ridiculous (as I did) than thought it was “awesome, dude!”. However superhero movie fans across the land can weep in unison at the fact that Hulk was not able to defeat three hip, New York City powershopping babes on the prowl for true love.

Summer 2008: The Incredible Hulk did not go down without a fight

How the heck Sex in the City made into that list is beyond me.

Movies worth noting that are missing from that top 10 list include The Happening (huge stinker for Shyamalan), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (couldn’t bring myself to watch it), 10,000 B.C. (do I even need to comment on this one?), Speed Racer (LSD trip for kids), and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (too niche, I suppose).

In the “bombed at the box office” category I guess I’d add X-Files: I Want to Believe ($20.7MM) and at only $27MM since opening, for a Star Wars movie, I’d say The Clone Wars didn’t do too well.

All in all I’d say it’s been a pretty damned awesome summer for movie fans, and it’ll be a tough one to top in 2009.

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More Hollywood Brilliance: Will Smith Was Offered Superman

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:16:54 +0000

Wow… things have actually been pretty quite here on the “tear Hollywood a new one” front, but this story puts the powers that be right in my sights once again. According to a recent interview with Will Smith, he was offered the iconic role of Superman in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns before it was offered to Brandon Routh.

Thankfully, Smith had the presence of mind to turn it down.

According to MTV:

“There is no way I’m playing Superman!’ Because I had already done Jim West [of 'Wild Wild West'], and you can’t be messing up white people’s heroes in Hollywood! You mess up white people’s heroes in Hollywood, you’ll never work in this town again!”

Well, I don’t know about never working in Hollywood again, but would there be an outcry?

Are you kidding?

The only thing I’d like to know is what brilliant Hollywood mind floated that idea? I mean heck, maybe they could have suggested Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to play Muhammed Ali instead of Smith in Ali. I’m sure there might be a bit of controversy had that been the case.

This is complete speculation, but I’m wondering if there’s any chance it was director Bryan Singer who floated the idea… after all he didn’t have a problem with making Superman the father of an out-of-wedlock child.

I’m actually quite glad that Will Smith dipped his toe in the superhero genre with Hancock – I only wish the studio had kept their hands out of it and allowed the film to be released as an R-rated film as originally intended. I’m sure it would have turned out to be a better film.

This whole story is just a plain head-shaker as far as I’m concerned.

Source: MTV via ComicBookMovie

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Hancock Has Early Weekend Box Office Momentum

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:07:58 +0000

It’s only Saturday morning, but Hancock starring Will Smith has already hit the $41 million mark and by all accounts, is on its way to the $100 million holiday weekend mark. $17+ million from each of Wednesday and Thursday’s screenings across 7,645 screens.

The film can now be added to a long list of July 4th opener successes such as Transformers, War of the Worlds, Spider-Man 2 and others. The July 4th weekend is one of the bigger weekends that production companies like to shoot for when they feel they have a bread winner on their hands.

Despite the movie getting mediocre reviews, (3.5 of 5 from Vic) Will Smith is proving his draw as an actor. He can take a rather stale component, add his own unique presence, or flair if you will – and create something more than what could be there if any other actor had a similar role. (Of course, this all makes sense if you’re a Will Smith fan.)

Having taken my own clue from Vic, I’m in no rush to see the movie. I am looking forward to catching it in some fashion, but I’m not sure I want to suffer the lines and crowds this weekend for a mere 90 minute “mediocre” flick.

source: Hollywood Reporter

image courtesy of celeb.wohoo.co.uk

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Hancock Review

Vic Holtreman — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:30:39 +0000

Short version: Hancock is not the light and fluffy comedy you may think it is – it’s dark and coarse, but well worth checking out.

Screen Rant’s Hancock review

Here’s what you need to know about Hancock:

1. Everything you’ve seen in trailers and TV commercials (well, up until this week) takes place in the first 10 minutes of the movie.

2. This is one coarse, crass movie – so much so that I don’t know how it garnered a PG-13 rating with all the foul language in it.

3. If you like Will Smith, and want to see an unconventional superhero movie – go see it. Just leave the kids at home.

Hancock is an interesting film. It starts out strong, both in story and comedy but 1/3 of the way through heads in a completely different direction. It certainly has flaws (which some people can’t get past) but I found it extremely entertaining.

Will Smith plays, of course, the title character: an apparently homeless alcoholic who just happens to have super-powers. When we meet him he’s sleeping on a bench, cradling a bottle of whiskey – a young boy tries to wake him up because there’s a freeway chase happening in which the bad guys are causing huge havoc and shooting at civilians indiscriminately. Hancock is none to eager to help, and the boy ends up calling him an A-hole, except not abbreviated. It’s a term that is used over and over and over in the film.

The problem with Hancock is that whenever he perpetrates his acts of “heroism,” he causes mass collateral destruction, which is displayed in spades at the start of the film as he apprehends the carload of bad guys. I have to pause here and say that I thought that the flying scenes at the start of this movie were some of the best and most “real” I’ve seen – very nicely done and if you’re a superhero movie fan you’ll take notice.

The public has just about had it with him and it’s the last straw when he causes massive damage to a freight train while saving the life of Ray Embrey (played by Jason Bateman). Embrey has visions of saving the world through marketing but is pretty much a Quixotic character since his ideas are so outrageous to the corporate execs to whom he makes his pitches. In Hancock, he sees a great opportunity to do good, and to help him as well in exchange for saving his life.

He tries to convince Hancock that in order to be really effective, that people have to love him – in fact they should love him since he fights crime and saves lives. The problem is that Hancock couldn’t care less about what people think, or at least that’s what he puts out there.

(Continued…)

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Is Hancock In Trouble?

Jamie Williams — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:08:07 +0000

It was just last week when Boss (i.e. Screen Rant big-cheese Vic Holtreman) reported on problems with the upcoming Will Smith superhero comedy Hancock over its MPAA rating and subject matter.

Now according to Cinema Blend (as per their sources), the film’s world premiere in Sydney, Australia has been quietly canceled because it won’t be finished in time.

And just why wouldn’t it be ready by then, you ask? Supposedly because the film is about to go through heavy re-shoots in order to make its July 2nd theatrical release date.

Granted, late-minute re-shoots and whatnot aren’t that uncommon – Smith’s last film I Am Legend had its ending completely reworked just a month before it opened, and it’s safe to say it worked out just fine for them (i.e. $500 million+ box-office).

What’s fascinating is that this movie has long had a reputation for being an unfilmable script called Tonight, He Comes (i.e. very dark). It went through multiple directors and actors over the years, and in the end it took someone in the industry with Will Smith’s clout (the only real movie-star around IMHO) to get it made.

But there’s just no telling how much of Tonight, He Comes will make it into Hancock considering its PG-13 rating.

At the moment, if these rumors are true then there’s enough of it to force Sony & Co. to makes changes…

Source: Cinema Blend

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Uh Oh – Hancock is ‘Surprisingly Sexual And Violent?’

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:12:34 +0000

Today is an interesting news day for Sony Pictures’ upcoming entry into the summer blockbuster arena: Hancock. I was first tipped off to the actual tone of the film by my pal over at Movies Online, and then received further clarification after reading a post over at /Film.

So what’s so interesting?

This movie is not what you think it is, folks. Think it’s another light-hearted, funny Will Smith romp?

Think again.

According to an article over at the New York Times, far from being a conventional combination of comedy and superhero flick, Hancock pushes the PG-13 envelope hard. As a matter of fact, up until three weeks ago there was a statutory rape scene in the film.

The film has been to the MPAA twice in the last month to receive a rating and both times it was given an “R.”

The goal of course, is to keep cutting away slivers of scenes until they can get it just under the bar and achieve a PG-13.

Director Peter Berg openly admits that a goal of the film is to make the film edgy and not “boring.” According to the NY Times:

“The film, he [Berg] said, remained surprisingly sexual, violent and true in spirit to an original script that was viewed as brilliant but unmakable when its creator, Vincent Ngo, first circulated it more than a decade ago under the title ‘Tonight, He Comes.’”

One of the things they had to “tone down” from the original script was a scene where Hancock gets drunk with a 12 year old. That was changed to a 17 year old and seems to be the source of the statutory rape scene mentioned above.

Sony executive Amy Pascal comments:

“It’s scary in that it goes farther than we’ve gone before”

Now before you start getting all ornery on me, I have NO problem with an edgy superhero comedy starring Will Smith. What I do have an issue with (and the studio will too, mark my words) is marketing a film as described above as a PG-13, family friendly summer comedy. It’s deceptive and it’s going to bite them in the ass, guaranteed.

“Oh, but what about ‘The Dark Knight?” THAT’s a dark movie!”

Yeah, but we know that’s going to be a dark movie based on the trailers, images and interviews. My soon-to-be 12 year old daughter has already decided she doesn’t want to see it. But Hancock? We’ve all watched the trailers together, thought it looked funny and had been planning on seeing it as a family.

But not any more.

Hancock opens on July 2, 2008.

Source: NY Times

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New Extended Hancock Trailer Sells Movie Better

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:46:24 +0000

Regular readers know how I hate to use YouTube trailers, but until a better version comes out (which I’ll update this post with when available), check out the latest trailer for Hancock, the Will Smith superhero movie.

I’ve thought from day one that this was going to be a cool, fun movie, and with this latest trailer even the naysayers are starting to come around. It premiered during American Idol this week and came out of the blue as no one seemed to be expecting it.

You can watch the crappy YouTube version below. Eventually there will be a much better version in it’s place here.

Based on that, what do you think?

Hancock is scheduled to open on July 2nd.

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First Image Of Will Smith As Hancock In Superhero Costume

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:20:37 +0000

Here’s the first look at Will Smith looking super-heroey in Hancock.

Having seen the trailer, this image came as a bit of a shock to me. I really liked the slacker/bum look that Smith had in the trailer as a counterpoint to his superhero powers. He had a whole anti-heroic thing going, where he had to be convinced to go after the bad guys when he’d rather just be sleeping.

In retrospect I suppose I should have expected this. I don’t know why I was thinking that he’d maintain that attitude throughout the film… it seems like it’s going to be pretty typical after all, taking him from no account slacker to full-on superhero.

While that will make the film story more typical, that doesn’t mean it won’t work. I’m sure that what will happen is that initially he’ll embrace the whole hero thing and start to buy into it, but something will happen that will show him the seriousness and/or consequences of what he does and he will “grow” as a person.

Amazing how much one can divine from just one picture, ain’t it?

superhero costume" />

For more images head on over to Filmofilia via the link below.

So what’s your opinion? Does this make you look forward to the movie more or less than before?

Source: Filmofilia.com

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Hancock Trailer: Will Smith As A Slacker Superhero

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 05:12:22 +0000

[UPDATE: You can find a newer trailer for Hancock here.]

Other movie sites have given the Will Smith superhero movie Hancock some coverage of late, and honestly I had no idea what they were talking about. I hadn’t heard anything about this movie until the bootleg trailer appeared on YouTube. It was yanked shortly thereafter and I never even saw it.

The basic plot is that Will Smith is a regular shmoe/slacker who happens to have superpowers. It is obviously a comedy and I think that putting together Will Smith plus superhero just can not miss at the box office.

He fights crime and such but apparently not without some prodding, and in the most comic book-like screen version of a superhero movie yet, he causes a LOT of collateral damage. Seriously, have you read a comic book lately? You do NOT want to have superheroes protecting your city. We’re talking millions of dollars in property damage every time they fight some supervillain downtown.

Hancock was directed by Peter Berg and co-stars Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman and Johnny Galecki. In it, Will Smith plays a tortured superhero who crash-lands in Brooklyn and tries to transform himself by romancing an alluring housewife, causing chaos in the city.

The trailer looks not only funny, but like the superhero-style visual effects are pretty cool as well.

Check it out for yourself:

I’m kind of wondering why they didn’t hustle to get this trailer out with I Am Legend… or did they? I saw the IMAX version so I don’t know if this was attached to the regular screenings.

For larger versions of the trailer you can visit the official site.

Official Site: Hancock-Movie.com

Hancock opens on July 2nd, 2008.

Source: SuperHeroHype

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