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One little tweet from Production Weekly has the Internet aflutter with anticipation about the new “Thor” film.
The simple Twitter post on Nov. 12 said that the new Marvel Comics superhero tale will be filmed in New Mexico and Los Angeles. Several in town have been talking about the film, especially local stunt performers, for weeks.
The film is scheduled to shoot first in L.A. then move to New Mexico in March and April.
“Thor” is to be directed by Kenneth Branagh, a guy known more for his Shakepearan adaptations (“Hamlet,” “Henry V” and “Othello”) than his comic book action films. But that may serve him well.
Brian Bendis, who wrote “The Avengers” and “Ultimate Spider Man” for Marvel, told MTV News at the G4 Convention: ” ‘Thor’ is an extravaganza. The artwork is unbelievable. They flew us all here because Kenneth Branagh wanted to tell us his ‘Thor’ movie and he pitched it live. It was Shakespearean and went on for hours.”
Well, I think that’s good for a comic book movie.
Calls this week to Branagh’s publicist weren’t returned.
“Thor” is one of the most complex of all of Marvel’s characters. According to The Marvel Encyclopedia, he’s a fallen Norse god. He was banished to Earth by his father to learn humility and took on several unassuming mortal identities. But when he taps his walking stick on the ground, he becomes Thor, with unparalleled strength, agility and unimaginable powers, which he uses to fight evil. Usually.
But, his physical characteristics will make him hard to cast: He’s listed as 6-foot-6 and 640 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.
The Internet Movie Database says “Home and Away” star hunk Chris Hemsworth will star as Thor.
“Thor” is, in some ways, a prequel to the coming “The Avengers” movie, which fill feature several Marvel superheroes and villains, like Iron Man, Nick Fury, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk.
Not to go all Comic Book Guy, here, but in the books, Thor’s brother, Loki, tries to destroy him, only to see Thor join The Avengers. Next thing you know, he’s fighting the evil alien Beta Ray Bill and then he has to fight a biomechancial clone of himself. Then he turns back time 200 years, becomes a Nazi pawn, moves the mythical city of Asgard from the skies to the ground and rebuilds it over Oklahoma. And he can pretty much tame unruly children. Oh, wait that’s “SuperNanny.”
So far, IMDB.com reports, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman have been cast in the film.
Different superhero
ABC is casting folks for a different kind of superhero show.
The casting director for ABC’s “SuperNanny,” Paul Head, said “Albuquerque has been an excellent area” for casting of reality shows, and in particular “Super-Nanny.” Well, do we take that as a compliment? After all, “SuperNanny” is a reality show that shows the worst kids on the planet and throws an unassuming, yet very proper, English nanny in the mix to fix some of the worst kids’ problems, usually by telling them they’re “being naughty.”
Jo Frost, aka SuperNanny, is a parenting guru who’s been the star of the show since 2005. She finds videos of kids being, well, horrible and volunteers to sit around for a few days and shape them up.
Mostly, she’s successful.
And the show is coming back to Albuquerque to find more good families and more horrible kids.
“They want someone who does genuinely need the help,” said local casting director Aaron Giombolini of Kathryn Brink Casting.
Giombolini said the company is looking for a large family of regular folks.
If you’re that family, e-mail him at Casting505@gmail.com, and tell him how large your family is, what the issues are and how he can contact you.
Also, if you want to brave it, there will be an open casting call from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.
So, if you see Frost’s trademark London Taxi pull up to your neighbor’s house …
