Artisan Entertainment, Marvel Studios and Fierce Entertainment announced today that the
movie version of 'Man-Thing' is due, as a theatrical release, on August 27,
2004. This differs from previous rumors that pegged the movie for a
direct-to-video release. The studio also released the teaser poster for the
film. Click the image at right for the full-size view.
Here is the official press release:Artisan Entertainment will bring Man-Thing, a collaboration
between Marvel Studios and Fierce Entertainment, based on the popular Marvel
Comics' character, to theatres nationwide on August 27, 2004. The announcement
made by Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad, Artisan Pictures' President of Production
Richard Saperstein, Artisan Entertainment Executive Vice President Patrick Gunn
and Fierce Entertainment's CEO Christopher Petzel comes as the project wraps
production ahead of schedule following an incredibly successful eight-week
shoot.
Adapted to the screen by Hans Rodionoff from the original 1970's Marvel comic
book character and directed by Brett Leonard, Man-Thing was produced
by Marvel Studios and Fierce Entertainment in association with German equity
fund Screenland Movieworld.
Marvel's terrifying creature of the swamp, Man-Thing screams onto
our screens in the new horror motion picture that presents a very different kind
of character to the usual Marvel superhero. Based on the cult comic book series
that was first published in 1971, the Man-Thing is a vengeful
creature born from the evil and injustices perpetrated against both man and
nature.
'Man-Thing' has been an unbelievably exciting project for us. We have
always felt that this character's story would translate incredibly well to the
big screen as it mixes horrifying action with a truly mesmerizing and frightful
anti-hero, said Mr. Arad. Brett is seen as one of the true pioneers
in the creation of revolutionary computer-generated and mechanical effects and
we now seen first-hand why. His powerful creative vision has helped bring this
character to life in a thoroughly compelling manner - so much that we have
decided to fast track it for release next summer, fully confident in its
worldwide appeal.
Commented Mr. Gunn, Uncharacteristic of the typical Marvel characters
brought to life on the big screen, 'Man-Thing' brings a chilling component not
previously showcased in Marvel comic based films. We feel this film impressively
introduces 'Man-Thing' in a manner that will really thrill the viewing public
.
Man-Thing is directed by effects pioneer Brett Leonard, whose
talents in the horror Sci-Fi genre have been proven by motion pictures such as
groundbreaking visual effects thriller The Lawnmower Man and
Virtuosity starring Academy-Award winners Russell Crowe and Denzel
Washington. He also directed one of the most successful Imax projects ever, the
3-D T-Rex Back to the Cretaceous, which grossed over US$100 million
worldwide.
Director Brett Leonard, Fierce Entertainment and Marvel Studios assembled a
truly outstanding team of professionals in bringing Man-Thing to
life. The film was shot by award-winning Director of Photography Steve Arnold
(Terra Nova, La Spagnola). Production design was handled
by Peter Pound (storyboards for Babe and Alex Proyas' Dark
City) and Tim Ferrier (Farscape), while the substantial visual
effects work is being performed by Omnilab and Rising Sun (The Core,
Queen of The Damned). Special effects and prosthetics work was
provided by The Make-Up Effects Group (The Matrix and
Babe).
The ensemble cast include Australian icon Jack Thompson (Original
Sin, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Broken
Arrow), whose breakout role in the feature film Breaker Morant
directed by Bruce Beresford earned him numerous accolades including Best
Supporting Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and an AFI Award for Best Actor,
and acclaimed New Zealand actor Rawiri Paratene who excited critics around the
world with his performance in the recent independent hit Whale
Rider.
The cast also features newcomers Matt Le Nevez (Garage Days
diected by Alex Proyas), Rachel Taylor (Natalie Wood - Hollywood's Last
Child by Peter Bogdanavich), and Steve Bastoni (The Matrix
Reloaded, Enter The Matrix).
Producer Avi Arad is President and CEO of Marvel Studios. Following the
record-breaking success of the box office smash hit, Spider-Man
(Columbia Pictures), and the establishment of two more proven franchises in his
first Marvel features - Blade (New Line) and X-Men: The Movie
(Twentieth Century Fox) - Arad has numerous film projects based on Marvel super
heroes in various stages of development. He has aligned Marvel with several
prominent studios to produce full-feature films including: Twentieth Century Fox
(X-Men 2, The Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four,
Daredevil, and Elektra), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man
2, Ghost Rider), Universal Studios (The Hulk,
Namor), New Line (Iron Man), Dimension (Werewolf
By Night, Dr. Strange), Artisan Entertainment (The
Punisher) and Paramount (Deathlok). His reputation has
attracted some of Hollywood's most prestigious directors (i.e. Sam Raimi, Ang
Lee and Bryan Singer) and writers who are helping translate the ever-popular
Marvel super heroes for the big screen.
Man-Thing was shot completely on location in Sydney, Australia.
Specific locations included Wiseman's Ferry, Serenity Cove Studios at Kurnell
for exterior swamp scenes and Homebush Bay where an elaborate supernatural swamp
environment was created on a sound stage.
Artisan Entertainment Inc. is the leading independent producer and
distributor of theatrical, television and home entertainment product. The
company coordinates its business activities through two wholly owned operating
divisions, Artisan Pictures and Artisan Home Entertainment. The Artisan Pictures
division is responsible for the development, production, marketing and
distribution of the company's annual slate of theatrical films. The Artisan Home
Entertainment division has an extensive library of over 7,000 titles, which
includes its own properties, as well as a wide spectrum of films from Academy
Award winning classics to blockbusters and cult favorites.
Fierce Entertainment, LLC is an entertainment financing and production
company formed in early 2001 by Christopher Petzel. The company has executive
produced a number of feature films and provided transaction advisory services to
leading entertainment companies around the world. Fierce Entertainment has
arranged over US$40 million of production financing and advised on over US$100
million of corporate entertainment transactions. For additional information
visit http://www.fierce-entertainment.com.
Marvel Enterprises, Inc. is a leading global character-based entertainment
company that has developed and owns a library of more than 4,700 characters,
which have entertained generations around the world for over 60 years. Marvel's
operations are focused in entertainment and consumer product licensing and comic
book publishing. Marvel Studios supports the development of feature films,
DVD/video products and TV series. Marvel's creative team also supports the
creation of video games and toy lines based on its characters as well as for a
broad and growing range of consumer products and services including apparel,
collectibles, foods and promotions. Marvel's comic book division is a leading
publisher in the global marketplace while also serving as an invaluable source
of intellectual property. Marvel's Toy Biz division is a recognized creative
force and leader in toy design, sales and marketing, developing and overseeing
both licensee and in-house toy lines. For additional information visit http://www.marvel.com.