By Marvel Studios’ 2008 title “The Incredible Hulk” is considered one of the weakest, and one of the most ignored, entries in the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, it has come up again in conversation a few times lately. Back in August, the film’s director Louis Leterrier spoke about the extensive plans that were in place for a sequel at one point.
Then last month, comments in a recently published book from stunt coordinator and movement coach Terry Notary indicated star Edward Norton didn’t engage much with the motion capture work as Hulk in the film.
Today, Leterrier’s back and in a new watch-along with Happy Sad Confused podcast, he was fairly upfront about the behind-the-scenes issues that went on whilst making the movie.
He suggested everything was fine until he was ‘very surprised’ when it all went sideways between Norton and Marvel, despite he and Norton creatively being on the same page whilst filming:
“Edward and I? Absolutely. I think the whole way, we were all very much in lockstep. It just got tense at the end.
…I was very surprised, because there was no tension, no tension, and then one day, it was done. And I was like, Oh! Ok,’ and I loved Edward, and I had to finish the movie.
It’s hard. It’s funny because I loved him. He really has great taste, great instincts, great instincts for comedy, but… is… I feel bad because I really, really love him and I loved working with him.
I don’t know if he thinks I was part of the other guys – whatever. I was neutral. I was literally like, let’s just make the best movie possible, and even after he was gone I was asking him what he thought about some ideas, so I just wanted him to be proud of this movie.”
Leterrier adds he basically hadn’t talked to Norton in ten years since, except briefly on a red carpet. Talking about where issues lay during the rewatch, he said some tension was over the tone and the level of humor:
“I think [Edward] was very right in defending the seriousness of the movie. You have to remember it was the mid 2010s, ‘The Dark Knight’ had such an impact on superhero movies.”
The soundtrack was also a creative disagreement as Norton wanted Radiohead, Marvel wanted a more conventional score, so they compromised with composer Craig Armstrong who had worked with Massive Attack.
He also revealed he initially wanted to do the “Iron Man” movie and told the folks at Marvel that’s what he wanted. Three weeks later they contacted him and offered him Hulk.
He adds that he was offered the chance to direct “Thor” whilst meeting to pitch “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Kenneth Branagh and James Gunn ended up respectively getting those gigs.
More details are up in the full Happy Sad Confused episode.
The post Leterrier On “Incredible Hulk” Set Tension appeared first on Dark Horizons.
