Helmer Story on 'Fantastic' voyage at Fox
'Fantastic' Story
April 7, 2004
Tim Story is on board to direct the big-budget live-action adaptation of the Marvel Comic "Fantastic Four" for 20th Century Fox. Producing are Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures, Constantin Films and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad. Executive producers are Stan Lee and Ralph Winter.
"Fantastic Four" follows the adventure-seeking quartet of scientist Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic); his love interest, Susan Storm (the Invisible Girl); her brother, Johnny (the Human Torch); and Reed's best friend, Benjamin Grimm (the Thing). The four develop superpowers when their spaceship is exposed to cosmic radiation. Their archnemesis is Dr. Doom, who turns out to be Reed's old college friend. Billed as "the world's greatest comic magazine," the comic first appeared in 1962 and ushered in the Marvel Age of comics, a time when comics began dealing with familial issues. The movie will be set in the present day.
The project, which has been through a long development process, will work off of "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost's script. An August start date is planned.
Story helmed MGM's modestly budgeted success "Barbershop" in 2002 and is directing Fox's upcoming "Taxi," which had a budget in the $40 million-$50 million range.
Arad said it was Story's handling of the diverse family-like atmosphere of "Barbershop" and his ability to balance action and story in "Taxi" that landed the director the gig.
"What defines our movies are the characters; the roller-coaster stuff is dressing," Arad said. "The helmer has to know who they are, with and without the powers. And Tim did cartwheels to show us he knew everything."
"I think the hardest thing about comic book movies is tone and this one took a long time to get right," Fox president Hutch Parker said of the long development process. "With his vision, Tim nailed it. And the cherry on top with Tim is that we have the benefit of looking at his most recent work and knowing what a spectacular job he did."
Fox sr vp Alex Young is overseeing for the studio.
Story is repped by WMA, the Firm and attorney Michael Plotkin.
"Fantastic Four" follows the adventure-seeking quartet of scientist Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic); his love interest, Susan Storm (the Invisible Girl); her brother, Johnny (the Human Torch); and Reed's best friend, Benjamin Grimm (the Thing). The four develop superpowers when their spaceship is exposed to cosmic radiation. Their archnemesis is Dr. Doom, who turns out to be Reed's old college friend. Billed as "the world's greatest comic magazine," the comic first appeared in 1962 and ushered in the Marvel Age of comics, a time when comics began dealing with familial issues. The movie will be set in the present day.
The project, which has been through a long development process, will work off of "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost's script. An August start date is planned.
Story helmed MGM's modestly budgeted success "Barbershop" in 2002 and is directing Fox's upcoming "Taxi," which had a budget in the $40 million-$50 million range.
Arad said it was Story's handling of the diverse family-like atmosphere of "Barbershop" and his ability to balance action and story in "Taxi" that landed the director the gig.
"What defines our movies are the characters; the roller-coaster stuff is dressing," Arad said. "The helmer has to know who they are, with and without the powers. And Tim did cartwheels to show us he knew everything."
"I think the hardest thing about comic book movies is tone and this one took a long time to get right," Fox president Hutch Parker said of the long development process. "With his vision, Tim nailed it. And the cherry on top with Tim is that we have the benefit of looking at his most recent work and knowing what a spectacular job he did."
Fox sr vp Alex Young is overseeing for the studio.
Story is repped by WMA, the Firm and attorney Michael Plotkin.
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