CNN’s business section did a fantastic piece on Marvel Entertainment’s recent history and the hit-making capabilities of the tireless Avi Arad, so if you’re a comics fan, I highly recommend you give the piece a look. Oh, and Avi announced that the "Hulk 2" villain will be a "980-pound freak" named Abomination. Cool!
"It was dark and intense, and Banner didn’t even do his Hulk bit until nearly halfway through the film. "Our Hulk," Arad says, "will be a diet Hulk. Lighter. Focusing on the love story, Hulk as hero, and his battle with the villain." For that villain, (Avi) Arad has chosen one of his favorite baddies: Abomination, a former Yugoslav spy who has mutated into a 980-pound freak of terrifying strength and unpleasant demeanor. "He’s capable of amazing feats," Arad says, eyes gleaming."
"Hollywood insiders say Arad had hoped to make "Captain America" Marvel’s debut film. But that’s not happening; Arad says he couldn’t line up the director he wanted until 2009. Moreover, two films Arad now says could be among those first out of the gate, the "Hulk" sequel and "Iron Man," aren’t covered by the Merrill loan, which means Marvel will need another way to finance them."
…and my favorite quote…
"We have the most valuable library in the world," he says. "We’ve had one bad movie, Elektra, and it was bad because we didn’t have creative control. That won’t happen again."
