document_title: Hercules (1997 film)

question_text: who plays the voice of hades in the disney movie hercules

text: Hercules (1997 film)

text: Plot

text: After imprisoning the Titans beneath the ocean, the Greek gods Zeus and his wife, Hera, have a son named Hercules. While the other gods are joyful, Zeus' jealous brother Hades plots to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus. Turning to the Fates for help, Hades learns that in eighteen years, a planetary alignment will allow him to locate and free the Titans to conquer Olympus, but only if Hercules does not interfere. Hades sends his minions Pain and Panic to dispose of Hercules. The two succeed at kidnapping the infant and feeding him a formula that turns him mortal, but fail to remove his superhuman strength before Hercules is found and adopted by the farmers Amphitryon and Alcmene.

text: Years later, the teenage Hercules becomes an outcast due to his strength, and wonders where he came from. After his foster parents reveal the necklace they found him with, Hercules decides to visit the temple of Zeus for answers. The temple's statue of Zeus comes to life and reveals all to Hercules, telling him that he can regain his godhood by becoming a "true hero". Zeus sends Hercules and his forgotten infanthood friend Pegasus to find the satyr Philoctetes—"Phil" for short—who is known for training heroes. The two meet Phil, who has retired from training heroes due to numerous disappointments, but Hercules inspires him to follow his dream to train a true hero that will be recognized by the gods. Phil trains Hercules into a potential hero, and when he is older, they fly for Thebes. On the way, they meet Megara—"Meg" for short—a sarcastic damsel whom Hercules saves from the centaur Nessus. However, after Hercules, Phil, and Pegasus leave, Meg is revealed to be Hades' minion, having sold her soul to him to save an unfaithful lover.

text: Arriving in Thebes, Hercules is turned down by the downtrodden citizens until Meg says that two boys are trapped in a gorge. Hercules saves them, unaware that they are Pain and Panic in disguise, allowing Hades to summon the Hydra to fight Hercules. Hercules continually cuts off its heads, but more heads replace them until Hercules kills the monster by causing a landslide. Hercules is seen as a hero and a celebrity, but Zeus tells Hercules he is not yet a true hero. Driven to depression, Hercules turns to Meg, who is falling in love with him. Hades learns of this and on the eve of his takeover, offers a deal that Hercules gives up his powers for twenty-four hours. Hercules accepts on the condition that Meg will be unharmed and, after losing his strength, is heartbroken when Hades reveals that Meg is working for him.

text: Hades unleashes the Titans, who climb Olympus and capture the gods, while a Cyclops goes to Thebes to kill Hercules. Phil inspires Hercules to fight and kill the cyclops, but Meg is crushed by a falling pillar when she saves Hercules from it. This breaks Hades' commitment that Meg would come to no harm, and allows Hercules to regain his strength. Hercules and Pegasus fly to Olympus where they free the gods, save Zeus, and vanquish the Titans, though Meg dies before he returns to her. With Meg's soul now Hades' property, Hercules breaks into the Underworld where he negotiates with Hades to free Meg from the Styx in exchange for his own life. His willingness to sacrifice his life restores his godhood and immortality before the life-draining river can kill him; he rescues Meg and punches Hades into the Styx, where irate souls flush him under. After reviving Meg, she and Hercules are summoned to Olympus, where Zeus and Hera welcome their son home. However, Hercules chooses to remain on Earth with Meg, in lieu of immortality. Hercules returns to Thebes where he is hailed as a true hero as Zeus creates a picture of Hercules in the stars commemorating his heroism.

text: Voice cast

text:
Tate Donovan as Hercules, based on the mythological deity Heracles. Supervising animator Andreas Deja described Hercules as "...not a smart aleck, not streetwise, he's just a naive kid trapped in a big body", and that Donovan "had a charming yet innocent quality in his readings". Donovan had not done any voice-over work prior to Hercules. Deja integrated Donovan's "charming yet innocent quality" into Hercules' expressions.[4] Ricky Martin provided both the voice and singing voice for the Latin American Spanish-language dub edition.

Josh Keaton provided the speaking voice of Hercules as a teenager, while Roger Bart provided his singing voice. Originally, Keaton provided also his singing voice, but his singing was re-recorded by Bart.[5] Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Hercules as an infant and teenager.

Danny DeVito as Philoctetes/Phil. Eric Goldberg, the supervising animator for Philoctetes, cited Grumpy in Snow White and Bacchus in Fantasia as the inspirations for the character's design. Goldberg mentioned that they discovered that Danny DeVito "has really different mouth shapes" when they videotaped his recordings and that they used these shapes in animating Phil.[4]
James Woods as Hades. Producer Alice Dewey mentioned that Hades "was supposed to talk in a slow and be menacing in a quiet, spooky way", but thought that James Woods' manner of speaking "a mile a minute" would be a "great take" for a villain.[4] Woods did a lot of ad-libbing in his recordings, especially in Hades' dialogues with Megara. Nik Ranieri, the supervising animator for Hades, mentioned that the character was "based on a Hollywood agent, a car salesman type", and that a lot came from James Woods' ad-libbed dialogue. He went on to say that the hardest part in animating Hades was that he talks too much and too fast, so much so that "it took [him] two weeks to animate a one-second scene". Ranieri watched James Woods' other films and used what he saw as the basis for Hades' sneer.[4]
Susan Egan as Megara. Supervising animator Ken Duncan stated that she was "based on a '40s screwball comedienne" and that he used Greek shapes for her hair ("Her head is in sort of a vase shape and she's got a Greek curl in the back.").[4]
Frank Welker as Pegasus. Ellen Woodbury served as the supervising animator for Pegasus.
Rip Torn and Samantha Eggar as Zeus and Hera, Hercules' birth-parents. Anthony DeRosa served as the supervising animator for both characters. In the Swedish dub Max von Sydow provided the voice for Zeus.
Lillias White, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, Roz Ryan and Vanéese Y. Thomas as the Muses (Calliope, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Thalia and Clio respectively), the narrators of the film's story. Michael Show served as the supervising animator for the Muses.
Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer as Pain and Panic, Hades' henchmen. James Lopez and Brian Ferguson respectively served as the supervising animators for Pain and Panic.
Patrick Pinney as the Cyclops. Dominique Monfrey served as the supervising animator for the Cyclops.
Hal Holbrook and Barbara Barrie as Amphitryon and Alcmene, Hercules' adoptive parents. Richard Bazley served as the supervising animator for both characters.
Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley and Paddi Edwards as Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, the three Fates who predict Hades' attempt to conquer Olympus. Nancy Beiman served as the supervising animator for the three characters.
Paul Shaffer as Hermes. Michael Swofford served as the animator for Hermes.
Jim Cummings as Nessus. Chris Bailey served as the animator for Nessus.
Wayne Knight as Demetrius
Keith David as Apollo
Charlton Heston has a cameo role as the opening narrator.

text: Production

text: Development

text: In early 1992, thirty artists, writers, and animators pitched their ideas for potential animated features, each given a limited time of two minutes. The first pitch was for an adaptation of The Odyssey, which entered into production in the following summer.[6] However, production on the film was abandoned when it was deemed too long and lacked central characters,[7] and failed to translate into animation comedy.[8] Animator Joe Haidar also suggested pitching a story from Greek mythology, but thought his chances plummeted when work on The Odyssey was discontinued. Nervously, he produced a pitch sketch of Hercules, and delivered a brief outline set during the Trojan War where both sides seek the title character for their secret weapon. Hercules makes a choice, without considering the consequences, though in the end, he learns humility and realizes that strength is not always the answer.[7] With the pitching session concluded, Hercules was approved for development in which Haidar presented a page-and-a-half outline, but his involvement with the project succeeded no further.[7] In November 1992, fresh off their critical and commercial success of Aladdin, directors Ron Clements and John Musker re-developed Treasure Planet up until fall 1993,[9] with Aladdin co-screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio taking Clements and Musker's ideas and writing a treatment and script for Treasure Planet.[10] Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, disapproved of the project, but struck a deal with the directors to produce another commercially viable film before he would green-light Treasure Planet.[9][11] Turning down adaptation proposals for Don Quixote, The Odyssey, and Around the World in Eighty Days, the directors were notified of Haidar's pitch for a Hercules feature.[9] "We thought it would be our opportunity to do a "superhero" movie," Musker said, so "Ron and I being comic book fans. The studio liked us moving onto that project and so we did [Hercules]."[11]

text: Writing

text: With Hercules in production, Clements and Musker conducted research and wrote extensive notes for the film. On excerpts detailed in November 1993, the similarities between their outlines included the naive title character caught between two worlds, a Danny DeVito-type sidekick, a world-wise heroine, and a powerful villain in a battle of idealism versus cynicism.[7][12] The directors also sought inspiration from classic screwball comedy films directed by Preston Sturges and Frank Capra with "Hercules as the young Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," Musker explained, and "Meg is modeled on Barbara Stanwyck, especially the characters she played in The Lady Eve and Meet John Doe."[13] While preparing the script, Clements and Musker consulted the works of Thomas Bullfinch, Edith Hamilton, Robert Graves, and other interpreters of Greek mythology until they reached the conclusion to not portray the traditional story of Hercules.[14] Because Zeus sired Hercules outside of his marriage with Hera, Clements remarked "that illegitimacy would be difficult subject matter for a Disney movie. So we thought of different ways he could be half-man and half-god. We moved more toward making Hades the villain instead of Hera. The Underworld seemed like such a fascinating, dark images; the contrast with Olympus seemed to have all kinds of visual possibilities."[14] Additionally during their research, the directors were inspired by the correlation of the popularity of Hercules in comparison to that of sport athletes and celebrities in the contemporary era with both directors stating Hercules was the Michael Jordan of his era.[15][16] After multiple meetings and story conferences, Clements and Musker wrote several story treatments before proceeding to their first script draft. Comedy writers Don McEnery and Bob Shaw were recruited by creative executive Jane Healey to work on Hercules where their contribution was "important structural things like putting capital letters at the beginnings of sentences and adding periods and commas." Meanwhile, their draft was concurrently rewritten by Irene Mecchi,[17] which altogether brought additional humor and definition to the script.[18]

text: Casting

text: Donny Osmond originally auditioned as the speaking voice of the title character, but he was turned down because his voice was considered too deep.[19] Writing the role of Philoctetes, Musker and Clements envisioned Danny DeVito in the role. However, DeVito declined to audition so Ed Asner, Ernest Borgnine, Dick Latessa were brought in to read for the part. After Red Buttons had auditioned, he left stating "I know what you're gonna do. You're gonna give this part to Danny Devito!" Shortly after, the directors and producer Alice Dewey approached DeVito at a pasta lunch during the filming of Matilda, where DeVito signed on to the role.[11] For every Disney animated feature since Beauty and the Beast, Susan Egan auditioned for a role, and then landed the role of Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast.[20] Upon learning about Hercules, Egan actively pursued the role of Megara, though she revealed that "Alan Menken initially blocked me from going after that part. He said that the female lead in Hercules was supposed to be this cynical smart-ass, sounding nothing at all like sweet, innocent Belle." Menken eventually relented and allowed Egan to audition for the role.[21] Egan read for the part in front of a microphone while being videotaped, while Menken, Beauty and the Beast musical director Michael Kosarin, and the filmmakers sat at a table with their eyes closed. Nine months following the results of the test animation synced with Egan's audition, Egan won the role.[22] During production, Meg was originally given a ballad titled "I Can't Believe My Heart", but Ken Duncan, the supervising animator of Meg, pointed out the song was out of character for Meg. Menken and Zippel would later compose "I Won't Say I'm In Love" instead.[21]

text: The casting of Hades proved to be very problematic for Musker and Clements. When DeVito asked the directors who had in mind to play Hades, Musker and Clements responded by saying they hadn't selected an appropriate actor. In response, DeVito blurted, "Why don't you ask Jack [Nicholson]?"[23] After DeVito notified Nicholson of the project, the next week, the studio was willing to pay Nicholson $500,000 for the role, but Nicholson demanded roughly a paycheck of $10–15 million, plus a 50% cut of all the proceeds from Hades merchandise.[23] Unwilling to share merchandising proceeds with the actor, Disney came back with a counter offer that was significantly less than what Nicholson had asked for. Therefore, Nicholson decided to pass on the project.[23] Disappointed by the lack of Nicholson, Clements and Musker eventually selected John Lithgow as Hades in fall 1994. After nine months of trying to make Lithgow's portrayal of Hades work, Lithgow was released from the role in August 1995.[24] According to John Musker, Ron Silver, James Coburn, Kevin Spacey, Phil Hartman, and Rod Steiger arrived to the Disney studios to read as Hades.[11] Other actors who auditioned for the role were Michael Ironside, Terrence Mann, and Martin Landau.[25] When they invited James Woods to read for the part, the filmmakers were surprised by Woods's interpretation, and Woods was hired by October 1995.[24] Hades's co-henchman Pain was written with Bobcat Goldthwait in mind, although the actor confessed he still had to audition for the role despite playing himself.[26]

text: Animation and design

text: In 1993, Ron Clements and John Musker fondly remembered a Time magazine cover of the Beatles, illustrated by English cartoonist Gerald Scarfe.[27] While working as the production designer on a production of The Magic Flute, Gerald Scarfe was invited to tour the Disney studios where Clements and Musker noticed a direct correlation between Gerald's style and the Greek vase painting style, and with permission from the Disney studios, Scarfe was hired as production designer to produce a dozen drawings.[28] Scarfe conducted minimal research, not wanting to be influenced by other interpretations where he sent thirty-two sketches via fax machine or courier,[29][28] and ended up producing more than 700 drawings throughout production.[30] By July 1995, Scarfe and fifteen animators and designers began developing working prototypes for every character in the movie. That same year, the filmmakers embarked on a research trip to Greece and Turkey to research classic Greek mythology.[31] Since Scarfe's style proved to be too fluid and chaotic for the animators, production stylist Sue Nichols created reference charts for the animators on which elements of Scarfe's style, as well as classical Greek illustration, to adapt into their work.[32]

text: Animation began in early 1995 with a team of nearly 700 artists, animators, and technicians in Burbank, California while Walt Disney Animation France contributed nearly ten minutes of animation, including the finale with the Titans and Hercules' descent into the Underworld.[33] Andreas Deja, the supervising animator for Hercules, commented that the animation crew he worked with to animate Hercules was the "largest [he] ever worked with". He previously worked on other characters (like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Jafar in Aladdin, and Scar in The Lion King) with about four animators on his crew, but he had a team of twelve or thirteen for Hercules.[4] Given Deja had worked with three villains before, he was first offered Hades, but asked to animate Hercules instead – "I knew if would be more difficult and more challenging, but I just needed that experience to have that in your repertoire."[34] Following the release of Pocahontas, Eric Goldberg was initially assigned to animate Hades when Jack Nicholson was thought to play the character, but when Nicholson decided to pass on the project, Goldberg wasn't interested in animating the character anymore. At around the same time, Chris Buck was assigned to animate Philoctetes, but after he left the production of Hercules, this left the character of Philoctetes without a supervising animator.[35] Goldberg then decided to instead animate Philoctetes when DeVito signed onto the role noting his similarities with DeVito in their short stature, baldness, and admittedly a little "soft around the middle". Throughout production, there were twenty-seven designs for the character,[36] with Goldberg doing a literal caricature of DeVito with horns before being vetoed by the directors. While maintaining DeVito's features, Goldberg then took inspiration from Grumpy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bacchus in Fantasia in terms of their curmudgeonly personality and facial structure.[37]

text: For the Hydra, Scarfe provided preliminary drawings to give the mythical beast its requisite fangs and serpentine necks before work was transferred over to the computer animation team headed by Roger Gould. The Hydra was sculpted into a clay model where the dimensions was digitized into the computers into a wire-frame model by which the monster was animated.[38] Early into production, the filmmakers decided the Hydra would ultimately have thirty heads by which the animators created one master head, and the computer could multiply the heads to their desired scale. Overall, thirteen animators and technical directors spent nearly a year-and-a-half creating the four-minute battle sequence.[39] Additionally, because the directors envisioned Olympus as a city composed of clouds, painted backgrounds of clouds and cloud-like imagery were blended with drawn effects animation to create a morphing technique that were used for baby Hercules's cradle and Zeus's reclining chair.[18]

text: Music

text:
Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

Soundtrack album by Various artists

Released
May 27, 1997

Genre
Pop, gospel, soul, R&B, musical theatre

Label
Walt Disney

Producer
Alan Menken, David Zippel

Walt Disney Animation Studios chronology

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1996)The Hunchback of Notre Dame1996
Hercules
(1997)
Mulan
(1998)Mulan1998

Singles from Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

"Go the Distance"
Released: 1997

text: Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for Hercules. It consists of music written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel, orchestrated by Daniel Troob and Michael Starobin,[40] with vocals performed by Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, and Susan Egan among others. The album also includes the single version of "Go the Distance" by Michael Bolton. For the Spanish version of the film, "Go the Distance" was redone by Ricky Martin and released as a single under the title "No Importa La Distancia" and was also very successful, both inside and outside the United States. In the Turkish version of the film, "Go the Distance" was sung by Tarkan, who also performed the vocals for the adult Hercules.

text: In March 1994, Zippel was attached to compose the lyrics for the songs for the film, teaming up with Alan Menken.[41] Zippel had previously collaborated with Menken on the cabaret revue titled It's Better With a Band, and the musical Diamonds, directed by Harold Prince.[42] Distinctively for the film, the idea to incorporate gospel music for the songs was suggested by co-screenwriter and co-director John Musker, although Menken preferred "something very classic and Greek—a Candide approach".[43] Musker explained, "Gospel is a storytelling kind of music. It can be exhilarating, especially when it gets everybody on their feet. We were looking for a modern equivalent for the Greek references and this style of music seemed to be entertaining and a real departure at the same time."[44] The Spice Girls were originally approached to portray the Muses following an invitation to sing one of the songs, but declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts.[45]

text: For the pop version of "Go the Distance", Michael Bolton was personally chosen by Menken to record the single,[46] in which Columbia Records paid an undisclosed figure to Walt Disney Records for the rights to the soundtrack.[47] "Go the Distance" was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but ultimately lost both to Celine Dion's hit "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic.

text: Belinda Carlisle recorded two versions of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as well as a music video for promotional purposes. Though the English dub eventually opted not to use it, several foreign dubs have it in place of the reprise of "A Star Is Born" in the ending credits. These dubs include, but are not limited to, the Swedish one, the Finnish one, the Icelandic one and the Russian one. Curiously enough, the DVD release of the Swedish dub has replaced it with the reprise of "A Star Is Born".

text: Track list:

text:
"Long Ago..." – Charlton Heston
The Gospel Truth/Main Title – Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas
The Gospel Truth II – Roz Ryan
The Gospel Truth III – Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas
"Go the Distance" – Roger Bart
Oh Mighty Zeus (Score)
"Go the Distance (Reprise)" – Roger Bart
"One Last Hope" – Danny DeVito
"Zero to Hero" – Tawatha Agee, Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas
"I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" – Susan Egan, Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas
"A Star Is Born" – Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas
"Go the Distance (Single)" – Michael Bolton
The Big Olive (Score)
The Prophecy (Score)
Destruction of the Agora (Score)
Phil's Island (Score)
Rodeo (Score)
Speak of the Devil (Score)
The Hydra Battle (Score)
Meg's Garden (Score)
Hercules' Villa (Score)
All Time Chump (Score)
Cutting the Thread (Score)
A True Hero/A Star Is Born (End Title) – Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas

tag: ol

text: Release

text: Marketing

text: On February 4, 1997, Disney began its marketing campaign by starting a five-month promotional traveling tour, called Disney's Hercules Mega Mall Tour Sponsored by Chevy Venture, throughout 20 cities starting first in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously used for the marketing campaigns for Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the tour featured eleven attractions including a multimedia stage show, a miniature carousel themed to Baby Pegasus, a carnival with Hercules-themed game booths, and a ten-minute animation workshop hosted by animator Andreas Deja where visitors would try their hand at drawing Hercules.[48][49][50]

text: On June 14, the premiere of the film was accompanied with an electric light parade held in Times Square. The parade of electrified floats traveled from 42nd Street to Fifth Avenue and 66th Street with included attendees such as Lauren Hutton, Harvey Keitel, Andy Garcia, Barbara Walters, Michael Bolton, and Marilu Henner, as well as Olympic athletes who later rode on thirty floats in the parade.[51] The media event was not without controversy as former New York mayor Ed Koch objected to surrendering the city over Disney, and critics raising questions about what politicians are willing to give a private firm in return for investment.[52] Also, nearly 100 members of National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians used the occasion to strike for a new contract from Disney/ABC,[53] with local union president Tony Capitano who complained that "I think the Mayor gave away the city to Disneyland", and 5,000 businesses and residents who felt unusually eerie upon being asked to dim their lights as the parade passed.[54] Following the parade, a private party was held at the Chelsea Piers complex, where dinner guests was served to a performance of Susan Egan singing songs from the movie along the Hudson River, and ten minutes of fireworks display.[51]

text: Additionally, the film was accompanied with a marketing campaign with promotional tie-ins with 85 licensees including McDonald's, Mattel, Nestlé, Hallmark[55][56][57] and various merchandise.[58] Hercules was also received the first Disney on Ice adaptation before the film was theatrically released.[59]

text: Home media

text: Hercules was first released on VHS and widescreen laserdisc in the United States on February 3, 1998, included as an installment of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection series. By the summer of 1998, sales and rentals of the VHS release had accumulated to $165 million.[60] Released on November 9, 1999, Hercules was released in a "Limited Issue" DVD for a limited sixty-day time period before going into moratorium.[61] Launching in January 2000, Walt Disney Home Video began the Gold Classic Collection, with Hercules re-issued on VHS and DVD on August 1, 2000.[62] The DVD contained the film in its 1.66:1 aspect ratio and THX-certified, and was accompanied with special features including "The Making of Hercules" documentary video and the "Go The Distance" music video sung by Ricky Martin, as well as an "Animals of the Outback" activity booklet.[63] The film was released on a Special Edition Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on June 10, 2014.[64]

text: On September 1, 2017, Hercules became available on Netflix.[65]

text: Video game

text: A tie-in video game, titled Hercules Action Game, was developed by Eurocom and released in July 1997 for the PC and PlayStation. Another tie-in game was developed by Tiertex Design Studios and was released for the Game Boy by THQ the same month.

text: Reception

text: Box office

text: Disney intended for the film to have an open-air premiere at Pnyx hill, but the Greek government declined after the Greek media and public panned the film. A Greek newspaper entitled Adsmevtos Typos called it "another case of foreigners distorting our history and culture just to suit their commercial interests".[66]

text: Wall Street analysts estimated that Hercules could bring in between $150 million in the United States based on the extensive marketing campaign and having a lighter, humorous tone similar to Aladdin.[67] Hercules began its limited release in North America on June 13, 1997, playing in one selected theater. The film earned $249,567 in box office receipts during the weekend of June 13–15, standing at the thirteenth place in the box office ranking.[68] On the following weekend, the film grossed $1.45 million in two weeks when it expanded into two selected theaters.[69] The general release followed on June 27, 1997, in 2,621 screens. During the weekend of June 27–29, box office analysts estimated that Hercules earned $21.5 million ranking second behind Face/Off which grossed $22.7 million.[70][71] In its first two weeks of general release, Hercules amounted $58 million in box office grosses, compared to Pocahontas, which took in $80 million and The Lion King which grossed $119 million in their respective two weeks. Considered a disappointment among Disney shareholders, Disney's stock price slipped 9.7 percent by which executives blamed the film's box office performance on "more competition".[72] By its third weekend, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution president Dick Cook confessed that competing family films such as Men in Black and Batman and Robin played a role in the downward box office performance, but projected the film would receive a worldwide gross of $300 million.[73] Likewise, entertainment analysts also targeted Hercules's lack of appeal for adults and teenagers compared to Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King which served as date movies and family outings.[74] By spring 1998, Hercules grossed $99 million,[75] and the international totals for Hercules raised its gross to $253 million.[2]

text: Critical response

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 52 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's consensus reads, "Fast-paced and packed with dozens of pop culture references, Hercules might not measure up with the true classics of the Disney pantheon, but it's still plenty of fun."[3] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[76]

text: James Woods received universal acclaim from film reviewers for his vocal performance as Hades. Reviewing for Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman graded the film an A- acclaiming that it was Woods' most exciting performance since Salvador publishing that "Woods' performance is an inspired piece of deadpan vaudeville. His dry jocularity is hilariously incongruous — he's like a hostile, wisecracking salesman trapped in the body of the Antichrist."[77] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a positive review of the film, enjoying the story as well as the animation. Ebert also praised Woods' portrayal of Hades, stating that Woods brings "something of the same verbal inventiveness that Robin Williams brought to Aladdin".[78] Similarly, Chicago Tribune film reviewer Gene Siskel, while awarding the film 2 out of 4 stars, complimented that "the only memorable character in the film is the nicely drawn villain Hades (voice by James Woods), who seeks to turn Hercules to the dark side. Hades supplies the genie-like patter that Robin Williams provided in Aladdin."[79] Janet Maslin of The New York Times also praised Woods's performance remarking "Woods shows off the full verve of an edgy Scarfe villain", and added "On any level, earthly or otherwise, the ingenious new animated Hercules is pretty divine."[80] James Berardinelli, film critic for ReelViews, awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars writing, "the real star of the show is James Woods, whose Hades is the most vibrant Disney creation since Robin Williams' Genie. Hades is a lively villain with a great repertoire of one-liners. And, although Woods isn't as much of a vocal chameleon as Williams, he's close enough that it hardly matters."[81]

text: The Scarfe-inspired animation style received mixed reviews with Berardinelli labeling it as the film's most disappointing aspect noting "this approach makes the film look rushed and, at times, incomplete. It is never a visual marvel – even the computer-generated scenes fail to impress. The sequences intended to offer the biggest spectacle – Olympus and the Underworld – provoke little more than a yawn."[81] Likewise, Siskel noted his surprise of "how soft and cheap the animation looks."[79] Writing for The Washington Post, Desson Howe criticized the animation as being "some of the worst I've ever cringed through, including the corner-cutting junk of Don Bluth movies and every trashy cartoon that passes for entertainment on Saturday morning television. In Hercules, ancient Thebes looks like a hastily sketched field-trip location from public TV's The Magic School Bus; and no self-respecting immortal would be seen dead in this simplistic rendition of Mount Olympus.[82] Nevertheless, Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times noted the animation "has just enough of a different look to it to make things interesting" and praised the Hydra as a technological marvel.[83] Likewise, the music received a mixed response with Rita Kempley of Washington Post writing "Like the other songs by Disney veteran Alan Menken and his new lyricist, David Zippel (City of Angels), the number gets the job done, but it doesn't topple the temple. The score is influenced by gospel, Broadway musicals, processional music and R&B, but its only spice is its variety."[84] Variety film critic Leonard Klady noted the lack of distinctiveness of the music writing Menken "is hitting too many tired notes in his sixth animated score" and "there's simply not a song in the piece that has you humming as you exit the theater, and ballads such as "Go the Distance" will require aggressive repetition to register as playlist material."[85]

text: Accolades

text:
Ceremony
Recipient
Category
Result

Academy Awards[86]
"Go the Distance"
(Alan Menken, Composer; David Zippel, Lyricist)
Best Original Song
Nominated

Golden Globes[87]
"Go the Distance"
Best Original Song
Nominated

Saturn Award[88]

Best Fantasy Film
Nominated

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards[89]

Favorite Animated Family Movie
Nominated

Favorite Song from a Movie
"Go the Distance"
Nominated

Young Artist Award[90]
Best Performance in a Voice Over Role  Young Actor
Josh Keaton for Young Hercules's voice
Nominated

Annie Awards

Animated Theatrical Feature
Nominated

Alice Dewey, John Musker, Ron Clements (Producers)
Individual Achievement in Producing
Won

John Musker and Ron Clements (Directors)
Individual Achievement in Directing
Nominated

Ken Duncan (Supervising Animator for "Meg")
Individual Achievement for Animation
Nominated

Nik Ranieri (Supervising Animator for "Hades")
Won

Mauro Maressa (Effects Supervisor)
Individual Achievement in Effects Animation
Won


document_title: Thor (film)

question_text: actor starring as heimdall in the thor film series

root

text: Thor (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 965 AD, Odin, king of Asgard, wages war against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and their leader Laufey, to prevent them from conquering the nine realms, starting with Earth. The Asgardian warriors defeat the Frost Giants and seize the source of their power, the Casket of Ancient Winters.

tag: p

text: In the present,[N 2] Odin's son Thor prepares to ascend to the throne of Asgard, but is interrupted when Frost Giants attempt to retrieve the Casket. Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Laufey, accompanied by his brother Loki, childhood friend Sif and the Warriors Three: Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun. A battle ensues until Odin intervenes to save the Asgardians, destroying the fragile truce between the two races. For Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his son of his godly power and exiles him to Earth as a mortal, accompanied by his hammer Mjolnir, now protected by an enchantment that allows only the worthy to wield it.

text: Thor lands in New Mexico, where astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, her assistant Darcy Lewis, and mentor Dr. Erik Selvig, find him. The local populace finds Mjolnir, which S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson soon commandeers before forcibly acquiring Jane's data about the wormhole that delivered Thor to Earth. Thor, having discovered Mjolnir's nearby location, seeks to retrieve it from the facility that S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly constructed but he finds himself unable to lift it, and is captured. With Selvig's help, he is freed and resigns himself to exile on Earth as he develops a romance with Jane.

text: Loki discovers that he is Laufey's biological son, adopted by Odin after the war ended. A weary Odin falls into the deep "Odinsleep" to recover his strength. Loki seizes the throne in Odin's stead and offers Laufey the chance to kill Odin and retrieve the Casket. Sif and the Warriors Three, unhappy with Loki's rule, attempt to return Thor from exile, convincing Heimdall, gatekeeper of the Bifröst—the means of traveling between worlds—to allow them passage to Earth. Aware of their plan, Loki sends the Destroyer, a seemingly indestructible automaton, to pursue them and kill Thor. The warriors find Thor, but the Destroyer attacks and defeats them, prompting Thor to offer himself instead. Struck by the Destroyer and near death, Thor's sacrifice proves him worthy to wield Mjolnir. The hammer returns to him, restoring his powers and enabling him to defeat the Destroyer. Kissing Jane goodbye and vowing to return, he and his fellow Asgardians leave to confront Loki.

text: In Asgard, Loki betrays and kills Laufey, revealing his true plan to use Laufey's attempt on Odin's life as an excuse to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifröst Bridge, thus proving himself worthy to his adoptive father. Thor arrives and fights Loki before destroying the Bifröst Bridge to stop Loki's plan, stranding himself in Asgard. Odin awakens and prevents the brothers from falling into the abyss created in the wake of the bridge's destruction, but Loki allows himself to fall when Odin rejects his pleas for approval. Thor makes amends with Odin, admitting he is not ready to be king; while on Earth, Jane and her team search for a way to open a portal to Asgard.

text: In a post-credits scene, Selvig has been taken to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, where Nick Fury opens a briefcase and asks him to study a mysterious cube-shaped object,[N 3] which Fury says may hold untold power. An invisible Loki prompts Selvig to agree, and he does.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The crown prince of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. Director Kenneth Branagh and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige chose Hemsworth after a back-and-forth process in which the 27-year-old actor was initially dropped from consideration and then given a second chance to read for the part.[11] Hemsworth stated that he gained 20 pounds for the role by eating non-stop and revealed that "It wasn't until Thor that I started lifting weights, it was all pretty new to me."[12] Regarding his take on the character, Hemsworth said, "We just kept trying to humanize it all, and keep it very real. Look into all the research about the comic books that we could, but also bring it back to 'Who is this guy as a person, and what's his relationship with people in the individual scenes?'"[13] About approaching Thor's fighting style, he remarked, "First, we looked at the comic books and the posturing, the way [Thor] moves and fights, and a lot of his power seems to be drawn up through the ground. We talked about boxers, you know, Mike Tyson, very low to the ground and big open chest and big shoulder swings and very sort of brutal but graceful at the same time, and then as we shot stuff things became easier."[14] Dakota Goyo portrays a young Thor.

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:
A scientist and Thor's love interest. Marvel Studios stated in an announcement that the character was updated from the comics' initial portrayal for the feature adaptation.[15] When asked why she took the role, Portman replied, "I just thought it sounded like a weird idea because Kenneth Branagh's directing it, so I was just like, 'Kenneth Branagh doing Thor is super-weird, I've gotta do it.'"[16] Portman stated that she really wanted to do a big effects film that emphasized character, and getting to do it with Branagh was a new way of approaching it, relative to Star Wars.[17] Regarding her preparation for the role Portman remarked, "I signed on to do it before there was a script. And Ken, who's amazing, who is so incredible, was like, 'You can really help create this character'. I got to read all of these biographies of female scientists like Rosalind Franklin who actually discovered the DNA double helix but didn't get the credit for it. The struggles they had and the way that they thought – I was like, 'What a great opportunity, in a very big movie that is going to be seen by a lot of people, to have a woman as a scientist'. She's a very serious scientist. Because in the comic she's a nurse and now they made her an astrophysicist. Really, I know it sounds silly, but it is those little things that makes girls think it's possible. It doesn't give them a [role] model of 'Oh, I just have to dress cute in movies'".[18]

tag: ul

text:
Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor's adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. Hiddleston was chosen after previously working with Branagh on Ivanov and Wallander.[19] Initially, Hiddleston auditioned to play Thor but Branagh decided his talent would be better harnessed playing Loki. Hiddleston stated that, "Loki's like a comic book version of Edmund in King Lear, but nastier." Hiddleston stated that he had to keep a strict diet before the start of filming because "Ken [Branagh] wants Loki to have a lean and hungry look, like Cassius in Julius Caesar. Physically, he can't be posing as Thor".[20] Hiddleston looked at Peter O'Toole as inspiration for Loki as well explaining, "Interestingly enough, [Kenneth Branagh] said to look at Peter O'Toole in two specific films, The Lion in Winter and Lawrence of Arabia. What's interesting about ... his performance [as King Henry] is you see how damaged he is. There's a rawness [to his performance]; it's almost as if he's living with a layer of skin peeled away. He's grandiose and teary and, in a moment, by turns hilarious and then terrifying. What we wanted was that emotional volatility. It's a different acting style, it's not quite the same thing, but it's fascinating to go back and watch an actor as great as O'Toole head for those great high hills".[21] Ted Allpress portrays a young Loki.

Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig:
A scientist doing research in New Mexico who encounters Thor.[22] Skarsgård stated that he was not initially familiar with the comic book version of Thor.[23] As to why he took the part, Skarsgård remarked, I "chose Thor because of [director] Kenneth Branagh. The script was nice and we got to rehearse and talk to the writers and do some collaborating in the process to make it fit us. So I had a very happy time on it. What I always try to do is immediately do something I just haven't done so I get variation in my life. I've made about 90 films and if I did the same thing over and over again I would be bored by now. I try to pick different films, I go and do those big ones and having done that I can usually afford to go and do some really small obscure films and experiment a little".[24]

Colm Feore as Laufey:
King of the Frost Giants and Loki's biological father, based on the mythological being of the same name, who in myth was actually Loki's mother.[25] Feore stated it took five hours for his makeup to be applied.[26] About his character Feore remarked, "I am the King of Frost Giants. And if you've seen any of the Frost Giants, you know that I am, of course, the Napoleon of Frost Giants. We've got some massive, fabulous guys who dwarf me and come in at around eight-and-a-half feet, nine feet. But, no. Can't you tell by the commanding presence? I am the boss".[25] He said the Shakespearean training he shared with Hopkins and director Branagh helped keep production moving briskly, saying that "during the breaks, Tony, myself and Ken would be talking in Shakespearean shorthand about what the characters were doing, what we thought they may be like, and how we could focus our attention more intelligently. These were discussions that took no more than a few minutes between takes, but they allowed Ken, Tony and [me] to understand each other instantly without Ken taking an hour away to explain to the actors exactly what was going on. So that was enormously helpful."[27]

Ray Stevenson as Volstagg:
A member of the Warriors Three; a group of three Asgardian adventurers who are among Thor's closest comrades, known for both his hearty appetite and wide girth.[28] Stevenson previously worked with Kenneth Branagh in the 1998 film The Theory of Flight, and with Marvel Studios as the titular character in Punisher: War Zone. Stevenson wore a fat suit for the role, stating, "I've tried the suit on, and what they've done is kind of sex him up: he's sort of slimmer but rounder.". Stevenson said, "He's got every bit of that Falstaffian verve and vigor, and a bit of a beer gut to suggest that enormous appetite, but he's not the sort of Weeble-shaped figure he is in the comics. He's Falstaff with muscles. I've got this amazing foam-injected undersuit that flexes with me."[29]

Idris Elba as Heimdall:
The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the bifröst bridge, based on the mythological deity of the same name.[30] Elba said Branagh's involvement was a major incentive to take the role: "[Branagh] called me up personally and said, 'I know this isn't a big role, but I would really love to see you play it.' It's Kenneth Branagh. I was like, 'Definitely'".[31] About the role Elba remarked, "I did green screen for the first time! I wouldn't like to do a whole movie of green screen, though. You kind of forget the plot a little—like being in a Broadway play and doing it over and over and forgetting your line halfway through".[32] Elba stated he has made a four-picture commitment with Marvel Studios.[33] Elba's casting prompted a proposed boycott by the Council of Conservative Citizens and a debate amongst comic book fans, some insisting it was wrong for a black man to play a Nordic god. In response Elba called the debate "ridiculous".[34][35][36]

Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis:
A political science major who is Jane Foster's intern.[37] Dennings described her character as Foster's "little helper gnome".[17] Dennings stated that her role was expanded during the rehearsal process.[38] Dennings explained, "She's kind of like a cute, clueless, little puppy or maybe a hamster. There wasn't much on the page for the Darcy role to begin with and I didn't even see a script before I took the job so I didn't really know who Darcy was at first. But she really evolved—she's so much fun now even. She's very Scooby-Doo if that makes sense. She's always three steps behind and reacting to what's happening with these great expressions ... She gets things wrong and doesn't care."[39]

Rene Russo as Frigga:
The wife of Odin, queen of Asgard, mother of Thor and adoptive mother of Loki, based on the mythological deity of the same name.[40] Russo stated in March 2011 interview that she has signed on for possible sequels, joking that, "Eventually they'll kick me out, so who knows how many I'll do".[41]

Anthony Hopkins as Odin:
The ruler of Asgard, father of Thor, and adoptive father of Loki, based on the mythological deity of the same name.[42] In an interview Hopkins stated he knew nothing of the comic. About the film he said, "It's a superhero movie, but with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in".[43] Hopkins stated, "I'm very interested in that relationship between fathers and sons", and that, "My father's relationship with me was cold. He was a hot-blood character but to me, cold. When I was young, he expressed his disappointment because I was bad in school and all of that. He didn't mean any harm, but I felt I could never meet up to his expectations." Hopkins expressed that he found a personal resonance in the Odin role, saying, "He's a stern man. He's a man with purpose. I play the god who banishes his son from the kingdom of Asgard because he screwed up. He's a hot-headed, temperamental young man... probably a chip off of the old block but I decide he's not really ready to rule the future kingdom, so I banish him. I'm harsh and my wife complains and I say, 'That is why I'm king.' He's ruthless, take-it-or-leave-it. Women are much more forgiving; men are not so forgiving. I know in my life, my karma is, 'If you don't like it, tough, move on.' And I move on. I'm a little like Odin myself".[44] In May 2016, Mel Gibson stated he was approached about the role but "didn't do it".[45]

Tadanobu Asano as Hogun:
A member of the Warriors Three, primarily identified by his grim demeanor and as the only member who is not an Æsir.[28] Ray Stevenson said of Asano's character, "He doesn't speak much but when he does, everybody shuts up. But also in the healing room where everyone licks their wounds, he's the guy who just goes about his business".[46]

Josh Dallas as Fandral:
A member of the Warriors Three, characterized as an irrepressible swashbuckler and romantic.[28] Stuart Townsend was initially cast after Zachary Levi was forced to vacate the role due to a scheduling conflict.[28][47] However, days before filming began, Townsend was replaced by Dallas citing "creative differences".[48] Dallas said he believed that Fandral "would like to think of himself a philanderer. He would like to think of himself, I was saying, as the R. Kelly of Asgard. He's a lover, not a fighter". Dallas mentioned that Errol Flynn was an inspiration for the character stating, "He was a big inspiration for the character and for me. I watched a lot of his movies and kind of got that into my bones. I tried to bring out that little bit of Flynn-ness in it. Flynn had a lot of that boyish charm that Fandral's got...."[46]

Jaimie Alexander as Sif:
A warrior and Thor's childhood friend based on the mythological deity of the same name. Alexander was best known for her portrayal of Jessi XX on the ABC Family series Kyle XY.[49] Alexander said that she was familiar with Marvel Comics before having taken the part, having grown up with four brothers.[50] Alexander said the part required hours a day in the gym, though training is not unfamiliar to her, explaining she was one of few girls on her Colleyville, Texas, high-school wrestling team.[51] Alexander described her character as "one of the guys" and that, "She's a very talented, skilled warrior and can stand on her own against any villain in the film". About her relationship with Thor she stated, "She is very loyal to Thor and cares a lot about protecting him and protecting Asgard".[52]

text: Additionally, Clark Gregg reprises his role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson from the Iron Man films.[53] Adriana Barraza plays diner owner Isabella Alvarez and Maximiliano Hernández plays S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell. Joseph Gatt, Joshua Cox, and Douglas Tait portray Frost Giants.[54][55] Stan Lee and J. Michael Straczynski have cameo appearances as pick-up truck drivers,[56][57] Walter Simonson has a cameo appearance as one of the guests at a large Asgardian banquet,[58] and Samuel L. Jackson and Jeremy Renner have uncredited cameos as Nick Fury and Clint Barton, respectively.[59][60]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text:
"Thor's powers are godly, yes ... But at the end of the day, he's a man ... Odin sends him to Earth because he's not perfect. He's brash, arrogant. Even over-confident ... he also bleeds. He struggles. Life kicks him where it hurts the most ... You want to feel Thor's rage when he rages. You want to see him fight like hell, and take as much as he dishes out -- maybe more. You want to have a visceral reaction to the guy, and what happens to him. You don't want his adventures to be clean and antiseptic. You want to see the dirt, and grime and blood. You want to feel every bone crunching moment of every fight. And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work."

—Ashley Miller, co-writer of Thor, about the project[61]

tag: div

text: Sam Raimi originally envisioned the idea for Thor after making Darkman (1990); he met Stan Lee and pitched the concept to 20th Century Fox, but they did not understand it.[62] Thor was abandoned until April 1997, when Marvel Studios was beginning to expand rapidly.[63] The film gained momentum after the success of X-Men (2000). The plan was for Thor to be made for television. UPN was in talks for airing it; excited by the prospect, they pushed for a script and approached Tyler Mane to play Thor.[64] In May 2000, Marvel Studios brought Artisan Entertainment to help finance it as a film, but by June 2004 the project still had yet to be patronised by a studio.[65][66][67] Sony Pictures Entertainment finally purchased the film rights, and in December 2004 David S. Goyer was in negotiations to write and direct.[68] By 2005, though there were talks between Goyer and Marvel, Goyer was no longer interested, though at this point the film was still set to be distributed through Sony Pictures.[69]

text: Mark Protosevich, a fan of the Thor comic book, agreed to write the script in April 2006, and the project moved to Paramount Pictures, after it acquired the rights from Sony.[70] That year the film was announced to be a Marvel Studios production.[71] In December 2007, Protosevich described his plans for it "to be like a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of an Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god".[72] In August 2007 Marvel Studios signed Matthew Vaughn to direct the film.[73] Vaughn then rewrote Protosevich's script in order to bring down the budget to $150 million, as Protosevich's first draft would have cost $300 million to produce.[6] He intended to start filming in late 2008[74] and after the success of Iron Man, Marvel Studios announced that they intended to release Thor on June 4, 2010, with Iron Man 2 being used to introduce the character of Thor.[75]

text: Pre-production[edit]

text:
"Thor, at his best, has always had a classic bent in terms of his history, the way he speaks and the often Shakespearean dramas that surround him. That kind of dialogue and character needs someone who comes from a classically trained background in order for it not to sound forced or artificial. Branagh is the perfect choice."

—J Michael Straczynski, co-writer of Thor, on Kenneth Branagh[76]

text: Vaughn was released when his holding deal expired in May 2008, at which point Marvel set Protosevich to work on a new draft and began searching for a new director.[77] Guillermo del Toro entered talks to direct the film. Del Toro was a fan of Jack Kirby's work on the comics, and said that he loved the character of Loki, but wished to incorporate more of the original Norse mythology into the film,[78] including a "really dingy Valhalla, [with] Vikings and mud".[79] However, del Toro ultimately turned down Thor to direct The Hobbit. By September 2008 D. J. Caruso had been discussing taking on the project, though he did not read the script.[80] Later that month, Kenneth Branagh entered into negotiations to direct,[81] and by December 2008, Branagh confirmed that he had been hired. He described it as "a human story right in the center of a big epic scenario."[82] Branagh stated that he hoped to begin filming in January 2010[83] and Marvel Studios set back the release date of the film from its scheduled July 16, 2010 date to June 17, 2011, almost a full year later.[84] They later moved the release date to May 20, 2011, to distance the film's release from that of Captain America: The First Avenger, another Marvel Studios film that was scheduled to be released on July 22, 2011.[85] In October 2008, Daniel Craig was offered the role, but ultimately turned it down, citing his commitments to the James Bond franchise.[86]

text: In February 2009, Samuel L. Jackson, who had briefly portrayed Nick Fury at the end of the film Iron Man, signed on to reprise the role in Thor as part of an unprecedented nine-picture deal with Marvel Studios.[59] However, in an April 2010 interview, Jackson stated that he would not be appearing in Thor. When asked why not Jackson explained, "I have no idea. I'm not in charge of making those kinds of decisions. I thought I was; they said I was in the trades, and I was like, 'Ooh! I got a job!' I called my agent he said, 'Naw, you're not in it.' I was like, 'Well shit, they need to pay me if they're gonna put my name in it.'"[87] Later in the month, Jackson revealed that he would be filming a scene for Thor to serve as "connective tissue" for The Avengers.[88] Also in February, a casting call went out looking for actors with certain physical attributes to audition for the role of Thor.[89]

text: In May 2009, Chris Hemsworth was in negotiations to portray the title role after a back-and-forth process in which the 25-year-old actor was refused early on, then given a second chance to read for the part. Hemsworth's brother, Liam also auditioned for the role, but was passed on by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige.[11] The next day, Marvel announced that Tom Hiddleston, who had worked with Branagh before and had initially been considered to portray the lead role, had been cast as Loki.[19] In June 2009, Feige confirmed that both Hemsworth and Hiddleston had signed on.[90] Feige mentioned that the film would take place on both modern day Earth and Asgard but Thor's human host, Dr. Donald Blake, would not be included.[90] In July 2009, Marvel announced that Natalie Portman would portray Jane Foster.[15] Jaimie Alexander and Colm Feore were reported to have joined the cast in September, with Alexander portraying Sif and Feore's role unrevealed, though it was thought to be a villain.[49] In an interview with Swedish news site Ystads Allehanda, Stellan Skarsgård stated that he had joined the cast, though he did not specify his role.[22] By late October Anthony Hopkins had been cast as Odin in the film.[42] The following month, Marvel announced that they had cast the Warriors Three; Fandral was to be played by Stuart Townsend, Hogun was to be played by Tadanobu Asano and Volstagg was to be played by Ray Stevenson.[28] Idris Elba was announced to have joined the cast, portraying Heimdall.[30] Natalie Portman revealed that Kat Dennings would be involved in the project, portraying Darcy, a coworker of Portman's Jane Foster.[37][91]

text: In December 2009, Rene Russo was cast as Frigga, Thor's stepmother and Odin's wife.[40] Later that month, actors Joseph Gatt, Troy Brenna, and Joshua Cox had been cast in the film, though none of their roles were revealed.[54] In January 2010, Adriana Barraza had joined the film's cast, in a supporting capacity.[92] Only days before filming began, Stuart Townsend was replaced by Joshua Dallas as Fandral, citing "creative differences".[48] When Spider-Man 4's production stalled, Paramount and Marvel Entertainment pushed up the release of Thor by two weeks to the then vacated date of May 6, 2011.[93]

text: The Science & Entertainment Exchange introduced Marvel Entertainment, Kenneth Branagh, "the screenwriter, and a few people on the design and production side of things" to three physicists (Sean Carroll, Kevin Hand, and Jim Hartle), as well as physics student Kevin Hickerson, to provide a realistic science background for the Thor universe. The consultation resulted in a change in Jane Foster's profession, from nurse to particle physicist, and the terminology (Einstein-Rosen bridge) to describe the Bifrost Bridge.[94]

text: Filming[edit]

text: In October 2008, Marvel Studios signed a long-term lease agreement with Raleigh Studios to photograph their next four films—Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers—at Raleigh's Manhattan Beach, California facility.[95] Production Weekly reported that filming on Marvel's Thor was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles mid-January, then move to Santa Fe, New Mexico from March until late-April.[96] Principal photography began on January 11, 2010.[97] A few days after filming began, Clark Gregg signed on to reprise his role from Iron Man and Iron Man 2 as Agent Coulson.[53] In February, Paramount Pictures entered negotiations with Del Mar, California to use a 300-yard stretch of beach to film a scene for Thor involving six horses running down the terrain. Paramount said this coastline was ideal because its gradual slope of sand down to the waterline creates excellent reflective opportunities on film.[98] On March 15, 2010, production of Thor moved to Galisteo, New Mexico where Cerro Pelon Ranch,[99] an old-fashioned Western film town, was extensively modified for the shoot.[100][101]

text: Branagh, a fan of the comic book since childhood, commented on the challenge of bridging Asgard and the modern world: "Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we've tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world. It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different.... The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film".[102]

text: By April, the prospect for filming parts of Thor in Del Mar, California had fallen through. Paramount Pictures sent a letter informing the city that it has instead chosen an undisclosed Northern California location to film a beachfront scene for the film. The letter cited cost concerns with moving production too far away from its headquarters.[103] Filming wrapped on May 6, 2010.[13]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: In October 2010, casting calls revealed the film would be undergoing an undisclosed number of reshoots.[104] In March 2011, scenes involving Adriana Barraza were removed from the theatrical cut of the film during the editing process. Branagh sent a letter of apology explaining the reasons for the cut and desire to work with Barraza again in the future. In response Barraza stated, "It saddens me because the movie is great and because I was acting alongside some tremendous actors that I admire very much, but I understand the nature of films, and it's not the first or last time that scenes will be cut".[105] Barraza appears in only one scene in the film's theatrical cut. In that same month, Douglas Tait revealed that he performed for motion capture of the Frost Giants.[106] On his hiring, Tait said "I am 6'5" and have a lean, athletic build, and they hired guys who were 6'7" and taller, and weighed over 250 pounds (110 kg). When the film was being edited, they wanted to make them even bigger and move faster. They auditioned people again and Kenneth Branagh chose me to perform the motion capture movements of the Frost Giants".[106] In April 2011, the IMAX Corporation, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment announced that they have finalized an agreement to release the film in IMAX 3D, continuing the partnership which began on Iron Man 2.[107] Branagh stated that the 3-D process initially made him cringe but said "We came to feel that in our case 3-D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience". Although the film was shot in 2D, Feige stated that the "special effects for the film were conceived and executed from the beginning in 3D".[108] The post-credits scene that sees Nick Fury approach Erik Selvig to ask him to study the Tesseract, was directed by The Avengers's director, Joss Whedon.[109]

text: BUF Compagnie served as the lead visual effects vender working on the film,[110] with Digital Domain also providing work on the film.[111] Branagh stated that BUF, who developed the effects for the race through space, were inspired by Hubble photography and other images of deep space. Branagh stated he sent paintings from classic studies by J. M. W. Turner to Digital Domain when creating Jotunheim.[112] Peter Butterworth, VFX supervisor and co-founder of Fuel VFX, said the most challenging task was interpreting what the Bifröst would look like, "You can't Google what these things look like—they are totally imagined and within the heads of the stakeholders. So to extract that and interpret it for the big screen was an interesting challenge creatively. Technically, probably creating fluid simulations that could be art-directed and used for both the Bifröst and Odin's chamber shots. Part of the difficulty with solving these is that we had to ensure they would work in stereo.[113] In the film, Odin enters what is known as the "Odinsleep" in his chamber to regenerate. Butterworth stated, "For Odin's Chamber, we developed a dome and curtain of light rays that hover over Odin's bed. This dome of light suggests harnessed power and energy that revitalizes him as he sleeps. We took a lot of reference from the natural world such as the corona of the sun and gave the sleep effect plenty of volume and space".[113]

text: Music[edit]

text: The film's score was written by composer Patrick Doyle, a frequent collaborator of Branagh. Doyle described Thor as "the most commercially high profile film I have done since Frankenstein",[114] adding that the composing process had the challenge of trying to find a tone that fit the duality of Asgard and Earth. Thus Doyle and Branagh had frequent discussions on the musical direction,[115] with the director suggesting a contemporary feel and having a balance between the music and "grand images [that] were not in any way hyperbolized", and the composer in turn implementing "a strong sense of melody, which he responds to in my work". As Doyle declared that his own Celtic background made him familiar with Norse mythology, an old Celtic folk song also provided the inspiration for Thor's leitmotif.[114] A soundtrack album was released by Buena Vista Records in April 2011.[116]

text: The film also features a song by the Foo Fighters, "Walk", in both a scene where a powerless Thor shares some boilermakers with Selvig in a roadhouse, and the film's closing credits. Marvel president Kevin Feige stated that "Walk" was a last minute addition, that the crew felt had "these eerie appropriate lyrics and themes" upon hearing it. Branagh in particular thought that "these lyrics about learning to walk again" were appropriate "of [a] movie about redemption, learning to be a hero."[117]

text: Release[edit]

text: Thor held its world premiere at the Event Cinemas theatre in George Street, Sydney on April 17, 2011,[118] with the film opening on April 21, 2011 in Australia.[119] The following weekend it opened in 56 markets,[120] while the premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California took place on May 2, 2011.[121] Thor opened on May 6, 2011 in the United States,[119] in 3,955 theaters (of which 214 were IMAX 3D and 2,737 in 3D, a record amount).[122][123][124]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: In July 2010 Marvel Studios held a Thor panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International during which Kenneth Branagh and Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Tom Hiddleston, and Clark Gregg discussed the film and showed some clips from it.[17] A few days later, this footage was leaked on the internet.[125] The first television advertisement was broadcast during Super Bowl XLV on the Fox network in the United States. The rate for advertising during the game was approximately $3 million per 30-second spot.[126] Marvel Studios and Acura launched a joint viral marketing promotion at the 2011 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.[127] Other official promotional partners included Burger King, Dr. Pepper, 7 Eleven, and Visa.[128] In May 2011 Marvel Entertainment's President of Print, Animation and Digital, Dan Buckley, and Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief, Axel Alonso, rang the NYSE closing bell in celebration of the theatrical release of Thor.[129]

text: A post-credits scene in the film Iron Man 2 showed Coulson reporting the discovery of a large hammer in the desert. Rick Marshall of MTV News believed it to be the weapon Mjöllnir belonging to Thor, writing, "It continues the grand tradition of connecting the film to another property in development around the Marvel movie universe."[130] In the commentary track of Iron Man 2' home media, Iron Man 2's director, Jon Favreau, stated that "this is a scene from [the set of] Thor ".[131]

text: Marvel Animation announced a 26-episode animated series in November 2008, to air in late 2010 before the release of Marvel Studios' film.[132] The company released an animated direct-to-video film, Thor: Tales of Asgard, to coincide with the live-action film.[133]

text: A video game titled Thor: God of Thunder based on the film was developed by Sega using the voices and likenesses of actors Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Jaimie Alexander, and was released on May 3, 2011.[134]

text: Home media[edit]

text: In July 2011, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures announced the release of Thor on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Disc and DVD. The discs were released on September 13, 2011 in three editions: a single-disc DVD, a 2-disc Blu-ray-DVD combo pack, and a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD/3D combo pack. All sets come with deleted scenes and a "Road to The Avengers featurette. The 2-disc and 3-disc packs includes a digital copy, the first in a series of Marvel One-Shots, The Consultant, and 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes.[135]

text: Branagh said that the DVD includes at least 20 minutes of deleted scenes. Branagh stated the footage contains "things like the Asgardian parents, Odin and Frigga, played by the beautiful Rene Russo, there's some beautiful scenes in there that I think people will enjoy. And certainly Thor and Loki interacting in different ways that just fill in a little bit of a back story, that was part of our rehearsal and research."[136] In its first week of release, Thor took the number one spot on Blu-ray/DVD sales chart and topped Home Media Magazine's rental chart for the week.[137]

text: The film was also collected in a 10-disc box set titled "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled" which includes all of the Phase One films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[138] It was released on April 2, 2013.[139][140]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Thor earned $181.0 million in North America and $268.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $449.3 million.[7] It was also the 15th highest-grossing film of 2011.[141]

text: Thor earned $25.5 million on its opening day in the United States and Canada, including $3.3 million from Thursday previews,[122] for a total weekend gross of $65.7 million. $6.2 million of the gross came from IMAX 3D, while 60% of the gross was from 3D screenings.[123][124] It became the tenth highest-grossing film of 2011 in the United States and Canada,[142] and the highest-grossing comic-book film from May–August 2011.[143]

text: Thor's opening in Australia generated $5.8 million and placing second behind Universal Pictures' Fast Five. The film's box office was just 1% more than Iron Man opening in Australia in 2008, Marvel's most popular release at the time.[144] The following week, Thor opened in 56 markets and took in $89.2 million through the weekend.[120] The film's highest grossing markets were the United Kingdom ($22.5 million), Australia ($20.1 million) and Mexico ($19.5 million).[145]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10 based on 268 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "A dazzling blockbuster that tempers its sweeping scope with wit, humor, and human drama, Thor is mighty Marvel entertainment."[146] Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 57/100 based on reviews from 40 film critics, a mixed score on their scale.[147]

text: Richard Kuipers of Variety stated, "Thor delivers the goods so long as butt is being kicked and family conflict is playing out in celestial dimensions, but is less thrilling during the Norse warrior god's rather brief banishment on Earth".[148] Megan Lehmann of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The hammer-hurling god of thunder kicks off this superhero summer with a bang".[149] In the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper liked the film "Thanks in large part to a charming, funny and winning performance from Australian actor Chris Hemsworth in the title role, Thor is the most entertaining superhero debut since the original Spider-Man".[150]

text: Conversely, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it a negative review stating, "Thor is a failure as a movie, but a success as marketing, an illustration of the ancient carnival tactic of telling the rubes anything to get them into the tent".[151] A.O. Scott of The New York Times also disliked the film, calling it "an example of the programmed triumph of commercial calculation over imagination".[152] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times had mixed feelings, describing the film as "an aesthetic stand-off between predictable elements and unexpected ones". Turan praised the performances of Hemsworth, Hopkins, and Elba, but found the special effects inconsistent and the Earth storyline derivative.[153]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Winner/Nominee
Result
Ref.

2011
Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie Breakout: Male
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated
[154]

Scream Awards
The Ultimate Scream
Thor
Nominated
[155]

Best Fantasy Movie
Thor
Nominated

Best Superhero
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Nominated

Best Supporting Actress
Jaimie Alexander
Nominated

Breakout Performance—Female
Jaimie Alexander
Nominated

Breakout Performance—Male
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated

Breakout Performance—Male
Tom Hiddleston
Nominated

Best F/X
Thor
Nominated

Best Comic Book Movie
Thor
Nominated

2012
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Action Movie
Thor
Nominated
[156]

Favorite Movie Superhero
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated

Visual Effects Society Awards
Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
"Heimdall's Observatory": Pierre Buffin, Audrey Ferrara, Yoel Godo, Dominique Vidal
Nominated
[157]

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Xavier Allard, Pierre Buffin, Nicolas Chevallier
Nominated

Empire Awards
Best Male Newcomer
Tom Hiddleston
Won
[158]

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thor
Won

The Art of 3D Presented by RealD
Thor
Nominated

MTV Movie Awards
Best Hero
Thor
Nominated
[159]

Saturn Awards
Best Fantasy Film
Thor
Nominated
[160]

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hiddleston
Nominated

Best Production Design
Bo Welch
Nominated

Best Costume
Alexandra Byrne
Won

tag: table

text: Sequels[edit]

text: Thor: The Dark World[edit]

text: A sequel, Thor: The Dark World, directed by Alan Taylor, was released on November 8, 2013.[161][162] Hemsworth and Hiddleston reprise their roles as Thor and Loki, respectively, along with others from the first film.[163] Christopher Eccleston joins the cast as the Dark Elf Maletkith.[164]

text: Thor: Ragnarok[edit]

text: Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled to be released on November 3, 2017,[165] directed by Taika Waititi.[166] Eric Pearson wrote the screenplay from a story by Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost and Stephany Folsom,[167] with Kevin Feige again producing.[168] Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Hopkins and Elba will reprise their roles as Thor, Loki, Odin, and Heimdall, respectively,[169][170] while Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Cumberbatch will appear as Bruce Banner/Hulk and Stephen Strange respectively, reprising their roles from previous MCU films.[171][172] Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and Karl Urban join the cast as Hela, Valkyrie, Grandmaster, and Skurge, respectively.[166]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
^ Jump up to: a b In July 2013, the film's distribution rights were transferred from Paramount Pictures to the Walt Disney Studios.[2][3][4]
Jump up ^ The events of the film also take place simultaneously with the events of The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010),[8] the latter of which is set six months after the events Iron Man (2008).[9]
Jump up ^ Identified off-screen as the Cosmic Cube.[10]


document_title: Designated Survivor (season 2)

question_text: when is season 2 finale of designated survivor

text: Designated Survivor (season 2)

text: Overview[edit]

text: One year into office, President Thomas Kirkman juggles searching for the mastermind behind the attack on the Capitol Building, dealing with the day-to-day situations that take place at home and abroad, and helping a nation rebuild.

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Kiefer Sutherland as President Thomas "Tom" Kirkman[3]
Natascha McElhone as First Lady Alexandra "Alex" Kirkman[3]
Paulo Costanzo as White House Political Director Lyor Boone[3]
Adan Canto as National Security Advisor Aaron Shore[3]
Italia Ricci as White House Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes[3]
LaMonica Garrett as United States Secret Service Advance Team Leader, Mike Ritter[3]
Zoe McLellan as White House Counsel Kendra Daynes[3]
Ben Lawson as Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Special Agent, Damian Rennett[3]
Kal Penn as White House Press Secretary Seth Wright[3]
Maggie Q as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent, Hannah Wells[3]

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Terry Serpico as Patrick Lloyd
Jake Epstein as Chuck Russink
Mckenna Grace as Penny Kirkman
Bonnie Bedelia as Eva Booker
Reed Diamond as John Forstell
Geoff Pierson as Cornelius Moss
Mykelti Williamson as Admiral Chernow
Breckin Meyer as Trey Kirkman[4]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
U.S. viewers
(millions)

22
1
"One Year In"
Chris Grismer
Keith Eisner
September 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)
5.50[5]

Kirkman struggles to prevent a possible international crisis when Ukrainian separatists hijack a Russian airplane with American citizens among the passengers; Wells works with MI6 agent Damian Rennett (Ben Lawson) to find the Capitol bombing's chief architect; Emily juggles hiring political consultant Lyor Boone (Paulo Costanzo) and determining where Seth's loyalties lie; the senior staff attempts to keep a visiting writer occupied before his audience with the President.

23
2
"Sting of the Tail"
Frederick E. O. Toye
Keith Eisner
October 4, 2017 (2017-10-04)
4.80[6]

Kirkman works with Wells and Rennett when Patrick Lloyd (Terry Serpico) reemerges and threatens to unleash sarin gas on the D.C. metropolitan area if his demands are not met; Seth struggles to finish Kirkman's speech for the Correspondents' Dinner; the senior staff welcomes White House Counsel Kendra Daynes (Zoe McLellan) into the fold.

24
3
"Outbreak"
Chris Grismer
Ashley Gable
October 11, 2017 (2017-10-11)
4.61[7]

Kirkman works with the Centers for Disease Control to contain a viral outbreak; Wells and Rennett dig deeper into Patrick Lloyd's motives; Kendra attempts to settle a debate about a Confederate statue; the senior staff prepares for the presentation of an Amazonian frog named after the President.

25
4
"Equilibrium"
Joe Lazarov
Paul Redford & Keith Eisner
October 18, 2017 (2017-10-18)
4.34[8]

Kirkman and the senior staff attempt to resolve a border dispute between the United States and Mexico; Wells interrogates Alex about her mother's possible involvement in a decades-old crime; an investigator from the Office of Management and Budget tries to determine who is responsible for breaking a priceless vase.

26
5
"Suckers"
Fred Gerber
Bill Chais
October 25, 2017 (2017-10-25)
3.94[9]

Kirkman and the senior staff work together to regain the public's trust after a private conversation is taken out of context on national television; Wells and Rennett reunite when a visiting British MP is gunned down; Alex becomes emotionally involved in the ongoing investigation against her mother.

27
6
"Two Ships"
Leslie Libman
Jessica Grasl
November 1, 2017 (2017-11-01)
3.92[10]

Kirkman sets out to prevent a potential national security threat after a stranded U.S. Navy ship with a state-of-the-art surveillance system drifts into enemy waters; Wells and Rennett continue investigating Charlotte Thorne's death; Kendra tries to convince Alex's mother to make a difficult decision; Emily reunites with her absentee father.

28
7
"Family Ties"
Milan Cheylov
Pierluigi Cothran
November 15, 2017 (2017-11-15)
4.05[11]

The First Family struggles to prevent a scandal when Leo is sued by a man protesting a Turkish activist; Alex finds herself caught in the middle of a murder investigation; Secretary Moss stonewalls Wells and Rennett as they investigate his relationship with Charlotte Thorne.

29
8
"Home"
Ian Toynton
Pat Cunnane
November 29, 2017 (2017-11-29)
4.03[12]

Kirkman attempts to determine who he can trust as he embarks on a secret trip to Afghanistan and Seth makes a decision that could jeopardize both his political career and his future in the White House.

30
9
"Three-Letter Day"
Jeannot Szwarc
Bill Chais & Ashley Arena
December 6, 2017 (2017-12-06)
3.91[13]

Kirkman's senior staff personally respond to letters requesting that the White House respectively investigate a war hero's legacy, a death row inmate's pardon, and a bee colony's collapse; Wells and Rennett continue to search for evidence that could exonerate Alex; Chuck makes a shattering discovery.

31
10
"Line of Fire"
Chris Grismer
Keith Eisner
December 13, 2017 (2017-12-13)
4.39[14]

Kirkman and the senior staff attempt to save a group of religious extremists who refuse to leave their cabin from a raging forest fire; Wells reels from a stunning betrayal; Alex prepares to testify before Director Forstell and is later involved in a vehicular accident.

32
11
"Grief"
Timothy Busfield
Keith Eisner
February 28, 2018 (2018-02-28)
3.72[15]

33
12
"The Final Frontier"[16]
Sharat Raju
Jeff Melvoin
March 7, 2018 (2018-03-07)
TBD

34
13
"Original Sin"[17]
Bosede Williams
Ashley Gable
March 14, 2018 (2018-03-14)
TBD

35
14
"In The Dark"[18]
TBA
TBA
March 21, 2018 (2018-03-21)
TBD

text: Production[edit]

text: Designated Survivor was renewed for a second season on May 11, 2017. Former The Good Wife executive producer Keith Eisner will take over as showrunner for the second season.[19] Eisner will be the fourth showrunner for the show, replacing Jeff Melvoin, who was hired as showrunner in December 2016, taking over for Jon Harmon Feldman.[20] The show's original showrunner Amy B. Harris stepped down due to creative differences after the series' official pickup in February 2016.[21]

text: On June 22, 2017, cast member Virginia Madsen announced that she would not be returning for the second season as Kimble Hookstraten as she commented "I guess they had other stories to tell. It's a big show so I wish them well."[22] After the first season finale, Sutherland announced that the show would add three new characters for the second season. Two of the character descriptions was "a “fiery” female White House Counsel and a “ruggedly handsome” MI6 operative who crosses paths with Hannah."[23] TVLine announced on June 29, 2017, that Paulo Costanzo had been cast as a series regular role as Lyor Boone, the new White House Political Director.[24] Deadline reported on July 17, 2017, that Ben Lawson had been cast as the series regular character Damian Rennett, an MI6 operative.[25]

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Air date
Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)

1
"One Year In"
September 27, 2017
1.1/4
5.50[5]
1.4
5.84
2.5
11.34[26]

2
"Sting of the Tail"
October 4, 2017
0.9/4
4.80[6]
1.2
5.20
2.1
10.00[27]

3
"Outbreak"
October 11, 2017
0.9/4
4.61[7]
1.1
5.07
2.0
9.68[28]

4
"Equilibrium"
October 18, 2017
0.8/3
4.34[8]
1.1
5.00
1.9
9.34[29]

5
"Suckers"
October 25, 2017
0.7/3
3.94[9]
1.0
4.60
1.7
8.54[30]

6
"Two Ships"
November 1, 2017
0.7/3
3.92[10]
0.9
4.31
1.6
8.23[31]

7
"Family Ties"
November 15, 2017
0.8/3
4.05[11]
0.9
4.47
1.7
8.52[32]

8
"Home"
November 29, 2017
0.7/3
4.03[12]
1.0
4.83
1.7
8.86[33]

9
"Three-Letter Day"
December 6, 2017
0.7/3
3.87[13]
0.9
4.60
1.6
8.47[34]

10
"Line of Fire"
December 13, 2017
0.8/3
4.38[14]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

11
"Grief"
February 28, 2018
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

12
"The Final Frontier"
March 7, 2018
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

13
"Original Sin"
March 14, 2018
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A


document_title: I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian TV series)

question_text: who won last years im a celebrity competition

text: Format[edit]

text: The premise of the show is that there is a group of well known personalities living together in a specially constructed camp site in a jungle. During their time in the jungle they are isolated from the outside world and are not commonly aware of outside events. The contestants compete for $100,000 to be donated to a charity of their choosing, in addition to being personally reimbursed for their participation.[9] While in the jungle, some of the contestants (generally voted by the viewing public) compete in challenges for food and luxuries for the camp. These challenges often involve local wildlife and are meant to take the contestants out of their comfort zone. Each week one or more of the contestants are evicted from the jungle, based on viewer votes. In addition, if the contestants become overwhelmed by their situation they can leave the series by speaking the phrase "I'm a celebrity get me out of here!". However, it is reported that if contestants do quit they will have their income for participating in the series markedly reduced.[10] Throughout the show, additional contestants (called "intruders") enter the competition; and beginning with season two, some contestants are only included temporarily (i.e. having a guest appearance).[11] In the end, a final viewer vote occurs to determine the winner of the series, who is given the title of "King and/or Queen of the Jungle".

text: Tucker trials[edit]

text: The contestants take part in daily trials to earn food. These trials aim to test both physical and mental abilities. The winner is usually determined by the number of stars collected during the trial, with each star representing a meal earned by the winning contestant for their camp mates.

text: Celebrity chest challenges[edit]

text: Two or more celebrities are chosen to take part in the celebrity chest challenge to win luxuries for camp. Each challenge involves completing a task to win a chest to take back to camp. However, to win the luxury item in the chest, the campmates must correctly answer a question. If they fail to answer correctly, the luxury item is forfeited and a joke prize is won. The luxury item is "donated" by a celebrity from the outside.

text: Secret mission[edit]

text: This is a challenge where some celebrities have to take part without alerting the other celebrities - if they are successful in their 'missions', they are rewarded.

text: Mystery box[edit]

text: A mystery box sees a box delivered to the campsite, each time containing a different gift for the contestants.

text: Production[edit]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: The show is broadcast Sunday to Thursday at 7.30 pm, with a weekly eviction show on Sunday (except for the first week, where the celebrities arrive in the 'jungle'). All shows are presented by Julia Morris & Chris Brown from a nearby studio. The program is live to AEDT States (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory), in other states the program is delayed to accommodate local time zones.

text: The fallout zone[edit]

text: In addition to the television broadcast, for the first season a live feed from the camp site aired for an hour after the AEDT airing of the show on Ten's website and mobile app, titled The Fallout Zone but more commonly referred to as FOZ. The content of feed was available on the website after the fact so viewers in other states could watch the show after their airing of the main show. The feed was hosted by comedian Sam Mac and producer Ciaran "The Butcher" Flannery, also known as "The C-Word". On 8 and 12 March 2015, producer Dominic "The Domin8or" Sullivan filled in during Flannery's absence. The duo interact with viewers through Twitter, using the hashtag #FOZ. Mac and Flannery have no control over the shots used in the stream which has resulted in one episode featuring a 20-minute shot of a waterfall and, on 16 February 2015, a 15-minute conversation featuring a sound technician looking for Bob being picked up. On 5 March 2015 the show famously featured audio problems during which Mac and Flannery's voices fluctuated between chipmunk and Darth Vader filters for the first thirty minutes. The show's theme song is Highway to the Fallout Zone sung by Sam Mac. The show did not return for the second season.

text: Public voting[edit]

text: Throughout the show the public votes on who competes in the following tucker trial and who to evict from the campsite. Viewers can either vote via SMS (by texting the name of the celebrity to 1995 1010) or vote via Social Media (namely Facebook or Twitter) by using the celebrity's hashtag (#celeb[name]). Voting via social media is limited to 20 votes per account. For tucker trial voting, viewers vote for celebrity they wish to compete. For eviction voting, viewers vote for a celebrity to stay. Voting closes at approximately 7:30pm AEDT for Sunday's eviction vote and at approximately 8pm AEDT for voting on other days.

text: Prior to the premiere of the second season, it was announced that the voting process would change slightly compared to the inaugural season. SMS voting wil be used for both trial and eviction voting while Twitter voting will be used exclusively for trial voting. This change was implemented to even the playing field between celebrities with a larger international fan base (who are more likely to receive Twitter votes from said fan base) and celebrities with a smaller fan base who are only known in Australia.[12] However, this decision was later reversed, allowing Twitter and Facebook votes for the finals.[13]

text: Series overview[edit]

text: Winners are crowned King or Queen of their respective year.

text: Key:

text:
Season
Presenters
Start date
End date
Days in camp
Campmates
Honour places

Winner
Second place
Third place

1
Chris Brown and Julia Morris
1 February 2015 (2015-02-01)
15 March 2015 (2015-03-15)
45
14
Freddie Flintoff
Barry Hall
Chrissie Swan

2
31 January 2016 (2016-01-31)
13 March 2016 (2016-03-13)
45
12
Brendan Fevola
Paul Harragon
Laurina Fleure

3
29 January 2017 (2017-01-29)
13 March 2017 (2017-03-13)
46
14
Casey Donovan
Dane Swan
Natalie Bassingthwaighte

4
28 January 2018 (2018-01-28)
12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)

15

text: Series results[edit]

text: Season 1 (2015)[edit]

text:
Celebrity
Known for
Day Entered
Day Exited
Result

 Freddie Flintoff
England cricketer
17
45
Winner

 Barry Hall
Former AFL forward
1
45
Runner-up

 Chrissie Swan
Television & radio broadcaster
1
45
Third Place

 Maureen McCormick
The Brady Bunch actress
1
42
Evicted 11th

 Joel Creasey
Comedian
1
41
Evicted 10th

 Anna Heinrich
The Bachelor Australia star
10
41
Evicted 9th

 Julie Goodwin
Chef & cookbook author
17
40
Evicted 8th

 Merv Hughes
Former test match cricketer
1
39
Evicted 7th

 Tyson Mayr
Model
1
38
Evicted 6th

 Andrew Daddo
Television & radio presenter
1
31
Evicted 5th

 Lauren Brant
Hi-5 singer
1
24
Evicted 4th

 Laura Dundovic
Miss Universe Australia 2008
1
17
Evicted 3rd

 Tim Robards
The Bachelor Australia star
10
17
Evicted 2nd

 Leisel Jones
Olympic swimmer
1
10
Evicted 1st

text: Season 2 (2016)[edit]

text:
Celebrity
Known for
Day Entered
Day Exited
Result

 Brendan Fevola
AFL full-forward
1
45
Winner

 Paul Harragon
Former NRL prop forward
1
45
Runner-up

 Laurina Fleure
The Bachelor Australia 2 star
1
45
Third Place

 Anthony Callea
Singer-songwriter
1
42
Evicted 9th

 Shane Warne
Retired international cricketer
2
41
Evicted 8th

 Havana Brown
DJ
1
40
Evicted 7th

 Jo Beth Taylor
Television presenter
1
39
Evicted 6th

 Val Lehman
Prisoner actress
1
38
Evicted 5th

 Dean Geyer
Glee actor
1
31
Evicted 4th

 Bonnie Lythgoe
So You Think You Can Dance Australia judge
1
24
Evicted 3rd

 Akmal Saleh
Comedian
1
17
Evicted 2nd

 Courtney Hancock
Ironwoman
1
10
Evicted 1st

text: Season 3 (2017)[edit]

text:
Celebrity
Known for
Day Entered
Day Exited
Result

 Casey Donovan
Singer-songwriter (Australian Idol Winner)
1
46
Winner

 Dane Swan
AFL Legend
1
46
Runner-Up

 Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Singer & Actress
1
46
Third Place

 Nazeem Hussain
Comedian
1
45
Evicted 11th

 Steve Price
Radio Shock Jock
1
42
Evicted 10th

 Lisa Curry
Olympic Swimmer
1
41
Evicted 9th

 Ash Pollard
My Kitchen Rules contestant
1
40
Evicted 8th

 Carson Kressley
TV Personality
25
39
Evicted 7th

 Tegan Martin
Beauty Queen
1
38
Evicted 6th

 Keira Maguire
The Bachelor Australia 4 star
19
35
Evicted 5th

 Kris Smith
TV Personality & Model
2
35
Evicted 4th

 Tziporah Malkah
Former Model
2
31
Evicted 3rd

 Jay Laga'aia
Actor & Singer
1
24
Evicted 2nd

 Tom Arnold
Hollywood Actor
1
17
Evicted 1st

text: Season 4 (2018)[edit]

text:
Celebrity
Known for
Day Entered
Day Exited
Result

 Paul Burrell
Former Royal servant
17

 Josh Gibson
AFL Player
1

 Jackie Gillies
Psychic & Reality TV Star
1

 Danny Green
Boxer
7

 Simone Holtznagel
Model
1

 Shannon Noll
Singer
1

 David Oldfield
Former Politician
24

 Lisa Oldfield
Reality TV Star
24

 Fiona O'Loughlin
Comedian
1

 Vicky Pattison
Reality TV star
17

 Peter Rowsthorn
Actor & Comedian
1

 Kerry Armstrong
Actress
1
23
Evicted 2nd

 Tiffany Darwish
Singer
1
16
Evicted 1st

 Anthony Mundine
Boxer
2
12
Withdrew

 Bernard Tomic
Tennis Player
1
3
Withdrew

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Premiere
Finale
Source

Premiere date
Premiere viewers
(Opening Night)
Rank
Premiere viewers
(Welcome to the Jungle)
Rank
Finale date
Finale viewers
(Grand final)
Rank
Finale viewers
(Winner announced)
Rank

1
31
1 February 2015 (2015-02-01)
1.199
4
1.136
5
15 March 2015 (2015-03-15)
0.999
8
1.144
3
[14][15]

2
31
31 January 2016 (2016-01-31)
1.324
3
1.081
5
13 March 2016 (2016-03-13)
0.719
8
0.858
6
[16][17]

3
32
29 January 2017 (2017-01-29)
1.103
7
0.963
8
13 March 2017
0.989
6
1.056
2
[18][19]

4
TBC
28 January 2018 (2018-01-28)
1.274
4
1.108
5
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
[20]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipients and nominees
Result
Refs.

2016
Logie Awards of 2016
Best Reality Program
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Nominated
[21]

2017
Logie Awards of 2017
Best Reality Program
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Nominated
[22]

text: Lawsuit[edit]

text: In June 2017, Tom Arnold filed a lawsuit against Network Ten and A List Entertainment for defrauding him for being on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Arnold claims that he was promised a payment of $425,000 and a comedy tour in Australia, however he was missing $140,000 in payment and that Network Ten backed out of the comedy tour.[23]