document_title: The Jungle Book (2016 film)

question_text: who voiced the panther in the jungle book

text: The Jungle Book (2016 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Mowgli is a "man cub" raised by the wolf Raksha and her pack, led by Akela, in an Indian jungle ever since he was brought to them as a baby by the black panther Bagheera. Bagheera trains Mowgli to learn the ways of the wolves, but the boy faces certain challenges and falls behind his wolf siblings while Akela disapproves of him using human tricks like building tools instead of learning the ways of the pack.

text: One day, during the dry season, the jungle animals gather to drink the water that remains as part of a truce during a drought that enables the jungle's wildlife to drink without fear of being eaten by their predators. The truce is disrupted when a scarred tiger named Shere Khan arrives detecting Mowgli's scent in the large crowd. Resentful against man for scarring him, he issues a warning that he will kill Mowgli at the end of the drought. After the drought ends, the wolves debate whether they should keep Mowgli or not. Mowgli decides to leave the jungle for the safety of his pack. Bagheera agrees with the decision and volunteers to guide him to the nearby man village.

text: En route, Shere Khan ambushes them and injures Bagheera, but Mowgli manages to escape. Later, Mowgli meets an enormous python named Kaa who hypnotizes him. While under her influence, Mowgli sees a vision of his father being mauled while protecting him from Shere Khan. The vision also warns of the destructive power of the "red flower" (fire). Kaa attempts to devour Mowgli, but she is attacked by a large brown sloth bear named Baloo, rescuing an unconscious Mowgli. Baloo and Mowgli bond while retrieving some difficult-to-access honey for Baloo and Mowgli agrees to stay with Baloo until the winter season arrives. Upon learning that Mowgli has left the jungle, Shere Khan kills Akela and threatens the pack to lure Mowgli out.

text: Bagheera eventually finds Mowgli and Baloo and is angered that Mowgli has not joined the humans as agreed, but Baloo calms him down and persuades both of them to sleep on it. During the night, Mowgli finds a herd of Indian elephants gathered around a ditch and uses his vines to save a baby elephant from the ditch. Although Baloo and Bagheera are both impressed, Baloo realizes that he cannot guarantee Mowgli's safety after learning that he is being hunted by Shere Khan. Baloo agrees to push Mowgli away to get him to continue onward to the man village.

text: Mowgli is kidnapped by the "Bandar-log" (monkeys) who present him to their leader, a giant ape named King Louie. Assuming that all humans can make fire, King Louie offers Mowgli protection from Shere Khan in exchange for it. Baloo distracts King Louie while Bagheera tries to sneak him out, but their plan is discovered. As King Louie chases Mowgli through his temple, he informs Mowgli of Akela's death. King Louie's rampage eventually causes his temple to collapse on top of him. Furious that Baloo and Bagheera never told him about Akela's death, Mowgli goes to confront Shere Khan alone.

text: Mowgli steals a lit torch at the village to use as a weapon and heads back to the jungle, accidentally starting a wildfire in the process. He confronts Shere Khan, who argues that Mowgli has made himself the enemy of the jungle by causing the wildfire. Mowgli throws the torch into the water, giving Shere Khan the advantage. Baloo, Bagheera, and the wolf pack intervene and hold Shere Khan off, giving Mowgli enough time to set a trap. He lures Shere Khan up a dead tree and onto a branch, which breaks under the tiger's weight and Shere Khan falls into the fire to his death. Mowgli then directs the elephants to divert the river and put out the fire.

text: In the aftermath, Raksha becomes the new leader of the wolf pack. Mowgli decides to utilize his equipment and tricks for his own use, having found his true home and calling with his wolf family, Baloo, and Bagheera.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Neel Sethi as Mowgli, a young boy who was raised by wolves.

Kendrick Reyes as toddler Mowgli

Ritesh Rajan as Mowgli's father

text: Voice cast[edit]

text:
Bill Murray as Baloo, a Sloth bear who befriends Mowgli.
Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, a Black panther who is Mowgli's mentor and protector.
Idris Elba as Shere Khan, a fearsome, scar-faced tiger with a grudge against Mowgli.
Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, a female wolf who is Mowgli's adoptive mother.
Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, an enormous python.
Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, a male wolf who leads the pack.
Christopher Walken as King Louie, a giant ape who rules the Bandar-log.
Garry Shandling as Ikki, a porcupine that observes the Water Truce.[1]
Brighton Rose as Grey Brother, a wolf cub that is Mowgli's adoptive brother.[1]
Jon Favreau as Fred, a Pygmy Hog.[1]
Sam Raimi as a giant squirrel.[1]
Russell Peters as Rocky, a rhinoceros.[1]
Madeleine Favreau as Raquel, a rhinoceros.[1]
Sara Arrington as an antelope [1]

text: Emjay Anthony, Max Favreau, Chloe Hechter, Asher Blinkoff, Knox Gagnon, Sasha Schrieber, and Kai Schrieber voice the Young Wolves.[1]

text: Dee Bradley Baker, Artie Esposito, Sean Johnson, and Allan Trautman provide additional animal voices.[1]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development and casting[edit]

text:
"The idea of going out to the jungle and shooting this, it just felt like it wouldn't have the magic that the 1967 film had had. There was a dreamlike quality to it. There was a surreal quality to it. It was a high-water mark for character animation and to me, that's what I remember about it. And so I wanted to make sure we preserved that...But what [Alan] Horn said was: Look at the technology. Look at Life of Pi, Avatar. Why not use the technology to create a whole world that transports you? Let's really embrace this new technology and see what we can do if we push its limit."

— Jon Favreau on approaching the film's technical intent.[9]

tag: div

text: Walt Disney Pictures announced that a live-action remake of The Jungle Book was in development on July 9, 2013, with Justin Marks set to write the script.[10] The film would be Disney's second live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's works, following the 1994 film, and the studio's third overall after the 1967 animated musical. Jon Favreau was later confirmed as director on November 5, 2013.[11] Favreau as a child used to watch Disney's 1967 animated musical version.[12] He felt the need to strike a balance between the two films by retaining the buoyant spirit of the 1967 film, including some of its memorable songs, while crafting a movie with more realism and peril. He also stressed the importance of nature and realized how things have shifted during Kipling's time and now, "In Kipling's time, nature was something to be overcome. Now nature is something to be protected."[12] He was encouraged by Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn to take advantage of the film's setting and story as an opportunity to use the latest advancements in photorealistic rendering, computer-generated imagery, and motion capture technologies.[13] The story of the film is not independently taken from Kipling's works, but also borrows cinematic inspirations from other films, including the child-mentor relationship in Shane (1953), the establishment of rules in a dangerous world from Goodfellas (1990) and the use of a shadowy jungle figure in Apocalypse Now (1979).[12]

text: The cast was announced between March and August 2014, with Idris Elba being announced to voice Shere Khan during early stages and Bill Murray eventually confirmed as the voice of Baloo in August 2014. Between then, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Kingsley, and Christopher Walken were confirmed to play Kaa, Bagheera, and King Louie.[14][15][16][17] Favreau decided to cast Johansson to play Kaa, originally a male character, as he felt the original film was "a little too male-oriented."[18] Favreau and Marks noticed the lack of female characters in the 1967 film version and wanted to address that by featuring Raksha's character more prominently, as in Kipling's tales.[12] Lupita Nyong'o was cast as Raksha as Favreau believed her voice imbued the emotion required for the role, "Lupita has tremendous depth of emotion in her performance. There's an emotional underpinning she brings, and a strength, and we wanted that for this surrogate mother. Much of that comes from her voice."[19] Favreau also decided to change King Louie from an orangutan to a Gigantopithecus due to the fact that orangutans are not native to India, where the story takes place.[7] His character was given a slight alteration from the 1967 film and was partly inspired by Marlon Brando's character Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now,[12] as well as incorporating Walken's own physical mannerisms.[20] In regards to Louie's changes, Favreau stated, "We created this looming figure that was trying to extract the secret of fire from Mowgli. And also this gave Mowgli the idea that if he had fire, he could have power over Shere Khan, whether it was good or bad. So there was a Lord of the Rings aspect to that; the fire was almost like the ring in that was going to give someone ultimate power, but corrupt them as well as create destruction."[21] The film is dedicated to Garry Shandling, who voiced a porcupine in the film and died of a heart attack before the film's release.

text: The search for casting Mowgli was extensive, with thousands of children auditioning from the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada. Eventually, newcomer Neel Sethi was confirmed for the role, with casting director Rebecca Williams describing him as embodying "the heart, humor, and daring of the character. He's warm and accessible, yet also has an intelligence well beyond his years and impressed us all with his ability to hold his own in any situation."[22] Sethi underwent parkour training in preparation for the role.[8] Pixar Animation Studios assisted in the development of the story, as well as providing suggestions for the film's end credits sequence.[23]

text: Filming and visual effects[edit]

text: Principal photography took place entirely on sound stages at L.A. Center Studios[21] in downtown Los Angeles.[19][24] The animal characters were created entirely in key frame computer animation, with the assistance of footage of real animal movement, the actors recording their lines, and performance capture for reference.[7] The production team underwent a thorough process to realistically convey the animals' speaking, while still making them perceptually believable to the audience. Favreau researched earlier films featuring anthropomorphic animals—including Walt Disney's animated features, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi, as well as modern films such as Babe—and adopted certain techniques from those films into The Jungle Book.[21] Nearly 70 separate species of animals native to India are featured in the film, with several species being portrayed as "150% larger" than their actual counterparts.[21]

text: Jim Henson's Creature Shop was brought in to provide animal puppet figures for Sethi to act against, although none appear in the finished film.[25] The animal puppets were performed by Artie Esposito, Sean Johnson, Allan Trautman, and April Warren.[1] Favreau utilized motion capture with certain actors, expressing a desire to avoid overusing the technology in order to prevent evoking an uncanny valley effect.[7][18]

text: Moving Picture Company (MPC) and Weta Digital created the film's visual effects.[13] MPC developed new software for animating muscular structure in the animals.[21] Around 1,000 remote jungle locations in India were photographed and used as reference in post-production.[26] Weta was responsible for animating the King Louie sequence, with visual effects supervisor Keith Miller adding that, "It was important for Jon to see Christopher Walken in the creature. So we took some of the distinctive Walken facial features—iconic lines, wrinkles and folds—and integrated them into the animated character."[27] Favreau expressed desire in wanting the film's 3D shots to imbue the abilities of the multiplane camera system utilized in Disney's earlier animated films.[23] At Favreau's behest, the idea was extended into the film's version of the Walt Disney Pictures opening production logo, which was recreated as "a hand-painted, cel-animated multi-plane logo" in homage to the animated films of that era, also incorporating the word "Presents" in the same style as the 1967 film's opening credits.[23] The film's ending also features the original physical book that opened the 1967 film.[23]

text: Sound[edit]

text: Director Jon Favreau and composer John Debney sought to recreate the Fantasound experience Walt Disney, himself, had in mind. When mixing the soundtrack in Dolby Atmos, as Favreau said, "we isolated instruments when we could. And in the sound mix, we created a Fantasound mix. If you see the film in Atmos, you will feel that there are instruments that move around the theater."[28] A mention for Fantasound appears in the film's closing credits.

text: Music[edit]

text: The musical score for The Jungle Book was composed and conducted by frequent Favreau collaborator John Debney,[29] mostly drawing from George Bruns' original music. Though Favreau decided not to make the film a musical, nevertheless, he and Debney incorporated several songs from the 1967 animated film.[30] "The Bare Necessities," written by Terry Gilkyson, is performed by Murray and Sethi,[12] and a cover version by Dr. John is featured in the end credits. "I Wan'na Be Like You" and "Trust in Me"—written by the Sherman Brothers—are performed by Walken and Johansson, respectively; Richard M. Sherman wrote revised lyrics for Walken's version of "I Wan'na Be Like You."[12] Johansson's rendition of "Trust in Me" was produced by Mark Ronson and appears in the end credits only.[12]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Jungle Book (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Film score by John Debney

Released
April 15, 2016

Recorded
2015–16

Studio
Sony Pictures Studios (score)
Esplanade Studios, New Orleans
Chalice Recording Studios
Music Shed Studios, New Orleans

Genre
Orchestral, swing jazz

Length
74:17

Label
Walt Disney

Producer
John Debney

John Debney chronology

The Young Messiah
(2016) The Young Messiah2016
The Jungle Book
(2016) The Jungle Book2016
Mother's Day
(2016) Mother's Day2016

text: Walt Disney Records released the film's soundtrack on April 15, 2016.[31]

text: Track listing[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Performer(s)
Length

1.
"The Bare Necessities"
Terry Gilkyson
Dr. John and The Nite Trippers
3:36

2.
"Trust in Me"
Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Scarlett Johansson
2:55

3.
"Main Titles[Note 1] / Jungle Run"
John Debney & George Bruns

2:27

4.
"Wolves / Law of the Jungle"
John Debney

2:16

5.
"Water Truce"
John Debney

3:40

6.
"Rains Return"
John Debney

1:46

7.
"Mowgli's Leaving / Elephant Theme"
John Debney

3:28

8.
"Shere Khan Attacks / Stampede"
John Debney

2:06

9.
"Kaa / Baloo to the Rescue"

5:21

10.
"Honeycomb Climb"

3:31

11.
"Man Village"

2:59

12.
"Mowgli and the Pit"

3:26

13.
"Monkeys Kidnap Mowgli"

1:52

14.
"Arriving at King Louie's Temple"

4:35

15.
"Cold Lair Chase"

4:03

16.
"Red Flower"

3:15

17.
"To the River"

3:05

18.
"Shere Khan's War Theme"

2:37

19.
"Shere Khan and the Fire"

4:52

20.
"Elephant Waterfall"

3:27

21.
"Mowgli Wins the Race"

0:41

22.
"Jungle Book Closes"

2:16

23.
"I Wan'na Be Like You"
Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Christopher Walken
3:02

24.
"The Bare Necessities"
Terry Gilkyson
Bill Murray, Kermit Ruffins
3:01

Total length:
74:17

text: Note 1. ^ Original "When You Wish Upon a Star" melody composed by Leigh Harline; Walt Disney Pictures logo melody composed by Mark Mancina.

text: Release[edit]

text: The film was originally scheduled for October 9, 2015, but the film's release date was later postponed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to April 15, 2016.[32][33] The film was released in the Dolby Vision format in Dolby Cinema in the United States,[34] and is the first film to be released in Dolby Vision 3D (in a few select theaters in New York City and Chicago).[35] The Jungle Book held its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on April 4, 2016.[36] It was released in 15 countries, a week ahead of its U.S. debut on April 15, in countries like Argentina, Australia, Russia, Malaysia, and most notably in India on April 8.[37] The release date in India was strategic for the film as it coincided with the Indian New Year and was a holiday in most parts of the country.[38] Disney India commissioned a contemporary recording of "Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai," overseen by the song's composers Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar, and released it as part of the film's promotional campaign in India.[39][40]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released digitally on August 23, 2016, and on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30 (August 22 in the UK[41]). A 3D Blu-ray was said to be coming by the end of the year.[42] The film topped the NPD VideoScan overall disc sales chart for two consecutive weeks.[43][44]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film became a huge financial success and a surprise hit.[45] It briefly held the record for the biggest remake of all time until the studio's own Beauty and the Beast surpassed it the following year.[46] It grossed $364 million in the United States and Canada and $602.5 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $966.6 million, against a budget of $175 million.[5] Worldwide, the film was released across 28,000 RealD 3D screens[35] and had an IMAX worldwide opening of $20.4 million from 901 IMAX screens, a new record for a PG film.[47] It grossed a total of $39 million in IMAX screens worldwide.[48] On May 13, it became the second film of 2016 (after the studio's own Zootopia) to pass the $800 million mark.[49][50] On June 10, it became the third film of 2016 after Zootopia and Captain America: Civil War to pass the $900 million mark.[51] Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $258 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the sixth-most profitable release of 2016.[52]

text: United States and Canada[edit]

text: Projections for its opening weekend in the United States and Canada were continuously revised upwards, starting from $60 million to as high as $88 million, with female and older male quadrants being the prime draw.[3][35][53][54] The Jungle Book was shown across 4,028 theaters of which 3,100 theaters (75%) were in 3D, including 376 IMAX screens, 463 premium large format screens, and 145 D-Box locations.[3][4][55] It opened Friday, April 15, 2016, on around 9,500 screens across 4,028 theaters, and earned $32.4 million, the fourth-biggest April Friday.[35][56] This includes $4.2 million from Thursday previews, the biggest preview number for a Disney live-adaptation film (tied with Maleficent),[57] an almost unheard-of for a PG title which rarely attracts many ticketbuyers later in the night.[58] In total, it earned $103.3 million in its opening weekend, exceeding expectations by 40% and recorded the biggest PG-rated April opening (breaking Hop's record), the second-biggest Disney live-action adaptation opening (behind Alice in Wonderland), and the second-biggest April opening (behind Furious 7).[35][59][60] It also performed exceptionally well in both 3D and IMAX formats, where they both generated an income of $44 million and $10.4 million of the film's opening-weekend gross, respectively, the later broke the record for the biggest April Disney release IMAX opening.[35][47] Notably, it also became the only second PG-rated release to ever open above $100 million (following Alice in Wonderland) and the third film of 2016 overall to open above $100 million (following Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).[35][61] It earned $130.7 million in its first full week, the second-biggest for a Disney live-action adaptation, behind only Alice in Wonderland's $146.6 million seven-day gross.[62]

text: Buoyed by excellent word of mouth and benefiting from spring break, it fell only by 40% in its second weekend earning $61.5 million, still maintaining the top position and far surpassing newcomer The Huntsman: Winter's War.[63] That puts The Jungle Book in the top fifteen second weekends of all time and in terms of films that opened above $100 million, it scored the fourth-smallest drop behind Shrek 2 (−33%), Spider-Man (−39%), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (−39%).[64][65] Of those numbers, $5.6 million came from IMAX shows for a two weekend cumulative total of $18.4 million which represents about 10% of its entire North American box office gross.[63] It crossed $200 million on its twelfth day of release[66] and managed to hold the top spot for the third consecutive weekend with $43.7 million from 4,041 theaters (an addition of 13 more theaters), a fall of only 29%, outgrossing the next six pictures combined (including the openings of three newcomers)[67] and recorded the sixth-biggest third weekend of all time.[68] Moreover, the 29% drop is the smallest third-weekend drop (from its second weekend) for a $100 million opener ever.[68] Disney added an additional 103 theaters for the film's fourth weekend of release which propelled its theater count to 4,144 theaters,[69] but nevertheless, it was overtaken by Disney's own Captain America: Civil War after experiencing a 50% decline.[70][71] It passed $300 million on its thirtieth day of release, on May 14, as it continued to witness marginal declines in the wake of several new releases weekend after weekend.[72] It made 3.53 times its opening weekend numbers, which is one of the biggest of all time for a film opening above $100 million. It became one of the few surprise hits and one of the highest-grossing films of the year, alongside Finding Dory, The Secret Life of Pets, and Zootopia, centered around talking animals to dominate the year-end chart.[45]

text: Other Countries[edit]

text: The film was released in approximately 70 countries.[73] Outside the US and Canada, it opened across 15 markets and 69 IMAX screens a week ahead of its US debut, and faced notable competition from newcomer The Huntsman: Winter's War and holdover Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the latter of which was entering its third weekend. The reason behind the divided release pattern was because Disney wanted to get some space before Captain America: Civil War releases in early May, as well as availing school holidays and avoiding local competitors.[74] It eventually grossed $31.7 million, debuting at first place in all markets and second overall at the international box office, behind Dawn of Justice, which was playing across 67 markets.[74] In its second weekend, it expanded to an additional 49 countries (88% of its total marketplace) and grossed $138.6 million from 64 countries, easily topping the international box office, a bulk of it came from China.[75] Approximately 63% or $85 million of that came from 3D screenings, with the largest 3D opening haul represented by China (98%), Germany (83%), Brazil (73%), Russia (60%), Mexico (47%), and the UK (39%).[75] $10 million alone came from 525 IMAX screens, a record for a PG and April release.[47] It further continued to hold the top spot in its third weekend after adding another $98.9 million from 53 territories, falling only by a marginal 32%. IMAX generated another $6.1 million from 484 IMAX theaters for a three-weekend total of $20.6 million.[48] After three straight No. 1 runs, it was finally dethroned by the studio's Captain America: Civil War in its fourth weekend.[76]

text: In India, it scored the second-biggest opening day for a Hollywood film, earning $1.51 million (behind Avengers: Age of Ultron) from around 1,500 screens[77] and went on to score the second-biggest Hollywood opening weekend of all time, with $8.4 million from 1,600 screens, behind only Furious 7 in terms of local as well as U.S. currency,[78][79] performing better than expected and its initial $5–6 million opening projection.[77] Its opening weekend in India alone surpassed the entire lifetime total of Disney's other live-fantasy adaptations—Cinderella, Maleficent, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Alice in Wonderland—in the country.[74] It then went on to score the biggest opening and single week for a Hollywood film with $15.1 million.[73][80] In its second weekend, it dropped just by a mere 40% to $4.97 million.[81] In just ten days, it became the fourth-highest-grossing Hollywood film there with $21.2 million.[59] On Wednesday, April 19—its twelfth day of release—it surpassed Furious 7 to become the highest-grossing Hollywood/foreign release of all time there.[82][83] By the end of its theatrical run, the film made an estimated $38.8 million with half of its revenue—58%—coming from local dubbed versions, compared to Avengers: Age of Ultron, which saw 45% of its revenue from dubbed versions.[84]

text: In China, where the film was locally known as Fantasy Forest, expectations were high, with projections going as high $154–200 million or more.[85][86][87][88] Ultimately, it was unable to hit these marks.[72] Before the release of the film in the state, Disney had a very successful run at the box office with Zootopia the previous month, in which anthropomorphic animals were the central figure.[89] Forbes noted that The Jungle Book was precisely the sort of film that Chinese audiences love with its 3D visuals, heartwarming story, and talking animal cast.[86] It earned around $12 million on its opening day, including $300,000 worth of previews from 65,000 screenings.[86] Buoyed by good word of mouth and positive reception (albeit mostly from audiences with polarized reception from Chinese critics),[90] it rose 72% on its second day to $20 million.[88] Through its opening weekend it grossed $48.5 million, including $5.1 million from 279 IMAX screens, a new record for April release.[59][91] Its opening marked the biggest Walt Disney Pictures film opening ever,[92] the second-biggest for a family film (behind Kung Fu Panda 3), the second-biggest April debut (behind Furious 7), and the fourth-biggest Disney opening (behind Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).[93] It topped the daily box office through the whole opening week and went on to remain at the top of the box office for a second weekend, after dropping by a mere 20% to $29.8 million, despite facing some competitions.[94] It ended its run there with a total of $150.1 million after thirty days of playing in theaters, adding $1.2 million on its last day. Albeit falling just below expectations, it nevertheless emerged as a huge financial success and becoming the fourth-biggest Disney release there.[72][95]

text: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it had an opening weekend total of £9.9 million ($14.1 million) from 594 theaters[96] and in France with $8.1 million.[75] Elsewhere, the highest openings were recorded in Russia and the CIS ($7.4 million), Germany ($5.1 million), Spain ($3.9 million), Australia ($2.8 million), Argentina ($2.3 million), and in Malaysia, where it scored the biggest opening weekend for a live-action Disney film with $2.3 million.[74][75] In the UK, it became the first film of 2016 to earn over £5 million in three straight weekends and the first film since Jurassic World, Spectre, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (all 2015 films) to achieve such an accomplishment,[97] and the first film of 2016 to earn above £40 million ($58 million).[98] In South Korea, it faced competition with Warcraft, but ended up debuting atop the charts with $6.2 million.[99] It has so far grossed a total of $18 million there.[100]

text: It opened in Japan on August 11, alongside the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse[92][101] and delivered a four-day opening of $6.2 million from 676 screens ($3 million in two days), debuting at second place behind The Secret Life of Pets. Although the opening figure was considered mediocre, Deadline.com noted that Japan is a market that can see big multiples.[102][103] It fell just 30% in its second weekend earning $2.1 million for an eleven-day total of $13.7 million.[104][105]

text: In total earnings, its biggest markets outside of the US and Canada were China ($150.1 million), the United Kingdom ($66.2 million) and India ($38.8 million).[95] It was the highest-grossing film of 2016 in Europe with a total of $209 million,[106] the United Kingdom and Ireland,[107] and in India (although it was later surpassed by Sultan, in terms of Hollywood/imported films, it is still the biggest).[108]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film received praise for its visual effects, vocal performances, direction, musical score, and its faithfulness to the animated film.[113][114][115] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 95%, based on 293 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch, The Jungle Book is the rare remake that actually improves upon its predecessors—all while setting a new standard for CGI."[116] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[117] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Ninety-seven percent of the audience gave the film an A or a B. It got As from both the under- and over-25 crowd and A+ among those under 18 years of age, and also for the over-50 audience.[35]

text: Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Exceptionally beautiful to behold and bolstered by a stellar vocal cast, this umpteenth film rendition of Rudyard Kipling's tales of young Mowgli's adventures amongst the creatures of the Indian jungle proves entirely engaging, even if it's ultimately lacking in subtext and thematic heft."[118] Andrew Barker of Variety felt that this version "can't rival the woolly looseness of Disney's 1967 animated classic, of course, but it succeeds on its own so well that such comparisons are barely necessary."[119] Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the film four stars out of five, and deemed it "a sincere and full-hearted adaptation that returns to Kipling for fresh inspiration."[120] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap says "This 'Book' might lack the post-vaudeville razzamatazz of its predecessor, but director Jon Favreau and a team of effects wizards plunge us into one of the big screen's most engrossing artificial worlds since Avatar."[121] Peter Bradshaw, writing for The Guardian, gave the film four out of five stars and felt that the film had a touch of Apocalypto in it, finding the plot elements to be similar to those in The Lion King. He wrote that the film was "spectacular, exciting, funny and fun" and that it "handsomely revives the spirit of Disney's original film."[122] Pete Hammond of Deadline.com wrote that the film had laughs, excitement, an exceptional voice cast and, most importantly, a lot of heart, calling it a cinematic achievement like no other. He particularly praised Murray's performance and the visual effects, deeming it "simply astonishing."[123] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly graded the film an "A–," calling it one of the biggest surprises of 2016. He, however, felt the two songs were rather unnecessary and distracting, and believed the film to be a little too frightening for children.[124]

text: Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three-and-a-half stars, pointing out the CGI as the apex achievement of the film. He labelled it "a beautifully rendered, visually arresting take on Rudyard Kipling's oft-filmed tales" but found the musical numbers to be trivial, saying that without the musical numbers, the film might have been a more exhilarating streamlined adventure.[125] Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan remarked that "The Jungle Book is the kind of family film calculated to make even those without families wish they had one to take along."[126] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone awarded the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, labeling it scary and thrilling, yet unique and unforgettable, and adding that it "fills us with something rare in movies today—a sense of wonder."[127] The Village Voice's Bilge Ebiri hailed the film as fast and light and that it "manages to be just scary enough to make us feel the danger of solitude in the middle of a massive jungle, but never indulgent or gratuitous."[128] The New York Times' Manohla Dargis was less enthusiastic.[129] Cath Clarke of Time Out compared Elba's character of Shere Khan to Scar from The Lion King, calling him "baddie of the year."[130] Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com also had high praise for Elba's portrayal of Shere Khan stating: "His loping menace is envisioned so powerfully that he'd be scary no matter what, but the character becomes a great villain through imaginative empathy. We understand and appreciate his point-of-view, even though carrying it out would mean the death of Mowgli."[111]

text: The film's visual effects and 3D photography received acclaim, with comparisons being made to the likes of Avatar, Gravity, Hugo, and Life of Pi.[113][121][131] Sarah Ward of Screen International wrote that the level of detail on display in the film "is likely to evoke the same jaw-dropping reaction as James Cameron's box office topper."[132] Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the few 3D movies that actually benefits from being in 3D."[124] The film also garnered a positive reception from Indian contemporary critics and publications,[133] such as The Times of India,[134] The Hindu,[135] India Today,[136] The Indian Express,[137] and The Economic Times.[138]

text: The film also had its share of negative reviews with most reviewers criticizing the inconsistent tone of the film and the director's indecision to stick to one vision. Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine wrote, "Jon Favreau draws heavily on his film's animated predecessor for plot, characterizations, songs, and set pieces, but doesn't know how to fit these familiar elements into his own coherent vision".[139] Josh Spiegel of Movie Mezzanine also echoed these feelings, saying that the film "stumbles because the people involved aren't willing to fully commit to either making a near-shot-for-shot remake or going in a completely different direction".[140] Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald felt that the movie was soulless, writing that "The better these talking beasts look, the more the film resembles a gorgeous screen saver. You admire The Jungle Book, but you can't lose yourself in it".[141]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: Following the film's early financial and critical success, the studio has begun working on a sequel. Jon Favreau is reported to return as director and Neel Sethi is reported to reprise his role of Mowgli, while screenwriter Justin Marks is also in negotiations to return.[142] It was announced on April 25, 2016 that Favreau and Marks will return to direct and write, and the sequel could potentially have a release sometime in 2019 and will be shot back-to-back with a live-action remake of The Lion King.[143][144][145] However, it was reported in March 2017 that the sequel was put on hold in order for Favreau to instead focus mainly on The Lion King.[146]


document_title: Thor: The Dark World

question_text: who played the collector in thor dark world

root

text: Thor: The Dark World

text: Plot

text: Eons ago, Bor, father of Odin, clashes with the Dark Elf Malekith, who seeks to unleash a weapon known as the Aether on the nine realms. After conquering Malekith's forces, including enhanced warriors called the Kursed, on their home world of Svartalfheim, Bor safeguards the Aether within a stone column. Unknown to Bor, Malekith as well as his lieutenant Algrim and a handful of Dark Elves escape into suspended animation.

tag: p

text: In present-day Asgard, Loki stands imprisoned for his war crimes on Earth.[N 1] Meanwhile, Thor, alongside warriors Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif, repel marauders on Vanaheim, home of their comrade Hogun; it is the final battle in a war to pacify the Nine Realms following the reconstruction of the Bifröst, the "Rainbow Bridge" between realms, which had been destroyed two years earlier.[N 2] The Asgardians soon learn that the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, is imminent; as the event approaches, portals linking the worlds appear at random.

text: In London, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster and her intern Darcy Lewis travel to an abandoned factory where such portals have appeared, disrupting the laws of physics around them. Separating from the group, Foster is teleported to another world, where she is infected by the Aether. Heimdall alerts Thor that Foster has moved beyond his near all-seeing vision, leading Thor to Earth. When Thor finds Foster, she inadvertently releases an unearthly force, and Thor returns with her to Asgard. Odin, recognizing the Aether, warns that the Aether will not only kill Foster but that its return heralds a catastrophic prophecy.

text: Malekith, awakened by the Aether's release, turns Algrim into a Kursed and attacks Asgard. During the battle, Malekith and Algrim search for Foster, sensing that she contains the Aether. Thor's mother Frigga is killed protecting Foster, and Malekith and Algrim are forced to flee without Foster. Despite Odin's orders not to leave Asgard, Thor reluctantly enlists the help of Loki, who knows of a secret portal to Svartalfheim, where they will use Foster to lure and confront Malekith, away from Asgard. In return, Thor promises Loki vengeance on Malekith for killing their mother. With Volstagg and Sif stalling Asgardian soldiers and Fandral assisting their escape, Thor, Loki, and Foster head to Svartalfheim.

text: There, Loki tricks Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Foster, but Thor's attempt to destroy the exposed substance fails. Malekith merges with the Aether and leaves in his ship as Loki is fatally wounded while killing Algrim. Thor, cradling Loki in his arms, promises to tell their father of his sacrifice. Afterward, Thor and Foster discover another portal in a nearby cave and reunite in London with Lewis and Foster's mentor Dr. Erik Selvig—who was briefly institutionalized due to the mental trauma he suffered during Loki's attack on Earth. They learn that Malekith plans to restore the Dark Elves to dominance by unleashing the Aether at the center of the Convergence in Greenwich. Thor battles Malekith through various portals and across multiple worlds until one portal separates them, leaving Malekith unopposed on Earth. Thor returns in time to help his mortal comrades use their scientific equipment to transport Malekith to Svartalfheim, where he is crushed by his own damaged ship.

text: Thor returns to Asgard, where he declines Odin's offer to take the throne and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. As he leaves, Odin's form transforms into Loki, who is alive and impersonating Odin.

text: In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg and Sif visit the Collector and entrust the Aether to his care, commenting that with the Tesseract already in Asgard, having two Infinity Stones so close together would be unwise. As they leave, the Collector states his desire to acquire the other five Stones. In a post-credits scene, Foster and Thor reunite on Earth, while somewhere in London, a frost monster from Jotunheim—accidentally transported to Earth during the final battle—continues to run amok.

text: Cast

text:
Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The crown prince of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.[9] Hemsworth stated that the film addresses unresolved issues regarding Thor's relationships from previous films, "For Thor and Jane, there are some unanswered questions now, since obviously he didn't stop in and catch up with her in The Avengers. Thor might have some explaining to do in this one. And with Loki, we get down to the major bones of our conflict with everything that's come from Thor to Avengers to now."[10] Hemsworth added, "Thor's journey I think picks more so up from where we left the first one—About to take on the throne... and now coming to the realization of what responsibility comes with that. Also, Alan [Taylor] keeps talking about the dark side of that responsibility, and the secrets of being king or becoming sort of very political about what people need to know and what they want to know."[11] Hemsworth especially enjoyed the role of Thor in this film as he was able to, "... break him down and find his human qualities and his vulnerable side."[12]
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:
An astrophysicist and Thor's love interest,[13] who is brought from Earth to Asgard by Thor after she is infected with a mysterious energy.[14] Producer Kevin Feige said, "[W]hile Thor was a fish out of water on Earth in the first two films (Thor and The Avengers), this time Jane is very much a fish out of water in Asgard."[15] Portman added, "It was a whole different adventure this time. Because Jane is the fish out of water. I didn't want to make it like Bill & Ted, or like a valley girl dumped into Shakespeareland."[16] Portman also said the film finds Jane at a different place in her life, "Jane has moved, so she's now in London, not in Santa Fe anymore. Obviously she has gone through missing Thor and also being upset at him because he didn't come knock on her door when he was on her planet. She's definitely been getting over that and trying to move on."[17] Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky stood in for Portman during the post-credits kissing scene due to a scheduling conflict.[18]
Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor's adoptive brother and nemesis, based on the deity of the same name, who forms an uneasy alliance with Thor against the Dark Elves.[19][20][21] On where he wished to take the character in the film, Hiddleston said, "I'd like to take [Loki] to his absolute rock bottom. I'd like to see him yield, essentially, to his darkest instincts. Then, having hit rock bottom, maybe come back up. I think the fascination for me about playing Loki is that, in the history of the mythology and the comic books and the Scandinavian myths, is he's constantly dancing on this fault line of the dark side and redemption."[22] Hiddleston recalled, "When I met Alan [Taylor], he asked me how I thought I could do Loki again without repeating myself and I remembered talking with Kevin Feige when we were on the Avengers promotional tour. I said, 'OK, you've seen Thor and Loki be antagonistic for two films now. It would be amazing to see them fight side by side. I've been the bad guy now twice, so I can't be again, or otherwise I shouldn't be in the film. So we have to find a new role for me to play."[23]
Anthony Hopkins as Odin:
The king of Asgard, father of Thor, and adoptive father of Loki, based on the deity of the same name,[24] who disapproves of Jane Foster being in Asgard.[14][15] Regarding Thor's relationship with his father, Hemsworth said, "[T]he conflict between Thor and Odin was so great in the first one... so, certainly they disagree as I think they always will at times but there's a far greater respect from each other. So it becomes, I guess, a more mature conversation, but there's more at stake this time, too. It's not sort of just their individual egos, the whole universe is at stake."[11] As to his approach Hopkins said, "I just play Odin like a human being, with maybe a little more dimension. I grow a beard, look hopefully impressive and keep it as real as possible."[17]
Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig:
Foster's mentor and colleague.[25] Skarsgård said, the film finds Selvig in a "disrupted mode" explaining, "Having a god in your head for a while creates some psychological problems", referring to the character's ordeal following The Avengers.[26]
Idris Elba as Heimdall:
The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the Bifröst Bridge, based on the mythological deity of the same name.[27] Elba said he has a larger role in the sequel, "In the new film we're going to get to know Heimdall the Asgardian a bit better, and we're going to get to know Asgard a bit better. I can't say too much, but the expansion of Thor in his world is going to be huge. My part was very small and functional in the first film".[28]
Christopher Eccleston as Malekith:
The ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim.[29] About Malekith's motivation, Eccleston said, "There is a kind of tragic quality to his quest. Because he's lost his wife, he's lost his children. He's lost everything. And he returns for revenge. And the agent for his revenge is the Aether. If he gets hold of that, he is omnipotent."[30] Eccleston continued, "What I thought about a great deal was revenge—there's huge amounts of revenge. One quote is: 'When you seek revenge, be sure to dig two graves.' I did a film called Revengers Tragedy where I played a guy called Vindici—from the word 'vindictive'—and he is the distillation of revenge. So, in a way, that was what I had to think of: how revenge can make you absolutely monomaniacal—though you're still trying to make it recognizably motive-led. It's just the personification of movie evil."[23] However Taylor stated that a lot of scenes involving Malekith's backstory had to be cut from the film to make it more efficient.[31] Eccleston revealed that he speaks an invented language for the film explaining, "The Elvish language is definitely based on European languages. I think there’s probably some Finnish in there. It does have its logic and its rhythms. It also has many syllables and it's very difficult to do while remaining naturalistic. It's been a particular challenge for us but hopefully it gives the film some complexity and variety."[17] Eccleston also said the role required six hours of make-up and 45 minutes in wardrobe.[30]
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim / Kurse:
A Dark Elf, and Malekith's trusted and loyal lieutenant, who is transformed into a monstrous creature in order to destroy Thor.[32][33] Akinnuoye-Agbaje described Kurse as "an amalgamation of a bull and a lava-like creature. He has very animalistic tendencies but with this insatiable and unstoppable power. As an actor, that's one of the hardest things to embody. You have to realize you are probably the most powerful thing you could imagine. And you have to be that. You can't pretend, so that when you face Thor, it's real."[34] Akinnuoye-Agbaje stated the role required three hours of make-up a day and had to put on heavy duty prosthetics explaining, "The outfit weighed about 40 pounds. I'm sure there will be a certain amount of CGI but a good 80% was me in that suit."[34] About the character Akinnuoye-Agbaje said, "I suppose Algrim and Kurse would be the quintessential baddies, but in reality they are what I perceive as the scorn and the victims of the story. They are the elves who have basically lost their planet and their race to another race, the Asgardians. Here is a man/alien who places a noble objective beyond his own life and I think there is something extremely inspiring about that because he looks at the bigger picture and sees himself as a means to that end." Akinnuoye-Agbaje added, "I worked with director Alan Taylor in trying to maintain Algrim's humanity all the way throughout Kurse's transformation, so that even when you see Kurse the beast, you can still relate to him as being Algrim inside. And symbolically we did that by keeping the same piercing blue eyes throughout."[17]
Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis:
A political science major who is interning for Foster.[33][35] Her role in the film was expanded from the comic relief sidekick role she played in the first Thor film.[36] Dennings said her character is "really bad at real science in this first movie. In the second movie, she's more interested, but she still doesn't know anything about it. She loves Jane, she really wants Jane and Thor to be together. It's almost like her own little soap opera that she watches."[35]
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.[37] About the character Stevenson said, "He's got a heart the size of a planet that he wears on his sleeve, so he's like a big kid."[17] Regarding Volstagg's role in this film, Stevenson said, "Volstagg is struggling, he has a brood, they [the Warriors Three] are fighting for hearth and home as much as for the idea of Asgard itself. That's where he has trouble." Explaining, "He's all too aware of how potentially threatening this new enemy is on both the home front and the battlefield."[38]
Zachary Levi as Fandral:
A member of the Warriors Three, characterized as an irrepressible swashbuckler and romantic.[39] Levi replaced Joshua Dallas in the role due to Dallas’s commitment on Once Upon a Time. Levi had been up for the role in the first film, but bowed out due to his commitment on Chuck.[40] Levi compared the character to Flynn Rider, the character he played in the animated feature, Tangled, "Fandral is a little similar to Rider in some ways... He's like this Lothario. He's like Errol Flynn. He loves ladies, as do I".[41] Regarding the dynamic of the Warriors Three, Levi said, "The Warriors Three are here to support Thor. We are his confidants, his best friends. We've all grown up together in a lot of ways and fought many a battle together, escaped death. To me it's the way best friends ought to be—they're there when you need to talk and they're there if you don't want to talk, and they're there if you need to escape from your father's place in a flying skiff!"[17]
Tadanobu Asano as Hogun: A member of the Warriors Three, a native of Vanaheim,[26] primarily identified by his grim demeanor.[42]
Jaimie Alexander as Sif:
An Asgardian warrior, Thor's childhood friend and Jane Foster's romantic rival, based on the deity of the same name.[15][43] Alexander said there is more character development for Sif and the film explores the Sif-Thor relationship.[44] Alexander elaborated, "I really tried to bring a little bit more vulnerability in this film. Sif is very much in love with Thor and very much cares about his well-being. So she kicks a lot of butt in this movie but she also opens her heart a lot."[17] Alexander suffered a severe back injury while on the set. About the injury, she said, "It was raining, it was dark outside, it was like 5 in the morning—and I went down a metal staircase and slipped and slipped a disc in my thoracic spine and chipped 11 of my vertebrae. I knocked my left shoulder out of place and tore my rhomboid on my right side... It took me out of filming for a month".[45]
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.[46] Russo said that her role was expanded and explores Frigga's relationship with Loki, "You know, they cut me [down] in the first film. Kenneth Branagh sent me a nice note, because he understood, he's an actor. You move on, what are you going to do? But I think they're going to need a good mom in the next film. Loki needs his mom. I have a lot of compassion for [Loki]. But we might have to have a conversation about what he just did".[47]

tag: ul

text: Additionally, Alice Krige portrays Eir, an Asgardian physician.[48] Chris O'Dowd was cast as Richard,[49][50] a suitor of Jane Foster's. Benicio del Toro, who plays the Collector in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy, appears in a mid-credits scene with Ophelia Lovibond, who plays his aide Carina.[51][52][53][54] Jonathan Howard plays Ian Boothby,[55] Darcy's intern. Tony Curran plays Bor, Odin's father, based on the deity of the same name.[56][57] Clive Russell plays Tyr, based on the deity of the same name.[58] Richard Brake portrays a captain in the Einherjar.[58] Chris Evans makes an uncredited cameo appearance[59] as Loki masquerading as Captain America, while Thor co-creator Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance[60] as a patient in a mental ward.

text: Production

text: Development

text:
"In both cases, it's using the conceit of a fantastical, alien world to make fresh what is really a domestic drama. In Game of Thrones, seeing Tyrion battle with his sister Cersei, seeing the relationships between children and their fathers... It's all the stuff we're interested in at a psychological level because we're living it all the time. But it takes place in this otherwise fantastical, foreign realm. I think the same thing is true in Thor. The brilliant thing Ken Branagh did in launching it was making it very much a story about two brothers, a story about brothers competing for the love of their father. So it's small, confined and human at the same time it's this blown-out, intergalactic world."

—Alan Taylor, director of Thor: The Dark World and several episodes of Game of Thrones[61]

text: In April 2011 before the release of Thor (2011), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that following The Avengers (2012), "Thor will go off into a new adventure."[62] Kenneth Branagh, director of Thor, responded to his comments, saying, "It is kind of news to me. Here's what I would say to that: It's that I'm thrilled they're that confident. I shall wait for the audience to tell us whether there should be a second one, and then if that's a nice conversation to be had [among] all of us, that'd be thrilling. But I've got too much Irish superstitious blood in me to assume that Thor 2 will happen. But if Marvel says so, then I guess it must be true".[63] Feige later explained that Marvel Studios would gauge how well Thor did at the box office before announcing sequels, but stated, "Don Payne is working on story ideas for a part two. We've got various options with Ken [Branagh] to discuss coming back, but right now the focus is on the first one. Don is, slowly but surely, thinking about where to take the character next should we be so lucky".[64]

text: In June 2011, Walt Disney Studios set a July 26, 2013, release date for the Thor sequel with Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as the title hero. It was also reported that Branagh would not be returning as director but would likely be involved in a producing capacity.[9] The Los Angeles Times cited the long commitment necessary for a special effects-heavy epic and the pressure to start the script process right away as reasons for Branagh's departure, although he was initially enthused by the chance to direct the sequel.[65] Branagh noted, "It was a long time [making the first film] and they were way too quick for me to get straight back into another, [but] it was a pleasurable experience and a film I'm very proud of."[66] The following day, Marvel formally hired Payne, one of the credited writers of the first film, to script the sequel.[67] In August, Brian Kirk entered early negotiations to direct the Thor sequel. The film would have marked Kirk's first time directing a big-budget motion picture, after having directed television series for HBO, Showtime and the BBC, including Game of Thrones.[68]

text: In September 2011, Tom Hiddleston confirmed he would return in the sequel, speculating that in the film, "[Loki will] have to take responsibility for what he's done".[19] Patty Jenkins, the director of Monster and the pilot episode of AMC's The Killing, entered early negotiations with Marvel Studios and Disney to direct the film, after Kirk had passed due to contractual sticking points that arose during negotiations.[69] Later in the month, Feige stated the sequel would "take Thor literally to other worlds" and would "primarily be the journey of that character, of he and Jane Foster and how the new dynamic with his father is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds".[70] On October 13, 2011, Marvel confirmed that Jenkins would direct the sequel and Natalie Portman would return to star.[13] Disney also moved the release date for the film to November 15, 2013.[71]

text: Pre-production

text:
"The main difference I have [from Branagh's approach] is really to do with look and tone. Things look really dirty. The first Thor was quite shiny and it was a very conscious, smart choice. When I came in, I wanted to get more of a sense of the Norse mythology: the Viking quality, the texture and weight of the history. He’s a superhero, but he’s been around for thousands of years. His dad is god!"

—Alan Taylor[23]

text: In December 2011, Jenkins exited the project, citing "creative differences".[72] She stated, "I have had a great time working at Marvel. We parted on very good terms, and I look forward to working with them again."[73] Jenkins felt she could not have made a good film "out of Thor 2 because I wasn’t the right director... I could have made a great Thor if I could have done the story that I was wanting to do. But I don’t think I was the right person to make a great Thor out of the story they wanted to do." Jenkins had intended to create a film based on the premise of Romeo and Juliet, where Jane was stuck on Earth with Thor forbidden to come save her. After Thor eventually does travel to Earth, he and Jane would have discovered that Malekith was "hiding the dark energy inside of Earth because he knows that Odin doesn't care about Earth, and so he's using Odin's disinterest in Earth to trick him."[74]

text: Three days later, it was reported that Marvel was looking at Alan Taylor and Daniel Minahan as prospective directors to replace Jenkins, and were also in the midst of hiring a writer to rewrite Don Payne's script, with the shortlist of possible writers consisting of John Collee, Robert Rodat, and Roger Avary.[75] At the end of the month, Alan Taylor, best known for directing episodes of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, was chosen to direct the sequel.[76] Feige mentioned Taylor's work on the series Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones as reasons for his hiring, saying "With Alan's direction we got a few more layers of patina, of texture, of reality into our golden realm."[17] By January 10, Marvel Studios had commissioned screenwriter Robert Rodat to rewrite the sequel and Hiddleston stated that filming was expected to begin in London in the summer of 2012.[77][78] Hemsworth later confirmed that filming was scheduled to begin in August.[79][80] Hemsworth also revealed that the film would have a more Viking-influenced feel, elaborating "I think the science fiction element to Thor … the danger is it falls a little bit into the world of it's 'tough to throw a light to.' I think of big waterfalls and mountains and a Viking influence, where the Norse mythology kind of grew from. Having that in Asgard is going to make it all the more special and that's what Alan [Taylor] wants to bring to it."[79] Feige said "while the relationship between Loki and Thor certainly has changed [after the events of the movie The Avengers] and has progressed, a lot of Thor 2 is picking up where it left off in terms of Jane, who you just saw for a moment on a computer monitor, and also what's been going on in the nine realms without the Asgardians being able to use the Bifrost." Feige also said that while Loki has a part, "there will be a different villain, another big villain".[80]

text: In May 2012, Mads Mikkelsen began talks to play one of the villains in the film and Anthony Hopkins, who played Odin in the first film, committed to returning in the sequel.[24][81] At the end of the month, Disney moved up the release date for the film a week ahead of the previous date to November 8, 2013.[82] By June 2012, much of the first film's supporting cast was confirmed to return, including Idris Elba,[27] Jaimie Alexander,[43] Ray Stevenson[37] and Stellan Skarsgård.[25] Also in June, Joshua Dallas announced that he would not be reprising the role of Fandral.[83] Dallas had initially intended to return,[84] but had to bow out due to his commitment on the television show, Once Upon a Time,[83] and Zachary Levi was cast in his place.[39] Levi was originally up for the role in the first film but scheduling conflicts with Chuck forced him to drop out.[40]

text: In July 2012, Mikkelsen stated he would not be appearing in the sequel due to prior commitments, "That's not happening unfortunately. I had a meeting with [the filmmakers], but it was a bit too late and then Hannibal came in...It's just not happening".[85] At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International, it was announced that the film would be titled Thor: The Dark World.[86] At the end of the month, residents near Bourne Wood in Surrey, England were notified that a film going by the working title, Thursday Mourning would be filming in the area.[87][88] In August of that year, Christopher Eccleston entered final negotiations to play Malekith,[29] and the film was scheduled to shoot in Iceland, where Taylor shot parts of Game of Thrones.[89] By August 22, Kat Dennings was hired to reprise her role as Darcy Lewis and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was cast as Algrim.[32][36] At the end of the month, film crews for Thursday Mourning began set construction at Stonehenge near Amesbury, England.[90]

text: Filming

text: Principal photography began on September 10, 2012, in Bourne Wood, Surrey, England,[91] under the working title Thursday Mourning.[87][88] A few weeks later, Clive Russell was cast as Tyr, and Richard Brake was cast as an Einherjar captain.[58] At the end of the month, Jaimie Alexander was injured on the London film set, after she slipped while walking in the rain.[92] On October 12, 2012, production moved to Iceland with filming taking place in Dómadalur, Skógafoss, Fjaðrárgljúfur and Skeiðarársandur. Iceland Review described the shoot as being among the most extensive film projects to have ever taken place in Iceland.[93] Three days later, Disney announced that the film would be released in 3D.[94] In late October, filming commenced at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London.[95] Filming also took place at Shepperton Studios and Longcross Studios in Surrey between October and December 2012.[17][96] Other filming locations included Wembley, Borough Market, Hayes and Stonehenge.[17] Alexander tweeted that principal photography wrapped on December 14, 2012.[97] Disney spent $237.6 million on Thor: The Dark World but $37 million of this was offset by payments from the UK tax authority.[98] A report on actual production costs for films from FilmL.A. Inc., indicated a gross budget of $170 million, with a net of $152.7 million for Thor: The Dark World.[2]

text: Kramer Morgenthau, who worked with Taylor on Game of Thrones, was brought in as the director of photography. Morgenthau said, "We wanted a grittier, boots-on-the-ground feeling, inspired by what Alan and I had done on Game of Thrones. We wanted the realms to feel grounded, like a real place, while at the same time respecting the magical 'planet of the Gods' feeling and theme." Thor: The Dark World was Morgenthau's first time shooting a feature film digitally. For the film, Morgenthau chose the Arri Alexa Plus, although he tested with the Sony F65 but found the Alexa to be more pleasing. In addition to the Alexa, Red Epic and Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras were used for second unit filming. With the Alexa, Morgenthau used Panavision anamorphic lenses. Morgenthau said, "The lenses brought some of the magic and mystery of photochemical back to digital, that big-movie look." Morgenthau also stated that Thor: The Dark World was easily the most technically complex project that he has worked but said, "It's all the same concept and the same principles as in a smaller film. You just scale it up. You do a lot more prep. We had three months of prep and loads of time to pre-rig stages. Part of it is having a really good crew—it's definitely not a one-man show."[99]

text: Post-production

text: In July 2013, Dennings told reporters that the film was about to head into reshoots.[100] In August, Taylor said he shot extra scenes with Hiddleston and was about to shoot more with Hopkins. Taylor explained that it was all a part of the "Marvel process" saying, "We're doing full scenes, scenes that were not in the movie before. We're adding scenes, creating scenes, writing scenes for the first time. The one [involving Loki] was a fun connective scene... We realised how well Loki was working in the movie, and we wanted to do more with him. So it was that kind of thing, it was like, 'Oh, we could do this, we could jam this in here' because he's such a wonderful guy to watch do his stuff."[101] Also in August, IMAX Corporation and Marvel Entertainment announced that the film would be digitally re-mastered into the IMAX 3D format and released into IMAX 3D theatres internationally beginning October 30, 2013.[102]

text: Taylor said Marvel's The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon rewrote several scenes in the film explaining, "Joss came in to save our lives a couple of times. We had a major scene that was not working on the page at all in London, and he basically got airlifted in, like a SWAT team or something. He came down, rewrote the scene, and before he got back to his plane I sort of grabbed him and said, 'And this scene and this scene?' And he rewrote two other scenes that I thought had problems."[103] In October 2013, Tony Curran tweeted that he would be portraying Odin's father, Bor, in a flashback sequence.[56][57] In November 2013, Feige stated that the film was intended to be the conclusion of the "Loki trilogy", which examined the relationship of Thor and Loki throughout Thor, The Avengers and this film.[104] The film's mid-credits scene was directed by James Gunn, the director of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy.[51][105]

text: The film's visual effects were completed by seven special effects studios, including Double Negative and Luma Pictures.[106] Blur Studio was the lead studio behind the film's prologue sequence taking place 5,000 years before the start of the film, on the Dark Elves homeworld of Svartalfheim. The sequence consisted mostly of computer graphics with live-action shots interwoven throughout. The use of CG allowed for greater freedom of movement by the characters as the live-action costumes were too constrictive.[107]

text: Taylor wanted Asgard in this film to have a more natural look than its predecessor. To achieve this, crews filmed the coast of Norway with an Arri Alexa camera for three days in a helicopter, capturing six hours of footage. Double Negative then embedded their CG rendering of Asgard on shots of the natural landscape. Double Negative visual effects supervisor Alex Wuttke said, "The benefit of that is that you have some real world terrain to work with – so you have buildings that have to convey natural features. Then from there we went in there populating the terrain with different buildings."[107] For scenes taking place on Svartalfheim, production filmed in Iceland with Double Negative adding ruins, mountains, Dark Elf ships, and skies.[107]

text: For the shot of the levitating truck, which was used in the film to demonstrate the strange phenomena brought on by the coming of the alignment of the worlds, filmmakers attached a cement truck to a large hydraulic rig, which could be programmed to change speed and movement.[107] In order to create Algrim's transformation into Kurse, Double Negative morphed live action performances of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as both Algrim and Kurse. Double Negative then added in smoke and lava-like effects.[107]

text: The film's climatic battle sequence takes place through the nine worlds by the use of portals. Visual effects supervisor Jake Morrison said, "We ended up calling this 'time toffee', so as you punch through from one realm to another it's almost like cling film or a slightly gelatinous membrane you have to pass through. It bends a little bit then rips and spits the person out. The other thing we wanted to do was to make sure it was quite fast from an editorial point of view. In the fight scenes there are times when Thor and Malekith are portaling all over the place, quite frankly. We made sure we always kept up the momentum and never stopped the fight. It was a way of making sure the audience weren't conscious there was an effect going on."[107]

text: Music

text: In August 2012, Patrick Doyle said that he had discussions with the director about potentially returning to score the film.[108] By April 2013, Carter Burwell had been hired to compose the score,[109] but by the following month he left the film over creative differences.[110] In June 2013, Marvel hired Brian Tyler, who scored Iron Man 3, to replace Burwell.[111] Tyler said the previous film had an "attitude and [was] grounded in limitations" whereas the Thor film allowed for "all-out regal themes that could be as epic as I could make them." The composer described The Dark World as "science fiction meeting classic medieval war", leading to a score that drew from works of both genres such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.[112] Azam Ali is a featured vocalist on the score.[113] The soundtrack was released digitally on October 28, 2013.[114]

text: Release

text: The world premiere of Thor: The Dark World took place on October 22, 2013, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.[115][116] The film was released theatrically in the UK eight days later, on October 30.[117] The film held its North American premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, and was released into U.S. theaters on November 7, 2013.[118]

text: Marketing

text: In March 2013, Marvel announced the release of a two-issue comic book prelude by writers Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost and artist Scot Eaton in June 2013.[119] In April 2013, Marvel released the first trailer for Thor: The Dark World. Forbes said, "This trailer fits nicely into that larger marketing push for Marvel's brand. It puts all of the recognizable characters from the first film front and center, presents the action as a team event reminiscent of the Avengers, and once again Loki—who was quite popular with audiences—makes an appearance."[120] The Los Angeles Times said, "Evident throughout the trailer is director Alan Taylor's influence; the Game of Thrones director's hand can be seen in the battle sequences, and Asgard—a bright and shiny kingdom under Thor director Kenneth Branagh—seems grittier in the sequel."[121] In July at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, Hiddleston introduced footage from the film to audiences in character as Loki.[122] Also in July, Gameloft announced that a mobile video game titled, Thor the Dark World: The Official Game, would be released in conjunction with the release of the film in November.[123]

text: The theatrical poster for the film was released in early August 2013. Kirsten Acuna of Business Insider criticized the poster for its lack of originality, noting its similarities to one of the posters of Iron Man 3, both of which included the female lead clinging to the male lead, with both looking in opposite directions, antagonists prominently displayed in the background and supporting characters featured "on the side".[124] Additionally, Marvel released a second trailer for the film as part of YouTube's Geek Week.[125] Forbes said, "this 150-second trailer is basically just an extended version of last April's 106-second teaser" and that "this trailer fails to showcase what's new this time around... making audiences question if they really don't have much else to offer."[126] The Los Angeles Times said, that the trailer suggests "an ominous, epic scale for the sequel" and that "the collaboration between Thor and Loki promises to be especially interesting."[21] Later in the month, producer Kevin Feige and cast members Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins presented additional footage at Disney's D23 Expo.[127]

text: Also in August 2013, Disney announced plans to promote the film with an attraction at Disneyland.[128] The attraction called Thor: Treasures of Asgard, located next to the Stark Industries exhibit inside Innoventions in Tomorrowland, opened on November 1, 2013 and features displays of Asgardian relics and transports guests to Odin's throne room, where they are greeted by Thor.[129] The eighth episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., titled "The Well", takes place in the aftermath of the events of Thor: The Dark World. It first aired on November 19, 2013.[130] Jaimie Alexander reprised her role as Sif in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Yes Men", which aired on March 11, 2014.[131]

text: Home media

text: Thor: The Dark World was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for digital download on February 4, 2014, and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on February 25, 2014. The physical media release includes deleted scenes, extended scenes, a gag reel, audio commentary by the cast and crew, and a Marvel One-Shot short film entitled All Hail the King,[132] featuring Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3.[133]

text: The film was also collected in a 13-disc box set, titled "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection", which includes all of the Phase Two films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was released on December 8, 2015.[134]

text: Reception

text: Box office

text: Thor: The Dark World earned $206.4 million in North America and $438.2 million in other markets for a worldwide total of $644.6 million.[4] It surpassed the gross of its predecessor after just 19 days of its release.[135] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $139.4 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film.[136]

text: Thor: The Dark World made an estimated $7.1 million in Thursday night showings, more than double the midnight gross of its predecessor.[137] On Friday, November 7, 2013, the film topped the box office with $31.9 million (including Thursday night earnings), which is 25% higher than the original film's opening-day gross.[138] Through Sunday, the film remained at the No. 1 spot with $85.7 million, which is a 30% increase over its predecessor's opening weekend.[139] This was the largest November opening for a film distributed by Disney, surpassing The Incredibles.[140] Thor: The Dark World topped the box office in North America during its first two weekends,[141] before being overtaken by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in its third weekend.[142]

text: On its midweek opening day of Wednesday, October 30, 2013, Thor: The Dark World earned $8.2 million from 33 territories,[143] including the UK and France, where it opened higher than its predecessor.[144] During its first three days, the film earned $45.2 million,[145] and by the end of the weekend, after expanding into three more territories, it totaled $109.4 million over five days, finishing in first place in all 36 countries.[145] Its largest openings were recorded in China ($21.0 million), the UK, Ireland and Malta ($13.8 million) and France and the Maghreb region ($9.94 million). It topped the box office outside North America on its first three weekends of release.[141] In total earnings, its largest markets are China ($55.3 million), Russia and the CIS ($35.4 million) and the UK, Ireland and Malta ($31.4 million).[146]

text: Critical response

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 66% approval rating with an average rating of 6.2/10 based on 256 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "It may not be the finest film to come from the Marvel Universe, but Thor: The Dark World still offers plenty of the humor and high-stakes action that fans have come to expect."[147] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 44 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[148] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an "A-" average, based on a grading scale ranging from A+ to F.[139]

text: Ben Child of The Guardian said, "Thanks to Hiddleston and Hemsworth's impressive collective charisma, Thor: The Dark World is far from a franchise killer."[149] Justin Chang of Variety wrote, "This robust, impersonal visual-effects showpiece proves buoyant and unpretentious enough to offset its stew of otherwise derivative fantasy/action elements."[150] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap said, "Thor: The Dark World delivers the goods—action, otherworldly grandiosity, romance, humor—above and beyond its predecessor".[151] Simon Abrams, writing for RogerEbert.com said, "There's just enough tension and humor in Thor: The Dark World to make the film's otherwise listless proceedings worth watching, but only just."[152] Echoing other critics' sentiments, Frank Lovece of Film Journal International wrote, "Is it wrong that the best relationship in Thor: The Dark World is between the titular Norse-god superhero and his adoptive brother Loki? To take nothing away from Oscar-winner Natalie Portman, ... it's the complicated love-hate between Thor and the trickster god Loki that you can't turn your eyes from."[153]

text: Conversely, Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph said, "It feels entirely made by committee—the definition of house style, without a personal stamp in sight."[154] Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Although director Alan Taylor manages to get things going properly for the final battle in London, the long stretches before that on Asgard and the other branches of Yggdrasil are a drag, like filler episodes of Game of Thrones but without the narrative complexity, mythical heft or all-pervading sexiness."[155] Michael Phillips of the Los Angeles Times described Thor: The Dark World as having the "same old threats of galaxy annihilation spiced with fairly entertaining fish-out-of-water jokes".[156] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times said, "the battle scenes are as lacking in heat and coherence as the central love story".[157]

text: Accolades

text: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences placed Thor: The Dark World on its shortlist of potential nominees for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects but ultimately did not nominate it.[158]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient
Result
Ref.

2014
IGN Best of 2013
Best Comic Book Adaptation Movie
Thor: The Dark World
Nominated
[159]

People's Choice Awards
Favorite Year-End Movie
Thor: The Dark World
Nominated
[160]

ABFF Hollywood Awards
Artist of the Year
Idris Elba (also for Pacific Rim and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Nominated
[161]

Empire Awards
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hiddleston
Nominated
[162]

Saturn Awards
Best Comic-To-Film Motion Picture
Thor: The Dark World
Nominated
[163]

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hiddleston
Nominated

Best Costume
Wendy Partridge
Nominated

Best Make-Up
Karen Cohen / David White / Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou
Nominated

Best Special / Visual Effects
Jake Morrison / Paul Corbould / Mark Breakspear
Nominated

MTV Movie Awards
Best Shirtless Performance
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated
[164]

Best Hero
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated

Favorite Character
Loki
Nominated

Golden Trailer Awards
Best Action TV Spot
Thor: The Dark World
Nominated
[165]

BET Awards
Best Actor
Idris Elba (also for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Nominated
[166]

Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thor: The Dark World
Nominated
[167]

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Chris Hemsworth
Nominated

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Natalie Portman
Nominated

tag: table

text: Sequel

text: Thor: Ragnarok was released on November 3, 2017,[168] directed by Taika Waititi.[169] Eric Pearson and Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost wrote the screenplay,[170] with Kevin Feige again producing.[171] Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Hopkins, Elba, Asano, Levi, and Stevenson reprise their roles as Thor, Loki, Odin, Heimdall, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg, respectively,[172][173][169][174][175] while Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Cumberbatch appear as Bruce Banner / Hulk and Doctor Strange respectively, reprising their roles from previous MCU films.[176][177] Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and Karl Urban join the cast as Hela, Valkyrie, Grandmaster, and Skurge, respectively.[169]

text: Notes

text:
Jump up ^ As depicted in the 2012 film The Avengers. The events of Thor: The Dark World are set a year after the events of The Avengers.[8]
Jump up ^ As depicted in the 2011 film Thor.

tag: ol