document_title: Pitch Perfect 2

question_text: who played the record producer in pitch perfect 2

text: Pitch Perfect 2

text: Plot[edit]

text: Three years after winning the previous competition, the Barden Bellas are now led by Beca Mitchell and three-time super senior Chloe Beale. The Bellas have become ICCA champions each of these three years. However, the group becomes involved in a national scandal, dubbed Muffgate, when a wardrobe malfunction causes Fat Amy's pants to rip in front of President Barack Obama, showing her genitals to the public since she did not wear underwear, leading to the Bellas' suspension from the ICCAs. Beca makes a deal to allow the Bellas to be reinstated should they win the World Championship of a cappella.

text: Freshman Emily Junk begins her college career, hoping to follow in her mother Katherine's footsteps by being a Bella. At orientation, she watches an a cappella performance by the Treblemakers, now led by Beca's boyfriend Jesse Swanson. Benjamin "Benji" Applebaum, Jesse's best friend, overhears Emily, leading to a crush on her.

text: The Bellas learn that Das Sound Machine (DSM), a German powerhouse group, have replaced the Bellas on their victory tour. Additionally, Beca has started an internship at a recording studio, Residual Heat, something only Jesse knows.

text: Emily goes to the Bellas' sorority house to audition for them because of their absence from the auditions. When she sings her unfinished song "Flashlight," she succeeds in joining the Bellas.

text: At a car show where the ICCA winners are due to perform, the Bellas scout their replacements, DSM, led by intimidating duo Pieter Krämer and Kommissar, who take delight in mocking the all-girl group. Later, the Bellas are invited to an exclusive riff-off against DSM. Also in attendance are the Treblemakers, Tone Hangers (a group of former Treblemakers, including Bumper), and the Green Bay Packers. The Bellas make it to the final two, but end up losing to DSM in the final round when a nervous Emily flubs an attempt to sing "Flashlight," her original song not from the right category ("90's Hip-Hop Jamz").

text: The next day at the warmups, the Bellas' chances of winning end in disaster when the performance sets Cynthia-Rose's hair on fire by pyrotechnics. Even before then, John and Gail question the Bellas' identity. In order to regain harmony and sync, Chloe takes them to a retreat led by former leader Aubrey Posen. Beca starts a heated debate with Chloe over herself being the only one thinking about life beyond the Bellas and Chloe's obsession with winning Worlds.

text: To prove to her boss that she can produce music well, Beca offers Emily to produce "Flashlight" at the studio. The group realizes that they will no longer be together and may go their separate ways after graduation, and regain harmony by singing "Cups (When I'm Gone)." At the studio, Emily and Beca present their song to Beca's boss, in which he demonstrates envy for their talent and looks forward to producing with them.

text: The senior Bellas graduate and they all head off to Copenhagen for the World Finals, with Jesse and Benji to cheer them on. They perform a harmonized version of "Flashlight" with Aubrey, Katherine, and other past Bellas joining in. The Bellas win the championship and repair their damaged legacy. As the senior Bellas leave Barden, they give Emily a belated proper initiation with Fat Amy showing her how to do the last tradition: christening the house by sliding down the staircase.

text: In a mid-credits scene, Bumper performs on The Voice, he chooses Christina Aguilera as his coach and makes her uncomfortable when he gives her an oddly lengthy hug.

text: Cast[edit]

text: The Barden Bellas[edit]

text:
Anna Kendrick as Beca Mitchell, the senior leader of the Bellas, known for creating the unique modern-day sound of the Bellas. She is an aspiring record producer and is now an intern at Residual Heat, a record label.
Brittany Snow as Chloe Beale, the three-time super senior with a Type A personality who is the co-leader of the Bellas.
Rebel Wilson as Patricia "Fat Amy", a senior Bella from Australia and Bumper's love interest.
Hana Mae Lee as Lilly Onakuramara, a senior Bella known for her quiet speaking voice, odd remarks, and beat-boxing.
Alexis Knapp as Stacie Conrad, a senior Bella known for being overly sexual.
Ester Dean as Cynthia-Rose Adams, a lesbian senior Bella known for her strong urban vocal skills.
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Junk, a freshman legacy Bella who is an aspiring songwriter, and Benji's love interest. Her mother was also a Barden Bella, giving her the legacy status.
Chrissie Fit as Florencia "Flo" Fuentes, a senior Bella who joined the group her sophomore year when she came to Barden University from Guatemala.
Kelley Jakle as Jessica, a senior Bella.
Shelley Regner as Ashley, a senior Bella.

text: Additional characters[edit]

text:
Skylar Astin as Jesse Swanson, the leader of the Treblemakers and Beca's boyfriend.
Adam DeVine as Bumper Allen, Fat Amy's love interest, former leader of the Treblemakers and current member of Tone Hangers. After working for John Mayer, he returns to Barden University as a security guard.
Anna Camp as Aubrey Posen, former leader of the Bellas, now runs the Lodge of Fallen Leaves.
Ben Platt as Benjamin "Benji" Applebaum, a senior Treblemaker, Jesse's best friend and Emily's love interest.
Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Kommissar, Das Sound Machine's leader.
Flula Borg as Pieter Krämer, Das Sound Machine's 'second in command'
Katey Sagal as Katherine Junk, Emily's mother and a former Bella.
John Michael Higgins as John Smith, an a cappella competition commentator.
Elizabeth Banks as Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger, an a cappella competition commentator.
Keegan-Michael Key as Sammy, Beca's boss at Residual Heat, a rude but successful producer.
Shawn Carter Peterson as Dax, an intern at Residual Heat.
David Cross (credited as Sir Willups Brightlysmore) as the Riff-Off host.
Reggie Watts, John Hodgman, Jason Jones and Joe Lo Truglio as Tone Hanger singers.
Pentatonix as Team Canada
Penn Masala as Team India
Filharmonic as Team Philippines

text: Green Bay Packers players Clay Matthews, David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Josh Sitton and T. J. Lang play themselves in cameo appearances. Also appearing as themselves are Snoop Dogg, Natalie Morales, Jake Tapper, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Jimmy Kimmel, Rosie O'Donnell, Rosie Perez, Nicolle Wallace, Jordan Rodgers, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams. Robin Roberts, C.J. Perry and Kether Donohue appear as Legacy Bellas during the finale. Additionally, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Shonda Rhimes briefly appear via archive footage.

text: Production[edit]

text: In December 2012, Skylar Astin revealed that he and Rebel Wilson have had meetings with Universal Studios about the potential sequel.[7] In April 2013, it was confirmed that a sequel would be released in 2015.[8] Elizabeth Banks directed the sequel, and Kay Cannon returned as screenwriter.[9] Paul Brooks produced for Gold Circle Films, alongside Banks and Max Handelman.[9] Deke Sharon returned as vocal producer, and has a brief cameo as a German reporter.[10] As in the first movie, they ran a month of "a cappella boot camp" before filming.[11]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Anna Kendrick and Wilson returned to the cast early in 2014 to play the characters they originated in the first film.[12] Brittany Snow reprised her character.[13] On April 24, Chrissie Fit was added to the cast.[14] On May 1, Hailee Steinfeld was added to the cast, playing a new member of the Barden Bellas.[15] On May 5, Adam DeVine was reported to return in the film.[16] On May 14, Katey Sagal was added to the cast, playing Steinfeld's character's mother.[17] On May 29, Flula Borg was added to the cast.[18] He played the leader of a European a cappella group, Das Sound Machine, that competed with the Bellas.[19] It was confirmed on June 18, 2014 that Christopher Shepard was added to the cast.[20] It was confirmed on June 19, 2014 that Pentatonix would play the role of a rival group to the Barden Bellas.[21] It was later confirmed that The Filharmonic from season 4 of The Sing Off would make a cameo appearance as a rival group from the Philippines.[22] On August 24, 2014 it was announced that Penn Masala,[23] the all-male Hindi a cappella group from director Elizabeth Banks's and producer Max Handelman's alma mater The University of Pennsylvania, would be featured as a team from Southeast Asia.[24] On June 25, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen was confirmed added to the cast.[25]

text: Filming[edit]

text: On May 21, 2014, principal photography began at Louisiana State University (LSU) campus in Baton Rouge.[26]

text: Music[edit]

text: On December 3, 2014, Mark Mothersbaugh was hired to compose the music for the film.[27] The official soundtrack was released on May 12, 2015.[28] The special edition soundtrack was later released on August 8, 2015.[29]

text: The original album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, earning 107,000 album-equivalent units (92,000 copies of traditional sales) in the week ending May 17, 2015.[30]

text:
No.
Title
Music
Length

1.
"Universal Fanfare"

Elizabeth Banks
John Michael Higgins

0:33

2.
"Kennedy Center Performance (We Got the World/Timber/America the Beautiful/Wrecking Ball)"
The Barden Bellas
2:27

3.
"Lollipop"
The Treblemakers
2:43

4.
"Car Show (Uprising/Tsunami)"
Das Sound Machine
1:47

5.
"Winter Wonderland/Here Comes Santa Claus"

Snoop Dogg
Anna Kendrick

3:04

6.
"Riff Off (Thong Song/(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty/Low/Bootylicious/Baby Got Back/Live Like You Were Dying/Before He Cheats/A Thousand Miles/We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together/What's Love Got to Do with It/This Is How We Do It/Doo Wop (That Thing)/Poison/Scenario/Insane in the Brain/Flashlight)"

Das Sound Machine
Tone Hangers
The Barden Bellas
Green Bay Packers
The Treblemakers

4:24

7.
"Jump"

Das Sound Machine
Tone Hangers
The Treblemakers
Green Bay Packers

1:16

8.
"Convention Performance (Promises/Problem)"
The Barden Bellas
1:41

9.
"Back to Basics (Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy/You Can't Hurry Love/Lady Marmalade/MMMBop/My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It))"
The Barden Bellas
1:30

10.
"Cups ("When I'm Gone") [Campfire Version]"
The Barden Bellas
0:45

11.
"We Belong"

Rebel Wilson
Adam DeVine

3:34

12.
"Any Way You Want It (World Championship Medley)"

Pentatonix
Filharmonic
The Cantasticos
The Singboks
Penn Masala

1:56

13.
"World Championship Finale 1 (My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)/All I Do Is Win)"
Das Sound Machine
2:01

14.
"World Championship Finale 2 (Run the World (Girls)/Where Them Girls At/Lady Marmalade/We Belong/Timber/Flashlight)"
The Barden Bellas
4:16

15.
"Crazy Youngsters"
Ester Dean
3:39

16.
"Pitch Perfect 2 End Credit Medley"
Mark Mothersbaugh
3:00

17.
"Flashlight"
Jessie J
3:29

18.
"All of Me (Bumper's Audition)"
Adam DeVine
1:27

Total length:
43:32[28][31]

text:
[show]Special edition

No.
Title
Music
Length

1.
"Universal Fanfare"

Elizabeth Banks
John Michael Higgins

0:33

2.
"Kennedy Center Performance (We Got the World/Timber/America The Beautiful/Wrecking Ball)"
The Barden Bellas
2:27

3.
"Bang Bang"

Jessie J
Ariana Grande
Nicki Minaj

3:19

4.
"Lollipop"
The Treblemakers
2:43

5.
"Change Your Life"
Iggy Azalea (feat. T.I.)
3:41

6.
"Sunshine"
Teddybears
3:20

7.
"Car Show (Uprising/Tsunami)"
Das Sound Machine
1:47

8.
"A Different Beat"
Little Mix
3:27

9.
"Winter Wonderland/Here Comes Santa Claus"

Snoop Dogg
Anna Kendrick

3:04

10.
"Riff Off (Thong Song/(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty/Low/Bootylicious/Baby Got Back/Live Like You Were Dying/Before He Cheats/A Thousand Miles/We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together/What's Love Got to Do with It/This Is How We Do It/Doo Wop (That Thing)/Poison/Scenario/Insane in the Brain/Flashlight)"

Das Sound Machine
Tone Hangers
The Barden Bellas
Green Bay Packers
The Treblemakers

4:24

11.
"Jump"

Das Sound Machine
Tone Hangers
The Treblemakers
Green Bay Packers

1:16

12.
"Convention Performance (Promises/Problem)"
The Barden Bellas
1:41

13.
"Back to Basics (Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy/You Can't Hurry Love/Lady Marmalade/MMMBop/My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It))"
The Barden Bellas
1:30

14.
"Cups ("When I'm Gone") [Campfire Version]"
The Barden Bellas
0:45

15.
"We Belong"

Rebel Wilson
Adam Devine

3:34

16.
"Any Way You Want It (World Championship Medley)"

Pentatonix
Filharmonic
The Cantasticos
The Singboks
Penn Masala

1:56

17.
"World Championship Finale 1 (My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)/All I Do Is Win)"
Das Sound Machine
2:01

18.
"World Championship Finale 2 (Run the World (Girls)/Where Them Girls At/Lady Marmalade/We Belong/Timber/Flashlight)"
The Barden Bellas
4:16

19.
"Crazy Youngsters"
Ester Dean
3:39

20.
"Heartbreak Dream"
Betty Who
3:38

21.
"Pitch Perfect 2 End Credit Medley"
Mark Mothersbaugh
3:00

22.
"Flashlight"
Jessie J
3:29

23.
"All of Me (Bumper's Audition)"
Adam DeVine
1:27

24.
"Flashlight (Sweet Life Mix)"
Hailee Steinfeld
2:58

25.
"Any Way You Want It"
Pentatonix
2:30

26.
"Flashlight (Rebel Mix)"
Jessie J
3:41

27.
"Jungle"
The Barden Bellas
0:32

Total length:
70:38[29]

text:
Chart (2015)
Peak
position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[32]
3

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33]
11

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34]
144

Canadian Albums (Billboard)[35]
3

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36]
12

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[37]
8

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[38]
26

Taiwanese Albums (Five Music)[39]
1

US Digital Albums (Billboard)[40]
1

US Billboard 200[41]
1

US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[42]
1

text:
Chart (2015)
Position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[43]
27

US Billboard 200[44]
52

text: Release[edit]

text: The film was released on May 7, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand, and May 15 in the United States and Canada.[45]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: A still from the rehearsals for the film was revealed on May 16, 2014.[46] The poster was released on November 18, 2014 and the trailer came out the following day. A second trailer was aired during Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015.[47]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Director Elizabeth Banks stated an additional performance by the Treblemakers was filmed specifically for the DVD release. Also included on the DVD will be deleted scenes.[48] On May 20, 2015, it was announced that FX Networks had acquired U.S. television broadcasting rights to the film.[49]

text: The Blu-ray and DVD editions of Pitch Perfect 2 were released on September 22, 2015 in the U.S.[50] with a Target-exclusive edition containing additional bonus features being released the same day.[51]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Pitch Perfect 2 grossed $184.2 million in North America and $103.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $287.5 million, against a budget of $29 million.[3] In its first five days, the film surpassed the total gross of the original ($115.4 million), and also overtook School of Rock ($131.3 million) for the highest grossing musical-comedy of all-time and the second greatest musical debut ever (behind Beauty and the Beast's $174.8 million in 2017).[4] Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $139.6 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film.[52]

text: In the United States and Canada, Pitch Perfect 2 grossed $4.6 million from Thursday night showings and $27.8 million on its opening day, increasing the opening weekend projections from $40 million to $64 million.[53] In its opening weekend, the film grossed $69.2 million, finishing first at the box office.[54] The opening weekend gross was more than the entire North American total gross of the first film ($65 million), is the third biggest PG-13 comedy opening of all-time (behind The Simpsons Movie's $74 million in 2007 and Austin Powers in Goldmember's $73 million in 2002) and the highest grossing opening ever for a musical.[55]

text: Outside North America, the film opened at number one in Australia and New Zealand, earning $7.6 million and $1.2 million respectively.[56] The film grossed $22.1 million in Australia, $27.3 million in the United Kingdom and $2.7 million in New Zealand.[citation needed]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65% based on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Pitch Perfect 2 sings in sweet comedic harmony, even if it doesn't hit quite as many high notes as its predecessor."[57] On Metacritic, the film holds weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[58] In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[59]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Billboard Music Awards[edit]

text: 2016 Top Soundtrack (won)

text: Teen Choice Awards[edit]

text:
2015 Choice Movie: Comedy (won)
2015 Choice Movie Actor: Comedy (Skylar Astin, won)
2015 Choice Movie Actress: Comedy (Anna Kendrick, won)
2015 Choice Movie Actress: Comedy (Rebel Wilson, nominated)
2015 Choice Movie: Chemistry (Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow, won)
2015 Choice Movie: Liplock (Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine, nominated)
2015 Choice Movie: Hissy Fit (Anna Kendrick, won)
2015 Choice Movie: Scene Stealer (Adam DeVine, nominated)
2015 Choice Movie: Scene Stealer (Green Bay Packers, nominated)
2015 Choice Movie: Scene Stealer (Hailee Steinfeld, nominated)

text: People's Choice Awards[edit]

text:
Favorite Movie (lost to Furious 7)
Favorite Comedic Movie (won)
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, both lost to Melissa McCarthy)

text: Kids Choice Awards[edit]

text:
Favorite Movie (lost to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Favorite Movie Actress (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, lost to Jennifer Lawrence)

text: MTV Movie Awards[edit]

text:
Best Female Performance (Anna Kendrick, nominated)
Best Comedic Performance (Rebel Wilson, nominated)
Best Kiss (Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine, won)
Best Ensemble Cast (won)

text: Sequel[edit]

text: On April 11, 2015, a month before the release of the film, it was announced that Rebel Wilson would return for a third film, although she stated that she did not know if Anna Kendrick or any of the other cast members would also be reprising their roles. She added that she would be "up for a Fat Amy spin-off," although nothing has been confirmed.[60]

text: Director, star, and producer Elizabeth Banks acknowledged the possibility of a third film, saying, "I will say, it would be disingenuous to say that no one's talking about a Pitch Perfect 3; the possibility of it. We are really focused on getting as many butts in seats for this one. If fans embrace it, we are going to seriously think about what the continuing journey would look like, but we don’t know what that is yet".[61]

text: On June 10, 2015, a third film was officially confirmed, with Kay Cannon returning to write the script.[62] Several days later it was announced both Kendrick and Wilson would reprise their roles, and later Brittany Snow was also confirmed to return.[5] Banks will also return to produce, but in June 2016 it was announced she would not be directing the film.[63]

text: The film was originally slated for a July 21, 2017 release, and was later pushed back to August 4, 2017 before moving back to the July 21 slot.[6] In May 2016 it was moved again, this time being pushed back to December 22, 2017.[64]

text: As of January 2, 2017, Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Hailee Steinfeld, Chrissie Fit, and Elizabeth Banks have been confirmed to be reprising their roles.[65][66]


document_title: The Incredible Hulk (film)

question_text: who plays the general in the incredible hulk

root

text: The Incredible Hulk (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: At Culver University in Virginia, General Thunderbolt Ross meets with Dr. Bruce Banner, the colleague and boyfriend of his daughter Betty, regarding an experiment that Ross claims is meant to make humans immune to gamma radiation. The experiment — part of a World War II era "super soldier" program that Ross hopes to recreate — fails, and the exposure to gamma radiation causes Banner to transform into the Hulk for brief periods of time, whenever his heart rate rises above 200 beats per minute. The Hulk destroys the lab, injuring or killing the people inside. Banner becomes a fugitive from the U.S. military and Ross in particular, who wants to weaponize the Hulk.

tag: p

text: Five years later,[N 2] Banner works at a bottling factory in Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, while searching for a cure for his condition. On the internet, he collaborates with a colleague he knows only as "Mr. Blue", and to whom he is "Mr. Green". He is learning Yoga techniques to help keep control, and has not transformed in five months. After Banner cuts his finger, a drop of his blood falls into a bottle, and is eventually ingested by an elderly consumer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, giving him gamma sickness. Using the bottle to track down Banner, Ross sends a special forces team, led by Russian-born British Royal Marine Emil Blonsky, to capture him. Banner transforms into the Hulk and defeats Blonsky's team. After Ross explains how Banner became the Hulk, Blonsky agrees to be injected with a small amount of a similar serum, which gives him enhanced speed, strength, agility, and healing, but also begins to deform his skeleton and impair his judgment.

text: Banner returns to Culver University and reunites with Betty, who is dating psychiatrist Leonard Samson. Banner is attacked a second time by Ross and Blonsky's forces, tipped off by the suspicious Samson, causing him to again transform into the Hulk. The ensuing battle outside the university proves futile for Ross' forces and they retreat, though Blonsky, whose sanity is faltering, attacks and mocks the Hulk. The Hulk seemingly kills Blonsky and flees with Betty. After the Hulk reverts to Banner, he and Betty go on the run, and Banner contacts Mr. Blue, who urges them to meet him in New York City. Mr. Blue is actually cellular biologist Dr. Samuel Sterns, who tells Banner he has developed a possible antidote to Banner's condition. After a successful test, he warns Banner that the antidote may only reverse each individual transformation. Sterns reveals he has synthesized Banner's blood samples, which Banner sent from Brazil, into a large supply, with the intention of applying its "limitless potential" to medicine. Fearful of the Hulk's power falling into the military's hands, Banner wishes to destroy the blood supply.

text: Blonsky has survived the battle at Culver University and completely healed. He joins Ross' forces for a third attempt to take Banner into custody. They succeed and Banner, along with Betty, are taken away in a helicopter. Blonsky stays behind and orders Sterns to inject him with Banner's blood, as he covets the Hulk's power. Sterns warns that the combination of the super-soldier formula and Banner's blood may cause him to become an "abomination", but Blonsky insists. The experiment mutates Blonsky into a creature with size and strength surpassing that of the Hulk, but drives him insane. He attacks Sterns, who gets some of Banner's blood in a cut on his forehead, causing him to begin mutating as well. Blonsky rampages through Harlem. Realizing that the Hulk is the only one who can stop Blonsky, Banner convinces Ross to release him. He jumps from Ross' helicopter and transforms after hitting the ground. After a long and brutal battle through Harlem, the Hulk defeats Blonsky. After having a peaceful moment with Betty, the Hulk flees New York.

text: A month later, Banner is in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Instead of trying to suppress his transformation, he successfully transforms in a controlled manner. Tony Stark approaches Ross at a local bar and informs him a team is being put together.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner / Hulk: A nuclear physicist and biochemist at Culver University who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into an enormous green humanoid monster when enraged or agitated. David Duchovny was a front-runner for the film before Norton's casting,[9] while Louis Leterrier's original choice for the role was Mark Ruffalo, who would later play Banner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[10] Gale Anne Hurd recalled Norton's portrayals of duality in Primal Fear and Fight Club,[11] while Norton reminded Kevin Feige of Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the TV series.[12] Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, remarked Norton "has a similar physique [and a] similar personality".[13] Norton was a Hulk fan, citing the first comic appearances, the Bixby TV show, and Bruce Jones' run on the comic, as his favorite depictions of the character.[14] He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.[15] He initially turned down the part, recalling "there [was] the wince factor or the defensive part of you that recoils at what the bad version of what that would be", as he felt the previous film "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, [...] which is a fugitive story". When he met Leterrier and Marvel, he liked their vision, and believed they were looking to him to guide the project. Thus, Norton rewrote the script.[16] "Edward's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas," Leterrier said. "Admittedly I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie it doesn't have to just appeal to 13-year-old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods."[17] Additionally, Lou Ferrigno provides vocal performance as the Hulk. During the 2008 New York Comic Con Leterrier publicly offered Ferrigno the chance to voice the Hulk for the film.[18] This marks the third time Ferrigno portrayed the Hulk, having also voiced the character in the 1996 animated series. Originally, the Hulk's only line was "Betty" at the film's ending, which would have been his first word. Leterrier was aware that fans wanted him to speak normally, and added "leave me alone" and "Hulk smash!" The latter line received cheers during a screening he attended.[19] Ferrigno also has a cameo in the film as a security guard who is bribed by Banner with a pizza.[20]
Liv Tyler as Betty Ross: A cellular biologist and Bruce's former girlfriend, from whom he is separated as a result of his condition. Tyler was attracted to the love story in the script, and was a fan of the TV show, because of the "humanity and what [Banner] is going through".[14] She was called about the role while driving to her home, and she accepted the part after a day without reading the script.[21] Tyler and Norton spent hours discussing Bruce and Betty's life before he became the Hulk.[22] She said filming the part "was very physical, which was fun",[23] and compared her performance to "a deer caught in the headlights", because of Betty's shock at Bruce's unexpected return into her life.[22]
Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky / Abomination: A Russian-born officer in the United Kingdom's Royal Marines Commandos loaned to Ross who, lusting for the Hulk's power, is injected with various serums that transforms him into a near-skeletal humanoid monster more powerful than the Hulk himself. Roth said he took the part to please his sons, who are comic-book superhero fans. As a teenager, Roth was a fan of the 1970s TV series, and he also found Leterrier's ideas "very dark and very interesting". Roth started watching the 2003 film to prepare for the part, but stopped as he did not want to be caught up in the controversy over its quality, and to compare himself to it.[24] It was Roth who suggested Blonsky be a soldier, whereas in the comics he was a KGB agent.[25] Leterrier was a fan of Roth's work, and felt "it's great watching a normal Cockney boy become a superhero!",[17] but Marvel and Norton were initially reluctant to cast him.[26] Before he was cast in Punisher: War Zone, Ray Stevenson was in discussions for the role.[27] Roth prepared for the part by learning to fire guns and break into rooms with two experts.[25] Roth found it tough shooting the chases, because to show Blonsky's aging he could not work out.[22] He especially found it difficult to run while pulled with a harness, which was used to show the injected Blonsky's 30–40 mile per hour running abilities.[28] Cyril Raffaelli performed some of Roth's stunts.[11] Roth enjoyed the motion capture, which reminded him of fringe theatre, and he hired his trainer from Planet of the Apes to aid him in portraying the monster's movement.[22]
Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns: The cellular biologist who develops a possible antidote to Banner's condition. Towards the end of the film, Sterns is exposed to some substance that begins his transformation into Leader.
Ty Burrell as Leonard Samson: A psychiatrist who is in a relationship with Betty during Bruce's absence. Burrell had performed with Norton in the off Broadway play Burn This in 2003, and when Leterrier met him, he recognized Burrell as the "jerk" from the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake,[29] which was how Samson was characterized in the script before Norton rewrote it.[30]
William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: Betty's arrogant father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk. Leterrier cast Hurt because "Ross is more physical, more explosive in this movie, and no actor goes from zero to 100 as well as William."[17] He compared Ross to Captain Ahab.[26] The Hulk is Hurt's favorite superhero, and his son is also a big fan of the character. Hurt found production very different from the typical "pure anxiety" of a studio film, finding it more akin to an independent film.[31] He described Ross as "humiliated by Hulk's conscience: he actually sees and recognizes that it's more developed than his own, even though he's a patriot and a warrior for his country. He's sacrificed [much] for that purpose, but at the expense at times of his humanity – which he occasionally recovers."[32] In June 2015, when reflecting on how his reprisal in Captain America: Civil War was different from this film, Hurt said, "What I created [for The Incredible Hulk] was a Ross who was right out of the graphic novel type of thing, where he was as much of a cartoon, in a way, as the monsters were. His ego was just as big and his problems were just as big. I really did do that consciously. I created a General Ross before which created a verisimilitude for the monsters, by making him a human monster. I worked really hard on the makeup and the exaggerated behavior and things like that and a controlled psychosis."[33] Sam Elliott had expressed interest in reprising the role from the first Hulk film.[34]

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text: Robert Downey Jr. has an uncredited cameo as Tony Stark at the end of the film. Downey appeared as a favor to Marvel Studios, which he acknowledged as a smart move on Marvel's part, because when he was promoting his film he would also have to mention their other production.[35] Hulk co-creator Stan Lee cameos as a man who becomes ill when drinking the soda poisoned by Banner's blood. Michael K. Williams appears as a Harlem bystander, a role that was written for him by Norton, who is a fan of The Wire.[36] Paul Soles, who voiced Banner in the 1966 The Marvel Super Heroes cartoon, appears as Stanley, a kindly pizza restaurant owner who helps Banner. Additionally, the late Bill Bixby appears, in a scene on his TV comedy-drama The Courtship of Eddie's Father on a television Banner is watching at the beginning of the film. Rickson Gracie has a small role as Bruce Banner's martial arts instructor; despite Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, he is credited as an Aikido instructor. Peter Mensah plays a small role as General Joe Gellar, one of General Ross' military friends/associates. Christina Cabot portrays Major Kathleen Sparr, General Ross' personal aid.[37] Martin Starr plays a college student, credited as "Computer Nerd" and identified as Amadeus Cho in the novelization for the film.[38] Hulk supporting characters, Jim Wilson and Jack McGee, make cameo appearances as Culver University students played by P.J. Kerr and Nicholas Rose, respectively.[39]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: At the time of the release of Ang Lee's Hulk, screenwriter James Schamus was planning a sequel, featuring the Grey Hulk. He was also considering the Leader and the Abomination as villains.[40] Marvel wanted the Abomination because he would be an actual threat to the Hulk, unlike General Ross.[41] During the filming of Hulk, producer Avi Arad had a target May 2005 theatrical release date.[42] On January 18, 2006 Arad confirmed Marvel Studios would be providing the money for The Incredible Hulk's production budget, with Universal distributing,[43] because Universal did not meet the deadline for filming a sequel.[9] Marvel felt it would be better to deviate from Ang Lee's style to continue the franchise, arguing his film was like a parallel universe one-shot comic book, and their next film needed to be, in Kevin Feige's words, "really starting the Marvel Hulk franchise". Producer Gale Anne Hurd also felt the film had to meet what "everyone expects to see from having read the comics and seen the TV series".[22]

text: Pre-production[edit]

text: Louis Leterrier, who enjoyed the TV series as a child and liked the first film,[11][22] had expressed interest in directing the Iron Man film adaptation. Jon Favreau had taken that project, so Marvel offered him the Hulk. Leterrier was reluctant as he was unsure if he could replicate Lee's style, but Marvel explained that was not their intent.[44] Leterrier's primary inspiration was Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Hulk: Gray (a retelling of the character's first appearance). He replicated every comic book panel that he pinned-up during pre-production, from the many comics he browsed, in the final film.[11] Leterrier said that he planned to show Bruce Banner's struggle with the monster within him,[45] while Feige added the film would explore "that element of wish fulfillment, of overcoming an injustice or a bully and tapping into a strength that you didn't quite realize you had in yourself".[46] Arad also said the film would be "a lot more of a love story between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross".[47]

text: Zak Penn, who wrote a draft of the first film in 1996, said the film would follow up Hulk, but stressed it would be more tonally similar to the TV show and Bruce Jones' run on the comic. He compared his script to Aliens, which was a very different film from Alien, but still in the same continuity.[15] He included two scenes from his 1996 script: Banner jumping from a helicopter to trigger a transformation, and realizing he is unable to have sex with Betty.[2] After the studio rejected a treatment by another screenwriter in 2006, Penn wrote three drafts before departing in early 2007 to promote his film The Grand.[48] Norton, that April, began discussions to play Banner, and arranged a deal that included him as both an actor and a writer, with a screenplay draft he was contractually obligated to turn in within a month. He did so, and continued to polish his draft as late as halfway through principal photography.[48] In November 2006, a June 13, 2008 release date was set.[49] Leterrier acknowledged the only remaining similarity between the two films was Bruce hiding in South America,[11] and that the film was a unique reboot, as generally audiences would have expected another forty-minute origin story.[50] There were previous discussions to set the first act in Thailand.[51] Leterrier felt audiences were left restless waiting for the character to arrive in Ang Lee's film.[50] Feige commented, "we didn't want to tell the origin story again, because we thought people were so familiar with it, which is why we didn't tell that... One reason we made Incredible Hulk was to get Hulk into the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] canon."[52]

text: Shortly after the release of The Incredible Hulk, Gale Anne Hurd commented on the uncertainty of its relationship with Ang Lee's Hulk film. "We couldn't quite figure out how to term this ... It's kind of a reboot and it's kind of sequel." Hurd said that "requel", a portmanteau of "reboot" and "sequel", was a "perfect" description for the film.[53] Norton explained his decision to ignore Lee's origin story: "I don't even like the phrase 'origin story', and I don't think in great literature and great films that explaining the roots of the story doesn't mean it comes in the beginning."[14] "Audiences know this story," he added, "[so] deal with it artfully." He wanted to "have revelations even in the third act about what set this whole thing in motion".[16] The new origin story references Ultimate Marvel's take on the Hulk, which also had him created in an attempt to make super soldiers.[54] Norton removed Rick Jones and toned down S.H.I.E.L.D.'s presence.[22] He also added the scene where Banner attempts to extract a cure from a flower and his e-mailing with Samuel Sterns,[2] which references Bruce Jones' story.[55] Norton rewrote scenes every day.[24] Ultimately, the Writers Guild of America decided to credit the script solely to Penn,[1] who argued Norton had not dramatically changed his script. Journalist Anne Thompson explained "The Guild tends to favor plot, structure and pre-existing characters over dialogue."[2] Penn said in 2008, "I wasn't happy with [Norton] coming to Comic-Con saying that he wrote the script."[56] Before either Penn or Norton joined the project, an anonymous screenwriter wrote a draft and lobbied for credit.[2]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Leterrier had to direct four units with a broken foot.[17] Filming began on July 9, 2007. Shooting primarily took place in Toronto, because mayor David Miller is a Hulk fan and promised to be very helpful to the crew when closing Yonge Street for four nights in September to shoot Hulk and Blonsky's climactic fight. Despite messing up the street with explosives and overturned burning vehicles, the crew would clean it up within twenty minutes so business could continue as normal each day.[57] The first action sequence shot was the Culver University battle, which was filmed at the University of Toronto and Morningside Park. The filmmakers built a glass wall over a walkway at the University for when the soldiers trap Banner inside to smoke him out.[28] There was also shooting in the Financial District.[29] A factory in Hamilton, Ontario, which was due for demolition, was the interior of the Brazilian factory. The site's underground floors were used for Ross' military command center.[57] The crew also shot part of the Hulk and Blonsky's fight on a backlot in Hamilton.[58] Other Canadian locations included CFB Trenton and a glacier in Bella Coola, British Columbia.[29] Afterwards, there was a week-long shoot in New York City and two weeks in Rio de Janeiro.[59] While there, the crew shot at Rocinha, Lapa, Tijuca Forest and Santa Teresa. Filming concluded in November after eighty-eight days of filming.[29]

text: The Incredible Hulk joined Toronto's Green-Screen initiative, to help cut carbon emissions and waste created during filming.[60] Producer Gale Anne Hurd acknowledged the Hulk, being green, was a popular environmental analogy, and Norton himself was an environmentalist. Hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles were used, with low sulfur diesel as their energy source. The construction department used a sustainably harvested, locally sourced yellow pine instead of lauan for the sets, and also used zero-or low-VOC paint. The wood was generally recycled or given to environmental organizations, and paint cans were handed to waste management. In addition, they used cloth bags, biodegradable food containers, china and silverware food utensils, a stainless steel mug for each production crew member, a contractor who removed bins, recycled paper, biodegradable soap and cleaners in the trailers and production offices, and the sound department used rechargeable batteries.[29] The Incredible Hulk became the first blockbuster film to receive the Environmental Media Association's Green Seal, which is displayed during the end credits.[61]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: Leterrier cited Andy Serkis' motion capture portrayals of Gollum and King Kong in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, respectively, as the standard he was aiming for.[44] Norton and Roth filmed 2500 takes of different movements the monsters would make (such as the Hulk's "thunder claps").[29] Phosphorescent face paint applied to the actors' faces and strobe lighting would help record the most subtle mannerisms into the computer.[62] Others including Cyril Raffaelli provided motion capture for stunts and fights,[25] after the main actors had done video referencing.[63] Leterrier hired Rhythm and Hues to provide the CGI, rather than Industrial Light & Magic who created the visual effects for Ang Lee's Hulk. Visual effect company, Image Engine, spent over a year working on a shot where Banner's gamma-irradiated blood falls through three factory floors into a bottle.[64] Overall 700 effects shots were created. Motion capture aided in placing and timing of movements, but overall key frame animation by Rhythm and Hues provided the necessary "finesse [and] superhero quality".[65] Many of the animators and Leterrier himself provided video reference for the climactic fight.[28]

text: Dale Keown's comic book artwork of the Hulk was an inspiration for his design.[44] Leterrier felt the first Hulk had "too much fat [and] the proportions were a little off". He explained, "The Hulk is beyond perfect so there is zero grams of fat, all chiseled, and his muscle and strength defines this creature so he's like a tank."[44] Visual effects supervisor Kurt Williams envisioned the Hulk's physique as a linebacker rather than a bodybuilder. A height of nine feet was chosen for the character as they did not want him to be too inhuman. To make him more expressive, computer programs controlling the inflation of his muscles and saturation of skin color were created. Williams cited flushing as an example of humans' skin color being influenced by their emotions.[29] The animators felt green blood would make his skin become darker rather than lighter, and his skin tones, depending on lighting, either resemble an olive or even gray slate.[62] His animation model was completed without the effects company's full knowledge of what he would be required to do: he was rigged to do whatever they imagined, in case the model was to be used for The Avengers film.[65] The Hulk's medium-length hair was modeled on Mike Deodato's art.[65] He originally had a crew cut, but Leterrier decided flopping hair imbued him with more character.[63] Leterrier cited An American Werewolf in London as the inspiration for Banner's transformation, wanting to show how painful it was for him to change.[66] As a nod to the live action TV series, Banner's eyes change color first when he transforms.[67] Leterrier changed the Abomination's design from the comics because he felt the audience would question why he resembled a fish or a reptile, instead of "an über-human" like the Hulk. Rather, his hideousness is derived from being injected multiple times into his skin, muscles and bones, creating a creature with a protruding spine and sharp bones that he can use to stab. His green skin is pale, and reflects light, so it appears orange because of surrounding fire during the climactic battle.[26] The motion capture performers, including Roth, tried to make the character behave less gracefully than the Hulk. They modeled his posture and the way he turns his head on a shark.[41] The character also shares Roth's tattoos.[68] A height of eleven feet was chosen for the character.[29] Leterrier tried to work in the character's pointed ears, but realized the Hulk would bite them off (using the example of Mike Tyson when he fought Evander Holyfield), and felt ignoring that would make the Hulk come across as stupid.[69]

text: Leterrier had planned to use prosthetic makeup and animatronics to complement the computer-generated imagery that was solely used in the previous film.[70] The make-up artists who worked on X-Men: The Last Stand were set to portray Blonsky's gradual transformation,[24] which Zak Penn said would portray Blonsky "not [being] used to having these properties. Like he's much heavier, and we talked about how when he walks down the sidewalk, his weight destroys the sidewalk and he's tripping. [It's all about] the humanization of these kinds of superhero characters, showing the effects physics may actually have on [them]."[71] Tom Woodruff, Jr. of Amalgamated Dynamics (who created all the costumes for the Alien films since Alien 3) was in negotiations, and created two busts of the Hulk and prosthetic hands to act as stand-ins for the character. A full animatronic was never created as it was decided it would complicate production to set up shots for a puppet and then a computer graphic.[72] An animatronic was used for Sterns' mutating head, however.[58] Destruction was mostly done practically. A model of a bottling machine was smashed through a wall for when the Hulk escapes the factory. The filmmakers used steam and dry ice for the gas used to smoke out the Hulk, and they destroyed a real Humvee by dropping a weight on it when shooting the Culver University battle. Pipes blew fire for when the Hulk strikes down the computer-generated helicopter. When Banner falls from the helicopter to trigger the Hulk into fighting the Abomination, Norton was attached to a surface held by a bar which turned 90 degrees while the camera was pulled to the ceiling to simulate falling. Leterrier jokingly remarked that making Norton fall that distance would obviously render him unable to act.[28]

text: Music[edit]

text: The score for the film was composed by Craig Armstrong, who was the arranger for Massive Attack, a band Leterrier was fond of and had collaborated with on the 2005 film Unleashed. Armstrong was his first choice, which surprised Marvel, not knowing if he had scored an action film (he did compose 2001's Kiss of the Dragon).[73] At Leterrier's suggestion, the soundtrack was released on a two-disc album, which Armstrong thought was a joke until he compiled the album and Marvel asked him why they were given only one disc.[74] The film’s score borrows Joe Harnell's theme "The Lonely Man" from the 1978 Incredible Hulk television series.[75]

text: Release[edit]

text: The Incredible Hulk premiered on June 8, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California[76] and was released in theaters on June 13 in the United States,[49] where it opened in 3,505 theaters.[77]

text: Editing[edit]

text: Seventy minutes of footage, mostly dealing with the origin, were not included in the final cut.[30] Much of this back-story was unscripted and the filmmakers were never sure of including it into the final cut, and had considered releasing some of these clips on the internet.[20] Editor Kyle Cooper, creator of the Marvel logo (with the flipping pages) and the montage detailing Iron Man's biography in that film, edited together much of this footage into the opening credits.[20] Leterrier explained a negative test screening, where flashbacks were placed across the film that the audience found too similar to Hulk, had resulted in compressing these to the film's start.[30] This replaced the original opening, where Banner comes to the Arctic to commit suicide. When the scene ends, in an instant the frozen body of Captain America is partially seen in the ice. Leterrier said he did not want this scene to be lost amid the opening montage.[30]

text: Norton and Leterrier disputed with the producers over the final running time: they wanted it to be near 135 minutes, while the producers wanted the film to be under two hours. This was made public, and rumors spread that Norton "made it clear he won't cooperate with publicity plans if he's not happy with the final product".[78] Norton dismissed this: "Our healthy process [of collaboration], which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a 'dispute', seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them."[79]

text: Marketing[edit]

text:
"We know the Hulk from 2003 didn't satisfy the fans, and we had to acknowledge that. We emphasized the passion that fans still have for this character and that this is the movie people have always wanted."
—Stephanie Sperber, executive vice-president of Universal Studios Partnerships[80]

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text: Effort was made to promote the story as having a romance and a physical antagonist, and the title was used for promotional puns (such as 7-Eleven's "Incredible Gulp" slurpees, and "Incredible Dad" themed Father's Day gifts at Kmart). Burger King also promoted the film, and General Nutrition Centers used the title character as a role model for strength training.[80] Hasbro created the toy line, which they released on May 3, 2008,[81] while Sega released a video game on June 5, 2008.[82] The film was promoted in an episode of American Gladiators on June 9, 2008, which was hosted by Hulk Hogan and featured Lou Ferrigno.[83]

text: Following the edit dispute, Universal's Adam Fogleson and Norton planned a promotional tour which would avoid constant media interviews and therefore uncomfortable questions. He attended the premiere, took part in a Jimmy Kimmel Live! sketch and would also promote the film in Japan.[2] However, during the film's release he chose to do charity work in Africa.[84]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Incredible Hulk was released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on October 21, 2008. It includes behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and an alternate opening.[85][86] The film was number one in sales when released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 21, 2008, in the United States (having been available in the United Kingdom since October 13). There are widescreen and fullscreen single-disc editions; a three-disc special edition; and a two-disc Blu-ray package. The first disc contains an audio commentary by Leterrier and Roth, while the second comes with special features and deleted scenes, and the third with a digital copy of the film. The Blu-ray edition compresses the content of the first two DVDs onto one, while the second disc contains the digital copy.

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.[87] It was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on April 2, 2013.[88] Universal released the film on Ultra HD Blu-ray on April 10, 2018.[89]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Incredible Hulk earned $134.8 million in the United States and Canada, as well as $128.6 million from other territories, for a worldwide total of $263.4 million.[5] The film, even though it barely passed its predecessor, and only equalled it if the smaller budget of the first film is taken into account, was still considered successful. Entertainment analyst David Davis told The Hollywood Reporter, "The first Hulk had such high expectations after the NBC Universal merger and was supposed to be critical favorite Ang Lee's breakout commercial blockbuster. Then with the new Hulk film, Marvel was able to underplay the importance of the success after the great success of Iron Man this summer. So the new one overdelivered, relative to its underpromise."[90]

text: The Incredible Hulk earned $55.4 million in its opening weekend, becoming the top film at the box office.[77] Behind Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, it was the second-highest gross for a film released over the Father's Day weekend.[91] This surpassed industry expectations of a $45 million opening, following the disappointing response to the 2003 film. Universal believed word of mouth would contribute to the film breaking even eventually.[4]

text: The Incredible Hulk also opened in 38 other countries, adding $31 million to the total opening. The film outgrossed the 2003 film in South Korea, while its openings in Mexico and Russia created records for Universal.[92] The film grossed 24 million yuan (roughly $3.4 million) in its Chinese opening on August 26, outgrossing the previous film's overall gross of 10 million yuan.[93]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 6.2/10 based on 225 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "The Incredible Hulk may not be quite the smashing success that fans of Marvel's raging behemoth might hope for, but it offers more than enough big green action to make up for its occasionally puny narrative."[94] Metacritic gave the film an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[95] A CinemaScore poll indicated the majority of viewers were male and graded the film an A-, and 82% of them had seen the 2003 film.[96]

text: Todd McCarthy of Variety said, "what seemed, in theory, the least-necessary revival of a big screen superhero emerges as perfectly solid summer action fare in The Incredible Hulk." He emphasized "it's all par-for-the-course cinematic demolition and destruction, staged efficiently and with a hint of enthusiasm," and "penned with sporadic wit [...] Visuals lean toward the dark and murky, but editing by three—actually six—hands is fleet, and Craig Armstrong's ever-present score is simultaneously bombastic and helpfully supportive of the action. Effects are in line with pic's generally pro but not inspired achievements."[97] Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald applauded that the film "does a lot of things [Ang] Lee's Hulk didn't: It's lighter and faster-paced, it's funnier and it embraces (instead of ignoring) the 1970s TV series that furthered the character's popularity".[98] Mark Rahner of The Seattle Times wrote that, "The relaunch of Marvel's green goliath is an improvement over director Ang Lee's ponderous 2003 Hulk in nearly every way – except that the actual Hulk still looks scarcely better than something from a video game, and he still barely talks".[99] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post said, "What lingers in my memory ... is the lengthy, essentially animated climactic battle between the Hulk and the Abomination on the streets and rooftops of Harlem, and an earlier showdown between the title creature and the U.S. Army, which is deploying high-tech weapons including sound-wave cannons. These are expertly staged by director Louis Leterrier, who disposes of the backstory under the opening credits and wraps up the whole thing in twenty-four minutes less than [Ang] Lee took".[100] Roger Ebert was not a fan of the film stating, "The Incredible Hulk is no doubt an ideal version of the Hulk saga for those who found Ang Lee's Hulk too talky, or dare I say, too thoughtful. But not for me. It sidesteps the intriguing aspects of Hulkdom and spends way too much time in, dare I say, noisy and mindless action sequences."[101]

text: Conversely, Christy Lemire of the Associated Press found that "the inevitable comparisons to Iron Man, Marvel Studios' first blockbuster this summer, serve as a glaring reminder of what this Hulk lacks: wit and heart. Despite the presence of Edward Norton, an actor capable of going just as deep as Robert Downey Jr., we don't feel a strong sense of Bruce Banner's inner conflict".[102] A.O. Scott of The New York Times opined, "'The Adequate Hulk' would have been a more suitable title. There are some big, thumping fights and a few bright shards of pop-cultural wit, but for the most part this movie seems content to aim for the generic mean".[103] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote, "Leterrier has style, he's good with action and he's eager to give the audience its money's worth of bone-crunching battles. Still, once the movie leaves the atmospheric Brazilian settings, nothing in this "Hulk" sinks in deeply: its familiar genre pleasures are all on the surface. ... The movie's scene stealer is Tim Blake Nelson, making a comically welcome third act appearance as the unethical but madly enthusiastic scientist Samuel Sterns".[104]

text: The film was nominated for best superhero film at the 2008 National Movie Awards and for Best Science Fiction Film at the Saturn Awards, but lost to The Dark Knight and Iron Man, respectively.[105][106]

text: Future[edit]

text: On a potential sequel, Norton said, "The whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. [The Incredible Hulk is] definitely intended as chapter one."[16] Leterrier made the film's final shot of Banner ambiguous; the thought being if there is a sequel, it would mean Banner finally masters control over his anger; if there is not a sequel, the shot indicates instead that he becomes a menace in The Avengers.[107] Leterrier had also intended for a scene in the credits showing Blonsky, human once more, imprisoned and chained in a box.[108] The character of Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson, was introduced to set him up as a villain in a possible future film, where he would become the Leader.[22][109] Aaron Sims, the lead designer on The Incredible Hulk, also took time to work on concepts for the Leader.[110] Nelson is "signed on" to reprise the role.[111] Ty Burrell wants to portray the superpowered Doc Samson faithfully to the comics.[111]

text: Leterrier and Roth were originally contracted to return. Leterrier also stated Norton was not signed on,[112] but in October 2008, Hurd stated that Norton was contracted to reprise the role.[113] The film had outgrossed its predecessor and Universal indicated interest in a sequel,[114] though Leterrier believed a sequel would not be made because of the film's box office return.[115] Feige said the film met Marvel's expectations and that Hulk would return, but after the crossover.[116] Hurd was not concerned that a sequel may not be produced until at least 2012, citing the positive reception to the film and having produced the Terminator series, the second and third film of which had a 12-year gap.[113] Tim Roth confirmed that Marvel had signed him for three more films.[117] Leterrier, after having previously said he did not want to direct a sequel,[118] said in late 2009 he had changed his mind and was now amenable.[119]

text: Mark Ruffalo began his role as Banner / Hulk in The Avengers, after Feige said he chose not to bring back Norton.[120][121] In October 2014, Norton claimed he chose never to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" with his career, and did not want to be associated with only one character.[122] In April 2012, despite Ruffalo being on board to play the Hulk in the sequel, Feige confirmed to Collider that Marvel had no plans at that time to film another Hulk film.[123] In a Q&A session, Feige and Ruffalo confirmed that discussions were underway to produce another Hulk film due to the positive audience response to Ruffalo's performance in The Avengers.[124] In September 2012, Feige, while exploring all possible story options for a sequel film, including a film based on the "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" storylines, stated, "everything [in terms of stories from the comics] is on the table. Do I think Hulk can carry a movie and be as entertaining as he was in Avengers? I do believe that. I do believe he absolutely could. We certainly are not even going to attempt that until Avengers 2. So there's a lot of time to think about it."[125]

text: In June 2014, Ruffalo said he believed the studio might be considering doing a new standalone Hulk film, saying, "I think they are, for the first time, entertaining the idea of it. When we did The Avengers it was basically 'No!', and now there is some consideration for it. But there's still nothing definitive, not even a skeletal version of what it would be."[126] In July, Feige stated that the studio was not considering a "Planet Hulk" film at that time, due to wanting to feature Ruffalo's Banner in the film. However, he did not rule out a story that saw the Hulk and Banner end up in space and explained why a solo Hulk film did not occur in Phase Two of the MCU by saying, "After the first Avengers, Iron Man had his own movie, Thor had his own movie, Captain America had his own movie, and Widow and Fury were in The Winter Soldier. So it was really about, frankly, saving somebody so that the only place you could get Hulk between Avengers movies is the next Avengers movie, so [director Joss Whedon] could continue to play with that in [Avengers: Age of Ultron]. Where we go after that, we'll see."[127] In October 2014, again on a solo film, Feige said, "We'll see. We'd love to do it, we'd love to find the place to put it, but right now, Hulk will be appearing, with his friends, in their [Phase Three] films."[128]

text: In April 2015, Ruffalo said Universal holding the distribution rights to Hulk films may be an obstacle to releasing a future Hulk standalone film[129] and reiterated this in October 2015,[130] and July 2017.[131] Marvel regained the film production rights for the character by February 2006,[132] but Universal retained the distribution rights for The Incredible Hulk as well as the right of first refusal to distribute future Hulk films.[133] According to The Hollywood Reporter, a potential reason why Marvel has not reacquired the film distribution rights to the Hulk as they did with Paramount Pictures for the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America films is that Universal holds the theme park rights to several Marvel characters that Marvel's parent company, Disney, wants for its own theme parks.[134] In December 2015, Ruffalo stated that the strained relationship between Marvel and Universal may be another obstacle to releasing a future standalone Hulk film.[135] The following month, he indicated that the lack of a standalone Hulk film allowed the character to play a more prominent role in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and the latter's untitled sequel, stating, "We’ve worked a really interesting arc into Thor[: Ragnarok], Avengers[: Infinity War], and [the latter's sequel] for Banner that I think will – when it’s all added up – will feel like a Hulk movie, a standalone movie."[136]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ Despite reportedly working extensively on the script, the Writers Guild of America decided not to credit Edward Norton as a writer, only crediting Penn,[1] arguing Norton had not dramatically changed Penn's script.[2]

Jump up ^ According to Leterrier, the film takes place about five years since Banner first transformed.[6] The events of the film also take place simultaneously with the events of Iron Man 2 (2010) and Thor (2011),[7] the former of which is set six months after the events of Iron Man (2008).[8]

tag: ol