Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios news: Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America - movies, games and auction - 8th March 2012

Ultimate Spider-Man Premieres at SXSW...

"Ultimate Spider-Man," premiering April 1 on Disney XD as part of the Marvel Universe block, is the super hero show everyone’s talking about--and you can experience the world premiere at South By Southwest Interactive Festival! At the historic Marvel: House of Ideas, panel Sunday, March 11 at 1 p.m. on the IGN stage at the Palmer Events Center, Jeph Loeb (EVP/Head of Marvel Television) will debut the entire first episode of "Ultimate Spider-Man" for fans in attendance. This can’t-miss panel also features the unveiling of Marvel’s bold new multimedia plans that includes the announcement of Marvel's revolutionary new ways to read comics, courtesy of Axel Alonso (Marvel Comics Editor in Chief) and Peter Phillips (SVP & GM, Marvel Digital Media Group). Don’t forget, this event is free and open to the public, so fans of all ages can be in attendance for the first look at the series that will redefine super hero animation--and the announcements that will change how you see comics!

“We’ve heard that Austin has some of the best Marvel fans in the world and we couldn’t imagine a better ‘thank you’ for their support than the world premiere of 'Ultimate Spider-Man' which comes to Disney XD on April 1,” said Loeb. “Working with top writers and talent, we’ve produced an animated series that brings Spider-Man to life like you’ve never seen him before. They say they do it up big in Texas--and we can’t wait for the smiles on the crowd’s faces when they get the first look at Ultimate Spidey in action!”

Once the Marvel: House of Ideas panel concludes, fans in attendance will receive a limited edition Marvel lithograph (while supplies last) and a chance to have it signed by Loeb and Alonso in a special Marvel signing session.

Stay tuned to www.marvel.com and www.sxswscreenburn.com for more details on the Marvel: House of Ideas panel and Marvel’s plans for SXSW.

Marvel Studios presents 'Marvel Avengers Assemble' trailer...

It's one of the most popular movie trailers on YouTube. Thus far it's attracted over 15,377,000 views via Marvel UK YouTube. Marvel's The Avengers Trailer 2 has so far snatched over 666,000 views.

Marvel Studios presents 'Marvel Avengers Assemble' the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel Avengers Assemble” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel Avengers Assemble" hits UK cinemas on April 26 and Australian fans can expect it on the big screen around the same time this year.

In “Marvel Avengers Assemble” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

You've got themes such as loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a rural England and Europe during the First World War. If you liked 'Captain America: The First Avenger', you are going to love this.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson

'AVENGERS' MEMORABILIA: Capt. America's Shield, Thor's Hammer ... FOR SALE!!!

Marvel fans rejoice -- 221 of the coolest, awesomest “Captain America”, “Thor” and “Iron Man” props are hitting the auction block ... and they can all be YOURS ... if you got a 6-figure bank account.

The auction -- run by a group called Profiles in History with help from Marvel Studios -- is set to kick off online April 14th ... and in-person at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Among the ridiculously expensive collectibles (with their starting bids) --

-- The full Mark II “Autopsy” Suit from "Iron Man 2" ... $60,000
-- Chris Evans' complete Captain America Suit ... $20,000
-- Steve Rogers’ Hero Motorcycle (Harley Davidson) ... $12,000
-- Thor’s Hammer ... $4,000
-- Captain America Stunt Shield ... $3,000
... And hundreds of other pricey gadgets, props, and costumes from the movies.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ... your life savings.

Avengers Jewellery Released In Japan; Likely To Get Worldwide Distribution...

While nearly two months remain until Marvel's The Avengers hits theaters, as we approach the anticipated May 4th release date, more marketing and licensing deals unveil. The latest comes via Colantotte, a "top" jeweler brand in Japan, whose known for their upscale magnetic jewelry. Using full promo images from The Avengers, previously seen, on their official site, new character bios, and products developed for the movie, check it out!

You may recall when filming was underway in Cleveland, Ohio, which is doubling for New York City in the film, one of the many false storefronts built had a "Colantotte" sign atop it. So it seems, similar to the Dr. Pepper truck being blown to bits, the Colantotte store's inclusion is yet another case of cleaver product placement.

The store's screentime in the film reportedly depicts Japanese store owners running out of the building, and looking up frightened by the mystery aliens' "mothership." Anyhow, check the source link to visit and explore the Colantotte site, and their products!

“Marvel’s The Avengers” Promo

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”--the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, & directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble on May 4, 2012. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In addition to "Marvel's The Avengers," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Iron Man 3" on May 3, 2013!; and “Thor 2” on November 15, 2013.

New Marvel Films Boost Popularity Of Marvel Entertainment Themed Online Games

The Australian arm of the Media Man publicity and internet publishing agency is reporting that the new and upcoming Marvel hero themed movies (Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Ghost Rider and Wolverine) has boosted the popularity of Marvel slot games at world's leading online casino brand, PartyCasino, as seen across the Media Man network. The casino gaming brand is owned and operated by bwin.party digital entertainment, the world's leading igaming company, which is even listed on the London Stock Exchange. Impressive and even Excelsior! The Media Man agency has reviewed the games for the fanboy (or) fangirl in all of us.

'Chronicle's' Josh Trank looks to spit some Venom...

With Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” looking to kick-start a Spidey resurgence this summer, the studio is taking a crack at another character associated with the superhero: Venom.

The studio is negotiating with Josh Trank, the hot director of this winter’s found-footage hit "Chronicle," to take the reins of the Spidey spin-off, said a person familiar with the project who was not authorized to talk about it publicly. Sony was not immediately available for comment.

The film would center on the gooey villain who was a mainstay of the Marvel comics and was a nemesis, incarnated by Topher Grace, in the third “Spider-Man” picture in 2007. (The character attaches himself to a human host and becomes as powerful as the web-slinging superhero.)

A Venom film has been long-gestating at the studio, dating back at least to 2008 and preceding plans for this summer's Marc Webb-Andrew Garfield take on the character. Gary Ross negotiated to direct a Venom film back in 2009 but moved on to other projects, including the upcoming “Hunger Games.”

Jacob Estes (“The Details”) wrote a draft of a “Venom” script several years ago, but producers are seeking a new writer, said the source. (The Ross version was to craft Venom as less a villain than an antihero.) The film also would be seeking a new actor; Grace is not expected to reprise the role.

With "Venom," the 27-year-old Trank would not only return to superhero territory but would also bring a flair for shoe-leather storytelling that resonates with audiences: Despite an absence of stars as well as a modest budget, “Chronicle” has grossed more than $60 million since coming out last month. (Credit: LA Times)

Spider-Man ride reopening at Universal Orlando...

ORLANDO, Fla. - As Universal Orlando theme park prepares to open a new and technologically eye-popping version of its iconic 3-D Spider-Man ride this week, creator Stan Lee says it's sort of a fluke that the costumed web-slinger ever came into existence at all.

Lee was a writer and editor at Marvel Comics in the early 1960s when he went to his publisher with a new idea: A superhero with the abilities of a fly or some other insect to crawl on walls and flit from place to place. Oh, and the character's alter-ego, Peter Parker, would be a shy, orphaned teenager with all sorts of adolescent problems and anxieties.

"My publisher said to me, `Stan, that is the worst idea I have ever heard,"' the 89-year-old Lee recalled in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home this week. "First of all, people hate spiders so you can't call a hero Spider-Man. Secondly, a hero can't be a teenager.

Teenagers are only sidekicks. And three, superheroes don't have problems -- they're superheroes!"

Lee, who had already dreamed up the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and other popular Marvel beings, worked up a Spider-Man story with artist Steve Ditko -- "just to get it out of my system," he says -- and put the new character on the cover of the last ever issue of a 12-cent magazine called "Amazing Fantasy."

"It sold like crazy," Lee says of the August 1962 comic. Spider-Man was well on his way to becoming the flagship of the Marvel Comics universe, star of TV shows, major motion pictures and more lately, a famously elaborate Broadway musical. Spidey's general appearance has changed little through the years, although Peter Parker has been allowed to grow up into a young man.
That brings us to the updated version of the Universal 3-D dark ride, "The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man," which reopens Thursday. It quickly gained popularity among theme park fans after debuting in 1999 but has only had minor tweaks since. Lately it had slipped into the also-ran category of Universal rides with the 2010 opening of the immensely popular Harry Potter attraction in another corner of Islands of Adventure.

The ride, which combines motion vehicles, a towering screen and special effects, was reanimated in digital high-definition 3-D and got updated sets, sound system, lighting and music. Universal says the clearer, brighter animation allowed the addition of loads of new details and high-tech gimmicks to the ride, in which the wise-cracking web-slinger battles villains Doctor Octopus, Scream, Electro, Hydro-Man and the Hobgoblin.

"We saw an opportunity to make it ready for a whole new generation of fans, and this was a perfect time to do so," said Mark Woodbury, president for Universal Creative, the park's design and development group. "The technology was available to us, (and) we saw the opportunity to create something really unique -- more immersive, more detailed, more visual."

As Lee has done in some of the movies based on his characters, he steps into the ride for a cameo. He said he's not surprised at the enduring draw of his most famous creation, but he's quick to distribute the credit for Spidey's longevity.

"The people who are doing the stories after I stopped, and the people who are doing the cartoons and the rides and the motion pictures are doing such a fantastically wonderful job that the public seems to have a renewed interest in Spider-Man every time (something new) comes out," he said.

Interestingly enough, Universal rival Disney bought the Marvel empire in 2009 for more than $4 billion, but a licensing agreement keeps the Spider-Man ride firmly in Universal's clutches at the Florida theme park.

Universal opens another 3-D ride, based on the animated "Despicable Me" movie, this summer featuring similar 3-D technology. It will be on the other property at the Orlando park, called Universal Studios, which requires a separate admission. (Credit: AP)

Why Paramount Studios Gets 'Avengers' Credit; Not Disney!...

Knowing Disney wanted to turn 'The Avengers' into a franchise and bank on the success of 'Iron Man' after buying Marvel for $4 billion dollars, Paramount's top brass negotiated a deal in which it continues to collect 8% of the B.O. as part of fees it would have earned for distribbing the picture, as it did with the two 'Iron Man' pics, 'Thor' and 'Captain America.'" To a point: Whenever 'The Avengers' is discussed, it's Disney that's managing the superheroes, with the studio bringing the pic's thesps to its D23 Expo, in Anaheim, California.

'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' is in the money...

Movie website portal Box Office Mojo reports Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance earned at least $9.7 million this weekend, though data remains somewhat incomplete at this moment. Based on the information that is available, the movie has earned a total of $58 million overseas so far.

The Wolverine (2013)

I won’t lie to you, I have been talking to writers… I’m a big fan of the Japanese saga in the comic book. Hugh Jackman. In September 2009, Gavin Hood speculated that there will be a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which will be set in Japan. During one of the post credits scenes Logan is seen drinking at a bar in Japan. Such a location was the subject of Claremont and Miller's series, which was not in the first film as Jackman felt "what we need to do is establish who [Logan] is and find out how he became Wolverine". Jackman stated the Claremont-Miller series is his favorite Wolverine story. Of the Japanese arc, Jackman also stated that:“..there are so many areas of that Japanese story, I love the idea of this kind of anarchic character, the outsider, being in this world – I can see it aesthetically, too – full of honor and tradition and customs and someone who’s really anti-all of that, and trying to negotiate his way. The idea of the samurai, too – and the tradition there. It’s really great. In the comic book he gets his ass kicked by a couple of samurai – not even mutants. He’s shocked by that at first.” Jackman added that another Wolverine film would be a follow-up rather than continuing on from X-Men: The Last Stand. The inclusion of Deadpool and Gambit also leads to the possibilities of their own spin-offs. Before Wolverine's release, Lauren Shuler Donner approached Simon Beaufoy to write the script, but he did not feel confident enough to commit. On May 5, 2009, just four days after its initial weekend run, the sequel was officially confirmed. A Deadpool spin-off has also been confirmed with Ryan Reynolds attached to reprise the role of Wade Wilson, but producer Shuler Donner stated that she wants to "ignore the version of Deadpool that we saw in Wolverine and just start over again. Reboot it." Christopher McQuarrie, who went uncredited for his work on X-Men, was hired to write the screenplay for the Wolverine sequel in August 2009. According to Lauren Shuler-Donner, the sequel will focus on the relationship between Wolverine and Mariko, the daughter of a Japanese crime lord, and what happens to him in Japan. Wolverine will have a different fighting style due to Mariko's father having "this stick-like weapon. There'll be samurai, ninja, katana blades, different forms of martial arts – mano-a-mano, extreme fighting." She continued: "We want to make it authentic so I think it's very likely we'll be shooting in Japan. I think it's likely the characters will speak English rather than Japanese with subtitles." In January 2010, at the People's Choice Awards, Jackman stated that the film will start shooting sometime in 2011, and in March 2010 McQuarrie declared that the screenplay was finished for production to start in January the following year. In October 2010, it was confirmed that Darren Aronofsky would direct the film. Jackman commented that with Darren Aronofsky directing that Wolverine 2 will not be "usual" stating, "This is, hopefully for me, going to be out of the box. It’s going to be the best one, I hope... Well, I would say that, but I really do feel that, and I feel this is going to be very different. This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He’s kind of dark... But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure”. Bryan Singer was invited by Shuler Donner to direct, but declined. In November 2010, Aronofsky stated that the title of the film will be The Wolverine and described the film as a "one-off" rather than a sequel. Also in November, Fox Filmed Entertainment sent out a press release stating that they have signed Darren Aronofsky and his production company Protozoa Pictures to a new two-year, overall deal. Under the deal, Protozoa will develop and produce films for both 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures. Aronofsky’s debut picture under the pact will be The Wolverine. It had been reported that the film would begin principal photography in March 2011 in New York City before the production moves to Japan for the bulk of shooting. In March 2011, Darren Aronofsky bowed out of directing the film, saying the project would keep him out of the country for too long. In a joint statement with Fox, Aronofsky stated, "As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of The Wolverine would keep me out of the country for almost a year... I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won't be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again". Fox also decided to be "in no rush" to start the production due to the damage incurred in Japan by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In June 16, 2011 James Mangold was chosen to direct the film, having previously been on a shortlist which included directors José Padilha, Doug Liman, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Romanek, Justin Lin, and Gavin O'Connor. On June 27, Jackman said in an interview that filming for The Wolverine would start in October. Silver Samurai will be the film's villain. In September 2011, filming was postponed to Spring 2012 so Jackman can work on Les Misérables. Location include both Vancouver and Tokyo, with Mark Bomback working on a rewrite of McQuarrie's script. A July 26, 2013 release date has been set.

If it sounds like 2012 is going to be a pretty good year for superhero movies, both on an entertainment front (for fans) and business angle (for studios etc), that's because it is. Enjoy brigadiers, and as Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say - Excelsior!