Hulk Confused

Marvel issued a press release today saying that a new Hulk movie will be released in theaters on or about June 27, 2008. In the release, they go on to cite that it will be directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Zak Penn... two gentlemen who had nothing to do with the 2003 movie.

And here's where things get even more strange. There's NO mention of Eric Bana, Jen Connelly, or Nick Nolte who starred in the 2003 movie and there's a note that "Marvel Studios is currently casting the project."

So what I'm hearing out of Marvel is that they were very happy with the Hulk movie and feel that a sequel is warranted. However, the movie also stunk to high heaven and they don't want anyone who had anything to do with it back.

Admittedly, they never actually call this new movie a "sequel" in the press release. Indeed, the 2003 movie is only referred to once, and even then in the most oblique way. But the movie was publicized well enough that I'm certain everyone will remember it, and there will inevitably be comparisons between that film and the 2008 version. It seems to me that, if they wanted and entirely new group to work with, they'd do a different movie with another one of their properties -- they could still even stay within the Hulk family and do an Abomination flick, which could be thematically very similar to a Hulk one. Or if they're looking to simply capitalize off the Hulk name, how about a She-Hulk movie? Wouldn't have to have any substantial relation to the original, and could go off in its own direction so that there wouldn't be the jaded (pun intended) memories of the Ang Lee movie.

But, hey, what do I know? I'm just a schmuck sitting here in the blogosphere spouting how I could do such an infinitely better job at this than anyone else. Sure, I'm playing armchair producer here, but it just strikes me that there must have been some very curious decision-making going on in some California studios.

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