.gif)
Fantastic Four (film series)
Encyclopedia
Fantastic Four is a film series
consisting of two superhero film
s based on the fictional
Marvel Comics
team Fantastic Four
. The series includes Fantastic Four
(2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
(2007), both released by 20th Century Fox
.
The films are based around four main characters, known formally as Reed Richards
, Susan Storm
, Ben Grimm
and Johnny Storm
, and how they adapt to the superpowers they attain. Each vary, as Reed feels responsible for their powers, Susan's dislike for the public attention the powers have given, Johnny's acceptance of the powers and the want to exploit this opportunity, and Ben's hatred of what he's become as he's the most visibly affected and now has to deal with the changes. In addition to these four, Dr. Victor von Doom
, who is also affected, shows the dark route that the misuse of the powers can do, and how he feels more powerful because of these "gifts."
Constantin Film
controlled the rights for the characters in the mid-1980s, and while a low-budget film
was produced in 1992 so Constantin could retain the license, the first installment of the series only entered production in 2004. The Fantastic Four films received mixed reviews by critics, but earned over $600 million at the worldwide box office
.
of Constantin Film
purchased the film rights of the Fantastic Four
in 1986 from Marvel. In 1992, Eichinger would lose the rights for the characters if he did not produce the film by the end of the year, so he hired Roger Corman
's company to produce a low-budget film. In 1994, the adaptation, titled The Fantastic Four
, had its trailer released to theaters, and its cast and director went on a promotional tour, but the film was never officially released. Also, the film was accused of being an ashcan copy
, meaning the film was made only to keep the license. It has been reported by Stan Lee and producer Bernd Eichinger that the actors had no idea of the situation, instead believing they were creating a serious release. Marvel paid an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for the entire film negative, so 20th Century Fox
could go ahead with the big-budget adaptation.
In 1997, Peter Segal
was attached to a script which had been written by Chris Columbus
and Michael France
. Segal left the project but changed his mind that same year. Phillip Morton (Fire Down Below) worked on the script, and Sam Hamm
was rewriting it in 1998. The following year Raja Gosnell
signed on as director. "I really wanted to do a big action comedy thrill ride like Men in Black
", he said, describing it as more comic than X-Men
(2000). Producer Avi Arad
called the script "the biggest sitcom of all time," which lead to fears that the film would be developed as a campy action-comedy adventure.
Columbus, who was producing, explained the delays were in getting the budget down. "One estimate was as high as $280 million because every time the four characters walk into a scene, it will cost upwards of $100,000", he said. 20th Century Fox
felt that production would depend on whether X-Men
would be successful at the box office. X-Men producer Ralph Winter joined the project in April 2000, and the project was announced in August 2000 as being aimed for a July 4, 2001 release date. Gosnell decided to leave the project to film Scooby-Doo
. Bring It On
director Peyton Reed
was announced as his replacement in April 2001. He contemplated making the movie as a period piece
set in the early 1960s during the space race
when the comic was first published. He sought to cast Renee Zellwegger as Sue Storm and George Clooney
as Reed Richards. Although he left the project, he managed to use Zellwegger and the 1960s setting in his film Down With Love
.
In 2004, Tim Story
was hired to direct, with Story being attracted to the aspect of the Fantastic Four being a family "who don't always get along." Fantastic Four started its production in August 2004 in Vancouver
, and original filming ended in December, until Fox ordered for additional scenes. The reshooting carried on until May 2005. The film was released on July 8, 2005.
is forced as a last resort to go to Dr. Victor von Doom
in order to get financed for an experiment, involving evolution and cloud storms in outer space. Upon making a deal, Reed and Victor go to Doom's space station, accompanied by Ben Grimm
, Susan Storm
, and her brother Johnny Storm
. When aboard, due to a miscalculation they are unexpectedly hit by the space storm and are affected in very different ways by the radiation. The story follows them as they deal with these new 'powers' in their own ways, and how at one point Reed, Ben, Susan and Johnny become heroes by saving many people in a public predicament.
, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet and leaving mysterious craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the US Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Surfer, and separately gain help from Doctor Doom, who returns, to the surprise of the Fantastic Four. Later, Susan learns that the Surfer is in fact the slave of an intergalactic 'world eating' entity known as Galactus
, and has no choice but to abide by Galactus' commands. Doom double-crosses the army in an attempt to steal and master the Surfer's powers, only to be defeated by the Fantastic Four, who in turn restore the Surfer in time for him to face down his master and save Earth.
also signed for a third film. Michael Chiklis
was told his character's relationship with Alicia Masters
would have a greater focus in a third film. Jessica Alba
expressed interest in introducing Franklin Richards
, while Beau Garrett
wished to return as Nova. Tim Story
said he would like to direct a third and fourth film. Don Payne stated he had not discussed a sequel with the studio, but "I’ve always loved the Inhumans
, the Skrull
s, the Puppet Master
, and Annihilus
and the Negative Zone
." As Rise of the Silver Surfer grossed less than the first film, 20th Century Fox
was unsure of the series' future, and no script was in development. In March 2008, Chris Evans
revealed, "I'm pretty sure we won’t do another one. I’m assuming that one is a closed book."
writing and Akiva Goldsman
producing.
In the early 1990s, Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film and Marvel Studios
were interested in a Silver Surfer
film, and approached George Lucas
and Industrial Light & Magic, who found the project to be too technically challenging. Various filmmakers attempted different methods of making the Silver Surfer realistic through visual effects
experiments. This included a process by which a black actor named Gerald Walker was painted with mineral oil, and filmed on Reversal stock, so that a negative image, with the intent that the dark portions would appear silvery. However, since the process inverts all light in shadows and vice versa, the resulting image was not usable. Sometime in 1992 Quentin Tarantino
, fresh from critical success with Reservoir Dogs
, came to Constantin with a script but was turned down.
Erik Fleming
and Steven Robiner
recruited a crew of friends from the USC School of Cinematic Arts
and convinced Stan Lee
, Marvel Studios
and Eichinger to let them try their hand at a short film as a means to prove that computer-generated imagery
(which was then in its infancy) could be used to create a photo-realistic silver man. Marvel agreed to let the project go forward. After filming began, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
was released, featuring the chrome-like figure of T-1000
. This proved that Fleming & Robiner's theories about the possibility of rendering lifelike humanoid figures with quicksilver-like bodies were correct. The Silver Surfer short film was finished in 1992 to rave reviews. Major film studios invited the crew into their offices, simply amazed as to how they completed the film with virtually no budget. When the studios found out they didn't own the rights to the comic book, they were turned down and the studio's interest turned to Marvel. Fleming stated, "It's suddenly an A-list project, and they have to bring in an A-list writer, an A-list director. That's really just how Hollywood works. We should have signed a deal ahead of time, but we were just too young and naive. A studio's word is no good in Hollywood. All that matters is a signed piece of paper." Upon viewing the short film Oliver Stone
became interested in directing.
20th Century Fox
The success of the short film prompted Fox and Eichinger to hire John Turman
to write the script, and eventually Richard Jefferies
to rewrite Turman's script. Geoffrey Wright
became attached to direct Jefferies' script that included the Silver Surfer in the company of a twelve-year-old street prostitute, similar to Jodie Foster
's character in Taxi Driver
. Rudy Gaines and John Rice were hired to write a completely new script, which showcased the Silver Surfer crash-landing on Earth and being romantically involved with a Brooklyn
waitress. He's accidentally transformed into a human being by a secret scientific government project, while pursued by a psychotic United States Army
General. Gaines and Rice wrote three drafts, which Fox liked the script but found too expensive to film, and Wright eventually left.
The project moved to Fox's children's division of 20th Century Fox Animation
, which started the Silver Surfer television series
. By July 1999, Andrew Kevin Walker
was hired to write a completely new script. In May 2000, Marvel Studios
brought Artisan Entertainment
to co-finance the film. Vin Diesel
expressed interest in portraying the lead role, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was approached to star. Baz Luhrmann
was interested in directing, while Joshua Jackson
was interested in portraying the lead role. Turman expressed interest in writing a new script in June 2003. By March 2005, an unnamed "Zen
Buddhist with experience in special effects" was set to direct. However, the unnamed director was committed to another film, and also left because of the technical challenges of creating the Surfer on screen. Marvel and Fox opted for the character to be used in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
, portrayed by Doug Jones
and voiced by Laurence Fishburne
. Don Payne, co-writer of Rise of the Silver Surfer, expressed interest in writing a new screenplay for Silver Surfer.
Silver Surfer was then put to a higher priority than Fantastic Four 3. By June 2007, J. Michael Straczynski
was working on a new screenplay, which was set after Rise of the Silver Surfer: The Surfer returns to Zenn-La
, anxious that Galactus
will consume it after he betrayed him. Straczynski described Galactus in a manner more faithful to his comics appearance in the script, revealing his cloud form from the previous film was a disguise. Jones is signed on for two more films, and hopes that Fox will option him to reprise the role, and would like the opportunity to supply his own voice for the character, as was the case with Jones' second portrayal of the character Abe Sapien
, in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. A large amount of filming will take place in Australia. Fox was disappointed by the box office return of Rise of the Silver Surfer. In July 2008, producer Kevin Feige said Fox was waiting to see how successful the spin-off film X-Men Origins: Wolverine
would be before putting the film in active development. Recently, it has been revealed that 20th Century Fox
will be rebooting Fantastic Four. Even though Disney recently bought out Marvel, Fox still owns the film rights it has bought from Marvel including Silver Surfer
. It remains to be seen whether or not Fox will go ahead with the film.
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
consisting of two superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
s based on the fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
team Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. The series includes Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (film)
Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the...
(2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
(2007), both released by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
.
The films are based around four main characters, known formally as Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
, Susan Storm
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, Ben Grimm
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
and Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
, and how they adapt to the superpowers they attain. Each vary, as Reed feels responsible for their powers, Susan's dislike for the public attention the powers have given, Johnny's acceptance of the powers and the want to exploit this opportunity, and Ben's hatred of what he's become as he's the most visibly affected and now has to deal with the changes. In addition to these four, Dr. Victor von Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, who is also affected, shows the dark route that the misuse of the powers can do, and how he feels more powerful because of these "gifts."
Constantin Film
Constantin Film
- History :Constantin Film Distribution GmbH was founded by Waldfried Barthel and Preben Philipsen on April 1, 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany. On December 21, 1964, the name of the company was changed to Constantin Film GmbH....
controlled the rights for the characters in the mid-1980s, and while a low-budget film
The Fantastic Four (film)
The Fantastic Four is an unreleased low-budget feature film completed in 1994. Created to secure copyright to the property, the producers never intended it for release, although the director, actors, and other participants were not informed of this fact...
was produced in 1992 so Constantin could retain the license, the first installment of the series only entered production in 2004. The Fantastic Four films received mixed reviews by critics, but earned over $600 million at the worldwide box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
.
Development
Bernd EichingerBernd Eichinger
Bernd Eichinger was a German film producer and director.- Life and career :Eichinger was born in Neuburg an der Donau. He attended the University of Television and Film Munich in the 1970s, and bought a stake in the fledgling studio company Neue Constantin Film in 1979, becoming its executive...
of Constantin Film
Constantin Film
- History :Constantin Film Distribution GmbH was founded by Waldfried Barthel and Preben Philipsen on April 1, 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany. On December 21, 1964, the name of the company was changed to Constantin Film GmbH....
purchased the film rights of the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
in 1986 from Marvel. In 1992, Eichinger would lose the rights for the characters if he did not produce the film by the end of the year, so he hired Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's company to produce a low-budget film. In 1994, the adaptation, titled The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four (film)
The Fantastic Four is an unreleased low-budget feature film completed in 1994. Created to secure copyright to the property, the producers never intended it for release, although the director, actors, and other participants were not informed of this fact...
, had its trailer released to theaters, and its cast and director went on a promotional tour, but the film was never officially released. Also, the film was accused of being an ashcan copy
Ashcan copy
An ashcan copy is a term that originated in the Golden Age of Comic Books, meant to describe a publication produced solely for legal purposes , and not normally intended for distribution.-Origins:...
, meaning the film was made only to keep the license. It has been reported by Stan Lee and producer Bernd Eichinger that the actors had no idea of the situation, instead believing they were creating a serious release. Marvel paid an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for the entire film negative, so 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
could go ahead with the big-budget adaptation.
In 1997, Peter Segal
Peter Segal
Peter Segal is an American film director, with credits in producing, writing, and acting. He has had general success in the comedy film genre.-Filmography:*Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult *Tommy Boy...
was attached to a script which had been written by Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
and Michael France
Michael France
Michael France is a film screenwriter. He has written screenplays for the action films Cliffhanger , the James Bond film GoldenEye , and the popular comic book films Hulk , The Punisher and Fantastic Four .-Life:He attended the University of Florida in the early 1980s, working as a projectionist...
. Segal left the project but changed his mind that same year. Phillip Morton (Fire Down Below) worked on the script, and Sam Hamm
Sam Hamm
Sam Hamm is an American screenwriter, perhaps best known for writing the screenplay for Tim Burton's Batman and an unused screenplay for the sequel. As a result of his work, he was invited to write for the Batman comic. The result was Batman: Blind Justice, which introduced Bruce Wayne's mentor,...
was rewriting it in 1998. The following year Raja Gosnell
Raja Gosnell
Raja Raymond Gosnell is an American film director and editor best known for directing films like Never Been Kissed, Big Momma's House, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and most recently, The Smurfs...
signed on as director. "I really wanted to do a big action comedy thrill ride like Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
", he said, describing it as more comic than X-Men
X-Men (film)
X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane...
(2000). Producer Avi Arad
Avi Arad
Avi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman. He became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s, and soon afterward became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, a Marvel director, chairman, CEO and the founder of Marvel Studios....
called the script "the biggest sitcom of all time," which lead to fears that the film would be developed as a campy action-comedy adventure.
Columbus, who was producing, explained the delays were in getting the budget down. "One estimate was as high as $280 million because every time the four characters walk into a scene, it will cost upwards of $100,000", he said. 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
felt that production would depend on whether X-Men
X-Men (film)
X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane...
would be successful at the box office. X-Men producer Ralph Winter joined the project in April 2000, and the project was announced in August 2000 as being aimed for a July 4, 2001 release date. Gosnell decided to leave the project to film Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo (film)
Scooby-Doo is a 2002 American comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera television cartoon series Scooby-Doo about a group of young detectives and their talking dog. It is the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live action film series...
. Bring It On
Bring It On (film)
Bring It On is a 2000 teen comedy film about two competing high school cheerleading squads, starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union...
director Peyton Reed
Peyton Reed
Peyton Reed is an American television and film director.Reed was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reed directed the motion pictures Bring It On, Down with Love, and The Break-Up; all comedy films...
was announced as his replacement in April 2001. He contemplated making the movie as a period piece
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
set in the early 1960s during the space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
when the comic was first published. He sought to cast Renee Zellwegger as Sue Storm and George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
as Reed Richards. Although he left the project, he managed to use Zellwegger and the 1960s setting in his film Down With Love
Down with Love
Down with Love is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake. It stars Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, and is a pastiche of the romantic comedies of the early 1960s starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall such as Pillow Talk and Lover...
.
In 2004, Tim Story
Tim Story (film director)
Timothy Kevin Story is an African-American film director. Born in Los Angeles, California, he attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles with jazz pianist Eric Reed and actresses Regina King and Nia Long. He was senior class president at Westchester High. He graduated from the University of...
was hired to direct, with Story being attracted to the aspect of the Fantastic Four being a family "who don't always get along." Fantastic Four started its production in August 2004 in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and original filming ended in December, until Fox ordered for additional scenes. The reshooting carried on until May 2005. The film was released on July 8, 2005.
The Fantastic Four (1994)
After four astronauts are bombarded with cosmic rays from a comet while on an experimental space craft, they acquire special powers.Fantastic Four (2005)
Fantastic Four starts as Reed RichardsMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
is forced as a last resort to go to Dr. Victor von Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
in order to get financed for an experiment, involving evolution and cloud storms in outer space. Upon making a deal, Reed and Victor go to Doom's space station, accompanied by Ben Grimm
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, Susan Storm
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, and her brother Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
. When aboard, due to a miscalculation they are unexpectedly hit by the space storm and are affected in very different ways by the radiation. The story follows them as they deal with these new 'powers' in their own ways, and how at one point Reed, Ben, Susan and Johnny become heroes by saving many people in a public predicament.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer introduces the Silver SurferSilver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet and leaving mysterious craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the US Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Surfer, and separately gain help from Doctor Doom, who returns, to the surprise of the Fantastic Four. Later, Susan learns that the Surfer is in fact the slave of an intergalactic 'world eating' entity known as Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
, and has no choice but to abide by Galactus' commands. Doom double-crosses the army in an attempt to steal and master the Surfer's powers, only to be defeated by the Fantastic Four, who in turn restore the Surfer in time for him to face down his master and save Earth.
Cast and characters
| Character | Film | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four (film) The Fantastic Four is an unreleased low-budget feature film completed in 1994. Created to secure copyright to the property, the producers never intended it for release, although the director, actors, and other participants were not informed of this fact... |
Fantastic Four Fantastic Four (film) Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the... |
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story... |
|
| Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic Mister Fantastic Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 .... |
Alex Hyde-White Alex Hyde-White Alex Punch Hyde-White is an English born, US raised film and television actor. He is sometimes credited as Alex Hyde White. In 1978 he signed with Universal Pictures as one of the last "contract players" in Hollywood, in a group that included Lindsay Wagner, Andrew Stevens and Sharon... |
Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down... |
|
| Sue Storm Richards/The Invisible Woman Invisible Woman Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics... |
Rebecca Staab Rebecca Staab Rebecca Ann Staab is an American actress and former beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.- Biography :Staab was born in Hays, Kansas and grew up in Ralston, Nebraska. She graduated in 1979 from Ralston Senior High School... / Mercedes McNab Mercedes McNab Mercedes Alicia McNab is a Canadian-born actress perhaps best known for playing Harmony Kendall on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel... |
Jessica Alba Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel... |
|
| Johnny Storm/The Human Torch Human Torch The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1... |
Jay Underwood Jay Underwood Jay Underwood is an American actor.In 1983, he attended Moreau Catholic High School for one year in Hayward, California. He is married to Julie Underwood and has three children. His most recognized work includes portraying Ernest Hemingway in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, "Bug" in Uncle... / Phillip Van Dyke Phillip Van Dyke Phillip Van Dyke is an American actor best known for his role as the goblin Luke in the first two of the Halloweentown movie series.-Private life:He was born in San Francisco and currently resides there.... |
Chris Evans Chris Evans (actor) Christopher Robert "Chris" Evans is an American actor. He played Cary Baston on the television series Opposite Sex, and transitioned to a film career, starring in several hits, including Not Another Teen Movie , Fierce People , Fantastic Four, sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , and... |
|
| Ben Grimm/The Thing Thing (comics) The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1... |
Michael Bailey Smith Michael Bailey Smith Michael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:... / Carl Ciarfalio |
Michael Chiklis Michael Chiklis Michael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, voice actor, occasional director and television producer. Some of the previous roles for which he is best known include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police drama The Commish, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield, Thing in... |
|
| Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom Doctor Doom Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak... |
Joseph Culp | Julian McMahon Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayals of Cole Turner in The WB hit series Charmed, womanizing plastic surgeon Christian Troy on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV show Nip/Tuck, and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and... |
|
| Alicia Masters Alicia Masters Alicia Reiss Masters is a supporting character to the Marvel Comics superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she first appeared in The Fantastic Four #8 .... |
Kat Green | Kerry Washington Kerry Washington Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007... |
|
| The Jeweler | Ian Trigger | ||
| Willie Lumpkin Willie Lumpkin Willie Lumpkin is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Universe, who is best known as the mailman of the Fantastic Four in their self-titled comic book.-Newspaper comic strip:... |
Stan Lee Stan Lee Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.... |
||
| Leonard | Hamish Linklater Hamish Linklater Hamish Linklater is an American actor. He is best known as Matthew in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine... |
||
| Debbie | Laurie Holden Laurie Holden Heather Laurie Holden is an American-Canadian actress and human rights activist. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files, Adele Stanton on The Majestic, Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill, Amanda Dumfries in The Mist, Olivia Murray in The Shield, and Andrea in The... |
||
| Norrin Radd/The Silver Surfer Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy".... |
Doug Jones Doug Jones (actor) Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise... Laurence Fishburne Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner... (voice) |
||
| Frankie Raye | Beau Garrett Beau Garrett Beau Jesse Garrett is an American actress and model.-Career:She was first hired by GUESS in the late 1990s. She is currently a spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics, along with Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Connelly and Jessica Alba, and has also modeled for Double D Ranch and CosmoGirl... |
||
| General Hager | Andre Braugher Andre Braugher Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr... |
||
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | United States | United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | |||
| Fantastic Four | July 8, 2005 | July 8, 2005 | $154,696,080 | $175,883,639 | $330,579,719 | #175 | #180 | $100,000,000 | |
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | June 15, 2007 | June 15, 2007 | $131,921,738 | $157,126,025 | $289,047,763 | #249 | #229 | $130,000,000 | |
| Total | $286,617,818 | $333,009,664 | $619,627,482 | $230,000,000 | |||||
Critical reaction
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
Yahoo Movies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | |||
| Fantastic Four | 27% (202 reviews) | 29% (34 reviews) | 40% (35 reviews) | C (13 reviews) |
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | 37% (166 reviews) | 34% (35 reviews) | 45% (33 reviews) | C+ (14 reviews) |
Cancelled sequel
The main four cast originally signed three-picture deals, and Julian McMahonJulian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayals of Cole Turner in The WB hit series Charmed, womanizing plastic surgeon Christian Troy on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV show Nip/Tuck, and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and...
also signed for a third film. Michael Chiklis
Michael Chiklis
Michael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, voice actor, occasional director and television producer. Some of the previous roles for which he is best known include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police drama The Commish, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield, Thing in...
was told his character's relationship with Alicia Masters
Alicia Masters
Alicia Reiss Masters is a supporting character to the Marvel Comics superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she first appeared in The Fantastic Four #8 ....
would have a greater focus in a third film. Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
expressed interest in introducing Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
, while Beau Garrett
Beau Garrett
Beau Jesse Garrett is an American actress and model.-Career:She was first hired by GUESS in the late 1990s. She is currently a spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics, along with Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Connelly and Jessica Alba, and has also modeled for Double D Ranch and CosmoGirl...
wished to return as Nova. Tim Story
Tim Story (film director)
Timothy Kevin Story is an African-American film director. Born in Los Angeles, California, he attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles with jazz pianist Eric Reed and actresses Regina King and Nia Long. He was senior class president at Westchester High. He graduated from the University of...
said he would like to direct a third and fourth film. Don Payne stated he had not discussed a sequel with the studio, but "I’ve always loved the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
, the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s, the Puppet Master
Puppet Master (comics)
The Puppet Master, real name Phillip Masters, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Fantastic Four comics. His first appearance was in Fantastic Four volume 1 #8...
, and Annihilus
Annihilus
Annihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
and the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
." As Rise of the Silver Surfer grossed less than the first film, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
was unsure of the series' future, and no script was in development. In March 2008, Chris Evans
Chris Evans (actor)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Evans is an American actor. He played Cary Baston on the television series Opposite Sex, and transitioned to a film career, starring in several hits, including Not Another Teen Movie , Fierce People , Fantastic Four, sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , and...
revealed, "I'm pretty sure we won’t do another one. I’m assuming that one is a closed book."
Reboot
In August 2009, Fox announced plans to reboot the Fantastic Four franchise, with Michael GreenMichael Green (writer)
Michael Green is an American television and film writer, as well as a comic book scripter. He grew up in Mamaroneck, New York.-Comic Books:Green has been a contributor for Superman/Batman. He also co-wrote the Green Lantern movie with Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, which was released in 2011...
writing and Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
producing.
Silver Surfer spin-off
Early stagesIn the early 1990s, Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film and Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
were interested in a Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
film, and approached George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
and Industrial Light & Magic, who found the project to be too technically challenging. Various filmmakers attempted different methods of making the Silver Surfer realistic through visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
experiments. This included a process by which a black actor named Gerald Walker was painted with mineral oil, and filmed on Reversal stock, so that a negative image, with the intent that the dark portions would appear silvery. However, since the process inverts all light in shadows and vice versa, the resulting image was not usable. Sometime in 1992 Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, fresh from critical success with Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
, came to Constantin with a script but was turned down.
Erik Fleming
Erik Fleming (director)
Erik Fleming is an American cinema and TV director and producer. He is a graduate of USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is mostly known for creating the 1994 experimental short film, The Silver Surfer, which portrayed the famous character in CGI....
and Steven Robiner
Steven Robiner
Steven Robiner earned an MFA from the University of Southern California, then supervised and co-produced the first ever digital visual effects motion picture created featuring the Marvel comic book super-hero Silver Surfer during his post graduate tenure at USC...
recruited a crew of friends from the USC School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
and convinced Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
and Eichinger to let them try their hand at a short film as a means to prove that computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
(which was then in its infancy) could be used to create a photo-realistic silver man. Marvel agreed to let the project go forward. After filming began, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
was released, featuring the chrome-like figure of T-1000
T-1000
The T-1000 is a fictional nanomorph mimetic poly-alloy assassin and the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day controlled by the series main antagonist Skynet. The T-1000 is portrayed primarily by Robert Patrick; however, being a shape-shifter, the T-1000 is played by other actors in some...
. This proved that Fleming & Robiner's theories about the possibility of rendering lifelike humanoid figures with quicksilver-like bodies were correct. The Silver Surfer short film was finished in 1992 to rave reviews. Major film studios invited the crew into their offices, simply amazed as to how they completed the film with virtually no budget. When the studios found out they didn't own the rights to the comic book, they were turned down and the studio's interest turned to Marvel. Fleming stated, "It's suddenly an A-list project, and they have to bring in an A-list writer, an A-list director. That's really just how Hollywood works. We should have signed a deal ahead of time, but we were just too young and naive. A studio's word is no good in Hollywood. All that matters is a signed piece of paper." Upon viewing the short film Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
became interested in directing.
20th Century Fox
The success of the short film prompted Fox and Eichinger to hire John Turman
John Turman
-Credits:*Full Moon in Blue Water *The Crow: Stairway to Heaven *Hulk*Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer *Ben 10: Alien Swarm...
to write the script, and eventually Richard Jefferies
Richard Jefferies (screenwriter)
Richard Jefferies is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director and editor. He is the writer and executive producer of Cold Creek Manor. He was a screenwriter on Tron Legacy for Disney Studios and directed the 2008 Syfy Original film Living Hell aka Organizm...
to rewrite Turman's script. Geoffrey Wright
Geoffrey Wright
Geoffrey Wright is an Australian film director, born in Melbourne in 1959.He gained cult success with the 1992 film Romper Stomper, which starred Russell Crowe. In 1994, he directed the gritty suburban thriller film Metal Skin, starring Ben Mendelsohn, and later directed the teen horror film...
became attached to direct Jefferies' script that included the Silver Surfer in the company of a twelve-year-old street prostitute, similar to Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
's character in Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
. Rudy Gaines and John Rice were hired to write a completely new script, which showcased the Silver Surfer crash-landing on Earth and being romantically involved with a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
waitress. He's accidentally transformed into a human being by a secret scientific government project, while pursued by a psychotic United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
General. Gaines and Rice wrote three drafts, which Fox liked the script but found too expensive to film, and Wright eventually left.
The project moved to Fox's children's division of 20th Century Fox Animation
20th Century Fox Animation
20th Century Fox Animation is the animation division of film studio 20th Century Fox.-Fox Animation Studios:Before 20th Century Fox started its animation division in 1997, 20th Century Fox released its first six animated films, such as Wizards, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure , Fire and Ice...
, which started the Silver Surfer television series
Silver Surfer (TV series)
Silver Surfer, also known as Silver Surfer: The Animated Series, is an animated television series based on the Marvel Comics superhero which aired on the Fox Kids Network in 1998.-Overview:...
. By July 1999, Andrew Kevin Walker
Andrew Kevin Walker
Andrew Kevin Walker is an American BAFTA-nominated screenwriter. He is known for having written the Academy Award-nominated film Seven , for which he earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as several other films, including 8mm , Sleepy Hollow and many...
was hired to write a completely new script. In May 2000, Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
brought Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment Inc. was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
to co-finance the film. Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
expressed interest in portraying the lead role, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was approached to star. Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
was interested in directing, while Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
was interested in portraying the lead role. Turman expressed interest in writing a new script in June 2003. By March 2005, an unnamed "Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Buddhist with experience in special effects" was set to direct. However, the unnamed director was committed to another film, and also left because of the technical challenges of creating the Surfer on screen. Marvel and Fox opted for the character to be used in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
, portrayed by Doug Jones
Doug Jones (actor)
Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise...
and voiced by Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
. Don Payne, co-writer of Rise of the Silver Surfer, expressed interest in writing a new screenplay for Silver Surfer.
Silver Surfer was then put to a higher priority than Fantastic Four 3. By June 2007, J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
was working on a new screenplay, which was set after Rise of the Silver Surfer: The Surfer returns to Zenn-La
Zenn-La
Zenn-La is a fictional planet in the Marvel Universe, located in the Deneb System in the Milky Way galaxy, approximately 3,000 light years from Earth. It is best known as the homeworld of the Silver Surfer...
, anxious that Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
will consume it after he betrayed him. Straczynski described Galactus in a manner more faithful to his comics appearance in the script, revealing his cloud form from the previous film was a disguise. Jones is signed on for two more films, and hopes that Fox will option him to reprise the role, and would like the opportunity to supply his own voice for the character, as was the case with Jones' second portrayal of the character Abe Sapien
Abe Sapien
Abraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
, in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. A large amount of filming will take place in Australia. Fox was disappointed by the box office return of Rise of the Silver Surfer. In July 2008, producer Kevin Feige said Fox was waiting to see how successful the spin-off film X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
would be before putting the film in active development. Recently, it has been revealed that 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
will be rebooting Fantastic Four. Even though Disney recently bought out Marvel, Fox still owns the film rights it has bought from Marvel including Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. It remains to be seen whether or not Fox will go ahead with the film.