Archive for the ‘‘Thor’’ Category
When Kenneth Branagh ended up in the director’s seat for the big-screen adaptation of Thor, Tom Hiddleston was hand-picked to serve as Thor’s brother and nemesis, Loki. It’s a part so juicy that Hiddleston will reprise it as the main villain in next year’s Marvel mash-up The Avengers. New York Magazine had the opportunity to talk to Tom about the upcoming “The Avengers,” take a look at what he had to say:
At what point did they tell you that you would get to be the primary villain in The Avengers too?
Well, I think it was a plan from the get-go, but it wasn’t really dead-set until near the end of Thor. What was wonderful is that about four days after I wrapped on Thor, I went out for a cup of tea with Joss Whedon. We sat down at two o’clock in the afternoon, and we were still sitting there at six o’clock. He said, “Listen, you’ve lived with this guy for six months. I want you to spill the beans and tell me all of his dark secrets. Who is this guy? Why is he who he is?” Ken had already shown him a rough cut of the film, and mercifully, everything I had done accorded with Joss’s idea of the character, too. I’m really so flattered that Marvel and Joss think I can take them all on. In Avengers, it’s going to be me versus seven of them, and I say “Good luck to them,” frankly.Is there still some ambiguity to Loki in that movie, or is he more of a full-fledged bad guy?
It’s tough to say. I think Loki’s intelligence is never switched off. Let’s put it this way: He has really big, evil plans that will take more than his thunderous brother to put a stop to, but that doesn’t mean that the layers aren’t still there.Are there any trepidations that you’re committed to so many Marvel films without so much as script approval?
I’ve got to be completely honest with you, man: Loki has been such an amazing break for me. I think every young actor needs a break, and I owe it eternally to Kenneth Branagh for believing in me, so it’s kind of a no-brainer to me. The idea that I can play this juicy role a couple more times? It’s a tantalizing prospect.
Read the complete interview: www.nymag.com
The Marvel tentpole Thor, toplined by Chris Hemsworth, wasn’t just directed by Kenneth Branagh. “Thor” actor Stellan Skarsgard revealed at Cannes, while promoting Melancholia, that Joss Whedon, who is currently helming The Avengers, actually filmed part of “Thor.”
Whedon, Skarsgard tells Empire, directed the post-credits scene, in which his Erik Selvig, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury all appear.
“That was just a couple of months ago,” Skarsgard said of filming the extra scene. “I flew over there and went down into a basement, talked to Sam a couple of minutes and then went back home.”
“Was that with Ken Branagh?,” the interviewer asks.
“No that was with a director called Joss Whedon, who’s doing The Avengers,” Skarsgard answers.
Despite the release of two new movies in wide release, Marvel Studios’ Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston remained in first place with an estimated $34.5 million, down roughly 48% from its opening weekend and bringing its North American total to $119.2 million.
Opening in a strong second place was Paul Feig’s R-rated comedy Bridesmaids (Universal), starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, with an estimated $24.4 million in just over 2,900 theaters, averaging over $8,300 per site. Produced by Judd Apatow for a reported $32.5 million, the raunchy female-targeted comedy opened with $7.8 million on Friday, then saw a bump on Saturday to $10.7 million. With a CinemaScore of B+ (similar to Apatow’s second film Knocked Up), it should be expected to have a strong run over the summer.
Universal’s other summer hit Fast Five starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster dropped to third place with $19.5 million and $168.8 million grossed domestically in three weekends. The Justin Lin-directed action movie was also the #1 movie worldwide for a third weekend in a row, grossing another $77.5 million in 63 countries to bring its total worldwide gross to $440.5 million! Universal had its second biggest opening in China where it opened at #1 with $8.5 million in 1,500 locations, four times the opening of Fast & Furious.
Rounding out the top five was Screen Gem’s action thriller Priest in fourth place and 20th Century Fox’s animated comedy Rio in fifth. (Source)
Alison Haislip of Attack of the Show! joins Chris Hemsworth, Kat Dennings and director Kenneth Branagh to talk about their new film, Thor and try to figure out how to pronounce Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. A big thank you to Stef for sending this to my attention!
Just a quick reminder that Thor was officially released today! I recommend everyone to check their local listings and head to the theatre this weekend! You won’t be disappointed!
Last night, Chris was a guest on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Chris spoke about growing up in the Outback, acting role in Aussie soap Home and Away, Thor and Rene Russo’s attraction to him. Take a look below! Also, my friend Jess sent some gorgeous photos of Chris from last night’s interview!
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- Home > Public Appearances > Events in 2011 > 11 05 04 – The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
Chris has a couple busy days ahead of himself … he is set to appear on not one, but two late night talk shows! Here is the talk show schedule for Chris – check your local listings for channels and air times! Chris will be on both shows to promote Thor.
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC)Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Thor is bringing the hammer down tonight for the film’s red carpet premiere in Hollywood, and you can watch it live here on EW via Marvel.com, with host Isaiah “Old Spice Guy” Mustafa speaking with stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg, and director Kenneth Branagh, as well as Hemsworth’s brother Liam, and his future costar in The Avengers Jeremy Renner — who also appears in Thor in a quick cameo as Marvel hero Hawkeye.
So what will Mustafa be asking?
“I tend to be more of an off-the-cuff type of person,” he tells EW, “rather than scripted questions…. I’m sure they’re going to have all kinds of fun stories for me.” So the famously buff Old Spice spokesman won’t be asking Hemsworth about his fitness regimen for the film? “He’s a big guy,” Mustafa laughs. “I’ve met him before. He has a brother also who’s just as big as he is. I think big dudeness just runs in their family.”
Watch the “Thor” premiere Live: www.popwatch.ew.com
When Chris Hemsworth becomes a huge movie star following Friday’s release of Thor, as most of the early reviews suggest he will, the actor will have his mother to thank. And not in the usual “I-appreciate-your-giving-birth-to-me kind of way,” but more in a “you-saved-my-audition type of way.”
The 27-year-old Aussie was originally rejected when he tried out for the role of the titular character in the superhero epic. Strangely enough, Chris’ younger brother, Liam, also an actor, ended up as one of the handful of finalists that Marvel Studios was considering. When he and the other candidates — who reportedly included wrestler Triple H and Kevin McKidd of Grey’s Anatomy — failed to make the cut, studio execs and director Kenneth Branagh decided to give Chris another look.
“I think I didn’t do too well in my first audition, and my brother was able to get in there and represent [for the family] in a better fashion,” Chris Hemsworth tells The Post. “When it didn’t go Liam’s way, my manager said, ‘He has an older brother.’ I sent another tape in, and I had a bit of motivation this time, in that they invited my younger brother in but not me. That was fuel for me doing better.”
Hemsworth’s new two-minute audition reel was shot quickly in a Vancouver hotel room, and it co-starred someone even more unknown stateside than Chris: his mother, Leonie. The two acted out a mock scene from “Thor,” in which the hero argues with his father, Odin. The Norse Allfather and king of the mystical realm of Asgard is played by Anthony Hopkins in the actual movie, but in this case, Mrs. Hemsworth graciously stepped in.
“It was a rather heated back-and-forth scene, and it was very funny to have my mom there playing the Anthony Hopkins character, the king of the nine realms,” Hemsworth says.
The subsequent audition process also required Hemsworth to perform stunt routines for the camera, including a fight scene involving Thor’s magical stone hammer, Mjolnir.
“There was the twirling of the hammer and spins and all that,” Hemsworth says. “It was not in my repertoire of skills.”
Rush (2013)
Thor 2 (2013)
Red Dawn (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
