Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distribPre-production
By April 2013, filming was scheduled to begin in early 2014 at Shepperton Studios in England.[44] At the Hollywood premiere of Iron Man 3, Whedon said that he completed a draft of the script, and had started the storyboard process and to meet with actors. Whedon also mentioned that he wrote with Downey in mind and included a "brother/sister act" from the comic books,[45] later confirming that he was referring to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.[46][47] During an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Whedon explained his rationale for including the characters in the film saying, "Besides the fact that I grew up reading them, their powers are very visually interesting. One of the problems I had on the first one was everybody basically had punchy powers... [Quicksilver]’s got super speed. [Scarlet Witch] can weave spells and a little telekinesis, get inside your head. There’s good stuff that they can do that will help sort of keep it fresh."[13] By May, Downey had entered negotiations to extend his contract with Marvel Studios and reprise his role as Iron Man in the film.[48] A month later, Downey signed on to return for the then-untitled Avengers sequel, as well as a third Avengers film.[3]
Whedon at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International.
At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, Whedon announced the film would be subtitled Age of Ultron.[49] Despite the subtitle, the film is not based on the 2013 comic book miniseries Age of Ultron. Feige explained, "We came up with a few titles, but every month a new comic book appeared, and that's a great title. Age of Ultron is a great title. We had a few other 'Of Ultrons', but that was the best one. So we're borrowing that title, but taking storylines from decades of Avengers storylines."[50] Whedon added,
We're doing our own version of the origin story of Ultron....We were crafting our own version of it where [Ultron's] own origin comes more directly from the Avengers we already know about. The other thing is in the origin story there was Hank Pym, so a lot of people assumed he was going to be in the mix, but he's not. We're basically taking the things from the comics for the movies that we need and can use. A lot of stuff has to fall by the wayside.
Whedon also said the film would have a darker tone due to Ultron's involvement.[51][52] The title of the film came as a surprise to many fans who were expecting Thanos, the mastermind behind the events of the first film, to be the main villain in the sequel. When asked about Thanos' involvement, Whedon responded, "We have to stay grounded. It's part of what makes the Marvel universe click - their relationship to the real world. It's science fiction, and Thanos is not out of the mix, but Thanos was never meant to be the next villain. He's always been the overlord of villainy and darkness."[53] Feige commented on finding the right balance between technology and fantasy based heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, saying,
Iron Man is a very technological hero his movies are always technologically based. The first Thor was all about introducing Asgard and Thor in that more fantastical realm into the more reality-based [Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)], and explain that obviously it might look like magic, but it's another form of science and technology. As we go into Ultron clearly he does come out of technology, but we're using all of our tools at our disposal that we've established so far as part of the MCU to build the storyline of Age of Ultron.[54]
Casting continued into August 2013, with the announced that James Spader would play Ultron.[18] In November, Marvel confirmed that Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson would play the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively.[14] Taylor-Johnson had been in negotiations since as early as June,[55][56][57] while Olsen's potential involvement was first reported in August.[58][59] By the end of the year, Mark Ruffalo,[5] Chris Evans,[6] Samuel L. Jackson,[12] Chris Hemsworth,[4] Scarlett Johansson[8] and Cobie Smulders[24] were confirmed to be returning to their roles from the first film, and Don Cheadle, who portrayed James Rhodes in the Iron Man films, had committed to a part in the film.[25] In the early months of 2014, Thomas Kretschmann was cast as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker,[27] Kim Soo-hyun was cast in an unspecified role,[28] and Paul Bettany, who voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in previous MCU films, was cast as Vision.[26]
On January 24, 2014, the Forte di Bard Association announced that filming would take place at Fort Bard in the Aosta Valley region of Italy in March 2014, as well as other locations in Aosta Valley including Aosta, Donnas, Bard, Pont-Saint-Martin and Verrès.[60] The next month, the Gauteng Film Commission announced that action sequences would be filmed in Johannesburg, South Africa and other locations in Gauteng, beginning in mid-February.[61] A few weeks later Marvel announced that portions of the film would be shot in Seoul, South Korea, with Feige citing the nation's "cutting-edge technology, beautiful landscapes and spectacular architecture" as ideal for the film.[62]
Filming
Filming began on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in Johannesburg, S
Pre-production
By April 2013, filming was scheduled to begin in early 2014 at Shepperton Studios in England.[44] At the Hollywood premiere of Iron Man 3, Whedon said that he completed a draft of the script, and had started the storyboard process and to meet with actors. Whedon also mentioned that he wrote with Downey in mind and included a "brother/sister act" from the comic books,[45] later confirming that he was referring to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.[46][47] During an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Whedon explained his rationale for including the characters in the film saying, "Besides the fact that I grew up reading them, their powers are very visually interesting. One of the problems I had on the first one was everybody basically had punchy powers... [Quicksilver]’s got super speed. [Scarlet Witch] can weave spells and a little telekinesis, get inside your head. There’s good stuff that they can do that will help sort of keep it fresh."[13] By May, Downey had entered negotiations to extend his contract with Marvel Studios and reprise his role as Iron Man in the film.[48] A month later, Downey signed on to return for the then-untitled Avengers sequel, as well as a third Avengers film.[3]
At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, Whedon announced the film would be subtitled Age of Ultron.[49] Despite the subtitle, the film is not based on the 2013 comic book miniseries Age of Ultron. Feige explained, "We came up with a few titles, but every month a new comic book appeared, and that's a great title. Age of Ultron is a great title. We had a few other 'Of Ultrons', but that was the best one. So we're borrowing that title, but taking storylines from decades of Avengers storylines."[50] Whedon added,
We're doing our own version of the origin story of Ultron....We were crafting our own version of it where [Ultron's] own origin comes more directly from the Avengers we already know about. The other thing is in the origin story there was Hank Pym, so a lot of people assumed he was going to be in the mix, but he's not. We're basically taking the things from the comics for the movies that we need and can use. A lot of stuff has to fall by the wayside.
Whedon also said the film would have a darker tone due to Ultron's involvement.[51][52] The title of the film came as a surprise to many fans who were expecting Thanos, the mastermind behind the events of the first film, to be the main villain in the sequel. When asked about Thanos' involvement, Whedon responded, "We have to stay grounded. It's part of what makes the Marvel universe click - their relationship to the real world. It's science fiction, and Thanos is not out of the mix, but Thanos was never meant to be the next villain. He's always been the overlord of villainy and darkness."[53] Feige commented on finding the right balance between technology and fantasy based heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, saying,
Iron Man is a very technological hero his movies are always technologically based. The first Thor was all about introducing Asgard and Thor in that more fantastical realm into the more reality-based [Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)], and explain that obviously it might look like magic, but it's another form of science and technology. As we go into Ultron clearly he does come out of technology, but we're using all of our tools at our disposal that we've established so far as part of the MCU to build the storyline of Age of Ultron.[54]
Casting continued into August 2013, with the announced that James Spader would play Ultron.[18] In November, Marvel confirmed that Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnsonwould play the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively.[14] Taylor-Johnson had been in negotiations since as early as June,[55][56][57] while Olsen's potential involvement was first reported in August.[58][59] By the end of the year, Mark Ruffalo,[5] Chris Evans,[6] Samuel L. Jackson,[12] Chris Hemsworth,[4] Scarlett Johansson[8] and Cobie Smulders[24] were confirmed to be returning to their roles from the first film, and Don Cheadle, who portrayed James Rhodes in the Iron Man films, had committed to a part in the film.[25] In the early months of 2014, Thomas Kretschmann was cast as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker,[27] Kim Soo-hyun was cast in an unspecified role,[28] and Paul Bettany, who voiced J.A.R.V.I.S.in previous MCU films, was cast as Vision.[26]
On January 24, 2014, the Forte di Bard Association announced that filming would take place at Fort Bard in the Aosta Valley region of Italy in March 2014, as well as other locations in Aosta Valley including Aosta, Donnas, Bard, Pont-Saint-Martin and Verrès.[60] The next month, the Gauteng Film Commission announced that action sequences would be filmed in Johannesburg, South Africa and other locations in Gauteng, beginning in mid-February.[61] A few weeks later Marvel announced that portions of the film would be shot inSeoul, South Korea, with Feige citing the nation's "cutting-edge technology, beautiful landscapes and spectacular architecture" as ideal for the film.[62]
Filming
Filming began on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa, having been postponed for a day.[63][61] Second unit crews shot action sequences, without the main cast, in the Central Business District of Johannesburg for a period of two weeks.[64]
Post-production
In February 2014, Industrial Light & Magic announced plans to open a branch in London and expand its Vancouver facility. ILM cited the Avengers and Star Wars franchises as catalysts for the expansion.[65]
Marketing
Footage of the 2013 Comic-Con teaser, as well as a brief interview with Joss Whedon, was made available as part of Iron Man 3's second screen companion app for its Blu-ray release on September 24, 2013.[66][67] In March 2014, ABC plans to air an one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which will include sneak peeks of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and unaired episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[68]
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outh Africa, having been postponed for a day.[63][61] Second unit crews shot action sequences, without the main cast, in the Central Business District of Johannesburg for a period of two weeks.[64]
Post-production
In February 2014, Industrial Light & Magic announced plans to open a branch in London and expand its Vancouver facility. ILM cited the Avengers and Star Wars franchises as catalysts for the expansion.[65]
Marketing
Footage of the 2013 Comic-Con teaser, as well as a brief interview with Joss Whedon, was made available as part of Iron Man 3's second screen companion app for its Blu-ray release on September 24, 2013.[66][67] In March 2014, ABC plans to air an one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which will include sneak peeks of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and unaired episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[68]
References
Jump up ^ "Ben Davis BSC". Independent Talent. Archived from the original on February 6, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Wigler, Josh (September 6, 2013). "'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' And Iron Man: New Movie, Same Tony". MTV. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b "Robert Downey Jr. To Return As Marvel’s Iron Man". Marvel. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Malec, Brett; Malkin, Marc (September 9, 2013). "Chris Hemsworth Talks "Awkward" Naked Movie Scenes, Snow White Sequel With Kristen Stewart". E!. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Ruffalo, Mark (March 6, 2013). "A lot of folks have been asking about the Next Hulk. The next time you see my Hulk it will be in the Avengers2. No plans for stand alone.". Twitter. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Flemming, Jr., Mike (August 1, 2013). "Chris Evans To Helm ’1:30 Train’ Before Reprising Captain America In ‘Avengers 2′". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013.
Jump up ^ Weintraub, Kit (August 10, 2013). "Chris Evans Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Says Avengers Sequel Starts Filming First Week of March". Collider. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Maresca, Rachel (September 29, 2013). "Scarlett Johansson flaunts curves in new magazine photo shoot, reveals details on 'The Avengers' sequel". Daily News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
Jump up ^ Couto, Anthony (February 12, 2014). "Feige: Black Widow's Past to be Explored in Avengers 2 and Possible Solo Film". IGN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ White, Brett (July 25, 2013). "'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' To Feature Lots More Black Widow And Hawkeye". MTV. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
Jump up ^ Feige, Kevin (October 26, 2013). Filmmakers! Produzent Kevin Feige und Regisseur Alan Taylor about Thor 2 - german (video). YouTube. Event occurs at 13:50. Retrieved November 10, 2013. "Well, you'll see all the returning Avengers. The entire cast is coming back in The Age of Ultron..."
^ Jump up to: a b Truitt, Brian (August 18, 2013). "Sunday Geekersation: Jackson unleashes the Fury". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c Joss Whedon on 'The Avengers' and 'Much Ado About Nothing'. NBC. May 25, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Official: Elizabeth Olsen & Aaron Taylor-Johnson Join 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'". Marvel. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on November 25, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Aaron Taylor-Johnson on wanting to ‘push the boundaries’ with Quicksilver". Total Film. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
Jump up ^ Outlaw, Kofi (November 11, 2013). "‘Avengers 2′: Elizabeth Olsen Talks Scarlet Witch Powers & Role Research". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
Jump up ^ Capone (November 12, 2013). "Capone throws a hex on Elizabeth Olsen to get her to talk a little bit about playing Scarlet Witch in The Avengers: Age of Ultron!". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b "Exclusive: 'Avengers Age of Ultron' Casts James Spader as the Film's Legendary Villain". Marvel. August 29, 2013. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
Jump up ^ Breznican, Anthony (August 29, 2013). "'Avengers: Age of Ultron': James Spader to play maniacal robot in Marvel sequel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
Jump up ^ Cink, Lorraine (September 11, 2013). Marvel's The Watcher 2013 - Episode 31. Marvel. Event occurs at 0:53. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
Jump up ^ Ryan, Mike (October 21, 2013). "What To Expect From James Spader's Ultron In 'Avengers' Sequel". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
Jump up ^ McMillan, Graeme (September 30, 2013). "James Spader Explains Why He Signed on as Ultron". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b "'Avengers 2' scoop: How Ultron will differ from the comics -- Exclusive". Entertainment Weekly. August 21, 2013. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Thompson, Bob (November 7, 2013). "Vancouver’s Cobie Smulders is on a roll (with video)". Calgary Herald. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Thompson, Arienne (December 12, 2013). "Don Cheadle mellow, 'barely awake' after Globes news". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
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Cast
- Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man: The co-leader of the Avengers,[2] who is a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with mechanical suits of armor of his own invention.[3]
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor: The crown prince of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.[4]
- Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk: A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated.[5]
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America: The co-leader of the Avengers,[2] who is a World War II veteran enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the modern world.[6][7]
- Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow: A highly trained spy working for S.H.I.E.L.D.[8] Feige stated in February 2014 that more of the character's backstory will be explored in the film.[9]
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye: A master archer working as an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.[10][11]
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury: The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was revealed in previous films to be coordinating the "Avengers Initiative".[12]
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver:
- The twin brother of the Scarlet Witch, who can move at superhuman speed.[13][14] About the character Taylor-Johnson said, "Him and his sister [Scarlet Witch] have been abandoned by their parents and their father, and they grew up in Eastern Europe defending and looking out for themselves and each other... His sister really is his guidance - emotionally she's the one who looks after him, and vice versa. He's very overprotective physically - he doesn't want anyone touching her." Taylor-Johnson also said that Quicksilver has "real anger frustration" and is easily bored due to a short attention span.[15]
- The twin sister of Quicksilver, who has telekinetic abilities and can weave spells.[13][14] Olsen described the character as a "nexus",[16] elaborating, "She's crazy. She has more things wrong with her than any character I've ever played. She can tell you where an object has been, she can tell you what your future is, she can connect with the dead and people from the past, the future, other universes, and she's the only person in this universe who's capable of doing that. She's unbelieveable."[17]
- James Spader as Ultron:
- An artificial intelligence overwhelmed with a god complex and a rage toward his creators, who longs to take over the Earth with his own spawn.[18][19] Joss Whedon stated that Spader was his "first and only choice" for the role, because of his "hypnotic voice that can be eerily calm and compelling" while also being very human and humorous.[20]Producer Kevin Feige clarified, "We'll be capturing his face and his body to create a whole performance... We did not hire James Spader to do a robot voice."[21] Extensive scans were taken of Spader's head and body in preparation for the role.[22] About the character Whedon said, "He’s always trying to destroy the Avengers, goddamn it, he’s got a bee in his bonnet. He’s not a happy guy, which means he’s an interesting guy. He’s got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff."[23] Whedon also indicated that some of Ultron's abilities from the comics would be stripped.[23]
Additionally, Cobie Smulders and Don Cheadle are scheduled to reprise their roles from previous MCU films as Maria Hill and Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, respectively.[24][25] Paul Bettany, who voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in previous films, is set to play the Vision.[26] Thomas Kretschmann was cast as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and Kim Soo-hyun has been cast in an unspecified role.[27][28] Kretschmann has a multi-film contract with Marvel.[29]
Production
Development
In October 2011, Feige said during the New York Comic Con, "Iron Man 3 will be the first of what we sort of refer to as phase two of this saga that will culminate, God willing, inAvengers 2".[30] In March 2012, Joss Whedon, director of the first film, stated that he would want a sequel to be "smaller. More personal. More painful. By being the next thing that should happen to these characters, and not just a rehash of what seemed to work the first time. By having a theme that is completely fresh and organic to itself."[31] At the premiere of The Avengers, Feige said the studio had an option for Whedon to return as director.[32] In May 2012, after the successful release of the first film, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a sequel was in development.[33] Most of the film's cast members were under contract to potentially appear in the sequel; however, Robert Downey, Jr. was not, as his four picture deal with Marvel would expire after Iron Man 3.[34]
"I have to make my movie assuming that people will only have seen the first one, or possibly not even seen the first one. I can't assume that everybody went to see Thor [The Dark World], Captain America [The Winter Soldier], and Iron Man [3] in-between. I have to go from one movie to the next and be true to what's happened, but not be slavish to it... The model I'm always trying to build from, my guiding star, is The Godfather Part II where a ton has happened in-between and it's a very different movie [from The Godfather], but you don't need any information: it's there in the film."
—Whedon on making the film accessible despite the continuity of the previous films[35]
At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International, Joss Whedon said he was undecided about directing, stating, "I have not come to a decision on directing Avengers 2. I am having too much fun with this [Firefly reunion] now."[36]However in August 2012, Iger announced that Whedon would return to write and direct the sequel and develop the Marvel television series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., for ABC.[37] Later in the month, Disney set a May 1, 2015 release date.[38] Asked about his decision to return, Whedon said, "Avengers 2, it wasn’t a tough decision. For a long time I thought, 'Well, it’s just not going to happen.' Then when I actually started to consider it, it became so clear that I desperately wanted to say more about these characters, it wouldn’t’ve been an easy no and it was a spectacularly easy yes. There was no wrestling."[39] Whedon said that they intended for the film's production to not be as rushed as the first one.[40]
In a December 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Whedon stated that he had completed an outline for the film.[41] In February 2013 at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, Whedon said that death would play a theme in the sequel.[42] In March, Whedon said that he looked to The Empire Strikes Back and The Godfather Part II as inspirations.[43]uted by Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture
Avengers: Age of Ultron | |
---|---|
Directed by | Joss Whedon |
Produced by | Kevin Feige |
Screenplay by | Joss Whedon |
Based on | The Avengers by Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Ben Davis[1] |
Studio | Marvel Studios |
Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
s. It is intended to be the second Avengers film following 2012's Marvel's The Avengers and the eleventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is scripted and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and James Spader.
The sequel was announced in May 2012, after the successful release of The Avengers. Whedon, the director of the first film, was brought back on board in August 2012 and a release date was set. By April 2013, Whedon had completed a draft of the script. Casting began in June 2013 with the re-signing of Robert Downey, Jr. Second unit filming began in February 2014 in South Africa with principal photography scheduled to begin in March 2014 at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. Additional footage is also scheduled to be filmed Italy and South Korea.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is scheduled for release on May 1, 2015.