Hulk Smash Ed Norton and Marvel’s Affection

Entertainment Weekly’s got a great article about the problems with The Incredible Hulk movie, specifically the post-production battle between star/writer/uncredited producer/auteur Ed Norton and Marvel. You could read it here, but I can save you some time by telling you the good bits:

? Marvel wanted an action-packed, more commercially viable, less than 2 hours version of the film.
? Ed Norton and director Louis Leterrier wanted a slightly more “meditative” 2 hour, 15-minute version.
? Marvel didn’t care.
? Ed Norton was irked but understood why Marvel wanted the more commercial version (after the first Hulk flopped), and admits their version is indeed more commercial.
? It was only after TR sister blog Deadline Hollywood Daily called the Norton/Marvel-thing a “feud” and the press freaked out that Norton and Marvel stopped talking to each other. (Awesome! I wish TR could do that. Maybe someday!)
? Ed Norton gave EW a 257-word statement saying that the whole thing was a normal, if passionate collaboration as happens on virtually any movie, and he’s cool with everybody and excited about the movie…
? …but he still hasn’t done any press.

I didn’t see any Hulk art that didn’t bore me, so the pic above is “Norton Defiant” by the always awesome Brandon Bird.