The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character the Hulk, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Louis Leterrier, with a screenplay by Zak Penn. It stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, and William Hurt. In The Incredible Hulk, a new backstory is established where Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk as an unwitting pawn in a military scheme to reinvigorate the supersoldier program through gamma radiation. On the run, he attempts to cure himself of the Hulk before he is captured by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, but his worst fears are realized when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky becomes a similar but more bestial creature.
Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the character after the mixed reception to the 2003 film Hulk, and Penn began work on a loose sequel that would be much closer to the comics and the television series. Leterrier redesigned Roth's character, called the Abomination in the comics, from the comics' reptilian humanoid into a monster with bony protrusions. Filming mostly took place in Toronto, Ontario, in 2007, where the production attempted to be environmentally friendly.
The Incredible Hulk premiered on June 8, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California and was released in theaters on June 13, 2008. The film was No. 1 at its box office release—out grossing its predecessor—grossing over $263 million worldwide. Norton was initially intended to again portray Bruce Banner in The Avengers and other future installments featuring the character, but after talks broke down, he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo, who has signed on to reprise the role in all potential sequels.
Cast:A nuclear physicist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into an enormous green humanoid monster when stressed, enraged, or excited. David Duchovny was a front-runner for the film before Norton's casting,while Louis Leterrier originally wanted Mark Ruffalo for the role, who would later play Banner in The Avengers.Gale Anne Hurd recalled Norton's portrayals of duality in Primal Fear and Fight Club,while Norton reminded Kevin Feige of Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the TV series.Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, remarked Norton "has a similar physique [and a] similar personality".
Norton was a Hulk fan, citing the first comic appearances, the Bixby TV show, and Bruce Jones' run on the comic, as his favorite depictions of the character. He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.He initially turned down the part, recalling "there [was] the wince factor or the defensive part of you that recoils at what the bad version of what that would be", as he felt the previous film "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, [...] which is a fugitive story". When he met Leterrier and Marvel, he liked their vision, and believed they were looking to him to guide the project. Thus, Norton rewrote the script."Edward's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas," Leterrier said. "Admittedly I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie it doesn't have to just appeal to 13-year-old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods."
Lou Ferrigno voices The Hulk:
During the 2008 New York Comic Con Leterrier publicly offered Ferrigno the chance to voice the Hulk for the film.This marks the third time Ferrigno portrayed the Hulk, having also voiced the character in the 1996 animated series. Originally, the Hulk's only line was "Betty" at the film's ending, which would have been his first word. Leterrier was aware that fans wanted him to speak normally, and added "leave me alone" and "Hulk smash!" The latter line received cheers during a screening he attended.Ferrigno also has a cameo in the film as a security guard who is bribed by Banner with a pizza.
Liv Tyler as Betty Ross:
Bruce's girlfriend, from whom he is separated as a result of his condition, and a cellular biologist. Tyler replaced actress Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Betty Ross in the 2003 film Hulk. Tyler and Connelly had previously played sisters in the 1997 film Inventing the Abbotts. Tyler was attracted to the love story in the script, and was a fan of the TV show, because of the "humanity and what [Banner] is going through".She was called about the role while driving to her home, and she accepted the part after a day without reading the script.Tyler and Norton spent hours discussing Bruce and Betty's life before he became the Hulk.She said filming the part "was very physical, which was fun",and compared her performance to "a deer caught in the headlights", because of Betty's shock at Bruce's unexpected return into her life.
Tim Roth as Major Emil Blonsky / Abomination:
A Russian-born officer in the United Kingdom's Royal Marines Commandos loaned to Gen. Ross who, lusting for the Hulk's power, is injected with various serums to transform into a monster more powerful than the Hulk himself. Roth said he took the part to please his sons, who are comic-book superhero fans. As a teenager, Roth was a fan of the 1970s TV series, and he also found Leterrier's ideas "very dark and very interesting". Roth started watching the 2003 film to prepare for the part, but stopped as he did not want to be caught up in the controversy over its quality, and to compare himself to it.It was Roth who suggested Blonsky be a soldier, whereas in the comics he was a KGB agent.
Leterrier was a fan of Roth's work, and felt "it's great watching a normal Cockney boy become a superhero!",but Marvel and Norton were initially reluctant to cast him.Before he was cast in Punisher: War Zone, Ray Stevenson was in discussions for the role.Roth prepared for the part by learning to fire guns and break into rooms with two experts. Roth found it tough shooting the chases, because to show Blonsky's aging he could not work out.He especially found it difficult to run while pulled with a harness, which was used to show the injected Blonsky's 30–40 mile per hour running abilities.Cyril Raffaelli performed some of Roth's stunts.Roth enjoyed the motion capture, which reminded him of fringe theatre, and he hired his trainer from Planet of the Apes to aid him in portraying the monster's movement.
Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Samuel Sterns:
The cellular biologist who develops a possible antidote to Banner's condition.
Ty Burrell as Dr. Leonard Samson:
The psychiatrist in a relationship with Betty during Bruce's absence. Burrell had performed with Norton in the off Broadway play Burn This in 2003, and when Leterrier met him, he recognized Burrell as the "jerk" from the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake,which was how Samson was characterized in the script before Norton rewrote it.
William Hurt as Gen. Thunderbolt Ross:
Betty's arrogant father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk. Leterrier cast Hurt because "Ross is more physical, more explosive in this movie, and no actor goes from zero to 100 as well as William."He compared Ross to Captain Ahab.The Hulk is Hurt's favorite superhero, and his son is also a big fan of the character. Hurt found production very different from the typical "pure anxiety" of a studio film, finding it more akin to an independent film.He described Ross as "humiliated by Hulk's conscience: he actually sees and recognizes that it's more developed than his own, even though he's a patriot and a warrior for his country. He's sacrificed [much] for that purpose, but at the expense at times of his humanity – which he occasionally recovers."Sam Elliott, who played Ross in the first film, would have liked to reprise the role, noting it was odd seeing someone take his part, "but I'll be looking forward to seeing this one".
Robert Downey, Jr. has an uncredited cameo as Tony Stark at the end of the film. As The Incredible Hulk takes place during and after the first two Iron Man films, Stark has therefore already announced that he is Iron Man. Downey appeared as a favor to Marvel Studios, which he acknowledged as a smart move on Marvel's part, because when he was promoting his film he would also have to mention their other production.Hulk co-creator Stan Lee cameos as a man who becomes ill when drinking the soda poisoned by Banner's blood. Michael K. Williams appears as a Harlem bystander, a role that was written for him by Norton, who is a fan of The Wire.Paul Soles, who voiced Banner in the 1966 The Marvel Superheroes cartoon, appears as Stanley, a kindly pizza restaurant owner who helps Banner. Additionally, the late Bill Bixby appears, when a scene featuring Bixby on his TV comedy-drama The Courtship of Eddie's Father plays on a television Banner is watching at the beginning of the film. Rickson Gracie has a small role as Bruce Banner's martial arts instructor, despite his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, he is credited as an Aikido instructor. Peter Mensah plays a small role as General Joe Gellar, one of General Ross' military friends/associates.
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