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Matthew Vaughn on Thor's $300 Million Budget and Script

by Alex Billington
October 9, 2007
Source: The Guardian

One of Marvel's big upcoming feature films is an adaptation of Thor, the giant hammer-wielding Norse warrior. And we mean big - director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) wanted a $300 million dollar budget! Although Vaughn is directing Thor, the script is being written by Mark Protosevich (The Cell, Poseidon, I Am Legend) and was recently turned into Marvel. Over at London-born Vaughn's blog on The Guardian, he says that the original draft of the script would cost $300 million to make and Marvel wants them to cut that amount in half.

Vaughn and Protosevich worked on the script together, and Vaughn reports on the very latest from the offices of Marvel Entertainment.

"My phone has just rung. Marvel loves the script. The only problem is that it has been costed at $300m and they ask how I am going to reduce it by $150m. I think I prefer being asked what it's like working with De Niro."

Vaughn also briefly tapped in on the script, without any details besides how they celebrated its completion - with a nice bottle of wine.

"In truth, I did not treat [screenwriter Mark Protosevich] very well as I forced him to work for the whole weekend - he is the writer on Thor, my next film, which I am directing with Marvel. The weekend was a success - we finished the script and celebrated with an '88 Palmer, and I was feeling good and ready to tackle the necessary evil of film promotion."

Thankfully I agree with this budget cut. I didn't overly enjoy Stardust, Vaughn's latest film, and I'm not a fan of Thor, nor are that many comic book readers. It may turn out to be a great movie, but Thor's following is vastly less than Spider-Man, the X-Men, or Batman. An inflated budget of $300 million would result in a mess of a superhero film this time around. Is $150 million even too much for a director who's just moving onto his third film and for a comic book superhero that isn't that big?

The photo at the top is courtesy of deviantART.

Filed under Hype, Movie News

From around the web:

Nodoby

Amazing. Give me $300m and I will also make a wonderful Thor movie. I'll even hire Steven Spielberg to direct it if it needs to be. What are people like Cameron and this guy thinking? With that kind of money ANYONE can make a "great movie". Just hire Peter Jackson or Robert Rodriguez for a fraction of that as your "assistant" and problem solved. Jeeeez. A GOOD DIRECTOR is that that can pull a great movie on a TIGHT AND REASONABLE BUDGET. Now, THAT is a good director. With $750.000.000 zillions just about anyone can hire the top of the top of the top of the top professional in any field to get the best actors playing the best script under the best director of photography with the best sound and the best music. Hard to make a bad movie that way (still possible, but hard when you have enough money to hire Steven Spielberg to help you out and shoot over and over and over again until it comes out "perfect").
Pingback: Matthew Vaughn Says Thor’s Script Would Cost $300 Million | Project Silence
manbamgo

The guy that did lord of the ring,should do thor.This thor movie should be like lord of the ring on hdh
http://google michael

i think the movie should take place in viking times , Thor can travel thru time via rainbow bridge , so introducing him into the avengers is no problem, Unless Marvel realy puts thier thinking hat on this movie is destined to flop , Leave Donald Blake out of it , That alter ego crap for Thor was lame. I agree ,do it like lord of the Rings and let Thor fight Surtur,Loki,Or the HUlk, If marvel down plays the power of Thor it will piss me off and alot of other marvel fans. Marvel has to eliminate the cheese factor in this movie , Brad Pitt is an O.k choice for the role but He always comes off as a pretty boy . Get the big Blonde from the thirteenth warrior !
Scott

There is no point to a Thor movie unless it is on an extremely grand scale - way, way, way over the top. Setting it in Asgard would be a great idea. Cutting the budget is very, very bad news, as it will be very easy to make a movie where Thor comes off looking ridiculous. In fact, the safest route would be to do it all in CGI like Beowulf.
Dan

I agree with getting the blonde guy from the 13th warrior. And what is up with the author saying very few people like Thor. He is one of my all time favorite characters. I also hope they lose the Donald Blake persona.