HOME TRAILERS RELEASE DATES PODCAST REVIEWS POSTERS INTERVIEWS MOVIE NEWS ABOUT US APPS FSnetwork

LATEST NEWS

Tom Hiddleston on Loki and Writer Ashley Miller on Thor

by Alex Billington
May 30, 2009
Source: Daily Mail, CineFOOLS

With every passing day, we're getting closer and closer to finally seeing Marvel's live-action Thor movie start production. A few weeks ago, it was announced that British actor Tom Hiddleston had been cast as the villain Loki. An odd choice, but maybe director Kenneth Branagh saw something in him (like Heath Ledger). The UK's Daily Mail newspaper caught up with Hiddleston and got some confirmation from him as well as a few little quotes about what we can expect and some early ideas. In addition to that update, CineFOOLS interviewed Thor screenwriter Ashley Miller, who had the most interesting things to say.

Tom Hiddleston Hiddleston talked a bit about what we can expect out of this version of Loki. "Loki's like a comic book version of Edmund in King Lear, but nastier," he told the Daily Mail. "Loki's skilled in black magic and sorcery. He's a shape-shifter and has all sorts of super powers from the dark arts. He can turn clouds into dragons, things like that." That definitely sounds cool, as long as we're going to be seeing all that in the movie. As for his physicality, Hiddleston is already starting to get in shape this early. "[Kenneth] wants Loki to have a lean and hungry look, like Cassius in Julius Caesar. Physically, he can't be posing as Thor."

One of the most interesting updates, though, comes from screenwriter Ashley Miller, who is currently working alongside of Mark Protosevich and Zak Stentz to write the script. When asked which Thor storylines were most inspirational, Miller replied that the Walt Simonson take greatly informed them, but in general they're trying not to pull from any specific storyline. "We saw part of our job as taking all the many approaches to the character over the years (including the myths) and distilling them down into a form that worked for a two-hour movie. There's a tremendous amount of ground to cover, so inspiration has to come from everywhere."

But here's where Miller says the best things - in response to what he would really like to see in Thor.

"Not in the sense that you'd want to see a generic 'dark' take on Thor, but in the sense that you want to feel Thor's rage when he rages. You want to see him fight like hell, and take as much he dishes out -- maybe more. You want to have a visceral reaction to the guy, and what happens to him. You don't want his adventures to be clean and antiseptic. You want to see the dirt, and grime and blood. You want to feel every bone crunching moment of every fight. And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work."

"The best example I can give you is the end of Ultimates 2. When Thor shows up and kicks ass, he shows up and kicks ass. He isn't screwing around. There's a certain brutal, cock-eyed realism to Thor in that moment (and through that book in general) that I really resonate to and want to expand on."

If you're a hardcore fan of Thor and/or are anxiously awaiting the movie, I strongly suggest reading both interviews at Daily Mail and CineFOOLS. I'm surprised to see so many big updates this early, but these quotes have made me feel a bit relieved, especially in regards to having Tom Hiddleston play Loki. And all those quotes from Miller have made me quite excited. Now I can't wait to see this! I just hope all that he's talking about actually makes it into the movie. I admittedly had some doubts, but with that reference to Ultimates 2 (which I remember going crazy over when I read), I know that this is definitely in good hands.

Pin It

Related categories: Hype, Movie News, Opinions

Darrin

i hope its rated R
Lazarus

I second that! No PG-13 for this marvel gem in the making.
Dan W

Agreed
cat

if the studio has anything to say about it then it will most likely be pg-13 unfortunately
Joseph S.

It would be cool if it was R. The way they were describing the movie seemed like an R to me, for some reason. Looking forward to this one.
nelson

yeah cause marvel doesn't want to make money yeah lets go R LOL
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

It's definitely not going to be R... But they can get away with a lot for PG-13. Need I reference The Dark Knight or Terminator again?
cody

Sad your right Alex, no chance this is going to be R as awesome as that would be...even though the descriptions he gave sounds to me like its not entirely out of the picture.
movieboy

some of you guys are crazy its no going to be R-Rated Marvel Studio said all the films they are doing are only going to be PG-13 not R-Rated
HoSTLENCOMBAt

Its marvel of course its going to be pg-13
movieboy

alex do you think Donald Blake and Thor will be played by the same actor Chris Hemsworth instead of hiring a different actor to play Donald Blake
Dr Phaust

The Daily Mail, the same bunch of peeps that reported there was a radioactive paedophile on the run a couple of months ago.
ROMAN

I would like to see another actor play Blake, but that may not translate well in the film. Two actor playing essentially the same person doesn't seem like it would work. The Ultimate Thor would be a good place to go.
Robbie

Wow, this sounds awesome! "And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work." That's right!
movieboy

@13 ROMAN i think they will use The Ultimate Thor concept having Donald Blake and Thor to be one person not two different people
andrew

referencing Ultimates 1 & 2 as inspiration for their movie and miller's quote has gotten me even more excited. Can't wait for this!!
zubzwank

Re: Will Thor be "dark"? Verily, I say thee "Nay!" Here we go again. Thor himself is not "dark." He is a noble god of light and strength, and should be portrayed in a manner similar to the best Hercules movies and maybe the first Conan, only with unequaled power. His foes, particularly Loki, are dark, and in Loki's case, should be portrayed as evil and hungry. Others--in Asgard-- include underground trolls, demons and witches/warlocks/wizards and warriors in a comparable strength class. Thor's best earthly foes--like the Destroyer--still seem to be of some type of "super" origin--It's hard to find a realistic adversary for a titan like Thor. Superman has the same problem. Maybe the Absorbing Man, but didn't he get stuck in the end of the first Hulk flick? Wherest Thor goes, especially if it is in the fabled Realm of the Gods, can also be very dark. See "dark" superhero enthusiasts? You can have your dark. It just doesn't have to be in the hero. Don Blake was not a "conflicted" type like Bruce Wayne or even Tony Stark. He was a good-hearted doctor who felt that the nurse he loved could never love him back (Stan repeated this type of thing with Reed Richards, Professor X, Matt Murdock, etc., etc., etc., all while their "girls" really loved them too. Sheesh!). Later they got into existential stuff like "Who is real? Thor or Don Blake?" This could be interesting if well done too. I don't see how they can have the same person play both roles. Maybe he's changed over the years, but Don Blake used to be a small, thin, physically-challenged man. Unless they use some CGI trick to put the same face on 2 very different men--they can do that and make it look good--it would be stupid to have a heavily-thewed Don Blake who turns into a heavily-thewed Thor. What then would be the point of the amazing--or should I say MARVELOUS (Hot Shazam! Captain Marvel (the FIRST one) was a BIG influence on the original Thor concept) transformation? Maybe they can find a big guy and a little guy with reasonably comparable features. or something like Deniro and Brando both playing Don Corleone--although never in the same movie! They should probably set the first movie on Midgard, then set the second in Asgard for a LOTR-like quest. I hope they do it right. Marvel movies are on a roll now, but they have made missteps--1st Hulk, Daredevil, Punisher, and, in many people minds--though not mine--the 3rd X-movie. The new Wolverine ain't that great, either. Just stick to the original concept dreamed up a lifetime ago by Stan and Jack. It was a winner then and would be a winner now.
http://vimeo.com/user1764245 Nick Sears

I'm getting excited already. I can only hope they execute this movie as Miller depicts it. I think Hiddleston looks solid for the role. Loki isn't very physical, he's the God of Mischief, so he fits that 'devious planning' kind of poise to him. I'm starting to have more faith in this flick.
GTO

#17 You wrote a short essay right there. We'll see how Marvel does when puts the Avengers together. Can't wait!
Squiggly

Yes, it must be R rated. If there's no boobs or f-bombs it just wouldn't be Thor, would it. Cause, you know, the comics are just nothing but Thor dropping F-bombs, hanging at strip clubs and raping double-D bitches while he snorts coke and the villains all go around stabbing people in the eyes or melting their faces with acid and shit like that. No wait wait wait. I got it confused with something else. Thor is about a dude in tights who 'flies' by throwing his hammer and says "thee" and "thou" a lot. Yeah, that movie needs a hard R. As in "You're (R)etarded if you think this needs an R"