The day of the DAZZLER movie is upon us.
CHUD's Devin Faraci is reporting that Marvel Studios is currently considering a small-scale production model that will allow the company to start bringing their third-tier characters to the big screen in their own modestly-budgeted movies. Sure, we've all joked about the idea of a $200 million LUKE CAGE movie, but what if that picture was made at $40 million by a young filmmaker with something to prove? Sounds pretty viable then, doesn't it?
Well, Marvel seems to think so - and, according to Faraci, LUKE CAGE is one of the characters being mulled by Marvel Studios as they explore this cost-conscious approach to exploiting the company's rich and strange assortment of heroes and villains. Other properties apparently being discussed are DOCTOR STRANGE, KA-ZAR, DAZZLER and POWER PACK. According to Faraci, Marvel is already meeting with writers and directors to see if any of them have any bright ideas about how to make these movies in the $20 million to $40 million range. No filmmaker names have been mentioned, but, by all means, suggest away in the talkback, and know that the boys and girls at Marvel are paying attention.
With Marvel less than a year away (they hope) from mounting their largest production yet in THE AVENGERS, this is really the smart way to grow the company cinematically. I've been waiting a long time for my DOCTOR STRANGE movie, and I never once thought it had to be a mammoth $100 million production. In fact, I'm much more excited by the possibility of a young upstart with an audacious visual style paying wild, metaphysical homage to Steve Ditko's surrealist artwork.
Marvel has a chance to do something special here. Hopefully, they're looking for interesting takes on these characters and not thinking strictly about profit margins. Which characters would you like to see the company develop? And with which directors? I'll make my obligatory plea for Larry Clark's POWER PACK, and leave the rest of the speculatin' to you.
