User:Alientraveller/Thor

Thor is an upcoming 2011 fantasy film based on the Marvel Comics version of the Norse god Thor. It is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Chris Hemsworth.

Premise
The film will be set on modern day Earth and Asgard, but the film does include Thor's civilian identity of Dr. Donald Blake.

Cast
Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, the god of thunder. When Matthew Vaughn was director, an unknown 19&mdash;20 years old actor was being looked at for Thor. Tyler Mane had expressed interest in the role. Daniel Craig turned down the title role, joking it would have been a "power trip" to play both a god and James Bond. Kevin McKidd was being considered for a supporting role when Vaughn was attached, but Branagh considered him for the title role.

Tom Hiddleston plays Loki, Thor's malicious half-brother. Hiddleston compared Loki to Edmund in King Lear, and also said "Ken [Branagh] wants Loki to have a lean and hungry look, like Cassius in Julius Caesar. Physically, he can't be posing as Thor."

Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, in the comics she is a nurse who becomes Thor's first love, a story which will be updated for the film's adaption.

Stuart Townsend plays Fandral, Tadanobu Asano plays Hogun, and Ray Stevenson plays Volstagg as the trio known as the Warriors Three, long time Asgardian friends who ally themselves with Thor.

Production
Sam Raimi originally envisioned the idea for Thor after Darkman (1990), meeting Stan Lee and the two pitched the concept to 20th Century Fox, but they did not understand it. Thor was abandoned until April 1997, when Marvel Studios was beginning to rapidly expand. In May 2000, Marvel Studios brought Artisan Entertainment to help finance the film, but Thor was still laboring in development hell by April 2002, and in June 2004, the project still had yet to be optioned by a studio. However, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased the film rights, and in December 2004, David S. Goyer was in negotiations to write and direct. For reasons unknown Goyer wasn't hired, and Mark Protosevich, a fan of the Thor comic book, signed to write the script in April 2006, while Paramount Pictures acquired the rights from Sony.

Matthew Vaughn had expressed interest in directing Thor when he was set to direct X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). After being impressed with his work on Stardust (2007), Marvel Studios signed Vaughn to direct in August 2007. The filmmakers were hoping to have filming start before the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. However, in January 2008, Marvel Entertainment reached an interim comprehensive agreement with the Writers Guild of America that would put writers immediately back to work on various projects that were under the company's development. Vaughn was pressured to film Thor in California, but demanded for the film to be completely shot in England in late 2008. Vaughn then rewrote Protosevich's script in order to bring down the budget to $150 million. Protosevich's first draft would have cost $300 million to produce.

Vaughn hired regular collaborator Ilan Eshkeri to compose the film score. However, Vaughn explained in March 2008 that he was uncertain if the film would actually get made, stating he was awaiting word from Marvel. In May 2008, Marvel announced a summer 2010 release date, but it was also announced Vaughn dropped out following the expiring of his contract. In September, Kenneth Branagh signed on to replace Vaughn, dropping out of directing a performance of Hamlet starring Jude Law. Branagh enlisted comic book writers such as Joe Quesada and Brian Michael Bendis to advise the script. The release date was moved to 2011. Television writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz were hired to rewrite the script; Miller owned the whole of Walt Simonson's run on the comic.

Filming will begin in January 2010, and primarily take place at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, California.

Promotion
In April 2007, Sega signed to produce a video game, originally aiming for a summer 2008 release, they are willing to wait longer for the film to get made. To coincide with the release of Thor, Marvel Animation announced a 26 episode half-hour series to air in late 2010.