The seal is slowly being cracked on the the upcoming reimagining of Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four film. After a disastrous early marketing campaign it looks as if Fox Studios is finally ready to fight back against the backlash. We got a teaser trailer, quick explanations about the casting by the writer and director, and we now get our first official look at the finalized effects for The Thing.
Actor Jamie Bell is tasked with playing Ben Grimm, the physical embodiment of the tragedy at the core of the story. The same accident that mutated the quartet, which resulted in their miraculous powers, also served as a curse. No member was hit harder than Grimm, who transformed into a monstrous creature made of pure rock. Much of the drama in the comics comes from this human that is forever trapped inside of a boulder. This is the first time that The Thing will be brought to life with motion capture. Previous incarnations were done practically, with giant foam suits and animatronics. So it should be a delight to see the living rock in live action.
The last special effect that Fox has yet to reveal is Reed Richard’s ability to stretch. That is Miles Teller on the examining table and it seems that he is being tested or experimented on. History has shown that stretching effects are hard to pull off, so it seems that they are taking their time to make a strategic reveal. It is safe to assume that we will see him and the four in action, in the next full length trailer.
Official Synopsis:
“Fantastic Four,” a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Fantastic Four opens August 7, 2015.
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Art by JPRart