Saving Private Ryan Scribe Robert Rodat to Rewrite Thor Sequel
Posted 01.11.12 by BrentJS
Despite the fact that many considered the Marvel Comics character Thor to be virtually impossible to sell to a mass audience — long-haired Norse god in pseudo-Superman costume defies his father and flirts with a mortal woman — the Kenneth Branagh-directed Thor movie adaptation was a huge hit for Marvel Studios, raking in $449 million worldwide to become the #8 movie of 2011, the #1 comic-based movie of 2011, and the second biggest superhero in Marvel's stable, beating up out both Captain America and the Hulk (which should tick off some comic book fans who feel the "Hulk is strongest one there is!").
With all of that success, you would think it would be pretty easy to head into production on the sequel, the tentatively titled Thor 2, but the project has hit one road block after another. First, Branagh decided not to return to helm the sequel. Then, Branagh's replacement, Patty Jenkins, (Monster) exited over "creative differences" shortly after taking the helm. On top of that, Thor 2 has been need of a writer to flesh out the rough draft of a script penned by Thor co-writer Don Payne.
Well, it looks like things are finally on track for Thor 2. Marvel recently found a creative director who is flexible (pliable?) enough to handle working under notoriously "involved" President of Production Kevin Feige in Alan Taylor (Palookaville) and now it appears that the studio has found its new screenwriter, as well. According to Collider, Marvel has hired Saving Private Ryan scribe Robert Rodat to rewrite Payne's script for Thor 2.
Rodat, whose credits also include creating TNT's Falling Skies, beat out John Collee (Master and Commander: Far Side of the World), Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction), and Sheldon Turner (Up in Air) for the Thor 2 writing gig. The plot is a mystery at this time, with the biggest clues about the story coming from Feige, who said back in September that we should expect to see many familiar faces and follow Thor (Chris Hemsworth) "to other worlds."
[The sequel will] primarily be the journey of that character, of [Thor] and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and how the new dynamic with his father [Odin, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins] is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds.
While Feige made no mention of Loki, Thor's adopted brother and a major antagonist in both Thor and Marvel's next movie, The Avengers, the trickster god is sure to be a major player in the sequel. In fact, Tom Hiddleston, the British actor who plays the wayward son of Odin, recently confirmed his addition to the cast by saying that he is supposed to start shooting Thor 2 in London this summer.
Next Showing: Thor 2 is slated to open November 15, 2013