Thursday, May 2, 2002

SPIDER-MAN'S TOBEY MAGUIRE

Tobey Maguire proved that he could handle the Spider-Man part of the Spider-Man movie during a screen test.

A buffed-up Maguire performed a topless fight scene, solidifying his role in the biggest movie of his career.

For a complete feature on Maguire, CLICK HERE.

In other Spider-Man movie news:

* Kellogg's has announced that its promotion will last a month.

* The talk show blitz for the film has begun, with Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin) appearing on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane) appear on CBS' The Late Show with Dave Letterman.

* Here are some of Dafoe's comments:

On being in Spider-Man: "It's my first big summer movie, event movie."

Comparing small movies to effect driven movies: "There's a lot of green-screen stuff, but basically it's all the same. The agendas and the intentions are different between a small movie and a movie like this, but it's all pretending and it's all finding a personal relation to the material and it's all doing stuff.

On visiting the dentist to prepare for the movie: "You're prepping this movie and they had cast me, and I have to go to various fittings. It's a double role. There's a guy that's like a captain of industry, a very wealthy, successful scientist, and the monster, his alter ego. So it's two roles.

"So they said, 'Look, you've got to go to the dentist to get the teeth made.' The teeth ... well, right. That makes sense, so I'll go to the dentist.

"So, I go in there, and the guy's fitting me to make the special teeth. And I say, 'So, are they going to be all broken and funky?' His face drops, and he says, 'No they're going to be perfect.'

"Apparently, someone in the studio said a millionaire wouldn't have these funky teeth (pointing to his own teeth). So they were giving me caps to put on my teeth. Now, you say, 'Wait a second.' But then you say, 'You know what? There's something to play with here.'

"As it turns out, that was a cool thing to work with because it's like a device that triggers your imagination. You look different, you feel different talk, you talk different, so that's something that helps. But I didn't think it made me look better. In fact, it gave me kind of a sleazy car salesman smile."

On wearing the Green Goblin costume: "The way I describe it is that I understand what it's like for a woman to wear very high heels. They're painful, but it makes you look good, so you put up with it."

* Here are some of Dunst's comments:

On the film: "It's a good movie because it has a lot of depth to it. Even though it's a big action film, there's good emotion, it's very character driven and a good story line. And we had very talented actors in it. Tobey is just wonderful in the film ... and Willem Dafoe. And Sam Raimi is an awesome director."

On her action figure: "I hate my doll. It looks like a man in drag."

On the film being a blockbuster: "I think so. People are already buying tickets. It's really insane. I'm sure they're going to be waiting in line and sleeping over and all that crazy stuff."

* Maguire will be a guest on Letterman on Thursday.

FRANK OZ LINKED TO POWERS MOVIE

Brian Michael Bendis confirmed trade reports that Frank Oz is in negotiations to direct the Powers movie.

"He has a great take on it," Bendis told The Continuum. "Sounds pretty cool."

Mace Neufeld is producing Powers, which is set up at Sony/Columbia. Carlo Bernard and Doug Milo have been writing the script.

Oz's directing credits include Ump, The Score, Bowfinger, In & Out, Housesitter, What About Bob and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Oz, 58, has also acted in nearly 50 movies, including the voice of Yoda in the Star Wars films.

Bendis is also executive producing MTV's Spider-Man animated series.

MARVEL MOVIE UPDATE

Twentieth Century Fox has provided The Continuum a photograph of Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada's trip to the Daredevil set on Monday.

Quesada is pictured with director Mark Steven Johnson and Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, an executive producer, on the set in Burbank, Calif.

Quesada returned to New York on Wednesday, just in time to attend the New York premiere of Spider-Man.

In other Marvel movie news:

* The teaser for The Hulk movie will be featured on Entertainment Tonight on Thursday. Just a glimpse of Hulk star Eric Bana in the role of Bruce Banner was shown on Wednesday.

The Hulk teaser will be included before most showings of Spider-Man.

DC COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For covers and four-page previews of DC Comics titles shipping on Wednesday, CLICK HERE.

Titles include Adventures of Superman #604, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #90, Batgirl #28, DC First: The Flash/Superman, Fables #1, Nightwing #69 and Transmetropolitan #56.

SPIDER-MAN AUGUST COVERS

Marvel Comics provided The Continuum with covers to three Spider-Man books shipping in August.

Ultimate Spider-Man #25 will arrive in stores on Aug. 7. The issue is written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Mark Bagley and Art Thibert, and pit Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin for the fate of Mary Jane.

Amazing Spider-Man #44 will arrive in stores on Aug. 14. The issue is written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna.

Peter Parker: Spider-Man #47 will arrive in stores on Aug. 21. The issue is written by Paul Jenkins, with art by Humberto Ramos and Wayne Faucher. It is promoted as "the crazed conclusion to the Green Goblin saga."

BATTLE OF THE PLANETS SKETCHES

Top Cow's Universe #7, on sale now, features some of Alex Ross's sketches for the upcoming Battle of the Planets series that starts in July.

The sketches feature Ross' updated look for each of the main characters, new equipment and his notes to the rest of the art team.

"We've all erected our Alex Ross shrines here at Top Cow," said marketing director Frank Mastromauro. "Most of us were fans of Battle of the Planets already, but after seeing the work Alex and Wilson have done it's quickly become a studio favorite."

"Universe #7 will be a pivotal book in the long run for the Top Cow universe," said editor-in-chief David Wohl. "The preview is great for everyone to get a look at the upcoming Battle of the Planet series and the story within Universe itself sets the stage for events unraveling throughout Top Cow's line of books for the summer and fall."

BRIEFLY