Henry Cavill Body: Superman of Latex + Joss Whedon to Direct New ‘Avengers’ Movie

Henry Cavill body beautiful: Man of Latex.

Henry Cavill body in ‘Man of Steel’

Missing out on the role of Edward Cullen may (or may not) have been a professional blow for British actor Henry Cavill. (Author Stephenie Meyer wanted him, but he was “too old” at 24.) Anyhow, you lose one, you win one. Robert Pattinson became a superstar as a result of the Twilight movies, but Cavill will quite likely become (at least) a “name actor” once Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot Man of Steel opens on June 14, 2013 – a little over a month after Cavill turns 30 (May 5).

True, in the above picture (via SuperHeroHype) taken during production of the Superman reboot, Henry Cavill looks more like “Man of Latex” than “Man of Steel.” But this is no putdown: Cavill looks appropriately handsome, and his body looks just as appropriately ripped and sexually alluring – a must for every superhero (save The Incredible Hulk). In other words, he’ll certainly be an effective Superman. I mean, it’s hard to imagine someone like Henry Cavill being any less muscular and square-jawed – that’s pretty much what the role requires – than, say, previous Supermen Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, or Dean Cain.

Henry Cavill Movies

Best known for his role as Charles Brandon in the television series The Tudors, Henry Cavill has been featured in about a dozen movies in the last dozen years or so. That’s not exactly a prolific film career, but among Cavill’s notable credits are Tarsem Singh’s fantasy adventure Immortals, a mid-level box office performer released last year; Woody Allen’s Whatever Works; Randal Kleiser’s little-seen Red Riding Hood (not to be confused with Catherine Hardwicke’s 2011 box office flop starring Amanda Seyfried); and Kevin Reynolds’ Tristan + Isolde, in which Cavill supported James Franco and Sophia Myles.

In addition to Man of Steel, another upcoming Henry Cavill movie (in the US) is Mabrouk El Mechri’s The Cold Light of Day, featuring Verónica Echegui, Sigourney Weaver, and Bruce Willis.The Spanish-set thriller has already grossed approximately $11 million in about two dozen territories – a modest, but not inconsiderable amount for a “small” movie. The Cold Light of Day opens via Summit Entertainment in the United States on Sept. 7.

Edward Zwick’s The Great Wall, described as a mystery thriller set during the time of the construction of China’s Great Wall, is currently in the pre-production stages. The film has a tentative 2013 release date. Benjamin Walker and Zhang Ziyi are two other names “attached” to the project.

Man of Steel cast

Written by David S. Goyer, from a story by Goyer and co-producer Christopher Nolan (he of The Dark Knight Rises), in addition to Henry Cavill Man of Steel features Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Ayelet Zurer as Lara Lor-Van, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Jadin Gould as Lana Lang, and Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy.

The Great Gatsby 2012 now The Great Gatsby 2013. (Image: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Amitabh Bachchan.) Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, a 3D period drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton, has had its North American release pushed back from Dec. 25, 2012, to summer 2013.

Warner Bros.’ p.r. machinery is already at work, lest industry buzzers start buzzing that Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby movie isn’t “Oscar-caliber” and the like.

Warners president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman was quoted as saying (via The Hollywood Reporter) the following:

“Based on what we’ve seen, Baz Luhrmann’s incredible work is all we anticipated and so much more. It truly brings Fitzgerald’s American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exiting way. We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible.”

The Great Gatsby 2012: Why 2013?

Why exactly a summer 2013 release would ensure The Great Gatsby “reaches the largest audience possible” remains unclear. Will The Great Gatsby be G-rated like the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies? Is further editing needed? Some other technical issue? Is Warner Bros. merely trying to distance The Great Gatsby from the other Dec. 25, 2012, Leonardo DiCaprio release, the Quentin Tarantino-directed Columbia release Django Unchained?

Not that DiCaprio doesn’t have a “prestige” 2013 release as well. He does. It’s called The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese. However, no specific release date has been set for the Scorsese film – though it does seem like ideal fall/late December fare.

Just a week or so ago, Warner Bros. pushed back the release of another (formerly) 2012 movie: Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad, featuring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, and Sean Penn. Gangster Squad, which features – perhaps “featured” by the time it opens – a shooting scene inside a movie theater (echoes of The Dark Knight Rises), comes out on January 11, 2013.

The Great Gatsby cast

Besides Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Joel Edgerton, The Great Gatsby features Isla Fisher, Amitabh Bachchan, Jason Clarke, Gemma Ward, Callan McAuliffe, Elizabeth Debicki, Max Cullen, Jack Thompson, and Barry Otto.

Previous The Great Gatsby film versions include Jack Clayton’s (1974), with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow; Elliott Nugent’s (1949), with Alan Ladd and Betty Field; and Herbert Brenon’s (1926), with Warner Baxter and Lois Wilson.

Joss Whedon The Avengers 2 director. (Image: Joss Whedon, The Avengers set.) Moviegoers want original ideas. Moviegoers are tired of sequels. Moviegoers don’t want the same characters doing the same things movie after movie after movie. You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? Well, Disney Chairman Bob Iger thinks differently. And he’s right: in addition to being responsible for the creation of a “Marvel-based” series for ABC, The Avengers’ Joss Whedon has signed to write and direct The Avengers 2.

The Avengers: global blockbuster

Featuring an all-superhero / supervillain ensemble – Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner – The Avengers has raked in $1.46 billion worldwide. Not adjusted for inflation (and without taking IMAX/3D surcharges into account), to date only two movies have outgrossed The Avengers: James Cameron’s Avatar and Titanic.

According to a report on TheWrap, chiefly because of The Avengers, “the income at Disney’s studio unit jumped to $313 million from $49 million a year earlier, during its most recent fiscal quarter.” In case you’re wondering what happened to the infamous Mars-set Andrew Stanton project, well, Disney took a loss on John Carter earlier in the year.

Upcoming Marvel movies

Now, don’t believe rumors that Mickey Mouse is about to be rebaptized Mickey Marvel. Even so, upcoming Disney titles include Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World in 2013, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. The last two titles will be directed by, respectively, Jerzy Skolimowski (who has a minor role in The Avengers) and Pedro Almodóvar. Joke.

Joss Whedon The Avengers picture: Zade Rosenthal / Walt Disney Studios.

Lars von Trier Gesamt: A ‘challenge’ and an ‘invitation’ to ‘the people’

Lars von Trier has issued “an open invitation to people around the globe,” reads a press release from Danish Agency for Culture. That “open invitation” is represented by the Copenhagen Art Festival’s film project Gesamt; von Trier is asking individuals worldwide “to reinterpret six great works of art through the lens of their camera or recording of sound.” Five of those “great works of art” are European (see below); one, Sammy Davis Jr, is an American.

Jenle Hallund, a script consultant in von Trier’s Melancholia and the director of the 2011 Zentropa short You Are Beautiful, will have the task of “put[ting] it all together in the end.”

In the release, Hallund is quoted as saying: “This project is interesting because it is based on ordinary people’s creativity and imagination. Therefore it has the potential to reveal the health of a civilization by exposing its soul. Together we can try and create a cacophonous testimony of the human condition’s greater purpose than power and profit. When these great works are filtered through the body and mind, what do we end up with? Regimentation or revolution? Bigotry or innovation?”

Gesamt rules

The Gesamt rules are as follows:

“Participants may shoot up to five minutes of material, do so several times, and send their material to Gesamt before September 6, 2012. Technical skills are not the biggest priority – originality and enthusiasm are much more important.”

“Everyone who wishes to participate can draw inspiration from one or several of the selected six art pieces: James Joyce’s work Ulysses, which once was banned in the United States because it was seen as obscene and lewd. Or one can be inspired by August Strindberg’s famous play The Father, which still stands as a striking example of a dysfunctional family.

“Then there is the somewhat more controversial monument the Zeppelinfield in Nuremberg, created by Hitler’s main architect Albert Speer. You can also choose the painting “Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?” by the French painter Paul Gauguin, or you can listen and interpret the French composer César Franck’s improvisations. And then, last but not least, you may choose to be inspired by Sammy Davis Jr., who stepped himself into the hearts of people through song.”

See also: Lars von Trier is no stranger to controversy, whether on screen or at film festivals.)

Gesamt: ‘synthesis of the art’

In sum: “The concept gesamtkunstwerk can be explained as ‘the universal work of art’ or ‘synthesis of the art.’ It refers to a piece of art that has been made up of many different types of art. Film is one of the only types of media which can accommodate several types of art forms at once.”

Gesamt will premiere on Oct. 12, ’12, at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen.

Participants can submit their efforts between August 6 and September 6, 2012. “Early submissions are greatly appreciated.” For further information contact: Niels Jarler, Head of Communications, Copenhagen Art Festival, P: up 45 26 11 89 97, E: nj@cph-artfestival.org, or Nadia Claudi, Producer Gesamt, P: up 45 26 11 89 98, E: nc@cph-artfestival.org. Visit: www.gesamt.org.

Lars von Trier picture: Jan Buss, courtesy of the Danish Agency for Culture.