Movie Ramblings: DR. STRANGE: THE MOVIE?

I read on TwitchFilm.com that MARVEL STUDIOS plans on a big screen adaptation of their classic supernatural superhero DR. STRANGE, created by the legendary team of writer STAN LEE  & artist STEVE DITKO.

Dr. Strange art by Steve Ditko

MARVEL STUDIOS hired screenwriters THOMAS DONNELLY & JOSHUA OPPENHEIMER(COWBOYS & ALIENS; the new CONAN movie) back in June 2010 to work on the script with hopes it will be among the 1^st MARVEL films generated under the WALT DISNEY PICTURES banner. After all they did spend Billions just to buy the comic book properties.



Dr. Strange art by Alan Davis

MARVEL STUDIOS sent the DR. STRANGE script to a number of directors considered for the project, but hasn't officially green-lit just yet, but hopes whichever director is ultimately attached will "oversee continued development" with a Summer 2013 release.

Pixar Logo

PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS showed interest in September 2010 in making a fully CGI movie, having done the superhero CGI film the INCREDIBLES.

As for the role of DR. STRANGE, actor PATRICK DEMPSEY indicated he was lobbying to play DR. STRANGE while promoting for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON this summer. DEMPSEY is perhaps best known as the DR. DEREK "McDREAMY" SHEPHERD on the TV show GREY'S ANATOMY.

Patrick Dempsey

This wouldn't be DR. STRANGE's 1st time he's been adapted to film. There was a 1978 TV movie that was written & directed by executive producer PHILIP DeGUERE for CBS by UNIVERSAL TELEVISION as a unsuccessful TV pilot. It starred PETER HOOTEN as DR. STEPHEN STRANGE, CLYDE KUSATSU as WONG, a smokin' hot JESSICA WALTER as the villainous MORGAN LeFAY (the 1st Live-Action MARVEL COMICS' super-villian), Canadian actress EDDIE BENTON (aka, ANNE-MARIE MARTIN) as CLEA LAKE; SIR JOHN MILLS as STRANGE's mentor, Sorcerer Supreme Thomas Lindmer; & TED CASSIDY as the voices of both the demon BALZAROTH, as well as the comics' DORMAMMU.


Dr. Strange 1978 TV Guide ad



Peter Hooten as TV's Dr. Strange & Jessica Walter as Morgan LeFay

Sir John Millis as Lindmer

Former DR. STRANGE comic book artist FRANK BRUNNER was hired as the production's costume-design consultant. BRUNNER used a "star-burst" symbol design than the "demon" symbol usually worn by the comic-book DR. STRANGE as a more TV-friendly replacement, TV network fearing parents outcry of Satanism in the show.


TV's Dr. Strange by Brunner

TV's Lindmer by Brunner



TV's Morgan by Brunner


In an interview found in the January 1985 issue of COMICS FEATURE magazine, STAN LEE recounted largely positive experiences working on DOCTOR STRANGE, especially compared with the other live-action Marvel Comics adaptations under the publisher's development deal with CBS & UNIVERSAL in the late 1970s:

Just as with the HULK, LEE had few problems with the TV movie adaptation done of DR. STRANGE.

"I probably had the most input into that one. I've become good friends with the writer/producer PHIL DeGUERE. I was pleased with DR. STRANGE & The INCREDIBLE HULK. I think that DR. STRANGE would have done much better than it did in the ratings except that it aired opposite ROOTS. Those are the only experiences I've had with live action television. DR. STRANGE & the HULK were fine. CAPTAIN AMERICA was a bit of a disappointment & SPIDER-MAN was a total nightmare."

Jessica Walter on the set of Dr. Strange 1978

It was released to video in the 1980s where I found it. Not bad for a TV movie, if you don't mind the 1970s look which dates the movie hard. Hooten sports a mean-ass 1970s porn mustache & hairdo.

Then back in the early 1990s FULL MOON ENTERTAINMENT Producer-Director CHARLES BAND optioned DR. STRANGE from MARVEL COMICS with the intention of making a lie-action movie, but before production could begin, the option expired. Instead of just re-optioning DR. STRANGE from MARVEL again, BAND just re-wrote the script to include original characters. Now renamed DR. MORDRID, it starred JEFFREY COMBS as the lead & BRIAN THOMPSON as the villain KASAL, released direct-to-video in 1992.



Full Moon's Dr. Mordrid

Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Mordrid

Brian Thompson as Kasal

A fun film, I rented it as a teenager, watching it with my then girlfriend Mira, whom I tormented with my fanboy movie choices at the time.



Originally the character was to be called DR. MORTALIS with early design concepts done by an un-credited JACK KIRBY.   

Dr. Mortalis art by Jack Kirby

Finally in 2007 saw the release of the animated direct-to-DVD movie DOCTOR STRANGE: THE SORCERER SUPREME, voiced by BRYCE JOHNSON. The 4^th animated film produced by LIONSGATE based on MARVEL COMICS characters, following ULTIMATE AVENGERS, ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2 & THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN. The movie was well received, I thought this would be as close to a movie release for DR. STRANGE until now.

Dr. Strange: the Sorcerer Supreme Animated Movie

Here's hopes that DOCTOR'S IN 2013.



Dr. Strange & Clea art by Kevin Nowlan

- Rajadevilman74



Wonder Woman's TV Defeat

                       Comic Book Ramblings: Wonder Woman's TV Defeat_

If you haven't hears by now NBC has decided not to pick up Writer - Producer David E. Kelley's (Creator of lawyer TV shows Boston Legal, the Practice & Ally McBeal) much talked about Wonder Woman TV reboot for it's fall 2011 schedule. 

David E. Kelley

Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment said in an interview that the reason why the pilot wasn't picked up was "it wouldn't fit with their current schedule", but did praise everyone's hard work on the pilot.

The pilot was described as "a reinvention of the iconic D.C. comic in which Wonder Woman – aka Diana Prince – is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life".


Sexy, but blonde Adrianna Palicki

February 16, 2011, it was announced that the 5'11", 27 year old actress Adrianna Palicki (of Friday Night Lights TV fame & with a newly dyed hairdo) was cast as Wonder Woman.
Elizabeth Hurley (of the Austin Powers movie fame) was cast as Veronica Cale (a sort of female Lex Luthor & the TV series planned recurring villian), Tracie Thoms (who played in the 2005 movie version of the Broadway musical Rent) as Diana's personal assistant Etta Candy, Pedro Pascal as police liaison Ed Indelicato, Cary Elwes (of the Princess Bride) as Henry Detmer will run the day-to-day operations of Diana's company, & Justin Bruening(who starred in NBC's 2008 Knight Rider series) as Steve Trevor.
  

Sexy Milf Elizabeth Hurley

Original Wonder Woman Costume design

DC's New Look

Fanboys went ape shit online over the costume when 1st revealed, which de-emphasizing the american patriotism & played more on comic's Greek Mythology, meaning they gave her pants. But this refected what Wonder Woman was wearing at the time in the DC Comics. But they redesign the costume again, adding her trademark bootyshorts. 

The New Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman's New Look

The New Redesign Wonder Woman costume

The New New Costume

Wonder Woman's Bootyshorts are Back!

Reported test showings of the pilot by NBC were mixed (meaning people hated it) & having it's previous superhero TV series The Cape do poorly in the ratings (not even airing the finale episode) might of scarred NBC off superhero TV shows.

NBC's The Cape

Warner Bros. TV might try shop around the pilot to other networks, but it's doubtful any will pick it up, most all ready turned it down the 1st time round it was offered in January 2011.

This is not the 1st time actress Adrianne Palicki has been in a unsold TV pilot. 2003 she played Judy Robinson in John Woo's Lost in Space TV reboot for the WB Television Network. The cast included Brad Johnson as John Robinson, Jayne Brook as Maureen Robinson, Ryan Malgarini as Will Robinson & Mike Erwin as Don West (no Doctor Smith in this series). Sets from this show were later used for the then new Battlestar Galactica TV series, redesigned for scenes on the Battlestar Pegasus.


The Robinsons: Lost in Space

Then in Palicki appeared in the WB 2006 Aquqman TV pilot called Mercy Reef  as the evil Siren. It to had an impressive cast which included Justin Hartley (who would later play Green Arrow in Smallville) as the lead "A.C." (aka, Aquaman), Lou Diamond Phillips as A.C.'s adoptive dad Tom Curry, Denise Quinones as fighter pilot Lt. Rachel Torres (who A.C. rescues),Ving Rhames as A.C.'s Atlantean mentor & lighthouse keeper McCaffery, Amber McDonald as A.C.'s best friend & business partner Eve, & Daniella Wolters as A.C.'s missing mother Atlanna
This pilot was not picked up for series as result of The WB & UPN network merger into the CW network, which occurred while the pilot was being filmed. Just not enough room for all of the WB's & UPN's old TV shows & a new series as well.


Justin Hartley as Aquaman in Mercy Reef

Siren make-up test 

Siren make-up test without wig & contacts

Complete Siren make-up test for Mercy Reef

Real shame though, it was one of the few series I was looking forward to this Fall TV Season now that Smallville is over. It would've made a great companion for NBC's CHUCK series. But maybe it's for the best.


Sarah Michelle Gellar & Jack Black at MTV Movie Awards

I bet the Warner Bros. are kicking themselves in the Ass for not making Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman movie in 2005 now that he's doing Marvel Comics' big epic Avengers movie. Just think what the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly (some of my favorite TV shows) could of done makes me weep.

An early Wonder Woman movie costume concept that I liked