Director/actor Kenneth Branagh is negotiating to helm “Thor,” the next Marvel Comics property that will be turned into a live-action film by Marvel Studios, reports Variety.
This choice by Marvel is surprising in a way, considering Branagh has not directed a big action adventure movie before.
“Stardust” helmer Matthew Vaughn had earlier been attached to the comic book movie, but left when his holding deal expired.
Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend) wrote the comic adaptation, which follows disabled medical student Donald Blake, who has an alter ego as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor. The character is also a member of The Avengers.
Branagh's directorial debut came in 1989 with an adaptation of “hakespeare's “Henry V,” which he also starred in. He's also directed “Much Ado About Nothing”, “Frankenstein” and last year's thriller “Sleuth.”
He's appeared in front of the camera in Woody Allen's “Celebrity”, “Rabbit Proof Fence”, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, and played the evil Dr. Arliss Loveless in Will Smith's “Wild Wild West.” He also co-stars in the upcoming Tom Cruise film “Valkyrie.”
Marvel will self-finance the film via its $500 million credit facility through Merrill Lynch. They used that coin to fund both “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” and will do the same for the upcoming “Iron Man.”
Marvel will set a distributor for Thor shortly.
Thor is scheduled for release on June 10, 2010.
