downthetubes News Archive: February 2004

MARVEL FILM NEWS
22/2/04: IGN Filmforce has posted a lengthy interview with Marvel Studios' chief Avi Arad wherein Arad discusses Marvel's Hollywood ventures, comic books, audience expectations, and much more. Arad stated that Marvel are working on more all-ages comic books to cater to young Marvel movie fans. Arad said that production on Fantastic Four is planned to being very soon with the movie is slated for a Summer 2005 release, and that Iron Man will also go into production this year.
Sub- Mariner is "very close..." according to Arad, and Marvel are also working on a Killraven movie. Arad also revealed that he tried very hard to get Joss Whedon to script Iron Man, but he was busy with Firefly. When discussing the possibility of Whedon scripting a future Marvel project, Arad said, "We're going to land him... He's a tough cookie, but we'll get him."
Full interview at: http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/491/491232p1.html

WHO WEBCASTS DROPPED -- FOR NOW
17/2/04: BBCi, webcasters of animated Doctor Who stories, have called a halt on developing any new stories for now citing developments in the production of the new TV series which "have had a knock-on effect for BBCi" "We've been asked to postpone developing future Doctor Who webcasts for the moment," BBCi has announced. "Initially, the people behind the new series were keen for the animated adventures to continue in the run-up to the Doctor's return to TV, but recent developments have made that impossible. The reasons for this are all Very Good, one of them is Terribly Exciting... and we hope they'll become apparent in the next few weeks."
The producers of Scream of the Shalka, written by Paul Cornell and starring Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, have apparently been a tremendous success and the team say they would love to do more when the time is right. "Sadly that's not right now."
Read the full news item on the BBC's Doctor Who web site: Go