'Thor 2' lines up potential directors to replace Patty Jenkins

Marvel also narrowing search for screenwriters for sequel

By HitFix Staff Saturday, Dec 10, 2011 7:38 PM

Chris Hemsworth in "Thor"

Credit: Marvel Studios

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That didn't take long.

Less than a week after Patty Jenkins exited as director of "Thor 2," Marvel Studios is getting the superhero sequel

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel is turning to the small screen for a new director. Both Alan Taylor (who's directed key episodes of "Game of Thrones," "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Sopranos") and Daniel Minahan ("True Blood," "Deadwood," "Grey’s Anatomy") are being considered for the gig.

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Both have limited feature film experience. Taylor directed a handful of features, including the 1995 crime comedy "Palookaville" with William Forsythe, Vincent Gallo and Frances McDormand, while Minahan helmed the caustic dark comedy "Series 7: The Contenders" in 2001.

The search for a writer is also being narrowed down. Previously, "Thor" co-writer Don Payne had turned in a draft, but now a few writer's names are in the mix, including Sheldon Turner ("X-Men: First Class"), John Collee, ("Master and Commander: Far Side of the World"), Robert Rodat ("Saving Private Ryan") and Roger Avary (Tarantino's co-writer on "Pulp Fiction").

Kenneth Branagh directed this summer's "Thor," with Chris Hemsworth in the title role opposite Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and Stellan Skarsgard. Jenkins ("Monster") signed to direct the sequel earlier this fall, which would have made her the first female to direct a Marvel Studios film (Lexi Alexander helmed "Punisher War Zone" for Lionsgate). Jenkins and Marvel split over creative differences just last week.

"Thor 2" is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters November 15, 2013. Thor will also be seen in "The Avengers" in May, 2012.

Who would you want to see direct it?

Related Searches: Thor 2, Marvel, Patty Jenkins, Chris Hemsworth, Alan Taylor, Daniel Minahan, Avengers

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Bradley Valentine

Seems like a perfect time to get Branagh back. He deserves it.
December 10, 2011 at 8:55PM EST Reply to Comment
- Cal Branagh doesn't want the job, it took up too much of his life.
  December 11, 2011 at 12:37AM EST
Brendan

I have a problem with Roger Avary's involvement...I would like to think that getting drunk and killing someone would end your career, but I guess not.
December 10, 2011 at 9:03PM EST Reply to Comment
- Blair Mitchelmore We have a criminal justice system for a reason. Avary paid for his crimes according to that system. If we decide that former convicts should not be allowed to live a life following their incarceration, I don't see the reason to ever release them, at which point you're advocating blind punishment of all crimes with life in prison. The demonization of reformed criminals is one of the worst things about our culture, so please don't encourage it.
  December 11, 2011 at 1:17AM EST
gregel

Marvel is going cheap with TV guys for the director's seat. Sort of sad.
December 11, 2011 at 12:52AM EST Reply to Comment
- Blair Mitchelmore The TV directors discussed in this post aren't anything to shake a stick at, they've done some quality work. And new film directors have to come from somewhere.
  December 11, 2011 at 1:20AM EST
- UGABugKiller Greg, there was a time when we were all saying the same thing about Warners and David Yates.
  
  I think it's safe to say we were wrong there.
  
  What we CAN say about Feige and Marvel is that they ARE cheap AND meddlesome. They forced Favs to change around Iron Man 2 until it was a 2-hour prologue for The Avengers, ruining any semblance of a good story in doing so, and they tried to cheap him out of the director's chair.
  
  Feige made Louis and Ed dumb down The Incredible Hulk when it was far more psychological complex, almost completely cutting out Ty Burrel's Doc Sampson presence in the film, and in doing this, pissed-off Norton so much, he wanted no part of The Avengers unless they overpaid him (which he knew tight-fisted Feige would never do).
  
  These are the things we KNOW about how Marvel is poorly running their film franchises once they make it into sequels and such. The first films have ALL been great (and I maintain that LL's original, half-hour longer cut of The Incredible Hulk would've been MUCH better), but after these successes, Marvel goes on the cheap to maximize franchise profits, as the rule of thumb is, sequels generally bring diminishing returns.
  
  We'll see if these TV directors suck, and I hope they don't. Yates didn't, IMO.
  
  But I DO think, in about 10 years, Marvel will look back at how Feige went as cheap as he could with directors and talent for their sequels, and see the mess that made, and wish they hadn't let him do so.
  December 11, 2011 at 1:27PM EST

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'Thor 2' lines up potential directors to replace Patty Jenkins