Arguably one of the best actors we have today, Edward Norton has had his share of controversy throughout his career. He has been known to argue with film studios and directors alike regarding a movie's final cut. But time and time again, studios seek out Norton to either work on the script or direct a movie.

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The latest buzz is that trouble is brewing at the upcoming movie, The Incredible Hulk. Says EW:

In recent months, Norton and the film's director, Louis Leterrier (The Transporter), campaigned for a longer, more detailed film. Marvel Studios wanted a faster, leaner one. Marvel won. These creative arguments happen in Hollywood a lot but usually remain a secret. This time, they didn't. [ read more ]

Norton is one of the most serious actors we have, and is never afraid to speak his mind, especially with regards to a movie's artistic merits. While there will always be conflict between the actor and film studios (artistic merits versus box office revenue), we hope this latest issue will be resolved soon.

Below is Edward Norton's statement:

"Like so many people I've loved the story of The Hulk since I was a kid, so it was thrilling when Marvel asked me to write and help produce an altogether new screen incarnation, as well as play Bruce Banner. I grew up reading Marvel Comics and always loved the mythic dimension and contemporary themes in the stories, and I’m proud of the script I wrote. In every phase of production, including the editing, working with Louis Leterrier has been wonderful...I've never had a better partner, and the collaboration with all the rest of the creative team has been terrific. Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other's opinions is the heart of filmmaking. Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a 'dispute,' seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them. All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit...our focus has always been to deliver the Hulk that people have been waiting for and keep the worldwide love affair with the big green guy going strong.''

Previously, one of the most notable controversies involving the actor was regarding the movie American History X:

American History X was released in the midst of a bit of a soap opera. After a power struggle over the film editing--during which New Line Cinema took control of the film from director Tony Kaye, hired respected editor Jerry Greenberg, and brought Norton into the editing booth to help--Kaye publicly denounced the movie (via numerous interviews and bizarre ads in trade magazines), called Norton a "narcissistic dilettante," and unsuccessfully attempted to remove his name from the credits.

The trouble with American History X remains an exception as Edward Norton has starred and produced a number of films and there were no problems in any of these productions.

[ Incredible Hulk official movie site ] [ Edward Norton Information page ] [ IMDb movie details ]

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It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them.

That is an interesting perspective. While I am one of those people who LOVES DVD extras with behind the scenes info, I have to admit that his statement is correct. The magic of moviemaking has been somewhat diminished by our access to so much of the process.

I, for one, am looking forward to the new Hulk film. As a big fan of Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth, this new version should not dissapoint. Perhaps they will come out with a Director's cut DVD with the longer version...

yiddidea , April 18, 2008 | url

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