Trying to keep the production on track for its scheduled July 2015 release date, Marvel has announced a new team on its screen adaptation of Ant-Man: Peyton Reed as director and Adam McKay as writer.
The move comes after news broke at the end of May that director Edgar Wright had left the production over "creative differences," which may have been over a recent studio-mandated script rewrite. Wright was sharing screenwriting credit with Joe Cornish (see "Marvel Loses Director, Showrunner").
Reed has an extensive TV directing resume (The Weird Al Show, Mr. Show, Upright Citizens Brigade), which is far more appealing to geek viewers than his cinematic one, which focuses more on mainstream rom-coms such as Down with Love, The Break Up, and Yes Man (though he has been named to direct the upcoming adaptation of Vivek Tiwary’s The Fifth Beatle graphic novel, see "'The Fifth Beatle’ Biopic").
McKay is a Saturday Night Live writer, who often partners with Will Ferrrell on writing his vehicles (Step Brothers, Anchorman, Talladega Nights).
Introducing a new writer this late in the process is odd, but Marvel is very keen to keep inter-movie continuity for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and there are still questions how much retconning there will have to be, since The Avengers: Age of Ultron releases May 1, 2015, and Ant-Man won’t open till July 17, 2015. (Hank Pym is the creator of Ultron in the comics, but he will not be in the next Avengers film.)
The story will focus on con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who must help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) protect the secret of the Ant-Man suit, as well as pull off a heist that will save the world.
Peyton Reed, Adam McKay
Posted by ICv2 on June 8, 2014 @ 7:39 pm CT
MORE SHOWBIZ
Beginning in August
April 23, 2024
WotC will produce Magic: The Gathering promo cards based on the venerable Cowboy Bebop anime, beginning in August.
By 'Birds of Prey' Writer Kelly Thompson and 'Zodiac Starforce' Artist Paulina Ganucheau
April 22, 2024
Birds of Prey writer Kelly Thompson and Zodiac Starforce artist Paulina Ganucheau are the creative team for the new series.
MORE COMICS
Collecting Stories that Ran in Multiple Titles in the 1990s
April 23, 2024
The omnibus will collect the 1990s Superman storylines that ran across multiple titles.
'Solo Leveling,' 'Apothecary Diaries,' 'Godzilla x Kong'
April 22, 2024
Solo Leveling, The Apothecary Diaries, and Godzilla x Kong all made the March charts.