When “Iron Man 3” begins production, it will a new director calling the shots.
After directing the first two installments, Jon Favreau has decided not to direct the third. Instead, he will join Guillermo del Toro and David Fincher as a new wave of directors to helm films based on around attractions at Disney theme parks.
Favreau is set to direct “Magic Kingdom,” he described as a family fantasy adventure that will tap into the vintage Disney creations that “loomed so large in the imagination” of his generation. Favreau said that Fincher will direct the studio’s ”20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” a Jules Verne bookshelf classic that is closely associated with Disney after the landmark 1954 film and the submarine theme-park ride, and Disney confirmed that to be the case. Del Toro had already been announced as director of a new “Haunted Mansion” film.
“Between the theme parks and the movies, the Disney iconography was probably the first set of archetypes that I was exposed to,” Favreau tells the L.A. Times “Walt was able to expose me as a child to the full array of emotions, including fear and sorrow. Those movies and attractions haunted my dreams and made a deep impression on me as a child. When I first heard about the [‘Magic Kingdom’ film] project, I was on my way to visit Disneyland with my family. I took notes and had no problem filling a book with all the ideas that this concept offered, even on first blush. Since then, I was lucky enough to be given a tour of Imagineering by Tony Baxter, who knows just about everything there is to know about Disneyland. He pulled original concept art from the archives for me and exposed me to Walt’s original vision.”
Favreau said he was eager for the challenge of “Magic Kingdom” and candidly added that part of that challenge will be separating the film from movies such “Night at the Museum” or “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” which have a similar concept at their foundation — presenting a new adventure with a gallery of iconic personas as supporting characters. (The film also will have to take a step or two away from Epic Mickey, the high-profile video game that just hit stores and presents a quest that plays out across a dark alternate counterpart version of Disneyland.)
New movies including: “Big Thunder Mountain”, “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle”, “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”
Maybe the money is good, but the Mouse is evil.
Sorry left out the “hypothetical” in front of the word “movies”. I have no idea what dreck they’ll actually parade to the public.
Pretty sure Favreau’s been off Iron Man 3 from the get-go. He almost didn’t direct the second flick because Marvel didn’t want to meet his pricetag, and they were never gonna do it a third time.
Guillermo del Toro doing another Haunted Mansion movie? After “Pan’s Labyrinth” this is SOOOOO beneath him. The Mouse can shuck out the bucks so del Toro can sell his soul, but they can’t pay Favreau to make “Iron Man 3? Retarded.