These days, an actor or actress starring in two or more comic book movies is becoming more and more common. Everyone from Scarlet Johansson to Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Evans to Idris Elba has more than one comic book film on their resume. Now, we might just have to add Tom Hiddleston to that list.

The English actor, who made such a memorable performance as Loki in Thor  and The Avengers, might be taking the lead in one of the most iconic heroes from the world of independent comics–The Crow.

The Wrap is reporting that the actor is in talks with producers of the remake of the 1994 Brandon Lee film, which in itself was an adaptation of James O’Barr’s 1988 graphic novel. The website even states that Hiddleston sent in a make-up test he did on his own in order to show his interest in the part.

Hiddleston follows Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg and James McAvoy, among others, who were rumored to be considered for the part.

Let me just say that I consider pretty much all remakes to be pointless. And second to the RoboCop remake, I consider The Crow remake to be the most pointless. But that being said, the idea of Tom Hiddleston in the lead role excites me. He’s a great actor, and one I think would bring a lot to the role. Hopefully, these talks go well and he gets the part.

In the days leading up to the 85th Academy Awards, FilmBuffOnline will be offering profiles on all the nominees in the major categories. Some may be well known, others might be new to you, but if you need a refresher on these talented nominees, here it is.

Alan Arkin

Nominated for: Playing a Hollywood producer working with the CIA in Argo.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 BAFTA Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2013 Screen Actors Guild Award.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Where you might know him from:

Arkin has a storied, fifty plus year career. Notable films are The In-Laws, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, and The Rocketeer.

History with Oscar:

Alan Arkin has three previous nominations and one win.

1967: Best Actor, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (Lost to Paul Scofield, A Man For All Seasons).

1969: Best Actor, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (Lost to Cliff Robertson, Charly).

2007: Best Performance in a Supporting Role, Little Miss Sunshine (Won).

Robert DeNiro

Nominated for: Playing an obsessive compulsive father in  Silver Linings Playbook.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Supporting Actor of the Year, Hollywood Film Festival

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2013 Screen Actors Guild Award.

Where you might know him from:

DeNiro is one of the most honored actors of his generation. A sampling of his films include Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Godfather, Part II, Meet the Parents, and many, many more.

History with Oscar:

Robert DeNiro has won two Oscars and been nominated seven times in total.

1975: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, The Godfather, Part II (Won)

1977: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Taxi Driver (Lost to Peter Finch, Network)

1979: Best Actor in a Leading Role, The Deer Hunter (Lost to Jon Voight, Coming Home)

1981: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Raging Bull (Won)

1991: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Awakenings (Lost to Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune)

1992: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Cape Fear (Lost to Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs)

Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Nominated for: Playing the charismatic leader of the Scientology-like The Cause in The Master.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 BAFTA Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Florida Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

3rd Place, Best Supporting Actor, National Society of Film Critics Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2013 Screen Actors Guild Award.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Won, Volpi Cup, Best Actor, Venice Film Festival

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Where you might know him from:

Hoffman is known mostly for his supporting roles in films as varied as Twister and Patch Adams to The Big Lebowski. He has also made five films with director Paul Thomas Anderson, including The Master.

History with Oscar:

Phillip Seymour Hoffman has four Oscar nominations and one win.

2006: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Capote (Won).

2008: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Charlie Wilson’s War (Lost to Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men).

2009: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Doubt (Lost to Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight).

Tommy Lee Jones

Nominated for: Playing abolitionist Senator Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 BAFTA Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, National Society of Film Critics Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, San Francisco Film Critics Circle.

Won, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2013 Screen Actors Guild Award.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Where you might know him from:

Starting with debut in 1970s Love Story, Tommy Lee Jones has had a long and varied acting career. He is most known for his work in the Men In Black franchise in film and the Lonesome Dove series on television.

History with Oscar:

Tommy Lee Jones has three previous nominations and one win.

1992: Best Actor in a Supporting Role,  JFK (Lost to Jack Palance, City Slickers)

1994: Best Actor in a Supporting Role,  The Fugitive (Won)

2008: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role , In the Valley of Elah (Lost to Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood).

Christoph Waltz

Nominated for: Playing a German bounty hunter in pre-Civil War America in  Django Unchained.

Other honors for this role:

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Austin Film Critics Association.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, 2013 BAFTA Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Central Ohio Film Critics Association.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

3rd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

2nd Place, Supporting Actor of the Year, New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Where you might know him from:

While he has an extensive career in Germany, Waltz is just starting to make his name in the States with his work with Quentin Tarantino, and roles in The Green Hornet, Carnage and Like Water for Elephants.

History with Oscar:

Christoph Waltz is batting a thousand when it comes to the Oscar’s.

2010: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Inglourious Basterds (Won).

1. Hope Springs (Opened Wednesday, Sony/Columbia, 2,361 Theaters, 100 Minutes, Rated PG-13): Here’s a rare sight: a film where Steve Carell is the youngest member of the main cast.

Carell plays a psychologist who is trying to help the optimistic Kay (Meryl Streep) and the reluctantly irascible Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) to bring some magic back into their decades long marriage.

The plot seems kind of familiar, but you have Streep working with Jones, two of the best actors of their generation. If anybody can rise above their material, it will be them.

2. Nitro Circus 3D: The Movie (Opened Wednesday, Arc Entertainment, 800 Theaters, 98 Minutes, Rated PG-13): This film was based on the MTV show, which is a combination of Jackass, X Games and extreme motor sports, and is trying, like Jackass, to make a successful move to the world of film.

If this kind of stuff appeals to you, then you probably have already seen it. If not, then nothing I can say will change you mind. So, there is really not much need to say much more about this film, is there?

3. The Bourne Legacy (Universal, 3,746 Theaters, 135 Minutes, Rated PG-13): If there’s one thing Universal should get credit for, it’s doing an in continuity reboot of the franchise instead of just starting over from scratch, although the latter wasn’t really feasible because the last Matt Damon Bourne movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, came out only five years ago.

However, the idea that there could be more than just one genetically altered secret agent seems natural. So, they have Jeremy Renner to expand the franchise and the freedom to make another Bourne film with Damon is he wants to come back. Pretty smart.

4. The Campaign (Warner Brothers, 3,205 Theaters, 85 Minutes, Rated R): You don’t really expect political satire from Zach Galifianakis. Even more so from Will Ferrell. So, even though this film focuses on a contentious political campaign, don’t expect a searing indictment of our political process. It will probably be two idiots trying to out stupid each other.

The film focuses on a North Carolina GOP primary (because having a Republican and a Democrat would be, what, too shocking? Too controversial? Not as funny?) where a scandal plagued incumbent, Cam Brady (Ferrell) must face off the challenge of a naive unknown with the implausible name of Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), who is being supported incredible rich backers who want to use his influence to land a controversial business deal.

1. Men In Black III (Sony/Columbia, 4,248 Theaters, 103 Minutes, rated PG-13): Here’s something you don’t see every day, a sequel ten years in the making yet one that was rushed into production without a completed script. Don’t know what to make of that or what that says about the final product.

The boys are back as Agent J (Will Smith) comes to work and finds that his partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has called in sick. For 40 years. With the excuse of death. It appears that one of the aliens K busted went back in time and killed him. Now, J has to go further back in time to meet up with a young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to solve the mystery and save K’s life.

The story does have potential. But do we really trust a time travel story that was still being written when production began?

2. Chernobyl Diaries (Warner Brothers, 2,433 Theaters, 90 Minutes, Rated R): The best horror movies have a sense of reality to them and play on real life fears.

While for you and I, vacationing in a nuclear wasteland might be the furtherest thing from our minds. But you know there are a bunch of people who like to push boundaries and have “extreme” experiences that would totally be into that. And while these people seldom think too hard about the consequences, those consequences are never similar to what is played out here.

The film focuses on two couples who vacation on the outskirts of Russia’s worst nuclear disaster. While there, they are attacked by a bunch of mutants. I wonder if any of these mutants will have metal claws or be able to shoot lasers from their eyes?

In a multi-part series, Comic Book Film Editor William Gatevackes will be tracing the history of comic book movies from the earliest days of the film serials to today’s big blockbusters and beyond. Along with the history lesson, Bill will be covering some of the most prominent comic book films over the years and why they were so special. This time, we come to the dark ages of the Batman franchise—Batman Forever and Batman and Robin.

I can trace the moment I knew the Batman franchise was in trouble to one particular scene in Batman Forever.  Batman, now played by Val Kilmer, had just finished a heart to heart with Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) and as he leaves, Meridian tells him to be careful out there. Batman, whose back is to Meridian yet facing the camera, flashes the goofiest grin you would ever see. No, not a subtle smile or a acerbic smirk, but the type of grin the school bookworm in an ABC Family telefilm would grin if she was just asked out by the star quarterback. You can see the grin around the 1:47 mark on the trailer.

I don’t know if this was a particular director’s note from new franchise director Joel Schumacher or a sly bit of sabotage by Kilmer (who’s combative relationship with Schumacher doing filming was legendary), but the smile was so glaringly out of character that it made me fear for the franchise’s future.

Warner Brothers was not happy with Batman Returns’ $266,822,354 box office take, and put the blame for what they felt was a lackluster performance on the dark tone Tim Burton gave to the film. Warners convinced Burton to move to producer and brought in Schumacher with an eye on making a more kid-friendly (and toy generating) flick. Michael Keaton bailed on the franchise once he found out the direction it was going in. Smart man.

Schumacher replaced Burton’s dark moodiness with a garish, neon soaked cyberpunk look. Batman Forever was a loud assault on the senses. We begin to see more campy elements make their way into the film, including, but not limited to, the Batmobile being driven up a wall, the over-the-top performances of Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones, who stepped in for Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and a painful, self-referential gag about “holey rusted metal” at the bad guy’s hideout. Schumacher also added nipples to the batsuit and an uncomfortable focus on generous codpieces and vinyl clad buttocks of Batman and Robin during the inevitable “suiting up” montages—a bit too hyper sexualized for what was supposed to be a kid’s film, in my opinion.

Batman Forever was a success, making $336,529,844 at the box office. A sequel was put on the fast track, with George Clooney replacing the contentious Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman.  And, thusly, Batman & Robin was unleashed onto an unsuspecting world.

Batman & Robin was unabashedly, unapologetically campy. It was also horrible. Those of you, the lucky few who didn’t see the movie, might be asking a few questions. How campy was it? How bad could it really be? Let me show you:

I wonder what he does when he tries to use it at places that require a form of ID to verify the card. Does he toss a batarang on the counter? A typewritten list of all his daddy issues?

Clooney often speaks in a self-deprecating way about his performance in the film, like he’s solely to blame for how awful it is. He’s not. His portrayal of Bruce Wayne is a bright spot in the film. And his performance as Batman is hampered by the horrible screenwriting of Akiva Goldsman, who unbelievably would later win an Oscar for writing 2002’s A Beautiful Mind.

What did Goldsman and Schumacher get wrong this time around? Well, are you sitting down? You have to start with lame gags like the Bat-Credit Card. Then the lame puns spouted by all the characters, especially Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze (it’s like Goldsman took all the “ice” related puns he could think of and put them all, good or bad, into the film).

Then you had Chris O’Donnell, who gave the worst performance by a grown man (he would turn 27 six days after the film opened) pretending to be a teenager overacting his way through an immature, crybaby tantrum (he’d hold the title until Hayden Christensen’s performance in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones). The film also introduced Batgirl in the personage of Alicia Silverstone, who played Bruce Wayne’s British butler Alfred’s niece, who came directly from her studies in London to visit her uncle, leaving all traces of any kind of British accent behind. She did have nipples on her batsuit and a lingering shot or two of her curves during her suiting up montage, proving that Schumacher is an equal opportunity fetishist.

There were also too many characters this time around. In addition to those already mentioned, you had Uma Thurman playing Poison Ivy as the second major villain (because you had to have two major villains in a Batman film). Plus, you had Bane, a character who broke Batman’s back in the comic books, a character that Christopher Nolan felt strong enough about to make a main villain in The Dark Knight Rises, relegated to a mindless, brutal lackey of Poison Ivy. An even bigger waste was the character of Jason Woodrue, who was an awesome character in the comics by the name of Floronic Man and was portrayed by the excellent actor John Glover. His only purpose was to establish Poison Ivy’s origin by being the mad scientist who gives her superpowers as a result of trying to kill her. He is killed off after only five minutes of screen time.

The film was critically lambasted and while it earned $238,207,122, it was the lowest grossing Batfilm to date and, therefore, a failure. Positive response to the rushes put a third Schumacher sequel titled Batman Triumphant into pre-production with Clooney and O’Donnell reprising their roles and the Scarecrow as the main villain. The disappointing response cancelled that film and caused Warners to look towards rebooting the franchise. It also garnered an apology from Schumacher himself.

The Scarecrow would become the villain of the next Batman film, one which would come closest to capturing the comic book feel on the big screen. But before that, a legendary comic book arc almost made it to movie theaters. We’ll tell you which one next time.

If you were one of the people who were underwhelmed by this year’s comic book film offerings and were wondering when the really great comic book film would arrive, well, you can stop waiting. It’s finally here and its name is Captain America: The First Avenger. To comic book fans, it is a pitch perfect adaptation of one of Marvel’s oldest heroes with plenty of fan service easter eggs thrown in to keep them happy. To the non-comic literate, it is a rousing action film with humor, heart and characters you want to root for.

The film tells the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a man who weighs 98-lbs soaking wet, with a list of medical maladies a page long, who undergoes a special treatment to become a super soldier. He’s meant to be the first in a line of said soldiers, only the scientist responsible, Dr. Abraham Erksine (Stanley Tucci) is assassinated by a minion of one of his former test subjects, the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). This sets off a cavalcade of mayhem as Cap and Red Skull move towards their inevitable conflict.

The best comic book films make the necessary sacrifices to years of comic book continuity in order to get a cohesive narrative, yet never lose sight of the spirit of the piece of the work they are adapting. That’s exactly what Captain America: The First Avenger does. There are several major changes from the comic book, especially in the relationship between Cap and Bucky, but the changes improve the film. But they capture what makes Captain America to a T, know what even some comic book writers don’t that Cap doesn’t represent America, he represents the American ideal–never giving up, never backing away from a fight for right even if the odds are insurmmounatable, and putting others above himself. All of this is in the character and present perfectly.

The film, for those of you who have never read a comic in your life, has a plot, and one that doesn’t just exist to move the story from one CGI effect to another. That recap I gave you two paragraphs back? That is only the barest minimum of a descriptions. The plot is far more complex that that, with many twists and turns.

You probably reminded of other films while watching this one, especially Star Wars (the Red Skull’s Stormtroopers look a lot like George Lucas’ Stormtroopers, and there is a motocycle chase through the woods that call to mind the speeder bike chase in Return of the Jedi), but this is less ripping off Star Wars than paying homage to the movie serials that inspired it. There are several “cliffhanger” moments in the film that would be right at home in an offering from Repubilc or Columbia in the 1940s.

Joe Johnson does a great job directing. There are so many little touches, so much attention to detail, that you can’t help to be immersed in the flick. We get the feel of the period, even though the bad guys are firing lasers at us. We willingly suspend disbelief because the creators of the film worked so hard to makes us do that.

The acting is first rate. Chris Evans, usually the cocky and sarcastic rogue in any number of films, plays well against type. He plays Rogers as a kind and earnest man, self-effacing and humble. You believe the weaker Rogers, which is Evans’ head CGIed on another man’s body, because that person never leaves Rogers’ personality. This is definitely some of Evans’ finest work.

Weaving gives an effortless performance as the evil Red Skull and Tommy Lee Jones is suitably errasable as Colonel Chester Phillips, Cap’s commanding officer. And Hayley Atwell plays the character of Peggy Carter with skill and brio. You’ll believe that she is as strong as she appears to be on the screen, and her chemistry with Evans make their tragic romance work.

There are a number of Easter Eggs for the loyal Cap fans in the audience. One “cameo” that takes place early in the film made me shout the character’s name out in the movie theater. And the introduction of Arnim Zola is an artistic reference to his comic book persona. And even though I have seen reviews that state there isn’t an extra scene after the credits, there is.

Captain America: The First Avenger ranks up there with some of the best comic book adaptions ever made. It is a fun time at the theater and offers a lot that other comic book films do not. It is well worth seeing.

Michael Uslan has been a producer for almost thirty years, and nearly all of his projects have been comic book related. He has been producer or executive producer on comic book properties such as Swamp Thing and its sequel, Return of the Swamp Thing, the Fish Police television series, Constantine, The Spirit, and, most notably, just about everything Batman related from Tim Burton’s 1989 offering on.

Uslan is making the rounds promoting his forthcoming autobiography, The Boy Who Loved Batman, set to arrive in bookstores from Chronicle Books on August 10, 2011. One of the interviews he gave recently was with Knowledge@Wharton through The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The interview was wide-ranging, dealing with Uslan’s childhood to his work for comic creator rights to his comic writing experiences. But what he has to say about the way Hollywood views the comic book film is what caught my eye and deserves a little bit of analysis.

The tone of the interview is set with a question about Uslan acquiring the rights to Batman in the 1970s:

Knowledge@Wharton: In 1979, you acquired an option on the movie rights to Batman. You’ve never disclosed the price you paid.

Uslan: It’s irrelevant. In 1979 dollars, it was huge.

Actually, it was relevant because, as the interviewer reminds Uslan, his autobiography goes into how he had to sell his comic book collection to afford law school.

Later the interviewer asks about the first Batman franchise:

Knowledge@Wharton: Some of the middle Batman films were less successful, both critically and commercially. Was there a point when you became aware that the series was getting off track?

Uslan: Let’s talk generally in the movie industry rather than specifically. Generally, years ago you were dealing with simply movie studios. Today, the bulk of those studios are worldwide conglomerates that have their hands in many different businesses. Sometimes, unfortunately, people lose track of what is important. As a result, at some points in time, the tail begins to wag the dog. [These conglomerates] become way too focused on merchandizing, toys and Happy Meals, and begin to impose directives that movies should have three heroes, three villains, and each one should have two vehicles and two costume changes. Then the danger you run into — which I have seen over and over again — [is that the movies become] products that closely resemble a two-hour infomercial for toys, rather than a great piece of film that’s character-driven and plot-intensive. That’s sad.

There is another trap in the movie and TV industry, whereby people who do not understand the comics and who don’t have the same respect for the integrity of the character or its creators, are willing to ignore 20, 40, 60 years of history and mythology of a character, and make changes for nothing more than the sake of change or, on some occasions, for [the sake of] someone putting their own ego stamp on it so they can claim it as theirs. I have found that never works.

If, however, a company such as the current management at Warner Brothers, for one example, finds a great filmmaker with a passion for a character and a vision for a character, and gives that filmmaker everything he or she needs to execute that vision, that’s when you get great pieces of cinema like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises. For example, when audiences walk out of The Dark Knight, they no longer are limited to merely saying, “That was a great comic book film.” They can now say, “That was a great film.”

It’s interesting the way Uslan answers the question by appearing to side step the question. But savvy Bat-fans know that it was when Joel Schumacher took over the Bat-franchise with Batman Forever and Batman and Robin that the quality went down hill. Those films also corresponded with the addition of Robin and Batgirl to help Batman out, the group facing no less than four villains in each of the films (if you count Debi Mazar’s Spice and Drew Barrymore’s Sugar, henchwomen to Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face as full-fledged villains), and two blatantly obvious “Let’s-provide-the-film’s-tie-in-action-figures-with-another-Batman-and-Robin-to-buy” “Arctic costumes in Batman and Robin. It’s not hard to connect the dots to see that it appears that Uslan is laying the failure of the first franchise at the hands of the Warner Brothers marketing department.

However, it is a bit ironic to read Uslan’s statements in that second paragraph, considering that Uslan produced The Spirit, a film where Frank Miller seemed all too willing to ignore 60 years of history and mythology of Will Eisner’s character, and make changes for what appears to be nothing more than the sake of change or for the sake of Miller putting his own ego stamp on it so they can claim it as his. Same can be said for another film Uslan executive produced, Catwoman, and that films director, Pitof. And these are two of the worst comic book films ever made for that very reason.

Uslan then spoke on the mindset of Hollywood executives concerning comic book films:

Knowledge@Wharton: What’s your view on how Hollywood interprets comic book superheroes?

Uslan: I’m chagrined that in a lot of places, they still don’t get it. They’re still making changes just for the sake of change in comic book superheroes that are being brought to TV and movies.

I sat through a meeting in Hollywood where a production executive, who was approximately 26 or 27 years old, said to me and a very famous director, “The lesson of The Dark Knight is that all comic book movies must be contemporary, dark, gritty and violent.” I looked at the director and he looked at me, and we said, “Excuse me, what?” “Yeah, period pieces don’t sell,” [the executive replied.] I said, “Is that something that you have facts and figures to back up? Or is that just something you heard in the hallways that you’re regurgitating?” He said, “Well, everyone knows it.” I said, “Like Titanic?” And he said, “Well, that’s different. That’s history.” I said, “Like Indiana Jones?” He replied, “Well, that’s different.”

I said, “No, the lesson of The Dark Knight is if you respect the integrity of the character and have a filmmaker who’s passionate about it, with a vision for it, who can execute it, then that’s what you do. Otherwise, you guys will be on a kick to do The Dark Ant-Man, The Dark Flash and Casper The Unfriendly Ghost. And all you will do is continue to violate the characters.”

I have no idea who this unnamed production executive is, but odds are that he works or worked at Warner Brothers, because that essentially echoes the sentiment/philosophy that Warner Brothers Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov put forth in a August 22, 2008 interview with the Wall Street Journal  and that we mocked here not long after. The WSJ interview took place after the very dark and very gritty The Dark Knight made oodles of cash for the studio.

On something quasi-unrelated, Uslan did have interesting things to say about the 3-D movie craze and if The Dark Knight Rises will play into it:

Knowledge@Wharton: Will The Dark Knight Rises be in 3-D or is Nolan doing it in 2-D?

Uslan: He and [cinematographer] Wally Pfister have said they would not shoot in 3-D. I totally believe he’s right. He’s going for something that feels very real…. I think 3-D doesn’t behoove that effort.

Knowledge@Wharton: Some industry observers have wondered whether 3-D is overhyped.

Uslan: One of the great experiences I had as a member of an audience was going on opening night to see the restored print of Lawrenceof Arabia at the Cinerama Dome [movie theater in Hollywood]. I couldn’t add to that. It’s a learning curve. And it’s not just about the technology developing; it’s about the techniques developing.

My biggest objection at the moment is to what Hollywood is always really, really good at — which is killing the golden goose by taking movies not shot in 3-D and playing with them in post production [to generate a 3-D image] to try to salvage bad pictures, or to come up with a flimsy excuse to charge $12, $15, or $18. When you inundate the public with a lot of bad movies in 3-D, just as fast as you turned them onto it, you will turn them off of it.

Personally, I can’t argue with that.

As the troubled production of Men In Black III continues its march towards the end of principal photography, another actor has joined the cast. Michael Stuhlbarg has signed on to the film to play a character named Griffin.

I can’t tell you much about the character, as there isn’t much known outside of the fact that the character  will appear in the portion of the film set in the 1960s, as that’s the section still being filmed. Sharlto Copley was interested in the role last year, but for some reason never was offered a deal.

Last seen on the big screen in the Coen Brother’s A Serious Man, Stuhlbarg is currently starring in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are both back as the special agents who help aliens adjust to life on Earth. Thanks to a bit of time travelling, Josh Brolin will be playing the younger version of Jones’ Agent K while Eve Jones will play the younger version of Emma Thompson’s modern day head of the Men In Black agency.

Barring no further complications and delays, Men In Black III is scheduled to open on May 25, 2012.

Earlier this week, we told you about a new delay in the production of Sony’s 2012 summer tent pole film Men In Black III. The film reunites stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones for another installment in the science-fiction/action/comedy franchise that has already earned the studio a little over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. As an immutable part of the studios plans for 2012 – They’ve already stated that the film’s May 2012 release date will not change in the face of the production delays – Sony is staking a good part of its second quarter earnings on a similar return for this new installment. But is it a gamble that can really pay off?

It is no secret that all studios’ fiscal plans incorporate summer blockbuster box office intake and that any studio’s fortunes may entirely depend on how well their big summer films fare. Films are routinely given a greenlight based on things like their cast and whether it is a property that potential audiences are familiar with rather than whether the project has a good, strong script. It’s a decision that is made more on business factors than artistic ones, a switch from the Golden Age of Hollywood when studio heads came up through the ranks of show business rather than from an Ivy League business school, and as such had a better feel for what original material might appeal to audiences instead of relying on focus groups and surveys.

The unfortunate and ironic result of this, though, is that oft time projects are rushed into production to meet a certain release date before they are really ready to be in front of the cameras. This appears to be the situation that director Barry Sonnenfeld finds himself in now, stuck with a problem script and possibly losing money with each further delay. And if the film is hemorrhaging cash, it will be that much harder for it to turn a profit. Sony put the cart before the horse in this instance, nothing new, but it could be a decision that comes back to haunt them.

The studio is obviously hoping that Smith’s star power will help get butts into seats, but the fact of the matter is he may not be able to do it as well as he once did. Smith has taken time off from acting to oversee his two children’s – Jayden and Willow – own burgeoning careers. The actor hasn’t been in a film since 2008′s Seven Pounds and won’t be appearing on screen again until Men In Black III premiers. Such a gap could severely diminish a star’s box office draw. Will audiences care that Smith has a new film after nearly half a decade of absence. And even bigger question might be will audiences want to return to a franchise that hasn’t had a new installment in ten years?

And then there are the diminishing returns of Smith’s more recent films. Despite poor review, Seven Pounds managed to gross $166 million worldwide against its $55 million dollar budget. But factor in the cost of prints and advertising and the film barely breaks even. Smith’s two previous films, Hancock (also 2008) and I Am Legend (2007), did reasonably good box office, though their $150 million price tags significantly shaved their profit margins, hi fact, Smith’s last bona fide runaway hit was The Pursuit Of Happyness, which earned $306 million against a budget of $55 million.

I think it is a fair bet that Men In Black III‘s budget is closer to what was spent on I Am Legend and Hancock rather than Pursuit Of Happyness, so the risk here of not turning a profit is considerably higher.

Of course, this isn’t the only gamble that Sony will be taking in the summer of 2012. The studio also has their reboot of the Spider-Man franchise hitting screens in July. They were able to keep the new film’s budget much lower than the last installment by forcing out director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, all of whom had big number paychecks, and replacing them with the much cheaper Marc Webb as director and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. But will the change in cast coupled with the plan to take the franchise characters back to high school to once again tell Spider-Man’s origin story keep the casual audience member from plopping down their hard earned cash to see a story that they think they’ve already seen?

Still, it is a long time between now and the summer of 2012 and a lot can happen. Hell, Men In Black III may turn out to be a pretty good film, although I’d be happy if it was just an improvement on the second film. People may decide that they’ve missed Smith and charge back to the theaters to see him in this film.

But if I were a Sony exec, I would be having at least a few sleepless nights between now and then.

Alice Eve has joined the cast of Men In Black III. She’ll be playing the younger version of Emma Thompson’s character, the head of the secret government agency that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones work for.

Thanks to a time travel twist in the plot, Smith’s Agent J goes back to 1969 to save the younger version of his partner Agent K (Jones), to be played by James Brolin. Eve’s character will be shown as being hired as a secretary who proves that she has more than just good looks going for her.

The 1969 section of the film was supposed to start production this week, though as we reported yesterday, it has been delayed a month due to script issues. Hopefully, Eve will be able to get to work soon.

Via Deadline.