In this week’s Wizard, confirmation is finally made that Ghost Rider will get his wheels back, courtesy of Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain (who will paint the miniseries). The project will take shape as a six issue miniseries coming out through the Marvel Knights imprint, according to the article.
Ghost Rider’s alter ego for the project: Johnny Blaze. Ennis rationale: he’s only ever read the original comics, and has no connection or attachment to Danny Ketch. According to Ennis, the storyline for the miniseries starts in Hell, with Blaze paying for selling his soul (which originally gave him his supernatural powers). In order to escape, Blaze agrees to hunt a runaway demon down on earth, and then becomes embroiled in a plot involving minions and Heaven, Hell, and everywhere in between.
According to the article, the miniseries is slated to launch in September, which, barring any delays, will have the final issue out in February, and a trade either later that month, or in March of 2006. It’s Marvel’s (and DC’s, as many Bat-projects are slated for release this summer) strategy at work again – provide a strong comic book tie-in for movie audiences, as the Ghost Rider movie is slated for a summer, 2006 release.
On the movie front, Ghost Rider is slated to start filming on January 31st, and wrap by early June. According to reports, Sony is looking for the Nicolas Cage starrer to be a summer release. Ghost Rider will be directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who directed Daredevil.
On January 15th, Johnson posted a message on the Super Hero Hype.com message boards, updating readers on the status of the movie, which will film in Melbourne, Australia.
Johnson wrote:
“So, first off. Casting. Mr. Cage will be Johnny Blaze. Take it from me. That's a done deal. And I could not be happier. Nic is in the shape of his life. Lean and mean, like a motorcycle stunt rider should. I've cast a few more parts but I should wait until the official announcements come (very soon)…
"The Budget. Nice to see that we've been "upgraded" from a $40 million dollar movie to a $51 million dollar movie! Maybe that's enough for a Dazzler movie but not for a Ghost Rider movie! Seriously, this is an event movie. And Sony knows how to make them right. Rest assured. That is not the budget. Not by a long shot.
"Johnny vs. Danny. The great thing about making a Ghost Rider movie is that I get to take the best from both the Johnny Blaze and the Danny Ketch versions of the comic. So even though I am telling the Johnny Blaze origin story, there are elements of the Danny Ketch stories that I love and will include in the movie (so don't worry, Flamehead! Your beloved Danny Ketch will be there in spirit!). Caretaker will be there. And Blackheart [already announced as being played by Wes American Beauty Bently]. But so will Mephisto and Roxanne and the Quentin Carnival.
"The script. People have mentioned the old David Goyer draft. Goyer wrote two really interesting versions of a Ghost Rider movie. I'd go to see either one of them. But my version is my own. The script is much closer to the comic. But at the same time, it's much more of a Western. A Supernatural Western is, I think, about the coolest idea ever. The Ghost Rider needs that open road as well as the city. I feel that is what makes him unique -- that he's a rider. Think Mad Max. Unforgiven. We have huge battles in the city but, ultimately, they will end up out in the desert.
"The Hellcycle. Well, it's simply unbelievable. It's sculpt is finished and it went into the molds last week. It's the Chopper from Hell. No doubt about it. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. The toys and the video game are already in the works and they are going to kick ass!”
Click on the link above for the full post from Johnson. The full article (with a ful page preview of art) about the Marvel Knights miniseries appears in this week’s Wizard #161.
Ghost Rider’s alter ego for the project: Johnny Blaze. Ennis rationale: he’s only ever read the original comics, and has no connection or attachment to Danny Ketch. According to Ennis, the storyline for the miniseries starts in Hell, with Blaze paying for selling his soul (which originally gave him his supernatural powers). In order to escape, Blaze agrees to hunt a runaway demon down on earth, and then becomes embroiled in a plot involving minions and Heaven, Hell, and everywhere in between.
According to the article, the miniseries is slated to launch in September, which, barring any delays, will have the final issue out in February, and a trade either later that month, or in March of 2006. It’s Marvel’s (and DC’s, as many Bat-projects are slated for release this summer) strategy at work again – provide a strong comic book tie-in for movie audiences, as the Ghost Rider movie is slated for a summer, 2006 release.
On the movie front, Ghost Rider is slated to start filming on January 31st, and wrap by early June. According to reports, Sony is looking for the Nicolas Cage starrer to be a summer release. Ghost Rider will be directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who directed Daredevil.
On January 15th, Johnson posted a message on the Super Hero Hype.com message boards, updating readers on the status of the movie, which will film in Melbourne, Australia.
Johnson wrote:
“So, first off. Casting. Mr. Cage will be Johnny Blaze. Take it from me. That's a done deal. And I could not be happier. Nic is in the shape of his life. Lean and mean, like a motorcycle stunt rider should. I've cast a few more parts but I should wait until the official announcements come (very soon)…
"The Budget. Nice to see that we've been "upgraded" from a $40 million dollar movie to a $51 million dollar movie! Maybe that's enough for a Dazzler movie but not for a Ghost Rider movie! Seriously, this is an event movie. And Sony knows how to make them right. Rest assured. That is not the budget. Not by a long shot.
"Johnny vs. Danny. The great thing about making a Ghost Rider movie is that I get to take the best from both the Johnny Blaze and the Danny Ketch versions of the comic. So even though I am telling the Johnny Blaze origin story, there are elements of the Danny Ketch stories that I love and will include in the movie (so don't worry, Flamehead! Your beloved Danny Ketch will be there in spirit!). Caretaker will be there. And Blackheart [already announced as being played by Wes American Beauty Bently]. But so will Mephisto and Roxanne and the Quentin Carnival.
"The script. People have mentioned the old David Goyer draft. Goyer wrote two really interesting versions of a Ghost Rider movie. I'd go to see either one of them. But my version is my own. The script is much closer to the comic. But at the same time, it's much more of a Western. A Supernatural Western is, I think, about the coolest idea ever. The Ghost Rider needs that open road as well as the city. I feel that is what makes him unique -- that he's a rider. Think Mad Max. Unforgiven. We have huge battles in the city but, ultimately, they will end up out in the desert.
"The Hellcycle. Well, it's simply unbelievable. It's sculpt is finished and it went into the molds last week. It's the Chopper from Hell. No doubt about it. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. The toys and the video game are already in the works and they are going to kick ass!”
Click on the link above for the full post from Johnson. The full article (with a ful page preview of art) about the Marvel Knights miniseries appears in this week’s Wizard #161.