Ghost Rider

**Jetman** · 17 Jan 2005, 05:25 PM

Production is moving forward on this one as shooting begins in a month - Nicholas Cage still starring:

from DH- http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/050117d.php

Originally Posted by Director Mark Steven Johnson

"We start shooting in about four weeks so you can imagine how busy things are. 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). But safe to say, when in doubt? Listen to Biggun!

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. 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!

Might be good, as long as they dont make Ghost Rider kid friendly or something and take away his soul searing-judgemental powers. And if they dont skimp on the special effects and keep the flaming skull and Hell bike. Oh, and Blackheart needs to have his funky voice from the Capcom games and demons that jump out of the ground when he stomps his foot -

**Dyne** · 17 Jan 2005, 07:08 PM

"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."

this.....sounds gay.

**Jetman** · 18 Jan 2005, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

this.....sounds gay.

your face is gay.

I think Johnson is trying to generalize this thing too much and put it into a category.
*The only thing that's going to make this movie like a western is that it occurs in the West. Well, that and Johhny Blaze is probably going to end up being a tragic mysterious "lone gunman" type who fights for justice - so maybe thats where he gets calling it this from.
*Supernatural? Well, the guy does have a flaming skull, and a Harley from Hell. So,"Check".
*Mad Max? Out for Vengeance? Sure The Ghost who rides is going to be dealing out violence in spades to enact vengeance on the evil doers.Maybe the Ghost Rider will have a scruffy little dog sidekick too?/scratch that, DEMON Dog with Burning eyes and sharp monstrous teeth.
*Unforgiven?............I hope he's not basing it on this. Ghost Rider being a pussy up until the last couple of minutes of the movie would be a waste of a character.
*Battles in the city that end up in the desert? If you think thats gay then you and I have a different definition of whats gay then.

**Will** · 18 Jan 2005, 03:28 AM

I just wish sometimes that these Marvel movies rise above their superhero genre and deliver some really kickass stuff. The closest I think it ever came to being above and beyond it's source material is Blade, Batman might pull that off too just looking at the various stuff online.

Ghost Rider is a really cool concept as a character and with the right story could be really gritty and almost horror'like but I have a feeling that they'll squander the franchise with fuck-ups and such similar to DD (even if I liked it) which had alot of rough spots.

**MechDeus** · 18 Jan 2005, 05:37 AM

As much as I love sticking to the source material I think "Johnny Blaze" is just going to sound way too ridiculous on-screen with real people.

In any case, this could be really, really cool but I'll place my money on it being really, really bad. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

**Dolemite** · 18 Jan 2005, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Will

The closest I think it ever came to being above and beyond it's source material is Blade

IBTN

However, when you look at how gay Blade was in the comics, you realize this isn't hard to do.

Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

this.....sounds gay.

No it doesn't, homo. Sounds like they have the right idea.

Though I have to admit, the overall premise of Ghost Rider, while making a cool comic book, might come across as kinda lame on the screen if they play it as a straight superhero flick. It would only work if they really played it bizarre and freaky. I mean, he's a demon from hell and all.

It's not too different in concept from, say, The Hulk. Johnny Blaze is possessed by a demon who he has to constantly fight for control. Sometimes the demon wins, and Johnny turns into Ghost Rider, a creature that brutally punishes evil while sometimes causing shitloads of collateral destruction in the process.

**Grey's Anatomy** · 18 Jan 2005, 06:37 PM

Listen to the Dolem.
He speaks the truth.
Ghost Rider is cool, and this will be an awesome movie.
I guarentee.

**Will** · 18 Jan 2005, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Dolemite

IBTN

However, when you look at how gay Blade was in the comics, you realize this isn't hard to do.

That's true. Its funny that Marvel can't keep his comics around even after the movies made him cool again. They are publishing a new Tomb of Dracula book right now though which is cool. Haven't bothered to check it out but I'm hearing good things about it.

Originally Posted by MechDeus

As much as I love sticking to the source material I think "Johnny Blaze" is just going to sound way too ridiculous on-screen with real people.

You think so? Doesn't sound that bad, seems more like a daredevil stunt name for him than an actual one but it doesn't bother me that much. Method Man seemed to love it enough

Originally Posted by Dolemite

No it doesn't, homo. Sounds like they have the right idea.

Though I have to admit, the overall premise of Ghost Rider, while making a cool comic book, might come across as kinda lame on the screen if they play it as a straight superhero flick. It would only work if they really played it bizarre and freaky. I mean, he's a demon from hell and all.

It's not too different in concept from, say, The Hulk. Johnny Blaze is possessed by a demon who he has to constantly fight for control. Sometimes the demon wins, and Johnny turns into Ghost Rider, a creature that brutally punishes evil while sometimes causing shitloads of collateral destruction in the process.

In any case, this could be really, really cool but I'll place my money on it being really, really bad. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

Oh man you guys should have seen the synopsis for David Goyer's Ghost Rider, that shit was fucking horrible. I'm actually glad Mark Steven Johnson is doing his own thing with a better story, like Dolemite and everyone else says....don't let Goyer near a movie without a director.

I'll see if I can find the synopsis but it involved Native Americans and some other bullshit.

My thoughts on Nic Cage as John Blaze....I guess he might be able to play out Johnny Blaze looks wise since he looked just like him in Con-Air but I dunno I would have preferred an unknown or lessor known actor so that I won't picture it as Nic Cage as John Blaze. I kind of got that when Ben Affleck was Matt Murdock, he did a really good job but he had too many Affeck'isms as I'd like to call them.

Here's a poster that would be cool for the movie:

**Dolemite** · 27 Jan 2005, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by PiotrRasputin

Listen to the Dolem.
He speaks the truth.

The who?

Originally Posted by Will

That's true. Its funny that Marvel can't keep his comics around even after the movies made him cool again. They are publishing a new Tomb of Dracula book right now though which is cool. Haven't bothered to check it out but I'm hearing good things about it.

Well, I remember the first new Blade comic they launched after the first movie. You'd guess that they're set the tone and characters around the flick, right, since it was successful? Nope. About the only thing the new Blade comic had in common with the movie was that they had him wearing a black trenchcoat. Otherwise, it still seemed firmly rooted in the comic and completely lame. It flopped quickly.

There's another Blade coming going now and I don't think it's much better.

like Dolemite and everyone else says....don't let Goyer near a movie without a director.

For real.