DAREDEVIL Back to Marvel; Director Posts Sizzle Reel

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Update 4, Aug. 15: Daredevil back to Marvel looks like it's going to happen. All three major Hollywood trades have now weighed in on the story, with the Hollywood Reporter adding that Marvel had extended Fox's deadline to mount a Daredevil production two previous times but repotedly has refused to extend the deadline a third time, going so far to say the rights wil revert back to Marvel Studios this week.

If the rights revert, it'll be the latest property Disney/Marvel has recovered since Disney acquired the company. They've gotten The Punisher back from Lionsgate and Blade back from New Line.

THR asks a valid question Wednesday morning - while regaining the Daredevil property is likely good for Disney/Marvel, is the deal good for a Daredevil movie? Director Joe Carnahan was plotting a gritty adaptation of  the harder edge Born Again storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Will the more family-oriented Disney take that approach to a potential movie, or go for a more shared-Marvel Universe-friendly version?

Update 3, Aug. 14: Director Joe Carnahan has indicated that the Fox reboot of Daredevil is indeed dead — calling it "tits up" on Twitter — and has posted two versions of a sizzle reel (cut together using existing footage and comic book panels) on YouTube, expressing his vision for the film.

Here's the general audience reel:

And a more violent, "NC-17" version:

Update 2, Aug. 14: The proposed Daredevil big screen reboot at Fox may be on life-support. As spotted by Blog@ and BleedingCool, the potential director for the reboot, Joe Carnahan, posted some ominous tweets last night regarding at least his involvement in the project.

"Think my idea for a certain retro, red-suited, Serpico-styled superhero went up in smoke today kids," tweeted Carnahan.  "We shall see. Time is NOT on anyone's side."

Carnahan is likely referring to the October 10 deadline Fox reportedly faces to begin production on a DD film, or their rights to the character revert back to Marvel Studios/Disney. With their preferred director and his vision apparently out of the picture, gearing up a whole new production in less than two months seems unlikely. 

Tuesday evening Deadline.com chimed in, reporting that they hear Fox "is prepared to see the rights to that character revert back to Marvel Studios, and fall under the Disney umbrella."

"Marvel essentially said no to an extension and to Fox’s request that it come aboard as cofinancier of the Daredevil film," reports the trade.

Last week (see below), Deadline and Variety battled over Variety's report that Fox and Marvel were in discussion to extend the Daredevil deadline, with Fox's live-action rights to Galactus and Silver Surfer as the bargaining chip. Deadline countered that Fox is only lukewarm on the project anyway and wouldn't risk any assets of their planned Fantastic Four franchise reboot.

If Marvel Studios does not extend an extension to Fox by some means, or Fox is unable to mount a production by the deadline, it will be interesting to see what Marvel does with the character. It would open him up as a possibility for that Joss Whedon-helmed TV series, or to come into the Marvel Cinematic Universe a little more directly. Regardless, it seems that Carnahan's dreams of a Miller/JRJR/Janson style Daredevil film has gone dark.

Update: Deadline reports that the previously reported swap between Fox and Marvel Studios — Silver Surfer and Galactus for a Daredevil extension — is being "strenuously denied" by Fox insiders.

Specifically, Deadline states that Fox is only "lukewarm" on Daredevil, and don't want to risk losing key parts of the Fantastic Four franchise with a Josh Trank-helmed reboot in the works. More as the story develops.

Original story: A Daredevil reboot at Fox could mean Marvel Studios gaining the rights to a few Fantastic Four characters, Variety reports.

Fox currently has until Oct. 10 to start production on a new Daredevil film before rights revert to Marvel Studios, and are, Variety says, attempting to negotiate an extension through returning the rights to Silver Surfer and Galactus to Marvel. Both characters are currently under Fox control as part of its Fantastic Four deal, and both appeared in Fox's 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

According to Variety's report, Galactus is "rumored to play a key role in future Marvel pics," a not entirely surprising notion given the cosmic series Guardians of the Galaxy getting its own live-action film in 2014. A Fantastic Four reboot is also in early development at Fox, with Chronicle's Josh Trank attached.

The Grey's Joe Carnahan, who has been linked to an adaptation of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's Nemesis, is reportedly Fox's choice to direct a "Frank Miller-esque, hardcore '70s thriller" take on Daredevil, though the article states that he hasn't yet received an official offer. Such a version would seemingly deviate from the family friendly track record established by the Disney-owned Marvel Studios.

More from Newsarama:

• 10 BEST Comic Book-Based Movies of ALL TIME
• Abnett & Lanning Comment on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Movie
• 10 Things We Want in the Big-Screen FANTASTIC FOUR Reboot
• Marvel's Multiple Movies: A Crowded House of Ideas?
• R**** or R*****? The Future of BATMAN on Film [Spoilers]

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