A few days ago, we first got word of trouble with post-production on Thor 2: The Dark World between Marvel and director Alan Taylor and composer Carter Burwell. Since then, Burwell has been fired from the project (hopefully clearing way for Thor composer Patrick Doyle to return), but as to the exact nature of the friction between Taylor and Marvel, the following comes from Latino Review:
Taylor was apparently butting heads with [Marvel President Kevin Feige] over the run time and final edit. Taylor wants the film to be 2 and a half hours, Marvel says he’s contracted to give them a 2 hour film and he’s breaching his contract. He hasn’t been fired, but editing has stopped for 2 weeks while both parties take some time to cool off before a mediator will be brought in [the] middle of June. Bottom line is that the film is only 5 months from release and a decision is going to have to be made soon especially if re-shoots are required.
If true, this is so dumb that it is all I can do not to take mighty Mjolnr myself and….well, do nothing because I am not worthy to wield it, but you get the rage vector. American audiences can handle a film that’s 2.5 hours long if it is GOOD. The last time there was a controversy like this, it was over The Incredible Hulk, which had a good 30 minutes hacked out of its final cut. I like the Norton Hulk, but I get why he was so angry (Hulk smash) because if you watch the deleted scenes on the Blu Ray, they would have made it a better film, taking it from a 7.5 – 8.0 theatrical to a hard 9.0. Also, The Avengers is 2 hours and 23 minutes and that seemed to work out okay for Marvel. If the story warrants the length, Marvel needs to back the hell off. As one of the four people on earth who was disappointed by Iron Man 3, I really am looking to Thor 2 to get the second phase of the MCU underway. Two stumbles in a row would really derail the momentum Marvel’s built. Thor: The Dark World is scheduled for a November 2013 release.
Killing Time 