Norton, Hulk Mad!!!!

Written by: Lance Carmichael, CC2K Staff Writer

Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily

He's done it again. Actor-"writer" Edward Norton is a world-renowned control freak on his movies, having famously clashed with studios and directors on The Italian Job and American History X (And those are just the cases that made it to the press in an industry where covering up bad on-set behavior by big actors is a way of life). So it's no surprise to hear that Norton is butting heads with Marvel Studios on the editing of the upcoming The Incredible Hulk sequel–excuse me–"reboot," of Ang Lee's Hulk.

You can't say Marvel doesn't have this coming. A lot of studios and directors in Hollywood refuse to work with the notoriously "hands-on" Norton. Not only did Marvel hire him as the lead in their $150 million+ potential franchise…they hired him as one of the writers. Hmm…let's examine the thinking here: Norton has historically believed that acting in a film entitles him to have a say in the editing, writing, and directing of it. He directed Keeping the Faith and starred in Death to Smoochy. He also once publicly dated Courtney Love. Sure, he's Tyler Durden, but still….Knowing all this, Marvel made him an actual, credited writer on their movie…someone who's actual job it is to have an opinion on the script. Is anybody surprised this blew up in their faces?

According to the venerable Nikki Finke of Deadlinehollywooddaily.com:

I'm told that's because Norton and Marvel are clashing over how to cut the pic. Insiders say Norton was "promised tremendous involvement and access" after Marvel invited him into the core team to rewrite Zak Penn's script. Says one insider, "There's a lot of posturing going on between Edward's camp and Marvel over how you edit the final version." Sources also tell me that, starting last night and continuing at least throughout today, the actor will be holed up with Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel, Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige, and director Louis Leterrier to try to "reach an amicable resolution" to this $150+ million film feud.