Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’ TV Series

Brief_Lives

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/business/media/marvels-inhumans-tv-series-will-arrive-via-theaters.html?_r=0

LOS ANGELES — One of Marvel Entertainment’s most sprawling superhero mythologies, the Inhumans, is headed to the small screen in a major way.

But the Inhuman likes of Black Bolt, Crystal and Lockjaw, the teleporting dog, will first appear on big screens. As in the biggest.

Imax Corporation, Marvel and the ABC broadcast network announced a partnership on Monday to introduce — and finance — a lavish new television series that will focus on the Inhuman royal family. Under the agreement, a version that combines the initial two episodes of “Marvel’s The Inhumans,” shot entirely with Imax cameras, will play exclusively for two weeks next September on Imax screens worldwide.

Shortly thereafter, the episodes — edited to include additional scenes — will run on ABC, with new installments unspooling in typical prime-time fashion. (The look of the series on TV will be enhanced due to Imax technology.)

The series, billed as a family action-adventure with signature Marvel humor, will be set in the present day, with some action seeming to take place on the moon.

The deal is significant for several reasons.

As their live audiences have dwindled and competition has increased, broadcast networks have struggled to create sizzle around new shows. ABC, which urgently needs new hits, is betting that Imax, with its strength among younger consumers known as fanboys, will help make “The Inhumans” a must-see event.

“In the incredibly crowded marketplace of television, we are very excited about this because it’s a unique and innovative and bold way to debut our best new content,” Ben Sherwood, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, said by phone.

The deal also indicates that Disney remains focused on telling Marvel stories on ABC after an unexceptional start to that effort. “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” has brought more male viewers to ABC, but it has been only a modest ratings performer. Another effort, “Agent Carter,” was a misfire.

ABC wants what Marvel Television and ABC Studios have supplied to Netflix — buzz-creating, widely watched series like “Luke Cage” and “Daredevil.”

A co-financing arrangement with Imax will allow ABC and Marvel to spend more to make “The Inhumans,” which will include cinema-quality visual effects. (One criticism of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” has been that certain action sequences are less than dazzling.) Imax has never before served as a financing participant in a TV series, according to Richard L. Gelfond, the company’s chief executive.

“We think this is a business for us,” Mr. Gelfond said of the financing arrangement. “Because Imax has an equity participation both in the pilot and in the series, this deal will be financially advantageous to Imax on an ongoing basis.”

Imax has dabbled in the past at showing TV content on its supersize screens. Last year, for instance, it played a couple of Season 4 episodes of “Game of Thrones.” But a series has never before made its debut through Imax, which has more than 1,000 locations worldwide.

“We see it as a way to extend the Imax brand and diversify our revenue,” Mr. Gelfond said.

In particular, he hopes television content could help draw crowds to Imax locations at times of the year — like fall — when there is a dearth of blockbuster-style movies. Imax worked for years to find a winning strategy for quieter times at the box office; most recently it tried showing films aimed at older audiences, which delivered weak results.

“We’re confident our exhibition partners will be excited about this,” Mr. Gelfond said. “The response from conceptual conversations has been extremely positive.”

Marvel, which has been on a box-office tear, initially expected to turn the Inhumans into a string of movies, even announcing its plans publicly in 2014. But the studio ultimately decided the property would be a better fit for TV, in part because there were already a lot of different Marvel movie franchises continuing.

Mr. Sherwood, noting pains have been taken to make sure ABC affiliates are on board with the Imax debut, said the “sneak peek” of “The Inhumans” would include “big, theatrical moments specially conceived for the Imax screen.” The series debut will also come at a time when no Marvel movies are playing in theaters.

“We’ve worked very carefully with our friends at Marvel Studios — and this is a critical point — to make sure that calendar-wise and content-wise we are only enhancing the Marvel universe,” he said.

Brief_Lives

there's a thread about this just started in the TV forum...

Brief_Lives

for those who are not in the know about The Inhumans...

here is a Marvel Blurb...


At the beginning of the Kree-Skrull War, millions of years ago in Earth time, the alien Kree established a station on the planet Uranus, a strategic position between the Kree and Skrull empires. Through their work at this station, they discovered that sentient life on nearby Earth had genetic potential invested in it by the alien Celestials. Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's then-primitive homo sapiens by splicing Eternals DNA into Cro-Magnons.
Their goal was apparently twofold — to investigate possible ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, and to create a powerful mutant race of soldiers for use against the Skrulls. However, although their experiments were successful in creating a strain of humanity with extraordinary abilities, the Kree abandoned their experiment for reasons which are not yet clear.

Their test subjects, the Inhumans, went on to form a society of their own, which thrived in seclusion from the rest of humanity and developed advanced technology. Experiments with the mutagenic Terrigen Mist gave them various powers, but also caused lasting genetic damage and deformities. This led to a long-term selective breeding program to try to mitigate the effects of these mutations. Their city Attilan has frequently been relocated and, as of 2005 stories, rests in the oxygen-bearing Blue Area of the Moon.

The once-secret existence of the race has come to light among the general public as the Inhumans interact more often with many of Earth's superheroes — including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men — whom they have aided against threats such as Galactus, Ultron-7, Magneto, and Apocalypse.

The Inhumans were once led by the Unspoken. who was dethrone by their current king, Black Bolt, and his royal family, consisting of Medusa, Karnak, Gorgon, Triton, Crystal, Maximus the Mad, and the canine Lockjaw. Both Crystal and Medusa have been members of the Fantastic Four; Crystal has also been a member of the Avengers.

One interesting observation is that Attilan's society and culture are predicated on a conformist belief system which permits individuality as it applies to genetic development and physical and mental ability, but demands rigid conformity in that each member of society is assigned a place within that society according to those abilities following exposure to the Terrigen Mist. Once assigned, no Inhuman, no matter how great or powerful can change their place within this rigid caste system.

Another interesting note is that the Inhumans' culture strictly prohibits miscegenation between Inhumans and other races. Although a member of the royal family, the Inhuman Crystal appears to have ignored this prohibition married outside of her caste to wed the mutant Quicksilver. However, this may be a privilege due to Crystal's standing as a member of the royal family.

In contrast it appears that such permissive behavior is lost on the children of the immediate members of the royal family. Gorgon's daughter, for example, attempted to form relationships outside of her caste and was strictly prohibited from doing so, although this may have been because her relationship was with an Alpha Primitive, the lowest Inhuman caste. It is not clear, however, whether commoners face such strict disciplinary measures under similar circumstances.

However, Inhuman society changed radically recently. Ronan the Accuser sought to use the Inhumans as an army to disrupt the Shi'ar control of the Kree after their defeat in the Kree-Shi'ar war. Appearing over the city of Attilan, Ronan seized control in a surprise attack and forced the Inhumans and their king, Black Bolt, to obey, or he would destroy their only home and everyone in it. During their time in forced servitude, Ronan revealed that the Inhumans had always been intended as weapons in service to the Kree. To this end, much of the genetic attributes that were encoded in them during the original experiments were meant to give them the abilities and appearances of various alien races. The idea being that these Inhuman slaves could be used to infiltrate alien worlds and races to conduct espionage or assassinations to weaken potential conquests. Ronan used the Inhumans in just this manner, disrupting treaties being negotiated by the Shi'ar, and launching attacks on ships and bases. Eventually, Black Bolt sought to free his people by challenging Ronan to a personal battle. If Ronan won, the Inhumans would continue to serve him. If the king won, the Inhumans would go free. After a terrible battle, Black Bolt won and Ronan, demonstrating that the Kree still had honor, kept his word and left the Inhumans. All was not over however, as the Inhumans were not willing to just follow Black Bolt back to Earth. Pressure had been building in the closed society of Attilan since open contact with the outside world had been made. During their enslavement by Ronan, the Inhumans had wished for their freedom, but had also developed a sense of pride in their power and a belief in their own destiny. They no longer believed that Black Bolt or the royal family was fit to lead them in the new life they wanted, and they exiled the royal family from Attilan. The royal family returned to Earth to find their destiny. After suffering bigotry and living in Latveria, they returned to Attilan which was located on the Blue Area of the Moon. The Inhumans are currently fostering better relations with Earth by sending students to a Wisconsin University.

In the events of Son of M, Quicksilver stole the Terrigen Crystals in an attempt to give himself back his powers, and to give back the de-powered mutants from M-Day their powers. The theft led to a conflict on Genosha between the re-powered mutants (whose powers came back as too powerful for their own good, and eventually surrendered), the Inhumans, and the U.S. Office of National Emergency. The conflict ended with the O.N.E. confiscating the Terrigen crystals, to which Black Bolt then verbally declared war on the United States.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/universe/Inhumans#ixzz4Q4nShi00

Agent Coulson

Disappointed this is going to be on Network TV.

Doctor DooM

Ha, Perlmutter is NOT letting the Inhumans go

Feige doesn't and never has had confidence in the Inhumans, that's why it's on TV.

Nervous Wreck

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Ha, Perlmutter is NOT letting the Inhumans go

Feige doesn't and never has had confidence in the Inhumans, that's why it's on TV.

I'm actually really glad of that. I've never really like The Inhumans (Diet X-Men) so it was the only movie in the MCU that I wasn't excited about. It losing its release date earlier this year was actually welcome for me so I'm glad thus is something I can ignore if need be

Brief_Lives

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/marvel-abc-set-inhumans-tv-series-947296


The Inhumans will receive an initial eight episode count; the first two episodes will debut in IMAX theaters for two weeks in summer 2017, with six more episodes to air on ABC starting in September.

Penn

I don't mind them going with a TV show rather than the movie. Always felt the movie would have been extremely tough, and Guardians of the Galaxy filled the "space/aliens" aspect of the MCU so well that the Inhumans weren't particularly needed, and I'd rather more focus on the GotG.

That said, was looking forward to Vin Diesel as Black Bolt (I think he'd hinted he'd had talks with Marvel about physically playing another Marvel character who doesn't talk which was likely Black Bolt). Can't see him playing him on TV when he can get €100m for Furiously Fast 11.

What I find really weird though is how much of the press release announcement is about the deals between Marvel/ABC/IMAX rather than building up excitement for the show itself.

Brief_Lives

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1596740/marvels-inhumans-tv-show-just-took-another-step-forward



Marvel fans everywhere were shocked last month when news broke that the Inhumans would be coming to the small screen sooner than the big screen. The race of superhumans were originally slated to get their own feature film in 2018, but the feature was first pushed back to 2019 and then removed from the cinematic schedule altogether. Now, the Inhumans are coming to TV in a brand new way with a series in 2017, and a showrunner has been selected. Scott Buck of Dexter fame has secured the top job on The Inhumans.

Scott Buck made a name for himself on TV thanks to his work as an executive producer and writer on Showtime's Dexter from 2007 - 2013. His first project after Dexter ended in 2013 was none other than Marvel's Iron Fist, which will premiere its entire first season on Netflix in March 2017. Marvel obviously has a lot of faith in Buck's work on Iron Fist to have tapped him for The Inhumans before audiences have seen even a single episode of Iron Fist. There is no word just yet as to whether or not Buck will bring his writing talents to The Inhumans, but THR confirms that he's officially on board for the drama series.

The Inhumans is set to cover an origin story for the race of superhumans that has been touched upon by ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Inhumans show will not be a spinoff of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., however. It will follow the story of the Inhuman royal family, led by legendary Marvel Comics characters like Black Bolt and Queen Medusa. The series will likely be set in an entirely different era than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel Netflix ventures, and the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The project will be one of the most unique of Marvel to date due to the fact that it will be released on both the big screen and the small screen. The first two episodes of The Inhumans will be available in more than 1,000 IMAX theaters in 74 countries for two weeks, beginning on Labor Day 2017. Following the IMAX release, the two episodes will air on ABC before leading into the rest of the eight-episode first season. The Inhumans was ordered straight to series right off the bat, with IMAX actually paying for the first two episodes in a collaboration with ABC that could be quite lucrative for both companies. The idea is reportedly that Marvel fans will check out the initial two episodes in the theater the same way they would an MCU film, then follow the show to ABC to find out what happens next. If the strategy works, The Inhumans could win impressive ratings and perhaps even add to the viewership of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. A lot rides on the shoulders of Scott Buck as the showrunner of the new series.

Agent Coulson

I don't think that many were shocked really I think most never expected it to make the big screen at all once Inhumans appeared on AoS.

Doctor DooM

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I don't think that many were shocked really I think most never expected it to make the big screen at all once Inhumans appeared on AoS.

Also the persistent rumours since Marvel Studios was moved under the purview of Disney that it was being turned into a TV series, because Ike Perlmutter (the exec pushing the Inhumans all over Marvel) has creative control over Marvel TV but not the movies, which are now ran by Feige without his influence... only Marvel fans who don't follow the cinema side of things at all would be shocked

EoinMcLovin

Iwan Rheon to play Maximus

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-iwan-rheon-marvels-inhumans-978006

Nervous Wreck

Excellent casting.

EoinMcLovin

Anson Mount to play Black Bolt

http://deadline.com/2017/02/marvels-inhumans-anson-mount-black-bolt-casting-abc-1202027526/

Agent Coulson

Serinda Swan joins the cast as

Medusa

EoinMcLovin

Ken Leung to play Karnak

Nervous Wreck

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

Ken Leung to play Karnak

Good casting! Karnak is boss.

Penn

Great actor too. I don't know much of the ones playing Black Bolt or Medusa, but Ken Leung and Iwan Rheon are both great actors and definitely give me hope for the show.

Agent Coulson

Anson Mount is a great choice for Black Bolt I think.


Hell on Wheels which he stars in well worth a watch if you have never seen it Colm Meaney is also in it.


Serinda Swan is a decent actress and being honest Marvel make very few mistakes when it comes to casting in the MCU.

EoinMcLovin

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Anson Mount is a great choice for Black Bolt I think.


Hell on Wheels which he stars in well worth a watch if you have never seen it Colm Meaney is also in it.


Serinda Swan is a decent actress and being honest Marvel make very few mistakes when it comes to casting in the MCU.

The only show I can remember her from was Smallville when she played Zatanna

Nervous Wreck

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Anson Mount is a great choice for Black Bolt I think.


Hell on Wheels which he stars in well worth a watch if you have never seen it Colm Meaney is also in it.


Serinda Swan is a decent actress and being honest Marvel make very few mistakes when it comes to casting in the MCU.

This is very true.

Agent Coulson

Began filming today in the States which is giving them plenty of time most series work 6 to 8 weeks ahead of an episode airing.


I know the pilot is being shot as an IMAX film so that may have something to do with it.

EoinMcLovin

Complete cast
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/marvels-inhumans-full-cast-983021


Hell on Wheels' Anson Mount as Black Bolt
Black Bolt is the enigmatic and commanding King of the Inhumans who has a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city.

Graceland's Serinda Swan as Medusa
Medusa is the queen of the Inhumans and wife of Black Bolt — his most trusted adviser, a fiercely resilient warrior who has the ability to move and control her hair the way most people use their hands and fingers.

Game of Thrones' Iwan Rheon as Maximus
Maximus is a clever and charming Inhuman who is fiercely devoted to the people of Attilan, especially his brother, Black Bolt, the king — though he harbors an intense desire to wear the crown himself.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Ken Leung as Karnak
Karnak is Black Bolt's cousin and closest adviser. His gift is an ability to see the fault in all things — people, plans, structures, everything. He's Black Bolt's most ardent supporter and strategist and is often seen as the royal family's planner and philosopher.

Eme Ikwuakor (Concussion) as Gorgon
Gorgon is the cousin of Black Bolt and a member of the royal family who is the leader of Attilan’s military. With super strong legs, complete with hooves, he can generate destructive seismic waves with a single stomp. The ying to his cousin Karnak’s yang, Gorgon would rather fight than talk to solve his problems.

Isabelle Cornish (Australia Day) as Crystal
Crystal is Medusa's sister and the youngest member of the royal family who has the ability to control the elements. Impetuous and independent she is also deeply devoted to her family.

Mike Moh (Empire) as Triton
Triton is Black Bolt's cousin who is calm under pressure and supremely athletic. His gift is his fish — like the ability to live underwater.

Sonya Balmores (Soul Surfer) as Auran
Auran is head of the Royal Guards on Attilan, a capable and no-nonsense woman. She is fiercely loyal to the King of Attilan.

Ellen Woglom (Californication) as an undisclosed character
The mystery character is smart, intense and focused — so focused that oftentimes social skills take a back seat. Her job at a private aerospace company is her life, second only to her passion for all things space and lunar. She’s primed to be swept up in an adventure.

Lockjaw as Crystal’s 2,000-pound canine companion
The sizable pooch has the ability to teleport.

Agent Coulson

So I wonder will they introduced in the final episode of AoS this season or will Attilan be mentioned in GotG or Spiderman so they don't get a cold introduction.

Nervous Wreck

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So I wonder will they introduced in the final episode of AoS this season or will Attilan be mentioned in GotG or Spiderman so they don't get a cold introduction.

I doubt there'll be any mention of Inhumans in Spidey or GotG; it's clear enough that Feige doesn't have much interest in promoting Perlmutter's side of the fence. The cinematic release of the Inhumans pilot won't be counted as an MCU movie.

Doctor DooM

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I doubt there'll be any mention of Inhumans in Spidey or GotG; it's clear enough that Feige doesn't have much interest in promoting Perlmutter's side of the fence. The cinematic release of the Inhumans pilot won't be counted as an MCU movie.

Yeah if they're going to mention it anywhere it's AoS. For all Marvel's cries of "it's all connected!" that's kinda not true anymore- Civil War would have been an excellent place for Daredevil to show up, for example- and you can count on one hand all the times they're allowed to say an avengers name on the netflix shows.

Foxtrol

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Yeah if they're going to mention it anywhere it's AoS. For all Marvel's cries of "it's all connected!" that's kinda not true anymore- Civil War would have been an excellent place for Daredevil to show up, for example- and you can count on one hand all the times they're allowed to say an avengers name on the netflix shows.

Do we have any idea yet what time/place they'll set the Inhuman story? It is likely perfectly justifiable that there could be no mention in advance via other shows/movies.

I disagree that Civil War would have been a great place for Daredevil to show up, he would have been massively over matched by every character (outside of maybe black widow and hawk eye). I'm all for cross overs but cross overs just for the sake of it are pointless and jarring.

I also really dont see what name dropping avengers names a few more times on netflix would add to the product. What has happened in the avengers movies has shaped the world the netflix series are in but that's about it.

Can you point to where Marvel have every stated that 'it is all connected'? They have claimed the MCU movies are all part of a larger story and working towards the infinity war (which for the most part has happened) and also claimed their TV show and movie offerings take place in the same universe but those are very different to what you're claiming.

Nervous Wreck

Jeph Loeb was one of the main proponents of the "it's all connected" thing. They had a hashtag (#itsallconnected) that was attached to AoS advertising iirc. He's rolled back on how connected everything is now because he's not getting any of the movie actors involved

The thing is, no matter how connected they all try to be, the movies don't really give a shît what happens in the TV shows, particularly Agents of Shield. The casual movie viewers aren't going toe expected to accept the return of Coulson from death they're not going to be asked to. And with the rift between Feige and Perlmutter, it's not something that will be strongly considered anyway.

I'd like to see the Defenders show up in Infinity War tbh but there's no way anyone from AoS will.

Foxtrol

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Jeph Loeb was one of the main proponents of the "it's all connected" thing. They had a hashtag (#itsallconnected) that was attached to AoS advertising iirc. He's rolled back on how connected everything is now because he's not getting any of the movie actors involved

The thing is, no matter how connected they all try to be, the movies don't really give a shît what happens in the TV shows, particularly Agents of Shield. The casual movie viewers aren't going toe expected to accept the return of Coulson from death they're not going to be asked to. And with the rift between Feige and Perlmutter, it's not something that will be strongly considered anyway.

I'd like to see the Defenders show up in Infinity War tbh but there's no way anyone from AoS will.

Here’s a quote from Loeb:

As I often get reported by you folks for saying #ItsAllConnected, our feeling is that the connection isn’t just whether or not somebody is walking into a movie or walking out of a television show. It’s connected in the way that the shows come from the same place, that they are real, that they are grounded.

“We have seen some characters that have appeared and crossed over. Most notably, one of our cast members that isn’t here because she’s working is Rosario Dawson, who continues the character of Claire Temple. So the short answer is we are already doing it. The long answer is as things go by, as the story dictates it, we’ve always been big fans of providing Easter eggs for our fans, but we never want to be known as an Easter egg farm. It has to work within the story. We never want to do Luke Cage gets into a cab as Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock are getting out of the cab.

You can call it rolling back but I’d say it is more clarifying for fans who made too big of a jump from the hashtag. I would never read the original hashtag as meaning that everything was going to directly interact with each other constantly, as it makes no sense for them to try to connect everything on that level. What connection means is that what has happened previously in the MCU clearly has an impact on each show/movie and they live within certain rules, with certain shows/movies having greater direct impact on some than others.

I could definitely see cameos from AoS team (maybe minus Coulson) in Infinity War but like the Defenders it will be nothing significant (ie seeing them in the background of a large battle scene).

Nervous Wreck

I don't think anyone's been saying that tbh. What we are saying is that, as much as the movies affect the shows, the reverse is not true. The shows are influenced greatly by the movies. But the movies aren't influenced at all by the shows, no matter how much AoS likes to pretend they might be.

Foxtrol

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I don't think anyone's been saying that tbh. What we are saying is that, as much as the movies affect the shows, the reverse is not true. The shows are influenced greatly by the movies. But the movies aren't influenced at all by the shows, no matter how much AoS likes to pretend they might be.

But why would anyone think that wasn’t going to be the case? By them saying it’s all connected they weren’t saying that everything is equal or that you should expect characters like Daredevil drop into the movies when it makes no sense. Of course the movies are going to take the lead with the likes of Agents of Shield or Agent Carter dovetailing them.

The Netflix shows, and likely the Inhumans series, are more distant and the narratives explain why this is the case. I don’t see why people point to it as some sort of negative against the MCU or what they are trying to build.