Jamie Bell’s version of the Thing will be created with motion capture and CGI.
Of all the superhero movies on the horizon, Fantastic Four is probably the one that many comic fans are most curious about, if only because we’ve seen so little of it. For the most part, we already have certain expectations for the other big upcoming releases. With Fantastic Four, Fox has kept things so tightly sealed for so long that we haven’t had much to form impressions from. Heck, up until now,we haven’t even seen much of what the titular heroes look like after they get all fantastic-ified.
Deciding it was apparently to time give us a little peek at the hero team’s new appearance, Fox today has released new images showing off actor Jamie Bell’s Thing. Previously only glimpsed from behind in the film’s trailer, the new picture directly showcases the actor’s take on the hero. He pretty much looks the way you’d expect, like a hulking human made out of stone. One notable difference from the 2005 film at least, is the reported use of motion capture and CGI to create Bell’s Thing. In the 2005 film, actor Michael Chiklis donned a bodysuit and make-up to complete his own transformation for the role. According to director Josh Trank, the switch was made to allow for more of Bell’s performance to come through one the screen. “Jamie in real life is a tough guy,” he said. “He exudes this strength. Ben [Grimm] is [Richard] Reed’s best friend in the archetypal, spiritual way, and you want that character to have that warmth and that strength.”
Just speaking personally, I don’t hate it. If nothing else, it looks faithful to its source material and not worse than Chiklis’s 2005 version. That being the case, it still would have been nice if this reveal could have included the other members of the team as well. Fox released two other images alongside the one featuring the Bell’s Thing (lord is that awkward sounding), but neither really included anything all that special looking. Frankly, these characters have been around since 1961, there’s no reason to keep them under wraps like Fox has been doing. Just show us the other three members of the team with their powers already.
Source: Empire
