Since today is Boxing Day, it makes all kinds of sense to give some deep-down dirt on upcoming action movies. Click through for forbidden knowledge on Jumper, Incredible Hulk and Babylon A.D.
February's Jumper is a Heroes-y movie from Doug Liman (Bourne Identity). Teenager David Rice tries to flee his abusive father — and then discovers he can teleport himself anywhere, instantly. As an adult (played by Hayden Christensen), David is reunited with his long-lost mother, only to see her killed. So he uses his teleporting power to search for the man he believes is responsible for the death of his mother, while dodging CIA recruiters. His Neo-esque posturing draws the attention of an NSA agent (Samuel L. Jackson) who's also a member of the ancient sect of Paladins, dedicated to wiping out teleporters like Christensen. He also meets another Jumper (Jamie Bell) who's been fighting the Paladins since he was a kid. Rachel Bilson plays Christensen's girlfriend, who learns the truth about his teleporting abilities, and becomes a hostage in the Jumper-Paladin battle. Liman says "there is no villain" in Jumper, because everyone is right in his/her own way. Here's a new still from the movie:
June's Incredible Hulk sticks much closer to the original comic than the 2003 Ang Lee version. According to the movie's official site and other sources, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) works at a bottling plant in Brazil while he searches for the cure to the gamma radiation that turned him into the Hulk. But then General "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) tracks him down and a battle ensues. Banner runs back up to New York and meets up with his wife, Ross' daughter Betty (Liv Tyler, and here's a pic). Also in NYC, Banner meets his super-psychiatrist, Doc Samson. The Hulk's origin is "spooled out" throughout the movie, as the characters try to learn more about what caused him to exist. And there are plenty of big splosions (see video.) Trying to find a way to beat the Hulk, General Ross doses a soldier/KGB spy named Emily Blonsky (Tim Roth) with a serum that turns him into another monster, even stronger than the Hulk. Blonsky is stuck as a monster and wants revenge on General Ross. Banner finally does find a cure for being the Hulk, but has to turn back into the Hulk anyway, to stop the Abomination's rampage. TV's Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, will have a cameo. Here's a new peek at the Norton Hulk:
U.S. audiences will see a much shorter version of August's Babylon A.D. than Europeans. In the near future, society has broken down and competing cults and militias hold sway. Refugees are "doing anything" to escape the poverty and death of Europe and Asia. A veteran-turned-mercenary named Toorop (Vin Diesel) is hired to bring a young woman named Marie (Melanie Thierry) from Russia to China, accompanied by a nun (Michelle Yeoh). But then another organization offers him even more money for the girl, and Toorop realizes there's more to Marie than meets the eye. It turns out the girl is carrying a virus that will allow humans to alter their own DNA and "create new levels of consciousness." (She's also schizophrenic.) So all sorts of criminals and fanatics want to get their hands on the girl, including a sect that wants to use the virus to create its new messiah. Diesel has to use all his mercenary skills to get the "package" through militarized zones, fight clubs and gang wars. Taking user-generated content to new heights, director Matthieu Kassovitz (Gothika) launched a MySpace contest for futuristic advertisements to appear in the background of the film. According to news reports, Diesel's egomania and problems with location filming delayed the movie and drove it way over budget. Here's a teaser trailer: