Scott Derrickson Directing ‘Dr. Strange’ For Marvel
Marvel’s next film announcement isDr. Strange, and the film has a director.Scott Derrickson, who recently madeSinister, will directDr. Strange. Derrickson wasmentionedas being a possible choice a few months ago. He has also directedThe Exorcism of Emily Roseand the remake ofThe Day the Earth Stood Still. He has been in development on a film based on the video game seriesDeus Ex, but expectDr. Strangeto take priority.
Varietyreports that a deal is not done, but is expected to be set soon. Derrickson is pretty confident about the deal, however:
Dr. Strangehas long seemed like it was the most important pet project for Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who has spoken many times of his enthusiasm for the character.
In comics, Doctor Stephen Strange is the “sorcerer supreme” of the Marvel Universe. As such, he is the gateway to an aspect of Marvel comics stories that hasn’t really been explored on film in the current set of Marvel movies. The Thor pictures have opened a pathway to some of Marvel’s stranger cosmic adventures, and theGuardians of the Galaxyfilm is expect to continue that exploration.Dr. Strangewill bring magic to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a film has a rich set of possibilities.
No screenwriter has been mentioned in connection toDr. Strange.Thomas DonnellyandJoshua Oppenheimerwerehired to writein 2010, and there have likely been other drafts since then. When a director shortlist floated up a couple months ago,Kung Fu PandawritersJon AibelandGlenn Bergerwere mentioned as being in negotiations to rewrite the script.
The film also does not yet have a release date, though Marvel hasstaked outtwo potential dates: July 13, 2025, and July 15, 2025. The latter seems more likely.
(Interestingly, Dr. Strange was long a part of the “non-team” the Defenders, which is coming to Netflix with a different lineup than the ever-shifting comics version. Given that this film is not likely to arrive until 2017, I half-expect Strange to be given a screen intro inThe Defenders.)
Derrickson’s next film isDeliver Us From Evil, with Eric Bana and Édgar Ramírez.
