Discuss The Spirit Of Vengeance, his friends, his enemies, etc. The other flaming hero who is friends with Spider-Man.


Long Rides With Ghost

Matt Long (The WB's Jack & Bobby) is in talks to play a younger version of the title character played by Nicolas Cage in Columbia Pictures' Ghost Rider, an adaptation of the Marvel Comics title, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie stars Cage as a former motorcycle stuntman named Johnny Blaze who agrees to let his body become host to a vengeful spirit. Eva Mendes will play Cage's love interest.
Long would play a young Johnny, who makes the deal with the devil. Also starring are Wes Bentley and Sam Elliott.
Mark Steven Johnson is directing and wrote the latest draft of the script. Shane Salerno wrote the original draft, the trade paper reported.

Mendes Rides With Ghost

Eva Mendes will appear opposite Nicolas Cage in the upcoming Ghost Rider, a film adaptation of the Marvel comic book of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cage will play the title character, a former motorcycle stuntman who agrees to let his body become host to a vengeful spirit, becoming a bike-riding demon in the process, the trade paper reported.
Mendes will play his love interest. Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) is directing. Shane Salerno wrote the original draft of the Columbia project.

Intresting Ghost rider is one my faovrite marvel characters. thanks for the info.

No problem. What do you think of his pal Vengeance???

I find it intresting I just wonder how it will turn out.

Near as I can tell, it's about Johnny Blaze the ORIGINAL Ghost Rider. And they won't be mentioning Zarathos the Hellfire Demon who bonded with him in the first place.

Oh the stinks that won't be there.

Let's hope they incorporate the things about Hellfire. Like how it's the ULTIMATE LIE DETECTOR!!!!!

Norton Riding With Ghost

Australian stuntman and martial-arts star Richard Norton is in talks with producers to join the cast of the upcoming comic-book film adaptation Ghost Rider, according to the Moviehole Web site. Norton's previous credits include China O'Brien, Amazons and Gladiators and last year's Dream Warrior, co-starring Lance Henriksen.
Like the Marvel comic book of the same name, Ghost Rider centers around a motorcycle-riding vigilante who is part demon. The film also stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Elliot, Wes Bentley and Eva Mendes. It is currently in preproduction in Melbourne, Australia, for release in 2006.
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Fonda Considers New Rider

Counterculture icon Peter Fonda is in negotiations to appear in the upcoming comic-book adaptation Ghost Rider, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Donal Logue (the WB's Grounded for Life) has also joined the cast, which includes Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley and Sam Elliott.
Based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, the film centers around the adventures of Johnny Blaze (Cage), a demonic, motorcycle-riding vigilante who saves the world from evil spirits. Fonda is eyeing the role of Mephistopheles. Logue will play Mack, Johnny's chief mechanic and best friend.
Ghost Rider began shooting this week in Australia under the direction of Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil). The film is scheduled for release in 2006.

A newly released image of the Hell Cycle from the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider has been posted in the photo gallery.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.p...egory=10&id=570



Sony has released a photo of the Hell Cycle from the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage as a motorcycle-riding, demon-possessed vigilante. The film is scheduled for release on Aug. 4, 2006.

A new image of Nicolas Cage from the upcoming comic-book adaptation Ghost Rider has been added to the photo gallery.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.p...egory=10&id=688

cool Bobby

Thanks. I plan on making some Ghost Rider Avatars soon. Maybe I'll scan some of my old trading cards to make them.

Johnson Faithful To Ghost Rider

Mark Steven Johnson, director of the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that he made changes to the original script by David S. Goyer to make the film more like the comic. "Its one of those things that there is no right or wrong to it," Johnson said in an interview on the set in Melbourne, Australia. "He just chose a different story, and I really liked it. It just isn't the story that I was going to tell. So they're really completely different screenplays. I really like David's writing a lot, though. [I'm a] big fan of him."
Ghost Rider is the story of Johnny Blaze (played by Nicolas Cage), a motorcycle stunt rider who made a deal with the devil in his youth and is now forced to do his bidding. Johnson said that he wanted to stay as true to the comic as possible, a difficult task given that the mythology changed often during the course of the series. Johnson, whose last film, Daredevil, was also based on a Marvel Comics character, combined elements from different eras of the comic to create an original story that retained the feel of the comic.
"The fact that the devil made a deal with Johnny and gave him all these powers, and Johnny took those powers to go fight the devil, never quite added up," Johnson said. "And so everybody over the years kept trying to solve that and change that. So it's kind of actually a faulty concept in a weird way. So that was odd. That's something that took me many, many months to finally crack it. And once I came up with the idea of the devil's bounty hunter, that there's rules in heaven and hell on Earth, [it made sense]. The idea is that Mephistopheles has to find the best rider in the world to become his Ghost Rider, that made sense to me. He has to give him this power, because he works for him. Then I got it. Then everything from there flowed. But at first it was tough." Ghost Rider is scheduled for release in August of 2006.

Cage Unbound By Ghost Rider

Nicolas Cage, star of the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that he hasn't had any trouble dealing with the visual-effects aspects of his character, who transforms into a demon with a flaming skull for a head. "I've always enjoyed working with effects," Cage said in an interview on the set in Melbourne, Australia. "To me, it's just stimulating to be around it, to participate. ... After the production is finished shooting here, I want to go to where they're working on the effects and say hello and see what they're doing with all the painting and how they're going to make the fire work, because fire is, you probably know, the most difficult of all the digital effects to pull off."
Cage plays Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt rider who becomes the devil's bounty hunter after striking a Faustian bargain in his youth. Although the subject matter deals with serious themes, Cage said he has tried to inject some lighter moments into the film that weren't in the script. "We've managed to really put a great deal of humor [in it]," he said. "That came naturally to me. I think that heavy material is inherently-I know this is going to sound strange-but it can lend itself very easily to humor. Because I think people, when they're in heavy occupations, you look at paramedics or cops, they have the blackest humor. But it's a way of coping with the situation."
Cage, a longtime fan of the comic, said the character has always appealed to him because he stood out from typical comic-book heroes. "It was dealing with very complicated spiritual issues," Cage said. "And for a comic book, that, to me, seemed different than all the others. I have a line in the movie that we worked on where I say, 'I'm the only one that can walk in both worlds.' And Ghost Rider really is that, when you think about it. Spider-Man doesn't go into the supernatural or the spiritual world. Superman doesn't. Batman doesn't. But Ghost Rider really walks this dimension between two different worlds, and to me that is interesting." Ghost Rider is scheduled for release in August 2006.

Ghost Rider Game Develops

ajesco announced that it is developing a video game based on Marvel's Ghost Rider franchise, which is also the basis of an upcoming movie starring Nicolas Cage. The game rises out of the licensing deal finalized earlier this year between Majesco and Marvel Enterprises, Inc. Currently under development by Climax Group, Ghost Rider is scheduled to ship in the summer of 2006, in conjunction with Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' release of the Ghost Rider movie.
Like the comic and movie, Ghost Rider centers on motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze, who strikes a deal with Mephistopheles for his soul, in exchange for which Johnny must forever ride through the night, avenging evil as the Ghost Rider.

Ghost A Smooth Ride For Mendez
Eva Mendez, who stars opposite Nicolas Cage in the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that her character doesn't have any big action scenes, and she was OK with that. "I'm the chick in this movie, and I like that. I own that," Mendez said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego. "I don't kick ass. But I'm the girl, I'm his woman, and there's something kind of romantic about that."
In the film, Mendez plays Roxanne Simpson, the childhood sweetheart of Cage's Johnny Blaze. When Johnny makes a clandestine deal with the devil as a young man, he feels he must leave her for her own good. The two meet up again when Roxanne, now a newspaper reporter, comes to interview him about an upcoming motorcycle stunt.
Although Roxanne appeared in the original 1970s run of the comic book, she was significantly different from the character in the film. "I thought she was a very hot, voluptuous blonde that was a little victimy for my taste," Mendez said of her character's comic-book counterpart. "She cried a lot. And certainly what I wanted to thank [director Mark Steven Johnson] for is taking a chance and thinking outside the box, because obviously I'm not blond, and I don't look like the original comic-book Roxanne."
Mendez added: "She's darker, a little more dark. And she's stronger. She's really crazy in love with this man and willing to stand behind him and beside him through thick and thin, but still having a life of her own, being an independent woman, being a career woman. She has this inner strength. [She's] not being a victim."
Mendez said that her experience on the film has opened her up to the possibility of doing more comic-book adaptations. "I'd just have to kick ass in the next one," she said. "And wear some kind of suit. Or have a cape. Oh, I'd love to have a cape." Ghost Rider is scheduled for release on Aug. 4, 2006.

Eva Mendes appears once in both Star & Jane.

Eva Mendes appears once in both Life & Style and Star, and twice in US Weekly.

Eva Mendes appears once in both US Weekly and Life & Style.

Eva Mendes appears twice in People.

Eva Mendes appears once in both US Weekly & In Touch.

Eva Mendes appears once in Star.

With a moniker derived from superhero Luke Cage and a newborn son sharing the name Kal-el with Superman (the Man of Steel's Kryptonian birth name), Nicolas Cage takes his comic books very, very seriously. Appropriately, then, Cage kept July's Marvel flick "Ghost Rider" as loyal to the source material as possible. "It's pretty faithful to the original story line," Cage insisted, saying that the only major change is the death that fuels his mission. "In this case, I believe it's not my girlfriend's father, it's [Johnny Blaze's] father who passes away at the beginning." ...

Eva Mendes appears once in Star and on page 107 of People.

Eva Mendes appears once in Star & In Touch this week.
Last week, she appeared once in Star, US Weekly and Life & Style.

Eva Mendes' Worst Date: http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?arti...d=7&lid=1000002

Ghost Rider Revealed
Sony has unveiled its first glimpse of the title character of its upcoming Ghost Rider movie in a teaser trailer on the film's updated new Web site.
The teaser shows the live-action version of the Marvel Comics character, a vengeful demon with a flaming skull astride an otherworldly motorcycle.
Ghost Rider, which stars Nicolas Cage, has been pushed back to President's Day weekend 2007 from its original July 14, 2006, release date.
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/ghostrider/

Sony unveiled the first glimpses of the title character in its upcoming Ghost Rider movie, at noon PT Dec. 20 on the updated teaser Web site; the movie opens in March.

Ghost Rider Sneak Peak
Get your first look at the upcoming Ghost Rider film starring Nicholas Cage right here. You'll see a sneak peak into how Johnny Blaze, portrayed by Cage, transforms from ordinary man into the Spirit of Vengeance known as Ghost Rider. Directed by Mark Stephen Johnson, Ghost Rider is set for a President's Day Weekend release of February 17, 2007. Check it out!
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/ghostrider/

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Eva Mendes: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive..._eva_mendes.php

Ghost Rider Blog: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/565

Ghost Rider Blog Eva Mendes: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/

Ghost Rider Blog Evolution: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Sam Elliott: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...sam_elliott.php

Ghost Rider’s Eva Mendes Pics: http://boloround.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/eva-mendes-6/

Nic Cage's Ghost Rider Likes Soft Rock, Jelly Beans — And Chimps
Actor says he wanted to give audiences 'something funny and scary.'
by Shawn Adler
Nicolas Cage in "Ghost Rider" (Jasin Boland/ Sony)
HOLLYWOOD — You're a hard-drinking, hard-living stunt motorcyclist who years ago made a deal with the devil, and ever since you've been riding around town catching demons on his behalf. You're Ghost Rider, a supernatural skeleton with a flaming skull for a head, an antihero borne of fire, and hate, and ultimate damnation. You're a rebel with a cause — a spirit of vengeance. And you listen to Karen Carpenter?
You do if you're played by Nic Cage, an actor who's made a career out of unusual and offbeat acting choices, a man who once wanted to play Superman with "giant, black samurai hair."
"It was important to me that [Johnny Blaze/ Ghost Rider] wasn't a badass, because to me that was a guy inviting the devil in. I thought that if the devil really was trying to get you, you would do everything you could to push him away," Cage said, rejecting previous incarnations of the character (see "Nic Cage, Eva Mendes, Fiery Skull Make 'Ghost Rider' The 'Coolest Marvel Movie' "). "I've got him drinking jelly beans out of a martini glass. He listens to Karen Carpenter because he's trying to relax. He likes chimpanzees."
Forget films like "Batman Begins" and "X-Men," which prized comic realism. Cage says the character shift is indicative of a change of tone that harkens back to "B monster movies with Vincent Price."
"One of my favorite tonalities is horror and comedy. I wanted to see if we could get that or aspire to some sense of that," Cage explained. "The character is absurd, it's an absurd situation. You can't take it too seriously, and that's why I wanted to make sure that we were playful."
The character's new playfulness was recently on display at a special screening of "Ghost Rider" footage at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where scenes showing Blaze's transformation were projected on the wall of a giant mausoleum.
"I was going for it — 'Oh, there's bugs on my face! I'm screaming, ahhh!' And I would look at playback on the monitor with [director] Mark Steven Johnson and be like, 'Yes! Monster movie, monster movie!' " Cage said, describing his motivation for the scene. "That's the movie I wanted to make, a movie that 8-year-olds can get excited about the way they used to about Vincent Price."
It's a style, Cage said, that suggests "operatic" extremes.
"I wanted to get back to wide-eyed excitement, ecstatic pain. I wanted there to be a moment or two where it seemed like he was enjoying it, like he was having more fun than anybody else in the world," Cage said. "[The transformation] is really scary and awful, but it feels really good because it's so powerful. I wanted that kind of energy."
"Ghost Rider" is Cage's first comic book film — which might surprise some, given that he's been attached to star as Superman, Constantine and the Green Goblin from "Spiderman."
"It was time for a character like this rather than Superman. I think this is more appropriate for me," Cage said. "It's not the standard superhero, it doesn't follow any of the traditional rules. I couldn't understand how something so terrible could also be good, and it appealed to me."
Also among the differences between "Ghost Rider" and heroes like Superman, of course, is that the former's comic books aren't as well-known, a fact that didn't escape Cage while he was reinventing the character.
"[Because] the character is not as well-known as Spiderman or Superman, it liberated me to bring a little of my own twist to it — to introduce the character outside of the hard-core fans," Cage asserted. "I wanted to open it up for mainstream audiences as well and give them something they could enjoy — something funny and scary."
http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/15...006/story.jhtml

Ghost Rider Footage Previewed
Sony previewed never-before-seen footage from its upcoming comic-book adaptation Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes, at a special screening in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 30. Writer/director Mark Steven Johnson appeared at the event, held at the famous Hollywood Forever Cemetery, to introduce several scenes from the film, including the first time Cage's character, Johnny Blaze, transforms into Ghost Rider, a motorcycle-riding demon with a flaming skull for a head.
Ghost Rider centers on a stunt rider who sells his soul to the devil (played by Peter Fonda) to save his dying father from cancer. During the day, he lives a normal life, but at night, in the presence of evil, he is forced to do the devil's bidding as Ghost Rider.
The sneak peek from the film also included scenes in which Johnny reveals his secret to his high-school sweetheart (Mendes), evades the police by jumping off a bridge into a river on his Hell Cycle, fights an elemental demon on a rooftop and meets the Caretaker (Sam Elliot). It concluded with an image of Ghost Rider speeding down a deserted road at night alongside another demonic figure—possibly the character known as the Phantom Rider—riding a skeletal horse. Ghost Rider is scheduled for release on Feb. 16, 2007.

Ghost Rider Blog Transformation: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/590

Ghost Rider Blog The Hidden: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive..._the_hidden.php

Ghost Rider Blog New Webpage & Poster: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...ter_and_web.php

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Peter Fonda: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...peter_fonda.php

Ghost Rider Blog Blackheart: http://marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/597

Cage Born To Rider
Nicolas Cage, who stars as Johnny Blaze in the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that he feels it was the role he was born to play. "I must have, because I think I willed it into happening, because here we are, and we're talking about it," Cage said at a preview of footage from the movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood last week. "I think I was always excited by the idea of the comic books going to film, and I knew that when the technology was at a level where it would be palatable visually to the audiences, it would great entertainment."
Cage—who got a tattoo of the character's flaming skull long before being cast in the role—said that Ghost Rider differs from other comic-book heroes. "He"s really the only character that I know of that is in the supernatural arena, and he walks through both worlds," Cage said. "And I thought it was time for a character like this. I mean, rather than me playing Superman, which at one time was talked about, I think this is more appropriate for me, because I like the enigmatic and paradoxical quality of it."
Cage has always been fascinated by the look of the Ghost Rider's flaming skull. "I would just sit in my room and stare at the covers," he said. "I liked the way they looked. But there's something about the iconography of the flaming skull itself, even going beyond Ghost Rider. I think it's been around for thousands of years. There's something about the flaming skull I think depicts honesty. It's like there's no mask. You can't hide. There it is. It's the truth, and I like that."
The Ghost Rider preview featured a screening of never-before-seen footage from the film, including the first time Johnny Blaze transforms into Ghost Rider. Cage talked about filming the scene, in which Johnny has a moment of manic laughter in the midst of what appears to be a painful ordeal. "I knew where I wanted to go with it in terms of performance, in that I wanted it to be operatic," Cage said. "That was the style I was choosing was opera, and I'd been working on that for quite some time. [In] my earlier works, like Vampire's Kiss or Face/Off even, there's imagery that's like that, and I wanted to get back to that, which is that sort of wide-eyed excitement, ecstatic pain, ecstasy and pain. ... I wanted there to be a moment or two where it seemed like he was really enjoying it, like he was having more fun than anybody else in the world. And it's really scary and awful, but it feels really good, because it's so powerful. I wanted that kind of energy coming out of that transformation scene." Ghost Rider opens Feb. 16, 2007.

Next Has That PKD Touch
Nicolas Cage, who stars in the upcoming SF thriller movie Next, told SCI FI Wire that it should please fans of Philip K. Dick, author of the short story "The Golden Man," on which the film is based. "If you're looking for the Philip K. Dick mindf--k, you will get it," Cage said in an interview at a preview of his other upcoming film, Ghost Rider, in Hollywood last week. "[It's] based on a Philip K. Dick short story about a man who has the prescient ability to see two minutes within his own future."
Next, which also stars Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel, also has an element of romance, Cage said. "He keeps seeing this girl played by Jessica Biel, and he doesn't know why he keeps seeing her," he said. "He's got to find out, and when he does, he realizes he can actually see further ahead when she's there. ... It's romantic, too. And Jessica Biel is great in it."
In Next, Cage's character is faced with a difficult choice when he's approached by an FBI agent (Moore) who wants to use his abilities to find a nuclear bomb. "He's in that sort of Kazantzakis dilemma of 'Do I help and save Los Angeles, or do I get to live a normal life and be with this lady who [I'm] probably falling in love with?'" Cage said, referring to Nikos Kazantzakis, writer of the novel The Last Temptation of Christ, which dealt with a similar dilemma. "And he's been sort of avoiding the issue for some time." Next, directed by Lee Tamahori, is scheduled for release in September 2007. Ghost Rider opens in February.

Ghost Was Helmer's First Love
Mark Steven Johnson, director of the Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that making comic-book films has gotten a lot easier since his first comic feature, 2003's Daredevil. "I directed one very small movie, and then I went to Daredevil, which was a $75 million [film], which, God bless it, made a lot of money for the studio and whatnot," Johnson said at a preview of Ghost Rider at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. "When I made Daredevil, Spider-Man hadn't come out yet. It was still in post[-production]. So no one quite understood the value of these characters and staying true to the comic. So everything was a fight. You know what I mean? It's like, everything is a fight. So when you get to Ghost Rider, by now enough things have had success, and Sony has had such success with Spider-Man, that they get it. You don't got to go, 'No, no, no, wait. It's Ghost Rider. It's got to be a skull on fire.'"
Johnson said that the Ghost Rider comic was his first choice to adapt into a film, but that the studio couldn't get the rights until now. "This is the movie I always wanted to make," he said. "And the rights weren't available. That's why I made Daredevil. But this is the one that I went to [former film chief] Avi [Arad] with at Marvel, and this is the one that I tried to get done."
Ghost Rider stars Nicolas Cage as the title superhero, a stunt motorcycle rider who transforms into a vengeful demon with a flaming skull by night. Johnson said that despite the character's relative obscurity compared to other comic-book heroes, the Ghost Rider is ideally suited to the film medium because of his striking appearance. "He doesn't have, like, the best story, necessarily, or the best villains or whatnot, like Spider-Man, but he's the most visual," Johnson said. "Something about the flaming skull and the motorcycle, it just resonates. It's lasted 40 years because of that image. So that, to me, it tells me that it's like the best thing for a movie." Ghost Rider opens Feb. 16, 2007.

An updated Web site has gone live for the upcoming comic-book movie Ghost Rider, which opens Feb. 16, 2007.
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/ghostrider/

Ghost Rider Movie Blog The Hell Cycle: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/

Ghost Rider Blog Special Effects: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...ial_effects.php

Ghost Rider Blog Footage Screened At Hollywood Forever Cemetary: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive..._screened_a.php

Ghost Rider’s Eva Mendes Interview: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0612/06/evamendes.htm

When asked about his next project, Nicolas Cage just has to say "It's 'Next.' " The movie "Next" is based on a Philip K. Dick short story about a man who has the ability to see two minutes into his future. "He keeps seeing this girl, played by Jessica Biel, and he realizes that he can actually see further ahead when she is there," Cage said. But even a man who can see into the future isn't safe. "The powers that be, the FBI, really want this person to help them find out where a nuclear bomb has been placed and they are running out of time, so they're going outside the box to rely on his paranormal abilities," Cage continued. According to the Oscar winner, the whole flick revolves around one compelling, central question: "Do I help save Los Angeles, or do I get to live a normal life with this lady I am falling in love with?" Cage grinned. "If you're looking for a Philip K. Dick mindf---, you will get it!" You have nine months to prepare your mind — the flick hits theaters in September. ...

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Nicholas Cage: http://marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/623

Ghost Rider Blog Q&A: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/589

Ghost Rider Blog From Comic To Screen: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...c_to_screen.php

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Eva Mendes: http://www.marvel.com/videos/GHOST_RIDER%3A_Casting_Eva

Ghost Rider Blog Hellfire Game: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...game_on_the.php

Ghost Rider Blog Casting Wes Bentley: http://marvel.com/videos/GHOST_RIDER%3A_Casting_Wes

Ghost Rider Blog Some Real Fans: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...biggest_fan.php

Ghost Rider Blog TV Spot & Casting Sam Elliott: http://marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/645

Ghost Rider Blog Landscapes: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive.../landscapes.php

Ghost Rider Blog Feels Like My Head’s On Fire: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...ads_on_fire.php

Ghost Rider Blog TV Trailer & Special Effects Featurette: http://marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/543

Ghost Rider Blog A Love Story: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive..._love_story.php

Ghost Rider Blog Ghost Rider Is Now In Theaters: http://www.ghostridermovieblog.com/archive...heaters_now.php

Ever wonder what happened to that "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever filmed!" kid obsessed with the plastic bag in "American Beauty"? Well, after nearly a decade of indies and anonymity, steely-eyed actor Wes Bentley is ready to make his comeback next month with a high-profile superhero flick. "I play Blackheart, who is Ghost Rider's ultimate bad guy and the son of the devil," said the star, whose crime flick "Weirdsville" is earning raves at Slamdance down the street. "He's basically the baddest bad boy you could play, so I had a blast doing it." Working opposite Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes and Peter Fonda, Bentley said that the film's set had so much heavy-duty acting going on that you could almost forget it was a movie about a cursed biker with a flaming head. "We shot it in Australia and had a great time with the crew and cast. ... I've seen parts of it and it looks fantastic." The flick will light up theaters February 16.

Ghost's Cage Surprised Co-Star
Eva Mendes, who co-stars with Nicolas Cage in the upcoming Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that Cage had an unorthodox way of getting into his character. "He would have the script, and he would come to the set and do the opposite of what was on the page," Mendes said at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention last week. "Nic would take it to another level."
Mendes added: "He would flip everything that was happening in the script that day, it was fascinating. I expected the unexpected, and that's what I got."
Mendes plays the love interest of Cage's character, stunt motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze, who transforms into a flaming demon at night to repay a debt to the underworld. Mendes said that Cage's methods always surprised her.
"Every time, he would get me, because he does this great thing where he turns things upside down, and he doesn't play it the obvious way," Mendes said, adding: "He just kind of flips it. Then he can make the most mundane sentences sound really heavy. I was like, 'How do I do that?' I actually made heavy sentences sound mundane. I think he's so into what he's doing. He's such a professional."
Mendes said he even found a way to make his outlandish costumes work. "One time he came to dinner in [a] black and white pin-striped suit and a cane, or a scepter, and I thought, 'If anyone can make this look good, he can.' He looked amazing." Ghost Rider, based on the Marvel Comics series, opens Feb. 14.

Cage Changed Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider director Mark Steven Johnson told SCI FI Wire that star Nicolas Cage changed how his character, stunt motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze, transforms into the title demonic hunter. In Johnson's script, Blaze screams in pain as he turns into the flaming demon. But "Nic convinced me that, although Johnny may be in pain, the Ghost Rider is actually happy about the transformation, and it probably feels really good for him to be unleashed after all this time," Johnson said. "And so the screaming with horrible pain that I imagined turned into this maniacal laughter. That made it so much better."
Johnson discussed the making of Ghost Rider over the weekend at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, which he visited during a break from post-production on the movie. "We know that the transformation scene is the most important scene in the whole movie, so it was important that we get it right," Johnson said.
During the transformation scene, Cage's skin sears as he screams and turns into the Marvel Comics character with the distinctive flaming skull. Blaze's motorcycle turns into the fiery Hell Cycle. Johnson also showed a film clip in which the Ghost Rider transforms back into Johnny Blaze at the graveside of his father.
Ghost Rider, also starring Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Wes Bentley and Peter Fonda, is scheduled to open nationwide on Feb. 14.

Ghost Not Quite Ready Yet
Mark Steven Johnson, director of the upcoming Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that he's still working on the film's visual effects and editing with only one month to go before its Feb. 14 release. "I literally came from the Sony mixing stage, but I wanted to give a good introduction to the fans," Johnson said at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles on Jan. 14.
Johnson appeared with one of the movie's stars, Eva Mendes, to show nine minutes of new footage from the movie, based on the Marvel Comics superhero with a blazing skull and flaming motorcycle. An appreciative audience of about 200 whooped and applauded after seeing the footage.
"I'm still working on it," Johnson said. "There's still some rough stuff. There's some old footage on the Internet with some early effects, and this is a huge step up."
Mendes, wearing a light dress and high heels, was introduced to the crowd cradling a hot coffee and bundled in a jacket. "I'm so cold," she said, as she was coaxed out of the jacket by applause so she could reveal her outfit.
Mendes admitted that she wasn't a comic-book fan, like her co-star Nicolas Cage, but became a fan after reading the script. "I want to thank Mark for not making me just the 'chick.' I think she's a modern-day powerful female role who still shows that she's vulnerable," she said.
Mendes added: "I think there's a superhero in me. I would watch Nic and say, 'Aw, why can't I be on fire?' I would like to be a superhero."

Two Ghost Rider Videos: http://www.marvel.com/blogs/ghost_rider_movie/entry/655

Ghost Rider Video Game: http://www.marvel.com/news/vgstories.578

Ghost Rider Movie Marvel Link: http://www.marvel.com/movies/Ghost_Rider.Ghost_Rider

Ghost Was Tough Shoot
Mark Steven Johnson, writer-director of the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, told SCI FI Wire that special-effects challenges made the film a tough shoot. Ghost Rider stars Nicolas Cage as the title antihero, a stunt motorcycle rider who at night transforms into the devil's bounty hunter, a figure who rides a Hell Cycle, has a flaming skull for a face and wields a magic chain.
"We had a great time, and the studio was super supportive and all of that, but it was just tough, because we don't have the luxury of other comic-book movies like Spider-Man, where you can have Tobey Maguire be in the costume and shoot a scene," Johnson (Daredevil) said in an interview. "Every time you see Ghost Rider, it's a special effect. So it makes the movie ... become very expensive quickly, and ... you've got to plan out everything because of the cost."
Johnson added: "You know that if Ghost Rider is going to show up in a scene, and you're going to cut to his close-up, it's going to cost you $50,000. So you have to storyboard and pre-vis everything, and you can't cover a scene or get as much action sometimes in a scene as you'd like because of that cost involved."
The character of Ghost Rider also required some innovative computer graphics, Johnson said. "We had to create new flame programs for the CGI to make it all feel real and a part of his personality, the hellfire," he said. "Those were literally things we were inventing as we were going." Ghost Rider opens Feb. 16.

Big & Rich, Clarkson, Cage among celebs on tap
By RICK de YAMPERT
Entertainment Writer
Celebrities, start your engines!
Actor Nicolas Cage of Ghost Rider, pop singer Kelly Clarkson and other famous folks will be racing to Daytona Beach to be part of Speed Weeks, which concludes Sunday with the 49th annual Daytona 500.
Cage will give the traditional "Gentlemen, start your engines" command when he serves as grand marshal at Daytona International Speedway. Cage stars as motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze in the film "Ghost Rider," which opens today. His films include "Leaving Las Vegas," which won him an Oscar.
Clarkson, who won the first "American Idol" competition in 2002, will perform during the Nextel Tribute to America, the pre-race show that will be staged at the Speedway before the Daytona 500. The show will be broadcast on the Fox network as part of its race day coverage, which begins at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Clarkson has released two albums, "Thankful" and her latest, "Breakaway." She won two Grammy Awards in 2005 -- for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her song "Since U Been Gone," and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Breakaway."

'Ghost Rider' Burns 'Bridge' In Box-Office Fight
'Terabithia' opens at #2 over holiday weekend; 'Norbit' drops to #3.
by Josh Horowitz
The Top Five
#1 "Ghost Rider" ($51.5 million)
#2 "Bridge to Terabithia" ($29 million)
#3 "Norbit" ($20.7 million)
#4 "Music and Lyrics" ($16 million)
#5 "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" ($14.3million)
Nicolas Cage rode to the top of the box-office heap with "Ghost Rider" and earned a 2007 opening-weekend-best haul of $44.5 million from Friday to Sunday — a total that jumped to $51.5 million when the Monday holiday was factored in. The awesome take wasn't only this year's biggest debut, it also represented the best opening ever for a Cage film. That's right, better than "The Rock," better than "Con Air," better than "It Could Happen to You." OK, that last one isn't too surprising. Still, the huge total for "Ghost Rider" is all the more impressive considering the film wasn't even screened for most critics — usually a kiss of death for a flick of this size (the budget for "Ghost Rider" is reported to be over $100 million).
Opening at #2 over Presidents' Day weekend was the family-friendly fantasy "Bridge to Terabithia." The film, which enjoyed surprisingly strong reviews despite similarly strong complaints about a deceptive ad campaign that plays down the dramatic heft of the material, made the most of kids' long weekend. While "Terabithia" didn't reach "Narnia" numbers by any stretch, Disney can't be too disappointed with the debut.
That's probably not the case for Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant, whose romantic comedy "Music and Lyrics" didn't exactly score a note-perfect opening weekend. The movie, which debuted on Valentine's Day, racked up $16 million from Friday to Monday (and $5.5 million Wednesday and Thursday), good for just fourth place.
Another new film that failed to contend for the top was "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls." After astounding openings for his two previous films, Perry failed to match those surprising successes this time around. If anything, the surprise was this one's middling performance, earning $14.3 million — a strong number, but nowhere close to "Madea's Family Reunion" which opened with $30 million less than a year ago. The spy thriller "Breach" — starring Ryan Phillippe and Chris Cooper — missed the top five but managed a respectable $12.3 million opening thanks to positive reviews.
How'd We Do
Perhaps this writer slightly overestimated Tyler Perry's loyal following. Losing in the "Projection Booth" is embarrassing enough, but having your pick barely squeak into the top five at all? Mortifying. No such embarrassments for MTV News' Larry Carroll who correctly pegged "Ghost Rider" as the must-see flick of the weekend (see "Projection Booth: Can Box-Office Champ Tyler Perry Top 'Ghost Rider'?"). We'll see if he can make it a streak when we check back in next week.
Prognosticator (Weeks Won)
Josh Horowitz, MTV Movies Editor (9)
Larry Carroll, MTV News Writer (6)
Celebrity guest (2)
In Perspective
Quirky and kooky aren't usually adjectives one associates with Hollywood leading men, but Nicolas Cage isn't just any A-list actor. Sure, the list below of his top-five box-office openings scream action and adventure, but it's the stuff between — films like "Adaptation" and "Leaving Las Vegas" — that have rounded out a multifaceted career. Despite the impressive box-office takes of the flicks listed here, Cage has yet to star in a sequel. That's about to change with production set to begin on a second "National Treasure" film. But that's in the future. For now, take a look at some of the biggest films — in terms of box-office performance — of Cage's past.
· "National Treasure" (2004) — $35.1 million
· "Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000) — $25.3 million
· "The Rock" (1996) — $25 million
· "Con Air" (1997) — $24.1 million
· "Face/Off" (1997) — $23.3 million
Next Week
Don't expect a laugh riot from Jim Carrey when "The Number 23" comes out this weekend. The dark side of Carrey is on display in this psychological thriller that explores the strange phenomena of one not-so-innocent two-digit number. Go on, guess the date it opens.
Numbers also figure in the title of Carrey's chief box-office competition next week. "Reno 911! Miami" will try to translate the cult status of the Comedy Central show into big bucks on a larger scale. Cameos by the likes of the Rock and Paul Rudd seek to give it a little big screen heft.
Finally, if a feel-good drama about a small town guy with big dreams is your speed, you may want to check out Billy Bob Thornton in "The Astronaut Farmer."
http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/15...220/story.jhtml

Nic Cage Likens 'Ghost Rider' To 'Beauty And The Beast,' Talks 'Grindhouse' Cameo
He also opens up to MTV News about his son's Super name, wanting to cast Tom Waits in 'Rider.'
by Josh Horowitz
How has it taken this long for Nicolas Cage to play a superhero?
Perhaps the world's most famous A-list actor/ comic book geek (did Tom Cruise name his child after Superman's Kryptonian name?), Cage has been attached to play virtually every character with a cape to grace the silver screen. But it is "Ghost Rider" that's finally brought him to his superhero nirvana (see "Nic Cage's Ghost Rider Likes Soft Rock, Jelly Beans — And Chimps"). Cage spoke to MTV News about his love of the fantastic and freaky as his flick hits theaters.
MTV: Happy Valentine's week to you, Mr. Cage.
Nicolas Cage: And to you as well.
MTV: Nothing says Valentine's like a movie about a motorcycle stunt driver with a damned soul, right?
Cage: [He laughs.] That's what I was thinking. When I started making "Ghost Rider," I said, "This ought to be a Valentine's movie." [He laughs.] The funny thing about it is, there is a "Beauty and the Beast" element to this movie.
MTV: Your character makes this deal with the devil for love.
Cage: In this case, it's the love for a father. He's trying to save his father's life and makes a deal with the wrong forces. But there is also a love story with Eva Mendes who plays Roxanne, who is the girl that he wishes he could be with but alas is cursed by this demon spirit of vengeance.
MTV: Of all the characters in the giant comic book universe, why does this one have resonance with you?
Cage: Because he's unique. He's the only superhero that walks in both worlds. He comes from Faust and "Beauty and the Beast" and has this camp 1970s iconography to him.
MTV: Approaching it as a fan, what did you need to see included in this film?
Cage: It was very important to me that the flaming skull look gorgeous. I have [visual-effects supervisor] Kevin Mack to thank for that. He did an amazing job to present the Ghost Rider in a realistic way. It could have been laughable, and instead it's gorgeous.
MTV: You mentioned how the film is a hodgepodge of different things. Were you worried about finding the proper tone?
Cage: It would have been a problem if [director] Mark [Steven Johnson] hadn't been willing to see the humor in it. As it stands, he was willing and collaborative with me to allow me to show where the funny points were in the piece. A movie like this can't take itself too seriously. It's got to have a wink and be playful. It's a fun and spooky ride. It's got just the right amount of scares that it gets your adrenaline up but not too much that you scare yourself away from finishing the ride.
MTV: Fans have been ready to pick this film apart from the get-go. Did you worry about pleasing the die-hard fans out there?
Cage: I was true to my own relationship with the comic. And I also wanted to introduce him to wide audiences around the world who don't have any clue who Ghost Rider is. Superman, Spider-Man and Batman need no introduction. In this case, I was able to tailor make him for you and say try this. I'm a filmmaker, not a comic book maker. And so I have to make my expression of the comic book and my own concept of how it would play as a movie.
MTV: Peter Fonda is clever and interesting casting as Mephistopheles. But we heard you wanted Tom Waits for the role at first.
Cage: I wanted Tom very much, and I think he would have been genius in it. But Peter is amazing in it. If you think about it, who better to get a stunt cyclist to sell his soul but Easy Rider himself?
MTV: Your career seems to have always been about risk-taking. I think back to that early role in "Peggy Sue Got Married" when you chose to use a very odd voice and approach to the character. Are you still as willing to take those kinds of risks?
Cage: The fact that I made "Ghost Rider" is itself an enormous risk, so I'm still in that frame of mind to take those risks. But you're right; when "Peggy Sue Got Married" came out, the movie was appreciated but my performance was lambasted because I was making these choices that were unheard of at the time. I'm changing my voice and making characters that are influenced by inorganic forces like Gumby. Wild choices. I think a lot of actors have opened their minds as a result of that. They've seen how it can work and stay in the zeitgeist. Now you have actors imitating all different kinds of sources.
MTV: Just look at Johnny Depp channeling Keith Richards in the "Pirates" films.
Cage: And I did that with Elvis when I did "Wild at Heart."
MTV: Did ["Peggy Sue Got Married" director and Cage's uncle] Francis Ford Coppola ever question what you were doing?
Cage: Francis did fight for me even though the studio wanted to fire me and he did say to them, "When Marlon did 'Godfather,' he wanted to talk like this." On the other hand, he never cast me again.
MTV: You made the day of many comic books fans when you and your wife named your son Kal-El after Superman's Kryptonian name.
Cage: His name was going to be Wolfgang, and I just thought, Wolf Cage? I just don't know. I really liked the name Kyle but my wife wanted a unique name and so I thought about Kal-El. I remembered that from the old Superman comics. Kal-El is a unique name but it's also a uniquely American name and it's beautiful sounding. It sounds kind of magical so we went with that.
MTV: Does this make you [Superman's father] Jor-El at home?
Cage: [He laughs.] Well, I'm definitely more Jor-El than Pa Kent.

MTV: But you don't have the old Marlon Brando get-up?
Cage: No, I don't have the Marlon Brando get-up. Maybe one day I'll play Jor-El. Who knows? We'll see what happens.
MTV: How about talking to Bryan Singer about playing a Superman villain?
Cage: I think I've done my comic book movie. I am Ghost Rider, and I got to introduce him to you and tailor-make him for you.
MTV: There was a story recently going around that you wanted to produce a "She-Hulk" movie with Eva Mendes in the lead role.
Cage: People are looking for stories. I think she'd love to do it. To be fair, I'm not going to be pursuing "She Hulk." I just thought she'd be good for that part. I'm not going to be making that as a movie.
MTV: How about a part in the upcoming "Watchmen" movie?
Cage: ["Watchmen" author] Alan Moore is amazing. I had some scripts that we talked about developing together but they never came to fruition, but I think that he's a deep thinker. I'd like to be involved with something he does.
MTV: One project we know we'll be seeing you in is "Grindhouse." You filmed a small role in Rob Zombie's part of the film.
Cage: I did. That was a favor I did for Rob Zombie. No money was exchanged. We were at dinner and he asked me if I'd do it and I couldn't say no, so now I'm in another movie. It's good company to be in with [directors Quentin] Tarantino and [Robert] Rodriguez. I play Fu Manchu, and it's very silly.
http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/15...216/story.jhtml

Ghost Rider
Nicolas Cage finally fulfills his dream of becoming a superhero—but for audiences, it will seem more like a nightmare
Ghost Rider
Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Peter Fonda and Sam Elliott
Directed by Mark Stephen Johnson
Sony Pictures
Rated PG-13
Opens Feb. 16
By Staci Layne Wilson
Years ago, daring stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze (Cage) was tricked into selling his soul to the devil (Fonda) in order to ease the suffering of his dying father (Brett Cullen). The forfeiture of your immortal soul, it seems, means giving up your hot girlfriend (Mendes), developing a taste for the timeless tunes of The Carpenters (oh, the humanity!) and being able to cheat death daily while performing the most outrageous aerobatics ever known to motorcycle.
Things are going great professionally for the world-famous Blaze, but it's all empty without the love of his long-lost Roxanne. Crying nightly into his glass of jellybeans (yes, he "drinks" candy) while coiffing his flawless helmet hair (Cage's piece reportedly took three hours daily to apply), and with the support of his affable pit crew—led by the fun-loving Mack (Donal Logue)—Blaze goes on the best he can.
He's thrown for a loop when two people from his past suddenly return: Roxanne and Mephistopheles. The devil wants his due, and the dame wants his devotion. Roxy sure knows how to fill out a skintight minidress, but Mephistopheles is more persuasive. Putting his miffed girl on the back burner, Blaze becomes the Ghost Rider by night, banishing the bad and collecting rogue demons for his eternally evil employer. What's more, he's expected to go into overtime to kill Mephistopheles' errant son, Blackheart (Bentley).
Enter the Wise Old Sage. Carter Slade (Elliott) is the caretaker of the cemetery where Ghost Rider stores his Hellcycle (a tricked-out Buell) by day. Like its master, the hog undergoes a supernatural transformation—the bike becomes bigger and badder, while its rider gets a serious make-under (his human face dissolves and is replaced by a bare, flaming skull). Anyway, Wise Old Sage dispenses Sage Advice like Pez, while Blaze tries to figure out how to simultaneously kill Blackheart, use his powers for good, date Roxanne, keep up with his superstar performance schedule and make sure his jellybean goblet never runs dry.
Needless to say, Blackheart is not going down without a fight. While he and his surly, trench-coated minions wreak hellish havoc in various dark alleys, rough bars and lonely parks (CGI swirling in their wicked wake), the Ghost Rider is hot on their trail and determined to do them in for his own righteous reasons.
This Rider doesn't go down so easy
Ghost Rider is based on the Marvel comic-book series (taking some inspiration from the '70s version, and some from the later '90s resurrection), so I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane on a chopper—and I did have some intermittent fun with the flashy film. The action sequences, though ultimately empty exercises, are often exciting, and when the movie keeps it light and comic-booky there's an enjoyable exuberance to the proceedings (but all too often, it dips into dour drama and schmaltzy romance).
Although Cage, noggin flaming, doesn't lampoon his famous "How'd it get buuuurned?!" rant from the Razzie-nominated The Wicker Man, he does have some funny dialogue. A lifelong fan of the comic-book character—Cage had to have his real Ghost Rider tattoo covered with makeup for some scenes—the actor seems to be having a genuinely good time in the role.