Deadline is reporting that Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Blade II) and Battlestar Galactica producer David Eick are finalizing a deal that would see the two bring the Incredible Hulk to the small screen for ABC Studios and Marvel.
In October it was revealed that Marvel’s television division was eyeing three projects for development as television shows. The Hulk and Cloak & Dagger were named as the top two contenders.
Del Toro and Eick’s show would likely not be ready until fall 2012 — the television season following the upcoming Marvel Studios film The Avengers in which Mark Ruffalo will star as the Hulk on the big screen.
Television’s version of the Hulk would be a blend of prosthetics, puppetry and computer animation with the design overseen by Del Toro. Eick and Del Toro will work on the story for the television series with Eick writing the pilot and del Toro, if available, directing.
While exact story details are still unknown, Deadline reports that the new Hulk television show would see the hero through his origin and his alter ego, Bruce Banner, would be in his mid-twenties. Bill Bixby previously played Dr. David Banner on the small screen from 1977 to 1982 on CBS’s The Incredible Hulk. Lou Ferrigno played the green monster.
A lot of people have been speculating that audiences will be confused by having a third actor play the Hulk in less than a decade. I don’t see the concern. If children can tell the difference between the different versions of Batman that play out across the various entertainment platforms he’s been licensed to, why can’t audiences enjoy a Hulk television show for what it is instead of trying to tie it into the film series he’s been a part of?
Either way, you couldn’t really have asked for a better team behind a Hulk television show. What do you think of the names assembled? Any thoughts on how you’d like to see the show play out?
