Something strange is happening across the pond… (see what we did there?)
[dropcap size=small]M[/dropcap]arvel Studios is reportedly in advanced negotiations to shoot the upcoming Doctor Strange film at Pinewood-Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom.
A film crew is being assembled to head to the Shepperton Studios to begin work later this year, or early next. Principle photography has been tentatively slated for May 2015, with the film’s release date reportedly set for July 8, 2016.
Jon Spaihts(Prometheus) is penning Marvel’s script for the master of the mystic arts, with Joshua Oppenheimer & Thomas Dean Donnelly (Conan the Barbarian) having written earlier drafts. Scott Derickson (Sinister) will serve as director.
The Pinewood Studios Group have been nurturing a strong relationship with Marvel Studios and their parent company Disney. The highly anticipated Star Wars Episode VII is currently being shot at the Pinewood Studios, with Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron having wrapped up production at the Shepperton Studios. Marvel’s most recent smash-hit Guardians of the Galaxy was also shot at Shepperton.
Doctor Strange was created in 1963 for Marvel comics. The character is a former neurosurgeon, who serves as Sorcerer Supreme and protector of Earth from magical and mystical threats. He is described as “the mightiest magician in the cosmos”.
No word yet on who will play the titular character, but rumors suggest that Joaquin Phoenix will land the role as the master of the mystic arts.
Doctor Strange has been targeted for a feature film adaptation since as early as the 1990s, and it looks like a movie will finally materialize. With Marvel’s track record of top-grossing films, Doctor Strange is sure to make magic at the box office.
