By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) --"Avengers: Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo are doing a victory lap at San Diego Comic-Con Friday.
The brothers reflected on their blockbuster being so close to matching "Avatar's" all-time box office record and even fielded questions from some unlikely fans.
"Avengers" stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Paul Rudd grilled their directors via video message on everything from who is the smartest Avenger to what Captain America did after completing his big task in "Endgame."
"By the way has, anyone not seen 'Endgame?'" Joe Russo asked, as the crowd of 8,000 laughed. "If not you should leave now."
It was a mostly tongue-in-cheek question. Not only is Comic-Con home base for some of Marvel's most enthusiastic fans, but there also aren't many moviegoers who didn't see "Avengers: Endgame" earlier this summer. The film has grossed $2.782 billion to date, just shy of "Avatar's" record of $2.788 billion.
"Give yourself a round of applause," Joe Russo said to the audience. "You made the Marvel Universe happen and we couldn't be more grateful."
The directors riffed about who needs the most takes on set (Anthony Mackie) and who gets it in "one shot" (Scarlett Johannsson), revealed that they had a monthslong conversation about the length of Captain Marvel's hair, and the most emotional day on the set of "Endgame" (Robert Downey Jr.'s last day).
For fans, the highlight of the panel was when a few of the Avengers appeared on screen to ask their directors some questions, even if they evaded answering most. Ruffalo wanted to know if the Hulk is now the smartest and strongest Avenger. Evans asked what the next thing Captain American does after he gets his dance with Peggy.
"Perhaps he and Peggy tried to make a baby?" Anthony Russo responded.
"I think he went to the bathroom," said Joe Ruso.
The Russos' have had a good run with Marvel, having directed four films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They don't have any official future plans with the comic giant, but they did say they would love to direct an adaptation of the Marvel comic "Secret Wars."
The brothers–who are co-founders of commercial production/branded content house Bullitt–are already on to their next projects as producers. One reunites them with "Spider-Man" star Tom Holland on a movie about the opioid crisis set in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Another will see Michael B. Jordan star in "The Thomas Crown Affair."
They also announced that they'll be producing adaptations of the cult comic "Grimjack" and "Battle of the Planets" with their AGBO production banner.
But the big Marvel news is yet to come at the annual fan convention. Saturday evening, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige will take the stage in Hall H where many expect him to announce plans for the next phase of Marvel films. Although details of what exactly will happen and who might appear at this point are being more closely guarded than one of the series' infinity stones.
Avid completes acquisition of Wolftech
Avid®, known for software solutions for professional media production, has completed the acquisition of Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, a leader in cloud-based multiplatform news planning, production and publishing solutions.
The acquisition enables Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. News organizations will be able to increase efficiency and accelerate story delivery through enhanced remote collaboration and multiplatform amplification.
Avid CEO Wellford Dillard stated, “Wolftech is unquestionably on the leading edge of where the industry is going, and this acquisition demonstrates Avid’s commitment to transform news, sports, and live production workflows. We are delighted to welcome Wolftech into the Avid family.”
Wolftech CEO Arne Berven added, “We were focused on finding a partner that could accelerate the adoption of our platform globally. We explored a number of possibilities, but when we talked to Avid, we knew it was the right match.”
The closing of the acquisition follows Avid’s announcement on October 7 that the company had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech.
With this acquisition, Avid deepens the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to embrace an open approach in partnering with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.
Ian Axton, head of production operations for ITV News, said, “As a customer of both Avid and Wolftech we’re excited about the benefits this acquisition will bring to our users and our business. Wolftech has transformed... Read More