When it was announced Kenneth Branagh would not be directing the sequel to “Thor,” I was perplexed. A few days before “Thor” opened I had attended an advanced screening where Branagh mentioned he was very excited about coming back and perhaps introducing the events of Ragnarok into the second installment. But much to the chagrin of Branagh fans, the Shakespearean director and actor will produce instead. Which of course meant Marvel Studios had to search for a replacement. It appears they may have found him.
Variety reports that Brian Kirk — who directed several episodes during the first season of the amazing series “Game of Thrones” — is in negotiations to helm the follow up to “Thor.”
I approve of this. With “Thrones,” Kirk has proven he understands the importance of character development and he’s also well versed at managing complex storylines as well as large ensembles. This skill will be put to great use in “Thor 2,” which is expected to have a large cast. Even though this will be Kirk’s first big-budget film, the scale of “Game of Thrones” is estimated to be around $5 million an episode, similar to that of HBO’s “Rome.” That’s certainly not chump change.
Don Payne (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”) is writing the script for “Thor 2,” which has a July 26, 2013, release date. I can’t say that I’m as thrilled about that choice as I am with Kirk, but hey, the sequel can’t turn out as bad as “Green Lantern,” right?
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I think I’m alright with this choice as well.