Ed Norton Releases "Hulk" Statement, Addresses Drama
April 16, 2008

Fresh on the heels of the release of the new poster art for the upcoming super hero film The Incredible Hulk, word has spread around the internet that star Edward Norton has (or has had) issues with the final cut of the film and, as such, has declined to give interviews to the press to promote the June 12 release. Is that really the case or is it simply a case of the press running with a small nugget of info, which created a bigger, unnecessary and distorted ripple effect? In a recent statement given exclusively to EW.com, Norton says the facts were indeed misrepresented.

Here’s what’s up...

In March of 2008, a report hit the internet that suggested Ed Norton was feuding with Marvel producers over the final cut of The Incredible Hulk and that there was a rift between the two over creative differences surrounding the direction taken for the final cut.

The latest update...

According to a report in Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com, reports have suggested that Norton has been at loggerheads with the Hulk producers after crusading with the film’s director Louis Leterrier for a more complexly rich and detailed version of The Incredible Hulk. However, the report goes on to reveal that apparently Marvel Studios stood their ground on the other side of the creative fence and came out the winner in favor of a "fast, leaner" version of The Incredible Hulk.

According to Louis Leterrier, who recently spoke to EW.com, a disagreement of sorts does seem to have taken place. However, the director reveals that both sides can take responsibility for the difference of opinions, "It's as much Marvel's fault as it is Edward's... And my fault. It's everybody's fault! Or no one's fault, in a way. I regret that [Marvel and Norton] didn't come to an agreement where we could've all worked together."

Although reports of a Norton - Marvel feud hit the internet, Leterrier goes on to indicate that the issue became larger than it needed to be. It appears that Norton had made peace with the fact that Marvel’s vision of the film was more commercial than his and that he was concerned he was unfairly being publicly labeled a "pain in the ass," according to both EW.com and Louis Leterrier.

As the anticipation builds for The Incredible Hulk, Ed Norton issued a statement about the matter through his publicist, which was cleared through Marvel and Universal, and was given exclusively to EW.com. According to a portion of the statement, Norton has gone on to set the record straight about the so-called feud, "Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a 'dispute,' seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them. All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit..."

For the entire report and full official statement from Ed Norton, check out the exclusive story at EW.com