4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

(4: Rise of the Silver Surfer)

The Fantastic Four meet their greatest challenge yet in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As he races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery before all hope is lost. FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER is the second installment of the live-action film series based on what fans around the globe know as "The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine". "Fantastic Four" directed by Tim Story and released in the summer of 2005, had a worldwide theatrical gross of $330 million and became one of Twentieth Century Fox’s most successful DVD titles ever.

For FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, an intriguing element is added to the cast of characters of the 2005 hit – the Silver Surfer. Academy Award® winning visual effects house Weta Digital (THE LORD OF THE RINGS, KING KONG), working with the film’s visual effects supervisor Scott Squires (a three-time Oscar® nominee whose credits include STAR WARS EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE), created the ultimate computer-generated Silver Surfer, which will be true to the Marvel Comics character beloved by fans worldwide. Weta developed an advanced CG process to bring added dimensionality to the character. Doug Jones provided character and movement references for the digital wizards at Weta.

The Silver Surfer joins the returning family of superheroes from the Marvel Comics universe, including Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, who can stretch and contort his body into any shape he can imagine and, as the group’s leader, is known as Mister Fantastic; Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, who is able to render herself invisible and to create and project powerful force fields as Invisible Woman; Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, known as The Human Torch, who can engulf his body in flames and take flight at will; and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm, whose freakish transmutation into a rock-like, superhumanly strong creature led him to be called The Thing. Julian McMahon reprises his "Fantastic Four" role as the Four’s steely-eyed, iron-fisted nemesis, Dr. Doom. Kerry Washington is back as Ben’s love interest, the blind sculptress Alicia Masters.

In 2005, movie audiences worldwide were introduced to the Fantastic Four, the fabulous quartet of superheroes that have captivated comic book readers since their 1961 debut in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four #1, created by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Headquartered in the world famous Baxter Building in New York City, the Fantastic Four are dedicated to the betterment of the world through scientific discovery and defense against evil.

With FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, the filmmakers are able to expand the scope of the first film and introduce new characters, and new adventures, for the world’s premiere superhero team. Director Tim Story explains: "We’ve got a new character coming to the scene, the Silver Surfer, who is one of the coolest comic book characters of all time. So we’ve upped the ante with bigger stunts, more action, and more CGI characters and situations." With the origin story firmly established, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER screenwriter Don Payne, a lifelong fan of the Fantastic Four comics, set out to take the next step with the series. "I wanted this movie to be the rare sequel that’s better than the original -- with more excitement, more drama, more humor, more action," Payne says. "I also really wanted to explore where the characters are at this point in their lives. They’re much better off financially, but they’re dealing with the downside of celebrity. Sue and Reed are moving on and trying to get married. Ben and Alicia are enjoying being a happy couple, while Johnny’s got his own issues. So there are exciting things happening with characters and relationships. But most of all, I’m excited about the dimension added by the Silver Surfer."

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER draws from an amalgamation of storylines from the Fantastic Four comic books, as well as new story developments and characters. "The movie draws from the first appearance of the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #48-50," says Payne. "But we’re also using story elements from Fantastic Four #57-60, where the Silver Surfer encounters Dr. Doom. There are a couple of moments inspired by the recent Ultimate Extinction series as well." The film’s main centerpiece from which the story unfolds is the sensational "Wedding of the Century." Familiar to generations of comic book fans, the wedding between Reed Richards and Sue Storm, first depicted in Fantastic Four King Size Annual #3 in 1965, is the comic world’s equivalent to the historic wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di.