Fantastic Four in film

The story of the film focused on four astronauts that were bombarded with cosmic rays from a comet while on an experimental space craft. In the process, they acquired extraordinary abilities.

In 1986, Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film acquired the film rights of the Fantastic Four from Marvel Comics.[2] In 1992, Eichinger hired Roger Corman to produce a low-budget film in order to keep the rights. In 1994, the adaptation, titled The Fantastic Four, had its trailer released to theaters, and its cast and director went on a promotional tour; however the film was not officially released. The film was accused of being an ashcan copy, meaning it was only made to keep the license.[3] Stan Lee and Eichinger stated that the actors had no idea of the situation, instead believing they were creating a proper release.[4] Marvel Comics paid in exchange for the film's negative, so 20th Century Fox could go ahead with the big-budget adaptation. While the film was never released to theaters and home-video, it was released by bootleg video distributors.[5]

The story features Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Victor Von Doom getting hit by a space storm after boarding a space station. As a result of the radiation from the storm, they gain new abilities and powers that they have deal with in their own ways.

Chris Columbus was hired by 20th Century Fox to write and direct the film in 1995. In 1997, Peter Segal was attached to a script which had been written by Columbus and Michael France. Segal later left the project in the same year. Phillip Morton worked on the script, and Sam Hamm did rewrites in 1998. The following year, Raja Gosnell signed on as director.[6] The film was announced in August 2000 as being aimed for a July 4, 2001 release date. Gosnell decided to leave the project to film Scooby-Doo. Peyton Reed served as replacement in April 2001.[6] Reed contemplated making the film as a period piece set in the early 1960s during the space race.[2] He later dropped out from the film. In April 2004, Tim Story was hired to direct and principal photography began in August in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with re-shoots carried on until May 2005.[7][8] Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon, the film was released on July 8, 2005.

The story, both inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four comic-book storyline "The Galactus Trilogy" and Warren Ellis's comic-book Ultimate Extinction, features the Silver Surfer, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet Earth and leaving craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the U.S. Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Silver Surfer, and separately gain help from Doom.[9]

With Fantastic Four grossing $330.5 million worldwide, 20th Century Fox hired director Tim Story and screenwriter Mark Frost in December 2005 to return to work for the sequel.[10] Don Payne was also hired to write the screenplay.[11] Principal photography began on August 28, 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[12] The film was released on June 15, 2007.

Due to 20th Century Fox's disappointment in the box-office performance of the film, a potential third Fantastic Four film and a Silver Surfer spin-off film were cancelled.[13]

The story, loosely based on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic-books, features four people teleporting to an alternate universe, which alters their physical form and grants them new abilities. They must learn to harness their abilities and work together as a team to save the Earth from a familiar enemy.[14]

In August 2009, the development for the reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise was announced by 20th Century Fox.[15] In July 2012, Josh Trank was hired to direct.[16] Michael Green, Jeremy Slater, Seth Grahame-Smith and Simon Kinberg were hired to write the screenplay with Slater and Kinberg receiving credit.[17][18][19] Casting began in January 2014 with the announcement of the cast occurred in the following months.[20][21][22][23] Principal photography began in May 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ended in August the same year.[24][25] Starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell, the film was released on August 7, 2015.[26] A sequel was originally planned for 2017, but was removed from the studio's schedule in November 2015.[27] This is also the last Fantastic Four film produced by Fox before 20th Century Fox was sold to Disney and the rights reverted to Marvel Studios.

At San Diego Comic-Con International 2017, Noah Hawley said that he was developing a film centered on Doctor Doom.[28] Dan Stevens was also said to be involved with the film.[29] In June 2018, Hawley stated that the script was almost finished, but that there was "a little uncertainty" about whether it would be filmed due to his upcoming film Pale Blue Dot and the fact that Disney plans to acquire Fox.[30] In March 2019, Hawley revealed that he was still unsure about whether he would be continuing the project, as it had not been officially greenlit, but that he had spoken to Kevin Feige about it.[31] In August 2019, Hawley told Deadline that the movie "is done", implying that he was no longer working on it.[32]

In February 2018, a Silver Surfer film was in development with Brian K. Vaughan attached to the script.[33]

On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company agreed to a $52.4 billion deal to acquire 21st Century Fox, including its subsidiary 20th Century Fox. Disney's CEO Bob Iger stated that they plan to integrate the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), alongside the X-Men and Deadpool.[34] On March 20, 2019, the now $71.3 billion deal was officially completed.[35] At the 2019 Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con Hall H presentation in July, studio head Kevin Feige announced that a Fantastic Four film, which will be set in the MCU, is in development.[36][37] On December 10, 2020, Feige announced that Jon Watts will direct the film; Watts previously helmed the Spider-Man films set in the MCU.[38]

The Fantastic Four film series is the fourth highest-grossing film series based on Marvel Comics characters after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Spider-Man films and the X-Men film series respectively grossing over $342 million in North America and over $787 million worldwide.[54]

Reception for all Fantastic Four films have been generally negative by critics.[63] Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic called the 1994 film "[a] painfully silly film, one with more heroic intentions than actual assets."[64]

Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald gave negative reviews to the Fantastic Four films directed by Tim Story. Regarding Rise of the Silver Surfer, he stated, "Story does the same sort of efficient, impersonal job he did on the first film, keeping things at such a basic, almost childish level that it seems the movie is aimed squarely, if not exclusively, at the 12-and-under set."[65] However, Roger Moore of Orlando Sentinel gave Story's Fantastic Four films good reviews. He called the first film as a "popcorn popper" and a "cinematic sugar buzz" and the second film an "entertaining film that doesn't overstay its welcome."[66][67]

The 2015 Fantastic Four film was the weakest reviewed of the series; it was criticised for its dark, humorless tone, its character arcs, designs (especially that of Dr. Doom), bland acting, and poorly written story. Director Josh Trank was himself not satisfied, posting a message on Twitter stating he had envisioned a better version of the film, but it was ruined by Fox; he later deleted the message.[68]