Joe Johnston has won the movie lotto after being picked by Marvel Studios to direct its upcoming surefire megablockbuster First Avenger: Captain America, to be released on May 6, 2011.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, no writers have been hired yet, but the studio is in the midst of hearing pitches and will soon make a decision. Likewise, no word yet on which lucky actors are in consideration for the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America.
Captain America marks quite the coup for longtime director and special-effects maestro Johnston, who is currently in postproduction on next year’s predicted Iron Man-sized hit, The Wolfman, starring Benicio Del Toro in the title role.
Johnston’s enviable resume includes directorial credits for Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and visual-effects credits for Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, among many others. Eh, not bad.
Marvel Studios, meanwhile, is on a roll of its own, having forayed into films with this year’s silver-medal box office winner, Iron Man, and both Iron Man 2 and Thor set for a 2010 release … and hundreds of millions.
