Speaking exclusively with
Empire, director Kenneth Branagh shared some of his thoughts on the whole story behind Thor, talks about the script and more.
The tone of the film:
"The issue of tone was crucial, because in the '60s run of comics it does get pretty camp. So the trick was finding a way to make a different kind of superhero - a god - compelling and arresting and not make him too flamboyant."
On what appealed him about the character and the whole universe:
"When I came along there had been several strands of development. One kept the movie entirely in the Viking era, and one was more fantastical. I wanted to do something that possibly touched on both. What appealed to me from the myths and comics was a sort of Prodigal Son story - of exile and return. That and the enjoyment of seeing a fish out of water. The notion of Asgardians coming to modern-day Earth was particularly important to me. I actually, coming from the direction of period drama, was the one most resistant to setting it entirely in a historical context."
He also talked about the script for the film:
"The script is an epic adventure with, at the centre, human dynamics. I looked at the relationships and saw brothers, mother, father and sons: the tight royal circle. When you get down to it, this is pure Shakespeare: it's a drama about familial problems concerning thse who possess great power."
Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Jaimie Alexander are starring in the upcoming big screen adaptation.
THOR is set to hit theatres on May 6, 2011.