Thor: The Dark World is in the middle of its third week in theaters since premiering in the U.S., and visual effects vendors are now coming out and showcasing their contribution to the blockbuster Marvel sequel. While the FX Guide has a nifty, in-depth breakdown of the many special effects in the film, a press release has been issued highlighting The Dark World's epic three-minute prologue!
Tim Miller was tapped by Marvel Studios to head up the three-minute prologue sequence that sets the stage for its highly anticipated sequel Marvel's Thor: The Dark World. Blur Studio, co-founded by Miller, created the sequence, which is almost entirely CG.
"Blur and Tim Miller have a distinct understanding of the Marvel Universe," said Producer, Kevin Feige. "That alone, not to mention their storytelling and CG expertise, made the opening and end titles standout sequences in the film."
Executive Producer Victoria Alonso said, "We were incredibly happy to have the talented folks at Blur led by Tim Miller help us land on, what we have said time and time again, one of the coolest action sequences in the film."
Narrated by Anthony Hopkins (Odin), the prologue establishes context for the story of Marvel's Thor: The Dark World. The sequence is set in Svartalfheim, during an alignment of the Nine Realms 5000 years ago, when Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) battled Odin's father, King Bor.
Once Marvel and Miller finalized the prologue concept, Blur artists immediately started creating a detailed pre-visualization to drive and direct the story, while simultaneously modeling assets. Having a previz roadmap took all of the guesswork out the live action shoot and helped keep the project on schedule. Miller along with Marvel's Executive Producer Craig Kyle and Editor Wyatt Smith oversaw the live action shoot in London, which featured performances by Eccleston and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who plays Algrim on green screen, while Blur's VFX Supervisor, Kevin Margo was supervising the CG battle sequences. The final sequence includes a total of 75 different shots, more than a third of which were completely CG, with digital humans seamlessly intercut with live action performers. The prologue was completed in just 12-weeks from concept to delivery.
"This project hit on so many sweet spots for Blur, combining live action performance with photo-real CG action, actors and sets," said Miller. "This was one of those projects where everything just lined up. Our vision for the prologue seemed to sync perfectly with what Marvel felt the film needed, and they were a great collaborator the whole way through."
As the prologue production was progressing successfully, Marvel also came to Blur to create the end credits for the film. Blur's Jennifer Miller, who oversees the company's design efforts, was the creative supervisor and art directed the sequence. The end titles highlight 35 different film vignettes reimagined as moving paintings in stereo 3D.
Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. Starring Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, while executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Craig Kyle and Nigel Gostelow. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Thor: The Dark World opens in theaters on November 8, 2013.