Hulk (also known as The Hulk) is a 2003 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Produced by Universal Pictures in association with Marvel Enterprises, Valhalla Motion Pictures, and Good Machine, and distributed by Universal, it was directed by Ang Lee and written by John Turman, James Schamus, and Michael France, from a story conceived by Schamus. The film stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner and Hulk, alongside Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte. The film explores Bruce Banner's origins. After a lab accident involving gamma radiation, he transforms into a giant green-skinned humanoid with superhuman strength known as the Hulk whenever stressed or emotionally provoked. The United States military pursues him, and he clashes with his biological father, who has dark plans for his son.
Development started in 1990. At one time, Joe Johnston and then Jonathan Hensleigh were to direct. Hensleigh, John Turman, Michael France, Zak Penn, J. J. Abrams, Michael Tolkin, David Hayter, and Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski wrote more scripts before Ang Lee and James Schamus's involvement. The project was filmed primarily in California from March to August 2002, mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Hulk was released by Universal Pictures on June 20, 2003. The film grossed $245.4 million worldwide and received mixed reviews upon release, with reviewers praising the cast's performances and Lee's directing but criticising the slow pace and length. It has since received retrospective praise for its departure from conventional comic book film tropes. A planned sequel which would have been released in May 2005 was repurposed as a reboot titled The Incredible Hulk and released on June 13, 2008, as the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Plot
At the end of the 1960s, David Banner is a genetics researcher for the government trying to improve human DNA and he experiments on himself. After his wife Edith gives birth to their son, Bruce Banner, David realizes Bruce inherited his mutant DNA and attempts to find a cure. In 1974, David's supervisor, Colonel Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, shuts down his research after learning of his dangerous experiments; in a fit of psychotic rage, David rigs Desert Base's gamma reactor to explode as revenge. Believing he is dangerous, David tries to kill Bruce but accidentally murders Edith when she gets between them and tries to stop David; the trauma causes the subconscious suppression of Bruce's early childhood memories. Ross arrests and sends David to a mental hospital, putting the 4-year-old Bruce into foster care. Mrs. Krenzler adopts him, and Bruce assumes the surname, growing up believing his birth parents are dead.
Thirty years later, Bruce is a brilliant scientist working at the Berkeley Lab with his ex-girlfriend and Ross's estranged daughter, Betty Ross. Representing the private research company Atheon, the shady Glenn Talbot becomes interested in the scientists' nanomeds research to create regenerating soldiers for the military-industrial complex. David reappears as a janitor in the lab building to infiltrate Bruce's life. The now-General Ross investigates, becoming concerned for Betty's safety around Bruce.
Bruce saves a colleague named Harper from an accident with a malfunctioning gammasphere. Bruce awakens in a hospital bed and tells Betty he feels better than ever, but Betty cannot fathom his survival since the nanomeds killed everything else; unknown to them, the radiation merged with Bruce's altered DNA. Later, David meets Bruce, revealing their relationship and hinting at Bruce's mutation. He later uses samples of Bruce's DNA for animal experimentation. At the lab, Bruce realizes that David is his father, triggering flashes of his repressed traumatic memories. Increasing rage from the realization activates his gamma-radiated DNA; he becomes the Hulk and demolishes the lab. Betty finds Bruce, who barely remembers the previous night, unconscious in his home the following day. Ross arrives later to question Bruce and, after hours of interrogation, seizes the lab and places him under house arrest. Betty locates David and investigates him. David calls Bruce that night, revealing he mutated his three dogs and sent them to attack Betty, enraging Bruce. Bemoaning the lab's destruction, Talbot attacks Bruce, who transforms into the Hulk once again and injures Talbot and Ross's MPs. The Hulk finds Betty in her forest cabin, saves her from the dogs, and changes back.
Betty calls Ross the following day; the army tranquilizes and takes Bruce to Desert Base. Deeming him doomed to follow in David's footsteps, Ross doubts helping Bruce, but Betty persuades Ross to let her try. David subjects himself to the nanomeds and gamma sphere, becoming able to meld with and absorb the properties of anything he touches. Talbot wrestles control from Ross, forcing Betty to return home. Seeking to profit from the Hulk's power, Talbot fails to provoke Bruce and puts him in an isolation tank. David confronts Betty at her house, offering to surrender himself yet asking to speak to Bruce "one last time." Talbot induces a nightmare from Bruce's repressed memories and triggers a transformation. Following an unsuccessful attempt to take a sample of the Hulk, Talbot gets himself killed when he fires an explosive round that backfires; Ross resumes command. The Hulk escapes the base, battles the army in the desert, and leaps to San Francisco to find Betty. She convinces Ross to take her to the Hulk, returning Bruce to normal.
Bruce and David talk at a base in the city while Ross watches, threatening to incinerate them. David has descended into megalomania, wanting Bruce's power to stabilize his unstable molecules so he may successfully destroy all his enemies. After Bruce refuses, David bites into a high-voltage cable when Ross powers it, absorbing the energy and mutating into a powerful electrical entity. Bruce becomes the Hulk and fights and overpowers him; they are presumed dead after Ross orders a Gamma Charge Bomb to end the battle. A year later, Ross constantly monitors Betty, as numerous Hulk sightings get reported, and reconciles with her. In exile in the Amazon Rainforest, Bruce is alive as a medical camp doctor. His camp gets overrun by soldiers who try to steal their supplies; after Bruce unsuccessfully warns their commander not to make him angry, the Hulk roars in rage.
Cast
- Eric Bana as Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A gamma radiation research scientist. After exposure to elevated gamma radiation levels, he becomes an enormous, green, monster humanoid and muscular when enraged or agitated, and also has the ability to grow larger in size and become stronger when angered in his Hulk form. He is legally known as Bruce Krenzler throughout the film. Bana was cast in October 2001, signing for an additional two sequels. Ang Lee felt obliged to cast Bana upon seeing Chopper and first approached the actor in July 2001. Other actors heavily pursued the role. Bana was also in heavy contention for Ghost Rider but lost out to Nicolas Cage. Bana explained, "I was obsessed with the TV show. I was never a huge comic book reader when I was a kid but was completely obsessed with the television show." It was widely reported Billy Crudup turned down the role. Johnny Depp and Steve Buscemi were reportedly under consideration for the lead. David Duchovny and Jeff Goldblum auditioned for the role.[1] Edward Norton, who went on to play Bruce in The Incredible Hulk, expressed interest in the role but turned it down as he was disappointed with the script. Tom Cruise was also offered the role but he turned it down.- Michael and David Kronenberg as young Bruce Banner
- Mike Erwin as teenage Bruce Banner
- Ang Lee provided the motion capture and voice acting of Hulk.
- Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross:
Bruce's ex-girlfriend and colleague, General Ross's estranged daughter, and possibly the only one who can make the Hulk revert into Bruce. Director Ang Lee attracted Connelly to the role. "He's not talking about a guy running around in green tights and a glossy fun-filled movie for kids. He's talking along the lines of tragedy and psychodrama. I find it interesting, the green monster of rage and greed, jealousy and fear in all of us."- Rhiannon Leigh Wryn as young Betty Ross
- Sam Elliott as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross:
A four-star general and Betty's estranged father. Ross was responsible for prohibiting David Banner from his lab work after learning of his dangerous experiments. Elliot said his performance was similar to his portrayal of Basil L. Plumley in We Were Soldiers. Elliott accepted the role without reading the script, being excited to work with Ang Lee, and researched Hulk comic books for the part.- Todd Tesen as young Thaddeus Ross
- Josh Lucas as Glenn Talbot:
A ruthless and arrogant former soldier who has a history with Betty. He offers Bruce and Betty a chance to work for him at the research company Atheon and make self-healing super soldiers. - Nick Nolte as David Banner:
Bruce's mentally unstable biological father who's also a genetics research scientist. He spent several years locked away for causing a gamma reactor explosion and accidentally killing his wife, Edith. David eventually gains absorbing powers, reminiscent of the comic book character Absorbing Man, which first appeared in the film's early scripts. At one point, he also becomes a towering creature composed of electricity, reminiscent of Zzzax, one of the Hulk's enemies in the comic series. Nolte agreed to participate in the film when Lee described the project as a "Greek tragedy."- Paul Kersey as young David Banner
- Cara Buono as Edith Banner:
Bruce's biological mother, whom he cannot remember. She is heard but mostly appears in Bruce's nightmares. - Celia Weston as Mrs. Krenzler:
Bruce's adoptive mother, who cared for him after Edith's death and David's incarceration. - Kevin Rankin as Harper:
Bruce's colleague, whom he saved from the gamma radiation.
Stan Lee, who co-created Hulk, and Lou Ferrigno, who portrayed the character in the 1970s series, make cameo appearances as security guards. Johnny Kastl and Daniel Dae Kim have small roles as soldiers.
Release
Marketing
A 70-second teaser trailer debuted in theaters with the release of Spider-Man on May 3, 2002. This trailer was later attached to the home video releases of The Scorpion King. Universal Pictures spent $2.1 million to market the film in a 30-second television spot during Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003. A new trailer would premiere on February 14, 2003, in front of Daredevil's screenings. Another trailer debuted on May 2, 2003 with the opening of X2. Just weeks before the film's release, several workprints leaked on the Internet. The public already criticized the visual and special effects, although it was not the film's final editing cut. The film received a novelization written by Hulk comic writer, Peter David. The tie-in Hulk video game was developed by Radical Entertainment and released by Vivendi Universal Games on May 28, 2003, and features a narrative that acts as a sequel to the film.
For the promotional campaign, Universal hired Nabisco, Post Consumer Brands, Pepsi, Hershey's, Kraft Foods, Conagra Brands, Glad, and Snack Foods Limited.
Home media
Hulk was released on VHS and DVD on October 28, 2003 in the United States and on November 17, 2003 in the United Kingdom. The DVD includes behind-the-scenes footage, enhanced viewing options that allow users to manipulate a 3-D Hulk model, and cast and crew commentaries. The film earned $61.2 million in DVD sales during 2003. Hulk was released on HD DVD on December 12, 2006, on Blu-ray on September 16, 2008, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray on July 9, 2019.
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