Kenneth Johnson talks “Hulk”
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
Those who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s know Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Writer-director-producer Kenneth Johnson’s take on “The Incredible Hulk” is probably still the best-known, and inspired the current Edward Norton film. Johnson was the creative force behind the 1970s TV series starring Bill Bixby and Ferrigno.
Seasons three and four of “The Incredible Hulk” were released this month on DVD.
Johnson is more excited about director Louis Letterier’s take on the Hulk, out today in theaters, than Ang Lee’s 2003 film.
“We felt like they had missed the whole point of what I had tried to do in the series. It was a bunch of movies that didn’t quite come together,” Johnson said. “I’m a fan of (director) Ang Lee’s work, but I just think he was just miscast for that one.”
The second film is much more similar to Johnson’s series.
“I was talking to a friend of mine in Brazil who was their production manager down there for their Amazonian shoot, and he said, ‘Oh, Kenny, it’s much more like your original.’”
While Johnson is best-known for his work in the superhero and sci-fi genres, that’s not where he initially planned to make his mark.
“I had been trained at Carnegie Mellon, which is a theater school. All my training had been in the classics,” Johnson said. “Then, you create the ‘Bionic Woman,’ and the view that Hollywood has of you begins to narrow down.”
After the success of “The Bionic Woman,” Johnson was asked to pitch a show based on a Marvel Comics character of his choice.
He wasn’t originally interested, but in the process of reading “Les Miserables,” the fugitive concept appealed to him. He began to think about applying that idea to “The Incredible Hulk,” as well as playing up the Jekyll-and-Hyde elements.
“I could turn it into a psychological drama,” he said.
He asked for control over casting, and brought in Bill Bixby as David (not Bruce) Banner, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. “The Incredible Hulk” became a hit, running on television for five seasons.
“My pilot was released in Europe as a theatrical feature, and it was the top-grossing movie in Europe for two months,” Johnson said.
Johnson grew up in Arkansas, but has some ties to Oklahoma.
“When I was a kid, my dad was in the Army Reserve. Every summer, for some years, we would spend some time at Fort Sill,” Johnson said. “He lived in Tulsa for a time, so I have ties to Oklahoma.”
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