2005 MAN-THING Sci-Fi Horror Comic Book Movie

Man-Thing is a 2005 monster film based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. Directed by Brett Leonard and written by Hans Rodionoff, it stars Matthew Le Nevez, Rachael Taylor, and Jack Thompson, with Conan Stevens portraying the title character. The film follows a Louisiana sheriff (Le Nevez) as he investigates a series of deaths in a swamp, leading to him encountering a Seminole legend come to life, the Man-Thing, a shambling swamp-monster whose touch burns those who feel fear.
Originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States, the film premiered on the Sci Fi Channel on April 30, 2005. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb. grossing out $1 million from a small release in international theaters.
The characters portrayed by Mammone, Zappa, and director Leonard are named after Mike Ploog, Steve Gerber, and Val Mayerik, who all worked on the Man-Thing comic. A photo of Man-Thing co-creator Stan Lee can be seen on the board of "Missing People" who have been presumably killed by the Man-Thing.
In 2000, Marvel Entertainment entered into a joint venture agreement with Artisan Entertainment to turn at least 15 Marvel superhero franchises into live-action films, television series, direct-to-video films and internet projects. These franchises included an adaptation of the Man-Thing. Plans to make a film about the character were first announced in 2001. It was variously considered for a direct-to-video release, or a theatrical release. After the success of Stephen Norrington's Blade (1998), Bryan Singer's X-Men (2000), M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable (2000) and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002) the film was moved to a theatrical release to exploit on the success of superheroes.
On October 27, 2003, it was reported that Artisan Entertainment, which had partnered with Marvel Enterprises in the production of Man-Thing and The Punisher films, was being purchased by Lionsgate Films. In February 2004, the film production and distribution company Lionsgate merged with Artisan Entertainment and received the film rights to Iron Fist, the Black Widow, the Man-Thing and the Punisher. In January 2004, producer Avi Arad said that the Man-Thing was more of a departure from the original comic than were Marvel's other film characters in that it was a horror film with a menacing central character. In April 2004, the film had been completed, with the finished print received and waiting to be tested with audiences, after which an exact release date would be determined. The film was rated R for violence, grisly images, language and some sexuality by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
Avi Arad, then CEO of Marvel Studios, admitted that it was a mistake not keeping tabs on the production, as it was being filmed so far away in Australia. He stated "The one hiccup we had was the one project we didn't micromanage. We were not going to the Outback, there was so much going on. We will never do that again. We should never have trusted anybody that far away without our supervision. Thankfully it was a small movie and not a disaster. If we were there and on top of it, it would have been a[n] amazing movie. I look at the [horror] genre, and I think 'Sh--, I can't believe this'. We've learned our lesson.
While the film was released direct to television in North America, it played theatrically in three international markets where it accumulated $1,123,136 in box office grosses. On April 28, 2005, Man-Thing opened in Russia and four other Post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Moldova. The film opened on October 26, 2005, in the United Arab Emirates. Finally, the film opened in Spain on March 3, 2006.