Over the weekend, Obsessed With Film was sent an email from an anonymous source claiming to have come into possession of a 08/04/2011 shooting draft script titled “Group Hug”. This is well known to be the secret production title of The Avengers, Marvel/Disney’s ensemble superhero movie that began filming on Easter Monday. The e-mail claimed the 129 page script bore the Marvel Studios letterhead and all the pages were watermarked with the name of the actor who the leaked script belongs too.

I was then asked to contact the source to ‘negotiate terms’.

Out of mild curiosity I asked for visual clarification that the script was real in the form of some photo’s (I was never going to make a serious offer, I just wanted to see which actor will get in trouble for letting his script go loose) and what returned was two images which clearly show the name SAMUEL L. JACKSON watermarked over it. Oops.

See both images of the script I was sent below;

Ok, so it’s clear this guy wasn’t lying.

I was then told by the contact;

I have one hard copy that I am looking to sell and I will not be making any copies, therefore exclusivity is guaranteed.

Considering that the release of The Avengers is over a year away this script should generate a substantial amount of traffic for the website that acquires it.

And of course he is right about the last bit. If I were to do a review of the new shooting script for The Avengers and it was exclusive to OWF, the boost in traffic would probably kill our server on that particular day but then what happens after that? Disney, one of the biggest corporations in the world will send me a cease and desist letter within 24 hours, the article will then be removed and we will be left with The Avengers script we paid several thousands of pounds for (I’m presuming that’s how much someone will pay but in reality I have no idea) that we can’t talk about.

Of course I would like to have The Avengers script in my hand. I would probably pay around £50 to read it right now simply for my own pleasure but there’s no way in hell I’m entering a bidding war for something that would only ever end in a C & D. There were several other websites CC’d in my original email and I imagine at least two dozen film sites bigger than OWF will be mulling over making an offer for the script… so it would be folly for me to consider playing that game.

Good luck to whomever does win the bidding rights to the script and remember, you could get £50 off me anytime you like for the chance to read it.

But the question to all OWF readers… How much would you pay to have the script for The Avengers on your desktop tomorrow? Or The Dark Knight Rises or Man of Steel? Just how desperate are you to see either film, what would it translate in cash to get the full script in your hands?

Just out of curiosity and be as honest as you can, how much would you pay?

Also, whilst I’m here, Marvel have released the first official image from the set of The Avengers which has been in production just over 48 hours. It’s hardly anything to write home about, however…

And the press release;

Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2″) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2″) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2″) as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Marvel’s The Avengers” brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston (“Wallander”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Angels & Demons,” “Mamma Mia!”) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature “Thor.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.

The creative production team also includes Oscar nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Atonement”), production designer James Chinlund (“25th Hour”), Oscar winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs (“Iron Man 2,” “The Matrix”), visual effects producer Susan Pickett (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2?), stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell (“Superman Returns”), and four-time Oscar nominated special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Iron Man,” “War of the Worlds”). The editors include Oscar nominated Paul Rubell (“Collateral”) and Jeffrey Ford (“Crazy Heart”).

Marvel Studios most recently produced “Iron Man 2″ which was released in theatres on May 7, 2010. The sequel to “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the number one spot its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million. To date the film has earned over $620 million in worldwide box office receipts.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies, “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey, Jr. originally dons the super hero’s powerful armor alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008 and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million its opening weekend and grossed over $571 million worldwide. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk” marking its second number one opener of that summer. The spectacular revival of the iconic green goliath grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office receipts.

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