Actor who played The Thing in Fantastic Four film series replaced with an inanimate rock named Jennifer during shooting
Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot, First Steps, goes the extra mile in creating iconic characters
Get ready to witness a unique approach to character creation in the upcoming Marvel Studios film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays the superpowered Ben Grimm aka The Thing, takes a surprising advantage in bringing his character to life. In an unprecedented move, for the Matt Shakman-helmed feature, a rock named "Jennifer" was roped in as a companion to help mold The Thing on screen.
You heard it right! According to Empire Magazine, the team went on a desert hunt and brought back a rock that closely resembled their imagined look for The Thing. This rock, Jennifer, made an appearance in every frame where The Thing does, under diverse lighting scenarios. The reason behind this rock's choice of name was left unexplained, seemingly an interesting secret reserved for the CGI animators. This practical stand-in lent a hand to the animators for coloring and lighting requirements that would support Moss-Bachrach's motion-capture performance[1][3][5]. It further helped maintain a authentic, less cartoonish look for The Thing.
Moss-Bachrach shared his thoughts on the massive team effort, "It's mind-boggling to think about all the hundreds of people working behind the scenes to animate this character. I just trusted them to make my performance even cooler. I'm really satisfied with how Ben looks."
Whilst Jennifer served up The Thing's rough exterior, the actor delved into the character's inner depths too. Moss-Bachrach related his connection to Grimm as a New York native, echoing the same roots as the character's creator, Jack Kirby. He channeled his emotions towards paying a heartfelt tribute to Ben's father, reflecting meaningfully for him[2].
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to premiere on July 25. Keep informed about the latest updates on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who right here[4].
[1] https://www.stuff.tv/news/the-fantastic-four-film-team-uses-a-rock-called-jennifer-as-practical-stand-in-for-thing/[2] https://www.movieweb.com/news/fantastic-four-first-man-planet-mars-movie-cast-732659[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2023/05/15/fantastic-four-first-steps-how-the-thing-was-brought-to-life/[4] https://www.io9.com/categories/movies/[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11944990/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv
With the upcoming premiere of Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, the CGI animation team took an unconventional approach in bringing the character, The Thing, to life.In a unique move, a rock named 'Jennifer' was used as a practical stand-in for The Thing, helping the animators with coloring and lighting requirements to create a more authentic and less cartoonish look for the character.While 'Jennifer' successfully portrayed the rough exterior of The Thing, actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm, focused on exploring his character's inner depths, channeling his emotions to pay a heartfelt tribute to Ben's father and drawing inspiration from the fact that the character's creator, Jack Kirby, is a fellow New York native.This creative blend of AI technology and practical effects, coupled with the deep commitment of the actors, promises an exciting blend of movies-and-tv entertainment from Disney's Marvel Studios.
