Joe Johnston Says that "Captain America" is in Prep

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

"The Wolfman" director Joe Johnston has begun press rounds for that movie, and of course everyone's asking about his next film--Marvel Studios' "Captain America." Johnston tells Film Journal some details about the film, including how it will look and what time period it will take place.

According to Film Journal: With "The First Avenger: Captain America" rumored to begin filming later this year, further details about the story have begun to emerge. "Captain America" director Joe Johnston has recently revealed that the film will begin in the 1940s and ignore the influence of the '60s and '70s "Captain America" comics.

Said Johnston: “Presently, the plan is to begin the film's action in 1942 & 1943 during the Second World War then forward to what they're doing with Captain America now... The stuff in the ’60s and ’70s [comic books] we're sort of avoiding."

Johnston also elaborated on the current status of the film's production.

Said Johnston: "We're in prep. We have Rick Heinrichs, who is production-designing, and we're set up down in Manhattan Beach [California]. It's the part of the process that I love the most. We have eight or 10 really talented artists, and we all just sit around all day and draw pictures... It's that phase of the production where money doesn't matter."

Johnston has some experience directing the WWII era from “The Rocketeer,” but he will need more than that if “Captain America” will be a success. “The Wolfman” has had a troubled production history, and if it bombs, there will be questions about Johnston and his ability to deliver a winner for Marvel.

Although I think one shouldn't judge the quality of Johnston's “Captain America” based on the strength of “The Wolfman,” it will be hard to ignore if it is critically panned or doesn’t make a boatload of money.

The film will go into production later this year for a July 22, 2011 release.