Edward Norton's Weird 'Leaves of Grass' Trailer

I watched this trailer with the best of intentions, but my gut feeling is Edward Norton playing twin will wipe out an audience pretty quickly. Part of it is the accent he's developed to play an Oklahoma drug dealer and the rest of it...well, you'll see.

The latest film from writer-director-actor Tim Blake Nelson, Leaves of Grass, looks a lot like a broad comedy, but it does have a dark undertone to it. That's not always an easy sell, although I'll admit that sometimes it can work out pretty well. Norton plays twins, one a college professor, one a drug dealer. The drug dealer gets shot, Mr. Teacher Man has to go home to clean up the mess. But it's messier than he ever thought. Nelson's a great guy and a talented filmmaker (check out O), but I don't have high hopes for this one, no pun intended.

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If There's a 'Hulk' Sequel, It Has a Villain

Telling MTV that he and Edward Norton joked about The Incredible Hulk "a little bit" while making their upcoming drama, Leaves of Grass, actor-writer-director Tim Blake Nelson confirmed that he's a go for any Hulk sequels that come along.“Well, I’m signed on to do Hulk 2 and 3 whether Edward’s there or not, so it’s not even up to me,” said Nelson, addressing rumors that Norton wouldn't be asked back by Marvel. “When I agreed to do Hulk, I signed off for two sequels, so it’s a moot question. I certainly hope Edward is on the sequel — but that’s up to Marvel and Edward.”If you'll remember, Nelson played Dr. Samuel Sterns in the summer comic book reboot. That character later becomes The Leader in the comics, and it sounds like he may factor in to the film series, too, if Nelson is on board for two sequels. “Oh, I already did [research into The Leader] when I was doing Sterns, because I felt that it would be helpful to lay in stuff as Sterns for what The Leader would be,” he explained.But this all raises a practical question: Why in the world would Marvel make a Hulk sequel anytime soon? Don't get me wrong, I genuinely liked the new version of the film, but it failed to generate the kind of box office Marvel desperately needs it to. It didn't double its budget even with the international box office, the second time in five years that's been the case for this character. And with a lot of resources going toward The Avengers in 2011, does it make sense to follow a storyline that audiences just haven't rallied around?As of yet, there's no guarantee it will happen, but Marvel has seem undeterred by the franchise's lackluster performance. "I’m eager to do Hulk 2," Nelson insisted, "if they make it.”