Norton Hulks out

From Empire, With a new trailer imminent and the actual movie less than four months away, Universal has provided us with two exclusive new shots from The Incredible Hulk, which both appear in the new issue of Empire, on sale from Friday. You can click the images below for a closer look.

The first image shows Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, on the verge of some major hulking out. The second gives the first look at William Hurt as General Ross.

We also spoke to the director Louis Letterier, who filled us in on what to expect from the return of the big green meanie.

"We didn't want to make a cerebral movie," he says of comparisons to Ang Lee's earlier film. "We wanted full action, Hulk smashing stuff up. But Ed Norton's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas – Marvel has always made their superhero movies with great actors to make it tangible and Ed has nailed it here. Admittedly, I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie, it doesn't just have to appeal to 13-year-old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods, so there's a classical undercurrent to Bruce's psycho-drama. It's Prometheus, Pandora's Box, Hercules...but with explosions!" That's what we always felt was missing in the Greek myths.