Continuing its strategy to independently develop and produce a new slate of feature films, Marvel Studios has signed director Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER 2, UNLEASHED) to helm a new big screen adaptation of THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK will return to the roots of the long-running comic series via a script from Zak Penn (X2, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND). The project is being produced by Avi Arad, president of production of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige and Gale Ann Hurd and will be exec produced by Michael Helfant, president/coo of Marvel Studios, and Ari Arad. Marvel Studios will begin casting immediately. No release date has been set.

"Leterrier has a tremendous passion for this genre and shares our vision for the new direction of the INCREDIBLE HULK franchise, one of the gems of the Marvel Universe," said Feige. "We are very excited to be working with such a talented director to bring one of our pre-eminent Super Hero franchises back to the big screen, and we are certain that he will bring the Hulk to life in a way that will appeal to a mass audience as well as the core superhero fan base."

Leterrier will be formally introduced during a Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con Int’l on Saturday, July 22.

Universal will distribute THE INCREDIBLE HULK domestically and in various international territories. This project, the second feature film to be produced independently by Marvel Ent., is expected to be financed through Marvel's $525 million revolving film financing facility.