Is there some Phantom of the Opera-type figure

lurking in a gloomy belfry above Warner Bros. headquarters, greenlighting scripts?
It would be explain the rash of upcoming WB movies with facially disfigured protagonists, from Freddy Krueger to Frank Langella's baddie in The box to Jonah hex, the grue-visaged comic-book gunslinger who's finally getting his own vehicle.

"Most people don't know who this guy is, so there's not a whole lot of expectation," says Josh brolin, who plays Hex. "What I like is that he's hybrid of different generes. Y'know, there's a Western aspect and a supernatural aspect. I believe that's what attracted this kind of talent to the project."

He gestures around the table we're sitting at, the array of faces proving his "talent" point. There's Megan fox, idly rubbing her famous Marilyn Monroe Tattoo; there's Michael fassbender, laidback in designer shades; there's director Jimmy Hyward, the one-time ToyStory animator who's shepherding the project.

Fassbender, who has a great double-act routine going with Brolin, plays the movie's most twisted villain, prostitute-killer Burke. He's bad news for Fox's hooker love interest, Leila, who clashes with Burke in a fight reshot just days before Comic-Con.

"Megan got thrown all over the room, then Michael kicked a door down and they threw knives at each over. It was a really fun night," chuckles Hayward. "I got a big blister," sighs Fox.

Here's hoping the crackerjack camaraderie between the team will traslate to fireworks onscreen. Not that the screen will be short of actual fireworks.

"You're going to see Josh firing a 40-foot flamethrower, barbecuing a bunch of stunt men," promises Hayward. "We blew up the ship. We blew up a train. We blew up a town!"