After the 2003 film Hulk, Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the character, and writer Zak Penn began work on a loose sequel that would be much closer to the comics and the television series. Norton rewrote the script after he signed on to star, severing all ties to its predecessor by retelling the origin story in flashbacks and revelations, thereby establishing the film as a reboot. Leterrier's direction aimed to make the monsters look more realistic and frightening. He redesigned Blonsky's monstrous gamma-irradiated form — called the Abomination in the comics — from a reptilian humanoid into a mutated man with bony protrusions. Filming mostly took place in Toronto, Canada in 2007, where the production attempted to be environmentally friendly.