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Tuesday, November 10
Brett Ratner is tired of defending his directorial work in X-Men: The Last Stand, but fans continue to wonder what might have been if Bryan Singer had finished his X-Men trilogy, instead of defecting to Superman Returns. Michael Dougherty, the screenwriter for X2: X-Men United who joined Singer's defection, explained his ideas for X3 to Slashfilm in a recent podcast (transcribed by TheGeekFiles).
You found out was that Phoenix [(Famke Janssen)] was going round the world taking things into her own hands and that she had basically returned as a god, which they did in X3. She had viewed herself as above the conflict, that she was here to end things on her terms, she was sick of the fighting andshe was going to take things into her own hands and she did not give a s**t what the X-Men or the Brotherhood had to say about it.
And ultimately the way it was going to end, at least the version I was pushing for ... she kind of becomes that cosmic force that Phoenix is known to be, she leaves Earth and becomes a god, or at least a higher level of intelligence, and she goes into the cosmos possibly to kick-start life somewhere else. The final scene for me would have been her telling Cyclops [(James Marsden)] or her telling the X-Men "I'll be watching."
Dougherty also planned a different outcome for Rogue (Anna Paquin).
The whole point of Rogue's character is that she is supposed to come to terms with who she is and also I don't think it's good to tell girls "Yeah you should change yourselves so you can get a guy."
Instead The Last Stand saw Rogue lose her powers, Cyclops die, and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) kill Phoenix, all to the disappointment of the fans.
You can check out the entire podcast here.
Posted 11/10/2009 by Ryan
Related: Anna Paquin | Bryan Singer | Famke Janssen | Hugh Jackman | James Marsden | X-Men: The Last Stand | Michael Dougherty | X2: X-Men United
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Thursday, October 15
Fans of the X-Men are familiar with the evolution of the trilogy: X-Men was good, X2: X-Men United was terrific, and X-Men: The Last Stand just plain sucked. Last Stand's director, Brett Ratner, has heard all the criticism and is sick of it.
You can't make these people happy. I'm kind of the anti-Christ to these comic book geeks. Every single person that wrote s**t went to see that movie multiple times because a movie doesn't gross $200 something million unless people go to see it more than once. Every single person who said, "I'm never seeing that movie," they were the first ones there.
Calling the fan base of your movie "geeks" isn't the most courteous of expressions, but his frustration is somewhat understandable since Last Stand did make $234 million in the U.S. alone and, ultimately, $460 million worldwide. It also cost $210 million to make, so it's not as impressive a profit margin as Ratner would have readers believe. If box office is the sole measure of a movie's success or failure, X2 was more profitable, with Last Stand barely surpassing The X-Men. Not that it matters to Ratner, who still considers his effort a triumph.
If I buried the franchise how the f**k did they make a Wolverine? I mean, that's ridiculous. And they're making three other f**king X-Men movies. Mine kept the franchise alive!
X-Men "geeks" will likely disagree with that statement, and could point out that the success of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is keeping the franchise alive. Also, it might be mentioned that Fox has to continue to developing X-Men movies or else the rights revert back to Marvel Entertainment.
Posted 10/15/2009 by Ryan
Related: Brett Ratner | X-Men: The Last Stand | X-Men | X2: X-Men United | X-Men Origins: Wolverine
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Thursday, October 8
With the sheer number of X-Men movies currently in some state of production — X-Men: First Class, Deadpool, X-Men Origins: Magneto, Wolverine 2, and possibly even X-Men 4 — it's no wonder that Rebecca Romijn wants her own spin-off. Romijn told Showbizspy that she'd be ready to get back into the blue makeup of her X-Men character Mystique in, say, a year or so.
If they talk to me in a year when I have worked off more of the baby weight, we'll see, but I've still got a couple of pounds to go. It's a great idea but no one's talked to me about it yet.
Romijn recently had twins with husband Jerry O'Connell and admits she isn't "back to the shape I was in beforehand," but with all the X-Men movies potentially being made, Romijn may have plenty of time before Mystique is asked to return.
What do you think? Would you like a Mystique spin-off? Let us know in the comments section.
Posted 10/8/2009 by Ryan
Related: Rebecca Romijn-Stamos | X-Men: The Last Stand | X-Men | X2: X-Men United
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Sunday, September 27
Joss Whedon thinks Ellen Page, who played Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand, should get her own X-Men movie. But despite the variety of X-Men movies in various stages of production, no Page-centric movie has been planned.
For X-Men fans hoping Page might be included in the "young X-Men" world of X-Men: First Class, Page told MTV that she's not been keeping up with the X-Men universe.
I don't even know what it is, so I couldn't tell you. I think Kitty Pryde's rad, so who knows what will happen. I have no idea, though. I'm not saying that as Internet innuendo.There's truly nothing happening.
Page may not know what First Class is, but her Last Stand co-star Anna Pacquin stated that she wants to reprise her role as Rogue in First Class. X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner maintains that no role in First Class has been cast.
Posted 9/27/2009 by Ryan
Related: Ellen Page | Joss Whedon | X-Men: The Last Stand | X-Men: First Class
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Monday, August 31
Director Matthew Vaughn is a huge comic book fan, as his upcoming Kick-Ass adaptation hopes to prove. However, Vaughn has left more superhero movies than he's made, having abandoned both Thor and X-Men: The Last Stand.
But that doesn't mean that Vaughn isn't ready for more. Vaughn told MTV about two projects he's hoping to direct:
I grew up watching superhero films, so I want to make superhero films. I was desperate to do Iron Man about 8 years ago, and everyone was like, "Iron Man, no one will go watch that." Cut to now, and it's a huge hit. [I'd] love to do The Avengers. And Superman ... I think it would be great to reinvent Superman.
Of course, Jon Favreau directed Iron Man, and he's also been discussed as the potential director for The Avengers. In fact, Favreau feels that The Avengers might keep the Iron Man series from falling into predictability:
...The Avengers might be the thing that helps rescue us from the inevitable sequel slump that you get into, because you're throwing everything on its ear. It might be a failed experiment or it might be something wonderful, but it allows you to add complexity in an organic way where you're culminating with something bigger, as opposed to trying to play out and not repeat the same story over and over again.
Vaughn might have a better chance at the next Superman, though James McTeigue has been strongly rumored to be directing the project.
Posted 8/31/2009 by Ryan
Related: Jon Favreau | X-Men: The Last Stand | Superman Returns | Iron Man | Superman: The Man of Steel | Thor | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers | Matthew Vaughn | Kick-Ass
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Monday, August 24
Bryan Singer may be setting himself up to direct both a Battlestar Galatica and an Excalibur remake, but Variety reports that Singer is also "flirting with directing" X-Men: First Class, the spin-off written by The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz that would follow the adventures of a teenage incarnation of the X-Men team.
Singer has admitted that he regrets leaving X-Men: The Last Stand and has even mentioned interest in directing X-Men Origins:Magneto, though he cited Magneto's Nazi back story as a possible deal breaker, considering the amount of Nazi-related movies on Singer's resume already. That may be the reason Singer is turning his attention to First Class.
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said, "Nothing would please me more than to bring Bryan on for another [X-Men] movie," and considering the amount of movies being lined up, like Deadpool and possibly a Gambit movie, there should be another X-Men project for Singer should he pass on X-Men: First Class."
And despite all those other projects in the works, Singer's next feature may end up being Jack the Giant Killer, a riff on Jack and the Beanstalk about a boy who travels to the land of giants to rescue a princess.
Posted 8/24/2009 by Ryan
Related: Bryan Singer | Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men: The Last Stand | Battlestar Galactica | Excalibur | X-Men Origins: Magneto | Deadpool | X-Men: First Class | Josh Schwartz
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Wednesday, August 5
The X-Men franchise was on a real streak until Brett Ratner replaced Bryan Singer for X-Men: The Last Stand. While plenty of X-Men movies are in the works, including a X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel, a Deadpool spin-off, X-Men: First Class, and possibly X-Men Origins: Magneto, no X-Men 4 has been announced. Singer has hinted at a return to the franchise, while Ratner told MTV that he won't direct another X-Men ... and then quickly ammending that he might:
The thing with the X-Men universe is, I feel like I've already done it. Certain things I would go after, and certain things only if the script is great.
First Ratner feels like he's "done it," then he says "only if the script is great." Don't forget, this is the director of all three Rush Hour movies. Clearly, sequels are not an issue:
I heard a rumor that they were going to do a young X-Men [X-Men: First Class], which would be great. I would love to see a Magneto movie personally, because I love the Holocaust backstory. I'd love to see a Storm movie, too.
Basically, if you write it, Ratner will make it. So who would Ratner pick to make another X-Men?
I'd love to see [Steven] Spielberg do it. A Spielberg X-Men movie would be something I'd love to see.
Posted 8/5/2009 by Ryan
Related: Brett Ratner | Steven Spielberg | Rush Hour | Rush Hour 2 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Rush Hour 3 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men Origins: Magneto | X-Men: First Class
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Friday, June 26
Marvel Entertainment seems to be on a good run after the success of Iron Man, with production moving along on the sequel Iron Man 2, as well as Thor and The First Avenger: Captain America. All those movies will tie together in 2012's The Avengers, in what is projected to be the start of a huge blockbuster franchise. No one is more aware of the expectations on The Avengers than its screenwriter, Zak Penn, who warned the crowd attending a Los Angeles Film Festival panel:
It's hard to make a good movie. We all have the best intentions, and it still might suck.
Penn is no stranger to writing ensemble superhero movies, having penned X2: X-Men united and X-Men: The Last Stand, but making several movies fit together into one is a challenge:
I'm taking a meeting next week with the Thor and Captain America people, and we are all going to get together, and I will see what is going to happen. I'll see where they are leaving the characters; it's pretty complicated.... There's a board that is tracking what is happening. [We'll see] how this movie overlaps in that movie...
What gives Penn confidence, however, is working for Marvel, who is making the Avengers movies with its own production studio:
Marvel is autonomous now. It is night and day: Everyone has read every comic. They know how to make a cool movie.
Next Showing: The Avengers opens May 4, 2012
Posted 6/26/2009 by Ryan
Related: X-Men: The Last Stand | X2: X-Men United | Iron Man | Thor | Iron Man 2 | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers
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Tuesday, June 2
X-Men trilogy actor Shawn Ashmore has already stated that he thinks a X-Men 4 is impossible, however with the success of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a renewed interest in the X-Men franchise has surfaced, particularly from X-Men / X2: X-Men United director Bryan Singer, who left X-Men: The Last Stand to direct Superman Returns but told Britain's Total Film Magazine that he regrets the decision:
It's weird for me to watch [X-Men: The Last Stand], because I'm so close to the universe. I'm eternally intertwined with X-Men now. What takes an audience four hours to watch -- the first two movies -- took six years of my life. So, to not be part of it ... It's a shame.
Singer went on to say that he may be interested in another prequel, namely X-Men Origins: Magneto:
Possibly. The only thing that concerns me about Magneto is that if the prequel were to follow the track I used in X-Men, which is Magneto's history in the concentration camp, then I've lived in that world. Apt Pupil, X-Men and now Valkyrie ... I've lived in that Nazi universe for quite a while. I just might need to take a little breakbefore I do something like that.
If Magneto is a little too much, there's always X-Men 4. Ashmore wouldn't complain. Neither would Wolverine producer Lauren Shuler Donner who has mentioned that she would love for Singer to return and direct almost any X-Men movie.
Posted 6/2/2009 by Ryan
Related: Bryan Singer | Lauren Shuler Donner | Shawn Ashmore | Apt Pupil | X-Men: The Last Stand | X-Men | X2: X-Men United | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Valkyrie | X-Men Origins: Magneto
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Monday, May 4
After X-Men Origins: Wolverine's huge opening weekend, it's no surprise that Hugh Jackman's co-stars from the original X-Men trilogy would like to follow in Jackman's footsteps. Halle Berry told WENN would like her character Storm to have her own X-Men Origins movie:
I think that would be great. Storm deserves her own movie -- if I can still fit into the suit.
Shawn Ashmore, Iceman in the X-Men movies, told SciFiWire that he is "contracted" for another X-Men and would "absolutely love to play that character again." However, Ashmore hopes to break into one of the X-Men Origins movies since he doesn't believe X-Men 4 will ever happen:
As far as an X4, that's been debated and talked about forever. I don't think an X-Men 4 will happen, and that's my opinion. That's not anything I've heard from anybody official. I just know how tough it was to get everybody together scheduling-wise for [X-Men: The Last Stand]. There's just so many major actors involved. I think that's just such a challenge.
Ashmore feels there's little chance for Iceman in X-Men: First Class as well:
I heard rumors about a young-X-Men movie, and then I heard it was going to be something taking place in the past. So even though Iceman and Bobby Drake are a big part storyline-wise, the way that they set up that character in the series, he's much younger than the other characters. I'm just not sure how realistic that would be. Clearly I'm getting older, so if they were to do that, I'm sure that they would cast a younger actor.
If Wolverine keeps up its tremendous success, Fox will likely make any and all X-Men related movies.
Posted 5/4/2009 by Ryan
Related: Halle Berry | Hugh Jackman | Shawn Ashmore | X-Men: The Last Stand | X-Men | X2: X-Men United | X-Men Origins: Wolverine