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Saturday, October 17
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner admitted to Empire that Wolverine 2 is the "furthest along of all the X-Men projects on the boil." The sequel will be an adaptation of a Wolverine solo comic book series from the 1980s that follows Wolverine as he travels to meet an old flame in Japan.
It's actually the story we wanted to use for the first Wolverine film, but [Fox head honcho] Tom Rothman preferred to set the character up with an origin story first. This movie will really focus on the relationship between Wolverine and Mariko, the daughter of a Japanese crime lord, and what happens to him in Japan. We're very fortunate to have a story mostly outlined for us [from the comic book arc co-written by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller].
Shuler Donner believes the movie will also be shot in Japan and is hoping "to have the Japanese Fox executives involved in helping and counseling us" in order to maintain authenticity. She says even screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie is "in Japan in his head." But what will really impress fans is the fighting, with Wolverine taking on both the Yakuza and a ninja clan called the Hand.
What's cool about this part of the saga is that Wolverine will be fighting in a different style to what we've seen before. Mariko's father has this stick-like weapon, so Wolverine will have to fight against that. There'll be samurai, ninja, katana blades, different forms of martial arts - mano-a-mano, extreme fighting. We're going to come up with a new style of fighting. It's going to be awesome.
Posted 10/17/2009 by Ryan
Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Christopher McQuarrie | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Wolverine 2
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Friday, October 16
Ryan Reynolds' screen time in X-Men Origins: Wolverine may have been brief, but it was effective enough to get a Deadpool movie spin-off in the works.
For those without the DVD, Trailer Addict has posted the bonus featurette in which Reynolds discusses the character. Interwoven thoughout is nearly all the Deadpool footage from the movie, including the Easter egg post-credits ending that played in select theaters.
Posted 10/16/2009 by Ryan
Related: X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Ryan Reynolds | Deadpool
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Thursday, October 15
Though South African director Gavin Hood's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was beset with troubles, from rumors of frequent arguments with Fox executives to the very real leak of an unfinished cut, the fourth chapter in the X-Men franchise was undoubtedly successful, grossing in excess of $370 million worldwide. Often criticized by fans for his tinkering with the origin of Logan/Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and the character's relationship with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), Hood recently told Rotten Tomatoes that changing the script was essential.
In the original script they were not half-brothers. There was some resistance to that, because in the world of the comics there's only a small suggestion in one particular comic that Victor Creed and Wolverine may well be half-brothers. I just gravitated to that. Just having one good guy versus bad guy, with no emotional connection just felt like "Whoa — you'll have nothing but punching and kicking." That was a way to build up the emotional power of the film.
Hood is the logical choice to direct the planned sequel, but he said that he had "no idea" if he would be asked to return.
All that's happened at the moment is that the studio has just commissioned the script for Wolverine 2 to be written. Whether that film will ever get made will depend on many factors — whether the studio likes the script, whether they find a director who responds to the script. Might that be me? Sure, I'd be extremely interested and thrilled if they were to send it to me.
Posted 10/15/2009 by BrentJS
Related: Hugh Jackman | Liev Schreiber | Gavin Hood | X-Men Origins: Wolverine
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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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Wednesday, October 14
In the wake of the first three X-Men movies' success, a whole slate of Origins movies were announced, including Wolverine, Deadpool, and Magneto. X-Men Origins: Wolverine debuted this year and is currently out on DVD and Blu-Ray. Actor Ryan Reynolds recently stated that he would be reprising the role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, despite being cast as Hal Jordan in the Green Lantern movie. But, there hasn't been much talk about Magneto.
David S. Goyer, the screenwriter of the Blade movies and The Dark Knight, has been attached as both the writer and the director of the Magneto film, but there has been no official word on when the production will get underway. According to Sir Ian McKellen, who portrayed Magneto in all three X-Men films, he may not be involved with the movie.
There's meant to be a Magneto script floating around, but I've not read it, so I suspect it wouldn't involve me. I think it would be about the younger Magneto, and the most I could hope for would be to top and tail that. They can't have someone whose face is as lined as mine any longer!
Posted 10/14/2009 by BrentJS
Related: Ian McKellen | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Ryan Reynolds | X-Men Origins: Magneto | X-Men Origins: Deadpool | David Goyer
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Tuesday, September 29
Gavin Hood says it's no surprise that Ryan Reynolds would get his own spin-off as Deadpool. The X-Men Origins: Wolverine director told MTV that Reynolds' commitment to the role led him to do the majority of his own swordplay.
[Reynolds spent] the Christmas and New Year's break with the stunt coordinators, because in that scene with the swordplay I think there's only one shot where we used the stuntman. You have to do a heck of a lot of work to work on that swordplay in a very compressed period of time.
His early efforts were somewhat suspect, so we were quite worried, because those swords were twirling and I thought he was going to cuthis arms off. In a matter of weeks [he] was spinning those swords like a pro.
Hood admits he'd like to work with Reynolds again.
He's very talented and very pleasant, which makes him a very appealing package.
Let's hopes audiences agree since Reynolds has not just Deadpool but Green Lantern riding on his appeal for box-office success.
Posted 9/29/2009 by Ryan
Related: Gavin Hood | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Ryan Reynolds
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Wednesday, September 23
Thanks to twitter, it's getting easier for fans to stay up-to-the-minute with their favorite singers, actors, and artists ... and harder and harder for producers and movie studios to keep information under wraps. Last week, it appeared as if actor Tim Pocock had leaked the news that X-Men: First Class would begin shooting in February, but producer Lauren Shuler Donner quickly snuffed the rumor.
Yesterday, more X-film news was spread via twitter thanks to Rob Liefeld, the co-creator of Marvel Comics' Deadpool, including the fact that the "Merc with a Mouth" will appear in costume and that Ryan Reynolds, who recently signed on to play Green Lantern in a competing production, will be revisiting his X-Men Origins: Wolverine role of Wade "Deadpool" Wilson in the solo film.
Great Deadpool movie meeting! Lauren Schuler Donner and her team are headed in the right direction!
Deadpool movie checklist- DP in costume-check! Breaking 4th wall-check! Loads of killing-double check!
Deadpool movie- YES! Ryan Reynolds is on board!!!
Liefeld also broke the news that another one of his X-Men creations, Cable, might receive his big screen debut.
Also excited to discuss possibilities of Cable in future X-films!!!
Posted 9/23/2009 by BrentJS
Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Ryan Reynolds | X-Men Origins: Deadpool
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Monday, September 21
Last week the Internet was abuzz when X-Men Origins: Wolverine's Tim Pocock used his Twitter page to announce that X-Men: First Class would start production in early 2010. Pocock has since posted a retraction:
victim of cruelprank.last tweet=NOT me.AM filming Aussie show till2010.no officialword on XM:FC but am interested.please post retraction.
A "cruel prank" would seem more like using a Twitter account to write a derogatory statement, not announce casting in a major motion picture, but we digress. Perhaps private Twitter accounts that require personal passwords to access are very easy to break into.
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner confirms the retraction, telling SlashFilm that X-Men: First Class will not start production next February and that no actors have been cast yet, though the actors portraying the young mutants in Wolverine were optioned for future X-Men-related movies.
Interestingly, Shuler Donner mentioned two other X-Men-related projects that she hopes to pitch to Fox: X-Men 4 and The New Mutants.
Posted 9/21/2009 by Ryan
Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men: First Class | Tim Pocock
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After directing the indie Tsotsi and thriller Rendition, Gavin Hood seemed an odd choice to direct X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But then Hood delivered the first breakout hit of the summer, instantly triggering a sequel. Hood told MTV that he wouldn't mind continuing with Marvel's world of mutant characters.
I think the character of Magneto is still a phenomenally interesting character ... one rooted in childhood trauma and psychologically complex — and one that was superbly played by Ian McKellen. There are certain characters in the X-Men universe whose psychological life is strong and fascinating and complex. I think that's why they're appealing to audiences.
Magneto screenwriter David Goyer says the movie will start production next year, and with producer Lauren Shuler Donner unable to confirm Hood's involvement with Wolverine 2, Hood may be available to work on Magneto should it start as Goyer predicts. All Fox would have to do is ask.
Absolutely, if I was asked I'd take an interest.But the truth is I haven't been asked and I think that the studio right now is waiting to see how we do with the [X-Men Origins: Wolverine] DVDs, and who knows where we'll all be if and when a [Wolverine 2] script is ready.
Posted 9/21/2009 by Ryan
Related: Gavin Hood | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men Origins: Magneto
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Thursday, September 17
X-Men Origins: Magneto, Wolverine 2, Deadpool, and X-Men: First Class are all upcoming X-Men movies in the works, but producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said she wasn't sure which one was going to made first. Xmenfilms.net reported that First Class may be the next movie to start production when they discovered what X-Men Origins: Wolverine's Tim Pocock said on his Twitter page:
currently shooting Australian TV series till February 2010...then X-men first class ;)
Pocock played the young Cyclops in Wolverine, which ended with him and a group of other mutants meeting with Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) for the first time. First Class follows the professor's first group of students, and Shuler Donner has said she hopes the movie "will become its own franchise." With a script by The O.C.'s Josh Schwarz, and a desire to be 'tween friendly, it's no wonder that First Class would be the next X-Men movie to begin production.
Posted 9/17/2009 by Ryan
Related: X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men Origins: Magneto | Deadpool | X-Men: First Class | Tim Pocock