Tuesday, November 10

• X-Men Origins: Magneto Screenwriter Agrees with Producer: Not Anytime Soon

  Last month, X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner proclaimed that X-Men Origins: Magneto is the furthest X-Men movie from production, possibly getting made in "five years." Today Magento screenwriter David Goyer told MTV that he agrees with Shuler Donner.

  I tend to agree with her. [Fox is] still trying to figure out what they want to do, whether or not they'll do a different X-Men movie next or another Wolverine movie next. If they want to make Magneto, that's awesome. In the meantime, I'm just going to move on with my other projects. Even taking FlashForward aside, I'm booked up for another year and a half. I have no complaints.

  Despite the movie's production woes, that hasn't stopped fans from creating a concept trailer that uses footage from all three X-Men movies. Check out what they've dreamed up.

  
  

  Posted 11/10/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | David Goyer | X-Men Origins: Magneto

Sunday, October 18

• X-Men Producer Says Deadpool Movie is "Hardest Story to Tell"

  X-Men Origins: Wolverine producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said that Deadpool will be rebooted and go back "to the Deadpool in the comics" for the Deadpool spin-off of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but that hasn't made creating the movie any easier. " It's the hardest story to tell, I think," Shuler Donner told Empire. "There's no clear-cut villain." Shuler Donner says they are "figuring out which [stories] to incorporate" while actively hunting for a screenwriter.

  We're right in the thick of talking to writers right now, and hopefully by November we'll have decided who's going to do it. We need someone really imaginative because we want to do some really innovative, ambitious stuff. Ryan [Reynolds]'s mentioned this in an interview already but there are parts where he's going to break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience in the cinema. We have to work out how to do that. I don't know that Fox will agree with all our decisions, but we'll see!

  No matter what, Shuler Donner thinks Deadpool is "going to be a dark, snarky, very funny movie."

  
  

  Posted 10/18/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Deadpool

• Magneto Movie: "Maybe in Five Years"

  Of all the X-Men movies currently in production, it looks like X-Men Origins: Magneto is the furthest from production. X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner told Empire that the movie is "at the back of the queue" of all the X-Men movies, despite David Goyer's "brilliant script."

  It starts in the concentration camps and has Magneto coming out of there. But you know, I'm not sure that film is going to be made. The studio has a wealth of potential stories, and they have to stand back and decide which ones to make. Maybe it'll get made in five years — who knows? I can tell you that Ian McKellen won't be playing the character the whole way through. We used Lola technology in X-Men 3 to de-age Ian and Patrick [Stewart] for one scene, but it's very expensive. To do that for a two-hour movie would be prohibitive financially. And to find a younger actor to fill Ian's shoes, that's pretty daunting. It's not easy.

  McKellan seems to agree, claiming he's "too old" to play Magneto.

  
  

  Posted 10/18/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Ian McKellen | Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Magneto

Saturday, October 17

• X-Men: First Class To Follow Harry Potter

  X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has already said that X-Men: First Class, the movie that will follow the X-Men during their early student days, will be 'tween-friendly, but she admitted to Empire that she'd like to use the Harry Potter movies as inspiration for First Class.

  Harry Potter is a bit of a role model for us, absolutely. But we want it to be like the recent, darker Potters. It should not be a kiddie movie — we're in the X-Men world so you can't suddenly change the tone. The First Class comics are really fun — they're funnier than any other comics I've read. Basically in each one the kids are fighting strange villains, sometimes it's aliens, sometimes it's monsters. I want to get a flavor of that world. Occasionally the kids will be in class, but more often they'll be off on adventures. Which Professor X isn't too happy about!

  Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) is still writing the script, which Shuler Donner says isn't "where we want to be yet." Still, she says Schwartz has a "great young pulse and he's doing an amazing job bringing the characters to life."

  
  

  Posted 10/17/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Josh Schwartz | X-Men: First Class

• Is Wolverine 2 the Next X-Men Movie?

  

  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 | Wolverine 2 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wednesday, September 23

• Deadpool Movie Moving Forward with Ryan Reynolds

  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!!!

  
  
  

  X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Trailer

  Trailer for this film based on the comic book superhero

  Posted 09/23/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Ryan Reynolds | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men Origins: Deadpool

Monday, September 21

• X-Men Producer Refutes X-Men: First Class Rumors

  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 cruel prank.last tweet=NOT me.AM filming Aussie show till2010.no official word 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 09/21/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Tim Pocock | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men: First Class

Sunday, September 13

• X-Men Producer Updates X-Men: First Class, Deadpool and More

  At a promotional event for the Blu-Ray release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, producer Lauren Shuler Donner gave out a few details regarding other X-Men-related movies. Donner has quite a few or them on her plate, including Wolverine 2, Deadpool, X-Men: First Class, and possibly, Donner told IGN, another X-Men:

  I think there are some wonderful storylines I'd like to pursue in X-Men 4 and 5, but who knows? Obviously Fox is my partner, so we're in discussions about what will be next

  As forDeadpool, Shuler sees that spin-off as a reboot, disregarding what happened to the character in Wolverine and instead making "it the Deadpool that's in the comics." Ryan Reynolds is set to play Deadpool again, even after Reynolds was cast in Green Lantern, but Shuler sees no problem with Reynolds playing both roles:

  Not on my end, personally, not on my end, no. I think you can do different characters. We've had different Bonds right, and I think if Harrison Ford can be in Indiana Jones and he can be in the Tom Clancy movies, I think if you are a good actor you become the character and it's alright.

  With X-Men: First Class, Donner would only say that the movie will concern "the X-Men's first class," set " way back when," implying that it would star Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, and Jean Grey, the first X-Men class in the comics, though Donner would not reveal which characters will be included. Bryan Singer has been mentioned as a likely director for First Class, to which Donner would only admit that "there's a possibility" and that Singer would not be too busy with other projects.

  Donner also said Gavin Hood may return to direct Wolverine 2, and that her husband, Richard Donner, director of Superman and Superman II, could return to the comic book world one day:

  He kind of feels like he did, he was very helpful, as you know he came and helped me on [Wolverine] but, look, I would never rule anything out but I don't know. He might, he might go back into the comic world, he might.

  Whatever X-Men movie is next to go into production, shooting will begin next year.

  
  

  Posted 09/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Bryan Singer | Lauren Shuler Donner | Richard Donner | Gavin Hood | X-Men: First Class | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Deadpool | X-Men: First Class | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Deadpool

Monday, August 24

• Bryan Singer Eyeing X-Men: First Class?

  

  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 08/24/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Bryan Singer | Lauren Shuler Donner | Josh Schwartz | X-Men Origins: Magneto | Battlestar Galactica | X-Men: The Last Stand | Excalibur | X-Men: First Class | Deadpool

Tuesday, June 2

• Bryan Singer Wants to Return to the X-Men Franchise

  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 break before 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 06/02/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Bryan Singer | Lauren Shuler Donner | Shawn Ashmore | X-Men Origins: Magneto | Valkyrie | X2: X-Men United | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Apt Pupil | X-Men | X-Men: The Last Stand

Wednesday, May 13

• James McTeigue in Talks to Direct Magneto

  Fox has got to be pleased. With X-Men Origins: Wolverine's success, the studio is now working on a Deadpool movie, a Wolverine sequel, X-Men trilogy prequel (X-Men: First Class), and X-Men Origins: Magneto. While Magneto has been at times "on hold," it seems that the movie is moving ahead and looking for a director. IMDb lists James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) as "in talks" to direct the movie from a script by David Goyer (Batman Begins), who was unable to direct due to his commitment to his The Invisible Man.

  X-Men Origins: Magneto will expand on Magneto's concentration camp beginnings, shown briefly in X-Men, and his fractious relationship with Charles Xavier. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has called the script "fantastic."

  
  

  Posted 05/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James McTeigue | Lauren Shuler Donner | David Goyer | V for Vendetta | The Invisible Man | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Deadpool | X-Men: First Class | Batman Begins | X-Men | X-Men Origins: Magneto

Tuesday, May 12

• Marvel Officially Announces Deadpool Spin-Off

  After weeks of rumor and speculation, Marvel Comics has confirmed that Ryan Reynolds's X-Men Origins: Wolverine character will be getting a solo movie.

  Reynolds' reprisal of Wade Wilson-Deadpool (the "Merc with the Mouth") will be produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel. The movie is expected to explore Deadpool's origins and motivations, but little else is known about the project.

  
  

  Posted 05/12/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Ryan Reynolds | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wednesday, May 6

• Deadpool Movie Confirmed

  With Wolverine 2 already in the works, MTV has received exclusive confirmation from a source at Fox that a Deadpool spin-off is being developed by Fox. Ryan Reynolds will return as the sarcastic mercenary Wade Wilson and Marvel and X-Men Origins: Wolverine producer Lauren Shuler Donner will produce the movie described as "a complete exploration of this unique character -- his origins, his emergence as the Merc with the Mouth."

  No plot outline or screenwriter has been mentioned so far, though if Reynolds gets his way, the movie will be pretty interesting:
  

  I'm thinking musical -- Rated 'R' musical. It hasn't been done. Deadpool singing, dancing... dancing girls...

  Or more seriously, Reynolds suggested:

  You definitely have to break the fourth wall and you have to find a way to make that make sense, which is no small feat. So it would involve a really talented writer, an amazing visionary director and I think a great collaboration between everybody passionate about this character.

  That sounds more like it.

  
  

  Posted 05/06/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Ryan Reynolds | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Thursday, April 30

• Gambit to be the Next X-Men Movie?

  The plans to make X-Men: First Class, X-Men Origins: Magneto, and Deadpool, should X-Men Origins: Wolverine have a successful opening weekend, have already been documented, but apparently another X-Men movie is being discussed, this time focusing on the Cajun, card-playing Gambit. Wolverine and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner told IESB that there are "internal discussions" regarding a Gambit spin-off and "they are going to figure all that out." Shuler Donner hopes that maybe Bryan Singer would return to direct:

  Nothing would please me more than to bring Bryan [Singer] on for another movie. And, if it's like the first Deadpool or the first Gambit, I think, I mean, I hope he would be interested...

  This is good news for Taylor Kitsch, the actor playing Gambit, who told MTV would "love to go darker" with a Gambit movie:

  I want to go into the Thieves Guild part of his story [the union of thieves that Gambit was raised in]. How cool would it be to see him stealing things to survive because the stakes are so high? Come on, Fox, let's do it.

  Kitsch may get his wish. It's all riding on this weekend.

  
  

  Posted 04/30/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | Taylor Kitsch | X-Men: First Class | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Deadpool | X-Men Origins: Magneto

Sunday, April 26

• X-Men: First Class To Be "Tween Friendly; Magneto Still Waiting

  It's common knowledge that the X-Men movie franchise is waiting to see if X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be successful or not, however plans for X-Men: First Class are nevertheless gaining momentum. Wolverine and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner revealed to SciFiWire that the potential First Class franchise is all about the "kids":

  I like kids. I did produce Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo's Fire. I do like those kind of teenage movies; I really do. Part of it takes me to my roots. It's action. There seems, to me, to be more humor, or more potential for humor. I really like that idea. The relationship ... I don't want to get into what the script is about, but it provides a bit of a lighter touch to the franchise.

  With the success of 'tween movies such as Twilight, it's easy to see why a superhero movie might try to take advantage of that market. X-Men Origins: Magneto continues to be in a waiting pattern:

  We will do that. We will do that. We all want to. Magneto is a fantastic script, and hopefully we'll make it. I don't know.

  With all of Schuler Donner's recent talk about First Class, but a "I don't know" about Magneto, it seems more likely that First Class will be the next X-Men movie made.

  
  

  Posted 04/26/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Magneto | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | X-Men: First Class | Pretty in Pink

Friday, April 24

• Update on Constantine 2

  When Constantine opened in 2005 to a worldwide box office of $230 million, it seemed like the start of a franchise for the comic book adaptation. In 2006, producer Lauren Shuler Donner spoke positively about a sequel, saying she and a "team of writers" were "really going to go for it" on a sequel that would feature a "hard" R-rating, Keanu Reeves, and a story "outside of America." Then things went quiet.

  In 2007, director Francis Lawrence suggested the sequel might actually be a prequel. "I like origin stories," he told ShockTilYouDrop. Then, once again, news of a sequel ceased.

  Now it looks like a sequel may be on its way. Last year, Reeves told MoviesOnline he "wouldn't mind doing another Constantine" and he may get his wish. Recently, Shuler Donner told SciFiWire that a sequel "looks very good," and that she is "looking for a writer."

  Wait, what happened to the "team?" Let's hope they haven't taken those sequel ideas with them. Fans of the comic would likely prefer a return to Constantine's English roots. Even if Reeves can't pull off the accent.

  
  

  Posted 04/24/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Keanu Reeves | Lauren Shuler Donner | Francis Lawrence | Constantine

Saturday, April 18

• New Details on X-Men: First Class and Future X-Men Sequels

  What a difference a million downloads make! With several X-Men related projects on hold until the box office receipts for X-Men Origins: Wolverine can be counted post its May 1 release, X-Men Trilogy and Wolverine producer Lauren Shuler Donner is already discussing more prequels despite the recent Wolverine Internet leak. Shuler Donner told Fox Movie Channel's Life After Film School that X-Men Origins: Magneto is still in development, but offered new details about the other prequel, X-Men: First Class:

  It is the first class of Xavier's school, way back when, so it's young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that'll be really fun. I think (the plan) is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world. Hopefully First Class will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up.

  With the X-Men movie world becoming so prequel-y, what about a sequel? X2: X-Men United actor Alan Cumming has said he would like to return as Nightcrawler in future X-Men movies, although nothing has been planned. Cumming told WENN:

  Nobody’s said anything about it, but it might be quite fun to go back. I was supposed to do it again and they didn’t pick up my option for a third one. It was sort of ‘superhero interruptus’.

  But with so many prequels getting made, it seems like only a matter of time (and money from the box office) before fans will get to see a X-Men 4.

  
  

  Posted 04/18/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Alan Cumming | Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Magneto | X-Men: First Class | X2: X-Men United | X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Friday, February 13

• 3 New Wolverine Spots Start This Weekend

  While Hugh Jackman prepares himself to host the Oscars, Fox is prepping three, sixty-second X-Men Origins: Wolverine spots to air on their network starting this Sunday. The three spots together will comprise a storyline from the movie, though, despite a previous appearance, probably won't highlight fellow X-Man Storm. A small, white-haired girl appeared in the Wolverine trailer, but producer Lauren Shuler Donner told WidescreenVision that the brief encounter Wolverine has with the young Storm has been cut out.

  "She was a little part of the movie," said Shuler Donner. "She was in a village where they visited. The movie is edited, and that particular character did not make that scene." She will however, make the DVD, Shuler Donner confirmed.

  The first of the three spots will air this Sunday, February 15, during The Family Guy, with the second airing during Monday's episode of House, and the last airing during Tuesday's American Idol. What, the Hell's Kitchen audience doesn't like Wolverine?

  
  
  

  Reelz Clip

  Hugh Jackman Stars - Releasing May 1, 2009

  Posted 02/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Hugh Jackman | Lauren Shuler Donner | X-Men Origins: Wolverine