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Lauren Shuler Donner on Future X-Men Movies

Posted on Monday, September 21st, 2009 by Brendon Connelly

If there’s any way a text blog post could be said to be ‘coming live’ then this one is, and from the Fox Blu-Ray press event in Beverly Hills. So far this morning we’ve been treated to a host of presentations centred around the release of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-Ray, out now in the US, hitting my native UK on October 19th.

First up was Lauren Shuler Donner, X-producer responsible for all of the mutant movies so far, and by the sounds of things, plenty more to come. Though she wasn’t able to stay for a series of extended interviews, she did take some questions from the floor, including mine. The answer is coming up after the break - clarifying just what is going on with X-Men: First Class at the moment, not to mention the Deadpool movie and a couple of other, less expected mutant pictures.

I couched the question as being about legacy casting as Gavin Hood inherited Hugh Jackman as Wolverine from Bryan Singer (and, I suppose, Brett Ratner), and in the cast roster for Wolverine we find not only Ryan Reynolds, now expected to appear in his own Deadpool spin-off movie, and a whole helicopter full of young mutants last seen seemingly soaring off to make up Xavier’s First Class.

Shuler Donner took this as an opportunity to address ‘Pocockgate’. The actor Tim Pocock, who played the young Cyclops in Wolverine, posted a tweet last week that announced:

currently shooting Australian TV series till February 2010…then X-men first class ;)

Since then, he’s requested that everybody run 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.

According to Shuler Donner, there’s no truth to the initial claim at all. She announced that the film has no scheduled start date and will definitely not be kicking off in February. What’s more, she confirmed that no actors have signed contracts to appear in the film.

I asked if they had signed the young mutants up for an option on future films, and she admitted that yes, everybody was under option. No surprises there.

As well as the eventual New Class, then - whenever that might be - Shuler Donner revealed that she has been cooking up plans for several other mutant films. The two she named? An X4, reuniting the X-Men and a big screen outing for The New Mutants. X4, she said, had yet to be pitched to the studio, however.

I’m here for another day at least, and there’s a lot more coverage to come - and not only of X-Movies but of Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain movies and David Fincher’s rejigged new version of Fight Club all of them in their cutting-edge HD Blu-Ray presentation. As for breaking news, I’ll do my best to post it as fast as I can. We’ll show those big paper-based magazines and their ‘extended interviews’ what we can do, eh?

Stay tuned.

Comments

Landfill

So X4 is still possible, this is great news. Just don't bring Ratner back. Singer would be fine for another X-men movie.

Christopher_M

they killed off Jean, Cyclops and Professor X in one movie....it's hard to want them to take another shot at X-Men...Singer or Matthew Vaughn directing is the most important aspect of a new X-Men film....that and a solid script which needs to be written by Singer, David Hayter, Zack Penn and Christopher McQuarrie..

Landfill

They have to redeem themselves after X3, this will be the perfect opportunity. I understand they might have messed things up but in a way, X3 is like a comic book. How many times has a main character died in the ongoing X-men saga? I mean they're known for doing that.

Christopher_M

I agree that many X-Men characters have died in the series...but not in the same few days, or in one storyline...it was spread out...it seemed like it was Singer's end to the series but he didn't make it so it ended up a horrible mess...I understand killing off Jean or The Professor...but why Cyclops ? I mean that almost kills the possibility of a spin-off film along with bringing Cable into the picture...unless they have Scott and Emma have him during X-Men First Class...

Landfill

"I agree that many X-Men characters have died in the series...but not in the same few days, or in one storyline...it was spread out...it seemed like it was Singer's end to the series but he didn't make it so it ended up a horrible mess...I understand killing off Jean or The Professor...but why Cyclops ? I mean that almost kills the possibility of a spin-off film along with bringing Cable into the picture...unless they have Scott and Emma have him during X-Men First Class..."

Ok I see what you're saying, it does seem like an end to what Singer made. But it's still possible Cyclops is alive, that's why we need a sequel. I realize Logan brought him up to Jean at one point in X3 and she acted like she might have done something terrible but they definitely didn't show a lifeless Scott Summer anywhere in the film.

.:sam:.

if you are talking about in the movie... scott summers had a grave in the garden...

CoolasIceman

Singer should never have abandoned his project. Did the same thing with the sequel to Superman Returns, and made that disaster, Valkyrie. The franchise needs to redeem itself, and they could by pulling off this plot: do Days of Future Past, but with a few changes. Kitty Pryde goes back in time to help the X-men prevent Magneto from murdering the President of the United States. Magneto is back with a vengeance and has a new Brotherhood (maybe bring Sabretooth back and play with him being Wolverine's brother). Cyclops comes back, and introduce Emma Frost as his new love interest. Beast has a smaller role. Storm has a larger role. And for drama, have Kitty Pryde be married to Iceman in the future (there is no hint at her romance with Colossus in the other movies, better leave it that way. Plus, there's already a sort of triangle with her and Iceman and Rogue in X3). Give Angel and Colossus more depth. And all the while, Professor Xavier is recovering on Muir Island, and reveals himself to his students at the end of the movie. Oh, and instead of Rachel Summers sending Kitty back to the past (since Jean is dead in the movies and aught to stay that way), have Emma Frost do it. She has telepathic powers in the future and is beginning to develop them in the present. Have the Sentinels in full force in the future (and the scene where they vaporize Wolverine, because I want to see all the die-hard fans cry when they realize that he is actually DEAD). This would make a pretty powerful movie, and could not really be topped by any other storyline, unless the found a cool way to bring Apocalypse to the big screen....

Landfill

Yes there are numerous ways to fix the almost dead Xfilm franchise. By that I mean we can still get an X4 is they do it right this time around. Your examples are pretty good storylines they should see along with a sentinel storyline I heard recently. I just want a good X-men film soon or I might lose interest.

vadmspartan

X4 makes sense I suppose considering the after credits ending. Hopefully they can get a good new director.

Brad Arnold

Bleh. I loved the X-Men comics growing up. I hate the film franchise. I wish it would die so that someone could start over and do it right.

Mike

This.

greggorybasore

Glad to hear X4 is still on the table. I've been hoping that the prequels/spin-offs would serve as a way to set up some back story and introduce more characters to build a bigger foundation for a fourth X-Men movie.

Wish someone had asked about the Magneto prequel.

TVScape

Wolverine was much better movie than I expected, so maybe the same formula can be used again, but with some other character, and there is a plenty to choose from.

And I also think that Singer may be a good choice for another X movie.

agemoi

Honestly, since FOX own the X franchises we kinda need to take what we can get at this point. I dig X1, i LOVE X2, and X3 was freaking dumb as nails. But, somehow i can still watch it =/ And yeah, for all of its flaws ((script, CGI, Studio)), I really did like Wolverine. Jackman is the man and if nothing else i support him

I love the comics, and im happy to see an X4 is on the table. Redemption? I think so. They can get cyclops back becuz that was the worst cop out ive seen to date. A good way to introduce mister sinister.

...Just get a director that isnt boring (Singer) or a completely coked up, inept moron (Ratner). Thats all we want, a good director and script and for fox to keep their damn distance..

rant done

e_dog

X4 is definitely great news. Hopefully something to redeem the franchise after X3. Storm as leader of the Morlocks, perhaps? Perhaps an ounce of character development for Angel and Colossus, AKA the mutants with the highest ratio of publicity shots to actual lines of dialogue. Marvel: Call me.

Grantlol

I can't begin to guess how X-men can carry on after the turd of X3. Two main characters killed & another put into a different body. Only plausible answer is to say X3 was a bad dream or blame it on Proteus.

Craigasorusrex

I'm against Fox making Marvel movies period.

Keeping my fingers crossed this sits in development hell and Disney/Marvel with all its money and immensity takes the property back.

If there is going to be a reboot then it should be with a new studio. Fox has been treating its Marvel properties like complete garbage as of late.

If any of these do get made, I'm expecting more Fox mediocrity.

Federico Iglesias

Eeeehh... I'm still just interested in Deadpool, honestly. I'd like to see some writers' names attached.

...Notably Joe Kelly and Fabian Nicienza. THAT'S a quality Deadpool story.

IhateKoolAid

X3=Garbage! That is what you get when a studio head rushed a film into production to beat Superman Returns and kills off characters because the actors appeared in Superman Returns. Jean Gray was always suppose to die and Prof X came back in the post credit sequence.

demoncat

cool that they are looking at a fourth x4 they should really redo the dark phonix saga and make x3 be non cannon or better just for four do days of future past. and also they need to make sure singer is back and not ratner on any x film again

_spinster_

a good X-men sequel would have to be with apocolypse, and a good origins movie would be about Mystique

Commander Cyclops

THEY NEED TO RESURRECT CYCLOPS IN X=MEN 4!!! WE WANT THE TITLE TO BE X-MEN 4: THE RETURN OF CYCLOPS!!!

It's time for Cyclops to finally Step Up! Take the Lead! Be The X-Man Leader that he is like in the Comics!!!

It's Time For The Return Of The Ultimate X-Man Called Cyclops!!!

Bisto

A new version of Fight Club? Sounds good. Tell us more.

topheavy

They should put a bullet in its head a declaire its dead.

I know scores of people who refuse to watch any future iterations of wolverine because of Origins. Over several dozen, so its broken at this point.

Rene Rosa

The only X-film I liked was X2. The best thing about all the x movies, so far, was sadly in the third turd: The Beast.

Projectionist!

Xmen wolverine to me had lost it's polish frm the first two film's it could have been better.
The story was bland sfx were not that good it was a big let down.

chris

hell yeha a first class,hope for sinister,and sentinels.x-4 more of the original cast more colossus,iceman,cyclops,angel,night crawler,rogue,storm,gambit,and wolverine.a new mutants hopfully we finally see beak,angel salvador,tito bohusk,glob herman,chamber,husk,sunspot,anole,rockslide,prosimian,and orb weaver these are some of the most intersesting characters in the x-men universe.hope we get to see all of this and apocalypse. in the films that is.i also hope to see magnetos film,gambits,nightcrawlers,mystiques,and a district-x.also hope that first class is a trilogy,and x-4 is back to back with x-5.so every character gets there share of the story.peace.

stephen webb

they need to make a new x-men as soon asap x5 with every body in it and it sucks the pefoiser had to die.

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