HOT!!! New Interview w/ Bryan Singer! (August 20th)

[Lightning Strykez!]

Just so that folks don't miss this updated interview posted tonight (it'll quickly get buried in the "Speculations" thread), here is the latest from Bryan Singer by way of another website.

Read on...it confirms a LOT. A bit spoilery...

So Bryan Singer just called regarding Matthew Vaughn's X-MEN: FIRST CLASS... I'm quite excited now.

Hey folks, Harry here with a great update on X-MEN: FIRST CLASS that just came from Producer: Bryan Singer - who tells me he's been working on X-MEN: FIRST CLASS for over a year now and with the looming August 31st, filming date approaching - he wanted to clarify some of what it is they're doing.

First off - the film takes place in the 1960's. John F Kennedy is the President of the United States. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are on TV doing marches. There is a spirit of a hopeful future that was prevalent in that time. We will see how Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr met - and how they dreamt of a future with Mutant & Human kind. They're going to be in their late twenties. Xavier - as played by James McAvoy will not be in his wheelchair to begin the film - but we will see how he wound up in a wheelchair. I asked if McAvoy would have a nice shiny chrome dome - and folks. We're going to see Professor X when he still had hair. We'll see McAvoy and Fassbender's Magneto formulate what it is they are attempting by creating the X-MEN.

Now Bryan wanted us to know this is not the conventional FIRST CLASS comic - but rather a new beginning for X-MEN. Set in the 60s - Vaughn is technologically inspired by JAMES BOND's tech of the time. The costumes will be far more comic bookish than we've seen before - and while Scott and Jean aren't here - Cyclops' brother Alex Summers aka Havoc will be, as played by Lucas Till.

With January Jones and Kevin Bacon playing Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw - we will be getting the HELLFIRE CLUB. I commented that the HELLFIRE CLUB has always felt like something that it would be wrong to modernize, as it felt as though it were something specific to the swinging Hefner era of the 60s... and Bryan said that's exactly why they're making use of the HELLFIRE CLUB... the dress and the costumes associated with that glorious period of the X-MEN... belong in the 60s. I asked if Kevin Bacon would be sporting that little ponytail with the ribbon - Bryan laughed and said, "We'll see".

In regards to the cast, Bryan was especially excited to land Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast. Nicholas was set for FURY ROAD, but their start date shifted which opened up his availability for FIRST CLASS. Also - Rose Byrne is playing Moira MacTaggert, I liked her in KNOWING. And I think she's fairly perfect for Moira. The cast list over on IMDB is correct (with the exception of the Rosamund Pike rumor).

Looks like filming will begin with Xavier at Oxford University in the 60s. And Bryan is excited that the film is going to have a much more international feel than the prior X-MEN movies. They'll be shooting in England & the United States - and they'll be representing other locales around the globe as well, but would only tell me that Russia (aka The Soviet Union... CCCP) will be amongst them. He doesn't want to show all the cards just yet. But the International flavor will give the film a more James Bond vibe... I get the idea that this is going to be something quite special.

How can I say that based on a quick conversation with Bryan? Well... folks, this is the first time that we're going to get a silver age MARVEL story. That's incredibly exciting to me. Hearing Bryan actually saying that the costumes will be far more reflective of what we saw in the comics - well that is exciting. But more than that... I just can't wait to see young vital versions of Xavier and Magneto played by excellent actors in their prime.

But more so... This is the time for Matthew Vaughn to shine. I loved KICK ASS, but it didn't have the namebrand of X-MEN or the scope that those stories have. Here, everything that Vaughn has can be put on display. Having Vaughn work in a James Bond-esque period - that was the period that the X-MEN first came to life. There's potential for something amazing.

There are characters that we're not being told about though. Bryan said so. And we can all speculate as to who they are. We know we're going to have Darwin, Young Raven Darkholme, Banshee, Havok, lil Mystique, Azazel, Emma Frost, Beast, Xavier, Magneto and a female Angel. So... who's missing? Well - I'm kinda hoping for Donald Pierce and Harry Leland - myself. How about you?

[Project862006]

sounds good i guess Havoc will be the older brother then lol

[MultiPurposePon]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand Cyclops gets the shaft yet again!

I strongly believe that Singer hates the character. Either way, I'm done with caring about this film.

[Project862006]

scott cant be in the 60's lol

havoc is fair game since he was in no film

[Lightning Strykez!]

Well, placing this film in the 60s I think is a brilliant idea...very retro. The question is: Does the entire film take place in that time period? If so, it does far-outpace the timeline of what we saw in X1. Jean, Scott and Storm had to have been born in the very late 60s'/early 70's to fit the roles played by Famke, James and Halle. Which means...no Jean, Scott or Storm in "First Class."

I find it strange though that Beast is in this...how old is he by X3? Was he literally Kelsey Grammar's age? LOL

[Blackman]

It's really risky that their releasing an X-Men film with none of the most known characters in the jam packed 2011

[Doctor Jones]

Love all these ideas. I love the fact it's in the 60's and has an international James Bond feel to it. This is the first comic book film to do that and that's awesome.

I can do without Scott and Jean I guess. Let's just hope for sequels.

[The Wizard]

Sounds great. So Bacon is indeed playing Shaw. Looking forward to First Class more than ever.

[Project862006]

well Kelsey was 51 when X3 came out i guess you could always round it up to like mid 50's

[Doctor Jones]

Yeah, I don't think they or we should be pinpointing the exact ages of these characters. Just rounded. Plus you know, Beast has blue fur so who's gonna notice?

[TheWatcher]

Cyke gets shafted again.=
"and while Scott and Jean aren't here - Cyclops' brother Alex Summers aka Havoc will be, as played by Lucas Till."=
Bacon as Shaw=
This whole article=

My two cents.

[TheWatcher]

The James Bond international thing=

[Squidboy]

So Emma WASN'T 20-something years old in Wolverine afterall? It's cool that they're trying to pave the way for their own dream movie, but borrowing characters from other films makes things messy. I know they were only cameos, but Banshee and Emma were both in XO. My head's just buzzing now.. no bald crippled Xavier? Wah?

[The Original Bamfer]

I'm disappointed that we probably won't see Jean and Scott, but deep down I'm thinking they made the right decision. As hard as it is to admit it.

[Electrix]

They're obviously leaving Jean, Cyclops and Storm for a sequel. Fox want a trilogy so they won't be putting all the characters in at once.

[MultiPurposePon]

Originally Posted by The Original Bamfer

I'm disappointed that we probably won't see Jean and Scott, but deep down I'm thinking they made the right decision. As hard as it is to admit it.

That's the equivalent as telling your girlfriend: I promise I won't c** inside

You know it's a lie, she knows it a lie, but you still say it anyway!

Charles Xavier with hair? He lost it in high school due to his mutation. Fail

Havok is Scott's younger brother. Fail

Emma Frost is 20-something in Wolverine (which takes place in the 70s) and 30-something in the 60s. Fail

They can't even create a movie that makes sense withing their own continuity.. forget about the comics one.

[TheComicbookKid]

I said to my brothers that I think X:FC will be the best movie quality wise but not make the most money. All this kind of confirms that for me.

I'm excited and scared to see this now.

[TheComicbookKid]

Originally Posted by Squidboy

So Emma WASN'T 20-something years old in Wolverine afterall? It's cool that they're trying to pave the way for their own dream movie, but borrowing characters from other films makes things messy. I know they were only cameos, but Banshee and Emma were both in XO. My head's just buzzing now.. no bald crippled Xavier? Wah?

If Singer didn't make it(Wolverine and X3), don't worry about.

[TheWatcher]

You get em Poni. I hoping for Time Travel now.

[DarkSovereignty]

sounds awesome, i've been waiting for a superhero period piece (besides watchmen).

[JP]

Holy crap! K, my excitement went from a 9 to a 6 to an 11

This may be the best X-Men film yet.

[TheComicbookKid]

Only downside is that the second class of Scott and Jean will be in the 80s. Scott in a Members Only jacket? Ew

[JackMercy]

Again, semantics, but...my understanding was that the character thought to be a version of Emma Frost in Wolverine wasn't actually formally named in the credits -- am I correct? (I don't have a copy to reference.) Though they did kind of blow it by naming/using Scott Summers within the film...

Either way, I sense that Singer and Vaughn here are playing more freely with X-Men film contunity...and kindly choosing not to incorporate certain elements of the rather undesirable third film or Wolverine. Also -- and this is important -- Fox is apparently allowing them to do so. Munch on that for a bit.

Also, read Harry's words via Singer: he describes the film as a "new beginning" to the universe -- i.e. if the movie works, they can and should be able to move freely creatively from here on forward.

As I've said already, I'm rather intrigued by what Singer and Vaughn seem to be cooking up...

[TheWatcher]

I am intrigued.

[TheWatcher]

"The costumes will be far more comic bookish than we've seen before"=