Days of Future Past Bryan Singer not directing X-Men: First Class?

[Sawyer]

I really just want Fox to lose all their rights toward any Marvel property and have them all revert to Disney. It would be such an improvement.

 

[Project862006]

http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/singer-to-producex-men-first-class/

 

[Gabe99]

http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/singer-to-producex-men-first-class/

From Deadline New York:Singer To Produce`X-Men: First Class

Singer will join Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg as producers. He's not available because Warner Bros and Legendary are locked into a summer production start on Jack the Giant Killer. They’ll begin casting shortly. It is a big CG project, and they are likely to either shoot 3D or convert it later.


Last December, Singer agreed to direct the First Class prequel after the studio sparked to his detailed treatment, with the studio knowing full well Singer would likely make the other movie first. The willingness to wait changed when execs flipped for Moss's script. He's now honing the origin story that focuses on Xavier and Magneto and offers similar opportunities that JJ Abrams took advantage of to resuscitate Star Trek.


Fox is short-listing directors and has talked to several. Perhaps sensing the momentum and worried Singer might get booked for First Class passage, Warner Brosand Legendary were quick to lock Singer into an iron-clad deal on Jack the Giant Killer. After all, it was they who got the director to do Superman Returns when Fox didn't close him fast enough on X-Men 3. That move singed Singer’s relationship with Fox until they kissed and made up with First Class.


Fox hasn't definitively set this as the next X-Men project, but why replace Singer for any other reason? Fox did get a strong draft of a Wolverine sequel from Christopher McQuarrie, and while there is no director, production could start in the fall when Hugh Jackman is free from the Shawn Levy-directed Real Steel. Fox also has new versions of Marvel Comics franchises Fantastic Four and Daredevil percolating. My bet is First Class starts production in summer or early fall, when Singer will be off slaying giants of his own.

 

[BMM]

Singer will join Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg as producers. He's not available because Warner Bros and Legendary are locked into a summer production start on Jack the Giant Killer. They’ll begin casting shortly. It is a big CG project, and they are likely to either shoot 3D or convert it later.

Last December, Singer agreed to direct the First Class prequel after the studio sparked to his detailed treatment, with the studio knowing full well Singer would likely make the other movie first. The willingness to wait changed when execs flipped for Moss's script. He's now honing the origin story that focuses on Xavier and Magneto and offers similar opportunities that JJ Abrams took advantage of to resuscitate Star Trek.

I guess... I wish they would just let Jackman finish his run as Wolverine and utilize First Class as a reboot. This all seems like such a mess, if not pointless.

 

[danoyse]

Fox did get a strong draft of a Wolverine sequel from Christopher McQuarrie, and while there is no director, production could start in the fall when Hugh Jackman is free from the Shawn Levy-directed Real Steel. Fox also has new versions of Marvel Comics franchises Fantastic Four and Daredevil percolating. My bet is First Class starts production in summer or early fall, when Singer will be off slaying giants of his own.

Wait...so do this mean Wolverine 2 actually is better than the first one? Pretty please?!

I guess... I wish they would just let Jackman finish his run as Wolverine and utilize First Class as a reboot. This all seems like such a mess, if not pointless.

That route seems to make the most sense at this point. Will they do it? I can't even tell anymore.

And I guess the question now is...who directs First Class?

 

[BMM]

Your guess is as good as mine. At this point, I think it makes the most sense to begin production on Wolverine 2 first. They have a script, or a strong draft, and Jackman will apparently be free later this year. If the studio wants to go forward with a sequel to Wolverine, now sounds like the time to do it.

 

[Sawyer]

Come on Joss Whedon, Come on Joss Whedon, Come on Joss Whedon...

 

[danoyse]

Your guess is as good as mine. At this point, I think it makes the most sense to begin production on Wolverine 2 first. They have a script, or a strong draft, and Jackman will apparently be free later this year. If the studio wants to go forward with a sequel to Wolverine, now sounds like the time to do it.

Makes sense to me too. I know he's doing Real Steel this summer, and I read he's involved with Lee Daniels' new film, but there's nothing confirmed on that yet...if he's available and the script is ready, just go for it.

The whole director shift makes no sense, though. Didn't anyone check their schedules first before deciding on Singer to direct the film when he clearly wouldn't be available?

 

[BMM]

Makes sense to me too. I know he's doing Real Steel this summer, and I read he's involved with Lee Daniels' new film, but there's nothing confirmed on that yet...if he's available and the script is ready, just go for it.

The whole director shift makes no sense, though. Didn't anyone check their schedules first before deciding on Singer to direct the film when he clearly wouldn't be available?

I'm not sure what anyone was or wasn't thinking on that one.

 

[X-Maniac]

I'm not sure what anyone was or wasn't thinking on that one.

It's a bad case of studio politics. Again.

 

[Deaths Head II]

I guess... I wish they would just let Jackman finish his run as Wolverine and utilize First Class as a reboot. This all seems like such a mess, if not pointless.

I'd really, really, really, really rather not have a reboot under Fox. That is my least favorite option out of anything. Either they try to salvage the franchise they already established or drive it to the ground.

Nice to see Singer is producing at least. Still, I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[Electrix]

It's a bad case of studio politics. Again.

At least they got a script and vision out of it. He'll still be around anyway.

Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) and James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) would be my choices. Although Kick-Ass will probably do well and Vaughn will probably have to work on the sequel.

 

[Gabe99]

Makes sense to me too. I know he's doing Real Steel this summer, and I read he's involved with Lee Daniels' new film, but there's nothing confirmed on that yet...if he's available and the script is ready, just go for it.

The whole director shift makes no sense, though. Didn't anyone check their schedules first before deciding on Singer to direct the film when he clearly wouldn't be available?

From /film:
Wolverine 2 Script Finished; Shoots January 2011

 

[Venom160]

It's a bad case of studio politics. Again.

they should seriously apply a three strike rule on studios. They **** up a single franchise three times in a row they have to sell it to another studio. The way I see it this is strike three for Fox.

 

[danoyse]

I'm not sure what anyone was or wasn't thinking on that one.

Probably too busy counting Avatar money to notice...

From /film:
Wolverine 2 Script Finished; Shoots January 2011

This much we knew.

 

[co2]

I guess... I wish they would just let Jackman finish his run as Wolverine and utilize First Class as a reboot. This all seems like such a mess, if not pointless.

I know. Is Fox trying to ruin the X-franchise?

 

[ross2287]

Come on Joss Whedon, Come on Joss Whedon, Come on Joss Whedon...

 

[Downhere]

The whole director shift makes no sense, though. Didn't anyone check their schedules first before deciding on Singer to direct the film when he clearly wouldn't be available?

I think Fox decided to move up the schedule since I just read that they want to release it for 2011.

The studio is wanting to do FIRST CLASS right away because they were so impressed with writer Jamie Moss' (STREET KINGS) script based on Singer's treatment, envisioning it as the first part of a trilogy. They are also hoping that the project will have a 2011 release. Fox has spoken to several directors on the shortlist. They are in quite the hurry to get this project started.

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=31452

 

[FaT_tONle]

Fox has no clue what they want to do. There is no direction or end game. Now we are hearing more of the same in terms of flip flopping on directors and scripts, be it they are cheaper and more feasible to put into production or whatever the reason, they just go with the flow and the most efficient short cut. FC may be some attempt at a new franchise or may not be... whatever the case is, Fox will take it one movie at a time and as long as it makes bank, it doesn't matter what the end result is. If it becomes a reboot or a set of prequels, so be it. My guess is that it will be a poor man's SR, in terms of rebooting/prequeling or remaking/retooling all in one. Some amalgam that satisfies the majority of the heads and that will be that.

 

[Lighthouse]

I'm not buying the whole "so impressed they decided to do it now" thing. Sure, they probably liked the draft, but I think doing First Class soon was always their intention, and when they couldn't get Singer off of Jack the Giant Killer, they started looking for other directors.

 

[FaT_tONle]

Several motivations for this:

1) Get this out of the way just to tease an X-4, which they probably want out by 2015 latest.

2) Get these X-Men movies done by 2012, to then set sights on properties that need to be retained (FF/DD) or else risk losing them permanently.

3) Beat the 2012 CB push (Avengers, Spidey, BB3)... possibly sandwich FC in the winter of 2011. This can work wonders because they will have no competition if they go with a Winter/Spring release.

 

[Retroman]

This could have been averted had they just taken a look at Singer's schedule before agreeing to have him come back. Or they perhaps the studio were arrogant enough to think that he would drop a movie he already committed to before he even pitched X-Men First Class.

At least Singer will remain involved in the creative process. He's got good credentials as a producer.

I think Fox decided to move up the schedule since I just read that they want to release it for 2011.



http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=31452

Why do they want it out so fast?

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Well, my interest in this movie has just gone right down, not to interested in a First Class storyline anyway and without Singer, Fox will just go with some random director who isnt up to it or who they can control.

 

[Electrix]

Several motivations for this:

1) Get this out of the way just to tease an X-4, which they probably want out by 2015 latest.

2) Get these X-Men movies done by 2012, to then set sights on properties that need to be retained (FF/DD) or else risk losing them permanently.

3) Beat the 2012 CB push (Avengers, Spidey, BB3)... possibly sandwich FC in the winter of 2011. This can work wonders because they will have no competition if they go with a Winter/Spring release.

1) They wouldn't make a $150 million+ movie just to 'tease' fans about a sequel. They want a new trilogy with this First Class business.

2) Fox are a movie studio who make many films. They don't need to finish one franchise before they focus on another. If they wanted too they could make X-Men, Daredevil and Fantastic Four at the same time.

3) I agree.

 

[Rac]

I know. Is Fox trying to ruin the X-franchise?

They already did.