Lauren Shuler on Wolverine and X-Men 4!!

[Gonking]

WOLVERINE AND X-MEN 4
Source: LA Daily News August 14, 2006

"X-Men" executive producer Lauren Shuler Donner talked to LA Daily News about X-Men 4, for which they would have to renegotiate with the bigger stars, and also Wolverine and Magneto:

"The newer cast members are signed, and the older cast members are not." Considering the older names involved -- Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Romijn, Famke Janssen and Anna Paquin -- that could run into a huge chunk of money.

All that's putting the cart before the wolverine, of course, since Hugh Jackman is set to reprise his role as the manicure-challenged mutant superhero in his own film. "Next, we're going to do 'Wolverine,' but not before the end of the year because he's in the Baz Luhrmann film," she says of the filmmaker's untitled Australian epic with Nicole Kidman. However, "We have the script and are working on it."

Shuler Donner reports, "We also have 'Young Magneto' in development."

 

[MovieKing]

They Might As Well Call Wolverine X-men 4 Because All The Movies Are 3/4 About Hime We're Kinda Tired Of It

 

[Colossus24]

Wow you are the first person to ever raise that point!!

 

[xwolverine2]

Wow you are the first person to ever raise that point!!

i know........ i just write them off as idiots

 

[The Dark Defender]

That's how I wrote off the people responsible for the films.

 

[TNC9852002]

No director yet?

-TNC

 

[x-fan]

nope not that has been announced

 

[hitpehoaos]

well i hope wolverine does well then

 

[Advanced Dark]

They Might As Well Call Wolverine X-men 4 Because All The Movies Are 3/4 About Hime We're Kinda Tired Of It

If we're tired of it wonder why it made so much money? Speak for yourself I enjoy the character and this kind of film needs an anchor because it's not like they release a new one every week...and Wolverine being the most popular and lucrative character in the X-Verse gives him that role by default in the films regardless of his role in the books.

 

[Fading]

I don't like that they centered too much around Wolverine (even if he is my favorite character in comics), but I have no prob with a Wolverine comic. Let them get it out of their system, bump the violence up a notch. More Wolverine centric villains, less catastrophy on a global scale type story. Make it simple. My idea is something along the lines of -

Wolverine distraught over Jean Grey's death travles the world, and visiting Japan and studying martial arts (batman begins style). Somewhere he meets Yuriko Oyama and falls in love. Eventually she's murdered by Sabertooth lets say (setting up a Wolverine vs. Sabertooth fued, and giving a nod to Saber killing Wolverine's woman). Then someone wanting Wolverine dead, possibly Striker from the 2nd movie (acting like he lived), and wanting revenge, rebuilds Yuriko into a new Deathstrike (since one was used in a previous film, can just say he used the same formula, and make her look more mechanical) and she hunts Wolverine down.

Or you could skip striker, and make it Russians wanting revenge for something Wolverine doesn't remember from a previous war, and Omega Red is introduced instead of a new Deathstryke. Can still keep the soul searching martial arts training in tho. Since he trained in Japan anyway, it'd keep with storyline, and make him a better fighter in the movies.

May not be the best ideas, and plenty of characters I'd love to see, but in an X-movie you'd never see Omega Red, Cyber, or others. Wolverine can carry a movie on his own, he and Spiderman are Marvel's most popular characters, so don't see a reason not to make one. I look forward too it, just hope it doesn't get rushed like X3, and it's a bit more gritty and violent, doesn't have to be rated R violent, but Wolverine's fights can be blood baths sometimes.

 

[chaseter]

^Omega Red better had be in a Wolverine movie.

 

[SatEL]

There is no X4

 

[chaseter]

^As of yet.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

Yes there will be. They need to fix number 3 with a fourth one. Number 3 wasn't all that bad, I actually liked it. We all just expected more and we got spoiled cause fox put like 90% of the scenes online. Still I liked it but I would rather Singer direct the next one. He said he would be happy to!

 

[WeaponZ2]

I see the three X-men movies as one arc. Its had a slow start, but it sets up the characters and plot (x1), then the story progresses and develops (x2), then we get an action packed final that ties it all together (x3). It works perfectly in my mind.....

 

[markaudette]

Well, if you ask me, I kind of hope Wolverine only has a cameo in X4. There's a couple of reasons why I want this:

1. Hopefully Xavier will return to the mansion (watch the very ending of X3) and all the mutants who lost their powers will get them returned to them. And I hope that X4 ushers in a new era of the X-men universe. Because by the time X3 ended, I got this feeling like it was time for the New Mutants. A chance for the younger mutants to take center stage this time around. As Xavier strenghtens his new body and learns to walk again, Storm is still in charge. And Logan has found new clues as to his past. I would like to think that when Xavier looked over to Logan with that 'Everything is going to be alright' look, Xavier was also unlocking something within Logan's mind. Like a special parting gift for Logan.

2. As it has been stated many times before, we've already had three Wolverine movies. And as much as I am positively DYING for the Wolverine mystery to be uncorked, it's time for the New Mutants to take center stage. Which ever comes out first, be it the Wolverine movie or X4, either one should tie into the other movie. They should both be intertwined.

 

[larryfilmmaker]

That's how I wrote off the people responsible for the films.

true dat

 

[larryfilmmaker]

I don't think there will be an X-Men 4, as X3 was titled "The Last Stand"... maybe another X-team movie on the way, like New Mutants or Generation X or something... but they really have to change the team and feel or it's just beating a dead horse. You guys underestimate how bad of a taste X3 left in people's mouths. Wolverine is becoming lame to a lot of people... read the Wolvie bio in IGN's top 25 X-Men list. (the list is awesome by the way and I agree with 95% of it)

 

[WeaponXProject]

If we're tired of it wonder why it made so much money? Speak for yourself I enjoy the character and this kind of film needs an anchor because it's not like they release a new one every week...and Wolverine being the most popular and lucrative character in the X-Verse gives him that role by default in the films regardless of his role in the books.

Agreed, if no one liked the movies then why is everyone ready for the next film or the Wolverine movie. I've said the same before, Wolverine is the audiences center fold bc he's the most dynamic and mystical of them all. He deserves this movie to come and more.

 

[Vasilios]

I dont get how Hugh jackman is saying that he wants people to really know who Wolverine is....and make this film a character piece. Werent the first 3 X movies focused on him enough??? Sheesh.... Talk about overkill...::cashcow mode::

 

[WeaponXProject]

Yeah but all we know about Wolverine from the X movies is he doesn't like to listen, stabs people, loves Jean, likes beer, smokes cigars, pokes fun at Cyk and can't get Prof. X to tell him more about his past.

When are people gonna get he doesn't know his past. That's what its about. Character pieces focus on beginning and ends. All we got was a middle and a partial (definitely not a finale) ending in the Xfilms. Like the Batman in 89 and throughout the 90's, we did not know how he became what he is. And thank god Nolan served up a plat of perfect BatBeginning. That's what Jackman wants to serve.

 

[RonStoppablefan]

I'm glad Jackman likes his character so much and wants people to learn about his characters past, I'm sure excited about the movie.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

If we're tired of it wonder why it made so much money?

How do movies without Wolverine make money then

Because it's a summer blockbuster. Because FOX advertised the sh** out of the franchise. Because the first movie was a financial success. Because the second movie ended in a cliffhanger thereby guarenteed return audiences. Most people don't buy X-Men, to them Wolverine is just a face, a recognizable face, but a face. They would care it 1/2, 3/4 or 5/216th of the movie was about him.

This movie was their first introduction to X-Men. Fox was being lazy by playing it safe with Magneto and Wolverine for 3 straight films. Unlike Batman which made a successful movie with virtual unknown villains, or Star Wars which gave pretty equal time to most of their characters in the prequals.

Speak for yourself I enjoy the character and this kind of film needs an anchor because it's not like they release a new one every week

Then anchor it with THE X-MEN as opposed to Wolverine every damn movie. Most movies people go to feature characters they don't know or don't understand, the trick is to make them care and relate to these otherwise unknowns. No one knew who Don Vito was until someone made The Godfather, now that character is very well known. Same thing applies. If you make the movies about the X-Men you might be surprised who else audiences gravitate to.

...and Wolverine being the most popular and lucrative character in the X-Verse gives him that role by default in the films regardless of his role in the books.

No it doesn't. If you suck at writing and have no imagination then this is true. If you can see the book for what it is and why people read it...how it became popular (which is not because of Wolverine) then you can adapt that.

Both Zak Penn and Singer have admitted wanting to use other characters as focuses of the films but said the Producers at FOX nixed the decisions, even killing Cyclops and Xavier to give the movie more Wolverine. The decisions were made by people who don't understand comics or stories.

 

[WeaponXProject]

Now I agree with ShadowBoxer that Wolverine was overused and oversold in the Xfilms....but I still think that he is the most versatile character. And through all our disagreements between everyone in this thread we all know that the movie is going to happen. And if it is successful they will make a sequel and possibly another with different situations and proposals. For example, even if we see Logans past we won't be able to see him go back and pursue what happened in one movie. Hence, leading to a sequel. Also I thought that even if Wolverine were to have a fight with Sabretooth it would be in his past. Therefore, I would see it likely that Logan has a Final Battle with Sabretooth. A la a finale to the character. If this were not to happen, and I would understand if they didn't want to go these roads unless it were an X4 or X5 movie, I would be okay with it. I think Lauren Shuler will push to sell Wolverine even farther than we expected.

I do also agree that the comics did not become popular solely bc of Wolverine. Although a fan base grew for the character and the audience sought a personal Wolverine point of view, the X-Verse would have carried on with out Logan.

The last part you quoted about Singer and Penn wanting to use different characters as main focus....yeah I don't really credit those to for the movies considering they screwed alot of the literal translation of characters from the comics to the movies. I respect them but....I don't think they are as talented as people give them credit.