Vaughn: 'I could have made X-Men 3 100x better'

[Electrix]

Matthew told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “As it happens, I could have made something a hundred times better than the film that was eventually made. It sounds arrogant, but I could have done something with far more emotion and heart. I’m probably going to be told off for saying that, but I genuinely believe it.”

http://www.themovieblog.com/2007/10/matthew-vaughn-says-he-could-have-done-xmen-3-better-than-ratner

 

[BobJM]

It's possible, but I'm tired of bashing Ratner and his crew. It's been over a year and I think it's time to just move on.

 

[X-Maniac]

Yes, it's possible..and quite likely he would have added more 'heart'... but he screwed up his chance to make X3... and, as it happens, his own actions of walking out at such a late stage were a contributory factor to the X3 we did get. He caused the loss of a lot of time, money and preparation.

I'd still like to see what he could do with an X-movie. But it's no use boasting now about what he could have done.

He had more time than Ratner when he walked out. What a shame he didn't have this brash confidence at that moment.

 

[Advanced Dark]

You could say the same if Ratner had more time.

 

[Storm22]

He does sound arrogant alright. Under the same conditions and limitations Ratner was under who knows if he would have made something "100 times better"

 

[LastSunrise1981]

I never did buy his excuse of wanting to spend more time with his family.

As much as I bash Ratner and Fox for what they did, it's not like Vaughn had the same confidence then. If he truly believed he could've made it 100 times better he would've stayed regardless of how he felt.

But what's done is done. Nothing can change the outcome of this film and a time machine hasn't been created.

 

[Advanced Dark]

I blame Singer for what happened. He had a contract no matter how much he felt he was underpaid...the X-Men gave him all that power. He could have taken his talents and made all the critically acclaimed Indie films he wanted to and he'd never be making the paychecks he is now. X-Men put him up on the studios A-List.

 

[BMM]

I blame Singer for what happened. He had a contract no matter how much he felt he was underpaid...the X-Men gave him all that power. He could have taken his talents and made all the critically acclaimed Indie films he wanted to and he'd never be making the paychecks he is now. X-Men put him up on the studios A-List.

I do and I don't. Singer was never contracted to film X-Men 3 and Fox should have signed Singer and the remaining cast and crew earlier. It probably would have saved the studio a lot of time and money. Also, I wouldn't say that X-Men put anybody on the A-List, as though the X-Men are synonymous with success. X-Men could have just as easily put any director on the C or D list, like Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four did with MSJ and Story. These people get out what they put into these franchises.

He had more time than Ratner when he walked out. What a shame he didn't have this brash confidence at that moment.

True. Vaughn's time will come with Thor.

 

[The Shredder]

Yes, it's possible..and quite likely he would have added more 'heart'... but he screwed up his chance to make X3... and, as it happens, his own actions of walking out at such a late stage were a contributory factor to the X3 we did get. He caused the loss of a lot of time, money and preparation.

I'd still like to see what he could do with an X-movie. But it's no use boasting now about what he could have done.

He had more time than Ratner when he walked out. What a shame he didn't have this brash confidence at that moment.

Well said. And agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Theweepeople]

I blame Singer for what happened. He had a contract no matter how much he felt he was underpaid...the X-Men gave him all that power. He could have taken his talents and made all the critically acclaimed Indie films he wanted to and he'd never be making the paychecks he is now. X-Men put him up on the studios A-List.

Singer was not contracted to direct any X-Men movies after X2. Fox wasted over a year in negotiating Singer's contract. If Fox was happy with the two previous X-films they should have immediately signed him after the release of X2. Sony signed Rami a few months after the release of Spider-man 1 and starting preparing to make Spider-man 2.

It's Tom Rothman and Fox's fault for the mess X-Men 3 turned out to be. I still think Ratner, Kinberg, and Penn are hacks but, Fox are the ones who hired them.

 

[danoyse]

Vaughn really needs to get over himself.

 

[Canemacar]

At the very best, Vaughan could have made X3 1.5 times better. Maybe.

 

[Theweepeople]

Vaughn really needs to get over himself.

I agree. I didn't think Stardust was that good. If that's the best Vaughn has to offer after directing a science fiction movie then Thor is going to be a disaster.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Thor has nothing to do with Stardust.

 

[X-Maniac]

I haven't seen Stardust, i believe it opens in the UK this week. There are trailers on the TV.

Regarding contracts, it is amazing that Singer wasn't contracted in for X3 more quickly. This must have been to do with ongoing negotiations over his planned X3/X4 and his apparently wanting $50m for it. (Ratner got $7m for X3, for comparison).

Also, Vaughn must have signed a contract at the time he walked. The studio obviously were prepared not to force him to honour it. I'm amazed he was able to walk out at that stage of the production process.

 

[Theweepeople]

Thor has nothing to do with Stardust.

I guess that's one perspective someone could take. I have a different one since Vaughn has been sought by Marvel to direct Thor.

 

[ToriL90]

I haven't seen Stardust, i believe it opens in the UK this week. There are trailers on the TV.

Regarding contracts, it is amazing that Singer wasn't contracted in for X3 more quickly. This must have been to do with ongoing negotiations over his planned X3/X4 and his apparently wanting $50m for it. (Ratner got $7m for X3, for comparison).

Also, Vaughn must have signed a contract at the time he walked. The studio obviously were prepared not to force him to honour it. I'm amazed he was able to walk out at that stage of the production process.

At what point did Vaughn walk? I didn't know about all this with Vaughn.

 

[X-Maniac]

At what point did Vaughn walk? I didn't know about all this with Vaughn.

Vaughn left in late May of 2005, eight or nine weeks before filming was due to start. Ratner was signed in June, very soon after. Filming started in August.

http://www.killermovies.com/x/xmen3/articles/5189.html

http://movies.about.com/od/xmen3/a/xmen3060105.htm

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891216/news

 

[Advanced Dark]

It's pretty unprofessional for Vaughn to say what he said. Especially when given a challenge and he runs away...not to mention he lied about why he left and now is trying to cover it up.

 

[Angamb]

I'm sure if he says that, is because it's true. And mainly, because X3 wasn't as good as the previous.

But what I think now is how the film would have been 100 times better with the same writers.... they were since the beggining, so....

Certainly, Ratner changed things of the script, and surely, Fox too, so probably, they both (Fox and Ratner) had a big fault.

 

[X-Maniac]

I'm sure if he says that, is because it's true. And mainly, because X3 wasn't as good as the previous.

But what I think now is how the film would have been 100 times better with the same writers.... they were since the beggining, so....

Certainly, Ratner changed things of the script, and surely, Fox too, so probably, they both (Fox and Ratner) had a big fault.

That's nonsense. Because he says it, it must be true????? So everything he says is true? Or everything anyone says is true? Come on, Angamb, don't just be suckered into things.

And the same writers weren't there from the beginning. Singer and Tom DeSanto came up with the story for X1 and David Hayter wrote the screenplay. Singer, Hayter and Zak Penn came up with the story for X2... then a very different screenplay was written by Harris and Dougherty (and Hayter, supposedly). Hayter fell out with Fox after Harris and Dougherty were brought on board by Bryan. Zak insisted on a story credit but his ideas didn't make it. The X-franchise is not a case of the same people working on everything.

 

[Angamb]

I said I believe him, not that I believe everyone, Xmaniac, hahahaha.

 

[danoyse]

I'm sure if he says that, is because it's true. And mainly, because X3 wasn't as good as the previous.

It's not true, because he never made an X3. We have no way of knowing how much better his movie would have been. That's why this whole Monday-morning quarterback routine he's pulling now about how the movie did turn out is not impressing me at all.

I'm not a Ratner fan, and I'm curious how Vaughn's version would have turned out because I think he's a better filmmaker. But there is no Vaughn version.

 

[X-Maniac]

It's not true, because he never made an X3. We have no way of knowing how much better his movie would have been. That's why this whole Monday-morning quarterback routine he's pulling now about how the movie did turn out is not impressing me at all.

I'm not a Ratner fan, and I'm curious how Vaughn's version would have turned out because I think he's a better filmmaker. But there is no Vaughn version.

Precisely!

 

[flavio_lebeau]

I find this declaration useless and unimportant.