Days of Future Past Matthew Vaughn Is NOT Helming X-Men: First Class Sequel

[JP]

Magneto's theme is a must for the sequel. The most icon piece of music for me in the X-Men franchise since the suite from X2.

 

[X-Maniac]

After reading gushing reviews of how perfectly Whedon juggles all the Avenger's heroes without misusing even one of them makes me want an X-men film from him.

Whedon does a great job, i agree (though the film isn't 100 per cent perfect). He knows what the fans want and he delivers it (whether mainstream viewers/critics feel the same way about it is still to be determined).

He had the advantage of almost all the characters previously being fleshed out in solo films, and of only having one main villain (Loki) to handle.

It seems unlikely he will now make an X-Men movie. But I would hope that existing characters are fleshed out in the First Class sequel - especially those that didn't get much development first time round, like Banshee, Havok, Emma Frost etc. It only takes a few lines of dialogue to give them more substance.

 

[blueserenity]

I hope they change the main theme for the sequel a bit, I liked it in certain places like the montage but hated it for the battle and action scenes. Too light, I would prefer something more intense. I did like Magnetos theme alot, thats the one I seem to remember the most.

I think (providing Jackman returns, which, please god yes) it will be like Zimmerman's Dark Knight Returns vs Batman Begins. He uses a lot of the same themes and builds on them. I can see that happening with a couple of pieces from FC for sure. Magneto's is the obvious stand-out and I think should be left as is, the simple 4-note tune. Listening to the soundtrack (and the isolated score because sadly the CD doesn't encompass all the themes), Raven's theme really stands out as well. It begins as a simple, piano 4-note melody ("Would you Date Me") and when she enters the kitchen naked it turns into this beautiful rising piece. It's powerful, but I think it will have to be twisted a little bit to suit the darker person she becomes as it's currently too heroic. For Charles I suppose his theme is "X-Men" but it's just not tied closely enough to him. It'd be neat if Jackman developed a darker theme for him that can be transformed into "X-Men" by the end of the movie. I think Charles deserves an iconic theme either way. And I'm just going to put forward here that Charles and Erik's theme should be a variation on Rage and Serenity. That piece is already beautifully bittersweet enough.

Sorry I'm just a huge music junkie and this soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites. None of the other X-Men movie OSTs ever stuck with me (too campy, sorry) and I found it a real shame that the same composer wasn't hired on for at least the first two for consistency. For a series of films with sooo many characters to keep track of, I feel like it unites them better if there are similar themes running throughout. The XMFC felt more appropriate for the film than any other because it felt like character development through music, whereas the other Xmovies' soundtracks felt like they were hitting home the main point that these were superhero movies.

And on a side note because I so can't shut up about how much I love this soundtrack, the behind the scenes with Henry Jackman discussing how the Magneto theme came to be is bloody brilliant. Initially the theme had a brass theme with the angry strings as background before Vaughn nixed the trumpets in favor of the simple strings. Not sure how many other tracks Vaughn influenced because I will say that compared to Jackman's other soundtracks, XMFC is a real departure. They have to collaborate again on this!

Whedon does a great job, i agree (though the film isn't 100 per cent perfect). He knows what the fans want and he delivers it (whether mainstream viewers/critics feel the same way about it is still to be determined).

You're... you're speaking like you've seen it O_O. Was it leaked online or something? There aren't even any official reviews of it up yet...

 

[X-Maniac]

You're... you're speaking like you've seen it O_O. Was it leaked online or something? There aren't even any official reviews of it up yet...

I'm a journalist. Of course I've seen it.

Advance screening in London on Friday night. Reviews are embargoed but tweets and comments allowed.

 

[blueserenity]

[double-posted, sorry]

 

[def28]

Sorry I'm just a huge music junkie and this soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites. None of the other X-Men movie OSTs ever stuck with me (too campy, sorry) and I found it a real shame that the same composer wasn't hired on for at least the first two for consistency. For a series of films with sooo many characters to keep track of, I feel like it unites them better if there are similar themes running throughout. The XMFC felt more appropriate for the film than any other because it felt like character development through music, whereas the other Xmovies' soundtracks felt like they were hitting home the main point that these were superhero movies.

I dont really like the X-men Soundtracks either. I do like this film and probably even the soundtrack the most out of all them, even though I hate the main theme. As for X Themes its my least favorite. It sounds like a made for tv movie especially with the use of weak distorted guitar riffs when it hits. They always sound half assed when used in Super hero flicks and cheapen it imo. Although it does work well other places in First Class like Mags theme. Iron Man was the worst.

 

[Loganbabe]

I can't see where people get an idea that he's only interested in Magneto when he's talking about both characters and both actors.

People get this idea because they read the transcript of the interview.

Kinberg went on to say that while they’re still in the early stages of story-planning, the second film will likely involve a lot more Magneto.

“That’s what was so cool about the first one and what we want to continue,”

Of course he never said "Yes, the sequel will be entirely devoted to Magneto", but he said that telling Magneto's story was "what was cool" about the first film and he intended to explore it further. So I don't think that the way it was interpreted as "more focus on Magneto" is delusional or wrong. It's perfectly deduced based on what he said. People are not making things up.

And he talks about Magneto's role in the sequel later in the interview because the interviewer asks him specifically about Magneto and he's just answering her question. Had she asked him about Charles, he'd have talked about Charles.

If you're writing a script and the focus is distributed equally between two protagonists, a type of question like that - about only one character - could have been be easily dismissed. He could have answered "Yes, of course, Magneto is an amazing character and blah blah blah but we're also developing an incredible arc for Charles. We want to continue both their stories, Magneto assembling his Brotherhood and Charles his X-Men and turning into Professor X." or something like this. Kinberg was satisfied in mentioning only Magneto, and didn't even refer to the initial "now we're going to show Charles turning into Professor X since the first film was about Erik turning into Magneto" rumors that spread around the net based on McAvoy and Fassbender's interviews, it's no wonder that the general feeling after his interview was "the focus will be on Magneto."
Now of course no one is stupid to think that Charles will be removed from the film. But it's frustrating when you expect the writer to at least support what the actors said previously, and he doesn't even refer to it.

But because Charles is not his absolute favouritest character, it doesn't mean that he's not interested in him at all and that he's not prepared to give him time.

The problem is not that Charles isn't his favorite character. The problem is that Vaughn only referred to him in interviews as "boring and dull" and insinuates that he's almost useless now that he's in a wheelchair and can't be Magneto's nemesis, as if Charles is only defined by how useful he can be to Magneto, and not by himself. Plus it's so ableist it's not even funny. It sounded as if Vaughn felt embarrassed for having to deal with a disabled character in his epic action film. Having a favorite character is one thing; being dismissive of the other protagonist because he's in a wheelchair, or is a teacher, or has a power that is not cool as bending metal is another.

 

[Mrs Vimes]

But I would hope that existing characters are fleshed out in the First Class sequel - especially those that didn't get much development first time round, like Banshee, Havok, Emma Frost etc. It only takes a few lines of dialogue to give them more substance.

I thought that there were some nice camaraderie moments among the X-kids in FC, I'd hope that they keep developing that.

If they keep Emma, I wonder what her dynamic with Erik would be compared to how she behaved around Shaw, since Erik has a totally different style. Plus she seemed to be really into the whole glamourous Hugh Hefner lifestyle Shaw led; I wonder if life with Erik would be a disappointment in that sense because I can't see him be into luxury yachts and all t:

 

[merbass]

I have a feeling it will revolve around Mystique and perhaps they are even bringing back the plan for X-men origins : Mystique for Jennifer to be in it ! How many films did she sign for ? 3 ?

 

[Angamb]

WOW

hadnt thought about that, a Mystique's spinoff with Jennifer, DOPE!!

Not sure if she would like that, but would be a great spin-off

 

[blueserenity]

I dont really like the X-men Soundtracks either. I do like this film and probably even the soundtrack the most out of all them, even though I hate the main theme. As for X Themes its my least favorite. It sounds like a made for tv movie especially with the use of weak distorted guitar riffs when it hits. They always sound half assed when used in Super hero flicks and cheapen it imo. Although it does work well other places in First Class like Mags theme. Iron Man was the worst.

The main theme being "First Class"? I guess I didn't mind it but it certainly doesn't stand out the way Magneto or Rage and Serenity do. It's pretty light, which works with the tone of most of the movie. It'll have to be much darker in the sequel, which in interviews has been hinted at being darker.

I suppose the X-movie theme I like best is actually from X3. Of the 3 it's the best soundtrack I found anyway, a bit more emotional than the campy 1 and 2 (which ironic considering how shallow the movie was). But XMFC feels fresh and making a good effort to avoid the "this is a sci-fi/fantasy movie" soundtrack cliches.

Interesting about Iron Man. I honestly don't remember anything about the music from either movie other than the AC/DC tracks. In fact I just Youtubed the theme for it and you're right, utterly forgettable.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Interesting about Iron Man. I honestly don't remember anything about the music from either movie other than the AC/DC tracks. In fact I just Youtubed the theme for it and you're right, utterly forgettable.

aye, I have always said that the s/track to the first IM was not that good, I mean, some of it is pretty good, but i always felt the music that was playing when he was flying in one of the proto-type armours was like the music for a computer game flight simulation.

Funnily enough, last year, when I was going through some tapes of my old band, I found a tape of myself recording ideas for songs, and one riff I recorded was the same guitar riff they use for Magneto in FC, I'm talking like about the early 90s I would've recorded that. I guess a lot of guitarists would have played a riff like that, it's simple but effective.

 

[def28]

I suppose the X-movie theme I like best is actually from X3. Of the 3 it's the best soundtrack I found anyway, a bit more emotional than the campy 1 and 2 (which ironic considering how shallow the movie was). But XMFC feels fresh and making a good effort to avoid the "this is a sci-fi/fantasy movie" soundtrack cliches.

Interesting about Iron Man. I honestly don't remember anything about the music from either movie other than the AC/DC tracks. In fact I just Youtubed the theme for it and you're right, utterly forgettable.

Agreed, I like the X3 the best as far as the original tril score. Like you were saying in your other post I hope they build on the FC score the way TDK did on Batman Begins.

Iron Man score just flat out sucks. Besides the meh ending battle that was my biggest problem with the film.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Agreed, I like the X3 the best as far as the original tril score. Like you were saying in your other post I hope they build on the FC score the way TDK did on Batman Begins.

I really liked Micheal Kamen's understated score for X-Men 1, it was a little too understated though at times, and could have used a full on tune now and again. Out of them all, it was the most 'sci-fi' score though, it gave the film a mysterious vibe that fit well with that film in particular because we were just being introduced to the universe, the mysteries being unravelled as the film progressed.

the scores for 2 and 3 were also very good in their own ways, 3 had that epic finale thing going on, which gave way to some grand tunes.

Iron Man score just flat out sucks. Besides the meh ending battle that was my biggest problem with the film.

Some of it was good, and fit the hi-tech vibe of the film, but i was let down by that flight tune.
and as for the end battle, man, I know a lot of folk complained about it at the time, but compared to the final battles we got in TIHulk, Thor, Captain America, the end battles in both Iron-Man movies were a lot better.

 

[def28]

I really liked Micheal Kamen's understated score for X-Men 1, it was a little too understated though at times, and could have used a full on tune now and again. Out of them all, it was the most 'sci-fi' score though, it gave the film a mysterious vibe that fit well with that film in particular because we were just being introduced to the universe, the mysteries being unravelled as the film progressed.

the scores for 2 and 3 were also very good in their own ways, 3 had that epic finale thing going on, which gave way to some grand tunes.

Just never got into the X1 an 2 scores. My friends swear by it, personally always thought it was underwhelming. Yeah, The Phoenix Rises theme is definitely the most epic sounding thing the whole series has had.

Some of it was good, and fit the hi-tech vibe of the film, but i was let down by that flight tune.
and as for the end battle, man, I know a lot of folk complained about it at the time, but compared to the final battles we got in TIHulk, Thor, Captain America, the end battles in both Iron-Man movies were a lot better.

I thought the TIH had the best ending battle. Thor vs Loki was cool, could have been better for sure but Thor is slowly becoming my favorite Avenger Marvel flick so I can forgive it. Cap Vs Red Skull was a disappointment. All are great flicks imo. Never really thought about it but your right all of the endings are a bit weak in a way. Hopefully Avnegers makes up.

 

[JP]

The X3 score had fantastic moments, but is horribly inconsistent. For every "Phoenix Rises" and "Building Bridges" you have a other less desirable tracks like the Dager Room music that isn't even on the soundtrack.

 

[def28]

Yeah, I like the X theme and the re accruing Phoenix parts, thats about it. Have to listen again, been awhile. The X3 score does demand your attention at times which is a bad thing I guess. Definitely helps the flick with forcing emotion. I like those two tracks though. If I remember right the intro credit movie theme is different then the one on the album, always found that weird. FC does a much better job as a whole.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Whedon does a great job, i agree (though the film isn't 100 per cent perfect). He knows what the fans want and he delivers it (whether mainstream viewers/critics feel the same way about it is still to be determined).

He had the advantage of almost all the characters previously being fleshed out in solo films, and of only having one main villain (Loki) to handle.

It seems unlikely he will now make an X-Men movie. But I would hope that existing characters are fleshed out in the First Class sequel - especially those that didn't get much development first time round, like Banshee, Havok, Emma Frost etc. It only takes a few lines of dialogue to give them more substance.

You've seen the film? I hate you.


Is it true what they say? The final battle is the most glorious the genre has seen?

 

[blueserenity]

You've seen the film? I hate you.


Is it true what they say? The final battle is the most glorious the genre has seen?

Oi Oi Oi, some of us don't want anything about the Avengers spoiled and have been meticulously avoiding all news about it! So shhhh or take it to the Avengers board!

 

[danoyse]

No Avengers spoilers here, please.

 

[X-Maniac]

Oi Oi Oi, some of us don't want anything about the Avengers spoiled and have been meticulously avoiding all news about it! So shhhh or take it to the Avengers board!

I shan't be spoiling anything. But I will say that one scene reminded me of something in X-Men: First Class and another scene (shown in one of the clips) reminded me of a sequence in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Also, despite being 2hrs 22mins, I never felt it was too long and didn't look at my watch once. Interest and momentum is maintained, and it does go to show that that can make a longer runtime manageable. I'm not saying it was perfect but it's blockbuster entertainment, for sure.

 

[mclay18]

According to TOLDJA, Matthew Vaughn has elected not to direct the sequel to X-Men: First Class. And the director on top of Fox's short replacement list is no other than Bryan Singer.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/mat...-first-class-2-will-bryan-singer-replace-him/

Thoughts, comments?

 

[kieron39]

Hope this is just a rumour.
http://m.deadline.com/2012/10/matth...-first-class-2-will-bryan-singer-replace-him/

I see I'm late. Please close thread.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Per TOLDJA:

EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Vaughn has decided not to direct the sequel to 20th Century Fox’s hit spinoff X-Men: First Class. Ready for the next shocker? Atop the studio’s replacement short list is Bryan Singer, who launched the X-Men feature franchise with the first two superb films, and who has been a guiding influence in this spinoff by writing the treatment and producing. If this works out, Singer and Vaughn would essentially be switching roles. Vaughn, who wrote the treatment for the sequel for X-Men: First Class–Days of Future Past that was scripted by Simon Kinberg, would step back to produce the film with Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner.

Vaughn will do another film for Fox, and I’m hearing it will be the drama Secret Service, an adaptation of the Mark Millar comic book series that Vaughn has been working on with the author.

Fox already has the script for X-Men: First Class–Days Of Future Past, and set to return is Fox’s First Class cast that includes Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence. Fox hopes to make the July 18, 2014 release date it set for the sequel, but it will have to find a director quickly. I’m not exactly sure why Vaughn is bowing out, but he is pretty picky on projects that he directs. You’ll recall that he briefly bowed out of the original First Class film, prompting Fox to start a search before he changed his mind and returned. Vaughn also passed on directing the sequel to his Kick-Ass film, entrusting the job to Jeff Wadlow. Wadlow is shooting Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall right now with Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz.

The studio just navigated a similar situation when Rupert Wyatt decided not to come back and direct the sequel to Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. The studio had a cream of the crop group of directors waiting to take Wyatt’s place, and the search ended when Fox's top choice Cloverfield helmer Matt Reeves, committed to the job.

Fox has been trying to up the pedigree of directors who make films at the studio, and bringing back Singer while keeping Vaughn in the fold would be a pretty good feat. The studio did not immediately comment but I’ll update my story when I have more information. Singer’s next film is Jack The Giant Killer for New Line.

 

[def28]

Interesting. Im sure Millar will confirm this soon.