X-Men: The Last Stand battles Superman Returns (The Hollywood Reporter article)

[Neto Magnus]

Aug. 18, 2006

Fox got bigger hit, but WB happy with Singer

By Anne Thompson

As summer nears its end, "X-Men: The Last Stand," which nabbed middling reviews, seems to have exceeded expectations with a $441 million worldwide gross, while "Superman Returns" -- though it earned a strong, positive ranking of 76% on RottenTomatoes.com -- has yet to break the $200 million mark domestically. Although "Superman" is still playing overseas with a $347 million worldwide gross to date, it has failed to return on its lofty expectations. The drama behind Bryan Singer's departure from 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" franchise to direct "Superman" for Warner Bros. Pictures left much Sturm und Drang in its wake. But who were the real winners and losers on this deal?

Warners was delighted to poach Singer -- a proven tentpole director with a canny understanding of the action-adventure universe -- from Fox. He was available because Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairman Tom Rothman had been playing a game of chicken with him on his "Last Stand" deal: Singer wanted to cash in on the final installment of the "X-Men" saga. When Warners lured Singer away with the chance to direct "Superman" and a top-dollar deal -- sources say it was $10 million vs. 7% of the gross -- Rothman was livid. He promptly shut down Singer's Bad Hat Harry Prods. office on the Fox lot -- though Singer returned the next day to the Fox set of his TV series "House."

"We were in a heightened emotional state of mind," Fox president Hutch Parker says. "We believed that Bryan was going to do 'X-Men 3,' and when he made a different choice, it was scary and daunting to be losing someone so essential to the expression of the franchise. We had to rethink how to approach this. There was a lot of anxiety for everybody."

Rather than wait for Singer, Fox made the decision to go full steam ahead. "We needed the movie," Parker says, "and it was critical that it get made in that window. We were wary about where the comic movie would be in the larger cycle."

Fox first proceeded with director Matthew Vaughn and then Brett Ratner to meet the tentpole's original May 26 release date. But it cost the studio to make that target. (According to sources close to the movie, "Last Stand" cost about $168 million after tax rebates.) Producer Lauren Shuler Donner shouldered the burden of wrestling the movie into submission; the studio rushed two pricey screenwriters, Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg, to complete their scripts; and the studio paid dearly to get elaborate visual effects from about six FX houses, including Weta Digital, finished in time. In the short term, the studio clearly won the summer 2006 battle with Warners. But where is the "X-Men" franchise going forward?

Singer was the creative force behind the "X-Men" franchise, and now he's gone. Ratner is not in the picture; the sense in Hollywood is that Fox scored with "Last Stand" despite the director, not because of him. With its "X-Men" actors now too expensive to reassemble, Fox is proceeding with development on two "X-Men" spinoffs, starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (David Benioff and David Ayer have written drafts) and Ian McKellen as Magneto. The bloom is definitely off the "X-Men" rose. One could argue that in the long term, the studio would have been better off paying Singer to keep him or waiting to get him back. (Rothman and Singer eventually buried the hatchet over lunch.)

You can read the rest of it here

 

[Retroman]

Thanks Neto. Great article.

Ratner has openly offered to do Wolverine but Fox hasn't jumped at the chance to sign him up for that movie or a potential X4 despite the fact that X3 is a big box office hit. I think that says something.

And as for the rushing. Well, Fox haven't learnt their lesson. They're doing the same thing with FF2.

 

[XCharlieX]

If i were fox id congratulate ratner and get someone else. Someone who could keep as true to the tone of the films as ratner though.

 

[Neto Magnus]

I hope that Singer and Rothman did indeed bury the hatchet and having something in the works.

 

[Celestial]

The article was reassuring. It makes it sound like people at Fox are well aware that the rushed schedule pushed up costs and that something was lost in the process.

 

[Electrix]

So basically Singer went to do Superman for the money. That made Fox spend lots of money on X3 so that it would be ready in time. X-Men 3 has made lots of money but Fox dont want to do X4 because the cast would cost a lot. Superman hasnt made enough money but Warner Brothers dont care because they have poached Singer from Fox.

 

[Retroman]

So basically Singer went to do Superman for the money.

That and that Fox took way too long to sign him for X3.More than a year.

 

[Electrix]

That and that Fox took way too long to sign him for X3.More than a year.

That was stupid of them.

 

[La_She-Beast]

But didn't wasn't said that they had all X-actors for X-4, except the important ones?

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Thanks Neto. Great article.

Ratner has openly offered to do Wolverine but Fox hasn't jumped at the chance to sign him up for that movie or a potential X4 despite the fact that X3 is a big box office hit. I think that says something.

That he's too pricey for a not-so high budget movie like Wolverine?

 

[Retroman]

That he's too pricey for a not-so high budget movie like Wolverine?

No i think they want someone else to do Wolverine, i could be wrong of course.