X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - Grading+Discussion **SPOILERS!**

[Skywalker]

the Phoenix in X3 was a clone of Jean, she's really been captured by Sinister, along with Scott. They're stuck in Sinister's lab somewhere, prisoners of the Nasty Boys and the Marauders until Cyclops and Phoenix the movie happens.

There, we've got the first two minutes of X4 figured out.

Now we just need to figure out the next two hours.

 

[Broccoli]

I think that might be the reverse that Ratner was more agreeable with 20th Century Fox. If memory serves, the budget was set before Ratner came on board during pre-production after Vaughn bailed. It's very likely, unlike Singer, he was fine with what he was given and didn't push for more. I can see this given the surface-deep nature of his other films.

The budget actually ballooned when Ratner came on-board. I believe the budget was around $175-$200 million when Matthew Vaughn was slated to direct but after Ratner came on-board the budget apparently skyrocketed to over $225 million. At least that's what Empire reported.

According to Box Office Mojo, the purported production budget was $210 million. Comparatively speaking, the budget for X-Men was $75 million and the budget for X2 was $110 million. Ratner essentially had another $100 million more to work with than Singer had on X2.

Singer wanted the Danger Room, he wanted Sentinels, and he wanted bigger action sequences (as well as more breathing room for other characters like Angel). 20th Century Fox repeatedly denied him those things. Brett Ratner wanted the Danger Room, he wanted Sentinels (they weren't in the script before he came on-board; he reveals this in the commentary) and he wanted big action sequences and he got them. In my view, there's some faulty logic there. It seems 20th Century Fox should have been more flexible with Singer and had that happened he wouldn't have been enticed to jump ship. They were perfectly willing to accommodate Ratner and his needs but not Singer's.

And you think Singer wouldn't have gotten that extra $100 million? Singer left before any of that was figured out. WB offered Superman to Singer, Singer asked to have X-Men 3 wait a year, Fox said no, and Singer left due to that (coupled with his experiences with the studio from the earlier films).

I guess referring to homosexuals as "fags" doesn't make him an asshole in your book. Okay, I'll accept that. I guess being racist and making fun of someone's ethnicity, and then repeatedly lying about someone's sex life in public is morally acceptable, or at least not "asshole" like behavior. We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

That's not what I meant, and you know that.

He made a dumbass comment while trying to joke around. It wasn't a smart move, and he rightly suffered the consequences. However, it was pretty clear there was no malice surrounding what he said. To me, intent and malice is everything. So, while I don't think it makes him an ass necessarily, it does make him an ignorant buffoon.

20th Century Fox equally wanted Aronofsky. They tried to get him for the first movie (and apparently for The Last Stand as well). Jackman doesn't have that much clout.

When it comes to Wolverine, I'd say he has some good pull.

 

[Admiral_Young]

This is why we all must ignore The Last Stand. No good can come from it

 

[Saga]

This is why we all must ignore The Last Stand. No good can come from it

 

[KB24]

Yeah, not a Polanski or Ratner fan, nor The Last Stand. I mean really, who greenlight a story with mutant cures ending it all if you wanted the franchise to continue? Making the Dark Phoenix dumbed down and secondary for it was like cutting your nose to spite your face. I'd much rather watch the cartoon in place of TLS.

Anyhoo.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansi...ew_Vaughn_Has_Something_He_Is_Pitching_To_Fox

and


http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/11/1...more-professor-x-in-x-men-first-class-sequel/

McAvoy and Fassbender are hoping!

 

[Captaindemotion]

Fox's Tom Rothman on a sequel (and possible other Fox superhero movies):

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/22583/rothman-on-x-men-sequel-marvel-reboots

“It’s ‘go’ in the sense that we’re trying like hell. We’re trying as hard as we can. We really want to do it. We’re planning to do it. But the reason, in addition to [Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy] and Matthew Vaughn, that it was as good as it was that the script was really good. The key to making a great continuing franchise is to have a great script, so we’re working hard on it.”
Will Vaughn return? “I know he’d like to. We certainly would like him to. But it’s a matter of, as I said, getting a script that’s really worthy.”

Hearteningly, Fox seem to have taken note of how Marvel have handled their comic movies, as oppose to how Fox have. One gets the impression that they'll be aiming for the high standard set by the Marvel-produced movies, as well as First Class and this year's Planet of the Apes movies, as oppose to the likes of Elektra or the Fantastic Four, when they reboot Daredevil and FF etc.

 

[Mike Farley]

Maybe FOX should build their own "Marvel" universe out of the properties they hold the rights to.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Hmmmmm. Interesting idea. But I don't know that Daredevil, X-Men and FF would all work onscreen together too well. But they might do, who knows?

I wish DD and Spider-man were owned by the same company though...

 

[Turtletrekker]

^Hmmmmm. Interesting idea. But I don't know that Daredevil, X-Men and FF would all work onscreen together too well. But they might do, who knows?

IIRC, wasn't there a nod to the X-Men movies in one of the Fantastic Four movies? A photograph of Doom and Stryker together or something?

I wish DD and Spider-man were owned by the same company though...

I agree. For no other reason than the Ben Urich character, who would be the perfect "bridge" character between the franchises (ala Coulson or Fury). Jameson would work in that regard as well, but not as well as Urich, the reporter who cracked both DD and Spidey's secret IDs, but never published them.

 

[Skywalker]

With The Wolverine set for 2013, I don't expect a First Class sequel until 2014 at the earliest, so they've got plenty of time to get a solid script together. They won't have to rush the production like they did with The Last Stand and kind of did with First Class.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I actually wish that Marvel Studios bought the Fantastic Four rights and did a reboot. Just so we could get a scene between Reed and Tony

 

[Captain Craig]

Good news that they seem eager and willing to do a sequel. It still just feel like lip service to some degree though. I want to hear of contracts signed, that would give me a better sense of certainty.

Count me with those who feel like FOX could manage the Marvel properties they have into a type of shared universe. It doesn't have to be a lead up to some big event, ala The Avengers, just enough nods to know they are all operating in the same world.

 

[Admiral_Young]

We usually never hear about contracts, we hear about green lights. I agree that we probably won't see First Class 2 until 2014 at the earliest. Everyone is mostly busy right now. Vaughn still continues to eye his next project which will most likely be another Mark Millar adaptation. Singer is busy with "Jack the Giant Killer" and his "Battlestar Galactica" project. James McAvoy is an established star with a lot of projects on the go...Michael Fassbender has become a superstar. The only reason that this was "rushed" is because of Bryan Singer getting the ball rolling in the first place. He galvanized everyone with his treatment. It's all about getting that story together. Once they do that things will start moving again. There's no real rush for this one if they want to do it right.

 

[Skywalker]

I actually wish that Marvel Studios bought the Fantastic Four rights and did a reboot. Just so we could get a scene between Reed and Tony

And a scene between Cap and the new Johnny!

 

[KB24]

Fassbender and McAvoy have both mentioned they are signed for 2 sequels, I don't know about everyone else. I hope there is indeed at least a first round script being worked on, then if Vaughn and Goldman can return for another polish and be able to take some more time instead of the rush!

Fassbender is only committed to one project next year, 12 Years a Slave with McQueen again. Lots of rumors of other things, but maybe he is keeping his calendar clear for a reason? I'm more concerned with Lawrence and Hunger Games becoming an issue.

Fassbender has thus far been able to stick to his guns in his film decisions, going with smaller films for less because he believes in them and the people or passing on huge things because he didn't think they held much for him. Although I think his declining the Hobbit was two fold, it was a small part and he couldn't commit to their schedule, hopefully I suspect because of a window for X-Men.

Right now, I'm more concerned with the Golden Globe noms next week!

 

[Admiral_Young]

We know there's a first draft being written...it was reported earlier in the thread Simon Kinberg was writing it. This is still in the very early development stages right now. As I've said from the start we probably won't hear anything definitive until next year.

 

[Mike Farley]

Good news that they seem eager and willing to do a sequel. It still just feel like lip service to some degree though. I want to hear of contracts signed, that would give me a better sense of certainty.

Count me with those who feel like FOX could manage the Marvel properties they have into a type of shared universe. It doesn't have to be a lead up to some big event, ala The Avengers, just enough nods to know they are all operating in the same world.

It was more or less a joke when I wrote it, but now I've suddenly become excited about a 60's Era Marvel Movie Universe with sequels to X-MEN FIRST CLASS and a re-launched FANTASTIC FOUR back in it's proper space-race context.

 

[Skywalker]

Whoa, wait, Fassbender was offered a role in The Hobbit? Which character?

 

[Set Harth]

Thranduil? Bard? The Ring?

 

[Captaindemotion]

Whoa, wait, Fassbender was offered a role in The Hobbit? Which character?

Surely Gandalf?!