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Which Director is Strongest With the Force?
Like many Star Wars fans, it took us a while to process the news that the creator and caretaker of the greatest sci-fi epic of all time, George Lucas, had sold Lucasfilm Ltd. to Disney. And, as if that news wasn't momentous enough, Disney concurrently announced that plans were already underway for an all-new Star Wars movie, a sequel to the original trilogy that would likely be the first movie in a new trilogy.
Minds thoroughly blown, we started to think about the future of the franchise. Jar Jar Binks and Hayden Christensen's horrible acting had really hurt the prequel trilogy and Lucas' constant meddling with the original trilogy tested our faith in ol' grey beard even further. With Lucas out of the picture, could the franchise regain its former glory?
In the days following the announcement, it was revealed that Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) had been hired to write the screenplay for Star Wars: Episode VII, while rumors continue to swirl that Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) is in the running to direct. Do you think that Vaughn is the right man for the job or would you like to see J.J. Abrams (Star Trek), Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens) or someone else direct? Who do you think has the vision to chart the course of the future of the Star Wars franchise?
Rate the Top 10 Best Directors To Helm Star Wars: Episode VII >>
Posted 11.13.12 by BrentJS -
While he has been more wrong than right, we have to give Kick-Ass comic book co-creator Mark Millar credit. At long last, his insistence that Kick-Ass 2 was in the works has turned out to be true.
In February, Millar said a sequel to 2010's Kick-Ass would start shooting this summer, which was hard to take seriously since Millar had made similar comments several times before, starting with the proclamation that the sequel would start production in 2011 for a planned 2012 release (which clearly never happened). However, according to Deadline, Millar is finally right this time, and Kick-Ass 2 is now a reality.
more Kick-Ass 2 details >> Posted 05.09.12 by Ryan -
Since the 2010 adaptation of Kick-Ass hit theaters, executive producer and comic book co-creator Mark Millar has been extremely confident that a sequel was on its way, announcing less than a month after Kick-Ass opened that Kick-Ass 2 was going to start production in 2011. Of course, that hasn't happened yet, but the closest Millar has come to saying that Kick-Ass 2 probably won't happen is admitting last September that Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman might not return for another installment after the success of X-Men: First Class.
Goldman took it a step further in January saying that she was "a little on the fence" about "whether the movie itself needs a sequel," adding that Vaughn had "somebody" in mind to write and direct a sequel, though she didn't mention that person by name. Whether that mysterious person has agreed to work on the sequel is unknown, but Millar is at it again with Kick-Ass 2, telling Scotland's The Daily Record that the sequel will now start shooting this summer.
read millar's comments >> Posted 02.21.12 by Ryan -
Now that Twentieth Century Fox has officially hired back director Matthew Vaughn to helm a sequel to his comic book adaptation of X-Men: First Class, all speculation rests with the script, which First Class producer Simon Kinberg is reportedly writing. Kinberg, who also wrote 2006's fanboy-maligned X-Men: The Last Stand, was reportedly hired to script the sequel last November and confirmed his involvement in a recent interview with MTV.
I don’t know what the title is going to be but certainly I’m working on the sequel to X-Men: First Class right now. I’m going to be writing and producing it, I’m starting now, with Matthew Vaughn directing.
what will magneto be up to in the sequel? >> Posted 02.17.12 by Ryan -
After a long period of silence, 20th Century Fox is moving quickly on the expected sequel to X-Men: First Class. First Class producer and 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand screenwriter Simon Kinberg was hired to write the sequel in November, and earlier this week, Fox officially hired back director Matthew Vaughn. THR reports that the rest of the cast is confirmed to return as well, including James McAvoy, who played Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, and Michael Fassbender, who played Erik Lensherr, a.k.a. Magneto. Of course, this comes as little surprise since McAvoy has already revealed in November that he was contractually obligated to return, stating "if Fox decides we're doing it, then I don't have a choice," while Fassbender revealed earlier this month that he is actually signed "for two options," meaning two sequels.
The question remains whether First Class screenwriter Jane Goldman will be back as well. A frequent collaborator with Vaughn, including 2010's Kick-Ass and 2007's Stardust, Goldman recently revealed that she would be "100% there" if Vaughn decided to return, but was less confident about a return during an interview with Bleeding Cool.
more from goldman >> Posted 02.02.12 by Ryan -
In modern Hollywood, where sequels are the norm and studios are constantly on the lookout for that next big tentpole franchise, it's become customary for actors to sign multi-picture deals — Chris Evans signed a whopping six-picture deal to portray Captain America in Marvel Studios movies. However, directors are rarely afforded the same treatment because, as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo director David Fincher puts it, studios want to make sure the director behaves during the filming of the first movie.
While director Matthew Vaughn was typical in that he was only signed by 20th Century Fox to direct one X-Men movie, he apparently behaved enough during the filming of X-Men: First Class that the studio wants him to come back for another go-round as mutant maestro. In a statement announcing that Fox has "re-upped" Emma Watts as President of Production in a "multi-year deal that will keep her in the post through 2015," it was revealed that Vaughn will return to direct the sequel to X-Men: First Class that Simon Kinberg is writing and Bryan Singer will produce.
more about the First Class sequel >> Posted 01.31.12 by BrentJS -
Over the summer, Twentieth Century Fox's comic book adaptation of X-Men: First Class scored $335 million in worldwide box office as well as critical acclaim on its way to becoming one of the bigger comic book movie hits of the summer. A sequel seemed inevitable, but inevitable can be a long time coming. Reports that First Class producer Simon Kinberg, who also wrote 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, was going to write an initial draft for a sequel is the closest Fox has come to an official announcement.
That hasn't stopped First Class' stars from preparing for another installment. Both James McAvoy, who played Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, and Michael Fassbender, who played Erik Lensherr, a.k.a. Magneto, have separately discussed their desire to return. McAvoy admitted in November that he's actually contractually obligated to return, saying: "if Fox decides we're doing it, then I don't have a choice." Now, Fassbender has echoed McAvoy's comments while speaking to SuperHeroHype, agreeing that he "has no choice" in appearing in a potential First Class sequel, but also declaring his belief that one will be made.
more on a First Class sequel and Kick-Ass 2 >> Posted 01.12.12 by Ryan -
As summers go, Twentieth Century Fox had a pretty good one, releasing two hit comic book movie prequels with X-Men: First Class, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While Fox hasn't made an official announcement that either will get sequels, the profit margin has made such announcements unnecessary.
More movement has been made on Rise — the more profitable of the two movies at $480 million worldwide — with Fox already securing actor Andy Serkis to reprise his role (in motion-capture) as the lead ape Caesar in the sequel. The studio is also exercising sequel contract options on Rise co-producers and screenwriters Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa and director Rupert Wyatt. As a result, Wyatt was forced to drop out of the true-life drama Londongrad, which examines the mysterious death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko.
more on the Rise and First Class sequels >> Posted 11.30.11 by Ryan -
Twentieth Century Fox has yet to officially announce a sequel for X-Men: First Class, but that hasn't stopped cast members from talking about it. Michael Fassbender, who played Erik Lensherr, a.k.a. Magneto, recently revealed that he's "looking forward to working with all those people again," and Jason Flemyng, who plays the teleporter Azazel, recently said that "fingers crossed I'll be bright red again by next summer." James McAvoy, who played Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, agrees with the idea of a sequel.
In a recent interview with io9, McAvoy said he "would definitely like to be in the sequel," though, he qualified, "I'm bound to be in the sequel by a contract that says we do three films. So if Fox decides we're doing it, then I don't have a choice." Not that McAvoy minds. "But I would still like to," McAvoy continued. "I had a great time with [director] Matthew [Vaughn] and Michael, that was a great threesome to work with and really sort of carve out a new beginning for those two characters."
mcavoy says professor x has more growing to do >> Posted 11.20.11 by Ryan -
X-Men: First Class was one the most critically-acclaimed comic book movies of the summer (and, in our view, one of the better adaptations this year), but movement on a sequel has been slow. Despite earning $335 million in worldwide box office (and over a million DVD and Blu-ray copies sold in the U.S. alone), Twentieth Century Fox has yet to officially announce a sequel, though, earlier this month, First Class actor Jason Flemyng revealed that a script for X-Men: First Class 2 was in progress just as it was being reported that First Class producer Simon Kinberg was writing the script.
First Class focused on the early days of friendship between mutant leaders Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), set during the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s. In a recent interview with Collider, Fassbender said that he had "no idea" when production on a sequel would start, but admitted that he was "looking forward to working with all those people again."
read fassbender's comments >> Posted 11.12.11 by Ryan