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The O.C. and Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz was the first writer hired to adapt the screenplay for X-Men: First Class, but once Bryan Singer was brought on board to direct the movie, Singer put Jamie Moss (Street Kings) in charge of writing another screenplay based on a new treatment that Singer wrote himself. So what happened to Schwartz's draft? Schwartz explained to MTV what happened to his work on First Class.
I finished my draft. Bryan Singer came onboard the movie, who's the best possible guy to direct the X-Men movies, and he wanted to make a very different kind of movie, and he's Bryan Singer. If he wants to make an X-Men movie, they make his X-Men movie. But it was a great experience and it was an honor to work on it.
As for what his draft detailed, Schwartz was not allowed to say.
I cannot. It's on lockdown. Sworn to secrecy. I swear to god. There's a sniper with a gun pointed at me from across that building.
If the comics provide any clue, the movie should be about the early days of the X-Men as they learn to use their powers at Professor Xavier's Institute. Singer has revealed that the movie will include some of the X-Men from the movies and a "great villain."
Posted 03.03.10 by Ryan -
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has already said that X-Men: First Class, the movie that will follow the X-Men during their early student days, will be 'tween-friendly, but she admitted to Empire that she'd like to use the Harry Potter movies as inspiration for First Class.
Harry Potter is a bit of a role model for us, absolutely. But we want it to be like the recent, darker Potters. It should not be a kiddie movie — we're in the X-Men world so you can't suddenly change the tone. The First Class comics are really fun — they're funnier than any other comics I've read. Basically in each one the kids are fighting strange villains, sometimes it's aliens, sometimes it's monsters. I want to get a flavor of that world. Occasionally the kids will be in class, but more often they'll be off on adventures. Which Professor X isn't too happy about!
Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) is still writing the script, which Shuler Donner says isn't "where we want to be yet." Still, she says Schwartz has a "great young pulse and he's doing an amazing job bringing the characters to life."
Posted 10.17.09 by Ryan -
Bryan Singer may be setting himself up to direct both a Battlestar Galatica and an Excalibur remake, but Variety reports that Singer is also "flirting with directing" X-Men: First Class, the spin-off written by The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz that would follow the adventures of a teenage incarnation of the X-Men team.
Singer has admitted that he regrets leaving X-Men: The Last Stand and has even mentioned interest in directing X-Men Origins:Magneto, though he cited Magneto's Nazi back story as a possible deal breaker, considering the amount of Nazi-related movies on Singer's resume already. That may be the reason Singer is turning his attention to First Class.
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said, "Nothing would please me more than to bring Bryan on for another [X-Men] movie," and considering the amount of movies being lined up, like Deadpool and possibly a Gambit movie, there should be another X-Men project for Singer should he pass on X-Men: First Class."
And despite all those other projects in the works, Singer's next feature may end up being Jack the Giant Killer, a riff on Jack and the Beanstalk about a boy who travels to the land of giants to rescue a princess.
Posted 08.24.09 by Ryan -
The fans have spoken... to MTV anyway. A poll released last week asked which X-Men-related movie fans wanted to see next: X-Men Origins: Magneto, Wolverine 2, Deadpool, or X-Men: First Class. The results are in and the winner is (should be no surprise if you read the title of this piece): Deadpool, with 32% of the unspecified amount of votes!
Wolverine 2 came in second, with First Class and Magento finishing third and fourth, respectively. Ironically, X-Men Origins: Wolverine seems to set up First Class as the next movie, with Cyclops (Tim Pocock) meeting up with a group of young mutants at the end. Deadpool, a spin-off starring Ryan Reynolds, seems the more difficult movie to fit into continuity considering that Deadpool ends up in, well, not to give anything away, so let's just say...he has his head chopped off and falls down a nuclear silo. Hope that didn't spoil anything.
First Class has Josh Schwartz penning the script, while Magneto, with a script by David Goyer, may be directed by James McTeigue if given the greenlight.
Which X-Men movie do you want to see? Hit us back with a comment.
Posted 07.06.09 by Ryan -
After X-Men Origins: Wolverine's success, several X-Men actors have expressed interest in returning to the franchise and Anna Paquin is no exception. Paquin told IGN that she would like to return as Rogue, possibly in X-Men: First Class, but with certain conditions:
I would hope I could do a little bit more action next time, though. Ikind of find it ironic that I did three big action films and did,actually, no action whatsoever. I mean I got some really amazingemotional story moments, but I didn't really get to do the physicalstuff. You know, as much as I loved doing those films I was kind of like, 'OK,so when do I get to beat someone up? When do I get to steal somepowers?' You know Sookie [Paquin's True Blood character] gets to do more action than Rogue ever did. So I'm just putting that out there. More action please, for next time.
The X-Men: First Class comic book concerned the original X-Men characters of Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel, and Jean Grey, but the movie could follow some of the lesser used characters from the X-Men trilogy such as Jubilee, Colossus, Angel, Shadowcat and Paquin's Rogue. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, however, featured a young Cyclops (Tim Pocock) and seemed to set up a First Class that would feature Emma Frost, Quicksilver, and Cyclops.
Josh Schwartz (The OC) is writing the screenplay for First Class. No director has been announced yet.
Posted 06.08.09 by Ryan -
X-Men: First Class, one of many X-Men sequels hinging on X-Men Origins: Wolverine's success, will be written by Gossip Girl/Chuck producer/writer Josh Schwartz, but he won't direct.
"I would be terrified to have the first thing I direct be a giant franchise movie," Schwartz told MTV at New York's Comic-Con, adding that there was no truth to him turning down the directing job.
As for the movie's plot Schwartz said: "I'm not really allowed to say anything. They're watching me as we speak. It's exciting, it's a huge honor and we're just getting started."
Posted 02.12.09 by Ryan -
With X-Men Origins: Wolverine's May 1, 2009, release date approaching, Fox is already planning more X-Men movies.
In the hopes that Wolverine will be a huge success, X-Men Origins: Magneto is already being developed, with The Dark Knight writer David Goyer attached as director, and a plot revolving around Magneto's concentration camp beginnings, as seen in the first X-Men, and his friendship with a young Charles Xavier that eventually breaks apart as their philosophies evolve and differ.
Fox has also announced a movie adaptation of the comic book X-Men: First Class which will examine the early years at the Xavier School, featuring some of the mutants shown in the previous trilogy. Variety confirmed that Josh Schwartz, creator of TV's Gossip Girl, will write the screenplay.
Lastly, a Deadpool movie is in discussion, a spin-off of the comic book assassin Ryan Reynolds portrays in X-men Origins: Wolverine, should the movie be a hit and Reynolds becomes an audience favorite.
Posted 11.24.08 by Ryan