X3 - X-Men: The Last Straw

[Sleuth]

Does this make anyone else depressed?

X-Men was a decent, albeit rushed, intro to the X-Men universe.  X2 gave you more action and character development in one of the best "comic book" movies yet made.  And it had an uber fantastic KHAN ending shot.

X3 should've/could've been something special.


At least WB is looking up... but I really like Mutants

WELL THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, THEY'RE GOING TO BANK BIG OFF OF THIS HORRIBLE MOVIE AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT ANYWAY AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHA!

[MacGuffin]

Hostage Taker Nabs Angel
Ben Foster joins the cast of X3.
 
Variety has confirmed Web rumors that 24-year-old actor Ben Foster (Hostage) has been cast as Warren "Angel" Worthington III in X-Men 3. The Boston-born thesp is no stranger to Marvel movies, having appeared as "Spacker Dave" in The Punisher opposite Rebecca "Mystique" Romijn.

The report claims Foster will play Arcangel (a.k.a. Angel), which suggests that the filmmakers are striving for a darker portrayal of the winged mutant, but sources have advised IGN FilmForce that he will just be Angel in the movie. The filmmakers have strayed from the established chronology by not making Angel a contemporary of Hank McCoy (Kelsey Grammer), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and the other original X-Men.

Foster's credits include Get Over It, Liberty Heights, Big Trouble and the upcoming Alpha Dog, directed by Iron Man helmer Nick Cassavetes.

X3 begins filming next month for a May 26, 2006 release.

[modage]

i dont like this kid, and he seems too young for a role that should've been more adult.  not that i give a shit about this movie anymore, its ratner.

[Stefen]

haha this is my most anticipated movie right now. It's gonna be so bad. Roger Corman was over at my lair the other day and we were reading about the new developments on this movie.....and laughing.

[picolas]

i have a source on the inside who said Ratner was "a douche bag."

they also overheard him discussing a movie over the phone that involves a guy who "goes back to the carribbean ..for one last high."

[polkablues]

they also overheard him discussing a movie over the phone that involves a guy who "goes back to the carribbean ..for one last high."

Finally, Ratner returning to his oeuvre.  Somewhere, Chris Tucker's phone is ringing.

[Pubrick]

they also overheard him discussing a movie over the phone that involves a guy who "goes back to the carribbean ..for one last high."

that is almost as great as SNAKES ON PLANES. actually, it's better. he was prolly talking to kevin smith about how awesome it is to get high.

[killafilm]

I agree with Mod, I really don't like Ben Foster.  He was horrible in Hostage, not that much was good in it.

Edit: I didn't realize that was him in Freaks and Geeks, so he earns a point.

[MacGuffin]

Exclusive X-Men 3 Casting News!
The ensemble cast adds three more.

IGN FilmForce has confirmed a Web rumor that Predator actor Bill Duke has joined the cast of X-Men 3. Movies Online claims that Duke had been cast as the scientist who created the mutant-hunting Sentinel robots but that's not accurate. Sources indicate that Duke actually portrays a politician in The President's cabinet.

Duke's other acting credits include Payback, National Security and Red Dragon, which was directed by X3's Brett Ratner. Duke has directed such films as A Rage in Harlem, Deep Cover and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, as well as a slew of TV series.

IGNFF has learned of some other additions to the X3 cast. Portraying the role of Warren Worthington, Sr., father of Angel (Ben Foster), is Michael Murphy (perhaps best known to fanboys as the mayor of Gotham City in Batman Returns).

Murphy was the star of Robert Altman's famous political satire, Tanner '88, and his other credits include Live From Baghdad, Manhattan and Salvador.

Finally, British actress Olivia Williams has been cast as Dr. Moira MacTaggert. The Marvel Database Project reminds us that, in the comics, the Nobel Prize-winning Moira was a former lover of Professor X's who ran a mutant research center on Muir Island in her native Scotland. She also also the mother of the mutant known as Proteus. Moira died after discovering a cure for a new strain of the Legacy virus.

Williams' credits include The Sixth Sense (as Bruce Willis' wife), Peter Pan (as Mrs. Darling), Rushmore and Below.

[Kal]

I've seen posters already in the movie theatres... and they didnt even finish casting... awsome

[MacGuffin]

Exclusive: Oscar Nominee Joins X3
Fog actress makes house call.

IGN has learned that Oscar-nominated Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo has joined the growing ensemble cast of X-Men 3. Sources advised us that she will portray a character named Dr. Rao.

UXN reminds us that in Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men, "Doctor Kavita Rao, a world-renowned geneticist, had claimed that she had developed a serum, called Hope, which could 'cure' mutants of their mutation. While hundreds of mutants immediately signed up for the procedure at Benetech, the corporate backer of Rao's research, the X-Men debated the societal meaning of this: someone comparing mutation to a disease. Still, the chance at being "normal" has weighed heavily on Hank McCoy's mind, as he considered the ability to no longer be 'a Beast.'"

The 53-year-old Aghdashloo was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in House of Sand and Fog, opposite The Hulk's Jennifer Connelly.

Aghdashloo's other credits include Twenty Bucks and the forthcoming The Exorcism of Emily Rose. She also has appeared on Fox's hit TV series 24 as Dina Araz.

[MacGuffin]

IGN Interviews Simon Kinberg
The screenwriter talks X-Men 3, Ratner & Gambit!

Along with scribe Zak Penn, British-born Simon Kinberg is the screenwriter of the now-filming X-Men 3. He has worked on two other 20th Century Fox/Marvel Studios collaborations, Fantastic Four and Elektra. His Columbia University senior thesis script, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, was produced with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie starring and became one of summer 2005's biggest hits.

With X3 roughly midway through filming for its May 26, 2006 release date, Mr. Kinberg was kind enough to take time out to speak with IGN FilmForce about the film, director Brett Ratner and Marvel in general.

IGN FilmForce: Now that X-Men 3 is about halfway through principal photography, what do you think have been the biggest challenges the production has faced thus far? And what's gone better than expected?

Simon Kinberg: The challenges are the same as any movie. The only difference is this film is larger than any I've been around. I think the biggest challenge from a script standpoint has been making sure we take care of all the characters. There are ten or eleven major characters in this film that all need time and focus.

To answer the second question, I think this film is much more emotional than I ever imagined. There are some really heart-breaking moments in the movie. And the performances are so damn good, beyond my wildest expectations.

IGNFF: Director Brett Ratner has not exactly been met with universal approval by fans, especially given the mostly warm reception Bryan Singer's X-Men films received. What strengths do you think Ratner brings to this particular project that fans should know about?

Kinberg: Well, first and foremost, Brett starts from a love of the comics. He's got an immense respect for the X-Men universe. He's also got a lot of respect for Bryan's films, so he's not trying to create a radically different template. He's staying loyal to the tone of the first two films, but he's making this movie more visceral and emotional. Since we're dealing with one of the most intense storylines in X-Men history, he knows how important emotion is. And the actors have really responded to him. Wait till you see Famke Janssen in this film. She's going to blow your mind.

IGNFF: Some fans also have voiced concern that X3 is overstuffed with characters. But are these "guest stars" (such as Multiple Man and Moira MacTaggert) merely just "easter eggs" for fans? Sort of like how Dick Tracy included many cameos but the story still focused on three or four central protagonists.

Kinberg: I'm Jewish, so I don't know much about easter eggs. But I don't think our movie is overstuffed with characters. That would be like saying the comics are too crowded with characters. This film takes place in the X-Men universe, so when we write a geneticist, it's Kavita Rao instead of some nameless, faceless doctor. This movie has a bigger canvas than the first two films, so there's room for more characters. Think about how many characters there were in Return of the King or Revenge of the Sith. Having said that, there's still not enough room for every great character, so we have to make sacrifices sometimes. Like Gambit. I'm a huge Gambit fan, but we knew there wasn't enough space to do him justice, so he'll have to wait till X4.

IGNFF Since I know you can't talk about the film's plot in any revealing detail, what then would you say X-Men 3 is about thematically?

Kinberg: One of the great things that Bryan did with the first two films was really making them about something. He understood the metaphor of the comic, and translated it to the screen. This movie continues some of the universal X-Men themes, like alienation, persecution, the struggle for equality. But on an emotional level, it also deals with what happens when someone you love starts to spiral out of control. How can you help them? When is it too late?

IGNFF: It has been revealed/alleged that certain characters will die in X3. Why do the filmmakers feel it is necessary to do that?

Kinberg: I know what's been alleged online. Some of it is true. Most of it is not. All I can say is, death is a part of life. One of the moments I remember most vividly from childhood was when Obi-Wan died. …

IGNFF: Many fans think Nightcrawler stole the show in X2. Which character do you think will most likely be the standout in X3?

Kinberg: I think we have a bunch of cool new characters. If I had to choose one, I would say Beast. He looks incredible. The prosthetics are better than anything I've ever seen. And Kelsey [Grammer] is uncanny in the role. As much as he seems perfect for Frasier, this guy was born to play Hank McCoy. The voice, the eyes, the intelligence, the pathos in his voice, just the way he walks.

IGNFF: Does X3 set up an X4 or the Wolverine spin-off? Or is this really the end of the X-Men film series?

Kinberg: We didn't write the script with the next movies in mind. But it's definitely not the end of the series. I know they [20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios] plan on making Wolverine and more X-Men movies. We wrote the script as the end of a trilogy, the end of one cycle. The next movies will start a new cycle.

IGNFF: How does your experience on X3 compare with your experience on the Fantastic Four movie?

Kinberg: Many of the people were the same. The studio, the producers. But my experience was very different. On Fantastic Four, I was the last writer, after fifteen other writers worked on it. I came onto the film about a month before production, so most of the movie was locked in place. It was really Mark Frost's draft that we shot. I was always working inside his structure. On X3, there wasn't a word written before I got hired. I was the first writer, so I was working from scratch. Then I started working with Zak [Penn, co-screenwriter], and we've been writing together throughout production. It's a whole different thing when you're there at the beginning, middle, and end. Also, this is the third movie of an established franchise with a very clear tone, whereas Fantastic Four was the first movie, so there was a lot more set-up.

IGNFF: You've worked with Marvel a few times now. Do you have any plans to work on any other Marvel projects, such as those lined up at Paramount?

Kinberg: I 'm definitely talking to those guys about other projects. I grew up on their comics, and there's nothing cooler to me than getting the chance to bring these characters to life. [Marvel Studios execs] Avi Arad and Kevin Feige have been really supportive of me from the start, even before I got my first gig in this business. So yeah, I'd love to keep working with them. They feel like family.

IGNFF: Do you have any plans to pen a Marvel comic book? Screenwriters like David Goyer, Kevin Smith and Sam Hamm have all taken a stab at comics.

Kinberg: No plans, for now. There are too many good comic book writers out there. I'd rather remain a fanboy.

[Gamblour.]

that's awesome about kelsey grammar, because I was completely convinced it was the worst decision ever. i mean, beast is what, in his 30s, maybe 40s, or something? grammar's 50. it just seemed awkward, given beast's physical prowess.

[analogzombie]

So are they just throwing every single character they can find into this movie to compensate for the utter lack of qualified direction, character development, and interesting plot?

[modage]

Brett Ratner, making magic happen...

Stan Lee Reveals His X3 Cameo
Source: Sci Fi Wire November 11, 2005

Sci Fi Wire talked to Stan Lee who revealed what his cameo role will be like in X-Men 3:

In X3, Lee said, "It's not one of my biggest roles, I'm a little embarrassed to say. I'm a guy in the suburbs watering the lawn with a hose, and the water as you can imagine is coming out of the hose and going down on the lawn. Then one that has power to move things mentally"—Jean Grey, played by Famke Janssen—"she's driving, and she gestures at my house, and all of sudden the water goes up instead of down. And remember Sunset Boulevard, where Gloria Swanson says, 'I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille'? Well, it's supposed to be a big closeup of my face. And I say, 'What the f--k?' And every time I say it, [director] Brett Ratner said, 'Make it lower, Stan.' And at the end, I whisper it. So I don't know if it will come out at all."