X3 - X-Men: The Last Straw

[MacGuffin]

Jackman Producing Wolverine
The latest on the X-Men spin-off.
 
Hugh Jackman and his production partner at Seed Productions, John Palermo, have just signed a first-look deal with Fox. And according to industry insider magazine Variety, the deal includes the David Benioff-penned X-Men spin-off, Wolverine, that Jackman will reportedly topline after he finishes X3.

The trade adds that Jackman and Palermo will produce Wolverine with Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel honcho Avi Arad. It will be his first credit as a producer. "That project is a good start for me as producer, because I have intimate knowledge of the character," Jackman said in statement.

Palermo added that he expects Benioff's first draft of Wolverine to be finished soon.  In an interview earlier this year, Benioff spoke about the project saying, "It's not even totally finalized what story we are doing. What I can say is that in the X-Men movies we've seen a lot of the sweet Wolverine, so I think it's time to mess him up a little bit because all the fans know that he's the best there is at what he does but what he does isn't very nice."

And while we're not sure what, if any, comics the Wolvie film will draw inspiration from, Benioff said, "That's definitely the best Wolverine saga, the whole Lady Mariko and The Hand storyline. I went back and reread the Chris Claremont and Frank Miller miniseries and the Barry Windsor Smith Weapon X."

[cron]

[MacGuffin]

Cumming Out
No Nightcrawler in X3?
 
The official site for actor Alan Cumming announces that "Alan will NOT be appearing in X3. Fox has not picked up his option to play Nightcrawler for a second movie."

This is a surprising development as Cumming was one of the standouts in the last film, X2: X-Men United.

IGN FilmForce checked with its sources close to X3 and was advised that it's still to be determined whether Kurt Wagner will come back. Nightcrawler may make an appearance in the film, but he is definitely not a featured character.

X3 begins filming this August in Vancouver for a May 26, 2006 release.

[grand theft sparrow]

It's official.

The only thing this movie has going for it now is Brett Ratner.

[MacGuffin]

Exclusive X-Men Movie Update
Another spin-off is in the works, but which X-Man will star?

Today's Variety reports that X2 and X3 screenwriter Zak Penn has signed a two-year, first-look deal with 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the X-Men and Fantastic Four films.

As part of this pact, the trade says Penn is "expected to develop a film at the studio to direct, possibly a spinoff of the X-Men franchise. The movie would not be the either of the currently in-development Wolverine or Magneto project."

So which project might it be? Could it be that rumored Storm spin-off? Nope.

According to reliable sources, Penn's project centers around a group of mutant youngsters at Charles Xavier's school for gifted children. Expect some of those young protagonists to probably include characters already established in the X-Men movies.

As for X-Men 3, there's still no big casting news yet. The roles of Angel and his nefarious father remain uncast, as does the part of Gambit. Fans should note that Gambit will not have a major role in the film. Recently, it was learned that the part of Colossus was going to be recast; however, now I'm hearing that Daniel Cudmore may reprise the role after all (but that's not definite).

Maggie Grace (Lost) is no longer going to play Kitty Pryde. No reason was given for her departure. Although the blog said Ratner is using pages from Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men comic to audition Grace's replacement.

Finally, it has been confirmed that Nightcrawler is pretty much out of X3, which begins filming this August for a May 26, 2006 release.

[MacGuffin]

Fox tries to save the world, script and release date
The studio claims a script for a Sony superhero movie infringes on copyrights of the third "X-Men" film and files a lawsuit.
Source: Los Angeles Times

Call it: The Clash of the Hollywood Titans as 20th Century Fox heads into court against Sony Pictures Entertainment.

At stake? Whose superhero movie will rule the month of May, which is traditionally one of the biggest months at the box office.

It all began when Fox announced plans to release "X3," the third installment in its blockbuster comic book superheroes action series "X-Men," on May 26, 2006. Meanwhile, Sony decided to put "Zoom," its own comic book superheroes movie, in theaters on May 12.

Now, Fox and Marvel Enterprises, the creator of the "X-Men" comic books, have filed a federal court lawsuit claiming that "Zoom" infringes on the copyrights of "X-Men," a franchise that has grossed $700 million worldwide. Fox's legal assault against a rival movie studio for copyright infringement is rare, experts say.

The suit, filed June 20 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, aims to keep Sony and "Zoom" producer Revolution Studios from marketing and distributing their movie in a way that piggybacks off the success of the "X-Men" comics and films.

The suit contends that Sony and Revolution intended to release "Zoom" in August 2006 but moved up the date after Fox announced its "X3" plans.

" 'Zoom's' release in May 2006 immediately before the release of 'X3' is an unfair attempt by Sony and Revolution to manipulate the market and trade off the time, energy, resources and effort Marvel and Fox have invested in 'X-Men,' " the suit states.

Already, attorneys on both side are launching verbal salvos trying to undercut the legal claims of their opposition. Bert Fields, defending Sony and Revolution, called the allegations "absolutely off the rails."

"These two pictures are totally different," Fields said. "['X-Men'] is a dark, frightening picture about mutant wars and ['Zoom'] is a lighthearted comedy with Tim Allen and Chevy Chase and has a totally different story."

Fields, a partner at the law firm Greenberg, Glusker, Fields, Claiman & Machtinger, also said Sony's decision to release "Zoom" so close to "X3" is merely a case of "healthy competition."

"I have never seen a studio sue another over placing a movie near their competitor's picture," Fields said. "Every studio places their pictures in order to get the best of their competition. That is what America is all about. No court in the world would say there's something wrong."

But Robert B. Cohen, executive vice president of legal affairs at Fox, rebuts the dark-versus-comedy argument put forward by Fields.

"You can't steal someone's literary property, change the tone and then pretend you never stole the key underlying elements of the property," Cohen said. "Does anyone seriously think that Fox could go ahead and make 'Spider-Man, The Comedy' without Sony objecting?"

Pierce O'Donnell, who represented Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1998 when MGM went to court and successfully blocked Sony from developing a James Bond film, said the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has a strict test to prove copyright infringement.

"If you don't have [substantial similarities] of character or plot or dialogue or unique setting, then you don't have a lawsuit," he said.

Clark B. Siegel, a partner at Irell & Manella LLP, who co-chairs the Century City law firm's intellectual property group, said the suit underscores the importance studios attach to choosing release dates for their big franchise films.

"Obviously, [Fox] wants to be the first picture out," Siegel said. "They don't want this other picture out two weeks before. If ['Zoom'] came out in late August, they wouldn't care as much. It wouldn't have stolen their thunder."

Marty Kaplan, associate dean of USC's Annenberg School for Communication, said studios "always play games of chicken with one another over release dates."

"It's a little bit like staking a claim on gold mining land," he said. "They announce these release dates in a way that tropical birds ruffle their plumage in order to keep their competitors from saying, 'No, this is mine.' "

In many cases, Kaplan noted, the studios will select a release date for their biggest franchise films even before the film is in the can. "Zoom," for instance, doesn't begin shooting in Toronto until July 11, while principle photography on "X3" won't begin in Vancouver until August.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Fox and Marvel by attorney Robert Boldt of the L.A. law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, states that Fox has invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" in developing, producing and marketing "X-Men" and its sequels.

The studio has hired Brett Ratner of "Rush Hour" fame to direct the picture, which stars an ensemble of top actors playing various comic book roles. They include Halle Berry as "Storm," Hugh Jackman as "Wolverine," Famke Janssen as "Phoenix," Ian McKellen as "Magneto," Rebecca Romijn as "Mystique" and Patrick Stewart as "Professor Charles Xavier." In this sequel, Kelsey Grammer has come on board as a character named "Beast."

In "Zoom," Allen plays a former superhero named Jack who is called back to work to transform an unlikely group of ragtag kids into superheroes at a private academy. The film co-stars Chase and Courteney Cox.

According to the suit, though "Zoom" is based on the book "Amazing Adventures From Zoom's Academy" by Jason Lethcoe and three related "Zoom" comic books, the actual script is not only quite a departure from the books but also very much like the X-Men movies and comics.

Fox first took notice of the "Zoom" project last summer when studio officials noticed that Revolution was going to be making a movie based on a book about superheroes. Cohen sent a letter to Revolution warning them not to infringe on the "X-Men" franchise, but the studio says Revolution never replied.

In May, Fox executives managed to get a 98-page "Zoom" script, and the feathers began flying. Cohen sent a letter May 25 to Sony and Revolution demanding that they stop development.

The suit cites numerous similarities between the "Zoom" script and the X-Men franchise. In the book, the suit notes, the superheroes of "Zoom" attend a school on an imaginary island in the sky. But in the "Zoom" script, like in "X-Men," the superheroes are trained in underground facilities — the "Zoom" kids are taught at "Area 52," a secret military installation inside a New Mexico mountain, while "X-Men" students get their training beneath an institute in New York.

Fox's Cohen said Revolution made a number of very late cosmetic changes to the script that did not remove the key similarities.

"Both properties continue to have kids who are stigmatized because they have particular superpowers, who are led by a mentor on missions in a flying vehicle to save the world, based on intensive training they received in a special school with a room that simulates live combat," he said.

Fields scoffed at the comparison. "They make a big point that both facilities are underground," he said. "How many pictures [of this genre] have underground facilities? It's not a protectable idea." Besides, he noted, in the "Zoom" script, the facility is in the side of a mountain in New Mexico, not in New York.

But Cohen said, "It is silly for Revolution to suggest that 'Zoom' is now different because, for example, the X-Men school is underground, whereas the Zoom school has been moved from an 'underground' location to one that is 'under the ground of a mountain.' "

Fields said the "Zoom" script is "still a work in progress."

[modage]

that seems like a ridiculous claim.  what about Volcano and Dante's Peak?  or Deep Impact and Armageddeon?  or Antz and A Bug's Life?  or a hundred other movies that were EXACTLY the same premise and opened a few months within each other.  i thought thats just what studios did.  btw, i can already picture the zoom teaser.  you know, where it starts out with the serious imagery/announcer and everyone THINKS its going to be X3 and then its chevy chase or tim allen saying some funny shit.  man....fox is going to HATE that.

[MacGuffin]

Arad Talks X3
The lowdown straight from the Marvel honcho.
 
The IESB conducted a 40-minute, multi-part video interview with Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad, who discusses Marvel's entire upcoming slate of comic book film adaptations, including X-Men 3.

Marvel Gateway has posted a summary of the Arad interview for those who can't or don't want to download all the video segments.

Arad confirmed that Maggie Grace has left X3 due to scheduling problems with her TV show Lost. Official casting of Kitty Pryde could be known as early as Tuesday July 5th.

He also confirmed that Alan Cumming will not reprise his role as Nightcrawler, and that the character has been completely dropped from X3. The reason, said Arad, is that Nightcrawler didn't serve the story and, with so many other characters in the film, he had to go.

Arad also reiterated that the small role of Gambit has yet to be cast but that a strong actor is needed since they may have to carry a movie down the line. So does that mean there is going to be a Gambit spin-off film?!

Arad added that Daniel Cudmore will be reprising his role as Colossus after all, and that Kelsey Grammer's Beast will be a hybrid of CGI and a suit.

In other X-news, The New York Post claims that director Brett Ratner wants to include a minor character from X-Men lore in the film, a mutant hooker known as Stacy X. The paper reminds us that her "super power is that she secretes a pheromone that helps her to seduce men. She can seduce anyone." Unknown thesps Kate Nauta and Aya Sumika are reportedly in the running for the role.

[Banky]

my threads are still thumping years later

[modage]

quit leaving.  

STAY.

[MacGuffin]

Avi Arad Probably Hates You
Defends Ratner, brands online critics "idiots."
 
Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad spoke with Zap2it about X-Men 3, wherein he defended the choice of Brett Ratner to direct the sequel. Ratner, a last-minute replacement for Matthew Vaughn, has been met with heavy criticism from fanboys in certain quarters of the Internet.

IGN FilmForce readers have sent plenty of feedback on the choice, almost all of it negative. So what does Arad think of Ratner's critics?

"Idiots." He actually said it twice just to be clear.

In his defense of Ratner, Arad countered, "Did you see Red Dragon? Did you see that? And you saw Family Man, which is totally different, a very emotional story. Then, you have two giant comedies. What are they thinking? This is a great filmmaker. Do you know how much experience this guy has? Let alone his new Jessica Simpson video? This guy knows what he's doing. ... Brett Ratner came onto this thing and from the get-go, you felt experience."

Arad also apparently blasted online script reviewers and the online rumor mill in general, although Zap2it included no actual quotes from Arad on them.

X-Men 3 begins filming in August for a May 26, 2006 release.

[modage]

Let alone his new Jessica Simpson video? This guy knows what he's doing. ....

this is so ridiculous it seems like a joke.

[Raikus]

Credibility, meet Toilet. Now flush.

[NEON MERCURY]

maybe  avi arad and brett ratner are gay  

[killafilm]

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