Bryan Singer may have to give up X-MEN: FIRST CLASS?
It's kind of unbelievable really but Friday's L.A. Times celebration piece on Bryan Singer's two X-Men movies at Fox; which openly mentions the director's forthcoming return to the franchise with X-Men: First Class; can now be torn up and tossed aside - because it ain't happening. Hitfix have heard from "multiple sources" that Singer is unable to commit to the X-Men prequel because he is knee-deep in pre-production for Jack and the Giant Killer at Warner Bros. Singer is said to be currently scouting locations for where he can film the big budget fantasy this year. Drew McWeeny goes on to report that Fox met with two other directors last week when it was made clear that Singer wouldn't be able to return to the franchise just yet, two names that would excite us apparently;
"good names, guys who either have real experience in the comic book movie medium or who have heavy credibility with fan audiences. Names that would make fanboys happy from the first moment they're announced. ".Unfortunately, it's claimed those guys have "passed" and further meetings with directors are expected, probably throughout this next week. Of course it's all well and good that Fox have spoken to big name guys but honestly, the only name that counts is the guy who eventually films it. Anyway, I'm predicting the guys are Matthew Vaughn (I know I've put him down for Superman/The Avengers recently but he has so much buzz with Kick-Ass every studio HAS to be considering him right now; plus he's got nothing lined up to helm as his follow-up) and well, dare we say James Cameron (Avatar, Terminator), but they are barely more than blind guesses out of a hat. With Jack and the Giant Killer set to film before the end of the year, Singer won't be free to shoot anything else till 2012; which rules out Wolverine 2 (which films in January) and it's unlikely Fox would wait for him to be free for First Class, so the quotes from Singer on Friday, wishing he could be in "four places at once" seems all the more apt now. Drew claims X-Men 4 (a continuation of the franchise with the original actors) which is at least two years away from seriously ramping up at Fox, is probably the next time we will see Singer direct a movie in this universe.