Fox Discusses More X-Men and Daredevil
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
After its lackluster summer notably void of superhero films, 20th Century Fox seems to be contemplating a return to the well for some comic-based blockbusters. Though the studio has no intention of any major overhauls, it has scheduled a strategy meeting to assess its many superhero properties, which include X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil.
Rather than go the route of a direct sequel to the mega-successful X-Men franchise, Fox has opted to focus on the many spin-off opportunities for the series. This includes Deadpool, a would-be film featuring the character played by Ryan Reynolds in next year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, an odd choice for sure considering both the C-list status of the character as well as the simple fact that his popularity with audiences has yet to be gauged.
Also in the pipeline is X-Men: First Class, a rumored prequel being written by Chuck and The OC mastermind Josh Schwartz. This would follow the early years of the team, including teenaged versions of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Beast (sans the blue fur). The only real question here is how this film would fit into the current X-Men movie continuity started by director Bryan Singer.
A second X-Men Origins film, focusing on a young Magneto and his relationship with an equally young Charles Xavier, was to be written and directed by Blade and Batman Begins scribe David S. Goyer, but was recently bumped from it’s summer 2009 release date by Goyer in favor of his Invisible Man remake.
Most interesting of all, Fox seems to be discussing a possible Daredevil revival. The original film, while a flop with most critics, was anything but a financial let-down, earning a world-wide total of $179 million for the $78 million budgeted film. Rather than a direct sequel to the 2003 film, Fox seemed content on doing a spin-off in the form of 2005’s Elektra, which has become a running joke amongst comic-fans, usually competing with only Catwoman as the worst comic-based film ever made. It’s with this spin-off that I believe Fox was originally judging the merit of another Daredevil film on, a mistake that they apparently plan on rectifying in the near future with some sort of relaunch of the series.
Another long discussed spin-off has been a film focusing on The Silver Surfer, who originally appeared in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Originally announced to be scripted by Babylon 5’s J. Michael Straczynski and helmed by The Crow and Dark City director Alex Proyas, the project has apparently been shelved. Whether that was because of the lackluster performance of the Fantastic Four sequel, or the allegedly over-budgeted first draft of Straczynski’s screenplay, we may never know.
Gallery of Images
Posted By:
22 Comments
Subscribe to Comments FeedLeave a Reply
Book of the Month
Y The Last Man Vol. 5In this final Deluxe Edition hardcover collecting Y #49-60, Yorick and Agent 355 prepare for their ultimate quest to reunite the last man with his lost love, while the person, people or thing behind the disaster that wiped out half of humanity is revealed. Then, Yorick Brown's long journey through an Earth populated only by women comes to its dramatic, unexpected conclusion.
A Deadpool movie would kick ass!
Out of all of those ideas only the Deadpool movie sounds good. I liked the first Daredevil movie, but don’t think they should do another. Silver Surfer has a soft spot in my heart from when I was a kid (I loved the action figure and didn’t know anything about the character). I hope they make Deadpool enough of an ass though. It would suck if they tried to tone him down too much. I definitely do believe RR will make a great splash in the Origins movie.
I wonder if they’ll let Deadpool break the fourth wall (please?) or talk in yellow thought boxes. Deadpool totally rocks my socks.
Why is Marvel letting Fox take Daredevil again? Why don’t they make it?
It really saddens me that the only two female superhero movies have all been such crap and flops….
I really hope they don’t call it a wash and never try again and- hopefully- learn from their mistakes. (Mostly t&a a good movie does not make)
@ Sunshineyness
Let’s not forget Supergirl. The reason female superhero movies don’t work is because unfortunately the main cinema going audience is teenage boys, and what do teenage boys want to see? Naked girl, what the next best thing? That’s right, girls in sexy costumes, most couldn’t give a damn about the story line (why else was Mr & Mrs Smith a hit?). It’s sad I know, but it even happens to female characters in other superhero movies, why do you thik Fantastic 4 had an invisible woman who had no interesting characteristics and clothes that would occasionally fall off.
On the actual subject, I’d love to see a new Daredevil (even though I do like the first one), I’ve heard rumours of Jason Statham wanting to star… that would be awful.
Daredevil starring Michael C. Hall of Dexter and Six Feet Under fame, that’d about do it for me.
This is gonna sound bizzare, but I just saw Gone Baby Gone and I would not be at all opposed to a Ben Affleck-directed Daredevil movie
just directing and not starring?
Yeah, I think he’d do great
@TNN
After seeing Gone Baby Gone, I wouldn’t mind seeing Ben Affleck direct anything, awesome movie, best flick I’ve seen all year.
Gone Baby Gon was a damn fine movie. I hope that Ben Affleck continues to work behind the camera.
I loved (LOVED!!!!!!!) Gone Baby Gone but I’d be a little underwhelmed if DD were the follow up. But I know what yer gettin’ at. The working class ambience would be perfect.
Casey Affleck would be a good Matt Murdoch. But that guys great in everything.
Jack: I do love Supergirl to no end. Watching Helen Slater and Faye Dunaway chew up that scenery is amazing. Hell, I could watch Faye Dunaway do ANYTHING. Yes, it’s campy but there’s a certain flare and charm in there that is hard to deny when you push the cheddar away. And say what you will about it- it was not exploitative. The point of the movie was not to show off how hot these women are (though- duh- they were) it never felt exploitative.
Although I disagree with you about who sees these movies. As much of a shock as it was to the mainstream media (apparently women are a “niche” audience) Sex and the City proved (regardless of how crap the movie was) that you can have a hit and not pander to the male audience. Women go to see these movies as much as boys do, in fact relish in seeing them just as much as they do. The difference is that women are used to- and don’t mind- seeing movies that are generally targeted at the male audience- but men usually won’t see a movie that’s targeted to women. So Hollywood’s bottom line was always- target to boys. I seriously think Hollywood underestimates the massive hit they could have on their hands if they don’t fuck up Wonder Woman and they make it an empowering and non t&a movie with a strong lead and a good solid story. Wonder Woman has a lot of history in the feminist movement (Gloria Steinam put her on the first issue of “Ms.”) and if done properly (and made with women in mind) would be just as big (I feel) as Batman or Spiderman. But, alas, that would mean Hollywood would be forced to think with their brains and not their “market research” which tells them the boys think whatever flavor of the month is super hot- let’s put her in a skimpy costume, screw the female fans of said character.
Rusty: I have to still see Gone Baby Gone but I once saw this short film Ben Affleck made (it had some long funny title but I can’t remember now) and it was actually pretty good. I know that the whole debacle over Good Will Hunting (William Goldman wrote that script and should have gotten that Oscar) aside I wonder if Affleck should have pursued more of a career behind the camera than in front of it? I actually think he’s a good actor, he just makes poor choices. For a lot of his career I just don’t think he understood that he should turn down parts and took whatever was handed to him. And the fault did not rest of his shoulders with Daredevil. That was just a bad story and script. I thought he did well as Matt Murdoch though. And it had it’s moments. Few and far between, but it had them.
Sunshineyness, I love William Goldman, but he DID NOT write GWH. He didn’t doctor the script. He just simply read it, and suggested that Ben and Matt remove the thriller aspect (in which Will is targeted by the FBI and becomes a G-Man) and focus on the relationship between Will and Sean. That’s it. He has denied that BS rumor for over a decade now (which is only half as long as he’s claimed to be writing the Princess Bride sequel, Buttercup’s Baby… I don’t think it’s ever coming). Ben and Matt won that Oscar fair and square.
I agree that William Goldman did not write GWH, that was Ben and Mat’s baby.
@Sunshineyness, I agree with you completely, hollywood needs to recognise women as an audience and I think they are starting to (though I think “The Women” might just kill the trend), but it’s just years of market research has taught them that males go more than females, it’s not good but it’s what they know… also I liked 2 of the big “girl” movies this year (Sex and the City and Mamma Mia), it doesn’t matter who the target audience is, as long as the film is good can’t we all enjoy it?
als (hate to tripple post but blah), did fox have a big summer hit this year? I don’t remember one. No wonder they are grabbing as many projects as posssible.
@ Jack, Fox’s biggest hit so far this year was What Happens in Vegas… so yeah, it’s been a terrible year for them.
Y’know I’ve never even heard of this Goldman rumor before. But I had heard that Daflleck were originally writing a thriller in the vein of French Connection.
If he actually had written GWH he wouldn’t have won an Oscar for it. Daffleck got it for the special interest angle (best friends make good. become new hollywood sensations!). If the Oscars were a meritocracy PT Anderson would’ve won that year (not even nominated I believe). And no love for Gummo, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!
@ “The point of the movie was not to show off how hot these women are it never felt exploitative.”
I’m sure it went over great in your feminist studies class. j/k
I was repeating what I was told by a person that is far more inside than I will ever be. She told me (as advice on my career) “fuck Matt and Ben, it’s my Oscar” as a way to motivate. I guess the issue will always be debatable, though I know Ben Affleck has said on many occasions that he feels that the Oscar was undeserved and that other people had their hands in that script. I do respect them regardless, they were two struggling actors that took their own careers into their own hands and managed to launch themselves with their own story. That is respectable and admirable regardless of anything else.
And my teacher’s theory was that “if they had written it and won the freaking Oscar… how come they did not continue to write movies afterward?” which makes sense.
Jack: The Women disgusts me because it’s a remake of an amazing old movie that broke a tons of boundaries in old Hollywood because there were no men in it at all. The remake looks like a very bad (if that’s not redundant) SatC remake. Everyone needs to see Sarah Haskin’s take on the way they market movies to women/ ‘chick flicks’ (I read an article that called guy movies ‘dick flicks’ that cracked me up): http://current.com/items/89225444_target_women_chick_flicks
Rusty: One of these days I’m gonna come with my woman’s group and kick your ass into oblivion. J/k :P
Maybe they didn’t write movies afterwards because they had nothing else to say, they had one great story and that was it.
It has always cracked me up when Kevin Smith (in he Evening With… DVD) recounts a time prior to Jersey Girl where Ben Affleck constantly nagging Kevin to write another movie (like Chasing Amy) for him to star in.
“Come on Kev, write it. Just write it. Just f***ing write it! Come on!”
and Smith’s reply… “Motherf***er, one of us won an OSCAR for writing…”
That makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it.
So yeah, I agree that they should write another movie… BUT the only reason they wrote the script to begin with was so that they could start getting work as ACTORS. And they succeeded (for a good 10 years or so anyway…) So your teacher’s theory is flawed.
I think the reason Affleck may have felt guilty is because the script was originally intended to be a completely different movie, a thriller, and after the advise of several professionals to remove that aspect of the film, they did. And then they won an Oscar. So I could see how he wouldn’t believe he deserves 100% of the credit (or 50% rather…), but they definitely wrote it. No question.