In an article over at Deadline about 20th Century Fox production president Emma Watts signing a deal to stay with the studio until 2015, the site mentions “Fox has just closed a deal with Matthew Vaughn to come back and direct the sequel to X-Men: First Class“.

Over the past few months it was looking likely that Vaughn would return. In November James McAvoy said Vaughn was already pitching ideas to the studio, and Fox Chairman and CEO of Filmed Entertainment Tom Rothman said getting Vaughn back to direct was a priority. In the past Fox has allowed their directors to escape to other projects (X3 lost Bryan Singer to Superman Returns), so it’s good to know Vaughn has a deal in place to return. The site also mentions that Singer, who produced First Class, will also be back as producer.

Simon Kinberg, who co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand and co-produced X-Men: First Class, was hired to begin work on the script 2 months ago so they should already have a basic layout for the sequel. Vaughn’s co-writer Jane Goldman said she’s on-board if Vaughn wants her earlier this month, so she will likely be hired to re-write the script at some point.

All the cast are signed following their deals on the first film, so it’ll just be a case of waiting until they have a script ready. One advantage this time round is that they have a lot more time and aren’t rushing to make a release date a mere 13 months away (as was the case with First Class). If all goes according to plan we may be seeing the mutants on-screen again in 2014.

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According to THR Warner Bros. has pushed Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer back from June 15, 2012 to March 22, 2013. No reason has been given, but June 2012 is looking rather busy with Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Brave and G.I. Joe: Retaliation all hitting within weeks of each other, so the move may have been to avoid Giant Killer getting swamped.

You can watch the recently released trailer below:

The studio has also moved the Tom Cruise musical Rock Of Ages into Killer’s old slot (June 15), and have taken Arthur & Lancelot off their release schedule entirely having previously been aiming for March 15, 2013. The reimagining of the King Arthur legend, starring Kit Harington and Joel Kinnaman, has been having budget issues and the studio has asked director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) to make cuts. THR say the movie isn’t dead, but Dobkin and the studio are trying to get around or below $100m from $130m.

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Warner Bros. has unveiled our first look at Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer in the form of a teaser trailer. Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) leads the film as a young farmer called Jack who has to rescue a princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) who is kidnapped by giants.

From the trailer it’s clear Singer has stuck with the main beats from the Jack and the Beanstalk folktale people are familiar with, but with added elements. There are some epic looking battles teased and great landscape shots, but nothing to get too excited about at the moment.

Watch below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Jack the Giant Killer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Ian McShane will play King Brahmwell, “who is none too thrilled about a union between his daughter and a farmer boy.” Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) is playing a villain who is “an advisor to the king with designs on usurping power” while Bill Nighy will play a two-headed giant called Fallon. Nighy will play the big head while voice actor John Kassir will play the small one. Ewan McGregor will play the leader of the king’s elite guard who helps the fight against the giants.

Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) wrote the script, and Warner Bros. will release the film June 2012.

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X-Men: First Class is the superhero movie I didn’t even know I’d been waiting for. A hybrid of prequel and reboot, it’s most successful in borrowing the elements that worked best from each of the previous X-Men films and consolidating them into one fluid story. Inspired casting, solid acting, a terrific script, impressive effects, and really great action: what more could you want in a superhero film?

In the recent pantheon of superhero movies – since Bryan Singer’s X-Men hit theaters in 2000 – I’d place First Class under The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man, and possibly X2: X-Men United. Considering there have been over 40 superhero movies released since 2000, the high placement of First Class should obviously be taken as a testament to its superior quality. Director Matthew Vaughn not only infuses the film with an inspiring style desperately lacking since Singer turned the director’s chair over to Brett Ratner in 2006, but Vaughn also contributed to the script with his Kick-Ass co-writer Jane Goldman. (Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, the duo behind Marvel’s most recent effort, Thor, co-wrote First Class as well.) Also impressive is Vaughn’s ability to jump from deconstructing superhero tropes in Kick-Ass to effectively utilizing them here in First Class; more importantly, he handles both approaches with equal amounts of skill, able to slide around within the same genre from parody to a more traditional (yet still outstanding) entry.

The casting in First Class is stellar from top to bottom. James McAvoy is the perfect young Charles Xavier. Strong-willed and powerful, he’s easily imaginable as one day growing into Patrick Stewart’s iconic representation of the character. Michael Fassbender continues his slow rise to member of the Hollywood elite as Erik “Magneto” Lensherr, imbuing the character with an intensity and smoldering rage coupled with a willingness to keep an open mind…until his inevitable shift. That’s what’s awesome about this movie: they didn’t stretch out the character development over three films (ahem, Star Wars prequels). By the end of this movie, I was rearing to go for a sequel right then and there, and that’s a rare feeling for me in a big budget blockbuster franchise movie these days. Jennifer Lawrence is splendid as Mystique, pulling a complete 180 from the dirty noirish heroine of Winter’s Bone to the beautiful shape-shifter we see here. Even Kevin Bacon (what’s he doing here?!) was fun to watch, playing it relatively straight – after his Nazi intro – as the villainous Sebastian Shaw, hellbent on nuclear war and complete with a harebrained scheme involving mutant domination of the fallout.

The secondary cast members were also impressive, led by the wonderful Rose Byrne as CIA agent Moira MacTaggert. She’s an actress who’s basically been the real life Hollywood equivalent of Mystique lately, disappearing into vastly different roles in Get Him to the Greek, Bridesmaids, and now this. January Jones was the only weak link, although her stiff and lifeless acting was perhaps more apt here since she’s playing ice queen Emma Frost than in other roles she’s inhabited in her career. Don’t get me wrong, she looked spectacular – she’s just a terrible actress. The rest of the young mutant cast was fine, but not worth mentioning (aside from the technical point that Scott Summers’ brother Alex – aka Havok – is involved in this movie even though this makes no sense in the overall series timeline). One of the largest successes of this film is that Vaughn and his crew were able to assemble the best cast of military character actors ever committed to film. All these guys are in the same movie: Glenn Morshower, James Remar, Matt Craven, Ray Wise, Michael Ironside, Olek Krupa, and Rade Serbedzija.

The main triumph of First Class is the way the writers were able to fit the best elements of each film into one cohesive story. There are the uncertainty issues of growing into one’s powers featured in the first movie, Magneto is essentially a stand-in for Wolverine from X2 (the loner badass of the group), and there is a “cure for bizarre outward appearance” subplot featured heavily in X3 that arises between the smitten Beast and Mystique this time around. The seamless integration of these elements makes me wish Vaughn would have written and directed X-Men 3, but he left the project before Ratner ultimately got his hands on it. Some may argue that this movie makes too many references to what will eventually come in the series (Charles and Erik play chess! Cerebro is built! The Blackbird appears! Charles is paralyzed! Magneto’s helmet! Two famous cameos!), but I didn’t find these as distracting as they easily could have been. I think that’s the clearest sign that this is a really solid script – there are so many winking moments to the fans, but none of them get in the way of the film’s legitimately interesting plot, which invokes historical situations (here, the Cuban Missile Crisis) in a way that no other superhero movie outside of Watchmen has attempted.

X-Men: First Class is a fantastic example of how to breathe new life into a dying franchise, and I’m really hoping Vaughn and the rest of the cast can bring the same magic if they decide to make a direct sequel in the next few years. But even if they can’t recapture the same glory, we can be thankful they’ve already brought us one of the best superhero movies of the past decade. Until next time…

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Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer is now filming in London, with Warner Bros. aiming to release the film June 15, 2012. We’ve known for a while that Eleanor Tomlinson plays a princess who is kidnapped, and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) plays a young farmer called Jack who has to rescue her.

Now, to mark the start of production, Warner Bros. have provided more details on the plot in the form of a press release.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Jack the Giant Killer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Ian McShane will play King Brahmwell, “who is none too thrilled about a union between his daughter and a farmer boy.” Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) is playing a villain who is “an advisor to the king with designs on usurping power” while Bill Nighy will play a two-headed giant called Fallon. Nighy will play the big head while voice actor John Kassir will play the small one. Ewan McGregor will play the leader of the king’s elite guard who helps the fight against the giants.

Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, The Wolverine) has written the script, and Singer will also shoot parts of the movie in Iceland.

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20th Century Fox have released a new 4 minute featurette for X-Men: First Class which features director Matthew Vaughn, producers Bryan Singer and Lauren Shuler Donner, and various members of the cast explaining the story, the characters and the messages within the film.

It contains lots of new footage, some of which verges on spoiler territory, so if you want to save yourself until next week then avoid watching this. If not, it’s embedded below. If you pause at the 1:03 mark you will see someone familiar.

Matthew Vaughn’s movie, set for release on June 3rd, will focus on Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) as they work together with other mutants to stop the Hellfire Club, an international social club for wealthy elites who seek to influence world events to their own agenda. Kevin Bacon will play the leader, Sebastian Shaw, along with January Jones as Emma Frost.

The movie also features Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Angel Salvadore (Zoë Kravitz), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) and Darwin (Edi Gathegi).

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The X-Men franchise was in need of a good movie after sub-par entries over recent years, and the hiring of Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn last year to direct X-Men: First Class was a step in the right direction considering he hasn’t made a bad movie in his career.

Over the weekend 20th Century Fox screened X-Men: First Class to online bloggers and critics, and the feedback suggests not only have Vaughn and his team been able to shoot, edit, score and deliver a finished movie in just over a year, they’ve done it quite successfully.

Here are some spoiler-free reactions: (full reviews will be published on May 25th)

Bleeding Cool:

First Class contains some of the briskest and most efficient storytelling I’ve seen in any recent blockbuster. An awful lot happens, and awfully quickly at times, but it’s all clear and while some nice moments might be over in the blink of an eye, this can only reward repeat viewers.

There’s a sequence later in the film, from which much of the material for the “character trailers” was gathered, that actually uses split screen to crack the pace up one more notch. This film does not hang around – and at over two hours of running time, that’s a virtue, because when nothing drags, and the audience don’t get bored, the minutes just whistle by.

Collider:

If you were nervous the latest chapter in the X-Men franchise might disappoint, I’m happy to report it’s a huge home-run. Everything from the great script to the awesome performances by the entire cast (with special mention to James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender) makes this X-Men film my favorite in the franchise. Also, the film is loaded with incredible action and a ton of Easter Eggs for the fans. Even the sets and costumes are great. Trust me, as soon as the movie is over, you’re going to wish the next chapter was coming out next week.

Hit Fix:

“X-Men: First Class” is a genuinely good movie, not just a good superhero movie. Big and bold and aggressively told, it feels to me like this is the first film in a brand-new franchise, and even the few very wicked and enjoyable references to Singer’s films that are hidden in this one don’t tie it down. This is ground zero, and I think Fox just got it right, really right, in a way I can’t say it feels like they have on any of their Marvel films so far. With the right support, and with this film’s key creative team onboard, a sequel to this could well be the “X-Men” epic we’ve been waiting for since day one.

Obsessed With Film:

Simply put I loved it. It’s a superior, exciting, and intelligent comic book movie. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are brilliant (Fassbender in particular – he is if you’ll excuse the pun, magnetic), and beyond the movie’s expected grand action Matthew Vaughn has managed to instill X-Men: First Class with a real emotional core, complexity and a huge amount of style. Taking the X-universe back to its 60?s roots was a stroke of Bryan Singer inspired genius.

Screen Geek:

With plenty of in-jokes for fans and a huge amount of warmth and affection for the X-Men world, First Class is an incredibly respectful piece of work. Relentlessly entertaining, with a cast of the finest actors working today, it’s pure joy from start to finish. Way better than X2, and probably most recent blockbusters.

I knew Vaughn would deliver the second he was hired, and with Bryan Singer in charge of the story it was a match made in X-Men heaven. The trailers have impressed quite a few people who were sceptical, but it’s great to know the movie doesn’t disappoint and gives the franchise the kick it needed (and deserves). I planned to see X-Men: First Class anyway, but now i’ll be there opening night if possible.

Here’s the latest and most action-filled TV spot released so far:

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If X-Men: First Class is a success at the box office (like all previous X-Men films) than 20th Century Fox will no doubt move forward with a sequel. In a recent interview director Matthew Vaughn said the ending of First Class sets up a potential sequel, and producer Bryan Singer suggests future films may be set in the 70s and 80s.

From TotalFilm:

“First Class is similar to Batman Begins, where you have the fun of introducing the characters and getting to know them, but that takes time,” says Vaughn. “But with the second one you can just get on with it and have a rollicking good time,” he continues. “That’s the main difference between Begins and The Dark Knight.”

“1962 is far more grounded in the world of the ’50s,” he says. “I think it takes about five years for a decade to really start getting its identity, so the fun thing about this for me would be doing [a sequel] in the latter part of the decade, where you’ve got The Stones, The Beatles, Flower Power…”

There’s also the possibility that the next chapters in the planned First Class trilogy will be set in the 70s and 80s respectively.

“That’s an idea that’s been discussed,” admits producer Bryan Singer. “How the characters go through time. But only to a point – they can’t age too fast!”

Ageing the characters by 10 years won’t be difficult (it’s de-ageing that’s the challenge, as seen with Tron: Legacy). Setting the sequel in 1970/80 would be interesting, as it could potentially pave the way for young versions of Jean, Cyclops and Storm to pop up.

James McAvoy, who plays Charles Xavier, is also looking forward to a sequel as he wants Xavier to get “really messed up”.

“In First Class he uses Cerebro for the first time and maybe it unlocks something in his head – maybe he can’t keep the voices out or something,” the actor speculates.

“So in the second movie his journey could be about getting himself out of a mess. And then in the third movie he become… Patrick Stewart!”

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Roughly a year ago when Bryan Singer was still attached to direct X-Men: First Class he took part in an interview with X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner. It was revealed that Donner had pitched the idea of making X-Men 4 to Singer, with him telling her to “hold that one off for just a little, I’m fixated on the other one right now”.

A week later Singer had to pull out of directing First Class due to his commitments on Jack the Giant Killer, but in various interviews since Singer has stated he still wants to direct another X-Men film in the future, and it looks like X-Men 4 may be it.

Obsessed With Film noticed a quote from Lauren Shuler Donner in the latest issue of Empire magazine regarding another X-Men outing, and she revealed:

“We took the treatment to Fox and they love it… And X4 leads into X5″.

Given Bryan Singer’s renewed involvement in the X-Men franchise, and what he’s had to say in various interviews, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that Singer may end up directing X-Men 4 (and possibly 5) after he’s finished work on Jack the Giant Killer. An X-Men 4 could potentially see the return of original cast members Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore and X3 additions Ellen Page and Kelsey Grammar. As Cyclops and Jean Grey died it is unlikely James Marsden and Famke Janssen would be back, but the final scene of X3 suggested Xavier was alive so we could see Patrick Stewart and possibly Ian McKellen return.

Plans for X4 and X5 obviously raise questions as to how it would fit with Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class. If it is a success Fox would likely green-light sequels, and all the cast are signed for more. Would audiences accept two strands of the same franchise (with possibly a few of the same characters) running at the same time?

With First Class only 2 months away hopefully Singer, Donner or someone else involved with the X-Men franchise clears things up during the promotional rounds.

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Warner Bros. has set the release date for Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer for June 15, 2012. There is no direct competition as of yet (other than Adam Sandler comedy I Hate You Dad), but it has Ridley Scott’s Prometheus hitting screens a week before, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter released a week after on June 22nd.

In the movie the princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) is kidnapped, threatening a long-standing peace between men and giants. A young farmer, to be played by Nicholas Hoult, is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giants’ kingdom in hope of rescuing her.

Ian McShane will play King Brahmwell, “who is none too thrilled about a union between his daughter and a farmer boy.” Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) is playing the villain who is “an advisor to the king with designs on usurping power” while Bill Nighy will play a two-headed giant called Fallon. Nighy will play the big head while voice actor John Kassir will play the small one. Ewan McGregor will play the leader of the king’s elite guard who helps the fight against the giants.

Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, The Wolverine) has written the script, and Singer will begin shooting in July in London and Iceland.

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