When Josh Schwartz, writer and creator of Gossip Girl, Chuck and The O.C., was announced as writer of X-Men: First Class people were a bit unsure whether they liked the idea or not. When someone is hired in a creative role you tend to look at their past work to see what to expect, and there was a general assumption that it would be X-Men meets The O.C. However, the more we’ve been hearing about it the more it appears we will be getting an actual X-Men movie and not some teenage high school drama. Schwartz said back in February that the Dark Phoenix storyline had already been used (in X3) so he’ll “find more fertile soil somewhere else”. He is obviously thinking big in terms of the storyline, and now he has revealed how he got involved to THRfeed:

You’re a bit of an unconventional pick to write an “X-Men” movie. Did they approach you?

Schwartz: It’s something I’d always fantasized about doing. I knew (producer) Simon Kinberg and he approached me about it. I’ve started it and I’m having a blast, but I’m not allowed to say anything more.

From what we have heard so far the characters involved will be young versions of Cyclops, Beast, Jean and Storm, so Halle Berry, Famke Janssen and co. won’t be returning, however Patrick Stewart will likely return as Charles Xavier as the film takes place during the first year of his ‘School for Gifted Youngsters’.

IMDB says X-Men: First Class will be released in 2010, however 2011 is looking more likely seeing asthough the script isn’t finished (although Fox have a Magneto script they could be making use of *cough*)

According to THR Nicole Kidman is going to be getting all ‘Indiana Jones’ on us. Kidman will star in and produce The Eighth Wonder, an action-adventure pitch that will be written by Simon Kinberg (X-Men 3, Jumper)

Details of the plot are being kept under wraps, but the story centers on an archeological discovery that sets off a globe-spanning race. The goal is to create a movie that will be to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” what the “Bourne” movies are to James Bond movies: a character-driven, treasure-hunting thriller.

Nicole Kidman was going to star in Kinberg’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, however she had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. You could say it was Kidman’s fault for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hooking up and having 6 children.