Last week Tim Pocock who played Cyclops in X-Men Origins: Wolverine updated his Twitter page with the following:

currently shooting Australian TV series till February 2010…then X-men first class ;)

However, a few days later he had this to say:

victim of cruel prank.last tweet=NOT me.AM filming Aussie show till2010.no official word on XM:FC but am interested.please post retraction.

Was this actually a prank? Or had 20th Century Fox picked up on it and told him to shut his Twitter hole? Well /Film recently had the chance to ask producer Lauren Shuler Donner what’s going on:

According to Shuler Donner, there’s no truth to the initial claim at all. She announced that the film has no scheduled start date and will definitely not be kicking off in February. What’s more, she confirmed that no actors have signed contracts to appear in the film.

I asked if they had signed the young mutants up for an option on future films, and she admitted that yes, everybody was under option. No surprises there.

Donner also said that she is cooking up plans for an X-Men 4 and a movie based on The New Mutants, although having followed the X-Men films for years I know that Donner likes to blurt out ideas and nothing ever comes of them. I think that they should focus their attention on making the films they’ve already got scripts for like X-Men: First Class and X-Men Origins: Magneto…

…which brings me to an interview MTV had with X-Men Origins: Wolverine director Gavin Hood.

David Goyer has been the popular name mentioned to direct “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” but if the “Dark Knight” writer finds himself committed when the project finally comes together, Hood says he’d be willing to step behind the camera.

“I think the character of Magneto is still a phenomenally interesting character,” Hood told MTV News while discussing last week’s release of “Wolverine” on DVD and Blu-Ray.

“Absolutely, if I was asked I’d take an interest,” the director said. “But the truth is I haven’t been asked and I think that the studio right now is waiting to see how we do with the ["X-Men Origins: Wolverine"] DVDs, and who knows where we’ll all be if and when a ["Wolverine 2"] script is ready.”

In interviews Gavin Hood comes across as an intelligent and likeable guy, however I don’t want him directing Magneto. I’d prefer them to get someone with a bit more experience with big budget movies, and a director who can tell 20th Century Fox where to stick it when they start making stupid creative decisions.

Read similar posts to More X-Men talk. X4 still possible? Gavin Hood for Magneto? at Filmonic

Last week IESB spoke to X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner on the eve of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine DVD release, but she wasn’t giving much away regarding the future slate of films. They did have this exchange, however:

IESB: How soon before you go into production on any of the new X-Men films? Whether it be Wolverine or X-Men First Class or Deadpool?

LSD: Next year.

IESB: For which one?

LSD: (laughter) I can’t say, I’m sorry. But, some of these we just aren’t ready to talk about yet.

So which one is Donner hinting at? Deadpool doesn’t have a script, and they have only just started developing the story for Wolverine 2. David Goyer said last month that X-Men Origins: Magneto “will move forward in the next year or so”, however 20th Century Fox don’t seem to be in a rush to make it. That leaves X-Men: First Class, and thanks to Twitter we may have some sort of confirmation. Tim Pocock, who played Cyclops in Wolverine, updated his Twitter page with this:

currently shooting Australian TV series till February 2010…then X-men first class ;)

So Shuler Donner may not be ready to tell us what’s happening, but she’s let the relevant cast members know! Out of all the upcoming films mentioned above First Class is the one I am looking forward to seeing the most, mainly because there is a 99% chance Wolverine won’t be involved. The X-trilogy was Wolverine focused and it took the spotlight off other far more interesting characters.

First Class takes place during the first year at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and along with Cyclops we will most likely see Emma Frost (blonde lady above) and other young versions of Beast, Jean and Storm. They will probably add a few new characters into the mix too. First Class has the potential to become the first ‘true’ X-Men film. Whether it will turns out good or not depends on who they get to direct, and we should hear who that is over the upcoming months if they plan on filming next year.

Read similar posts to X-Men: First Class to start filming next year? at Filmonic

In February Josh Schwartz said that he was just getting started on writing X-Men: First Class, so we didn’t expect to hear much at this stage of development, however, promotion for X-Men Origins: Wolverine is gearing up and people behind the X-Men franchise are starting to talk. Lauren Shuler Donner has produced all the X-Men films, including Wolverine, and revealed on Fox Movie Channel’s Life after Film School that she hoped X-Men: First Class becomes a whole new X-Men franchise. She also revealed which characters will be involved.

From Comics Continuum:

“It is the first class of Xavier’s school, way back when, so it’s young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that’ll be really fun,” Donner said. “I think (the plan) is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world.

“And hopefully First Class will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up.”

She also acknowledged that a Magneto movie remains in development.

I’m glad we finally know which characters the film will revolve around, as there was speculation that it could focus on a whole new bunch of characters. While we will be seeing young versions of Cyclops, Jean and Beast, we have already seen young versions of Iceman and Angel in the trilogy, so the famous original line-up probably won’t happen. There is also the fact that a young Cyclops appears in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so the chances are X-Men: First Class will take place after Wolverine, and Tim Pocock (who plays young Cyclops) could have a good few years ahead of him, unless they recast for whatever reason.

They will obviously involve other characters, including some we have seen before. We could see a young Storm (we caught a glimpse of a toddler-looking Storm in the first Wolverine trailer, however Lauren Shuler Donner said that the scene won’t make the final cut. This could be so that it doesn’t screw up continuity if they plan on adding a young Storm in X-Men: First Class). As it will be the first class of Xavier’s school Patrick Stewart may end up returning, unless they recast Xavier like they did with William Stryker. I hope they don’t though. I’d like to think that Patrick Stewart will be the man that links the X-Men franchise together on-screen.

I’m happy that Fox have chosen Josh Schwartz (The O.C, Chuck) as writer. If you’re going to make a movie about young adults, you might as well get the guy who knows how to write them well. Fanboys may want people like Christopher Nolan (the current fanboy God after The Dark Knight) to write and direct their favourite superhero’s, but writing for young mutants with young mutant problems might not be one of their strengths. I am eager to find out who ends up directing this. As long as it’s not Brett Ratner i’ll be happy.

Read similar posts to Lauren Shuler Donner wants X-Men: First Class to become a franchise at Filmonic