Third X-Men In Works

[Jem'hadar]

Third X-Men In Works
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-m.../26/13.00.film


I look forward to X-Men 3 which will likely deal w/ the Dark Phoenix saga. I thought the first 2 movies were good and an interesting adaptation of the comic books. Quite necessarily the movies are different from the comics.

I wonder how they'll treat the Dark Phoenix saga & how much they might retain from the original story. If you've never read the original story I recommend you find one of the X-Men paperback reprints. It's an exciting saga.

[Phantom]

Hoo-boy!

As long as they have the scene where she flies into the star and drains it, i'll be really happy.

[REG]

I don't know if that would gell with the mainstream, because the story direction will now have to go intergalactic (possibly introducing the Skrull and Kree War) and away from the main theme that made X-Men so popular: Discrimination.

Will a comic-book translation do well in the box office? Only if the majority of the mainstream are X-Men comic book fans. But then they would not be called mainstream, but genre fans (like me).

For Bryan Singer, he better tread lightly. Personally, I'd like to see Dark Phoenix, but he has to keep the screenplay story down-to-Earth, or at least within our solar system.

[prophetsteve]

For Bryan Singer, he better tread lightly. Personally, I'd like to see Dark Phoenix, but he has to keep the screenplay story down-to-Earth, or at least within our solar system.

Definately.

I see a lot of potential in the Phoenix Saga - they could deal with a lot of cool issues in the movie.

There are plenty of ways to show the Pheonix's power without going galactic - and I think that we'll see more of an ideological rather astronomical spin to the whole saga.

I mean, there are some really cool ideas to explore. The idea that a friend of the X-men has become like a stranger to them; one who is slowly slipping into the dark temptation that ultimate power brings.

I agree with REG that the strength of the X-men movies is that they have been down-to-earth. Going uber-epic with this installment would shatter the symmetry which he has built with the other two movies...

[Balok]

From this little tidbit, it's hard to conclude that the story will deal with the Dark Phoenix saga. That said, it seems a likely direction in which to go:

Using the Sentinels (giant mutant hunting robots run by the government) would be a little too much like the plot of X-Men 2. Also, Jean Grey's apparent death (and the image in the water) near the end of X-Men 2 set the stage.

Remember that many of the events that led up to Dark Phoenix took place right here on Earth. It was the Hellfire Club who opened that door. It seems extremely unlikely that they would leave her "evil" at the end of the film unless they wanted to write off the character. That would be a lot of story to jam into one film.

How popular a character is Jean Grey, as portrayed by Famke Janssen? Telling the Dark Phoenix tale would place Ms. Janssen front and center for much of the movie -- I don't think she's ever had a really large, meaty role before this. Checking IMDb, I see a large number of fairly small roles, some in quite obscure films.

Other drawbacks include introduction of the character "Mastermind", an illusion caster, who is very similar to Stryker's son -- and was pivotal in corrupting Jean in the comics. There would be little or nothing for Magneto to do unless the story was substantially changed. The White Queen is very similar to Xavier, and the rest of the Hellfire club is kinda lightweight.

I think it could be done, but I think it would require substantial changes to the story, and wouldn't be without risk.

[strict31]

Originally posted by REG
Will a comic-book translation do well in the box office? Only if the majority of the mainstream are X-Men comic book fans. But then they would not be called mainstream, but genre fans (like me).

I'm not sure I'm understanding you when you say "comic book translation." Do you mean an adaptaion of the Dark Phoenix saga for the screen that was initially published in comic book form?

If so, then X2 was an adaptation of something that was published. "God Love, Man Kills." It was only barely recongizable, but the same basic events that happened in the graphic novel happened in the movie.

granted, the DP saga was a lot longer and broader in scope. But they've already shown the capability to make a comic book translate to the screen without losing fans and without boring the mainstreamers.

But admittedly, I still have concerns. DP is a big story to tell. And right now, you've got two very big actors with very big egos who will probably demand screen time that their characters just don't deserve. And we'll probably be flooded with a bunch of new characters and cameos that will take even more screen time away from the story. And, we'll probably have to introduce a new Big Bad to the mix as well. This could hamstring any story they choose to tell, though, not just the DP saga.



Strictly Speaking

[Phantom]

They will have to do something really different if they keep it "down to Earth." Otherwise the Dark Phoenix will become just another cardboard cut out villian, no different the the Brotherhood.

[Balok]

Originally posted by Phantom
Otherwise the Dark Phoenix will become just another cardboard cut out villian, no different the the Brotherhood.

They need to retain the "seduced by evil" part of the storyline. Without it, Dark Phoenix lacks the victimhood that makes her story more tragic.

But mind control factored into X2 -- including a fight between Scott and Jean. Such a fight would almost certain occur were Jean to become Dark Phoenix.

[REG]

Originally posted by strict31

I'm not sure I'm understanding you when you say "comic book translation." Do you mean an adaptaion of the Dark Phoenix saga for the screen that was initially published in comic book form?

If so, then X2 was an adaptation of something that was published. "God Love, Man Kills." It was only barely recongizable, but the same basic events that happened in the graphic novel happened in the movie.

I apologize for not being specific, as the X-Men have many stories, which is all part of the series. I am referring to one such stories, and that is the "Dark Phoenix" saga.

granted, the DP saga was a lot longer and broader in scope. But they've already shown the capability to make a comic book translate to the screen without losing fans and without boring the mainstreamers.

For the most part, because they kept it down to earth. To show that "mutants are like us, only different."

But admittedly, I still have concerns. DP is a big story to tell. And right now, you've got two very big actors with very big egos who will probably demand screen time that their characters just don't deserve. And we'll probably be flooded with a bunch of new characters and cameos that will take even more screen time away from the story. And, we'll probably have to introduce a new Big Bad to the mix as well. This could hamstring any story they choose to tell, though, not just the DP saga.

So far, I only know of one actress. But it can't be helped, unless the audience could buy that Jean Grey is ... ethnically different. Whatever airtime she gets, I hope it is good enough for her without distracting from the main story.

As for the other actor, well, the first movie did revolved around his character and it continued in X2, but I don't know if that's the end of it.

Suffice to say, Bryan Singer is taking a page from Peter Jackson's (or is it Quentin Tarantino's?) notebook. That is, he is going to film both X3 and X4 all at once.

[Tas II]

I've got a feeling that we will see Colossus and Kitty Pride in this one, as both had cameo's in X2. Picard...sorry, Prof X made a mention of "knowing a little girl that can walk through walls". Also, one Dr Hank McCoy might well appear, as in X2 he had a fleeting appearance on a TV screen in the film. I think I remember reading that Hugh Jackman said he wanted to do other things, so I guess he will do maybe this one, and be written out, but not killed off (leaving the door open to return at a later date). Wolverine as a character should take a back seat for a while as he has had major screen time in the last two films.

I also liked the fact that Stryker's database had other mutants listed (Remy Martin etc).......maybe we'll get a non-canon film, using parts of the DP storyline (ultimate power corrupting absolutely, or at least tempting) and more of the discrimination angle.

We have seen the start of the formation of the Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants, so maybe we will see another baddie or two. (Blob?) Or maybe, just maybe we will see Cain Marko (Juggernaut)....now, that might be interesting. I just hope we get better CGI for him than The Hulk got!

Just a few random musings

Cheers
Tas

[REG]

I don't know if Wolverine is going to take a back seat (although I'm hoping they won't do him like they did with Cyclops airtime in X2). If they're going to focus on Jean Grey, they might as well also focus on the ongoing love triangle.

Regardless of his airtime, I just hope that there will be a subplot in which they can spin him off into his own solo movie.

As for Kitty Pryde -- there are two of them -- I prefer the one in the first film.

[strict31]

REG, i guess, in part, i gotta disagree with you about the down to earth thing. While "God Loves, Man Kills/X2" was certainly not like the cosmic DP saga, the movie version of the comic book storyline was still rather out there. There were "down to earth" moments, sure. But the movie cuminated with a plot to uses a telepathy-enhancing machine to kill every mutant 9and then human) in the world. That's a good clip away from down to earth, IMHO. But that's neither here nor there, because, also IMHO, what made the second movie work was a good, solidly written screenplay. Good writing, period.

As I said before, I don't know if the third movie will involve Dark Phoenix at all. But regardless, if it involves good writing, "down to earth" doesn't matter a whole lot.


I pretty much agree with the rest of your statements, though.


Strictly Speaking

[REG]

Well, I'm all for good writing, and I don't mind being surprised or impressed by such good writing that will involve taking the X-Men into outer space (or bring outer space to the X-Men on earth), but from my limited creative perspective I don't see how they can do it without turning it into something ... campy. I simply don't like seeing comic-book superhero movie sequel turn into something like the last Batman movie sequel. Try to stick to the premise without going overboard.

On that same note, I hope Spider-Man 2 stick to the premise of Peter Parker trying to cope his personal life (which involves Mary Jane Watson) with that of his superhero double life.

[Phantom]

I agree with most of what has been said here. But, I do also beleive that if you have to change a story fundamentally to make a movie, then come up with a different story. How do you prove the power level of DP without going galactic? Maybe if she flies into the core pile of a nuclear reactor and drains that perhaps, but that still doesn't scratch the surface. Even though they haven't been seen in movie form characters/events like Galactus, and K/S Wars are part of that world, making it a 'galactic' setting either way. If you remove the big, flashy, epic parts of the DP Saga then it isn't the Saga. If they want to remain 'earthbound' then they should deal with the Sentinels.

Hell, I would even like to see a Brood invasion of Earth in movie format.

If they use DP just for the villian of the day, then the character will simply be old hat.

[Jem'hadar]

Originally posted by REG
I don't know if that would gell with the mainstream, because the story direction will now have to go intergalactic (possibly introducing the Skrull and Kree War) and away from the main theme that made X-Men so popular: Discrimination.

I'm not sure what the Skrull & Kree have to do w/ the Dark Phoenix saga other than they had observers when Empress Lilandra's Imperial Guard tried to kill Jean Grey. But the original story did directly involve the Shi'ar Empire & I agree they won't likely introduce the alien aspects into the movies. Thus, it is likely we won't see a scene where Dark Phoenix destroys a sun thereby killing 5 billion beings.

My guess is the next movie may focus on Jean Grey's new powers as Phoenix and her eventual descent into Dark Phoenix. How they'll deal with that is unknown but they may introduce Mastermind who tries manipulate Jean's mind. But they could leave out Mastermind since the story of Dark Phoenix is how that much power in a single human is impossible to control & how human failings/emotions will eventually lead one down the road to darkness. Power corrups & absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Or maybe the story will be about the Govt's attempts to control mutants and how Phoenix eventually becomes Dark Phoenix in defending mutantkind. Dark Phoenix has the power to eliminate all humans thus confirming the Govt's claims that mutants are a threat to mankind.