I had no idea Brian Singer had left. That makes me, um, not happy?

I LOVE the X films and think he's done a great job so far. How many movies can brag a superior sequel? He's a huge fan also. I never thought he would leave the franchise. Why? Money? Does anyone know? I guess the Superman thing would be a pretty big carrot to dangle.

Now, if JOSS were to step in... two words: all better!

Willowy | July 30, 23:00 CET

Here's Singer's quote from the press release:

"My interest in Superman dates back many, many years," he said. "In fact, it was the Richard Donner classic film that was my day-to-day inspiration in shaping the 'X-Men' universe for the screen. I feel that Superman has been late in his return and it is time for him to fly again."

Here's the link

[ edited by brother_grady on 2004-07-30 21:41 ]

brother_grady | July 30, 23:40 CET

If Whedon does films successfully, more power to him.

He liked the long storyline though, so if the timing and price is right (hello, HBO) then he will one day return to that.

PMMJ | July 30, 23:59 CET

This, I think, would be AWESOME!! But I know some folks would complain that it would keep him from doing some Buffyverse project, but this would be huge for Joss' career and give even MORE power to him if he DID want to do a big screen Buffyverse flick. Which I don't think he should have to, as much as I'd like to see it.

Rogue Slayer | July 31, 00:01 CET

I think it would be so appropriate for Joss, who was practically bred on the classic Claremont era X-men stories and whose works have echoed thematically and atmospherically the X-Men to direct the new X-Men movie. I can't think of anyone with a deeper, truer love and understanding of these characters and this world.

The last two years have been sort of hard on all of us fans. We've seen 3 superlative shows cancelled for spurious reasons. Now Joss' aborted show is a feature film, he's writing a comic book with his favorite childhood characters. To direct a huge budget movie of these same characters would be the best vindication I could imagine. Makes me proud to be a longtime fan of a good man whose comeuppance has finally arrived.

[ edited by Chirp on 2004-07-30 22:14 ]

Chirp | July 31, 00:13 CET

As to why Brian Singer left, I'm sure Superman was a big pull, but I also remember there being a lot of speculation a year or so ago as to whether he would return to the franchise. There was a lot of friction between him and the actors, and I believe some of them had said they would never work with him again. I'm not going to get more detailed than that, because it's all rather hazy in my mind, and I'd rather not spread rumors I can't even fully remember. But if others know more than me, feel free to add.
As to Joss directing... I guess i'm a bit more luke-warm on the idea than the rest of you. Don't get me wrong - I'm sure he'd do a great job. I just have such respect for his creative powers and originality that I'd rather see him go in a different direction than helming an already established super-hero franchise. I liked X-Men and X2, but there are plenty of other directors/writers out there who i think would do a competent job, and it would be a waste of Joss's particular talents. I'd rather see him return to episodic storytelling on TV (either buffyverse-related or something new), where there's SUCH a void of talent, or do Serenity sequels, or do the Angel TV movies or animated Buffy, or write/direct his own original film, or.... you get the point. There's a lot I'd be excited about him doing that would come ahead of him taking the helm of a well-established superhero franchise where the characters/universe are already fairly well-established, he'd probably have very little final-cut or ultimate scriptwriting power, and the studios won't want to take any risks that might diminish its boxoffice potential. There are other competent directors for that. Let him use his own, unique, Jossian talents. JMO.....

acp | July 31, 00:23 CET

I would love to see this happen! Like Willowy I had no idea that Brian Singer was leaving the franchise. Just out of curiosity- Is this the same Superman movie that about four other directors have signed on for but then eventually backed out of?

Karen | July 31, 00:30 CET

I ditto, Chirp. It couldn't happen to a nicer, more deserving member of the writer/director/geek tribe.

It's just another step in the plan that has Joss's stupendous imagination taking over the world, and raising the level of what's intelligent and cool in all hitherto unappreciated forms of genre. Onward!

Wiseblood | July 31, 00:34 CET

It is that same Superman movie, Karen. Thank god McG is out of the driver's seat, though I'm stinging for the No-Singer X3. X2 is my favorite comic book movie.

Mixed feelings on Joss as an X3 director. The atmosphere that's been created in the first two movies isn't quite Jossian. It's a lot more angular and less humor-based than his work generally is. I also get the vibe that he really wants to do his own thing with the characters (the comics lend me this impression), and X3 already seems to have some pretty established arcs and business necessary.

And despite all that, I'd still like to see him do it, because I really doubt someone else of his or Singer's caliber will get drafted for the project.

friarfunk | July 31, 00:53 CET

Well there's a lot of mixed feelings for me on this. Singer did a great job on the first two, finally paving the way for comic movies that were well done, because the people at the helm took the subject matter seriously and respected it. So it's not good news for me he's leaving the franchise.(Btw I never heard of any friction between him and the actors so I won't speculate on that)

On the other hand Mr 'Charlies Angels' McG off of Superman is great news since I loathe the man's work and style. Singer on that is a great improvement.

Then the idea that Joss would do X-Men....well the tone of the movies would obviously change, but then most franchises have had new people trying new things, and while sometimes with bad results, often it was a new fresh wind. (Compare the last Batman movies with the look and feel of the the upcoming Chris Nolan movie)

And really, I doubt I could hate what Joss would do with it. I've been searching high and low for his unused X-Men script, wondering what he would have done with it. He's already proving himself on the comic, and as said, he's a huge fan and knows the stories and characters top to bottom. (Singer had never read a single issue before he came on board. Not that it stopped him from making good movies, but by comparison...)

If Serenity works out, I have a feeling there's a good chance for Joss doing this, (assuming he even wants to of course) seeing how he'd want to write it himself probably and he already has a rep as a script writer. But maybe that will be too late for the studios, since they already have a date set for the movie. (And as I understand it, pretty much nothing else, not even a script)

I hope Joss comments on this in an interview or something. Pity this didn't come out before the Wizard interview. They would have asked him for sure.

Oh and imagine McG getting the X3 project now......*shiver*

EdDantes | July 31, 01:19 CET

EdDantes -- Oh my God, I hadn't even thought about the horror of McG taking over my beloved X-Men. You know he would jump at it, too. Now I HOPE Joss takes over.

brother_grady | July 31, 01:34 CET

Mmm. Not such a big fan of the X-Men movies. Don't get me wrong - I do think Singer resuscitated the superhero movie, and the two films had many great features: great casting, decent SFX, pretty solid grasp of the book. But they didn't, I don't know, fill me with magic or make me think "huh - Singer nailed it!" My expectations were just too great I suppose, since The New X-Men was my book, as it probably was for many others, throughout my teens. My fav comic-book movie has to be Spiderman 2, which, IMHO, *really* nailed what Spidey is all about.

I'm certain Joss would do a better, dare I say incredible, job if he directs X-Men 3. However, like some others, I think I'd prefer him to do his own stuff. He's finally getting the chance to direct and thus, not mangle, his own words, and I, selfishly, don't want to see him rush off to take on other people's projects.

BTW Chirp, love your use of "comeuppance" as a positive noun - it's almost never used that way anymore (at least, not round my way)!

SoddingNancyTribe | July 31, 02:01 CET

There was a lot of friction between him and the actors, and I believe some of them had said they would never work with him again. I'm not going to get more detailed than that, because it's all rather hazy in my mind, and I'd rather not spread rumors I can't even fully remember. But if others know more than me, feel free to add.

Huh? I'd never heard that. Maybe from Halle Berry(who quite honestly I wouldn't care if she left the films).

eddy | July 31, 02:15 CET

I could see Joss giving the big finger to the x-movie franchise...they rejected his rewritten script for the first one, if I remember.

Also, did Singer explicitly leave the franchise? Or is there a possibility that he can do both Superman and X-Men 3? I:m dumb like this...

BTW, the only complaints that I heard about the X-Men set were from Halle Berry...

mchan | July 31, 03:47 CET

Theres a chance he won't do X3,mchan because both studios want their movie out in summer 2006. Theres no way he could possibly direct both movies.

eddy | July 31, 04:00 CET

" since The New X-Men was my book, as it probably was for many others, throughout my teens."

Wait, you were a teen when Morrisson started? I pictured you older somehow. I was a teen during the Claremont/Byrne days. Me old man...

"Huh? I'd never heard that. Maybe from Halle Berry(who quite honestly I wouldn't care if she left the films)."

Who would?;-) Maybe I'm bitter but I never forgot how she complained to the press how she was 'reduced' to playing Storm even before they were shooting it. (Way to diss the entire project, insult writer and director, your coworkers and the future audience in one fell swoop....) and yet as soon as it was a hit, crooned to the same press about playing a strong female black character. Only to start complaining again after she won her oscar for getting nekkid with Billy Bob. All of which could be forgiven if she'd done even a half decent job. That 'accent'...brrrr. But I'll stay nice and won't even MENTION that Catwoman atrocity....oops, too late;-)

Sigh....Angela Basset where are you....

"Theres a chance he won't do X3,mchan because both studios want their movie out in summer 2006. Theres no way he could possibly direct both movies. "

Yeah that's what I said. But then they've been pushing Superman further and further back, maybe if things don't work out in a similar fashion for X3, Joss can still do it after Serenity. Then again I also want those TV movies......oy....can we clone him or something?

EdDantes | July 31, 05:28 CET

While I think it would be great for Joss if he did X3, I selfishly home he doesn't so that he can come back to the buffyverse and hopefully do something there. It has only been approx. 2 months but I am already itching for a continuation in the story. Damn that Angel ending left me wanting more. If he takes over X3 we would be lucky to see anything before 2007. Unless he goes crazy and does both.

Krall the Conqueror | July 31, 06:16 CET

EdDantes: "Wait, you were a teen when Morrisson started? I pictured you older somehow". . . oops, just goes to show that I have no idea chronologically-speaking.

I'm 34 (me older man). I just looked up the release dates, and found out that I pretty much gave up on Marvel comics in 1984, around "Secret Wars", and the ever-proliferating mini-series, cross-overs, variant titles, and so on, when I was 13. I see the classic Claremont/Byrne stuff was actually 1980 (issues 128-38) and before, when I was 10. So, not a teen at all really. (Although, in mitigation of my error, I continued reading those issues "throughout" my teen years - yeah, sloppy work I know. ;))

I started looking at comics again through the good offices of my wife in about, oh 1996-7, when I was 26, and hastily began catching up on some good stuff like "Watchmen", "Dark Knight Returns", and the like. . . still have gaping voids in my comic knowledge.

Who's Morrisson?

SoddingNancyTribe | July 31, 07:11 CET

This is, after all, merely a poll (though I'm very pleased to see Joss leading by such a wide margin). I would think that everything would depend on the success of the movie Serenity. If it does well at the box office, it been "hinted" that Universal studios would be interested in a sequel. And it seems that Serenity is Joss' first love at the moment. I also want him to return to the Buffyverse but that's my selfishness talking. Must admit X3 would be a huge feather in his hat. No doubt he would make an awesome movie.

Madhatter | July 31, 07:55 CET

"I'm 34 (me older man). I just looked up the release dates, and found out that I pretty much gave up on Marvel comics in 1984, around "Secret Wars", and the ever-proliferating mini-series, cross-overs, variant titles, and so on, when I was 13."

Hah you don't qualify for geekdom! (I'm 33 btw). Giving up comics at 13 was not an option fer me.

""Watchmen", "Dark Knight Returns", and the like. . . still have gaping voids in my comic knowledge."

Hehe, you quit in '84? I'll say you missed out on some stuff, didn't they tell you the big revolution was in 1986? Then again, the big stinky-poo came in the 90's.....Ah I'm still getting around to some of the classics myself. Only bought Moore's 'V for Vendetta' last week.

"Who's Morrisson?

Ah, I may not be the right person to ask. He's a pretty high-profile comics writer right now. He's done X-Men for the last 2-3 years or so. Joss is basically succeeding him. He's the type that has people divided. People either defend his every fart, or just really don't care for his style.

I'm one of the few who's in the middle. He's very creative, and has 3 new ideas per page, but (And this is purely my personal opinion) he cares more for his ideas than for the plot or the characters. On an emotional level I've yet to read a story of his that really gets to me. All feels a bit clinical. Any new characters he created were fairly forgettable, but he's done some interesting stuff.

(He really f**** up writing Magneto in my opinion)

But as I said, just my personal thoughts, I'm sure there are plenty people on this board who'll tell you a different tale. If you like the old school X-stories though, chances are decent you won't care that much for his run.

" I would think that everything would depend on the success of the movie Serenity. If it does well at the box office, it been "hinted" that Universal studios would be interested in a sequel. "

Actually, at the Con Joss said if things worked out, universal wants a trilogy. They're really going for a franchise. Here's hoping.... And yeah if it is a success, I think a lot of new doors are going to open up in Hollywood for Joss.

EdDantes | July 31, 08:39 CET

Thanks for the info, EdDantes. I've heard rumors of trilogy, but you're the first reliable source who heard it from the man himself.

Madhatter | July 31, 10:07 CET

Around the time X-Men2 debuted in theatres, I clearly remember Bryan Singer saying in an interview that he would like to write the third X-film, but that there was a very slim chance he would direct. I hope he's able to contribute to the script at least. This is his vehicle, he's obviously set some stuff up that he planned to tackle if he got his hands on the third film. I'd expect Joss and many other directors to respect what came before and at least address some of the outstanding issues in the first two films (mostly just the second one, really), but it's doubtful that they'd handle it the same way, or even similarly, as Singer, which would likely leave the third film feeling a little less connected to the previous ones. There're also a great many directors who would ignore most of what came before, and I really don't think that's the way to go with serialized films like X-Men and Spider-Man. I really hope Singer is somehow involved in X3.

I'd rather Joss concentrate his efforts on an immediate Serenity sequel (if he's up for it) or other projects. Angel TV movie(s) or something original (whether that be a TV series on HBO or a brand new film), maybe the Ripper TV movie/mini-series if they can get it off the ground. I'm all for letting Buffy rest a while longer though, maybe even never revive it. I feel very satiated after seven seasons, the series feels very complete. I don't feel like I got quite enough of Angel though (as many have stated, at major fault for this is the fact that Illyria was introduced and was so goddamn compelling. I'm insanely curious about what was planned for her and Angel's sixth and supposedly final season. Not to mention that series finale of course).

[ edited by Kris on 2004-07-31 11:26 ]

[ edited by Kris on 2004-07-31 11:30 ]

Kris | July 31, 13:26 CET