The Silver Screen X-Men are about to get a bit younger.
This according to an article posted this evening on Variety which states that 20th Century Fox has tapped Josh Schwartz, the creator of “Gossip Girl,” “The OC” and “Chuck,” to write and potentially direct a reboot of the X-Men movie franchise under the name “X-Men: First Class.”
Details of the new production are limited at this hour, but according to the report, Fox has been leaning towards a retooling of the franchise using younger versions of the characters introduced in the previous X-Men films, along the lines of those featured in the Marvel Comics series also called “X-Men: First Class."
This move follows the $1.2 Billion dollar success of the first three X-Men films. “X-Men” (2000) and “X2” (2003) were directed by Bryan Singer. “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006) was directed by Brett Ratner.
No specific date has been announced for the release of “X-Men: First Class,” although it’s expected sometime in 2010. Mutant fans won’t have to wait long to get their next fix, though, as May 2009 sees the release of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” featuring Hugh Jackman in the role he originated in the first three X-Men films. Fox is also developing a stand-alone Magneto feature as well as considering a Deadpool spinoff starring Ryan Reynolds, following the character’s debut in “Wolverine.”
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Keywords: x-men: first class, x-men: first class movie, wolverine, x-men origins: wolverine