Where X-MEN is right now...

I found out what is going on with X-MEN at the moment. It'll begin shooting up in the Toronto area on September 13th. The production offices move to up there around the second week of July. Right now, the production is thinking about a December 20th, 2000 release date, but that's not etched in stone. There are not fights going on between Fox execs and Bryan Singer, quite the contrary... Word has it that Bryan was spotted with Bill Mechanic at a Dodger's game recently.

Who has been cast so far? Ian McKellen is Magneto. Patrick Stewart is Professor X, Tyler Mane is Sabretooth, and Dougray Scott as Wolverine. Apparently there are a couple of other actors being negotiated with currently... But the production is still in the midst of casting.

The reason the shooting date got pushed was not due to infighting at Fox, but rather to accomadate Dougray Scott's schedule on Mission Impossible 2, and to ensure enough distance between the two productions in case Mission Impossible 2 should go over schedule.

There is no ICEMAN in the basement, and the budget has not been cut... They are still looking for Cyclops, Jean Gray, Storm, Rogue and Senator Kelly... and I believe Kitty Pryde (though that part is in question). Depending who you talk to, the budget is either 75 or 80... but it's right in there.

There are still rumors floating about Russell Crowe and a bunch of others for Wolverine, but this can be put to bed. It's Dougray Scott. How does that pan out? Is he too pretty boyish? I'm sure you all have an opinion, but mine is... I don't know enough about the actor right now. I never saw Ever After, and honestly... I don't remember his character in DEEP IMPACT, but as best I can tell he hasn't played this character before... perhaps in his audition he did a great beserker... perhaps he chews a cigar real well. Maybe he just moved real cool. Maybe he had an excellent gravely voice and a mean stare... I don't know... But I do know I didn't see that audition tape so I'm not going to call for the head of Bryan Singer on this one. He has made two films I really do care for...

Earlier today I was at TOYS R US, and I finally broke down and shelled out the $30 for that GIANT SIZE X-MEN set of figures. And when I got home, my contact... contacted me, and ever since... I've been placing the figures and thinking about this X-MEN movie.

I don't know their current draft, but their old one was in there. It wasn't perfect... but then... they knew that and are working on it. I just want them to nail the various personalities of the characters as well as say Christopher Reeve nailed Superman and Clark Kent. I still haven't seen Batman or Bruce Wayne nailed to my satisfaction, and really... I'm very curious about the possibility of it being nailed.

I'm not sure about you, but for me... When reading my old X-MEN comics (or any comic at all) I had an internal voice for each character. In my psychosis of a mind I can see how they walk, talk and interact. But ya know... That's my vision, I've had that with every issue and every story I've read. This is a chance to see what another person's vision of those same characters are. I'm looking forward to it. It's the reason we go to the movies.

When we saw BATMAN AND ROBIN, we had a very strong reaction... We don't want to see Schumacher's vision of those characters anymore. When we saw Tim Burton's some of us fell in love with his vision and adopted it as our own. With X-MEN... I'm eager to see... what the man who made THE USUAL SUSPECTS and APT PUPIL has to think of the X-Men. And ya know... In a year and a half... we'll know.

Personally, with the casting so far... The two older actors instill faith in me, while the two younger actors instill uncertainty. I can't wait to see how the rest of this pans out.

Right now, I'm just excited that an X-MEN film is coming... and I HOPE it's the right one.