It has been announced that Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, Saga) is writing a standalone Silver Surfer movie for 20th Century Fox!
Fox executives say they are moving faster than ever with more Marvel projects moving forward than ever before. “We actually have way more in development and production in Marvel than at any point in the history of the studio,” says a Fox insider. “There’s been zero slow-down on that front given Disney.”
As many readers know, the “Disney” comment refers to one of the most talked about business deals in entertainment history, which we reported on here: Disney acquires Fox
The Hollywood Reporter states Fox’s plans for X-Men and Fantastic Four-related movies are not going to be affected by the Walt Disney Company’s coming acquisition of the studio and other Fox assets.
Fox will release two X-Men movies this year: Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool sequel on May 18 and X-Men: Dark Phoenix on Nov. 2. The studio also is planning three X-Men movies for 2019, with another three expected the following year.
Meanwhile, Channing Tatum’s long-in-development Gambit is still looking for a director. A new draft of the script is expected in March and it is greenlit, meaning that the studio has budgeted it. And the horror-themed New Mutants will undergo a round of additional photography this summer that will insert a new character into the thriller that is dated for Feb. 22, 2019.
X-Force, a Deadpool spinoff from Drew Goddard, is set to begin shooting in October, with Reynolds and Josh Brolin expected to star. The studio is still focusing on developing both the X-Men and Fantastic Four brands, including a Doctor Doom movie from Fargo and Legion showrunner Noah Hawley.
As for Marvel’s plans, deals for many of its key cast members are expected to expire with 2019’s untitled Avengers 4 — a movie Feige has indicated will shake up the status quo for his universe, though it seems unlikely that the already-in-production sequel will be used to sow the seeds for integrating the X-Men in there, even if the merger closes this year.
“They have to proceed as business as usual in case the merger doesn’t go through,” says one agent whose clients work on Fox’s Marvel movies. “It’s a unique position to be in.”
When Fox film execs hired Brian Michael Bendis on Feb. 12 to pen an X-Men project for Deadpool director Tim Miller, it signaled to the town that the studio is moving full steam ahead on its Marvel properties. “It does not affect this project in any way, shape or form is what I was told,” says Bendis of the pending merger. “At least at the moment, it’s certainly decisions over my pay-grade if it ends up doing so.”
Look for developments on this story right here at Comic Watch!
Subscribe to us on YouTube, Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook!
Join our Age of Social Media Network consisting of X-Men, Marvel, DC, Superhero and Action Movies, Anime, Indie Comics, and numerous fan pages. Interested in becoming a member? Join us by clicking here and pick your favorite group!
And Follow Me on Twitter and Facebook!
