An Update on 'Wanted 2' Offers Small Glimmer of Hope

Amazing to think that six years have passed since the comic adaptation Wanted helped create a Hollywood superstar in James McAvoy. It also introduced many to the aggressive, action-packed stories of writer Mark Millar, who would bring his comics Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and Kingsman: The Secret Service to the screen. A sequel to Wanted has been talked about often but without star Angelina Jolie who refused an opportunity to return, the film has never really gotten off the ground. But could that be about to change? Producer Marc Platt certainly thinks so.

Speaking with Comingsoon.net, Platt explains why a sequel has taken so long...

Platt: “We have a script that’s getting pretty good. To do a sequel when it wasn’t really set up for a sequel–one of our main characters dies in it. You don’t want to just retread a similar story, but when we get the script to a certain bar, there will be a sequel. It’s taken a while because it’s challenging, as I said, because we lost a main, main character, so where that James McAvoy character goes now… we have good ideas though. It’s coming along.”

At least he seems confident in McAvoy's return, despite the actor being more in-demand now than he was in 2008. The Jolie thing was an obvious hurdle, though, as her character "Fox" was killed off at the end of the first movie. That didn't stop producers from trying to lure her back.  When that failed, Kristen Stewart's name popped up to play a new female character but that was a long time ago and circumstances have probably changed.

So it's an update but not much of one. We don't know who would be directing or if any other stars would return. What it sounds like to me is that a script for Wanted 2 has been worked on for so long that nobody wants to just give up on it, even though there isn't any clamor a sequel. If this happens it's going to be a good ways off, and the longer it takes the less viable the whole thing becomes.

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Jennifer Lawrence knows Magneto's Plans in 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Deleted Scene

The anticipated Blu-Ray release of X-men: Days of Future Past is right around the corner, and while some may be inclined to wait until next year for the "Rogue Cut", this version is looking packed with extras, too. 20th Century Fox has released a deleted scene from the film that centers on a tense conversation between Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), and Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) in which she warns them of Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and his plans for war. There's also a little bit of romantic tension going on given Mystique's close relationship with both guys, although Hank is too much of a lab geek to do anything.

X-men: Days of Future Past hits Blu-Ray on October 14th.

Post by iTunes.

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Interview: Ned Benson Talks 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby'

Talk about a stroke of luck. It was more than a decade ago that writer/director Ned Benson met Jessica Chastain after one of his short films premiered at a barely-attended film festival. After the movie showed, a girl ran up to him and declared that she really wanted to work with him. That girl was Chastain, who at the time was just another struggling, unknown actress. The rest is pretty much history, with Benson and Chastain collaborating over the years on The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, an ambitious, emotionally tough story of a crumbling marriage.

Originally designed as a two-part romantic piece told from his and her perspectives, Benson pieced together a third arc titled "Them" that expands into more theaters this week. Along with Keeping it Reel's Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with Benson about The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, working with Chastain and James McAvoy on the film, and the decision to construct a third version of the story.

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Review: 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them', starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy

Ned Benson's The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a unique thing, especially for a debut feature director. Originally designed as two movies, titled "Him" and "Her", both telling the same narrative from differing perspectives, the decision was made to appease audiences with a more neutral version titled "Them". The other two will be in theaters next month but "Them" is out now, and Benson's inexperience shows in tackling such a complicated narrative, but a pair of truly great performances save the day.

Similar in corrosive tone to Blue Valentine, the film chronicles the crumbling of the marriage between New York couple Eleanor Rigby (Jessica Chastain) and Connor (James McAvoy), when once it had been gloriously happy. When we first meet them it's at one of those high points, the two showing their playful side during a mischievous dinner date. "There's only one heart in this chest. Please be gentle with me.", he says to her early one. Nothing remotely gentle awaits him or the audience, however. The very next scene is a dazed and distraught Eleanor attempting to end her life on the Brooklyn Bridge. How such a loving couple could reach such a horrible low is a mystery that Benson keeps at arm's length and tucked inside solemn conversations. There's been a tragedy; one that left her depressed and him unable to cope with the hopelessness. When two people grieve differently it can drive a wedge between them worse than the tragedy itself.

Recovering after the suicide attempt, Eleanor shacks up with her family, leaving Connor without a clue as to what happened. Her father (William Hurt) is a college professor and psychologist, always speaking in well-meaning if clunky platitudes like "Tragedy is a foreign country. We don't know how to speak to the natives." Yeah, okay. Her mother (the great Isabelle Huppert) always has a glass of wine at the ready, and Eleanor's sister (Jess Weixler) needs a date. Poor Connor is left to manage his failing restaurant with chef pal Stuart (Bill Hader), while trying not to ask his successful father (Ciaran Hinds) for help. Eleanor and Connor move on without the other but find it hard to redefine themselves as single people. She heads back to school and strikes up a friendship with her abrasive professor (Viola Davis) who, in stark contrast to Eleanor, has abandoned all maternal instincts. Connor is stuck in emotional limbo; wanting to reconnect with Eleanor but finding it impossible to do so. He goes to some pretty extreme lengths to get her attention but it works, for better or worse.

Benson has a lot to say, and in melancholic fashion he explores the different ways people communicate with one another after a personal loss. Eleanor feels she has lost herself and struggles for reinvention, and she's surrounded by a family who are perhaps too eager to help. Connor is basically running in place, but the fact is he and Eleanor are weighed down by the burdens of the past and may always be. It's tough material, and Benson approaches it honestly. He's got a great visual eye, and his version of Brooklyn has a real majesty to it. Less effective is his screenplay which has characters making the kinds of awkward-sounding statements you'd never hear in life but always hear in badly written Hollywood movies. They probably read as very clever on the word processor but are less so in execution.

Fortunately, it helps when you have a cast as great as this one reciting the dialogue. Chastain and McAvoy are the stars here and they are simply incredible as two pained people trying to put on a brave front. McAvoy gives us flashes of the playful guy we've seen him play so often, but there's something darker lurking underneath it all. Chastain is, as always, beyond reproach, but it's fair to say that Eleanor remains a bit formless as a character. She remains a wisp of a figure through to the end; an idea of a character rather than a fully realized one. Despite this being a his and her story, Eleanor really is the focus and not being able to connect with her is an issue that perhaps only the "Her" version of the film can fix, and that should not be the case.The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby doesn't quite live up to the talent it's been gifted with, but Benson's bold first effort is worthy of attention.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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James McAvoy & Jessica Chastain Fall Out of Love in 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby' Trailer

For his directorial debut, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Ned Benson has done something rather special. He's giving audiences as many ways to see the film as possible, each presenting the same love story from a different perspective.  There are the two 95-minute versions titled The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him, which played the festival circuit last year. And then there's the combined 2-hour version The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, which opens this fall. The hope is that audiences will be so invested they'll want to see all three, and the new trailer makes a pretty good case why they should.

James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain are at the heart of this one, playing a married couple who have lost what they once had for one another. As their relationship deteriorates the story goes back to the beginning to find out where things went wrong. So basically this reads, and occasionally looks, a lot like Blue Valentine with many of the same joys and pains explored. William Hurt, Viola Davis, Nina Arianda, Bill Hader, Isabelle Huppert, and Jess Weixler make up a supporting cast more than capable of keeping up with the two stars.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them opens September 26th with the other movies arriving later this year.

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Review: 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Starring Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, and Michael Fassbender

Fourteen years have gone by since Bryan Singer brought Marvel's most socially aware comic, X-men, to the big screen. In that time the franchise has had its meteoric ups, such as the brilliant X2: X-men United, and disastrous lows when Singer handed the reins over to Brett Ratner for X-men: The Last Stand. A terrible Wolverine solo film followed, but basically the X-men weren't reborn until X-men: First Class injected a little bit of Cold War-era espionage into what was a remarkable prequel. The genius of that film was how different it was from the comic book norm, in terms of style and scope, and the challenge of Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past is maintaining that while makings things even bigger.

Well, it's actually one of many challenges Singer faced. Chris Claremont's seminal comics story serves as the basis for the film which combines the super-sized casts of 'First Class' and the original trilogy. Normally a roster that size would get jumbled and unwieldy but Singer, along with screenwriter Simon Kinberg, deftly split the narrative between time periods. In the not-so far flung future, Xavier (a returning Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are fighting a losing battle in a war against the robotic Sentinels, mutant hunters who have wiped out practically all life on Earth. Fans will geek at the presence of popular X-men like Blink (Fan Bingbing), Bishop (Omar Sy) and Warpath (Boo Boo Stewart), along with a couple of other familiar faces like Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore). The impressive opening battle, anchored by Blink's brilliantly executed teleportation powers, takes a dire turn for the X-men and they are forced to make a bold decision.

"So many battles waged over the years, and yet none of them like this, are we destined to destroy each other, or can we change who we are, and unite, is the future truly set?"

Xavier's question is at the heart of everything this film sets out to be. Can Xavier and his mutant colleagues change the course of history and save the world from this terrible fate? Their plan may seem convoluted on the surface, but Kinberg explains it with simplistic ease. Hugh Jackman, looking more ripped than ever, returns as the loner X-man, Wolverine. The ideological war between Xavier and Magneto may give the film its brains, but Wolverine is the heart and soul. He's chosen to send his consciousness back in time to the 1973, when he'll find the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) at odds after the events of the last movie. Only the two of them can stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from committing an act of violence that will trigger the dystopian future, but of course it proves to be easier than done.

The Charles Xavier Wolverine knows in the future is a far cry from the man he was before; a broken down shell addicted to a drug perfected by his lone remaining friend, Hank "Beast" McCoy (Nicholas Hoult). The drug lets Charles walk again, but it also has sapped away his telepathic powers. Those abilities are what gave Charles his ability to understand others, to feel their pain and use it as motivation, and without them he is lost. On the other end of the spectrum is Magneto, locked away in a specially-made cell cleverly tucked inside the Pentagon. After some fisticuffs, a little soul searching, and Wolverine's friendly urging "You and I are going to be great friends someday", Charles and Hank are convinced to join in on a prison break.

Singer, whose last two movies were the wretched Jack the Giant Slayerand mediocre Superman Returns, is clearly rejuvenated by his return to the X-men. And so we see him glorifying in the visual effects more than he ever has before. The best example comes with the introduction of Evan Peters as Quicksilver, the speedster mutant who will also be seen in Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. What was once perceived as a throwaway character written in as a slight to Whedon's use of him turns out to be the film's great showstopper, zipping past bullets with ease while everybody around him is perceived as standing still. It's as good a use of the character as one could have hoped for and puts a real burden on Whedon to find a way to top it. Frankly, I'm not so sure he can.

What's most impressive is how Singer keeps things personal while relishing in the spectacle. The love triangle between the angry Magneto, confused Mystique, and wounded Charles is very much in place and moves forward without a hitch. The plight of mutants has always been an allegory for minority rights and that has been taken even more to the forefront with these last two movies, along with a nifty anti-war statement thrown in for good measure. The X-men have some of the best villains in comics and Peter Dinklage is phenomenal as the Mengele-esque Bolivar Trask, the creator of the dangerous Sentinel program. While he doesn't say much, his impassive nature shows just how cruel he truly is as he sets out on a course of mutant capture and experimentation. Other important characters are introduced, written off, and teased in ways that deepen the franchise's past and future. Trust me in that you'll want to walk into it as cold as possible, but by the time the credits roll you'll be dying to see what comes next and to relive what came before.

With an eye towards revising the past, the '70s elements are wildly unpredictable yet authentic where it counts. The period aesthetic is perhaps even more refined than before, necessary as the time period becomes such an integral facet of the story. Everything from the Vietnam War to the JFK assassination are given a revisionist slant, with the only thing sticking out like a sore thumb is Singer's version of Richard Nixon who looks oddly like New Jersey governor, Chris Christie. Coincidence? Probably not. In that spirit of revision, X-men: Days of Future Past plays fast and loose with the franchise's continuity in a brilliant deck-clearing move that will have fans howling with joy.  Between this and 'First Class', 20th Century Fox are providing the most thoughtful and exciting comic book movies we've seen since Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. X-men: Days of Future Past deserves to be mentioned as one of the best superhero movies films ever made, and if you're a fan of Marvel's merry mutants, it may just be THE best.

Trav's Tip: Stay after the credits for a glimpse into what's in store for 2016's X-men: Apocalypse, which Singer will return to direct. 

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'X-men: Days of Future Past' Promos for Beast, Xavier, Bishop, and More

Now that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla are doing their damage at the box office, the round robin of summer tentpoles continues this week with X-men: Days of Future Past. Controversy has been swirling around its director, Bryan Singer, but that doesn't seem to have affected 20th Century Fox's plan to hype the film, which unites the X-men: First Class squad of mutants with the older group from Singer's original trilogy. We've seen a number of these "power pieces" featuring some of the new and old characters and now we have a few more. These put the spotlight on Hank "Beast" McCoy, Charles Xavier, Iceman, Colossus, and Omar Sy as the future X-man, Bishop.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.


Meet ICEMAN _ X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Character Trailer by NovaCotton


Meet COLOSSUS _ X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Character Trailer by NovaCotton


Professeur Xavier _ X-Men Days of Future Past- Trailer VOSTFR by Newstrailers

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Questions Answered in New 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Clip; Hugh Jackman Says 'Wolverine 3' Is His Last

There are a couple of big questions surrounding this month's X-men: Days of Future Past. One was how James McAvoy's Charles Xavier has been seen walking around when Michael Fassbender's Magneto accidentally paralyzed him in X-men: First Class. The other is how exactly they managed to be friends after something like that occurred. The latest clip from the film answers both of those questions, and suffice it to say there's quite a bit of unfinished business between the two. Kind of feel sorry for Wolverine having to get in-between them.

Speaking of Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is again talking about his desire to get away from the clawed mutant. After every movie he's basically washed his hands of the character, only to return in time for a new film. He did it after The Wolverine, which is technically the second solo film, and now he's doing it again before the third film which James Mangold is coming back to direct. When asked by SFX where the next film might go, Jackman basically said he's not officially on board, and even if he does agree (he will) it's likely to be the last time he sports the muttonchop haircut...

 Jackman:  “I haven’t signed on signed on. I’m genuinely at that point where unless it’s better than the last one I’m not going to do it.”

"If I did another one I’m 99.9% sure it would be the last, so that will inform what it is for me.”

That could prove problematic to future X-men movies if Jackman doesn't renew his contract. Bryan Singer has already stated that X-men: Apocalypse will revert back to the younger X-men: First Class squad, but there's clearly going to be an attempt by 20th Century Fox expand the franchise. Patrick Stewart has already hinted at his older version of Xavier returning, and if the plan is to bring back the original team then fans will expect Wolverine to be a part of it.


X-Men Days of Future Past - You Abandoned Us All by Stuff We Like

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"Final" Trailer for 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Give 20th Century Fox credit; unlike their competition at Sony who have given away their Spider-Man sequel for free, they kept a good portion of X-men: Days of Future Past locked away. That was until about a week ago with tons of posters, clips, the entire opening battle, and one campy burger commercial featuring Evan Peters' Quicksilver. So with weeks to go until the film opens in theaters, the third and final trailer is here, but that doesn't mean we won't get more promos down the line.

Bryan Singer returns to the fold, and along with him come practically every actor who was part of the original trilogy. They'll combine with the X-men: First Class crew for a time-hopping story that has Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) going back to the 1970s to prevent a terrible future when mutants are hunted and killed by giant robot Sentinels. The seeds planted here will bear fruit in 2016's X-men: Apocalypse, an upcoming sequel to The Wolverine, and a potential X-force film. So basically, Fox has a lot riding on the film's success. So if you really want to see Channing Tatum as Gambit, this is the movie to pay for now.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.

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New 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Character Posters

The Expendables 3 isn't the only summer film that has gone character poster crazy; so has Fox's X-men: Days of Future Past. Twelve new one-sheets have been revealed, a couple from the folks at Empire, and nine more found by a user at SuperheroHype. To be honest, most of these are pretty good, simple in design and showing off the amount of talent Bryan Singer was able to assemble. That really is one of the film's great strengths is having James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lawrence, and Hugh Jackman, so why not show them off?

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.

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'X-men: Days of Future Past' Reveals First TV Spot

"So many battles wages over the years, and yet none of them like this". Things aren't looking good for Charles Xavier and his dream of peaceful co-existence in X-men: Days of Future Past, and not even the combined might of two generations of X-men may be able to stop it. 20th Century Fox have released the first TV spot for the film, directed by Bryan Singer. Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine, whose consciousness has been sent back in time to help a young Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) put a stop the growing Sentinel program before it destroys their future.

The footage if brief but much of it is new, including some better looks at Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Blink (Fan Bingbing), two of the new additions I'm most interested in checking out. Also starring Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore, Ellen Page, Omar Sy, Halle Berry, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, and Daniel Cudmore, X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.


X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST - TV Trailer by MEGA-UP

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*UPDATE* Mutants Make a Last Stand in New 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Trailer

 *Updated with an awesome new poster!*

Before Bryan Singer and 20th Century Fox can dive fully into The Wolverine 2, X-men: Apocalypse, X-force, and the further adventures of Marvel's merry mutants, they first have to get through this summer's X-men: Days of Future Past.  The time travel film, based on the classic X-men storyline, combines the X-men: First Class squad and the original team from Singer's earlier trilogy, combining forces to prevent a future when mutants are hunted down and slaughtered by robotic Sentinels.

A new trailer has been released and this is the bleakest one yet, showing what looks to be the last stand for many of the most popular X-men. Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine, and as usual he is the centerpiece of the story with the feral mutant sent back in time to the 1970s to confront younger versions of Charles Xavier and Magneto.

Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Omar Sy, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Halle Berry, Daniel Cudmore, Peter Dinklage, Boo Boo Stewart, Evan Peters, and Lucas Till, X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.


X-Men: Days of Future Past - Official Trailer / Bande-Annonce #2 [VO|HD] by Team Lyricis

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New Red Band Trailer for Irvine Welsh's 'Filth' Starring James McAvoy

Before James McAvoy plays the altruistic, peaceful Charles Xavier in X-men: Days of Future Past, he'll indulge in some good ol' fashioned, Irvine Welsh-inspired debauchery in Filth. Based on the author's sex and drug-fueled novel, the story follows degenerate cop Bruce Robertson as he does a half-assed job investigating a murder and earning a promotion. We've seen plenty of NSFW footage already but a new red band trailer ups the ante yet again, with McAvoy looking like he's having more fun than at any point in his career.

Co-starring Imogen Poots, Jamie Bell, Jim Broadbent, and Eddie Marsan with direction by Jon S. Baird, Filth hits VOD on April 24th and theaters May 30th.

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New Footage in 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Teaser; Trailer Debuts Next Week

With about 200 mutants zipping in and out of Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past, it's surprising we haven't seen more trailers to give them all a little time. Fortunately that's going to change in a week when a new trailer hits, and to further sell the overstuffed superhero sequel an Instagram teaser has been released. There are bits of new footage in the cleverly-designed promo, which surprisingly does not feature Michael Fassbender's Magneto. It does give us a brief look at new characters Bishop (Omar Sy) and Blink (Fan Bingbing). There's also Halle Berry as Storm, who may or may not have had her scenes drastically reduced.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd, followed by X-men: Apocalypse and then The Wolverine 2.

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New 'X-men: Days of Future Past' Images and Character Bios

The Internet may be buzzing about Guardians of the Galaxy right now, but the biggest superhero team movie of the year is still X-men: Days of Future Past. Boasting a huge cast roughly the size of Bryan Singer's first two X-men movies combined, it also encompasses multiple timelines and will lead to the even bigger X-men: Apocalypse in 2016. And in order to keep all of those merry mutants straight, a bunch of new character bios have been issued featuring the entire cast.

The bios sort of resemble the old Marvel Handbooks in the way they give the characters' strengths, weaknesses, and profiles. They also offer up a look at some of the X-men we haven't seen a lot of, such as Adan Canto as Sunspot, Fan Bingbing as Blink, and Evan Peters as Quicksilver. Check them out below along with a handful of new photos. X-men: Days of Future Past opens May 23rd.

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