Development is still up in the air for the forthcoming installment of X-Men: Apocalypse, following up filmmaker Bryan Singer‘s 2014 smash-hit, X-Men: Days Of Future Past. According to recent statements made by screenwriter and producer Simom Kinberg, recasting for certain roles may be a possibility depending on where the new film goes, which he also stated could follow-up the 2011 movie, X-Men: First Class.
At any rate now, at least one thing is certain with word from Deadline that Singer, with all earlier legal woes cast aside for now, can now follow through on his Twitter announcement last December and hop board to direct the new film which is currently dated for May 27, 2016, courtesy of 20th Century Fox. Singer is also providing the script with Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, as well as producing with Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner and Hutch Parker for an early 2015 production kick-off.
The franchise itself, based on Marvel’s classic comic book and animation series, dates back to Singer‘s directorial work on the first and second films in 2000 and 2003 before Brett Ratner took the helm for the 2006 flick, X-Men: The Last Stand. Actor Hugh Jackman continued to reprise his role as the rogue mutant, Logan (a.k.a. Wolverine) in his own spin-off with director Gavin Hood in 2009 and its follow-up just last year under helmer James Mangold. Jackman reunited this year with most of the franchise cast for X-Men: DOFP, which saw him traveling back in time to foil an assassination plot that would enact the extinction of all mutants at the possible expense of all mankind.
While the official plot for X-Men: Apocalypse is still unknown aside from any already-established familiarity with the comic book series, it was Singer who told EW (via Comics Alliance) back in April prior to the release of X-Men: Days Of Future Past, of just what possibilities lie ahead. “…What we’ll discover in Apocalypse is that events in this movie [X-Men: DOFP] made that happen.” says Singer, in part. “…Apocalypse deals with ancient mutancy. What would humans have thought mutants were? What would mutants think humans were? You’re dealing with gods and things like that. And what if one survived and what if that found its way into our world?”
Jackman was previously reported to star in a follow-up for The Wolverine with Mangold returning to direct for a possible March 3, 2017 release. If other reports stand the test of time, said film would be shot back-to-back with X-Men: Apocalypse, provided the actor makes it official.
Other X-Men franchise characters are poised to branch out as well, including a new Gambit film with Channing Tatum, and a probable return to the role of Deadpool for actor Ryan Renyolds currently dated for a likely PG-13 release on February 12, 2016.
Stay tuned for more info!