Cast And Kinberg Talk FANTASTIC FOUR; Mr. Fantastic Will Stretch!

So, when can we expect Invisible Woman and The Thing’s first date then? Actually it turns out Jamie Bell is just joking about after being asked what we might get from any potential future story-lines. In fact, the foursome spend pretty much the entire interview taking the piss — but a few interesting tidbits also slip through.

REED RICHARDS IS A SCIENTIFIC PRODIGY WHO HAS BEEN QUIETLY EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE’S DEEPEST MYSTERIES IN HIS GARAGE, AFTER SCHOOL. AFTER BEING TRANSFORMED BY ONE OF HIS EXPERIMENTS, HE CAN WARP THE SPACE AROUND HIM, AND APPEAR TO STRETCH HIS BODY INTO IMPOSSIBLE FORMS AND TO INCREDIBLE LENGTHS.

It was all just a clever way of trying to explain Mister Fantastic’s (Miles Teller) powers that was a little too complicated.

Speaking to HitFix, Fantastic Four screenwriter Simon Kinberg set the record straight.   “I think it was confusing.  I was a little confused by it myself. The intent was to try to explain the power with some sort of scientific explanation, but as you pointed out, most of his powers defy what we know about physics. The upshot of it is that he stretches in his movie. That is his power. That’s the simplest explanation.”

As far as the J.J. Abrams-type of secrecy surrounding the project is concerned, Kinberg stated it’s really just a byproduct of trying to make sure things are perfect, visually, before they’re released.  “This thing here, it really has been a concerted thing because we really just don’t want to show anything until it’s ready, until it looks great, and they show the real intention of the shot or the movie, then we’ll show it. That’s why we’ve held on to so much. We held on to the Thing. We held on to Doom. We held on until we were further along.”

In reality, it should have been obvious that Reed will stretch in the film.  Hell, there was a stretching scene in the most recent trailer.  However, “the internet” turned a blind-eye to this fact and simply wanted to cause a bit of controversy.  Kinberg also points out that as the promotions for the film ramp up, information and marketing assetts will be released from many different sources that’s nearly impossible to keep under the supervision of a single voice.

FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Directed by Josh Trank, The Fantastic Four reboot stars Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch, Kate Mara as Invisible Woman, and Jamie Bell as the Thing. The film is scheduled for release on August 7, 2015.

Source: Hitfix

First Look At Kodi Smit-McPhee As NIGHTCRWALER; X-MEN APOCALYPSE Star Wars Reference As Filming Begins

Writer Simon Kinberg has revealed a Star Wars Easter egg from the set of X-Men: Apocalypse, which appears to begin filming today.

Kinberg tweeted out this image of a theater marquee with Return of the Jedi listed as “now playing,” which you can see embedded below.

Day 1 of the Apocalypse…. Back to the 80s…. pic.twitter.com/0ecjnXX23l
— Simon Kinberg (@Kinberg) April 27, 2015

We already knew that Apocalypse would take place in the 1980s. Return of the Jedi opened in theaters on May 25, 1983, so the marquee would suggest that the film takes place specifically sometime later that same year.

It makes sense that Kinberg would be the one to call out this particular reference. In addition to writing the most recent X-Men movies, Kinberg is also involved in the production of new Star Wars movies from Disney, and is executive producer on Star Wars Rebels.

We’ve seen some concept art, but now Bryan Singer has provided our first official glimpse of one of the new characters from X-Men: Apocalypse as the movie kicks off production today. Here is Kodi Smit-McPhee as the younger version of fan-favourite mutant teleporter, Nightcrawler. Kurt Wagner was last seen in the second X-Men movie played by Alan Cumming, and we all wondered if we’d every see the “Fuzzy Elf” return to the franchise. Smit-McPhee was most recently seen in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but his best performance was arguably in the bleak (but brilliant) adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

X-Men: Apocalypse, directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past), will hit theaters on May 27, 2016 and stars Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), Rose Byrne (Moira McTaggert), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Ben Hardy (Angel), Olivia Munn(Psylocke), Lucas Till(Havok) and Lana Condor (Jubillee).

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Will Change The X-MEN Universe Forever

X-Men: Days Of Future Past was a colossal hit, so it should come as no surprise that the upcoming sequel, X-Men: Apocalypse, is expected to be one of the biggest films of 2016. The film is set to feature possibly the largest ensemble ever assembled in a X-Men film with returning First Class/DOFP mutants Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Beast, Havok, and Quicksilver finally being joined by X-Men mainstays Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and more!

In a recent interview with IGN, writer/producer Simon Kinberg took a few moments to chat about the highly anticipated Bryan Singer film. Without revealing much, Kinberg does admit that the three upcoming X-Men films (Deadpool, Apocalypse, & Gambit) will be aware of one another, and that events, or the fallout, from each film will be acknowledged in subsequent films. He also reveals that the events of X-Men: Apocalypse, clearly the biggest of the three, will change the history of the X-Men cinematic universe forever. What this means is yet-to-be seen, but with some of the most prominent X-Men returning to the scene, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Additionally, a crossover with another Kinberg-produced project, The Fantastic Four, could always be on the horizon as well.

Before finishing off, Kinberg is asked a quick question about whether or not we’ll learn what Mystique did with Wolverine following the end of X-Men: Days Of Future Past and whether or not James Mangold’s Wolverine 3 will actually be the final time we see the Academy Award-nominated Hugh Jackman suit up as the fan-favorite Wolverine. He says we will see more than a few unresolved questions answered, but when asked to further elaborate about Jackman’s status, he replies with a sly smile, says he loves Jackman as Wolverine, and the always reliable: “No comment.”

Check out his full comments in the video below:

X-Men: Apocalypse, directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past), will hit theaters on May 27, 2016 and stars Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), Rose Byrne (Moira McTaggert), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Ben Hardy (Angel), Olivia Munn(Psylocke) and Lana Condor (Jubillee).

Simon Kinberg And Josh Trank Talk FANTASTIC FOUR Cast In Four New Featurettes

20th Century Fox has released some extra bits from Josh Trank and Simon Kinberg’s previously-released trailer commentary for the upcoming Fantastic Four focusing on the core actors that make up the titular team and how they came to be in the film. Check them out below!

An origin story said to be inspired largely by the “Ultimate Fantastic Four” comics (the first arc of which was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar with Joe Kubert illustrating), Fantastic Four offers a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team. The story centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

“Marvel’s First Family” will include Whiplash‘s Miles Teller as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), “House of Cards” star Kate Mara as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Fruitvale Station and Chronicle‘s Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and The Adventures of Tintin‘s Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘ Toby Kebbell will also star as Doctor Doom alongside Reg E. Cathey (“The Wire”) as as Dr. Franklin Storm and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as Harvey Elder, aka The Mole Man.

Fantastic Four features a screenplay by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and is set to hit the big screen August 7.

Simon Kinberg Talks X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR Crossover, ‘Moira MacTaggert’ In X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, And More!

Writer Simon Kinberg was recently in an interview with Entertainment Weekly and talks about the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, and more! 

The first trailer for Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four was released earlier this week, and it’s fair to say that fans were shocked by just how good the movie looks! Tonally, it’s more Interstellar than Avengers, and it’s that sci-fi vibe which writer Simon Kinberg is really excited for fans to see. “Part of what’s cool about the Fantastic Four comics is that there’s an emphasis on the science of science fiction,” Kinberg tells EW. “And we treat what would normally be considered a superpower as a trauma. They don’t just go up a roof, jump off, and start swinging through the city. It’s the opposite. What would happen if your body transformed, and you didn’t have control over it?”

There’s been a lot of talk in the past about a crossover between the X-Men franchise and this rebooted Fantastic Four movie, and while it still doesn’t sound like anything definite is in the works, Kinberg is definitely open to the idea. “The reboot of FanFour really needed to work in and of itself,” he explains about why they’re not rushing into a team up between both teams. “We were doing something pretty radical with the tone of the movie. If we wanted to find a way to connect them to the X-Men, we could. There’s a lot of precedent from the comics.”

Finally, we already know that Doctor Doom (a.k.a. Victor Domashev) will be transformed alongside the team, and it sounds as if he will definitely be a vital piece of the puzzle which sees Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny become the superhero team we all know from the comic books. “He has aspirations and struggles that are a little bit more classically tragic than the other characters. As much as it’s an origin story of our heroes, it also tracks how someone can become a villain.”

We recently discovered who will play Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse. However, another new casting addition has now been made, but it just so happens to be a very familiar face! Reprising her role from X-Men: First Class, Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids) is set to return as Moira MacTaggert. When we last saw her, her memory had been wiped by Charles Xavier in order to protect his school. She was nowhere to be seen in X-Men: Days of Future Past as a result.

Writer Simon Kinberg confirmed the news while talking to EW, revealing: “She’s a significant character in the movie. We ended First Class with Charles having wiped portions of her memory of her experience with the X-Men. They are, essentially, strangers to her when she meets them.” As for how her relationship with Xavier will now play out, he added, “It’s certainly a rich relationship that we started to dig into in First Class, and would like to mine more in this one.”

It sounds like they have a good reason for bringing her back as X-Men: Apoclypse will apparently serve as an endpoint for the characters we met in X-Men: First Class. “This movie is the completion of the first arcs of Charles, Eric, Raven, and Hank, who are essentially our main characters,” Kinberg explains. “They’re such young actors and young characters, so there’s a lot more story to tell. But as a first phase of their lives, there is this feeling of closure by the end of the movie.”

Source: EW

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: Simon Kinberg Confirms Trailer Release Date AND Reshoots!

Well, writer and producer Simon Kinberg has now revealed some specifics about those reshoots and reveals when we’ll get the trailer!

The fact that we’ve seen nothing from The Fantastic Four means that everyone is thinking the worst of it, with plenty of reports claiming that the reboot is in trouble.

Well, the movie’s producer and writer Simon Kinberg has reached out to Latino-Review with the following statement: “To confirm – Fantastic Four will be doing 3-4 days of additional photography with director Josh Trank and some key cast members. We are very excited about the film and can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been up to. And you will be able to do that very soon as I can confirm here that the teaser will be on Kingsman in theaters February 13.”

It’s worth noting of course that Kinberg isn’t going to contact them and admit that the movie is in trouble, but three to four days of additional shooting is a lot different to the weeks of reshoots we heard about earlier, and I don’t think he would tell an outright lie about how extensive they are.

The main thing to focus on here is the fact that we now FINALLY know when the trailer will reach us! With a Super Bowl TV spot likely, it will obviously be early February that we start getting to see more from The Fantastic Four, including a poster and stills hopefully.

X-MEN APOCALYPSE: The Actors TESTING for Cyclops, Jean Grey, & Storm!

Late last fall, the word got out that Chloe Moretz, Elle Fanning and Oscar-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld were among the young ladies being eyed to play young Jean Grey in Bryan Singer‘s X-Men: Apocalypse, while Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe and Timothee Chalamet were under consideration for the role of young Cyclops.

Well, it looks like those names were preliminary because Latino-Review got a new batch of names and these young folks are actually testing for the roles at this stage.

Producer Simon Kinberg has already stated that the film will bring in younger actors to play Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm.

For Young Cyclops the new contenders are Taron Edgerton, Jamie Blackley, and Tye Sheridan.

Taron brings his A game in the upcoming Kingsman (which was super hot by the way), Jamie was in If I Stay last year, and Tye Sheridan was in Mud back in 2012. Of this group, I like Taron the best.

For Young Jean Grey the new contenders are Sophie Turner and Saoirse Ronan.

Saoirse Ronan was all sorts of awesome in Hanna and Sophie Turner is Sansa Stark on Game Of Thrones. This one is a really tough call but I have to give a slight advantage to Ronan who was a straight up ninja in Hanna. She does action really well and was almost in Star Wars.

For Young Storm the contenders being mentioned for the first time are Alexandra Shipp and  Zendaya Coleman. Alexandra played Aaliyah recently in Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B and will next be seen in Straight Outta Compton. Zendaya has a background in television with shows like Shake It Up, Zapped, and K.C Undercover. I’m placing my bet on Alexandra.

Cameras will start rolling on X-Men: Apocalypse in Montreal beginning this April, for a May 27, 2016 release.