There’s a good article by Geoff Boucher over at the Los Angeles Times (that I first caught from a piece at Syfy) where he speaks with Bryan Singer and Lauren Shuler-Donner about both the first X-Men and the planned new installment, X-Men: First Class. The article lays the groundwork for how the first film came into being, when most prior films about superheroes weren’t taken as seriously as Singer wanted to do and ultimately did.
Among the topics discussed were the first person besides Singer to know that Hugh Jackman had gotten the part of Wolverine during a screen test set up by Singer: “[A janitor[ didn’t want to bother anyone important, so he sees me, this kid,
and walked up and whispered, ‘Hey, is that the guy they got to play
Wolverine?’ And I thought, ‘Hmm, this is the moment, take the leap.’ I
said, ‘Yes.’ The first guy to know was the cleaning guy. And he said,
‘Cool.’ It’s a good thing he didn’t say, ‘Ugh, are you kidding me?’ “
The discussion then progressed to talk of X-Men: First Class: Singer says the film will find its axis in the relationship between
Professor X and Magneto and the point where their friendship soured. It
will also detail the beginning of the school for mutants and have
younger incarnations of some characters with new actors in roles of
Cyclops, Jean Grey, the Beast, etc. The premise has compelling elements to it, Singer said. “Just doing
younger mutants is not enough. The story needs to be more than that. I
love the relationship between Magneto and Xavier, these two men who
have diametrically opposite points of view but still manage to be
friends — to a point. They are the ultimate frenemies.”
The dialogue wrapped up on to a possible fourth, post-Last Stand installment, which Shuler-Donner had the following to say about Singer helming that as well: “…I’m holding it open with high hopes. It’s totally different [from ‘First Class‘] and it will be so interesting for you.”
You can click over here for the full thing.