Writer hired for X-MEN 3

And he's already got superhero experience!

By Patrick Sauriol     October 01, 2004
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

In the first move forward since director Bryan Singer left the project to work on Warner Bros. SUPERMAN movie, 20th Century Fox has selected screenwriter Simon Kinberg to write the screenplay for the third X-MEN movie. The scribe already has experience working on adapting Marvel's superheroes to the screen; his word processor was the one that last touched the screenplay for the now filming FANTASTIC FOUR movie (also a Fox production) and he also did a rewrite for the studio's DAREDEVIL spinoff, ELEKTRA.

If fans of the X-Men are worried whether Kinberg is a good selection to turn in the next cinematic adventure of the uncanny superhero group, the writer attempted to calm any nervousness out there in fandom by telling The Hollywood Reporter that "I'm a religious reader of the comics, and I loved the first two movies. I had a great experience with Fox and Marvel on the other projects, and when they came to me and asked me if I had any interest in X3, I was ecstatic. I grew up on them, and I love these comics, and it's exciting to take a whack at making the third the biggest and best in the trilogy; it's our RETURN OF THE KING." A heavy analogy to toss out to concerned fans, indeed.

It gets better. According to Reporter Fox wants X3 rolling in front of the cameras by the summer of '05; they just might make their May '06 target release date after all. The producers are currently meeting with prospective directors to fill Singer's chair. And for what quite possibly may be the biggest bit of early development news, the team wants to cement deals to return all of the actors from X2 to come back for the third movie. Ms. Berry, are you listening?


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