In December 2004, Twentieth Century Fox hired screenwriter Sheldon Turner to draft a spin-off X-Men film, and he chose to write Magneto, pitching it as "The Pianist meets X-Men." In April 2007, David S. Goyer was hired to direct. Turner said the script was set from 1939 to 1955, and it follows Magneto trying to survive in Auschwitz. He meets Xavier, a soldier, during the liberation of the camp. He hunts down the Nazi war criminals that tortured him in Europe and Argentina, and this lust for vengeance turns him and Xavier into enemies.

In May 2006, Ian McKellen said he would reprise the role using the computer-generated facelift applied to him in the prologue of X-Men: The Last Stand. Lauren Shuler Donner stated that the film would need McKellen to anchor the story, which would take place in flashbacks. With Goyer's hiring in 2007, it was said actors in their twenties would play the characters. Avi Arad said the film is planned for a 2009 release, and like Wolverine, it may be shot in Australia. In April 2008, McKellen confirmed he would not return.

Hank McCoy To Meet Magneto!

Date: May 13, 2008

By: George 'El Guapo' Roush
Source: Latino Review

A Latinoreview Exclusive! The Beast is in Magneto!

While on a visit today to the creature effects shop for Hellboy II: The Golden Army I noticed some pictures that were lying around for other movies like Land of the Lost and of course, Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

But I also noticed a photograph of a young looking Beast leaping through the air. Not a drawing, although it could have been computer generated, but an actual photo.

"What's this?"

"This is young Beast from the prequel they're gonna be doing. Magneto."

"Oh, ok." I replied, trying to act calm before my head exploded from seeing this picture. "So Beast is in Magneto, huh?"

"Ya."

The picture showed a younger guy in the Beast getup leaping down. He was in the full blue costume with his long tail and you couldn't mistake him for anything other than Beast. The picture also had 'Magneto' written in the upper corner. Like I said, I was only able to see it for a few seconds, but it did not look like a computer rendered picture, it looked like an actor in full makeup. Nevertheless, Beast IS in the movie.

Unfortunately I couldn't take a picture of ANY of this stuff because there were a lot of drawings and photos from Land of the Lost there as well. But this Beast information is awesome. Who else will be in the Magneto film? What other younger X-Men could make an appearance and what role could The Beast have?

McKellen keen for X-Men spin-off

Sir Ian McKellen has said he would love to star in a spin-off film featuring his X-Men character, Magneto.

"I think it's a very good series," he told the BBC News website.

"There is a script knocking around for a spin-off, but it will be a younger Magneto, so if I were involved it would just be topping and tailing the story."

The 69-year-old was speaking ahead of an all-night screening of the X-Men trilogy at London's BFI Imax cinema this weekend, which he is introducing.

It is being shown as part of the British Film Institute's comic book movie season.

Sir Ian said it was "quite exciting" for the films to be shown back-to-back in this way.

"I don't think they've ever been shown like that, one after the other," he said.

Production update on proposed X-Men Origins: Magneto prequel



I NOW have the official studio synopsis for the proposed prequel X-Men Origins: Magneto about the backstory of the metal-controlling mutant, who was played by Sir Ian McKellen in the three X-Men movies.

The movie, which is in development, is set to be directed by David Goyer, who wrote a draft of the screenplay which I was sent earlier this year. Goyer has several possible film projects on the go so when he gets round to Magneto is another matter.

McKellen (pictured here practising his character's magnetic power gestures at the X-Men:The Last Stand premiere) is the only cast member listed for the movie and is expected to 'book-end' the movie with voiceover narration and perhaps a cameo appearance.

Despite the digital de-ageing of his character by 25 years at the start of X-Men: The Last Stand, the studio would want a younger star for the main role of Jewish mutant Erik Lehnsherr who surivives Auschwitz concentration camp and becomes the archvillain in later years after bitterness and tragedy shapes his destiny.

Here is the official synopsis for the movie, as listed by subscription trade mag Production Weekly...
"The original X-Men film began with a prologue that showed the character as a child being led to a concentration camp by Nazis and that is the period in which the Magneto film will take place. This setup will allow a future villain to at least flirt with the designation of protagonist since the character will be seen almost exclusively in his formative years."

This essentially means that the young Magneto is a hero who battles the Nazis.

The synopsis continues: "The storyline will heavily involve Professor X, the wheelchair-using X-Men leader. That character was a soldier in the allied force that liberated the concentration camps. The professor meets Magneto after the war and while they bond over the realisation that they are alike in their special powers, their differences soon turn them into enemies."

The screenplay I saw didn't include Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart in the X-Men films) as a member of the Allied Forces; he was working in Israel at a hospital where he helped war survivors from both sides to recover and rehabilitate.

Fox tells me that all efforts are focused on X-Men Origins: Wolverine at present - that film is due out next May. There is apparently no movement on other X-Men projects - or Fantastic Four films - at present. But Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman has said he hopes to make a Silver Surfer spin-off (that character was introduced in the second Fantastic Four movie) and this would apparently have to happen before 2012 when the film rights reportedly revert to Marvel.

I hope we do get the Magneto movie as well as more X-Men films and (with greater depth this time) more Fantastic Four films. Some fans hope the rights will revert to Marvel, which publishes the comics, in the hope of better and more accurate and 'respectful' films.

But it's more to do with having a solid director and writers. Bryan Singer and his creative team did pretty well with Fox's X-Men movies, despite the criticisms of the studio's management methods.

McKellen and X-Men co-star Patrick Stewart reunite for the stage play Waiting for Godot starting in UK theatres from March next year.

Exclusive: David Goyer reveals MAGNETO and INVISIBLE MAN Info



Today was the Los Angeles press day for David Goyer’s new movie “The Unborn”. Since the movie doesn’t come out till January, I’ll be holding back my full interview till closer to release. But that doesn’t mean I won’t tease you with some new info on “Magneto” and “Invisible Man”.

In case you didn’t know, David Goyer has written a script for Magneto – the character you all know and love from “The X-Men”. While rumors were flying that’d be his next directing gig, he tells me that 20th Century Fox is waiting to see how “Wolverine” does next summer before they decide whether or not to move ahead with the project. He also tells me the movie takes place in 1961 and it shows Professor X (Charles) and Magneto (Eric) as best friends and they team up against another person in the movie.

The other bit of news was about the project he’ll be directing next – “Invisible Man”.

If you watch the interview below, at the end he talks about the film. He says the character is the nephew of the original Invisible Man and he perfects the ability. After perfecting it, he’s captured by Scotland Yard and he can either work for them or be dissected.

As I said, in the coming weeks expect a big interview with David…but until then…here are his comments on “Wolverine” and “Invisible Man”.


David Goyer

·        Magneto talk – says 20th Century Fox is going to wait till Wolverine gets released to see if they move forward on the film

·        I ask if it’s similar to the first two X-Men movies and he says it’s different in tone and the movie takes place in 1961/62. He says Professor X (Charles) and Magneto (Eric) are best friends in the film and they team up against another villain

·        Comic Book talk – what is he working on right now

·        I ask why he thinks comic-book movies are so popular right now

·        I ask if more studios are asking for his involvement on comic book movies

·        Invisible Man talk – says he put a little homage to Invisible Man in The Unborn

·        We talk about his take on the movie. Says his character is the nephew of the original Invisible Man and he perfects the ability. Says he’s captured by Scotland Yard and he can either work for them or be dissected.

·        I ask if it’s real world based

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner told SCI FI Wire that she's still eager to do a Magneto prequel film, though that will depend in part on how X-Men Origins: Wolverine performs.

Shuler Donner also updated us exclusively on her slate of upcoming genre projects, including First Class, about the Xavier School; Cirque du Freak; and a possible Constantine sequel, which is possible.

Shuler Donner talked with us last week in a telephone interview to promote Wolverine, which comes out May 1. Following is an edited version of our exclusive interview.

What's the latest on Magneto?

Shuler Donner: I don't know. We have a great script. Honestly, we have all been just so focused on getting Wolverine out that we didn't take the time to sit down and explore "What are the movies we're going to do next within the genre?" We will do that. We will do that. We all want to. Magneto is a fantastic script, and hopefully we'll make it. I don't know.

I always see Ian Mckellen as Gandalf the white wizard.

i thought ian did a pretty good job as magneto in the xmen franchise ... 

That Magneto Movie? Probably Never Gonna Happen…

And really, did anyone really think it was ever going to happen? I never did, and never actually thought it was entirely necessary. As in, at all. He’s already gotten three movies (via the “X-Men” films), so did we really need to see him in his very own special movie? Not so much.

So it probably comes as no surprise when “X-Men” producer Lauren Shuler told the boys at Crave just that when asked if there were any “heat” on the long-gestating “Magneto” solo movie:

"No. You know, there’s internal discussions but probably not. It kind of got incorporated into this one, a lot of it."

By “this one” she means the Bryan Singer-produced and Matthew Vaughn-directed “X-Men: First Class”, currently in the early days of production Across the Pond. According to Shuler, a lot of Magneto stuff from David Goyer’s script have been incorporated into “First Class”.

Shuler also comments on the Ryan Reynolds situation with the “Deadpool” movie, and by “situation” I mean, “Where exactly is he going to get the time to front another major comic book franchise with all that ‘Green Lantern’ stuff he’s got going on over at Warner?”:

"You know, Ryan is so committed to being Deadpool. He is Wade Wilson. Well, no, he’s Deadpool. He is so committed to it that he worked with the writers on the script. Even though he’s doing Green Lantern, he’s stayed involved in that project. I’m hoping we’ll get it off the ground next year."

She goes on to compare Reynolds doing both “Deadpool” and “Green Lantern” to Harrison Ford doing/being both “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”, which I suppose makes sense.

Whatever the case, I would kill for a “Deadpool” movie. Yes, even more than a “Green Lantern” movie. Space alien cop is fine and all, but a “Deadpool” movie? That would be just aces.