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.

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.