Draft:Wolverine in film
- Spider-Man in film (2007)
- Fantastic Four in film (2008)
- Batman in film (2008)
- Captain America in film (2023)
Background
Nelvana / Orion Pictures
In 1982, Canadian animation studio Nelvana optioned the rights to the X-Men, being interested in expanding to live-action.[1] Nelvana co-founder Michael Hirsh hired longtime X-Men writer Chris Claremont, who wrote two separate outlines—one from June 1982 and the other from 1983—both featuring Wolverine as a lead.[1] Clarement eventually left the project to focus on writing novels and the X-Men comics.[1]
Following Claremont's departure, Marvel writers and chief editors Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas were hired to write a screenplay, by which point Orion Pictures held the rights.[2] In their script, which went through multiple revisions, mutants are absent and Wolverine, again featured as a lead, and gained his adamantium skeleton due to a car accident.[1] Development stalled when Orion Pictures began facing financial troubles.[2]
Carolco Pictures
By 1989, Stan Lee had entered into talks with Carolco Pictures to make a film adaptation of the X-Men,[2][3] with James Cameron as producer, Kathryn Bigelow as director, and Gary Goldman as writer.[3][4] Goldman's draft was titled Wolverine and the X-Men (dated June 18th, 1991) and featured Wolverine alongside Professor Xavier recruiting Kitty Pryde.[3] Bob Hoskins was considered to star as Wolverine, but the deal fell apart when Lee piqued Cameron's interest in a Spider-Man film,[4]
20th Century Fox
Andrew Kevin Walker
In December 1992, Marvel discussed selling the property to Columbia Pictures to no avail.[5] Meanwhile, Avi Arad produced the animated X-Men television series for Fox Kids. 20th Century Fox was impressed by the success of the television series, and producer Lauren Shuler Donner purchased the film rights for the property in 1994,[6][7] bringing Andrew Kevin Walker to write the script.[8]
Walker's draft involved Professor Xavier recruiting Wolverine into the X-Men, which consisted of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Warren Worthington III. The Brotherhood of Mutants, which consisted of Magneto, Sabretooth, Toad, Juggernaut and the Blob, try to conquer New York City, while Henry Peter Gyrich and Bolivar Trask attack the X-Men with three 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) Sentinels. The script focused on the rivalry between Wolverine and Cyclops, as well as the latter's self-doubt as a field leader. Part of the backstory invented for Magneto made him the cause of the Chernobyl disaster. The script also featured the X-Copter and the Danger Room. Walker turned in his second draft in June 1994.[9]
Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Kalogridis was brought on for a subsequent rewrite in 1995.[10][11] An early script kept the idea of Magneto turning Manhattan into a "mutant homeland", while another hinged on a romance between Wolverine and Storm.[7] Michael Chabon pitched a six-page film treatment to Fox in 1996. It focused heavily on character development between Wolverine and Jubilee and included Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman, and Storm. Under Chabon's plan, the villains would not have been introduced until the second film.[12]
Fox X-Men films
| Films | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine | May 1, 2009 | Gavin Hood | David Benioff & Skip Woods | Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Hugh Jackman & John Palermo | |
| The Wolverine | July 26, 2013 | James Mangold | Mark Bomback & Scott Frank | Lauren Shuler Donner & Hutch Parker | |
| Logan | March 3, 2017 | Scott Frank, James Mangold & Michael Green | James Mangold | Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg & Hutch Parker | |
Title roles
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
The Wolverine (2013)
Logan (2017)
Ensemble and supporting roles
X-Men (2000)
X2 (2003)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Cameo appearances
Marvel Cinematic Universe films
Cast and characters
Crew
Home media
Reception
Box office performance
Critical and public response
References
- ^ a b c d Radulovic, Petrana (June 11, 2019). "The abandoned X-Men movie of the 1980s isn't missed by anyone involved". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c Brajer, Jessica (January 18, 2023). "X-Men (2000): The Movie's Long Development Process, Explained". MovieWeb. Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c Cecchini, Mike (June 7, 2019). "The X-Men Movies You Never Saw". Den of Geek. DoG Tech LLC. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Molloy, Tim (March 25, 2012). "Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, and Bob Hoskins as Wolverine". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "Marvel characters holding attraction for filmmakers". Variety. December 9, 1992. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Originwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Jensen, Jeff (July 21, 2000). "Generating X". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
- ^ Daly, Steve (September 29, 1995). "Deadly Done Right". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- ^ Walker, Andrew Kevin (June 7, 1994). "X-Men First Draft". Simplyscripts. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
- ^ Galloway, Stephen; Parker, Donna (March 30, 1995). "4 top ICM agents walk, undertake own Endeavor". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company.
- ^ Kendall, G (March 10, 2017). "15 Rejected X-Men Movie Ideas That Almost Happened". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Voynar, Kim (July 9, 2006). "X-Men and Fantastic Four: What Would Chabon Have Written?". Cinematical. Retrieved September 23, 2007.