X-Men picture, poster comments

http://buzzpop.net/2011/01/20/first-look-x-men-first-class/

First Look: X-Men First Class
by Nik Nadzru Iskandar 20 January 2011

Be still my beating fanboy heart…..for 20th Century Fox has just released the first official look at Matthew “Kick Ass” Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class! Check out the 1960′s reimagining of the X-Men mythology after the jump.

Fresh off the success of Kick Ass in 2010, 20th Century Fox plucked director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust Layer Cake) up to helm the X-Men: First Class project 10 months or so ago, after executive producer Bryan Singer left the directorial chair due to scheduling conflicts.

With a short production time frame and a fixed June 3, 2011 release date, Vaughn is racing to get the movie finished on time – amidst a pretty power packed summer schedule full of other superhero movie debuts this year such as Thor, Captain America and Green Lantern.

The question is, can our good man Matthew Vaughn get it done on time and can he beat the competition?
Answering questions from Geoffrey Boucher of Los Angeles Times recently, Vaughn had this to say:

On the short time frame from production to release:
“We’re filming at the moment and we’ve a lot to get done. I’ve never worked under such time pressure. The good thing about the independent world is I never even knew if I was going to get distribution. I’m used to finishing a film and then crossing your fingers that someone is going to like it. This is totally doing it the other way around. We’ve definitely got a release date and we’ve got to make it.”

On this summer’s superhero competition:
“If anything, it’s the other guys who should be nervous. With Green Lantern, I don’t know about that one, I couldn’t get my head around the trailer, to be honest … look, I will say the following: X-Men as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together.”

Well, those surely sounds like fighting words(!), Mr. Vaughn.

For the uninitiated, X-Men: First Class is 20th Century Fox’s attempt at re-booting the whole X-Men franchise into a whole new trilogy. It is a prequel of sorts, an origin story of the first class of X-Men to graduate from Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters set during the 1960s – the same time period when Marvel artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee first introduced the Uncanny X-Men comic book to the general public.

James McAvoy (Atonement, The Last King of Scotland) plays the role of a young naive mutant, Charles Xavier who founded the X-Men originally; while Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 300) plays the role of Erik Lehnsherr, Charles’ best friend and the mutant who will eventually become Magneto, the Master of Magnetism and arch-nemesis of the X-Men.

It would be interesting for us to see the relationship between a young Professor X (Charles Xavier) and Magneto before he turned to villainy. Could McAvoy and Fassbender ever hope to reach the great heights of tension between the two mutants as portrayed by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, the original actors who played the roles of Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men trilogy?

McAvoy had this to say when he was recently interviewed by the L.A. Times:

“This is a prequel, so I’m the same character, just younger, but the challenge for me – and for Michael — is to show the same person in a different place in their life; to show someone before they’re this bad guy, before they’re this saint. Charles wasn’t always a … monk, this selfless, sexless monk that he becomes.”

Hmmm…so is there any hope that we will we be seeing our dear Charles Xavier getting some sexy-time with female love interest and brilliant researcher of genetic mutation, Dr. Moira MacTaggert then?

I guess only time will tell, fanboys. Fresh from MSN, click on the image below for a larger first look at the X-Men: First Class cast in greater detail.

In my humble opinion, the greatest challenge for director Matthew Vaughn and executive producer Bryan Singer, is the fact that this prequel will NOT feature any of the original X-Men cast. So there would be NO Wolverine, Jean Grey, Cyclops or any of the X-Men characters which the general public are familiar with(!)

Despite all this, could 20th Century Fox still make the general public care about something branded as X-Men, but with no defining characters which they usually associate to the X-Men?

Click onto the next page for a closer look at the X-Men: First Class cast and also a teaser poster for the movie!

http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/movie-news/first-look-magneto-in-x-men-first-class.php

First Look: Magneto In X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

* January 20, 2011 10:08 am
* Matt Holmes

Here’s that iconic and recognisable image of the X-Men franchise that if I were 20th Century Fox, I would certainly have made sure it was released first over everything else. As I said a few hours ago, it does seem like Fox are scrambling around, desperately trying to erase that badly Photoshopped Fantastic Four style image from our minds and finally, we are starting to peak behind-the-curtain of their most ambitious X-movie yet.

Speaking to /film last night, director Matthew Vaughn revealed of his anger at this week’s leak…

“I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the f&#! is this s$#!, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well. I agree. It’s like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn’t reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it. I was like ‘Jesus Christ’…

I’m a fan of X-Men. We’re not bastardizing X-Men, I’m trying to get them back to being whole again.”

The great thing about the situation for us X-Men fans is that Fox and Vaughn are now shooting off both barrels of X-Men coverage just to please us. We saw those new images yesterday, and now /film have that iconic look at Magneto above, as played by Michael Fassbender, which gives us a good look at the costume from a real official still. Long time X-fans will probably notice the yellow and blue’s of the Stan Lee/Marvel original designs of the 60′s.

Interestingly, if you scroll up to the image, the suits seem to have straps like a life support. Vaughn says;

The costumes are blue and yellow as well, because f&#! it, lets take it back it the original. Also, by the way, those costumes are hardly in the movie. The main costumes are like these cool 60’s James Bond…”

Apparently the costumes won’t be seen until the final act of the movie as the film is very much about the early days in the formation of the group, set firmly in the 60′s;

“Imagine the Cuban Missile crisis and discovering that mutants exist, both at the same time.” … “The actors are so great. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are very very hard to replace. When I’m watching Fassbender and McAvoy you just think, it sort of reminds me of Daniel Craig doing Bond, you kind of forget there were other people playing him. And that’s what I feel about these two.”

Encouraging stuff of course but everytime I see McAvoy, he seems to be trying his damned hardest to pull off a Spock impression. There’s nothing natural here about him trying to recapture Patrick Stewart and the stills of him have underwhelmed me so far;

Over the misleading that the leaked costume photo has caused among the public, thinking it might be Fantastic Four style movie, Vaughn says;

“It’s definitely more serious and more realistic, and I think that’s something that had to happen. That’s my feeling about the world we live in right now. I think the glossy colorful superhero film sorta had its day. I think Batman Begins started it, Dark Knight, dare I say Kick-Ass was fun and it had some real pop to it, but at the same time we grounded it in reality as much as possible. I think that’s what the audience wants. And that why that image is more Fantastic Four than it is X-Men. And I say that with all due respect to the Fantastic Four team. That was then and this is now. It’s a different time. I mean, look at me — I’m not exactly mister light.”

On the level of action scenes;

It’s funny that you say that because if you watch [the other x-men movies] there isn’t as much action as you’d think. I think X-men 3 had the most action. But X1 and X2 had cool set pieces. But for me, I think it’s boring watching CG and big explosions. I’m sorta over that. I’d say it’s got more character-driven action than action for the sake of action.

And is a reboot or isn’t it?

“I’d say this is more like Casino Royale than [JJ Abrams] Star Trek. If you think about it, Casino Royale just totally rebooted Bond — they kept what they wanted and got rid of what didn’t work. You sort of saw Bond become a double O for the first time and yet it didn’t seem to matter [what they changed]. I think my rule is to make a stand alone movie that is as good as possible and do as many nods and winks towards the comics and the other films, but not get tied up in knots worrying about that. It’s sort of a stand-alone movie in my mind with a reboot being a real reboot. Because if you’re a stickler for continuity, in X3 when you see Patrick Stewart…. well, I don’t want to give away anything about the plot but we’ve been as respectful of the other movies and comics as we I can feasibly can be without compromising the story.”

Last night’s X-Men: First Class charm offensive also spread to another popular fanboy site. Whilst Matthew Vaughn called /film from his editing bay in London, X-Men producer Bryan Singer was doing his damage limitation duties by calling a hospital ridden Harry Knowles at AICN (get well soon mate!) and providing him the exclusive debut of the teaser poster, surely the most similar to the previous franchise image we’ve had so far;

Harry says;

Bryan tells me that he’s seen a mock up for the trailer, but they’ve still got a ton of visual effects shots left to slug into the thing.

I imagine the way Fox are trying to please us, we’ll be seeing the trailer sooner rather than later!

X-Men: First Class opens in June. I would love to hear what you think of everything that’s gone on this week….

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/01/20/see-magneto-in-a-helmet-and-charles-xavier-being-a-telepath/

See Magneto In A Helmet And Charles Xavier Being A Telepath
Submitted by Brendon Connelly on January 20, 2011 – 3:07 am

Apparently I’m the only person in the world with any tolerance or respect for the X-Men: First Class cast “line-up” image because now even Matthew Vaughn, the film’s director, has dismissed it:

I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the f&#! is this s$#!, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well.

As a compensatory measure, Vaughn is putting his name to the release of two new images of the film’s duelling mutant leads. Slashfilm premiered the following, showing Magneto’s helmet and Charles Xavier’s throbbing temple.

The site also has a couple more quotes from Vaughn, including a pledge that the yellow and blue costumes are hardly in the movie. Well… this is all quite sad. Seems to me that the filmmakers are bending over to appease a baying fan base with apologies when, really, what I’d want them to do is to stand by their decisions and fight for them.

I see this all the time with comic book adaptations. Folk get all highly-strung about any change to the comic books at all, and then, conversely, when something from the comics looks a little unusual or unexpected in a real world context, the complaints of cheesiness or naffness begin.

I think there’s some real talent involved in First Class. I hope that talent don’t run scared and compromise their film just to try and please a small slice of the audience.

http://turntherightcorner.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/matthew-vaughn-releases-two-great-photos-of-magneto-and-professor-x/

Matthew Vaughn Releases Two Great Photos of Magneto and Professor X
Posted on January 20, 2011 by turntherightcorner

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/705/705136/xavier-vs-magneto-a-philosophical-debate-20060504060559323.jpg

Unbeknownst to the average joe, or probably many people, Matthew Vaughn didn’t intentionally want that group shot of the X-Men from First Class released nor did he have any knowledge of its origin. Luckily, for /Film and Peter Sciretta, he got an exclusive phone interview with the director and received two great images of the main characters themselves, James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, WITH HELMET! Check them out after the break!

Matthew Vaughn didn’t reveal too much information with Sciretta, but ensured his disappointment and disapproval of the botched Photoshop job in that group shot:

“I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the f&#! is this s$#!, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well. I agree. It’s like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn’t reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it. I was like ‘Jesus Christ’…

It was also stated that Vaughn favored the first two X-Men films being more character driven, but still assures that there is plenty of action in what he is calling a Casino Royale like reboot.

I’d say this is more like Casino Royale than [JJ Abrams] Star Trek. If you think about it, Casino Royale just totally rebooted Bond — they kept what they wanted and got rid of what didn’t work. You sort of saw Bond become a double O for the first time and yet it didn’t seem to matter [what they changed]. I think my rule is to make a stand alone movie that is as good as possible and do as many nods and winks towards the comics and the other films, but not get tied up in knots worrying about that.

You can read the rest of the interview at /Film.com, which has a lot of other great incites about the upcoming X-Men prequel/reboot. I’m pretty pumped for this movie to come out. The first two X-Men are near if not on the top of my list for favorite superhero movies. First Class is definitely one of my HIGHLY ANTICIPATED films of this year. I cannot wait and this impromptu interview gives me more hope than I already had.

Click to enlarge the images.

http://itsjustmovies.com/13824

http://cocoacritic.net/2011/01/more-x-men-first-class-images/

See More New Images from ‘X-Men: First Class’

– by SHERICE ANTOINETTE –

This is much better. Michael Fassbender (Magneto) and James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) look pretty darn cool. Kevin Bacon — suave. January Jones, appearing very trim in her white leather outfit, still doesn’t do it for me. I really like the suit, however. Come October, the skin tight number will be very popular. Yes, I’m sure some fanboys have no qualms with Jones. But in my humble opinion she looks like a fem-bot from “Austin Powers” and not Emma Frost.

As mentioned before in a prior story, “X-Men: First Class” is in the process of re-shoots. Director Matthew Vaughn spoke with the L.A. Times about the pressure he’s under to get this film finished for the June 3 release date. In the article, he has some choice words about “Green Lantern” — which he’s not all too sure of — and he gives his opinion on the X-Men brand.

Read more HERE.

It’s a rather informative interview that gives a bit more insight on what Vaughn is going for. “X-Men: First Class” is not a reboot, it’s a prequel set in the ’60s. An origin story if you will.

http://ramblinmanfilms.com/2011/01/20/x-men-first-class-characters-costumes-official-first-look/

2011
01/20

X-Men: First Class Characters & Costumes: Official First Look

X-Men: First Class Cast Photo

One of the four major superhero comic book movies debuting this summer, and the only one yet to reveal any official footage or images, is that of X-Men: First Class. The Twentieth Century Fox X-Men prequel, directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) and produced by Bryan Singer (X-Men), takes us back in time to the 1960s to tell the tale of the origins of the X-Men.

Focusing in on the history of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, X-Men: First Class also features a cast of relatively unknown mutant characters, few of which have shown up in previous X-Men films. Until today, we’ve yet to see what these characters will look like on screen and in costume. Here is your official first look at the mutant cast of X-Men: First Class.

So far, we’ve been living off of set photos, but the X-Men: First Class cast image first leaked on MSN for a brief moment yesterday but was quickly taken down while it spread like wildfire across the blogosphere. We waited until Fox released the official images so you can see them in proper form. Meet the X-Men and enjoy your first look at the team, in and out of costume, as well as Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw:

In the main cast shot, note the two mutant masterminds who eventually part ways on their plans for mutantkind, becoming Professor X and Magneto, respectively. Here are the characters and their aliases, from left to right:

* Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender)
* Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne)
* Emma Frost (January Jones)
* Azazel (Jason Flemyng)
* Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult)
* Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till)
* Angel Salvadore (Zoe Kravitz)
* Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence)
* Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy)

While I cannot say that the first official X-Men: First Class cast images are impressive or inspiring (although fans will sure dig Emma Frost’s authentic outfits from the comics), it does show that they aren’t shying away from the use of colors and costumes, paying a little more tribute to the X-Men books, at least in style if not story.

They did a great job with Azazel and I look forward to seeing Flemying play him in action. Havok has the circular symbol on his chest, similar to some of the comic designs, and Mystique’s design is consistent with the X-trilogy. Many fans are undoubtedly curious how Hank McCoy’s blue fur will be explained as he appeared in a cameo without the fur in X-Men 2. Chances are they’re pretending that didn’t even happen.

The images do not however, give us a look at Edi Gathegi’s character, the ever-evolving mutant known as Darwin, which brings into question his role in the film and as part of the ’60s era X-Men team. My guess is that he’s from the future since in the books, he’s one of the newest characters and Matthew Vaughn previously alluded to First Class acting both as an in-continuity prequel and a quasi-reboot of sorts, referencing what J.J. Abrams did with Star Trek.

[Update: While Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News undergoes his miraculous recovery, he had chat with Bryan Singer who gave him the following first X-Men: First Class teaser poster- Get well soon Harry! Head to X-Men: First Class Movie Poster

Fans, before bringing down any potential wrath upon these images, let’s wait to see what the characters look like in live-action when the X-Men: First Class trailer releases. They certainly have stiff competition up against Marvel Studios’ Thor and Captain America features as well as Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment’s Green Lantern.

As an X-Men fan myself, please share your thoughts with me on Twitter @rob_keyes and make sure to follow @screenrant for all of your movie/TV needs.

X-Men: First Class opens in theaters June 3, 2011.

Source: Fox, LA Times

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/x-men-first-class-teaser-poster-revealed

'X-Men: First Class' Teaser Poster Revealed
8
COMMENTS
There it is, a big ol' X
By: Brad Brevet
Published: Wednesday, January 19th 2011 at 9:36 PM

Yup, more X-Men: First Class assets, this time from Ain't It Cool News comes the teaser poster for the upcoming comic book adaptation I've mentioned the last two days. It doesn't exactly do much more than present a large Photoshop graphic, but I am sure you'll be interested in checking it out.

X-Men: First Class hits theaters on June 3 and is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) and stars an enormous ensemble cast including James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Rose Byrne, Morgan Lily, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Bill Milner, Charlie Rowe and Ray Wise. I've added the official studio synopsis below the poster.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

X-Men First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

http://www.justpressplay.net/movies/movie-news/7349-the-end-of-my-cautious-optimism-for-qx-men-first-classq.html

The End of My Cautious Optimism for "X-Men: First Class" [Updated]
Written by Lex Walker
Wednesday, 19 January 2011

[Update: Thanks to a total disavowal by director Matthew Vaughn of the previously released "cast" photo of X-Men First Class to Peter over at /Film, there's a slight bit of hope restored for the film. However, we're still left with this face palm worthy interview with Jennifer Lawrence.]

I'm a pessimistic guy, I know it. But I was really holding on to optimism for X-Men: First Class. Until today. And I give Jennifer Lawrence credit for a portion of that.

The first news of the newest non-Wolverine-centric X-Men film being an adaptation of the "First Class" series brought mixed feelings. On the plus side, they'd be slimming down the cast from the bloated teenage ensemble that had the likes of Ellen Page to (theoretically) feature the classic X-Men like Angel, Beast, Jean Grey, and a few others. Heck, I was even content when I heard that James McAvoy had landed the part of Xavier as he's a young actor who's delivered time and time again in the past (even if the film is miserable like Wanted). With Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn at the helm, the film started to sound like maybe, just maybe Fox would do right by X-Men fans and not give us another half-assed entry like X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

But not all the casting choices were rays of sunshine. A few odd choices began to pop up: Nicholas Hoult (a fine actor) seemingly miscast as Beast; the very presence of Azrael; and new factors that seemed to crop up daily. As if to counterbalance the feeling of unease these news items brought we also got the peculiar but promising news of Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw and the genuinely talented Michael Fassbender as Magneto. And hell, the brilliantly beautiful January Jones, whose proven herself time and again through 5 seasons of Mad Men, is starring as the scantily clad Emma Frost aka the White Witch. Fanboys rejoice in the eye candy. But then again, they rejoiced when Halle Berry was cast as Storm, and I think she might have delivered some of the worst performances in all of the X-Men films by attempting to dumb down the unexpectedly good dialogue (at least in the first two).

Hopes weren't high, but the release of this [now revealed to be fake] photo didn't help . When this cast picture debuted on MSN...

xmenfirstclasscastmain

Oh dear. Except the photo wasn't even this high resolution at first, which was probably in the studio's favor. The horrible staging, lighting and even the sub-par costumes instantly gave fans a foul taste in their mouth. Maybe some low-level employee at Fox [or now, more likely, an anxious fanboy with mischievous intent] rushed the picture out not wanting to be outdone by the recently released photo of Andrew Garfield as the new Spider-man.

andrewgarfieldspiderman

Now, [if it was released by someone at Fox, unofficially or not] maybe it was the tepid to warm receipt of this photo that made Fox think the time was perfect to stoke the fires of superhero film mania. If that's the case, the grossly misunderstood fan sentiments. If any group of moviegoers out there is innately pessimistic about developments in the films they're excited about, it's comic book fans. They've watched time and time again as studios screw with their favorite superhero's blockbuster only to have the end product come out something close to a steaming pile of crap (X-Men 3, Spider-man 3, Ghost Rider, Daredevil (theatrical cut), Fantastic Four, Batman & Robin, Superman Returns, Punisher: War Zone, Wolverine, etc.). Sure, fans were somewhat excited to see this picture of Garfield as Spidey, but it doesn't mean they're blindly optimistic. You trot out cast photos likes these...

xmenfirstclasscast1

xmenfirstclasscast2

...and you'll be lucky if you can claim a pre-release leak of the film as the cause of awful box office returns.

These aesthetic hang-ups, along with the fact that every X-Men fan out there knows that there's no hope for this film to have any sort of continuity with the original three films (i.e. Beast is already blue and furry here (but he wasn't as of X2 - though even X-Men 3 messed up there; the presence of Angel conflicts with X-Men 3; oh, and Xavier has hair...but I suppose that's the least of the problems).

All of this though is secondary in the light of something I read today while browsing the various interviews with cast members that are popping up left and right. Bad costumes will make the film goofy looking, but actors and actresses with no idea what kind of movie they're starring in is even worse. I submit to you a clip from an interview with Jennifer Lawrence, pictured above and who will play the young Mystique, featured in Yahoo's Movie Blog "Movie Talk" by Matt McDaniel.

Here's the excerpt I find so troubling:

Lawrence said that she hadn't seen the first three "X-Men" movies when she first auditioned for the role, and her unfamiliarity with the role of Mystique nearly cost her the part. She told me she auditioned a few times before finally sitting down to watch the original trilogy. Once she did, she said, "I realized I was doing it completely wrong, and I was like, 'Why have they been calling me back?'" Seeing the first three films, she saw that Rebecca Romijn played the role "kind of cold and cool and snakelike... I was doing my Raven kind of sweet and teenybopper, because I didn't know what else to do."

Okay, now let's put a few things together. Jennifer Lawrence was born in 1990, so when X-Men came out in 2000, she wasn't even 10 yet. So I guess, its forgivable she hadn't caught that one in the theaters. When X2 came out in 2003 she was almost 13 - okay, still reasonable that maybe she didn't go to a cineplex for that one. Maybe she wasn't a fan of superhero movies. That's fine. And maybe in the case of X-Men 3 she heard it was so bad and just skipped it. Fine. To hear that she hadn't sought the movies out and watched them before she auditioned for the parts though? That's just maddening. Let's just read that again:

Seeing the first three films, she saw that Rebecca Romijn played the role "kind of cold and cool and snakelike... I was doing my Raven kind of sweet and teenybopper, because I didn't know what else to do."

When the amount of research required, at the bare minimum, to prepare for an interview involves watching 3 superhero movies and you can't even be bothered to do that, it's hard to have high hopes for their performance. It's the easiest homework ever. She went teenybopper with her interpretation. That's not even a lack of knowledge of the character, that's a total disregard for the general tone of the X-Men as a whole. And yet....she was called back for multiple auditions before realizing how the character was supposed to act. She made it through multiple rounds of auditions by delivering a "teenybopper" version of Mystique. That's not the sort of thing that inspires confidence in the people making decisions on this film.

Fox's disregard for keeping any sort of integrity intact for the X-Men film saga was pretty clear after X-Men 3 and Wolverine, but if they're honestly expecting to just jump back to X4 (Lauren Schuler Donner has mentioned) when this film is done (who really believes they'll let this new series just drop if it's even mildly successful?), who are they kidding? The tenacity of Fox's hold on its Marvel properties became a death grip once Disney made the comic book giant their own, and they'll be damned if they let even one slip out of their grasp.

At this point, X-Men fans seem better off diverting their attentions elsewhere and perhaps taking comfort in what look to be serviceable adaptations of Thor and Captain America. Will they be box office dynamos? Maybe not, but fans are fickle and the right good press in the weeks before release might be enough to push the huddled masses out of their zones of tepid response and into the cold, dark theaters. It's a crap shoot with comic book movies. As always, fans can't seem to agree on things, like whether or not Chris Evans's Captain uniform looks era-appropriate or just miserable...

chrisevanscapnamerica

...or if Anthony Hopkins will prove to be the undoing of Kenneth Branagh's take on the Norse superhero. Nevermind whether all these films will be able to coalesce into the mega-event of an Avengers movie.

All these news items and picture releases are the curse of the winter season, when fans turn away from the typically shoddy theatrical offerings to the internet to learn about the latest rumor about casting in the summer blockbusters, the films they're chomping at the bit for.

When you measure the way Fox handled the first ever exposure of their upcoming X-Men film against how stories for Captain America, Thor, and The Dark Knight Rises have been breaking, you can't help but notice how poor of a job Fox did. Not only did they release a crappy looking photoshopped image that incites fan hatred instead of excitement, but they did it in the same news cycle as comparatively interesting and fan-satisfying tidbits as a new Spidey pic and today's announcement of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Tom Hardy* as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Hell, even when Marvel confirmed Mark Ruffalo as Edward Norton's replacement as the Hulk there was some fan disappointment, but it was padded cleverly by the critical acclaim surrounding his work in The Kids are Alright. If you're going to drop a gamma bomb in your fans' laps, try to soften the blow. Somehow.

There's a right way to generate fan hype for your superhero film, and there's a wrong way. And there's no doubt in my mind that Fox did just about everything wrong in not leading with better photos and not prepping their stars with better talking points for interviews. As is, X-Men: First Class is on the right track if it wants to follow in Wolverine's footsteps.

(Editors Note: It is indeed Tom Hardy and not Tom Brady ~ Thanks to readers for the correction)

http://x-men-first-class-movie-trailer.blogspot.com/2011/01/x-men-first-class-movie-poster.html

Wednesday, January 19, 2011
X-Men First Class Movie Poster

Here's the first official teaser poster of X-Men First Class:
(Click on the poster to enlarge.)

X-Men First Class Teaser
Where do I sign up for this school? I'm not a gifted mutant though...


Posted by X-Men First Class Movie at 6:32 PM

http://thefilmstage.com/2011/01/19/new-photos-from-%E2%80%98x-men-first-class%E2%80%99-and-set-report/

New Photos from ‘X-Men: First Class’ and Set Report
Published on January 19, 2011 by Nick Newman

Crazy as it may seem, X-Men: First Class is still shooting. This is insane when you consider that the movie is only about a four-and-a-half months from reaching theaters, something that’s not customary for big budget superhero movies of this sort. And along with giving us new photos from the film (one is above, the rest at the link), the LATimes gave us a look inside the set and the feeling of anxiety over getting the film completed.

Matthew Vaughn, who directed last year’s Kick-Ass, seems to be bearing a lot of that anxiety, due to the short filming schedule. He was quoted as saying: “I’m at that stage where I feel like a boxer against the ropes” and that “I’m just throwing punches and taking them as they come and making sure I don’t hit the canvas”. You also get an idea of his newcomer status on a major studio movie, and his great quotes sums this up:

“I’ve never worked under such time pressure. The good thing about the independent world is I never even knew if I was going to get distribution. I’m used to finishing a film and then crossing your fingers that someone is going to like it. This is totally doing it the other way around. We’ve definitely got a release date and we’ve got to make it.”

Producer and helmer of the first two films, Bryan Singer, seemed calmer, summing up the challenge of this new installment:

“The biggest challenge is introducing an audience to these characters in a different time – characters the audience is familiar with but now see played by younger actors and in a story taking place in a different time. We have to establish this universe. We had the challenge with the first ‘X-Men’ film…”

He went on to say how that’s “the exciting part of it,” coming off as far more relaxed than the movie’s director. Having said that, Vaughn seems confident about First Class’ chances at the box office, despite the glut of new superhero movie franchises taking off this summer, “X-Men as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together”.

Hopefully that bravado pays off, but in the meantime First Class still has a lot to prove, particularly after the most recent (and most awful) X-Men installment, Wolverine. But these sneak peaks are certainly worth checking out. They’re much better than the fake-looking, somehow real first official look we got yesterday. In particular, I love the design and sense of period evocation the photo of Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy gives off. So even if this turns out bad, we know it’ll at least be bad with style.

What do you think of this set report, and of the photos from X-Men: First Class?

http://www.schizopolitan.com/news-x-marks-the-spot-a-first-look-at-x-men-first-class/

News: X Marks The Spot (X-Men: First Class – The Photos…)

Following on from the Batman post, we’ve also recently gotten our first proper look at upcoming X-Men prequel X-Men: First Class, charting the beginnings of the rivalry between future baldy Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and master of magnetism – and slightly daft helmets – Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Things have been remarkably quiet on the X-Men: First Class front publicity wise, especially considering it’s out this Sunmer – it’s being directed by Matthew Vaughn, who does have a good eye as a filmmaker (although don’t get me started on Stardust), and does at least seem more promising than the frankly borderline diabolical X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but there’s lots to play for, and these first publicity shots… well, they’re not exactly instilling major confidence, but neither are they absolutely screaming “Disaster”.

x-men first class 1

I mean, let’s be honest – group shots of more than about five actors almost always end up looking cheesy. And it might have been nice if they’d gone for something a little more dynamic than “Let’s get them to put their hands on their hips on an empty black set!” Anyhow, here we have (from left to right) Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira McTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost (and yes, that costume is completely true to the comics), and Jason Flemyng as the terrifyingly coiffured Azazel, a character of whom I know nothing thanks to the mind-buggering complexity of X-Men chronology and mythology (outside the Chris Claremont and Grant Morrison runs, I’m basically lost).

X-Men First Class 2

And here we have Hank McCoy, aka Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Angel Aslvadore (Zoe Kravitz), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence, stepping into the skimpy prosthetics of Rebecca Romjin from the original films) and Charles Xavier himself (McAvoy). The one thing I am liking from these shots is the visual approach they’re going for – they’ve set the film in the Sixties (the original setting of the comics, although it doesn’t fit in with the first film’s chronology in the slightest, with X-Men, made in 2000, being set ‘A few years from now’), and they do seem to have embraced the groovy comics vibe (especially with Emma Frost’s costumes). The management at 20th Century Fox have an extremely bad reputation for micro-managing franchise films and ending up with bland messes (X-Men: The Last Stand being a case in point), and there are a lot of characters here to fit comfortably into one movie (with the sheer number of cast members being a constant problem that only Bryan Singer seemed able to handle). I am going to do my best to remain cautiously optimistic – something that even just got near the quality of X2 would make me extremely happy. Of course, whether I’m still feeling like this once the first trailer hits is a completely different story…

And – literally as I finished writing this post, more photos have just hit the net, via this set report online at Hero Complex:

X-Men First Class Emma Frost Sebastian Shaw

January Jones as Emma Frost looking very… well, very Emma Frost, with a sleazy-as-ever Kevin bacon as Sebastian Shaw. Nobody rocks the sideburns quite like the Bacon.

x-men first class xavier magneto

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Xavier and Magneto in full “Yes, we are having a friendly chess match, but by the end of the movie we shall be BITTEREST ENEMIES!” mode. And is it wrong that I find the carpet in this shot fascinating?

x-men first class - group shot

And a “Let’s do the show right here!” group shot – I suspect that, at some point in this scene, someone will look at an old building and say “Hey- you know, this would make a brilliant school for the gifted with added underground lair and Thunderbirds-style hatches, don’t you think?”

Okay, moderately more impressed now. But we shall see how this all turns out… (*rubs hands together in suspicion*)

*UPDATE*

(And as a final addition to this post, here’s the first teaser poster. Because nothing says X-Men like… a whacking great Photoshopped ‘X’.)

X-Men First Class Teaser Poster

*UPDATE – AGAIN*

Okay – via www.slashfilm.com, it seems like Matthew Vaughn didn’t like those shots either. A couple of helpful quotes:

“I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the f&#! is this s$#!, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well. I agree. It’s like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn’t reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it. I was like ‘Jesus Christ’…

“I’m a fan of X-Men We’re not bastardizing X-Men, I’m trying to get them back to being whole again.”

“The costumes are blue and yellow as well, because f&#! it, lets take it back it the original. Also, by the way, those costumes are hardly in the movie. The main costumes are like these cool 60’s James Bond…”

Plus, from there, a couple of new pictures:

Magneto X-Men First Class

HELMET!!!

Xavier X-Men First Class

CONCENTRATION!!!
This entry was written by Saxon, posted on 19 January, 2011 at 11:16 pm

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2011/01/19/first-stills-plus-high-res-cast-photo-from-x-men-first-class/

First Stills, Plus High-Res Cast Photo, From X-Men: First Class
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 3:00pm

* by Kevin Melrose

The appearance online yesterday of the first cast photo from X-Men: First Class was quickly followed by a round of take-down notices from 20th Century Fox, leading many websites — including Comic Book Resources and Spinoff — to remove the image.

But this afternoon, IGN.com uploaded a larger, better version to accompany its interview with star January Jones, suggesting that either MSN Entertainment released the photo too soon — it initially appeared as part of its Q&A with Michael Fassbender — or the studio was displeased with the quality of the image. (Indeed, this new incarnation is high resolution and provides a better look at Nicholas Hoult’s Beast, who had been little more than a blue smudge peering out of the darkness.) In any case, we’re running the updated photo now.

Pictured above, from left, are: Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havok, Zoe Kravitz as Angel, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier.

Of the three cast interviews making the rounds, Moviefone’s Q&A with Kevin Bacon, who plays Sebastian Shaw, is probably the most revealing, with word of “a really, really super cool scene in a hall of mirrors,” Shaw’s submarine and other story elements.

“When you see them become what we know of as the X-Men, to me, that’s really cool,” Bacon said. “The visual stuff, I can’t say, until I’ve seen the effects. But from a plot standpoint, watching the creation of that kind of elite squad and yet they’re all in this college dorm room kind of atmosphere, where there’s romances and drunken parties and people become friends and then they have a falling out. I think all that stuff is going to be really cool.”

Update: Just as I was posting this, Hero Complex unveiled an on-set interview with star James McAvoy, director Matthew Vaughn and producer Bryan Singer, plus three new stills from X-Men: First Class.

Here’s the official description for the film, which opens on June 3.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-MEN saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-MEN.

http://bigfanboy.com/wp/?p=5839

Marvel Movie First Looks: X-MEN FIRST CLASS gets more pics, director Matthew Vaughn, producer Bryan Singer, and James McAvoy give comments
By
Mark Walters
Published: January 19, 2011

Marvel sure is slapping us in the face with movie photos and news, and it looks like X-MEN FIRST CLASS is commanding attention this week. We already saw the cast photo in costume here, and today we’re treated to some new production stills from 20th Century Fox. Hero Complex at the LA Times scored an excellent series of quotes from the film’s director Matthew Vaughn and producer Bryan Singer, plus a few nice words with one of the main stars James McAvoy (ATONEMENT, WANTED). We’ve pulled a few of those quotes below. It’s interesting (as talked about in the article) the pressure Vaughn is being put under to get this thing done for its June release date. They’re still filming! He made a few comments about the production, and where it stands next to the other big Marvel movies on the horizon.

Vaughn is famous for firebrand candor and droll wit, and despite the hand-wringing right now among some Fox executives, the British filmmaker isn’t turning meek under the pressure. Asked if he’s concerned about the glut of superhero film competition this summer — with “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Green Lantern” and ”Thor” – Vaughn said that, if anything, it’s the other guys who should be nervous. “With ‘Green Lantern,’ I don’t know about that one, I couldn’t get my head around the trailer, to be honest … look, I will say the following: X-Men as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together.”

Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw and January Jones as Emma Frost

Those words could prove to be pretty bold depending on the end result of X-MEN FIRST CLASS, but I have faith in Vaughn, and have enjoyed his previous works greatly. Bryan Singer, who helmed the first two X-MEN movies for Fox, is acting as producer on this outing, but seems rather enthusiastic about the project. He also weighed in on this retro story, which takes place in the 1960′s rather than present day.

“It is an excellent cast,” Singer said. He added that no one is more aware of the high-bar set by McKellen and Stewart. “I’m very sensitive to it. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are two of the best actors working today and that was needed to fill those shoes. Short of digitally recreating Patrick and Ian in their 20s I cant think of anyone who would be more equipped for this than these two guys. The challenge of that is what attracted James, I’m sure of it. That’s why the guy who starred in ‘Atonement’ would want to play a comic-book character in the first place because it was a role established by a really fine actor.”

McAvoy and Fassbender play a familiar game of chess.

Finally, the man playing Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) threw down his thoughts on taking over such an iconic character, and his motivations and intentions with the portrayal.

“This isn’t a reboot, so I’m not replacing anyone, in which case you might want to try to be as different as possible and stay away from what had been done before,” McAvoy said on Monday during a break from a rescue scene that required water-tank work. “This is a prequel, so I’m the same character, just younger, but the challenge for me – and for Michael — is to show the same person in a different place in their life; to show someone before they’re this bad guy, before they’re this saint. Charles wasn’t always a … monk, this selfless, sexless monk that he becomes.”

For a film we’ve heard little to nothing about in the past several months, we’re sure getting a healthy dose of info this week, and I will say things are sounding good so far. I’m a little concerned at the hectic schedule Vaughn is under, and how audiences will take to an X-MEN movie without Wolverine… yep, Hugh Jackman ain’t in this one. Then again actors like McAvoy and Fassbender give me lots of confidence, and with Vaughn and Singer at the controls, this could prove to be the best X-movie yet. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

http://www.bestofluckproductions.com/?q=node/787

*UPDATED* The First Image of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Characters
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 5:29pm — Jeremy Jaynes

X-Men First Class

Above you can see the cast of X-Men: First Class, the prequel to the X-Men films being directed by Mathew Vaughn (Kick-Ass!). While I still have some issues with the ideas being implemented, I like the look of the new retro-style costumes, and I must say they certainly do look like X-Men characters.

Aside from that, the quality of this promotional photo isn't so hot. Hopefully, we'll see something more concrete soon.

From left to right: Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havok, Zoe Kravitz as Angel, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier.

Click the pic for a larger image.

*UPDATE*

MSN has conducted one of (if not the) first interview with Michael Fassbender (Magneto) regarding X-Men: First Class. It's a nice little read that gives me much more hope for this film than it probably ought to. Find it here.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/x-men-first-class-photos-surface-director-talks-taking-on-thor-and-captain-america_article_42580

‘X-Men: First Class’ Takes Shape

FIRST PUBLISHED: January 20, 2011 6:27 PM EST

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Mutants unite!

Fanboys and girls are getting their first look at “X-Men: First Class,” an origin story set in the 1960’s during the early years of Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).

The Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex blog scored two of the first images from the Matthew Vaughn-directed movie that also features a slew of fan favorite characters including Emma Frost (January Jones), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) and villain Sebastian Shaw, aka The Black King (Kevin Bacon). Check out the photos, HERE!

The director, whose is best know for previous films “Kick-Ass” and “Layer Cake,” said he’s not worried about opening amid a sea of superhero movies this summer. “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Green Lantern” and “Thor” all hit theaters in summer 2011, with “X-Men” opening on June 3.

“With ‘Green Lantern,’ I don’t know about that one, I couldn’t get my head around the trailer, to be honest … look, I will say the following: X-Men as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together,” Vaughn told the LA Times.

Slash Film also spoke with Vaughn and received two additional official stills from the film, including one of Magneto in his trademark purple helmet. The director confirmed more details about the film’s setting:

“Imagine the Cuban Missile crisis and discovering that mutants exist, both at the same time…” he explained.

“(X-Men: First Class) is definitely more serious and more realistic, and I think that’s something that had to happen. That’s my feeling about the world we live in right now. I think the glossy colorful superhero film sorta had its day. I think Batman Begins started it, Dark Knight, dare I say Kick-Ass was fun and it had some real pop to it, but at the same time we grounded it in reality as much as possible. I think that’s what the audience wants…” he continued.

One draw for fans to the franchise prequel might be “Winter’s Bone” star Jennifer Lawrence, who plays one Marvel’s most diabolical – and sexy – shape shifters.

The actress told The Hollywood Reporter that the process of becoming Mystique was grueling and had the movie’s makeup team “all up in [my] business.”

“Nothing’s sacred anymore,” the actress said. “Those girls and I got so close. They were painting me naked every day for months. It was kind of like going to a really bizarre sleepover.”

Jennifer was put on a strict diet, required to workout every day for two hours and spent eight hours with the makeup team as they turned her into blue mutant.

“It was awful, I was hungry for five months,” the actress, who is now back on her pre-mutant diet, explained. “I’m still pissed about it. I’m slowly working my way back because I have to be able to eat like an a**hole.”

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/01/20/matthew-vaughn-x-men-first-class-photos/

Matthew Vaughn Reveals New 'X-Men: First Class' Photos, Hates That First Lineup Shot

Posted 2 hrs ago by Josh Wigler

Have you seen enough new photos from "X-Men: First Class" to satisfy you for the week? Silly question — of course you haven't! Well, you're in luck, because Matthew Vaughn himself has provided two more glimpses at his currently shooting superhero prequel.

Vaughn reached out to Slash Film to unveil these new photos featuring Michael Fassbender in the thick of the action as a helmet-clad Magneto, while James McAvoy gets his telepathy on as Professor Charles Xavier in the second photo.

One of the reasons that Vaughn sent these pictures out is because he felt frustrated over the initial, unauthorized "X-Men: First Class" photo that premiered online earlier this week: "I freaked out on [Fox] yesterday. I don't know where the hell that came from. I don't think it's a Fox image. It's not a pre-approved image."

"When I found out, I said, 'What the f--- is this s---?' and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well." he added. "I agree. It's like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn't reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it."

"I'm a fan of X-Men. We're not bastardizing X-Men, I'm trying to get them back to being whole again," he said of the film's tone. "It’s definitely more serious and more realistic, and I think that’s something that had to happen. That’s my feeling about the world we live in right now. I think the glossy colorful superhero film sorta had its day. I think Batman Begins started it, Dark Knight, dare I say Kick-Ass was fun and it had some real pop to it, but at the same time we grounded it in reality as much as possible."

"I think that’s what the audience wants," he explained. "And that why that image is more Fantastic Four than it is X-Men. And I say that with all due respect to the Fantastic Four team. That was then and this is now. It’s a different time. I mean, look at me — I’m not exactly mister light."

http://www.cinebrooding.com/2011/01/first-pictures-and-poster-for-x-men.html

1.20.2011
first pictures and poster for 'x-men: first class'

written by Emily Estep at 8:10 PM

I didn’t know they were making another X-Men movie either. I probably did subconsciously, but I was in denial that there would be yet another superhero movie reboot. Snarkiness aside, a bunch of stills and a poster have recently come out for X-Men: First Class, and the movie looks kind of cool. This 2011 release is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), and the cast is pretty substantial, including Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone, Kevin Bacon, January Jones from Mad Men, and James McAvoy. Pictures and poster after the cut.

The stills reveal McAvoy as Professor X, Fassbender as Magneto, Bacon and Jones as Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost, and one picture has most of the cast including Jennifer Lawrence. The film chronicles Professor X and Magneto in their early days, when they were close friends and allies. Matthew Vaughn gained serious nerd and mild critic credibility with Kick-Ass, and seeing as how the old X-Men movies are terrible, the window is pretty much wide open for Vaughn to become the new face of X-Men.

http://www.hotterinhollywood.com/original/2011/01/first-look-x-men-first-class.html

FIRST LOOK: X-MEN FIRST CLASS

Voila.

Images from the new X-prequel have appeared online, and they're enough to get us clamoring for our theater tickets now. C'mon, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto)? Gallavanting through 1960s Europe? Sold.

And the rest of that cast? Bloody hell.

Yep, that's Kevin Bacon and January Jones looking mighty fine.

June 3 y'all.

Posted on January 20, 2011

http://www.buzzfocus.com/2011/01/20/x-men-first-class-update-with-teaser-poster-and-photos/

X-Men: First Class Update with Teaser Poster and Photos

By Ernie Estrella : January 20, 2011

The internet has been buzzing the last 24 hours with several images of the upcoming film X-Men: First Class have arrived.

This first photo depicts the X-Men: First Class principal cast including James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds) as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Nicholas Hoult (Clash of the Titans) as Hank McCoy/Beast, Jennifer Lawrence (Bill Engvall Show) as Mystique, Caleb Landry Jones (Friday Night Lights) as Banshee, Lucas Till (Walk the Line) as Havok and Rose Byrne (Damages) as Dr. Moira McTaggart.

X-Men: First Class

The second image shows McAvoy and Fassbender playing a civil game of chess.

The third photo is a candid conversation between Hellfire Club Members Sebastian Shaw and White Queen played by Kevin Bacon (Mystic River) and January Jones (Mad Men) respectively.

In an extensive report by The LA Times Hero Complex website, director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust) revealed that he’s feeling under the gun, struggling to keep the film on pace for a June 3 release.

“I’ve never worked under such time pressure. The good thing about the independent world is I never even knew if I was going to get distribution. I’m used to finishing a film and then crossing your fingers that someone is going to like it. This is totally doing it the other way around. We’ve definitely got a release date and we’ve got to make it.”

And earlier today Vaughn reached out to SlashFilm.com and produced two more photos showing Fassbender in a blue and yellow costume and McAvoy doing Jedi mind tricks in his den.

X-Men: First Class is a period piece set in the 1960′s before Civil Rights and during the threat of a nuclear war and will show the birth of the X-Men in their college days as well as the broken hearts, disagreements and where friendships are forged. Too bad they didn’t have Facebook. More images and information are sure to come as the opening date approaches.

Do you love how January Jones looks as the White Queen as much as we do? What do you think of the yellow and blue unis? What are you expecting with this new X-Men film? Miss Wolverine? Post your initial thoughts here.

http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2011/01/x-men-first-class-releases-a-new-batch-of-promo-photos/

Jan 20, 2011
‘X-Men: First Class’ Releases A New Batch Of Promo Photos
'Class' Is In Session

On Tuesday we got our first look at a promo image purported to be from the upcoming prequel film X-Men: First Class … but producers claimed the photo was a fake. Today, tho, we get to see a whole bunch of promo photos that are genuine and give us a real first look at what we can expect from the film that explains how the X-Men came to be.

In the pages of Marvel Comics, the X-Men have been the ultimate outsiders for decades — even other superheroes view the strange mutant crew with mistrust, prejudice and disdain. So it’s fitting that “First Class,” the fifth Hollywood adventure for the heroes, will arrive in theaters this summer with so much to prove and plenty of doubters. For the all-new cast (led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender), the challenge is to replace the familiar faces of the franchise; for producer Bryan Singer, the challenge is to recapture the affection of comic-book movie fans; and for Vaughn, the challenge is, well, to actually finish making the film. “We’re filming at the moment, we’ve a lot to get done,” said a weary Vaughn, whose credits include memorable but modest-grossing indie fare like “Kick-Ass” and “Layer Cake.” “I’ve never worked under such time pressure. The good thing about the independent world is I never even knew if I was going to get distribution. I’m used to finishing a film and then crossing your fingers that someone is going to like it. This is totally doing it the other way around. We’ve definitely got a release date and we’ve got to make it.”

The full text of this LA Times article can be read HERE and the entire batch of photos (including two photos not included in the LA Times piece) can be seen below. I know that many people were not impressed with the photo we saw on Tuesday (and rightly so, if it really is a fake) but I think these photos are all very cool. I think I can dig the 60′s vibe that will be portrayed in this film … can you?

http://www.thenerdsignal.net/?p=1302

Tons Of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Pics And Info
Written by Skott Stotland on 01/20/2011 – 5:36 PM -

I’ve got whole bunch of images from X-Men: First Class to show you today, but first it’s story time.

On Tuesday, MSN debuted a promotional image from the upcoming prequel/reboot, a surprisingly small group shot. Shortly thereafter the picture disappeared. It then showed up over at The Daily Blam! with a watermark, that version spread all over the internet and was pulled left and right from various sites (including The Daily Blam!).

This apparent leak sent Fox into damage control overdrive.

In an interview with /Film, Vaughn blasted the leaked pic.

I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the f&#! is this s$#!, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well. I agree. It’s like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn’t reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it. I was like ‘Jesus Christ’…

Of course, that didn’t stop them from rereleasing it in crazy-high res over at Yahoo!.

(click for giganticness)

But hey, if you don’t care for the blue and yellow costumes don’t worry because it seems we won’t be seeing too much of them.

The costumes are blue and yellow as well, because f&#! it, lets take it back it the original. Also, by the way, those costumes are hardly in the movie. The main costumes are like these cool 60’s James Bond…

James Bond what? Maybe he’s referring to the fact that the black leather suits weren’t really in the X-Men movies that much because they wore civilian clothes most of the time. That’s the only thing that makes sense, right? The rest of the movie they’ll wear “these cool 60s James Bond” suits.

These stills that the LA Times got should answer that.

I can see it.

Vaughn continues with his Bond comparisons.

I’d say this is more like Casino Royale than [JJ Abrams] Star Trek. If you think about it, Casino Royale just totally rebooted Bond — they kept what they wanted and got rid of what didn’t work. You sort of saw Bond become a double O for the first time and yet it didn’t seem to matter [what they changed]. I think my rule is to make a stand alone movie that is as good as possible and do as many nods and winks towards the comics and the other films, but not get tied up in knots worrying about that. It’s sort of a stand-alone movie in my mind with a reboot being a real reboot. Because if you’re a stickler for continuity, in X3 when you see Patrick Stewart…. well, I don’t want to give away anything about the plot but we’ve been as respectful of the other movies and comics as we I can feasibly can be without compromising the story.

So it’s a reboot and not a prequel, then.

“This isn’t a reboot, so I’m not replacing anyone, in which case you might want to try to be as different as possible and stay away from what had been done before,” McAvoy said on Monday during a break from a rescue scene that required water-tank work. “This is a prequel, so I’m the same character, just younger, but the challenge for me – and for Michael — is to show the same person in a different place in their life; to show someone before they’re this bad guy, before they’re this saint. Charles wasn’t always a … monk, this selfless, sexless monk that he becomes.”

Or it’s a prequel according to James McAvoy, who plays Professor X, when talking to the LA Times.

Regardless of reboot/prequel status, Vaughn gave these two pics of McAvoy as Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto to /Film.

Lastly, Bryan Singer sent this lovely teaser poster over to Ain’t It Cool News.

What do you guys think? Is it a reboot or a prequel? Do you like the new costumes or are you just mesmerized by January Jones as Emma Frost?

http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/x-men-first-class-2/

X-Men: First Class

January 20, 2011 by fandangogroovers

You just can’t get away from comic book movies this week. After yesterdays exciting news that Anne Hathaway will play Selina Kyle we have some images from the new X-Men movie “First Class”. Telling the story of a younger Professor X (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and the origins of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. There isn’t much information on the plot is but it appears antagonists of the movie will be the Hellfire Club led by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), it isn’t clear which side Emma Frost (January Jones) will be on. It is most likely that she will take on her White Queen persona but we will have to wait and see.

The Group photo appears to show the young X-Men in the traditional blue and yellow uniforms. This is an interesting development, when the original movie was in production there was a lot of fanboy complaints about the new costumes. It has been suggested that Cyclops’ “yellow spandex” comment was written by Bryan Singer as a direct response to this. The costumes in the other photos have a real retro look to them suggesting a possible 60’s or 70’s setting, that could be interesting.

Since I first commented on this movie last year there have been a few changes to the rumoured cast. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are playing Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto respectively as reported. January Jones and not Alice Eve was cast as Emma Frost. Jennifer Lawrence not Amber Heard will play Mystique. Nicholas Hoult not Benjamin Walker will play Beast. The cast also includes: Kevin Bacon – Sebastian Shaw: Rose Byrne – Dr. Moira MacTaggert: Jason Flemyng – Azazel: Oliver Platt – Man in Black: Lucas Till – Alex Summers/Havok: Zoë Kravitz – Angel Salvadore. Bryan Singer who directed the first two movies is onboard as producer with Matthew Vaughn fresh from Kick-Ass directing. The movie is set for release in June next year eleven years after the first movie.

http://derekbair.blogspot.com/2011/01/x-men-first-class-preview-picture.html

Thursday, January 20, 2011
X-Men First Class Preview Picture

"From left to right: Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havok, Zoe Kravitz as Angel, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier."

X-Men First Class is the first of a new series of X-Men movies. It takes place as a prequel before the other 3 X-men movies. It's plot revolves around Professor X and Magneto's relationship going from friends to fr-enemies. Kevin Bacon is the main antagonist and will be the first sci-fi-action movie, besides maybe Hollow man.

I used to be obsessed with X-men but stopped collecting the comics a few years ago. Since then everything has changed and I have no idea what's going on. Supposedly Magneto's daughter, the scarlet witch - went crazy and changed the whole marvel universe around and most of the mutants lost their powers. "The house of M."

X-Men first class seems to be a mash up of the new x-men stuff more than the more traditional "First Class" that consisted of Beast, Cyclopes, Jean Grey, Ice Man, and Angel. I know how hard it must be to make an interesting and current movie and still please hardcore fans, but.. I have a feeling I wont know whats going on in this new movie. NOT that I would even hesitate for a second not to see it!

Im actually most excited to see January Jones. I fell in love with her after watching Mad Men. I think she's going to be the next big thing.

Almost as excited as I would be if Dannen Aronofsky really directs the next wolverine movie.. oh yeahhh. Wolverine's character is more "Black Swan" and "Reqrium for a dream" than the pg-13 bs the first movie was.

Written By Derek Bair at 5:37 PM

http://nerdiest-kids.com/x-men-first-class-teaser-poster-images-and-news/

Posted by Rob "HollywoodRS" Sporer on January 20, 2011
X-Men: First Class Teaser Poster, Images and News

Remember that cast photo from X-Men: First Class that made its way onto the internet the other day? Well it seems like it was just a “fan made photo” and nothing official, or so says director Matthew Vaughn and Fox. They are apparently up in arms over the photo and trying to figure out where it came from. So, trying to do damage control, Vaughn spoke with /Film the other day to give some details on the movie and show off the first “official” images of James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr. They also shared the first teaser poster with Ain’t It Cool News.

As for the movie itself well here is what Vaughn said to /Film:

“I’m a fan of X-Men. We’re not bastardizing X-Men, I’m trying to get them back to being whole again.”

“Imagine the Cuban Missile crisis and discovering that mutants exist, both at the same time.” … “The actors are so great. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are very very hard to replace. When I’m watching Fassbender and McAvoy you just think, it sort of reminds me of Daniel Craig doing Bond, you kind of forget there were other people playing him. And that’s what I feel about these two.”

“I’d say this is more like Casino Royale than [JJ Abrams] Star Trek. If you think about it, Casino Royale just totally rebooted Bond — they kept what they wanted and got rid of what didn’t work. You sort of saw Bond become a double O for the first time and yet it didn’t seem to matter [what they changed]. I think my rule is to make a stand alone movie that is as good as possible and do as many nods and winks towards the comics and the other films, but not get tied up in knots worrying about that. It’s sort of a stand-alone movie in my mind with a reboot being a real reboot. Because if you’re a stickler for continuity, in X3 when you see Patrick Stewart…. well, I don’t want to give away anything about the plot but we’ve been as respectful of the other movies and comics as we I can feasibly can be without compromising the story.”

With that said it is rumored that X-Men: First Class is still shooting and re-shooting scenes while Vaughn is in London editing the film. I don’t how true this really is, but if it is then what does this say about Vaughn’s vision?

http://www.myportiswaspsays.com/2011/01/first-look-at-cast-of-x-men-first-class.html

Thursday, 20 January 2011
First Look at the Cast of X-Men: First Class... and DAMN they're looking hot! |The Leak

Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Dr. Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havoc, Zoe Kravitz as Angel Salvadore, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and James McAvoy as Professor X

I'm a little late in posting this (because I try to have a life away from the blog) but I couldn't not post images so exciting that I think my heart might have just skipped a beat! X-Men: First Class will hit cinemas on June 3rd and finally we can get a real buzz going around the reinvention of X-Men on the big screen with these recently released stills and character one sheet!

The image above shows the majority of the cast assembled and photoshopped for all their worth, and I've attached an enlarged version below so we can all appreciate January Jones under a microscope. Then to follow we have some stills from the film, which is set in the 1960's by the way - explains the shagadelic vibe of it all... oh, and fyi Kevin Bacon plays the big bad in First Class. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!

The Official Synopsis for X-Men: First Class:

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Now all we need is a Trailer! I'm sure it'll leak any day now... *fingers and toes crossed*