X-Men picture, poster comments

http://comigirl.com/magazine/tinseltown/film/%E2%80%9Cx-men-first-class%E2%80%9D-set-pics-teaser-poster-a-first-look/

“X-Men: First Class” set pics & teaser poster, a first look

Posted by The Cameraman on January 19, 2011 ·

Marvel vs. DC! These two powerhouses in the comic book industry are going at it again. Yesterday, Fox released 1 image from the origins X-Men film; X-Men: First Class. And today, Fox releases 3 more images from the set. Meanwhile over at DC’s side, Warner Bros. sent out an official press release this afternoon regarding the cast for Chris Nolan’s 3rd installment of the Batman reboot…whew.

Marvel and DC are heavily invested in getting their top selling titles out for the masses to consume, which begs to ask; are they going to hurt the comic book industry or perhaps the film industry itself, with all the mutant/super-powered movies that will be coming out? I guess that will be decided with the money that sits in your wallet when all these movies hit the theaters but regardless, check out the first images for X-Men: First Class which is set in the 60’s and according to Bryan Singer, will bring to light the relationship between Professor Charles Xavier & Magneto played by James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender. I don’t know how people will respond to a movie that’s set in the past, and doesn’t come into a present future but it might be refreshing, not so many special effects perhaps?

Captain America seems to be getting the same treatment, an origin story that is set in the past, so I don’t know what to expect. But I will be watching Super Bowl XLV to find out because the trailer for Captain America is scheduled to be shown sometime during the game. While I’m writing this post I got word that the teaser poster is out for X-Men: First Class (sometimes it’s nice to be late to a party) but anyway, while Marvel & DC duke it out at the Box Office and comic book shops, I’m looking forward to Neill Blomkamp’s very futurist flick “Elysium”.

http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/more-x-men-first-class-pics/

Mutant Mania! More ‘X-Men: First Class’ Pics
By Bryan Enk | January 19, 2011 |

X-Men: First Class
20th Century Fox

Now there’s some X-Men!

Don’t get us wrong, we loved that first shot of some of our favorite mutants all decked out in “yellow spandex,” ready for some prequel action. It’s just that it wasn’t enough. Just one image, and a heavily Photoshopped one, at that? Come on, Fox!

Okay, we just needed to be a little patient. Lo and behold, here come three more images from “X-Men: First Class,” courtesy of Hero Complex.

These new pics provide even closer looks at the cast, including one particular hubba-hubba shot of January Jones as Emma Frost (sitting on a couch next to Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw). You also get Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), two friends destined to become enemies engaged in a bittersweet game of chess.

With the new pics comes news that director Matthew Vaughn (“Kick-Ass”) is racing against the clock to make the film’s release date of June 3.

“I’m at that stage where I feel like a boxer against the ropes,” says Vaughn. “I’m just throwing punches and taking them as they come and making sure I don’t hit the canvas.”

Vaughn isn’t worried about how crowded Summer 2011 is with comic book movies, though — he seems confident that “X-Men: First Class” can take on the competition.

“‘X-Men’ as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together.”

Well, these sweet pics are definitely a good start in “X-Men: First Class” staking its claim on summer movie audiences.

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/709894/X-Men-First-Class-New-Photos--More.html

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X-Men: First Class: New Photos & More
26 minutes ago - By Joseph Baxter

X-Men: First Class: New Photos & More

New X-Men: First Class photos are coming in droves and the film is finally starting to take shape. (See some more pics below.) Besides getting our first glimpse of Kevin Bacon as the villainous Sebastian Shaw, pics of James McAvoy's Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender's Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto displaying their dysfunctional friendship seem to be the most telling of the film's purpose. Starting with a leaked cast photo earlier in the week, the past few days have certainly yielded a plethora of revealing looks at director Mathew Vaughn's head-scratching prequel to the X-Men film franchise. Regarding the leaked cast photo, which Fox had ordered taken off sites in droves, only to have hi-res official versions subsequently show up, the director was apparently most displeased. It wasn't so much because some big secret was let loose, but rather that -- well, frankly -- he thought they sucked and reflected bad on his film. Vaughn recently spoke to Slashfilm and let loose his feelings on the photo and brings some new perspective to the film.

According to Vaughn:

“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**k is this s**t, 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’…"

X-Men: First Class: New Photos & More

While the photo in question wasn't monumentally horrific, "Bad Photoshop" seemed to be the general assessment of the fans and clearly damage control quickly went into effect, resulting in the array of new photos we've been getting such as two delivered to Slashfilm featuring Magneto in his helmet (title pic) and one of Xavier using his psychic powers. (Well, he has his fingers pressed against his temple, so that must mean he's using his powers, anyway.) The LA Times' Hero Complex also managed to come by some exclusives revealing Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw sitting all aristocratically with January Jones' White Queen Emma Frost as well as a very telling image of Xavier and Lehnsherr engaged in a chess match. The pics seem to have one goal in mind: Show that X-Men: First Class actually has a compelling story to tell.

X-Men: First Class: New Photos & More

Vaughn goes on:

"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." Adding: "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."

Despite there being some serious anachronistic concepts in this film (notably the presence of an adult Emma Frost, who was depicted as a teeen rescued by an older Xavier in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) there still seems to be an approach that has it beholden to the primary film series started by Bryan Singer and finished by Brett Ratner. As star James McAvoy tells Hero Complex:

“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.”

However, one might take it as a mixed message that director Mathew Vaughn nevertheless wants to reinvent the superhero franchise by creating this addition to the series that became the epitome of the previous generation (if we dare call it that,) of superhero films, rather than rebooting it completely. In fact, Vaughn refers to First Class as being something more akin to Casino Royale, which, in continuing the existing James Bond franchise, managed to go back to the character's beginning and reinvent it in a gritty, character-driven manner. However, the Bond franchise may not exactly be in line for the same type of puritanical criticism as a beloved comic book franchise like the X-Men. So, Vaugn's work will clearly need to walk a fine line.

X-Men: First Class: New Photos & More

The prequel will depict the public's wide discovery of Mutantkind, set amidst the backdrop of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a time in which Armageddon already felt dangerously close. The idealism of best friends and powerful mutants, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr will result in the formation of the first X-Men team. However, events will put the friends on two distinct ideological paths making them the legendary rivals we know they become. There's undoubtedly an aim that goes well beyond costumed superheros making stuff explode. -- That being said, I wouldn't put it past the film to give us at least a small share of those things when it hits theaters on June 3.

Have the new photos from X-Men First Class changed your perspective of the film? Excited? Unimpressed?

http://www.fusedfilm.com/2011/01/2-more-x-men-first-class-photos-emerge-with-magneto-and-prof-x/

2 More X-Men: First Class Photos Emerge With Magneto and Prof. X

By Kevin Coll • January 20, 2011

A flurry of X-Men: First Class photos have arrived recently, and these latest two pics offer a first look at Michael Fassbender in full costume as Magneto, as well as another take on James McAvoy as Professor Xavier, doing his hand to his head, physic thing. Director Matthew Vaughan, talked about the leak of the full cast photo the other day and revealed it was not a preapproved image, event though it ended up on a legit site, MSN. Who knows but here is what he said.

“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’…”

Matthew Vaughan also talked about the choice of going back to the blue and yellow uniforms from the old days and here is what he said.

“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.”

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.hollywood.com/news/UPDATE_Even_More_New_X_Men_First_Class_Photos_Plus_Teaser_Poster/7751387

UPDATE: Even More New 'X-Men: First Class' Photos, Plus Teaser Poster

By Eric Sundermann , Hollywood.com Staff | Thursday, January 20, 2011

Good news, geeks. It appears, at least from these three photos below, that X-Men: First Class will not suck.

As you can see, this class of mutants has a different feel than the previous films. And what I mean by "different feel" is that, damn, everyone looks so cool. In the photos, James McAvoy shows off his "People's Eyebrow," Kevin Bacon appears to be seducing January Jones, and Michael Fassbender and McAvoy discuss something super important.

First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn, hits theaters on June 3rd.

X-Men First Class Poster

Source: LA Times

http://starcasm.net/archives/82078

Hi-res PHOTOS of Magneto and Professor X from ‘X-Men: First Class’
Jan - 20 | AUTHOR: Asa Hawks

Official press still photo of Michael Fassbender as Magneto in X-Men First Class

A couple days ago we saw the first images of the cast of X-Men: First Class in costume featuring nine of the mutant stars looking MARVELous. Now we have the first official high-resolution press stills from the film featuring the leader of the X-Men Professor X (played by James McAvoy) and super-villain Magneto (played by Michael Fassbender). (Click images for super-sized wallpaper photos!)

Official press still photo of James McAvoy as Professor X in X-Men: First Class

To be honest, the Professor X image is a little disappointing in that there isn’t anything uniquely X-Men or Professor X about it – the photo could be from the set of Dr. Who – and I mean that in a bad. Magneto on the other hand is pretty awesome! That there is a hardcore old school comic book helmet! And I’m thinking industrial strap suspenders are going to be all the rage after this film hits the big screen!

**** Author’s Note – I realize this post is inherently disappointing to most everyone, including myself, because it lacks photos of the lingerie-clad January Jones as Emma Frost. But hang in there fellers, I’m sure Twentieth Century Fox will be unleashing the Frost soon enough!

http://www.flix66.com/2011/01/20/photos-of-james-mcavoy-as-professor-x-and-michael-fassbender-as-magneto/

Photos of James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto

Posted by: Kristy Sturdivant

Fact: I just hit my X-MEN: FIRST CLASS overload. Count em people, that’s four stories about this film this week. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Now, I’m going to give you a little taste of what I like to call: good guy vs. bad guy. Below you will see the severely cute debonair James McAvoy trying to give the whammy, to some unsuspected soul I presume, with his telepathic powers. And right below that, well that’s his arch nemesis Magneto played by Michael Fassbender. He’s all decked out in his cool helmet so that the previously mentioned whammy doesn’t get him.

So we’ve given you the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS teaser poster, a couple new photos of January Jones, Kevin Bacon and a few other mutant crew, and a (rumored to be photo shopped) glance at all the X-Men uniformed up ready to fight. Not a bad week, huh? X-MEN: FIRST CLASS hits theaters on June 3rd, 2011.

http://www.flix66.com/2011/01/20/x-men-first-class-teaser-poster-revealed/

X-Men: First Class teaser poster revealed

Posted by: Kristy Sturdivant

So even though I shared all my deep heart-felt feelings about the X-Men and how I was excited about X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, I have to admit I’m a little annoyed by the lack of creativity in this teaser poster. I mean seriously, this looks way too similar to all the other X-MEN posters so what gives guys? Couldn’t think of anything else to do? Oh well, I guess that’s why it’s a teaser and not the official poster. Check it out below and let us know your thoughts.

Here’s all the information once again, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS stars: James McAvoy as Professor X, January Jones as Emma Frost, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Oliver Platt as the Man In Black, Caleb Landry as Banshee, Lucas Till as Havoc, Edi Gathegi as Darwin, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Zoe Kravitz as Angel and Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS opens in theaters on June 3rd, 2011.

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/01/20/new-x-men-first-class-images-and-movie-poster/

Jan 20th 2011 By: Caleb Goellner

New 'X-Men: First Class' Images and Movie Poster Sort of Save Face

While it didn't seem like anybody was super into this week's fake-then-just-kidding-it's-real-but-hi-res group shot depicting a swatch of costumed mutants from Matthew Vaughn's upcoming X-Men: First Class, a few new photos from HeroComplex plus a new poster image seem to have dulled fandom's initial shock. Sure, nobody's dressed in a combat uniform, but perhaps it's better to get a look at the cast in their swingin' '60s civillian attire before delving too far into the costume scene, ya dig?

Hero Complex's new images from the June 3 film show Michael Fassbender (Magneto) and James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) hanging with their assembled posse, then playing some chess, as is their mutant leader custom.

Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw) and January Jones (Emma Frost) also get what passes for cosy on what could be a Hellfire Club couch... or maybe just a regular couch.

Then there's the poster, which doesn't feature any cast members or hint at the film's '60s plot, but does look metallic. Magneto loves that kind of thing!

http://www.newsinfilm.com/2011/01/20/x-men-marketing-blitz-brings-poster-images/

‘X-Men’ Marketing Blitz Brings Poster, Images

Published by Jeff Leins on January 20, 2011

X-Men: First Class teaser poster
With the leaked, unimpressive costumed cast image spread to the ends of the Internet this week, Fox is hurrying out an unexpected wave of marketing materials to keep fans excited about Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class.

What’s particularly strange about the timing is that Vaughn hasn’t finished shooting the movie, which Fox has slated for release on June 3, 2011, according to his recent interview with the LA Times. ”I’m at that stage where I feel like a boxer against the ropes,” said Vaughn, who has had the luxury of his own pace on his previous films like Kick-Ass and Stardust due to independent financing. But this is Vaughn’s step into the big leagues of comic book fantasy, an opportunity he passed on twice before when offered directing duties on X-Men: The Last Stand and Thor. “I’m just throwing punches and taking them as they come and making sure I don’t hit the canvas.”

But Vaughn isn’t the only one talking about First Class, a quasi-prequel set in the swinging ’60s and centered on the divergence relationship between Charles Xavier — a.k.a. Professor X and portrayed by James McAvoy — and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), played by Michael Fassbender. To MSN, Fassbender said of Magneto, “He’s an extremist, and that’s always a dangerous place to be. By the time we leave him at the end of this movie, he’s become very clear about what he wants and his decisions and his game plan.” He also assured fans his costume (and helmet) stays true to the purple and red of the comics.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class

Kevin Bacon also had plenty to say to Moviefone about his villainous character Sebastian Shaw, the leader of the rival Hellfire Club that includes the chest Emma Frost (January Jones, pictured below). ”You don’t see much [of his backstory] in the movie, but he’s kind of a self-made man,” Bacon explained. ”He lost his father as a young man, made his first million by the time he was 30 and first billion by time he was 40. He’s a very powerful billionaire and also, as it turns out, a mutant. He’s the leader of the Hellfire Club, which is a nightclub for the rich and extremely powerful. And he has a plot to take over the world, so that’s really fun. He’s incredibly good at manipulating people.”

Bacon continued by saying his look and costume differs from the classic look of Shaw, typically drawn with a ponytail and mutton chops. He also sets the stage for the conflict, saying it takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis but before the key Civil Rights movement often linked to the mutants’ plight.

Kevin Bacon and January Jones in X-Men: First Class

20-year-old rising star (and potential Oscar nominee) Jennifer Lawrence spilled about being painted blue every day to play Mystique. She told the Hollywood Reporter she spent nearly half of the five month shoot enduring a diet and eight hours of full-body make-up. “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.”

Here’s a shot of Lawrence amongst the rest of her young cast mates:
X-Men: First Class cast

From left to right: Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), and Lucas Till (Havok).

Teaser poster via AICN:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/new-photos-poster-interviews-more-from-x-men-first-class/

New Photos, Poster, Interviews & More from 'X-Men: First Class'

January 20, 2011
Source: SlashFilm, Hero Complex
by Alex Billington
X-Men: First Class

Yesterday, the floodgates on Matthew Vaughn's highly anticipated comic book movie X-Men: First Class opened, much to 20th Century Fox's chagrin. Apparently the first photo of the cast that arrived, which most people didn't like, wasn't the way Fox or Vaughn wanted to introduce everyone to these new superheroes. So in response, numerous articles have been hitting the web featuring interviews, teaser posters, numerous better photos and much more to appease the fans. Despite that first look, I still think this looks awesome, I have faith in Vaughn. And you'll see why there is not much to worry about with in a few new photos below.

I decided to hold off on posting everything yesterday as it hit because I had a feeling there'd be a lot more to see and there definitely is. SlashFilm posted two new never-before-seen photos, one of James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier, the other of Michael Fassbender as a young Magneto, which should brighten your spirits. But wait - what's that helmet? It's right out of the comics. And yes, he's wearing quite a colorful suit, but don't get too excited, because their "X-Men" costumes don't show up much. Vaughn: "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." That might not be so bad.

X-Men: First Class Photo - Professor X

X-Men: First Class Photo - Magneto

A few set photos leaked since shooting started last year, but they're not done. According to Hero Complex, the other site with some awesome new photos (two of which are below, the other seen at the top), Vaughn is still shooting the superhero movie, even though it hits theaters on June 3rd this summer, a mere 20 weeks away. "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," McAvoy tells them.

"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... That's what I feel about these two," Vaughn says. But why so colorful and cheesy looking? Well, first, don't let any photos deceive you; second, here is Vaughn's response to that: "I think the glossy colorful superhero film sorta had its day... 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."

X-Men: First Class Photos

X-Men: First Class Photos

In that shot above, you'll see Kevin Bacon as the villain, Sebastian Shaw. He may not remind you of the exact character from the comics, because that's exactly the case, that's what they wanted. Moviefone spoke with Bacon about this. He expains: "My look is very different from the guy in the comic books. We decided pretty early on that that was not going to translate to film. But there's a certain kind of style to the suits that I wear... I don't want to spoil it - but when you first meet me, I look a little different." So despite Magneto's desire for world domination, he isn't at that point yet. "[Shaw's] the leader of the Hellfire Club, which is a nightclub for the rich and extremely powerful. And he has a plot to take over the world, so that's really fun."

If you're interested in reading more about X-Men: First Class and the various actors and characters in the movie, a series of interviews recently popped up: MSN talked with Michael Fassbender/Magneto; IGN talked with January Jones/Emma Frost; LA Times talked with James McAvoy/Xavier; Moviefone talked with Kevin Bacon/Sebastian Shaw; and SlashFilm talked with the director, Matthew Vaughn.

Now is this starting to look like the awesome X-Men prequel you were hoping to see? It's got a hell of a cast, a fantastic director, Bryan Singer as producer, I feel like it's in good hands and these new photos and quotes give me some assurance. To cap things off with more optimism, here's one last quote from Matthew Vaughn:

"I'd say this is more like Casino Royale than [J.J. 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."

And last but certainly not least, we've got to throw up this official teaser poster below courtesy of Ain't It Cool News. Despite getting a call from Bryan Singer himself, no new quotes or information was posted in that piece except for this cool poster - so check it out! So are we finally warming up to this movie?

http://www.movieline.com/2011/01/okay-here-are-the-actual-approved-photos-of-x-men-first-class-promise.php

Second Looks || by Brian Clark || 01 20 2011 5:15 AM
Here Are Actual Approved Photos and Poster for X-Men: First Class. Seriously.

Oh, internet! First you give us an unofficial, grainy looks at the first photo of the characters in X-Men: First Class, then you give us a supposedly official, high-res look at the same photo…and now you tell us that wasn’t official either. In fact, director Matthew Vaughn is furious about that last photo. So furious, that he’s going to say the F-word several times and give us actual official photos of Michael Fassbender as Magneto and James McAvoy as Professor Xavier. Meanwhile, an equally approved poster for the film has hit as well. See all three and read more about Vaughn’s take on the film after the jump.

Apparently, Vaughn has no idea where the photo came from, but immediately “freaked out” on Fox and also called up / Film. Quoth Vaughn:

“…When I found out, I said, what the f*ck is this sh*t, 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.”

Vaughn also added, that they “are not bastardizing the X-Men” and that “The costumes are blue and yellow as well, because f*ck it, lets take it back it the original.” Sound logic, I suppose. He insists the movie will be more grounded and serious and much closer to Casino Royale than J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot.

Anyway, here’s Magneto karate chopping the air with his hand (and probably manipulating some off-screen metal). But will it be any match for Professor Xavier’s “I-know exactly-what-I’m-doing-and-how-I’m-going-to-do-it” stare? Doubtful. Also, we’ve got the first mutant-less poster for the film, courtesy of Ain’t It Cool News.

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/blog/2011/01/x-men-first-class-images-poster-9545/

X-Men: First Class Images & Poster
Posted on January 20, 2011 by Helen

X-Men: First Class has the potential to be one of the biggest blockbuster movies of the summer a superb cast as been assembled to roll back the years.

Yes the movie doesn’t pick up after The Last Stand but takes us back to the beginning when Xavier and Erik were young and just understanding their powers.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender lead the cast as the two friends with Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult and Jason Flemyng all on the cast list.

After the success of Kick Ass lasst year filmmaker Matthew Vaughn returns to the blockbuster for the first X-Men movie since Wolverine in 2009.

X-Men: First Class is released 2nd June. Take a look at the first images from the movie:

http://movies.sky.com/first-x-men-first-class-cast-picture-leaked

First X-Men: First Class Cast Pictures Leaked

While we've already seen pictures from Captain America, Green Lantern and Thor, there have been scarce few glimpses from the new X-Men movie - until now.

X-Men: First Class takes the mutant heroes back to their roots, detailing the origin story of how Professer Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) came to blows and spark the mutant war fans were introduced to in the first three movies.

These first images (courtesy of the LA Times Hero Complex Blog) show the rest of the cast in and out of costume too, with Dr Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Emma Frost (a very sexed up January Jones), Beast (Nicholas Hoult) and Sebastien Shaw (Kevin Bacon) posing moodily for your pleasure.

Check out the images below and let us know what you think and whether Matthew Vaughn can turn the tide for the franchise on our Facebook page and Twitter stream.

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://clothesonfilm.com/x-men-first-class-costumes/18773/

X-Men: First Class Costumes

Some official images have surfaced for director Mathew Vaughn’s adaptation of Marvel comic X-Men: First Class. Plot details are still sketchy, but we do know that the story is set at some point during 1960s (mid?) and concentrates on the relationship between young Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr / mutant guise Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Their ‘civvie’ costumes by Sammy Sheldon (Kick-Ass, Stardust) are not excessively sixties in tone, however.

Only a handful of details give the film away as not set in the present day, most notably on January Jones as Emma Frost and Kevin Bacon’s ‘Hellfire Club’ leader Sebastian Shaw. A white, belted PVC catsuit channels the unforgettable legacy of The Avengers costume designer John Bates for Diana Rigg, while Shaw’s rather ‘decadent dandy’ look with silk cravat was a smart recurrence for gentlemen in the mid-sixties.

However, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert wearing a neat grey swing coat and slim black trousers (above) could easily be from 2011. This style of coat was most popular during the 1950s, when it was wider, longer and the Peter Pan collar more pronounced. McAvoy’s costume for Xavier is likewise somewhat period ambiguous. The double breasted reefer style raincoat was likewise prevalent in the fifties, although is a common enough sight now in heavy duty wool.

The flap pocket on Nicholas Hoult’s sports jacket as Hank McCoy is a definite sixties touch. At this time traditional male formal wear was being reworked by Pierre Cardin, a designer perhaps best known for inspiring The Beatles’ tube suits. Standing in the background is Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme. She wears a cropped leather double breasted trench coat as a dress with long matching boots. The suggestion of appearing ‘nude’ beneath outerwear is one that strikes an immediate period vibe, and yet is still acceptable, if risqué, today.

Two final points of note are Xavier’s chukka boots and Lehnsherr’s knitwear (above). Along with desert boots (that have a crepe sole), chukka boots were widely seen after World War II and eventually beloved by the Mod crowd. The idea of short, narrow trousers is partly one of display. These boots are intended to be seen. Lehnsherr wears a fitted rollneck, a style that also came to prominence after the Second World War. The sixties, however, was the time for male knitwear, either under slim suits or more casual with a zip fastening leather jacket.

UPDATE! About an hour after this post was published two more images were suddenly released. Check them out below:

So, James McAvoy’s Professor Xavier in what looks to be a reefer (pea coat), a wool one this time, chunky knitwear and fingerless gloves. At this tight angle it could even be a shot from Wanted (2008). Michael Fassbender is unquestionably Magneto, however. That trademark helmet is instantly recognisable. Judging by the strapping on the yellow and black suit he may have just jumped out an airplane, but that is only a wild guess.

January Jones’ outfits will likely receive most coverage during the run up to X-Men: First Class’ release. Understandable, as she is instantly reflective of the sexy wow factor in the comic book. Moreover, Emma Frost is the most overtly sixties looking character in the group. Of course, cleavage revealing catsuits are still worn nowadays, but more as a throwback costume than a specific look. Shame really.

X-Men: First Class is due to hit major cities on 3rd June.

Source: LA Times and Slashfilm

© 2011, Chris Laverty.

http://blastmagazine.com/2011/01/20/x-men-first-class-photos-and-poster-leak-first-thoughts/

“X-Men: First Class” photos and poster, and first reactions
By Jason Woods

The first pictures from “X-Men: First Class” have hit the internet.

The film is a prequel, and will be set during the 1960s, there era the original X-Men comics debuted in. James McAvoy will play a young, fully haired Charles Xavier. Other characters notable in the posters are Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Bastards”) playing a young Magneto, while January Jones will play the role of Emma Frost, the White Queen.

A full rundown of the promotional posters: Rose Byrne, standing behind Magneto, will play Moira MacTaggert, a love interest and longtime friend of Xaviers. She stands in front of the White Queen, and the last man is Jason Flemying, who plays Azazel, the father of Nightcrawler.

In the other poster, behind Xavier is Jennifer Lawrence, who fans will recognize as playing Mystique. Behind mystique is Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny) who will play a hybrid of different canonical comic book characters, going by the name Angel.

Behind Angel is Lucas Till; he will play Havok, brother to Cyclops. And finally, most will recognize Beast; he will be played by Nicholas Hoult (“About A Boy”).

The film will be a prequel to the first three films, though from the 60s to the early 2000s as the first three were set is a great leap. Some of it does seems to make sense though, with a much younger Beast (and Kelsey Grammer was a very old Beast) and a very young looking Mystique. And with Azazel, the father of Nightcrawler making an appearance along with that same young Mystique, who is the mother of Nightcrawler. Seems like a good age for Nightcrawler in the second film too if Mystique getting pregnant is part of the storyline–which you can assume it is.

Having Havok in the film is concerning however. In canon, he’s the younger brother of Cyclops, though that doesn’t seem likely now.

The costumes shown in the promotional material looks pretty cool. They are going with the Blue and Yellow of the original X-Men costumes, and it actually looks pretty good. January Jones is a pretty smokin White Queen too.

These pictures are pretty encouraging of the film to come. Bryan Singer returned to the fold for the film, and has written the story for the film and is producing as well, showing promise from the first two films of the franchise.

Just as great, Matthew Vaughn is directing the film. He directed last year’s film “Kick Ass,” another film about heroes, and it was a great comic-book adaptation.

It seems pretty late to start seeing promotional work for the film, which comes out June 3 of this year. That will round out a Marvel summer, with “Thor” and “Captain America” also premiering during the season. Either way, expect the comic-book trailers to be coming quick and furious for the coming months.

What do you think of the film’s poster, and the first photos of the characters?

UPDATE: Three more photos!

The “X-Men: First Class” news keeps popping today, with three more photos from scenes in the film.

The first image is the Xavier and Erik playing chess, as they were so fond of doing in the later films.Seems very strange how young the two look. And with two great actors in these roles, its bound to be a great portrayal of the falling out these two had.

The second picture is Kevin Bacon and January Jones, as Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost. Jones is hot, but I’m not sold on her ability to pull of the character. Kevin Bacon is dead on for the role of Shaw in terms of looks, but he’s hit or miss with me, so these two as the heads of the Hellfire Club is something I’m still curious of.

The third picture is of what appears to be the early X-crew, the “first class.” From left to right: Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as a shape-shifted Mystique, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Nicholas Hoult as as human appearing Beast, James McAvoy as Xavier and Lucas Till as Havok.

So now, all these pictures later, what do you guys think of the film?

UPDATE 2: So Matthew Vaughn took to his blog today to share his displeasure with the release of the promo pictures yesterday, saying he didn’t approve their release. However, it was Fox that sent out the press release, so who knows what unrest is there.

But Vaughn delivered some goods too in his post–when he debuted TWO MORE photos from the film.

The first shows Fassbender as Magneto, in full helmet and all. Looks like there will be some action in this film…

The second shows McAvoy grasping his head, clearly doing something telepathic.

So, here’s my initial assessment: What if this is it? What if these two photos–one showing Magneto in action and the other showing Xavier in action–are photos previewing there ultimate fallout? Wouldn’t that be dandy. I know they are in two different locations, but neither one of their powers is exactly proximity based. And there would be some form of poeticism if the first time Fassbender put on the helmet was the final part of his fall to evil.

Check em out.

FINAL UPDATE: So, here we are, seven photos, one poster and a day later. Whew. Only thing else that could happen with this film is if the trailer was leaked today.

Honestly, this film has intrigued me from the get-go with the producer, writer, director, cast, story–everything. But I haven’t exactly been expecting it like a Nolan-film.

Honestly, it’s been going in and out of my mind every few weeks, with little realization that it comes out this summer! But these photos have really put me sharply back into interested mode. I still have some qualms, or at least, concerns and insecurities; But nothing like before.

It’s clear that they’re trying to tell a compelling story with good actors. I’m a big fan of McAvoy since “Atonement,” and Fassbender was one of the best parts of “Inglourious Bastards.” The rest of the cast is solid too. The pictures seem to depict what will be a sharp movie–something I shouldn’t have doubted from Matthew Vaughn.

So what say you Marvel readers–has this film now been bumped up towards “Captain America” and “Thor” on your comic book must watch list?

And one final thought. We get these three Marvel films this summer–then a WHAM next summer.

Darren Aronofsky will direct a “Wolverine” prequel, which should restore some dignity to that character, Chris Nolan will bring “The Dark Knight Rises” to the screen, while a new “Superman” will also hit theaters. And the coup de gras? Joss Whedon’s “Avengers” will hit the screen. Maybe 2012 is the end of the world.

http://www.boxofhorror.com/solid-x-men-first-class-poster/

Solid X-Men: First Class Poster

by Ken Bergman on January 20, 2011

The PR staff over at 20th Century Fox got kind of busy yesterday, starting to heave out various promo stuff on the net, such as set visits, official stills and a poster for their upcoming X-men sequel, X-Men: First Class.

I have had mixed feelings about this one, something that has changed after looking at the photo above featuring the cast, dressed up in their superhero costumes. First I thought I looked at a lineup from Star Trek, but then I spotted James McAvoy, which convinced me that the photo really depicted the cast from X-Men: First Class.

However, even if that particular still seems a bit lame, I’m confident that the director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) with Kevin Bacon (Mystic River), James McAvoy (Wanted) and Michael Fassbender (300) has what it takes to steer this away from an embarrassing failure though. I guess that we will get a hint on which direction X-Men: First Class is heading, when the first trailer arrives, which I imagine will be any day now.

Anyway, I think that the first poster for X-Men: First Class looks promising though, giving a cool and strong impression, or what do you say about it?
X-Men: First Class Poster

The poster for X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class takes place in the 1960′s and depicts the story of how Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr became Professor X and Magneto, and what caused them to go from close friends to sworn rivals. The movie will blaze into our theaters on June 3, this summer.

http://www.thefanboyseo.com/movies/x-men-first-class-teaser-poster-and-images

X-Men First Class Teaser Poster and Images
20 Jan 2011 by FanboyKaizer,

Matthew Vaughn‘s X-Men First Class might not be your cup of tea but here are more images from the upcoming reboot of the film franchise starring James McAvoy and Kevin Bacon.

Y’know after all this years I still wonder why Xavier’s School for the Gifted Youngsters never got the heat especially when humans started hating mutants. Is this like a Superman and Clark Kent thingy?

More images after the cut…

What’s really lacking in James McAvoy is Professor X’s trademark eyebrow.

That’s one comic book loyal helmet Magneto (Michael Fassbender)…

… and a savage looking one at that.

I still can’t seem to figure out what the extra straps in the costumes are for? Are they actually carrying backpacks?

Either way since the teaser images are coming out every so often, lets just wait for an actual explanation for that.

http://javazero.com/new-x-men-first-class-images-hit-as-crew-rushes-to-finish-production/

Thursday, January 20th, 2011 | Posted by

New ‘X-Men: First Class’ Images Hit As Crew Rushes to Finish Production

Bold, but arguably true, words if comic sales and box office are to be believed. The three previous ‘X-Men’ films have earned over a billion dollars combined. However, this is an origin story – with Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsher being played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender and not Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Will fans accept these new actors in the familiar roles? They’ll have to if ‘First Class’ is to succeed at the box office.Vaughn’s film, which is being produced by Bryan Singer, returns to the early days of the X-Men, when Xavier and Lehnsher (who would later become Magneto) are still friends. Singer points out that this bond between the two men and how their differing views in approaching a common cause (the producer compares the character arcs to Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X) eventually leads to a rift will make up the moral center of the film. Oh, and there’ll be lots of superheros running around too. The all-star cast of mutants includes Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Lucas Till amongst others. Despite rumors, it appears as though Wolverine will not be appearing in the film.

Hopefully Vaughn can wrap up production on the film soon so that ‘X-Men: First Class can make its June release date. In the meantime, enjoy these new photos from the shoot and swing by ‘Hero Complex’ for even more pictures and details about the film. We’ve also posted the brand new teaser poster below.

View the Original article

http://flixchatter.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/lookie-here-cool-new-xmen-first-class-pics-teaser-poster/

Oh lookie here! Cool new X-Men First Class pics and teaser poster

January 20, 2011 by rtm

Oooh, my inner fangirl has been so spoiled lately! Forget Spider-man and Captain America, the superhero movie I’m hugely anticipating this year is X-Men: First Class prequel, especially the Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy casting.

You’ve probably seen this banner with all the cast in their mutant suit. As much as I’m excited to see anything from the upcoming flick, I thought the image looks like a bad Photoshop job. But yesterday, a few additional photos were released that look a heck of a lot better and more realistic. I mean, these people look like they were actually being photographed together. I’m digging the retro 60s look, and I think the cast is great. I just realize Rose Byrne is in this one, I like her. And Jennifer Lawrence has been generating lots of buzz with her performance in Winters’ Bone. I’m also looking forward to seeing the talented young Brit Nicholas Hoult (the one with the glasses) as the young Hank McCoy (Beast).

All photos courtesy of LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog

X-Men: First Class Cast

To see the whole cast list, check out its IMDb page

James McAvoy as Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto

As for the teaser poster, they pretty much went with the ‘X’ emblem route that have been used for the previous X-Men flicks (this one for X:3 with Wolverine’s claws is my favorite). The only difference is this one looks a little more retro with the serif font. If you don’t know anything about this film and what ‘school for the gifted’ means, it almost look like a poster for a Roman swords & sandals film as the whole thing kinda looks like a bronze shield.

I wish they’d just release the trailer already, I mean this movie is supposed to be released June 3rd, you’d think they’ve got at least a teaser trailer of some sort. Just as a comparison, Green Lantern is released two weeks later than this one but we’ve already seen its trailer like a month ago. Well, all we got so far is this trailer description that The Daily Blam released earlier this month. Here are some of the highlights:

● Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellan voice over the opening lines about destiny and which side will you stand for as scenes of each in their previous X-Men movie roles flash until the entire screen flashes from white to black.
● A very young Xavier and Erik meet for the first time, followed by a different angle of the scene from the opening of X-Men in the concentration camp.
● Scene transitions to Erik yelling dramatically as metal tables in the room begin to float around him. Xavier and Mags shake hands with a tall man in a lab coat introduced as Dr. McCoy.
● The words “The other was too far gone” flash as a very pissed off Erik storms through a hallway killing guards as he passes them.

And for more First Class goodies, MSN also got an interview with Michael Fassbender where he discussed his role as Erik Lehnsherr (a.k.a Magneto). You can read it here. I absolutely can’t wait for this movie, though I kinda feel bad for director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Layer Cake) who seemed really stressed out based on this Hero Complex article. Looks like this is the first time he’s got to work against an extremely tight deadline, whilst he’s used to working on small films that might not even find a distributor! I hope that the studios cut him some slack, I mean, I’d rather wait a few more months if need be than seeing this suffer from a rushed production.

What say you, folks? Are you as excited about this movie as I am?

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/vaughn-rants-lawrence-chats-about-being-naked-covered-with-blue-paint-and-more-images-are-revealed-from-first-class-12316

Vaughn Rants, Lawrence Chats About Being Naked Covered With Blue Paint And More Images Are Revealed From 'First Class'
By Melissa Molina on January 20, 2011

We could easily dub this week to be "X-Men: First Class" pictures time since Twentieth Century Fox has been flooding all of the movie sites with images from the upcoming prequel. The first of the images was a vast majority of the cast lined up, and apparently that should have never been the first picture for our eyes to see, or at least that's what Matthew Vaughn has us to believe.

Does it matter anyways? We've already seen that picture, along with three others and a teaser poster. But that didn't stop Vaughn from revealing two new pictures of Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and speaks up a bit about the sudden reveal of the first supposed picture.

“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."

Vaughn isn't the only one who's being a bit vocal about "X-Men: First Class." The same goes with actress Jennifer Lawrence who's our younger version of Raven Darkhölme a.k.a Mystique. After the first image we saw of her, she's clearly all decked out in blue skin, and it wasn't the most fun or comfortable experience for the actress. After all, she had to deal with several women working on make-up eight hours a day for months.
"Nothing’s sacred anymore," Lawrence says. "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."

Despite the endless hours having to deal with make-up, at least she gets to share some screen time with some pretty cool actors. And she assured us that Mystique isn't as much of a villain in this prequel than she's been in the previous "X-Men" films. What's even cooler is the fact that the X-crew is decked out in blue and yellow costumes that are very reminiscent of the outfits the mutants would put on in the earlier X-Men comics.

One of the things we would love to hear more about is Sebastian Shaw, the leader of the Hellfire Club who's role is being played by Kevin Bacon. He is this film's number one bad guy, and although Lawrence didn't reveal much about how that's going to work in "First Class," at least she loved working alongside him. Lawrence told me she has filmed a few scenes with Bacon, "and that is my favorite thing about coming to work."

Here's the couple of new images Matthew Vaughn revealed to us. Maybe we'll be getting a teaser trailer really soon at this rate? Come on Fox, you totally should show off "First Class" with the rest of the studios during commercial time at the Superbowl if you know what's good for you.

http://comicpanelist.blogspot.com/2011/01/matthew-vaughn-reacts-to-leaked-x-men.html

Thursday, January 20, 2011
MATTHEW VAUGHN REACTS TO LEAKED X-MEN: FIRST CLASS PHOTO!!!

In typical internet fashion the nerd community has freaked out over a super hero costume. First off everyone relax... This is why the studios control the release of photos and footage so carefully. Now I genuinely try and find the positive in any art (comic, movie, or book) that I consume and the fact that it is only one image and it should not doom a project that is still six months away from release. But to those who were not happy with the image , don't worry you are not alone, even director Matthew Vaughn was not happy about the cast photo that leaked earlier this week.Film website /Film spoke with the director who had this to say about the image,

“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’…"

He further elaborated about the yellow and blue costumes.

"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…”


First off I feel that he doesn't need to defend the costumes they work for what they are trying to accomplish and Vaughn really should own it. One quote that particularly caught my interest was when describing the premise.“Imagine the Cuban Missile crisis and discovering that mutants exist, both at the same time.” Which sounds like he wants it to be a science fiction espionage film with the X-Men which is something I could totally get behind. Yes it is an origin story but it genuinely appears that they are trying something different and that is something that should be embraced. Whether it will succeed is an entirely different question.

In regards to the new photos l really like the new photo of Magneto. The helmet design is very Jack Kirby and works better than it should. Hopefully at the end we will see Michael Fassbender in the complete Magneto uniform. I can see why James McAvoy was cast, of course he is a talented actor but in this photo he definitely has the Kirby Professor X eyebrows. For better or worse this week has been X-Men: First Class coming out party and I for one can promise I will be there opening weekend.

Posted by Matt Todd at 10:27 AM

http://www.cheaterscaughtup.com/?p=1656

Michael Fassbender was sent out to appease the X-Men fanboys
Thu, 20 Jan 2011 | Published in Celebrity Cheaters

As I talked about yesterday, an image of the cast of X-Men: First Class was released a few days ago, and the lack of quality of the image seemed to piss off the fan boys. Fangirls were also disappointed – that stars Michael Fassbinder (Magneto) and James McAvoy (Xavier) were not making out, or embracing, or looking at each other tenderly. What? Fangirls are all over the homoeroticism, and with the Fassdong and McAvoy sharing a screen together, there better be something sexy and intimate for the ladies.

Anyway, people were confused by the poor quality and general budget-ness of the first image, so the studio sent out three nicer promotional images to tease the fans. They also sent out Michael Fassbender to give an interview. The whole piece (here) is all about X-Men, and there’s nothing about the Fassdong (boo!), but I still enjoyed it:

MSN: What drew you to play this character and take on the challenge of assuming a role established by Ian McKellen?
Michael Fassbender: Hopefully I won’t disappoint the fan base out there, because I know that what Ian McKellen did sort of latched onto a lot of imaginations and was very successful. But what drew me was the script and Matthew Vaughn and the fact that James McAvoy was going to be playing young Xavier. I thought it was a fresh take on the whole story. I’ve never been a big comic book enthusiast, but I thought it was an interesting concept to go back to when they were both friends and initially came together.

After you signed on for the role, did a box come in the mail packed with hundreds of “X-Men” comics for you to peruse?
Yes, it did, and I got knee-deep into them once I got involved. That was all my source material, because it’s all there in the comic books in terms of a backstory and formulating the character. I did also watch the other films and took notes from those, but took most of my references from the comic books.

As someone coming to this from a sort of open perspective and not really being a fan, what did you learn about this character?
He’s such a complex character, really, and the idea of him being a villain is interesting considering his history (Lehnsherr is a Holocaust survivor who lost his family in the camps, and later lost his wife and daughter) … he’s a very solitary individual, and the pain and grief that’s gone on even before we meet him in this film is an interesting pool of information to draw from, in coming up with this Machiavellian character for whom the ends justified the means. You can see where he’s coming from. Human beings don’t have the greatest track record in what they’ve done throughout history, so his point of view is, “Well, we are the next stage of evolution — (humans) are to us what Neanderthals were to Homo sapiens.”

He’s always been a fascinating character because he’s not completely wrong, but thinks that everything he does is right, no matter what the cost.
He’s an extremist, and that’s always a dangerous place to be. By the time we leave him at the end of this movie, he’s become very clear about what he wants and his decisions and his game plan.

Early word on the movie’s story line draws parallels between Xavier and Lehnsherr and Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in terms of the methods they use to achieve their goals. Did that comparison come out for you while making the film?
You don’t set out to play these things that way, but it’s a good parallel to have in the back of one’s mind, as something to take from real life as a reference. I didn’t study any Malcolm X videos or anything like that. But it clarifies where both these characters are coming from. Hopefully by the end of the film, the audience is like, “Damn, why didn’t these two guys stay together?” They have enough in common and not in common to keep each other in check, and hopefully the audience will feel like they could have worked together for the greater good.

The words “reboot” and “prequel” are thrown around so much these days, and are sometimes even used interchangeably. Is this a reboot of the entire “X-Men” franchise, or a true prequel where you could watch this and then sit down and watch the three earlier films and see a connection?
I think the fundamentals are the same. The main thread of the story is still the same. I don’t really know how to answer the question because I haven’t seen this one yet, so I haven’t had a chance to watch it side by side with the other ones and see if they’re relative to each other. Hopefully they are, I think, but also we want to do something fresh as well and open a whole new chapter with this without totally betraying what was laid down before.

The film is set in the ’60s and Vaughn has said he wanted to capture a certain look — specifically referencing the James Bond films of that era. He has also said that the costumes will be more like the comics’ versions and not the black rubber look of the other “X-Men” films. Can you comment on both of those ideas?
There’s a scene where they just sort of transformed this hall in London into Buenos Aires Airport, and I just looked around this mock airport and said to myself, “My God, I’ve just had a feeling of being in the ’60s.” From the colors to the costume designs to the production design itself, there’s a sort of nostalgia in the air when you look around the room. It’s just from my own perception of the ’60s, and all that came with it in terms of the music and the fashions and so forth, but all of that comes across in the visual references that we all have. All of that is there to encapsulate the feeling of that era, for sure. As for our costumes, we went back and forth on so many things. We added things that worked in the comics, took them away again, and stripped them down again. … When it came to the Magneto suit, you know, there’s various stages of what has been done with it, but you will have something that is traditional to the comics. There is a helmet (laughs), which is of course essential to keep Charlie-boy out of my head, and the colors are also kept traditional to the comics, that sort of red and purple. I don’t know if I’m giving you too much, but I’ll say it anyway (laughs).

Fans of the “X-Men” franchise were not completely happy with the way that the third film, “X-Men: The Last Stand,” was handled, even though it was financially successful, and there were grumblings about the “Wolverine” film as well. Is there a sense that you’ve set out to earn back the fans’ trust with this one?
I certainly hope so. My face is gonna be up there and my name is gonna be attached to it. I’ve got a lot of faith in Matthew, and everyone is very passionate and working very hard to earn back any trust that’s waned a little bit from the last film.

This interview is one of the first of the early stages of prerelease publicity for the film, which has been kept very much under wraps until now. Any other thoughts that you want to get out there about the movie at this point?
Well, I just hope that this and some of the photos that are being released will whet the fans’ appetites for the summer. Hopefully they’ll be excited.

[From MSN Entertainment]

Yeah, Fassbender is a pro, and he cares about making the fanboys happy. But I still have a bad feeling about this – and I think it’s interesting that the studio didn’t sent McAvoy out as well to do interviews. I wonder if they tried and McAvoy refused? Perhaps because McAvoy knows this thing might be a train wreck? I want to believe it could be good though – I loved two of Matthew Vaughn’s films, Layer Cake and Kick-Ass. I wish he would make another movie like Layer Cake, honestly, and stop messing around with these big-budget messes.

Oh, these images come from the Los Angeles Times – they got an interview from the set with Matthew Vaughn. It’s an interesting read too.

http://soulkiller-rebel-rogue.blogspot.com/2011/01/vaughn-talks-leaked-x-men-photo.html

Thursday, January 20, 2011
Vaughn Talks Leaked X-Men Photo, Releases More First Class Stills
From CBR:

The saga of that X-Men: First Class cast photo — y’know, the one that appeared online Tuesday only to be yanked by the studio, then released again on Wednesday? — continues, this time starring director Matthew Vaughn.

The image, obviously cobbled together in Photoshop by someone (presumably at 20th Century Fox), drew quick criticism from fans, many of whom expressed doubts about the quality of prequel. But an annoyed Vaughn wants to assure them the photo wasn’t pre-approved and, more importantly, doesn’t reflect X-Men: First Class.

“I freaked out on them yesterday,” Vaughn tells Slashfilm. “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.”

Better still, the director released two more stills: Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, wearing his Magneto helmet; and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, apparently employing telepathy.

But wait, there’s more: Ain’t It Cool News has debuted the teaser poster for the movie, which opens on June 3.

Posted by soulkiller at 1/20/2011 01:41:00 PM

http://downtherabbithole01.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/x-men-first-class-first-photos-released.html

X-Men 'First Class' - First Photo's Released

See the full gallery on posterous

20th Century Fox has released three brand spankin new photos today from Matthew Vaughn's movie, X-Men 'First Class'. Might I say, they look great. I know it's early, but you just get a good feeling about a movie when they're doing the little things right.

The first photo, we see Magneto (Michael Fassbender ) and Xavier (James McAvoy) with a group of their first gifted younsters, second we see Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw and January Jones in character as Emma Frost. Lastly we get a great shot of Eric Lensherr and Prof. Xavier playing chess, which was made prominent throughout the trilogy. Next 20th Century Fox has released the first 'teaser poster', which gives the movies release date and a cool vibe of the 1960 era film.

The last two are interesting because word around the internet is that Matthew Vaughn is seriously pissed they've been leaked by someone. In these we see Michael Fassbender as Magneto, and James McAvoy as Professor.X.

Posted via email from Down the Rabbit Hole
2011-01-20 2:09:26 PM