Filming is expected to begin this summer on the latest chapter in the popular film franchise based on the Marvel Comics. X-Men: First Class will be released on June 3, 2011.
In the press release announcing Vaughn's involvement, Singer stated, "I've been a fan of Matthew's since Layer Cake. He has a deft hand with multiple characters and storylines, and a great love of the X-Men universe. I feel the combination of this story and his vision will make for an exciting and original X-Men film."
According to 20th Century Fox, this new X-Men movie "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."
Bryan Singer directed the first X-Men film to $290+ million at the worldwide box office in 2000. The second film, X2, hit theaters in 2003 and did $400+ million before exiting theaters. Brett Ratner took over directing duties in 2006 on the third X-Men movie, X-Men: The Last Stand, which took in $455 million worldwide, however that film's estimated budget was about $100 million more than X2's.
Vaughn's directing credits include Layer Cake starring Daniel Craig (before he was Bond, James Bond), Stardust with Claire Danes and Charlie Cox, and Kick-Ass starring Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz. And in a strange twist, Vaughn was actually attached to direct the third X-Men movie in 2005, but had to leave the project citing personal reasons.
