Bryan Singer Page 5

Having directed the first two films, X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003), and the last two, Days of Future Past (2014) and now Apocalypse. So what keeps bringing him back to this world? "I think it's the history," he says. "It's the history and the cast. I have a history with these characters. So even when another filmmaker like Matthew Vaughn made a movie, I had to be part of it, I had to produce it. So I get drawn back in. I try to get out because I have other ideas for other movies and things, but I really love this universe. I love these characters and I love these actors. We really had a great time."

Singer particularly enjoyed Apocalypse because it deals with the origins of mutants, something that hadn't been addressed before. "It's about the origin of gods and religion," he says. "I read Chariots of the Gods when I was a kid, and I was fascinated with religion and cults and things like that. So that stuff made this so appealing to do. Whenever someone tries to view themselves as higher than everyone else, and more than everyone else, it's a recipe for problems, conflict, disaster, wars, death and destruction!"

Continue reading: Bryan Singer Played God With X-Men: Apocalypse

It seems, according to critics, that 'X-Men Apocalypse' will be joining 'Batman v Superman' in the list of the most disappointing comic book superhero films of 2016, as the franchise returns with much less excitement than the synopsis and trailers suggested. A bit of a Marvel misfire as it were.

'X-Men Apocalypse' hasn't found favour with critics

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the critics hated most about the latest instalment of the 'X-Men' series, which sees the return of director Bryan Singer in a story about the impending doom of mankind. The confusing plot, the poor character development and some overly blase moments made for 'a franchise-killing disaster' according to Forbes, who also said, 'I am not sure how you make Oscar Isaac as a world-destroying baddie dull, but the powers-that-be have pulled it off.' Ouch!

Continue reading: Has 'X-Men Apocalypse' Doomed The Franchise?

X-Men: Days of Future Past has been making news with its stellar debut over the weekend. Despite some concern from Twentieth Century Fox following the allegations raised against director Bryan Singer, the film’s profits skyrocketed over its debut weekend, reaching $91.4 million domestically (according to Box Office Mojo) and anchoring Days of Future Past at the top of the box office.

Singer's labor of love is doing great, despite the scandal.

DoFP’s profits currently stand at $111 million in the US and $191 million internationally, making it the fourth biggest opening for 2014, behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla and The Lego Movie.

Continue reading: Amid "Days Of Future Past's" Box Office Success, Bryan Singer Rumored To Stay On With Franchise

Godzilla has basically had free reign over the box office since it stormed its way towards $200m+ in the global box office, and that’s without China and Japan – a huge market, especially for this particular franchise – still to come. But with X-Men: Days of Future Past set for release this Thursday, that ‘biggest opening’ mantle is set to be a short-lived one.

Back in 2006, The Last Stand pulled in $102m - $10m more than Godzilla’s debut weekend and that was 8 years ago. 3 years before that, X2: Z-Men United grabbed a very healthy $85m on opening weekend. 

Continue reading: Will 'Days Of Future Past' Swat 'Godzilla' Away In This Weekend's Box Office?

Bryan Singer's first two X-Men movies are considered high-points of the superhero genre, combining strong characters, ripping action and deep layers of resonant subtext. Then he abandoned the franchise to make Superman Returns (2006), leaving mindless action-comedy filmmaker Brett Ratner to make the underwhelming X-Men: The Last Stand. Fans thought the characters were done forever. And the even less coherent X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) seemed like the final nail in the coffin.

Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy and Hugh Jackman in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

Then Matthew Vaughn stepped into the ring, hot off his post-modern superhero romp Kick-Ass (2010), he went back in time for X-Men: First Class (2011), a clever reworking of the characters that allowed him to recast them with rising-star actors like Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult. Never one to hang around or repeat himself, Vaughn then left to work on his thriller The Secret Service, starring Colin Firth, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson.

Continue reading: With Bryan Singer Back In The Saddle, X-Men Franchise Thrives Again

X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer faces fresh allegations of sexual assault. The latest accusations follow a federal lawsuit filed by former child model Michael Egan in April. Now a second man, an anonymous Brit, has come forward, filing a claim in California accusing Singer and theatre producer Gary Goddard of sexually assaulting him when he was a child.

Director Bryan Singer is currently facing two separate sexual abuse lawsuits

The claim has been filed by the same lawyer working with Egan, whose lawsuit is against both Singer and Goddard, as well as two others. The latest lawsuit alleges that Goddard actively contacted the plaintiff on a social media website when he was just 14, later contact escalating to nude webcam conversations when the boy was 15. The man also claims that when he was 16 he began a sexual relationship with Singer.

Continue reading: 'X-Men' Director Bryan Singer And Gary Goddard Face Second Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Bryan Singer finally speaks out after being sued for allegedly sexually abusing a 15 year-old boy in 1999.

The federal lawsuit, which was filed in Hawaii on Wednesday (April 16th) by Michael Egan, states that the 48 year-old filmmaker raped and drugged the minor, as part of an alleged Hollywood sex ring.

The 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' director released a statement addressing the claims on Thursday (April 24th).

Continue reading: Bryan Singer Speaks Out Against "Outrageous, Vicious And Completely False" Sexual Abuse Claims

People's "Most Beautiful": Lupita Nyong'o is beautiful? Tell us something we didn't know! The 12 Years a Slave star was honoured this week for her natural beauty and bang-on style with People magazine's "Most Beautiful" prize. Sure, the award isn't as special as say, her Academy Award but goes to show that 2014 is the year of the Lupita for sure with filmmakers, fashion houses and fans falling at her feet. Need inspiration? We've compiled a list of her top red carpet looks here. And what was that about a role in the new Jungle Book movie?

'The Hobbit' Name Change: It's a bold thing for a director to change the name of a movie but the third and final 'Hobbit' movie has received a make-over from 'There And Back Again' to 'The Battle of the Five Armies.' Find out Jackson's reasoning for the swap here. The grandiose new title brings visions of the predictably epic battle between the goblins and dwarves, elves, men, and the majestic giant eagles at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. Expect awesomeness: here are our three predictions for the new movie.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Avril Breaks Windows, 'The Hobbit' Gets A New Name, And Lupita Is Beautiful (Duh)

Garth Ancier, Gary Goddard and David Neuman, three top Hollywood executives, have flatly denied sexually abusing a teenager in the 1990s. An attorney for one of the men said the allegations - made by Michael Egan, 31 - were "demonstrably untrue", while another called them "without merit."

Bryan Singer Has Denied Sexual Abuse

Egan has also filed a similar suit against X-Men movie director Bryan Singer on April 16.

Continue reading: Top Hollywood Executives Deny Sexually Abusing Teenager

Michael Egan, the man who accused X-Men director Bryan Singer who sexually assaulting him when he was just 15, has filed lawsuits against 3 other Hollywood big wigs, also claiming sexual assault. Those men are Garth Ancier, David Neuman and Gary Goddard, according to TMZ.com. 

Bryan Singer Has Been Accused of Rape

Ancier created The Ricki Lake Show and headed up the Fox entertainment group, producing 21 Jump Street, Married...With Children, The Simpsons and In Living Color. He also developed Home Improvement at Disney and got The West Wing on the air at NBC.

Continue reading: Bryan Singer Scandal: Who's Accusing Who, Of What?

The man accusing director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing him in 1999 has held a press conference alongside his lawyer, Jeff Herman, to detail and publicise his abuse. Michael F. Egan III is suing the X-Men filmmaker for numerous incidents of molestation which he claims took place over two years around the time he was 17 years old.

Bryan Singer Is Accused Of Raping A 17 Year-Old Boy Back In 1999.

The suit, which has been filed in Hawaii, alleges that Singer and others abused Egan during "sordid parties" after he arrived in LA from the Midwest as a young wannabe actor. Egan claims that Singer and others threatened to make or break his career depending on his willingness to keep them happy, which resulted in the director one time forcibly sodomising him as retaliation for refusing to perform oral sex.

Continue reading: Bryan Singer’s Accuser Says He Was “Piece Of Meat”, As FBI Denies Mishandling 2000 Testimony

Fox has released the X-Men: Days of Future Past behind-the-scenes featurette as it prepares its promotional material ahead of the movie's release on May 23. Mainly featuring Bryan Singer explaining his reasons for getting back into the director's chair for the latest entry in the long-running superhero series, the new clip also features some pretty neat looking footage from the blockbuster.

Ian McKellen in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Singer's first two movies starring Hugh Jackman paved the way for the younger cast (McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence etc) to take a hold of the franchise, though the filmmaker is delighted to be forging both teams together for Days of Future Past.

Continue reading: Inside 'Days Of Future Past', "Now I Really Feel I'm Making An X-Men Movie"

News from the Star Wars universe had fans nervous, as screenwriter Michael Arndt left his Episode VII draft to be rewritten by director Jj Abrams and Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. Arndt hinted that the film's release might be delayed until 2016 as a result. Read the full story here.

The biggest rumour this week was that Meryl Streep may join the cast of The Expendabelles, the female spin-off from Sylvester Stallone's Expendables franchise. Cameron Diaz and Milla Jovovich are also up for roles in the adventure thriller. But this would be Streep's first action movie since The River Wild, 20 years ago. See who else is rumoured to join the cast here!

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Meryl Streep Takes Action! Daniel Radcliffe Runs! And We Get New Trailers For X-Men, Budapest Hotel And More

Following a nastily short, nevertheless exciting, six-second teaser trailer released last week, we finally have a longer trailer to whet our comic book appetites. The emotive, epic trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past sets out the story, which sees two generations of X-Men required to stop a war before it begins.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine faces a difficult task

Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman reprise their roles; the latter being the conduit on which the film’s plot is based. He must wake up in his younger body, and find a young Professor Charles Xavier and “guide him, have patience with him.”

Continue reading: 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past,' Different Generations Of Superheroes Combine [Trailer + Pictures]

Filmmaker Bryan Singer has released the first clip from his anticipated X-Men sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past - a few seconds of footage featuring Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier.

Days of Future Past - due out in May 2014 - follows on from Matthew Vaughn's 2011 prequel X-Men: First Class which chronicled the superheroes' origins in the 1960s.

The new movie - which stars James McAvoy as the young Xavier, Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender as Magnet, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Anna Paquin as Rogue and Halle Berry as Storm, is adapted from one of the comic book story lines conceived by Claremont. 

Continue reading: Will 'X-Men: Days Of Future' Past Energize Or Kill Off The Franchise?

The X-Men stars who were present at this year's monumental Comic-Con included writers Simon Kinberg and Omar Sy, as well as Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, director Bryan Singer, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicolas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Evan Peters, with producers Lauren Shula Donner and Hutch Parker.

Hugh Jackman: Always Ready To Break Into Song.

Hugh Jackman, AKA Wolverine, took centre stage as arguably the most memorable and distinctive character in the long-running franchise. Describing his role as Wolverine as "the job that has defined [his]career...every day [he's] grateful," he added "I thank my lucky stars" before he and X-Men director Bryan Singer engaged in a spot of snuggling.

Continue reading: X-Men At Comic-Con 2013: 'Wolverine The Musical', The Dinklage Hair & "Hideous" 70s Clothes

The Station Agent actor Peter Dinklage has joined the cast of the latest X-Men movie Days of Future Past. Director Bryan Singer announced the news on Wednesday (February 13, 2013), tweeting, "Officially like to welcome Peter Dinklage from Game Of Thrones to XMEN Days of Future Past. Very very excited!"

The casting of Dinklage is a strong move from Singer and the team - he won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes in 2012 for his role as Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones. It's yet to be determined which role he will play in the forthcoming X-Men movie, which is co-written by Matthew Vaughan, the director of the previous movie. The franchise has spawned five movies so far, including the 2009 Wolverine spin-off. A follow-up to that film, The Wolverine, is due out this summer with Hugh Jackman's character travelling to Japan to train with a Samurai warrior. 

Peter Dinklage Has Signed On For Bryan Singer's X:Men: Days Of Future Past

Continue reading: Peter Dinklage Signs On For X-Men Movie 'Days Of Future Past'

The names Hugh Jackman and X-Men have long since become synonymous with one another, so it’s almost unthinkable at this point that another instalment of the sci-fi action film would go ahead without him. Good news, then, for fans of the rugged Antipodean, with E! Online reporting that he may be getting his top off, growing his metal claws and getting his anger on again for the forthcoming movie X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

If that sounds like a confusing title for a film, then it’s because the chronology of the series is starting to get a bit wonky itself. Directed by Bryan Singer, Days Of Future Past acts as a sequel to X-Men: First Class, which in itself was a prequel to the original trilogy that Jackman first starred in. So it’s sort of like Star Wars then, we think. Jackman has also starred in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and also has new film The Wolverine coming out next year. It’s starting to get a bit convoluted.

However, on paper this new X-Men film certainly sounds like it’s going to be the real deal, with old co-stars Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen also allegedly getting involved in a bit of mutant fisticuffs once again, whilst First Class actors Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy could also be in the frame to return. Jackman will next be on the big screen, though, as part of the Les Miserables cast, which is released on Christmas Day.

It's been three years in the making and has changed form quite a bit in that time, but finally the trailer for Jack the Giant Slayer has been released, and it looks amazing! 

With an incredible array of British stars including Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor and Eleanor Tomlinson (who you may not know yet, but will soon) appearing in the film, the very foundations of the movie already seem promising. Plus, Bryan Singer is directing which is another great sign. He's the man behind X-Men, X2 and X-Men: First Class, so when it comes to heroes and villains he knows what he's doing. Fundamentally a re-envisioning of the classic fairytale, Jack and the Bean Stalk has plenty of those polemical characters, and the giants do look truly grotesque. 

Singer spoke to Total Film earlier this year and said: "It's a very traditional fairytale, probably the most traditional thing I've ever done. But it'll also be a fun twist on the notion of how these tales are told," he said. "There might be some scary moments. The giants do like to eat people. There's a little of that. They're giants, you know? It's what they do!"  

Continue reading: Fairytales On The Big Screen, Jack The Giant Slayer Trailer Unveiled

Matthew Vaughn has decided against directing the sequel to X-Men: First Class, instead opting to helm another 20th Century Fox film, the comic-book drama Secret Service, according to Deadline.com.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is likely to be another huge money-spinner for Fox - with Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence confirmed to return - so it's refreshing to see Vaughn opting to try something new instead of taking the riches that will inevitably come attached to a huge sequel such as Future Past. Vaughn, 41, appears to be a filmmaker who knows what he wants: he quickly passed on directing the sequel to the Kick-Ass movie, entrusting the job instead to Jeff Wadlow. Anyway, Fox has moved pretty quickly in replacing Vaughan, with Bryan Singer likely to be confirmed for the project in the near future. You may remember Singer directed the X-Men (2000) and X-2 in (2003) though he's best known for the superb Usual Suspects (1994). He was already signed on as a producer on the new film, and the move will see Singer and Vaughn switch roles with the latter stepping back to a producing role.

Singer, 47, has a pretty open schedule having completed shooting on his modern day fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer, starring Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor.

Continue reading: Matthew Vaughn Passes On X-Men Sequel: Who's The Replacement?