ComingSoon.net has now confirmed that X-Men and X2 director
Bryan Singer is officially locked in to helm X-Men: Days of Future Past
following the departure of X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn.
Bryan Singer
Scheduled for release on July 18, 2014, X-Men: Days of
Future Past boasts a script by Simon Kinberg and is said to be inspired Chris
Claremont and John Byrne's comic book storyline that ran in Uncanny X-Men #141
and 142 back in 1981.
"Days of Future Past" introduced the idea of an
alternate future for Marvel's mutants that grew out of the Brotherhood of Evil
Mutants killing an important senator, leading to a future where Sentinels hunt
all mutants.
DOFP is being considered by many fans to be the event film
in the X-Men Universe, as Avengers was the event film in Marvels Cinematic Universe,
as some of the original trilogy’s cast members are rumored to be returning with
most of First Class’ cast returning as well.
Singer produced First Class alongside Vaughn and Vaughn will
remain aboard the new film as producer himself.
In addition to directing the recently-aired
"Mockingbird Lane" Halloween special, Singer directed the upcoming
Jack the Giant Slayer, set for release on March 1, 2013.
The 300 star, Gerard Butler, has signed on to headline Dynamo, an
adaptation of Andy Dougan's nonfiction novel, "Dynamo: Defending the
Honour of Kiev." Published in 2002, the book is officially described as
follows:
“In 1942 at the centre point of World War II an
extraordinary event took place not on the battlefield but in a municipal
stadium in Kiev. This is the true story of courage, team loyalty and fortitude
in the face of the most brutal oppression the world had ever seen.
When Hitler initiated Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, he
caught the Soviet Union completely by surprise. At breathtaking speed his
armies swept east, slaughtering the ill-prepared Soviet forces. His greatest
military gains of the entire war were made in a few short months, and the
largest single country that he conquered was the Ukraine, roughly the size of
France. Ukraine's capital, Kiev, was circled, assaulted and overrun, and among
the city's defenders who were captured and incarcerated were many of the
members of the sparkling 1939 Dynamo Kiev football team, arguably the best in
Europe before the war.
Gerard Butler
Captured Kiev was a starving city whose population were
deported in vast numbers as slave labour. However one man determined to save
not just the surviving players from the Dynamo side but other athletes. He
offered them work, shelter and, most valuable, bread, as workers in his bakery.
Inspired by the charismatic goalkeeper Trusevich, the Dynamo
side was re-formed as Start FC and a series of fixtures was arranged, all of
which the team win handsomely, to such an extent that they inspired Kievan
spirits. The final fixture against the Luftwaffe was agreed by the German
authorities: a well-fed team from the Fatherland would vanquish the upstart
Ukrainians, especially if the game was refereed by an SS officer. The match is
an allegory of resistance; its consequences are brutal.
Andy Dougan has
discovered the truth behind a legendary encounter, sorting fact from fiction
and restoring to the centre of World War II a moment of extraordinary poignancy
and complex bravery, of which the cliche is demonstrably true: football is not
a matter of life or death; it's much more important than that.”
Butler can now be seen in theaters in Chasing Mavericks and
will next star in the White House siege thriller Olympus Has Fallen, set for
release on April 5, 2013.
Dynamo has plans for a European shoot in 2013
with an adapted screenplay by Eli Richbourg. Riviera Pictures, Beau Flynn and
Jeremy Garelick are attached to
The Walt Disney Company announced that it has agreed to
acquire Lucasfilm for a reported $4 Billion dollars! But wait! That’s not all,
as it was also announced that Star Wars Episode 7 will be released 2015. (Avengers
2, Justice League and Star Wars 7 all in the same year?? AWESOME!!)
Star Wars FanArt
In a later conference call, Disney revealed that they are
planning a new trilogy starting in 2015 with a new movie coming every other
year. Meaning that in 2017 and 2019 we will be getting a Star Wars Ep. 8 and 9
respectively.
There’s as always been speculation that a Star Wars sequel
tilogy would be made, with Lucas constantly contradicting himself through the
years. However it would seem that this so-called "Sequel Trilogy"
(Episodes VII, VIII, and IX) would've taken place some two decades after Return
of the Jedi and featured an aged Luke Skywalker training a new order of Jedi
Knights.
When asked about possible "Indiana Jones," films,
the studio responded by saying that they going to concentrate on the "Star
Wars" franchise for now. This is following such big purchases as Pixar and
Marvel Entertainment.
You can check out the full press release at the bottom of
the article.
A lot of fans have also been wondering what will this mean
for the future of the animated series, comics, and all other related Star Wars
materials. Well we have some answers for you, starting with Star Wars in
comics:
Dark Horse Comics has been publishing all LucasFilms
properties for the last 20 years or so, however with the news of Disney
purchasing LucasFilms, what will that mean for the this comic book publisher.
IGN got in touch with Dark Horse president Mike Richardson,
who had this to say on the matter:
"Dark Horse and LucasFilm have a strong partnership
which spans over 20 years, and has produced multiple characters and story lines
which are now part of the Star Wars lore. Star Wars will be with us for the
near future. Obviously, this deal changes the landscape, so we'll all have to
see what it means for the future."
Star Wars Epic FanArt
When Disney bought Marvel, the Disney/Pixar properties that
had comics being published by Boom! Studios eventually reverted to Marvel, so
we might see the same thing happen with the Star Wars and all the other
LucasFilms properties for the matter.
So what will happen with Star Wars on TV?
Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger briefly
touched upon Star Wars’ future in television. Since Disney acquired Marvel they
have put several animated Marvel related properties on a block on Disney XD.
Iger said, “We intend to do more and create a strong Marvel
block,” before adding, “We really like Star Wars‘ potential on TV as well and
we think Disney XD will be a strong home for that.”
Star Wars FanArt
It should be noted that there is a new comedic Star Wars
animated series, Seth Green and Matt Senreich’s Star Wars: Detours, that is
already in production. No network had been announced yet for it, but this news
makes it seem highly likely Disney XD could be the potential home for the
series.
When it comes to Star Wars: The Clone Wars which airs on
Cartoon Network, a corporate sibling to Warner Bros. and DC Comics – making it
unlikely that any future Star Wars series will ever air on that channel. Although
a sixth season is already in production, whether or not it airs on Disney or
another network will remain to be seen, or Disney could simply cancel it.
Wolverine Vs Darth Maul Fan Art! Disney Owns Marvel and Star Wars lets make this happen!
It must be noted that Disney also owns ABC, so anything Star
Wars related could easily be featured on Disney XD or on ABC.
HERES THE FULL PRESS
RELEASE
“Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative
content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to
acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned
by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing
price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05
billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and
issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration
will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.
"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision,
and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," said Robert A. Iger,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "This
transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars,
one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's
unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and
markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term
value."
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures
has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said
George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "It's now
time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always
believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to
set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm
under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the
Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many
generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the
opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks,
live entertainment, and consumer products."
Star Wars FanArt
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm,
a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively
popular and "evergreen" Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses
in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects,
and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio
of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled
for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the
names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker
Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their
current locations.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will
become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan
Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working
directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate,
and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as
executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as
creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with
more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the
franchise well into the future.
The acquisition combines two highly compatible family
entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship
between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content
into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.
Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm's
legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers
a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued
feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars
resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities
for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses
including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star
Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date,
and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world's top product
brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011.
The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content
with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital
platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney's strategic
priorities for continued long-term growth.
Star Wars FanArt
The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney's very successful
acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company's unique
ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality
creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the
application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly
global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney's portfolio of
world class brands significantly enhances the company's ability to serve
consumers with a broad variety of the world's highest-quality content and to
create additional long-term value for our shareholders.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have
approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger
control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has
been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.”
