20th Century Fox has had a string of successful, solid superhero movies, but the studio has a bit of a lag coming up in its schedule. WhileThe Wolverine,X-Men: Days of Future Past, and especiallyDeadpoolwere all big hits, after next month’sX-Men: Apocalypse, the studio doesn’t have anything officially on the books just yet. TheGambitspinoffwas supposed to already be filming at this point, but that film hit yet another snag yesterday asit’s been delayed until the end of this year, which could be a sign that the movie may not ever really happen. AndDeadpool 2is a given, but the studio has yet to officially get the ball rolling on the sequel aside from havingRhett ReeseandPaul Wernickbegin work on the script.
But that’s not to say Fox is in trouble. It’s possible that the smashing success ofDeadpoolhas altered their plans a bit, and we can reasonably expect to see a Deadpool-ledX-Forcemoviefollow shortly afterDeadpool 2, and now we have a promising update on anotherX-Menspinoff that’s been in the works for a while:New Mutants.
The younger-skewing comics adaptation has been in development at the studio for a few years, withKick-Ass 2directorJeff Wadlowpreviously attached to direct before Fox most recently signedThe Fault in Our StarsfilmmakerJosh Booneto co-write and direct the team-up film. Speaking withIGN, producerSimon Kinbergsaid work continues onNew Mutants:
“Josh Boone and his writing partner are working on the script. They’re doing a really nice job of it, and it’s a really cool one, because in many ways, likeDeadpoolwas so different from the mainlineX-Menmovies,New Mutants… It’s maybe not as different asDeadpool, but it has its own unique, original voice to it."
And just what is that “original voice” ofNew Mutants? According to Kinberg, it’s something that may spark to a specific subsection of moviegoers:
“That’s the fun for me, working in theX-Menuniverse, creating these sort of standalone movies that have a different vibe to them. AndNew Mutantshas more of a YA [Young Adult] vibe to it.”
The producer added that fans can expect to see “some familiar faces” from the mainX-Menmovies pop up inNew Mutants, but it’s unclear how soon the film might get underway. Boone is currently getting ready to direct theStephen KingadaptationRevivalbefore hopefully turning his attention back to the long-developingThe Stand, but ifThe Standremainsin a holding patternonce he’s done withRevival, it’s possible he could turn his attention toNew Mutants.
Fox has release dates for unspecified movies staked out for June 25, 2025, July 17, 2025, and August 16, 2025, and sinceApocalypsedirectorBryan Singeris taking a break from the franchise to tackle20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, anX-Mensequel is unlikely to pop up before 2019. So does that meanNew Mutantsis intended to fill one of these release dates? We don’t know for sure, but between Kinberg’s comments and Boone’s involvement, I’m hoping we see the film come to fruition sooner rather than later.
