In Hollywood, major projects can sometimes go through multiple rounds of development. A movie likeX-Men: First Class, for example, didn’t begin and end with filmmakerMatthew Vaughn. Its origins date back to a Magneto prequel movie that was in development, whose script was then mashed together with an early draft for aFirst Classmovie byJosh Schwartz, and then the film ultimately went through even more evolution once Vaughn signed on.
This is kind of par for the course, especially when it comes to big IP, and that’s certainly the case with theX-MenspinoffX-Force. Based on the comics of the same name, anX-Forcemovie has been in development at 20th Century Fox for quite some time, and whileThe Cabin in the WoodsfilmmakerDrew Goddardis currently attached to write and direct, the project went through some iterations a few years ago with filmmakerJeff Wadlow.
Collider’s own Christina Radish recently spoke with Wadlow about his new Blumhouse horror movieTruth or Dare, and during the course of their conversation Wadlow revealed what he had planned for his take onX-Forceand what ultimately happened to the film. Wadlow signed on to writeX-Forceback in 2013, coming off his directorial work onKick-Ass 2. The filmmaker says while the studio ultimately liked his take on the script, they decided to lead withDeadpoolfirst and putX-Forceon the backburner:
“I wrote a draft and they really liked it. They just reached a critical moment, where they were deciding whether they were going to makeDeadpoolorX-Force. I’ve always loved Deadpool and I tried to rehabilitate him in myX-Forcemovie because, like the rest of the fans, I felt like they totally screwed it up inX-Men: Origins. I had actually been talking to Ryan Reynolds about playing him in myX-Forcemovie, but myX-Forcemovie was much more focused on Cable and the New Mutants becoming this paramilitary unit. So, Fox was trying to decide whether they going to do theDeadpoolsolo movie or myX-Forcemovie. Fortunately, they picked theDeadpoolsolo movie because it’s great. Fortunately for the world, I should say, but unfortunately for me. But, I have no complaints about the process. I’m a huge fan of Ryan’s and I loved theDeadpoolsolo movie. I’m super excited forDeadpool 2. It’s a little bit of a bummer, but that’s life in the big leagues.”
Wadlow says his take onX-Forcewould have shed light on mutants from a different class than those in the traditional X-Men movies:
“When I pitched for it, I said, ‘IfX-Menis about the mutants that get to go to private school, I want to make a movie about the mutants that go to public school. They’re the kids that don’t have a jet swooping down to help them, with Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. What’s it like when you don’t have those guys helping you out and you’re forced to figure out who you are in this world?’”
That actually sounds a lot like the direction Fox is going withThe New Mutants, which is scheduled to hit theaters next year. And while it’s a bummer for Wadlow that hisX-Forcedidn’t get off the ground, Fox made the right call in leading withDeadpooland then eventually getting around toX-Forceas opposed to trying to rush the team-up movie first. In the wake ofThe Avengersevery studio in town was trying to force a cinematic universe, but Fox really made the right call here.
Wadlow was also previously attached to aMasters of the Universemovie, which has been in development for a long, long time. He came onboard in 2014, and the filmmaker says his take on the material was more in line withGuardians of the Galaxy, while the studio wanted a more straightforward fantasy tone:
“I had a really irreverent take onMasters of the Universe, and the studio, at the time, was very focused on aGame of Thrones/Lord of the Ringstake. I love He-Man. I still have all my original figures from the ‘80s. That’s how I got the job. I brought them in and put them on the table and was like, ‘This is why I’m a director!’ I wrote a scene where Prince Adam meets Ram Man and says to him, ‘So, they call you Ram Man, huh?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes, ‘Do you like that name?’ And Ram Man goes, ‘I’m owning it.’ So, there was an irreverence to it, but at the time, that just didn’t gel with what they wanted to do.”
Wadlow notes that his take may have been a bit too early, as studios are now all about irreverence in sci-fi:
“It’s interesting now, withThor: RagnarokandGuardians of the Galaxy. I think that’s sort of what I was trying to do, but either I was too early or they just never saw it that way. That’s the weird thing about making movies in the studio system. You can have a take and a real point of view, but if it doesn’t line up with the point of view of the people who are writing the checks, it doesn’t matter. That’s why working with Jason [Blum] has been so fantastic. He’s changing the way that movies are made. He’s basically saying, ‘As long as we keep the budget down, it doesn’t matter what I think. I want you to do what you think is best.’”
IndeedTruth or Darelooks like a great thrill ride, and theMasters of the Universemovie is still languishing in development hell at the moment as it’s gone through two more subsequent directors after Wadlow left. All’s well that ends well.
