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SALT LAKE CITY — Unlike many of the hyper-secretive directors working in Hollywood today, Bryan Singer took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss “X-Men: Days of Future Past” with his fellow "X-Men" fans.
First in an exclusive interview with Empire, but then casually answering fan questions via social media, Singer has been discussing the latest trailer for “Future Past” scene-by-scene while also answering general questions like, “Mr.Singer, how would you characterize the tone and style of “Days of Future Past?”
“Although there is a great deal of humor,” Singer replied via Twitter, “the overall tone is a bit darker than previous films, particularly because of the stakes.”
Singer goes on to explain specific scenes, which additional X-Men we’ll see in the film (“Blink, Bishop, Sunspot, Warpath, Ink, Quicksilver, etc.”) and who he’d really love to use in future projects (Gambit and Deadpool). Then speaking of returning character Magneto, Singer said:
“There’s a line in the movie, ‘He’s always had a way with guns.’ That’s how he crippled Xavier, and he’s such a powerful mutant but in this particular moment he’s holding a gun and I like that. He’s a product of the Second World War and he knows how to use a gun as much as he does his powers.”
The response to the trailer has been mostly positive, and people have noticed the way Singer is blending the original three films with the style and colors of “X-Men: First Class.” The two minutes of footage cuts between the original and new casts and concludes with an older Professor Xavier trying to convince a younger Professor Xavier to hope again.
"It’s an abstract scene, without giving away its origin and how it happens. It’s a trippy scene, it has a bit of ’70s style in it, and the entire scene involved a lot of interesting practical photography using mirrors and other things. It was fun to shoot, and it was great to get the two actors together.”
And, in case you were wondering if Singer geeks out about these films as much as the fans who pay to see them, Singer added:
“I did get goosebumps. I’ve got a picture on my iPhone of the two of them talking to each other. These moments need to be photographed.”
Like JJ Abram’s “Star Trek” films, “Future Past” has the potential to completely do away with the standing cinematic “X-Men” universe — a move most fans will find bittersweet. But unlike “Star Trek,” “Future Past” is pulling straight from source material. While not a complete adaptation, the latest film is based on the 1981 “Uncanny X-Men” storyline “Days of Future Past.”
If you’d like to share your thoughts on the trailer (included at the top) or just want to keep talking “X-Men,” John Clyde and I will be discussing all things “X-Men” along with reviewing “Ender’s Game” in this week’s “FlicksJunkies” podcast. Either leave us a comment, or send us a tweet @FlicksJunkies.com. Travis Poppleton has been covering movie news, film reviews and live events for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010 and currently co-hosts the FlicksJunkies podcast. You can contact him at tspoppleton@gmail.com
