San Fran, CA X3: The Last Stand - 5/26/06

Thought I'd post this Interview with James Marsden:

http://www.scifi.com/sfw/news/
"Marsden Talks Superman, X3

James Marsden, who reteams with his X-Men director Bryan Singer in Superman Returns, told SCI FI Wire that Singer was too focused during the shoot for them to talk about X-Men: The Last Stand, the third installment in the comic franchise, in which Marsden reprises the role of Scott Summers/Cyclops. Singer, who helmed the first two X-Men movies with Marsden, left the franchise to direct Superman Returns, in which Marsden plays Richard White, the fiance of Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth).

Singer "was just intensely focused on Superman," Marsden said in an interview. "He didn't have time to think about X3. We went to dinner a few times, and I never brought it up, really. But if it was brought up, what surfaced was, in my eyes, this sadness. What he told me was the one, ... not regret, ... but the one thing he missed about not being a part of X-Men 3 was the cast. The cast of X-Men was something really very unique and very special. The bond that was created over the last six or seven years with that cast was really something that's not common in the business. You always get to know the people you're working with, but for whatever reason that cast really bonded to the point where you'd work five- or six-day weeks sometimes, and on your one day off you'd get together and go to Ian McKellen's house, where he'd cook you dinner and sit at the piano and sing show tunes. So it was a great group of people, a very talented group of people, and I think Bryan missed that."

Singer has said he reluctantly left the X-Men franchise when the opportunity to direct Superman Returns came up. The third X-Men movie was instead directed by Brett Ratner. When Singer moved over to Superman, he also recruited Marsden for the role of Richard White, the nephew of legendary Daily Planet editor Perry White (Frank Langella) and a rival (with Brandon Routh's Superman/Clark Kent) for the affections of Lois.

As for X-Men, Marsden said: "[Singer] has amazing adoration for what he's created, for the X-Men fans and the X-Men universe, so I think it was a really hard thing for him to give up. Having said that, he knows what he's doing. He knows he empowered his own destiny. So he was very happy to be helming Superman. And when he talked about X-Men 3 he didn't sit around and go, 'What'd they shoot? What's the script like?' He said, 'Brett [Ratner is] a good friend of mine, and I think he'll make a good movie.' He wanted the movie to be good. So it was like you'd see 30 seconds of 'That could have been fun. OK, back to my movie.'" Superman Returns opens nationwide on June 28. ?Ian Spelling "

BTW - the link also has news about J.J. Abrams and the casting of Star Trek, and the new Potter Movie...

 

You always get to know the people you're working with, but for whatever reason that cast really bonded to the point where you'd work five- or six-day weeks sometimes, and on your one day off you'd get together and go to Ian McKellen's house, where he'd cook you dinner and sit at the piano and sing show tunes.

Oh man...what I wouldn't give to be able to say that. Singing showtunes with Ian McKellen?!?!
I suppose that's the price of fame.

 

Going in a different direction, Famke Jannsen was on Conan O' Brien, and shared a story about her and her girlfriend going to a beach in San Diego recommended by a friend, which turned out to be a nude beach. When they got there, they bumped into (of all people) Ian McKellen! Weird, but true.

 

I saw an ad for the "X3" DVD which comes out on Tuesday (10/3), and it said that it has 10 deleted scenes and 3 alternate endings!


Interesting.

 

FYI - Here are a couple of links to more info about the DVD.

First is the myspace page: http://myspace.com/xmenthelaststand

Second, is the link off amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Last-Stand-Stan-Collectors/dp/B000HCO840/ref=pd_sxp_f_r/002-4651016-9810416?ie=UTF8

 

Just saw the film again, but with the director's and writers' commentaries, and it really gives insight into things like why scenes/characters were changed from the comics, to the reason for the scene after the credits. It also had some Star Wars references too. Now, onto the second commentary....

 

I wasn't real impressed by the deleted scenes and alternate endings.
I need to watch it with the commentary now.

 

I wouldn't call most of those deleted scenes, but more like "alternate takes", and those are discussed in the director's commentary as well.