XMEN : Days of Future Past ( Potential SPOILERS)

[jo]

That was a much livelier panel!

Hugh and Wolverine are obviously crowd favorites, even if HJ actually wants to be Deadpool ( the athlete in him?)

Thanks for the clip!


Jo

[jo]

Hugh always has a great time with Josh Horowitz!

Jo

[jo]

The first official posters for DAYS OF FUTURE PAST have been released --












But when will they release the official poster of " The time-travelling mutant"??

[mamaleh]

Those new posters are very STEADY RAIN-ish with the blended faces of the two actors playing each part. It's still an intriguing look and makes for an effective image.

Ellen

[jo]

Here's the mutant who will link the younger and the senior XMEN --

[jo]

Bonding together, after the ComicCon appearance --

www.film-news.co.uk/show-news.asp?H=Hugh-Jackman:-X-Men-cast-party-hard&nItemID=20550

Hugh Jackman: X-Men cast party hard

added: 25 Jul 2013 // by: Film-News.co.uk Newsdesk



Hugh Jackman loves to “hit the dance club” with his X-Men castmates.

The Australian actor stars alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Michael Fassbender, Peter Dinklage and Halle Berry in the Marvel movie franchise.

The ensemble reunited on Saturday at Comic-Con 2013 in San Diego to speak about their newest series instalment X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Being with his co-stars again on the panel evoked fond memories in Hugh of the huge amount of fun they had together while shooting the picture.

Hugh says following the discussion the cast picked up where the party left off and they headed to a local discotheque to boogie down.

"We hit the usual dance club," he laughed to Entertainment Tonight. "We all sort of hung out together that day -- Michael Fassbender leading us all astray."

Hugh was blown away by the audience’s lively energy while he sat on the Comic-Con panel.

The experience provided him with a fresh perspective on how much people value the X-Men franchise.

"What's so cool about it was doing that for the fans," he explained.

"Because obviously we're shooting it at the moment, so we're always together all the time, but you have to really take a moment and realise how lucky you are to be on a panel with that kind of calibre of people, and in front of that crowd -- they just went mental."

X-Men: Days of Future Past will reach theatres in May 2014.

Jo

[jo]

Bryan Singer shares more insights on DAYS OF FUTURE PAST --


www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=38315

Exclusive: Bryan Singer Talks X-Men: Days Of Future Past
'Charles is in a very dark hole... Erik has been gathering power.'

31 July 2013 | Written by Ali Plumb | Source: Empire


In the new issue of Empire we spoke to the mutant mastermind himself, Bryan Singer, and asked him all about his return to the beloved X-franchise he helped create with X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Here below is what he had to say...

The X-Men franchise is the most uncanny of things: a series where its storylines are less convoluted than the game of musical chairs played by its directors. Bryan Singer, director of Days Of Future Past, replaced Matthew Vaughn, who himself replaced Singer on the previous X-Men: First Class, having himself been replaced by Brett Ratner on the third X-Men movie, The Last Stand, having first replaced… Bryan Singer.

Yet there’s something fitting about the fact that original X-Men/X2 director Singer is back for the biggest X-Movie yet. “It takes place in the future and the past and then all over the world, from Russia to China, then France, and Washington, New York,” he says. “It’s got scope, but most of the scope is in the breadth of the story.”

That story is inspired by the classic Chris Claremont/John Byrne comic-book arc, which takes place in a possible future where mutantkind has been virtually wiped out by giant robots called Sentinels. A rogue group of X-fugees, led by Wolverine and Storm, try to save the future by changing the past, so they send one of their number back in time to hook up with the early X-Men.

It’s not a straight adaptation, though. “It’s its own story, inspired by Days Of Future Past,” insists Singer. Days Of Future Past, the comic, doesn’t feature Professor X or Magneto, but Days Of Future Past, the movie, operates as a follow-up to X-Men: First Class and the original trilogy. “I’d say it’s not a sequel to one of the others,” says Singer. “It’s an inbetwequel — that’s what I call it, for lack of a better word. It takes place about ten years, give or take, after X-Men 3; and in the past it takes place about ten years after First Class.”

Which means it features two sets of Professor Xs and Magnetos: the Patrick Stewart-plus-Ian McKellen vintage, and the James McAvoy-plus-Michael Fassbender models introduced in First Class. “They’re in a radically different place,” explains Singer of the latter. “Charles is in a very dark hole when we meet him, and Erik has been gathering his power.”

Days Of Future Past boasts a huge ensemble. First Class is also represented by Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, with Nicholas Hoult slaying giants once more as Beast; while the cast from the original includes Halle Berry as Storm, Shawn Ashmore as Iceman and Ellen Page as Shadowcat.

Page’s character is the one who goes back in the comic, but in the movie that changes. “She’s the prime facilitator — it’s her power that enables that to happen,” reveals Singer. “But it’s Wolverine who has the strength and the stamina to be able to go back on this journey.”

Meaning Jackman has spent far more time with Fassbender and McAvoy than his First Class F-bomb cameo allowed. “Watching them on set together is really fun,” Singer says. “There are a few moments of improvisation, when the characters clash, that are really jolting and exciting.”

X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set for a May 22, 2014 release. This month's Empire is out now.

[jo]

[jo]

More filming in Montreal --

fyantagonist.tumblr.com/post/57257351504/on-the-set-of-the-movie-x-men-days-of-future




Unmistakable -- even from the back





So Wolverine meets Charles and Erik, before the Cuban missile crisis ?? But why are they wearing 70's fashion when the crisis occured in October 1962? Hmmm... unless Charles's wheelchair was not shown in this photo as the actors prepare to step into their roles? Or have the timelines been reworked??



Jo

[jo]

www.joblo.com/movie-news/bryan-singer-talks-x-men-days-of-future-past

Exclusive: Director Bryan Singer talks X-men, Man of Steel, Russell Crowe as Wolverine and more!
Aug. 6, 2013by: Paul Shirey


Director Bryan Singer did a Q&A at The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal this evening and our man, Chris Bumbray, was there to catch all the info he had to spill. During the Q&A, Singer talked a great many things, including his feelings on MAN OF STEEL, the tone and timeframe of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Russell Crowe's stipulation to playing Wolverine, and much, much more. Singer also played the same trailer that he premiered at Comic Con this year, which you can read a full description of here (Bumbray's take was similar to mine, though, saying "Trailer was scored with inception music - looks amazing, and hugely epic, more than any comic book movie that we've ever seen except maybe THE AVENGERS").


Here's the bullet points from the Q&A, which are pretty damn interesting:

*X-MEN films somewhere between THE DARK KNIGHT and Marvel movies.
*Before starting first X-MEN watched all 70 episodes of animated series
*Release schedule moved up six months on first film, which led to a few unpleasant moments.
*On Man of Steel: Very different film. A total reconception of the Donner films.
*Brushed off suggestions Man of Steel had no charm. "Henry Cavill is pretty charming."
*His super-sequel (to his SUPERMAN RETURNS) would have been a bit like Man of Steel with an alien threat.
*Loved working with with Tom Cruise. "Great guy. Very deferential to directors"
*On STAR TREK: Thinks he's too big a fan to ever do one. Would be too precious. Thinks Abrams is better for that.
*On TRICK R TREAT (which he produced): Very proud of it. Would love to do a "suspenseful horror" like Exorcist.
*On JACK THE GIANT SLAYER: Shrugged off suggestions it was creatively compromised. The studio didn't do a great job distributing it but he's proud of the film.


*X-Men Days of Future Past: Shot in native 3D.
*X-Men Days of Future Past: No Scarlet Witch in Days of Future Past.
*X-Men Days of Future Past: William Stryker will be in Days of Future Past. Josh Helman is playing him
*X-Men Days of Future Past: Not the brightest X-Men movie, but it has a good message, trying to right wrongs.
*X-Men Days of Future Past: Most of the movie takes place in 1973. Future segments are 10 years after X3.
*X-Men Days of Future Past: You find the characters in very different places that you saw them in First Class. Shows then becoming who they have to be.
*Remembers Russell Crowe saying he'd play Wolverine - but only if he could play him bald. Didn't work.
*Thoughts on Cyclops demise in X3: Wishes he could bring him back. Wasn't happy with that choice. Could justify bringing Xavier back because he transferred his consciousness and could possibly construct a body around that consciousness. Was however, happy about some things- like the casting of Ellen Page.
*On any Marvel movies he'd like to make: "Iron man so I could finally buy that house I always wanted or a plane." Seriously though, has an idea for a Marvel Universe mash up he didn't want to reveal.
*Once had a bad editing experience because he wasn't working with John Ottman. Wouldn't reveal the film (but it seems the first X-MEN was the only one Ottman didn't edit) but had such a big fight with the editor, that he smashed a bottle on the wall and was locked out of the editing room for three days.
*Are superhero movies a trend or here to stay? Believes they are our modern day mythology- our generation's King Arthur. Lots of fun to reinvent and Will be around for a long time.
*Tons of info from Mr. Singer, who was forthcoming and respectable during the Q&A (which was open to the public at no charge).


All in all, based on Singer's comments here and the footage that both Bumbray and I have seen for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, it feels like the director may have finally graduated into the big leagues with the latest sequel, as it finally taps into the epic mythology of the characters. There are doubters among us, and rightly so, but based on what we've seen and heard from Singer this is stacking up to be the best of the X-films to date.

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is set for release on May 23, 2014.

[jo]

*Remembers Russell Crowe saying he'd play Wolverine - but only if he could play him bald. Didn't work.

Russell has an inventive way of saying NO 8-)


Although when he bailed out from the role of The Drover ( AUSTRALIA), he said it was because " he didn't work for charity ( for the studio) " .... NOsmiley-signs101


But they both wanted to be in LES MISERABLES so much, they " didn't charge full freight", according to Anne Thompson ... YESP-)


Jo

[jo]

Hugh Jackman ‏@realhughjackman 8m

Just hanging with the lads on XMEN DOFP!!!!

Aussie, Irish/German, and Scot -- all descended from the British Isles!


Jo

[jo]

It looks like some footage has leaked --

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsnPxvHjkEU&feature=player_embedded



Here's another link, in case the first one is taken down by the internet police

www.superheromoviesnews.com/2013/08/lq-even-more-x-men-days-of-future-past.html



And another link to a site which has uploaded two clips, just in case - LOL!

wegotthiscovered.com/movies/x-men-days-future-past-trailer-leaks/




Hmmm...very different feel to it and quite fascinating <cool>

From the look of it, it seems Wolverine will play the key role ( or at least the persona on whom the whole linking of the two generations can be made possible !)

Glad to see you again emoticon-cartoon-020



Jo

[jo]

Bryan Singer‏@bryansinger27 Jul
Ton Ton mascot #Xmen #DaysOfFuturePast pic.twitter.com/woZzZEf8Vq

Has Dali joined the cast


Jo

[jo]

It looks like Dali said Goodbye on August 10--

Bryan Singer‏@bryansinger10 Aug
#Xmen #DaysOfFuturePast mascot Ton Ton departed today. Very sad. Show's almost over. pic.twitter.com/tfLcPO4qXV

Is filming over?


Jo

[mamaleh]

The Frenchie was ID'd as Ton Ton, not Dali.

Very intriguing DoFP trailer that happily includes a lingering shot of shirtless you-know-who.

Thanks, Jo!

Ellen

[jo]

Yup, but fans are saying that Bryan decided to give him a different name, based on a fictional animal character called TonTon ( actually a pig)? Maybe so, maybe not - but there's some resemblance

naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Tonton



I guess Hugh's family, sans Deb who might still be in Africa, were with him on a set visit ... and a tour of beautiful Montreal? And Dali took the plane,too...and got the cast's attention

If Hugh has not completed filming( which Bryan says is almost over) - maybe he just took them home for the weekend?


We'll know if filming is over - depending on the status of his facial hair - LOL!


Jo

[jo]

Hugh Jackman‏@realhughjackman6h
Ron & Mel from the best Aussie meat pie shop outside of OZ. the

He tweeted this on Monday, so he must be back in Montreal?


Maybe he will be there for the wrap!


Jo

[jo]

It seems that that the footage was part of what was shown at ComicCon. Some fans say this is a shortened version.

Looking at it more intently --

*It does look like this is centric on Wolverine as Prof Xavier seems to be guiding him through his time travel process. At least in these scenes. I wonder what happens once he gets transported to the 1970's ( 1973) when he gets to meet the young Prof Xavier and Magneto ( Did you spot two brief glimpses of MacAvoy and Fassbender?)... If Singer is not careful - this movie might end up as The Wolverine II smiley-happy036

*Does Wolverine go through some kind of rebirth - hence the nude image of his upper torso ( not sure if that was also Logan in the scene which seems to show a nude man in full - it is likely to be Logan -- wasn't there talk of full nudity from the ComicCon reports ?? Although that will likely be discreetly edited for PG-13 sake).

*Wolverine shows some streak of grey at his temples. Same as in the comics.

*Storm seems to be sporting a "mohawk" hairstyle.

*They seemed to be wearing a futuristic leather uniform which is sleeveless ( the better to show off Wolverine's arms - LOL - maybe that was why Hugh kept going to the gym )...One fan said he/she didn't particularly like Storm's "circular tablecloth" cape - haha!

*That scene of Mystique ( Jennifer Lawrence) with that tear coursing down her cheek was emotionally engaging, coming from a character like her.

*Sorry - I did not spot Rogue, although some fans say she was there, too.

*Sorry, too - I am not familiar enough with the other characters to spot them, but I think I might have seen Kitty there.


There is something quite different in the feel of this movie! Hope this becomes a real monster crowd-pleaser!


Jo

[ocjackie]

I was on my computer early this morning and "Newsy" has said Hugh has been offered $100 million dollars to sign a contract for four more Wolverine movies. They said he has not signed yet, because he does love and enjoy playing the part, but he also wants to look for more dramatic roles. I guess at this point, he can pick and choose whatever he wants. I just wish he would have said something about going back to Broadway, but we can hope. I'm so glad he's getting the recognition that he deserves. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. But I am very prejudiced.

[jo]

It looks like Hugh might still be in Montreal --

Gloria ‏@gloriarwallace5m
Passed @realhughjackman on the side walk in Montreal today. Didn't say anything, pretty sure he already knows he's Hugh Jackman. #hi

Bryan Singer says they're wrapping soon!


Jo

[jo]

From the woman who made it all happen for Hugh, in terms of his film career --

pbs.twimg.com/media/BRlUL22CEAAZmtY.jpg:large

Lauren Shuler Donner‏@shudonner15h
14yrs have Past since we shot X-Men. Who could've known this would be our Future? @bryansinger @realhughjackman #DOFP pic.twitter.com/638V82Hv7W

Would things have been different for Hugh, career-wise, if Lauren Shuler Donner had not seen him in OKLAHOMA! in London smiley-signs002



Jo

[jo]

Finally, a legitimate entertainment site pays attention to "the rumor", without simply repeating what was said elsewhere!


popwatch.ew.com/2013/08/14/hugh-jackman-wolverine-100-million/

How much will it cost Fox to keep Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? (And should he take it?)

by Jeff Labrecqueon Aug 14, 2013 at 9:34AM


Thirteen years after putting on the adamantium claws, Hugh Jackman is still carving up the box office as the most iconic super-mutant, Wolverine. Since opening on July 26, The Wolverine, Jackman’s fifth outing as the ornery X-Man, has grossed $307 million worldwide. It’s not exactly Avengers money, but it’s more than enough for Fox to want to keep Jackman in the X-Men fold. As The Wolverine‘s post-credit sequence teased, Jackman will time-travel for a cameo in next year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. But will that be the end of Jackman’s run? The 44-year-old has played Wolverine longer and more frequently than any actor has ever been associated with a comic-book hero, but his current deal is about to expire. Now the National Enquirer claims that Fox is offering Jackman $100 million for him to keep slicing and dicing for four more X-Men movies. Them’s a lot of chicken breasts!


Jackman’s spokesperson dismissed the report, but the future of Wolverine is worth some analysis, from both Jackman’s and the franchise’s points of view. The Australian actor, who earned his first Oscar nomination for last year’s Les Miserables, hasn’t made any Christian Bale-like comments about returning to the character. When he spoke to EW earlier this year, he was noncommittal, but the door was certainly open: “I’m not sure. I wasn’t even sure after the first [stand-alone] film if I would do another. I won’t say never, because I’m still loving it. But there would have to be a pretty compelling reason.”

That “pretty compelling reason” might be introducing Wolverine to some new super-friends, like the Avengers. The razor-sharp comic-book character first appeared in a 1974 Hulk comic and he later joined forces with the Avengers in print. The only thing standing in the way of some X-Men/Avengers movie synergy is studio politics. (Fox licenses the X-Men characters from Marvel, which is now owned by Disney.) When asked recently about that crossover opportunity by Collider, Jackman was more than enthusiastic, claiming that he’d even inquired to Marvel about that possibility. “I understand at Marvel they’ve got The Avengers, they’ve got a lot of big things going on, but at some point I just find it almost impossible that there’s not a way to bring Iron Man, all the Avengers characters, Wolverine, the X-Men characters, Spider-Man, and somehow get them in together,” he said. “I’m in for it, I’m totally up for it because I think that would be really exciting for fans across the board.”

Playing Wolverine does come at a cost, however. First, there’s the physical demands that require Jackman to be incredibly jacked. It looks great for this particular superhero role, but not every character he plays needs to be so shredded. In fact, being so buff might disqualify him from certain movie parts. When The Wolverine was temporarily shelved after director Darren Aronosky left the project in 2011, Jackman expressed some frustration because his body was primed for one role only at that moment. Re-upping for another movie — or four — means more chicken-heavy diets and multiple daily trips to the gym.


The other cost is time. The X-Men movies are huge productions that block out months of an actor’s calendar. Making another long-term commitment to the franchise also means saying no to other, slightly more nuanced characters that come down the pike. And as a capital-A Actor, Jackman is in his prime, at the perfect leading-man age when glorious good looks are knocked slightly askew by just the right weight of world-weariness. Since joining the X-Men, he’s mixed in a few interesting performances — The Prestige, The Fountain — but you can’t help but wonder about all the roles he had to turn down because Wolfie had to be fed. (Psst, Chicago and Drive…) Fox will certainly make it worth his while, but does Jackman really want to be 49 or 50 and giving a variation of the same Wolverine interview where he’s describing his calorie intake?

From Fox’s point of view, though, extending Jackman for additional films is a no-brainer. As The Wolverine producer Hutch Parker said, the idea of eventually replacing Jackman, or perhaps rebooting the franchise with a new actor “feels somewhat blasphemous.” Wolverine existed in the pages of Marvel comics and the imaginations of fans everywhere, but Jackman is Wolverine. It’s a cinematic character he created, and like Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man, it’s now impossible to imagine one without the other.

Of course, Wolverine is an immortal of sorts who isn’t supposed to age; Jackman, despite all evidence to the contrary, doesn’t have that ability. At some point, Fox could ask, “Are we running the risk of our Wolverine being the equivalent of Sean Connery’s James Bond in Never Say Never Again?” But times have changed; look no further than Downey, who will be 50 when Avengers 2 comes out in 2015. I can’t imagine Jackman would get soft around the middle; besides a more grizzled Jackman better suits the haunted comic-book character.

The big headline yesterday was the $100 million figure that the Enquirer threw out there. It may have been conjured out of thin air, but it’s not a ridiculous amount. In fact, I’d argue that Jackman as Wolverine for four more X-Men movies is worth every penny to Fox. There might be some sticker shock to the $100 million figure, but paying the star of am established superhero franchise $25 million per picture is hardly unprecedented. (Downey famously took home $50 million for The Avengers.) In fact, compared to the reports of what Warner Bros. is going to throw at Bale to return as Batman, $25 million per for more Jackman almost seems like a discount.

Best of both worlds, I’d like to see Jackman return as Wolverine — but just once more, maybe twice. One more big X-Men movie, and then an Avengers crossover that could pit him opposite Downey’s Iron Man. Let those two actors ride off into the sunset together. A four-film commitment on movies of this magnitude, on the other hand, has a way of stretching over another decade, and Jackman is too talented an actor to have 20 years of his prime dominated by a cartoon character, no matter how iconic.

So, Hugh's representative has officially dismissed the report!



In response to the rumor raised on several IMDB boards, I did respond with this --

It's very flattering to Hugh and maybe welcome news to XMEN fans, but I would prefer for him to take any future Wolverine role on an individual movie basis, depending on how good the script and the vision for the film project are.

Hugh is a very versatile performer and there are many opportunities waiting for him in both film and the theatre. Just in film alone, he can handle more dramatic roles, other action/thriller movies, maybe another movie musical, or even other genres. His occasional forays on stage ( musical theatre or even drama) not only strengthen his acting and performing skills but also fulfill his personal artistic inclinations. Right now, he seems to be planning to go back to Broadway in another exciting new musical called HOUDINI! What a contrast to his most recent film THE WOLVERINE and a new movie for release soon, PRISONERS!

A good mix of projects is what his talent deserves!

Jo

[jo]

The EW.com article is now featured on the International Edition of CNN! Will this also hit the international telecast editions re entertainment news?


Wow - a lot of mileage for something that the National Enquirer has put forward as rumor or gossip. It has been going the rounds now of various film sites.

What makes it interesting reading or conversation piece is because it is quite plausible to happen. Hugh's value to the franchise is quite clear. Fox acknowledges this dependency on their studio star! The price tag is eye-popping but not incredible! And the cinemas are flooded by superhero and fantasy blockbusters, which is now spreading to a worldwide audience! As one twitter site posed as a question -- "How does a hundred million dollar man look like?" Simple answer: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine!

I know that it has been "officially dismissed" by Hugh's spokesperson. But I wonder if there is a whiff of truth to the FOX proposal, given that they seem to be expanding the franchise. Fortunately or unfortunately, most studios look to superhero, fantasy, or animated movies as the wave of the future for blockbusters! And Fox is now trying to follow the trend currently dominated by Disney on a genre for which Fox is acknowledged to have given serious film gravitas with their first XMEN movie! There is word that another comicbooks group, the X Force, is under consideration for possible filmization, too, by Fox -- and in the comics, Wolverine is one of its key members! Also, as he has been introduced to the world of the "First Class" in Days of Future Past, people speculate whether Wolverine will stay in the altered past or the altered future! So, Wolverine has some film roles in the future! But I also wonder if Hugh declines a longterm deal, whether Fox is thinking of recasting the role for future film projects, after Hugh has said he is done with Wolverine???


Jo

[jo]

Set visit blog, reposted from SHH message board --


www.hamptonstohollywood.blogspot.com/2013/08/welcome-to-future.html

From the Hamptons to Hollywood...


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Wayne, the photographer from my photoshoot texted me a week ago and asked me if I’d like to go to the set of the new X-Men movie in Montreal for the weekend.

Por qua??

X-Men, you mean the franchise that singlehandedly helped me succeed in every aspect of my life since childhood? Seriously, my parents taped every single episode for me (before DVR, like with actual blank tapes), I read all the comic books [NERD ALERT], and had all the action figures. Not only that, but it gave me an absurdly progressive vocabulary for my age. The writing of that cartoon was brilliant because they didn’t talk down to kids. In one episode, Beast said, “it is very disconcerting, yet provocative, that my experiment did not detonate.” I was like, 6 when I heard that and then that night at dinner I was all, “Mom, it is very disconcerting to me that you chose to make linguini instead of fettuccine alfredo. Provocative choice.” Again, I was six.

Plus, it was the impetus that gave me my sometimes scary amounts of imagination. That show taught me how to tell stories. To be a storyteller. An actor, even.

That X-Men?? Um, YEAH!


I was able to get off of work and we left for Canada on Wednesday night. Might I add, I was flying on the studio’s dime; so it was a good way for them to get introduced to me since the next time they fly me, I’ll hopefully get to be IN a movie. After as sound of a sleep as possible when sitting upright in coach for five hours, we landed. A limo picked us from the airport and drove us to the Hotel Le St. James, our accommodations for the stay. It was a super suite (pun!) hotel with oak walls, crystal chandeliers, sumptuous pillows, marble bathrooms – Plaza status, for all you New Yorkers. I was amped.

One of the drivers then took us to the set. And man, was it a set. I’ve been on my share of film sets, but this one was the biggest I had ever seen. I mean, c’mon, it’s freakin’ X-Men! The compound was huge and had a number of different sound stages. As Bryan Singer’s assistant led us onto the set, I turned a quick corner and stopped short. I looked at my surroundings and realized I was standing in the X-mansion hallway. The one all the team members are running through in all the movies. Talk about surreal.

Then I got to meet Singer, who was beyond awesome, and…wait for it…Hugh freakin’ Jackman. Wolverine. My hero since age 6. In the flesh. We exchanged a cordial, yet brief hello and took the seat behind Singer and got to watch him direct a scene – a now adult dream come true; to watch an amazing Hollywood filmmaker direct a movie.


He then led us into a screening trailer to watch the now hotly tabooed sizzle reel – in 3D! – and I got to see the costume and art departments. And man, the art department…I could have spent hours there. All the conceptualizations. There was one poster that I would have donated my body to science for – it was THAT cool.

And then, yes it gets better, we got to go into the editing suite and see rough cuts of some scenes. As someone who has edited (albeit, they were shorts), it was a dream come true. I was in the room where the movie was actually being woven together to make a story. To say I was in awe was an understatement.

We finished off the day with a trip to a Greek restaurant that had the best octopus in North America. That, and Jackman was eating there as well and came over to our table to say hello. He patted me on the back, asked how everything was, and then zoomed off to be with his family. I’m good, Hugh, thanks. What a guy. See ya tomorrow! You know, because I’m here, with you and all these other cool people, on the set of X-Men: Days of Future Past! Aaaahhh.

So, is the family still visiting?


Jo