Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy from X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Michael Fassbender has working a long time to become an overnight sensation. Now Hollywood’s hottest leading man will help aspiring film artists get their shot. The star of X-Men: First Class is teaming up with his Prometheus director Ridley Scott for the Your Film Festival, which allows filmmakers to submit 15-minute works.
Films can be entered from now until March 31st. This summer, 50 submissions will be chosen by Scott’s production company, Scott Free. Films can be any genre or format.Youtube will feature the 50 chosen films. The public will be able to vote for their favorites. The competition be narrowed down to 10. Finalists will be flown to the Venice Film Festival and have their work screened there. Scott and Fassbender will then select the winning film, which will be awarded a $500,000 production grant to collaborate with Scott Free on a new film.
Thanks to the International Business Times for the story. Here’s the star himself explaining how it works and his role:
Prometheus still of Noomi Rapace courtesy 20th Century Fox
The only thing more dangerous to humanity than the species in the Alien mythology is the evil company and its greedy corporate minions. A new viral video is online starring Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland, head of the shadowy company appearing in the Alien films. It appears on the TED website which hosts special corporate conferences. In this video Weyland is addressing thousands in the year 2023 before the events in Prometheus.
Michael Fassbender in Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox
I think Guy Pearce is pretty mesmerizing in this. Weyland is part inspiring, part menacing as he addresses the conference. Weyland references artificial lifeforms. Michael Fassbender will be playing one in the film.
As Weyland shares the Greek legend of Prometheus, it’s eerie to think of how they mirror the events of Alien and of what is said to happen in the new film.
Thanks to Digital Spy for spying this online. This follows up the previous post in which director Ridley Scott revealed Pearce’s role and the connection between the films. By Editor
The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Best Film: X-Men: First Class
Best Actor: Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme/Mystique
Best Supporting Actor: Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast
Best Supporting Actress: Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
Best Director: Matthew Vaughn X-Men: First Class
Best Villain: Tom Hiddleston/Loki
Best Script: X-Men: First Class
Captain America: The First Avenger courtesy Marvel.com
Most Inspiring Moment: Captain America bringing back Bucky and his unit back!
Best Special Effect: Asgard and the Bifrost
Best Human Special Effect: Chris Hemsworth (male) January Jones(female)
Best Costumes: Thor
Best Decision to Change a Costume for the Big Screen: Captain America
Gone Too Soon: Darwin, X-Men: First Class
Coolest Comic Book to Movie Makeover: Azazel (Jason Flemying) X-Men: First Class
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger courtesy Marvel.com
Coolest Male Character I Hope to See in a Sequel: Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)
Coolest Female Character I Hope to See More of in a Sequel: Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander)
Most Perfect Casting: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers) and Hugo Weaving (Red Skull)
Best Mix of Marvel Mythology in one movie while still keeping it accessible: Captain America: The First Avenger
Honorary Award: James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier. Michael Fassbender received most of the praise but he had the more demanding role. Everyone roots for the anti-hero. Xavier was the optimistic, steady yin to Erik’s passionate, revenge driven yang. Xavier is the mentor to the other characters and McAvoy was the rock for the rest of the cast.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki & Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor courtesy Marvel
Honorary Award: Kenneth Branaugh! I had serious doubts about making Norse Gods, Asgard, and the Nine Realms accessible and enjoyable but he pulled it off beautifully. His Shakespearean background was perfect to infuse the Odin, Thor, Loki conflict with power and drama.
A stellar year for Marvel superhero fans at the box-office. Great action, inspiration, and emotion. Thanks to all the creators and actors who accepted the challenge of bringing our heroes to the big screen.
Michael Fassbender in Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox
Michael Fassbender has officially joined Ridley Scott’s next film The Counselor. The Cormac McCarthy penned thriller is being called “No Country for Old Men on steroids.”
Scott went for Fassbender as his lead after working with him on Prometheus. The actor will play an attorney who gets involved in a drug operation. Thanks to Deadline for breaking and now confirming the story.
This marks 3 scheduled projects with previous directors for the in demand star. Fassbender will work with his Shame director Steve McQueen on 12 Years A Slave and director Matthew Vaughn on a X-Men: First Class sequel that will reportedly focus on Magneto.
Update:
Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt have been mentioned as potential actors to play the film’s villain. Thanks to Deadline and Dark Horizons.
All of those actors would be perfect but there’s something about the physicality of Renner that is most exciting – or maybe it’s the geek in me picturing the guys who played Magento and Hawkeye in the same cool movie?
Matt Smith faces fear as Doctor Who fighting the most frightening aliens and phenomenon the universe can throw at him. Apparently Smith has no fear of being naked on stage. If so, Michael Fassbender has inspired him to get over it.
Smith says after seeing Fassbender’s performance in Shame he would be willing to get naked for a role according to Entertainmentwise.
“I think ‘Shame‘ was brilliant and Michael magnetic in it. One day I would love to do something similar and maybe work with director Steve McQueen.”
“Of course I would get naked for a role. I’ve got naked on stage so why not on-screen?” he added.
In researching this story I learned current Doctor Who Matt Smith guest starred on Secret Diary of a Call Girl starring Billie Piper who was Rose Tyler, the beloved companion of Doctors Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.
Michael Fassbender in Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox
Michael Fassbender is lined up to reprise his role as Magneto in X-Men: First Class but the rising star is developing his own heroic project. Fassbender will star in a film based on the legendary Celtic warrior Chuchulain according to Variety.
Ronan Bennett (Public Enemies) is working on the script. No director is attached. Chuchulain is a warrior from Irish mythology. You may remember Fassbender at a Spartan in 300. Fassbender appears next in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.
Following in the path of Rogue, Frenzy is a character searching for redemption. Joanna Cargill debuted as part of Apocalypse’s Alliance of Evil in the original X-Factor then joined Magneto’s Acolytes.
Mike Carey started evolving the ex-villain in Age of X. The heartbroken Frenzy awoke from that alternate world arc learning her passionate romance with Cyclops was lie. Christos Gage now has Joanna flirting with bad boy Gambit in X-Men Legacy. Gage told Comic Book Resources about Frenzy’s motivations and his plans for her.
“I’ve always been a sucker for characters who are seeking redemption, and Frenzy is most definitely one. I think her primary motivation right now is to be a hero, the kind of person she was in the world of “Age of X.” An interesting catch is that in “Age of X” she was protecting and defending mutants, not humans. As a former mutant supremacist, she hasn’t really addressed how she feels about protecting a world that hates and fears her. We’ll be exploring that coming up.
Cyclops and Frenzy share a kiss courtesy Marvel.com
I think that her struggle after discovering her relationship with Cyclops, which meant so much to her in “Age of X,” was an illusion is the very reason she shared a kiss with Gambit. It was implied back in the ’90s that they had met before joining the X-Men, when both were freelance mercenaries and that they were both enemies and lovers. It’s not terribly uncommon for people who are emotionally vulnerable to turn to an old flame for comfort; even if they know there are probably pretty good reasons that old flame is not a current flame. I think she and Gambit are in a similar place emotionally, and it’ll be intriguing to see where it goes, if anywhere.”
For Gage’s entire interview here’s the Comic Book Resources link. I love David Baldeon’s art on X-Men Legacy especially Frenzy.
On a geek personal note:
Nicole Beharie by John Shearer courtesy WireImage.com
I think Frenzy would make a perfect for Magneto’s Brotherhood in the X-Men: First Class sequel. A passionate and strong African-American woman like Joanna would be a great character to explore the turbulent 1960’s and the struggle for racial equality and mutant equality. Frenzy could become Erik’s love interest. Michael Fassbender could reunite with his Shame co-star, the stunning Nicole Beharie. The two had incredible chemistry in that film.
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy from X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
I’m thrilled Fox is moving forward with a sequel to X-Men: First Class. Matthew Vaughn is directing. Michael Fassbender and the entire cast are locked in.
I’ve been posting how much I hope we might see Magneto’s fractured family (Polaris, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver) in the next film. No word on if those characters will appear but Magneto will be the focus of the sequel according to the screenwriter. Simon Kinberg spoke with MTV News about his love of the X-Men and how he will continue exploring Magneto’s evolution.
“That’s what was so cool about the first one and what we want to continue,” Kinberg said of exploring the villain’s tortured origin. “Magneto becomes the villain ultimately of the franchise but he’s a much more complicated character as a young man. He’s someone you sympathize with, you care about you root for even though might not necessarily agree with his methods, you understand his philosophy.”
Fans may be wondering if Magneto will be a total villain or still in between good guy and bad guy roles.
“We’re still figuring that out. I think the truth is ultimately that because Michael is such an interesting actor, he’ll never be full-on anything. He’ll have a villainous side and he’ll have a sympathetic human side you’ll be able to relate but you’ll also be afraid of him. He becomes Magneto, he says ‘Call me Magneto’ at the end of the first movie.”
I would love to see Michael Fassbender play Erik when he was married to Magda and the tragic events surrounding their children. That could be a flashback leading to a present day (as in the 60’s or 70’s since it’s set in the past) reunion with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
Astra is good possibility for due to her love/hate relationship with Magneto. The legendary Alan Davis created this mutant teleporter when he on Uncanny X-Men. Astra was Erik’s first recruit to the Brotherhood. You can read more about Astra in the current Magneto: Not a Hero limited series out now.
