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Super Saturday: ‘X-Men’ Season 1 (1992)

Jax Motes — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 11:00:42 +0000

This column has been in the works since I started writing Super Saturday. While I will get into the issues with ‘X-Men’– and there are quite a few– I will go on the record as saying that this might be the most IMPORTANT cartoon in Saturday morning history. (It’s debatable, I admit.) But I fully believe that the first ‘X-Men’ movie probably never would have been made had it not been for the massive success of the cartoon. And if the first ‘X-Men’ movie hadn’t been made, the steady deluge of superhero movies that followed wouldn’t have happened. If those movies hadn’t been made, it’s very likely that Marvel Comics would have gone out of business, as it was already facing bankruptcy before licensing these movies saved their bacon. And of course, had that happened, there wouldn’t be a Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is that overselling the ‘X-Men’ cartoon? No, I actually don’t think so. Had this show not existed, it would have set off a chain of events that would have resulted in a pop culture landscape far, far different than the one we know today. So, speaking of ‘X-Men’… let’s get to it! (If you want to read about […]

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Super Saturday: X-Men Before ‘X-Men’ (The Eighties)

Jax Motes — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 12:00:01 +0000

In 1984, Margaret Loesch became the president of Marvel Productions, the animation studio owned by Marvel Comics, which included the remnants of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, the studio that had produced the cartoons ‘The New Fantastic Four’ and ‘Spider-Woman’ in the ’70s. Loesch was particularly enamored of Marvel’s comic book ‘The Uncanny X-Men’ and felt strongly that the mutants would make a great cartoon series. She made it her mission to bring them to Saturday mornings, but it was an uphill battle. Marvel Productions had one hit Saturday morning cartoon on NBC, ‘Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends’, which costarred Iceman, a former X-Man in the comics, and Firestar (spelled “Fire-Star” on this show), an original creation who was also given the backstory of having also been an X-Man on the cartoon. The X-Men popped up in numerous cameos and had larger guest-starring roles in two episodes– Season 2’s “A Fire-Star is Born” and S3’s “The X-Men Adventure.” They also made a significant but silent cameo in S3’s “The Education of a Superhero.” In the latter, Spidey, Iceman, and Firestar befriended a fledgling super being, Francis Byte, who transformed into an electrical monster called Video-Man. (Video-Man had previously appeared as a stand-alone villain, […]

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‘Bill & Ted’ Won’t Face ‘Mulan’; Theatrical And PVOD Release Bumped Up

Jax Motes — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:46:19 +0000

‘Bill & Ted’ might be facing ‘The Music’, but Orion Pictures’ comedic reunion won’t face off against ‘Mulan’. Two days ago, Disney made the bombshell announcement that the long-delayed live-action adaptation of ‘Mulan’ would only be released in theaters in places that did not have access to Disney+. That means that in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and other places that do have access, the film will skip cinemas for a PVOD (premium video on demand) release on September 4. Disney+ subscribers will be able to stream ‘Mulan’ straight to their homes for the price of $29.99 (USD). That may seem like a lot, but users will be able to watch ‘Mulan’ over and over to their heart’s desire for as long as they remain subscribed to Disney+. It’s also pretty close to what two adult tickets would cost at a normal evening screening, and you won’t even have to spend an extra $40 on concessions. ‘Mulan’s production budget is reported to be approximately $200 million, so Disney needs to make at least twice that to break even. This is a risky venture, but the company needs to do what it can to curb the billions it’s losing this year […]

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20 Years Later, Does Bryan Singer’s Reputation Ruin ‘X-Men’?

Jax Motes — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:00:15 +0000

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first ‘X-Men’ movie, which kicked off a new approach to superhero films and paved the way for everything that came after including the mammoth Marvel Cinematic Universe. As former Fox Filmed Entertainment chairman, Tom Rothman: “X-Men was a truly pioneering film. You have to remember, this was before Spider-Man. It was the first major Marvel adaptation to reach mainstream audiences. The seriousness with which it treated its themes of otherness, discrimination and alienation gave commercial action filmmaking a jolt of emotion and purpose.” While ‘X-Men’ is not a perfect film, it is a very important entry in this genre. Unfortunately, the enjoyment of it and many of its sequels has been damaged, perhaps irreparably by accusations leveled against director Bryan Singer. Starting before ‘X-Men’ was even filmed, in 1997, two teenage male extras from his previous movie, ‘Apt Pupil’ filed a civil lawsuit after they stated that they were forced to strip naked for a group shower scene. (The case was settled out of court.) Singer’s penchant for young boys became well-known. It also appears that his drug use caused problems on the set, which eventually led to Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) being injured and […]

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More Details Surface About Michael Jackson’s Bid To Play Professor X In ‘X-Men’

Jax Motes — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:00:30 +0000

With this year marking the 20th anniversary of the first ‘X-Men’ film, more and more behind-the-scenes info is surfacing. One of the more amusing kernels that has been revealed concerns the famous people who lobbied for roles in the movie. A couple of weeks ago, producer Ralph Winter recalled that basketball player Shaquille O’Neal wanted to play Native American mutant Forge, who was not in the movie, and pop hitmaker Mariah Carey wanted to play the Black African Storm. But perhaps the wildest revelation is that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson wanted to play Charles Xavier! Lauren Schuler Donner, who also produced ‘X-Men’, recalled Jackson coming to the 20th Century Fox office with a presentation, to pitch himself. He wore sunglasses and would not shake hands. (He was known to be a germaphobe, often wearing a face mask in public and sleeping in a hypobaric chamber.) Donner stated: “I said to him, ‘Do you know Xavier is an older white guy?’ And Michael said, ‘Oh yeah. You know, I can wear makeup.’ “ As part of Jackson’s presentation, he showed the producers and director Bryan Singer his short film ‘Ghosts’ in which he portrayed an older white character, the […]

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It Turns Out Disney Literally CAN’T Release ‘The New Mutants’ Straight To Streaming

Jax Motes — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 12:00:11 +0000

Hmmm, well this is an interesting revelation. For anyone wondering why Disney doesn’t just crap out ‘The New Mutants’ for free on either Hulu or Disney+, the way it did ‘Artemis Fowl’, the reason is… it can’t. Director Josh Boone told Collider: “With most movies, you sign contracts that guarantee a theatrical release, so it needs to open to ever go digital in the first place. We just, too, would like to see people to see it in the theater. But it needs to obviously be at the right time when it’s safe to go back.” ‘The New Mutants’ was filmed in 2017, before 20th Century Fox (now known as 20th Century Studios) was bought by Disney. The movie, directed by Boone, was part of the studio’s ‘X-Men’ franchise, but with a horror twist. After filming, the picture sat on the shelf for two years, until Disney bought Fox last year. It was known that reshoots were needed, but even though people automatically jump to a negative conclusion when they hear that, literally EVERY movie needs reshoots. That’s normal. But it never got them. But the knowledge that it needed reshoots and the fact that it has sat on the […]

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SDCC: ‘New Mutants’ Releases The Opening Scene, A New Trailer, And 6 Posters

Jax Motes — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 23:22:29 +0000

Disney is sticking to its guns when it comes to ‘The New Mutants’. The studio stressed that the pic will open in theaters on August 28, although that announcement was followed with the phrase, “Fingers Crossed.” As part of the SDCC@Home festivities, director Joah Boone and the cast– Alice Braga (Dr. Cecilia Reyes), Charlie Heaton (Sam Guthrie), Blu Hunt (Danielle Moonstar), Anya Taylor-Joy (Illyana Rasputin), Maisie Williams (Rahne Sinclair), and Henry Zaga (Roberto DaCosta)– gathered for a virtual panel, which closed out in style. Boone unveiled the opening scene of the movie! The scene seems to be a bit choppy, so it is probably an abbreviated cut, which depicts one of the New Mutants before they wake up in the hospital that has been so heavily featured in previous trailers and photos. The intro scene then cuts to a new trailer. You can click on the video below. It is set to begin before the movie clip and trailer, but you can also view the entire panel if you want. In addition to that, 20th Century Studios released six new posters for the film: Which is your favorite? Once again, ‘The New Mutants’ is scheduled to hit theaters on August […]

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What If… The First ‘X-Men’ Movie Had Starred Russell Crowe, Shaquille O’Neal, Mariah Carey, And Michael Jackson? Because It Could Have!

Jax Motes — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 14:00:48 +0000

Nowadays, it’s laughable when an actor or director says “Oh, I’d love to work with Marvel!” Yeah, no kidding. Who wouldn’t? But back in the day, it seems 20th Century Fox’s gambit (no pun intended), the original ‘X-Men’ movie was also a hot ticket and some pretty big names wanted in! Names like… Shaquille O’Neal, Mariah Carey, and even the King of Pop, Michael Jackson approached producers to score roles! In honor of the 20th anniversary of ‘X-Men’, producer Ralph Winter participated in an interview with the Observer, and recalled: “I have lots of warm memories of people that came in wanting to be in the movie. Michael Jackson was a big comic fan and wanted to play Charles Xavier. Shaquille O’Neal showed up at the offices and wanted to play Forge, who wasn’t in the movie… Every day I was surprised by the faces coming in. Like, I’d find Mariah Carey sitting in my office wanting to go talk to Bryan about being Storm or something. So that’s always shocking.” Hoo boy. Can you imagine? O’Neal seems to have a thing for techie heroes. In 1997, he starred in the box office disaster ‘Steel’, based on the armored DC superhero of […]

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Disney Announces A ‘New Mutants’ SDCC Panel With Its Splashiest Trailer Yet

Jax Motes — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 18:14:42 +0000

Wonders never cease! The movie no one thought would ever come out– ‘New Mutants’— will have a presence at SDCC, which is an online event this year. There will be a ‘New Mutants’ panel at 2pm PST on Thursday, July 23. But in advance of that, 20th Century Studios has released the most revealing trailer for the movie yet! The new clip sets up the story’s premise– the kids are forced to face their greatest fears. The character Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) namechecks them each– Roberto (Henry Zaga), Sam (Charlie Heaton), Dani (Blu Hunt), Illyana (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Rahne (Maisie Williams). Looks like they haven’t yet become Sunspot, Cannonball, Mirage, Magik, or Wolfsbane, although Illyana remarks that she is magic. There are also glimpses of the Demon Bear, and Magik in her armor and wielding her Soul Sword. Disney has steadfastly refused to release ‘New Mutants’ on Hulu or Disney+, sticking with plans for a theatrical release. This movie has been delayed a ridiculous number of times, which many inferred to mean that this movie was pretty bad. But Disney recently tossed ‘Artemis Fowl’ to Disney+ bypassing a theatrical release and even a potentially lucrative paid VOD rental offering. […]

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Some ‘X-Men’ Movies Are Coming To Disney+

Jax Motes — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:00:28 +0000

They may not be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but without them, the Marvel Cinematic Universe probably wouldn’t even exist. Of course, I am talking about the ‘X-Men’ movies, which paved the way for all subsequent superhero flicks. And fans have been clamoring for them to be made available on Disney+, which is now becoming a reality! I LITERALLY have no idea how this makes any sense, but ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ will be released on Disney+ on July 11. That will be followed on July 17, by ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’. Then, on August 7, the streaming service will add the first ‘X-Men’. And finally, on September 4, ‘The Wolverine’ will round out this batch of offerings. The ‘X-Men’ movies are being released as part of an initiative that Disney is calling “Summer Movie Nights.” This kicks off this Friday with the release of a filmed performance of the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’, and will be followed by ‘The Mighty Ducks’, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’, ‘Incredibles 2’, ‘The Peanuts Movie’, ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’, ‘The Greatest Showman’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (live-action), ‘Fantastic Four’ (2015), and ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’. ‘X-Men: […]

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Rob Liefeld Says Disney Doesn’t Plan On Making ‘Deadpool 3’ For At Least Five Years

Jax Motes — Wed, 20 May 2020 14:54:32 +0000

Don’t expect to see a third ‘Deadpool’ movie anytime soon. Rob Liefeld, the comic book writer/illustrator that co-created the character with Fabian Nicieza, says that he has seen Marvel’s list of Marvel projects for the next five years and ‘Deadpool 3’ isn’t on it. In an interview with iO9, Liefeld disclosed: “Until a movie is put on a schedule, it’s not taken seriously. And what people don’t like is that I have assessed the schedule for the next — give or take — five years and I don’t see ‘Deadpool’ on it. I don’t see that it can arrive earlier than that.” Liefeld previously divulged to fans that Marvel Studios had “zero” plans for ‘Deadpool’, with some questioning his reliability. After all, he isn’t actively involved with any movies, even the ‘Deadpool’ flicks which were made by 20th Century Fox before it was bought out by Disney. He gets a credit for co-creating the character and he gets to go to the premieres. That’s it. But Liefeld insisted that he has some inside knowledge about what’s going on at Disney and defended his earlier comments, saying: “Do I know that there is no movement on a Deadpool 3 right now? I […]

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Disney Announces New Release Dates For ‘Black Widow’, ‘Eternals’, ‘Mulan’, ‘Free Guy’, And More

Jax Motes — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:31:00 +0000

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Disney has overhauled its 2020 release schedule by moving a number of its most highly-anticipated films back. And right now, perhaps the biggest thing Disney has going for it is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The next movie in this franchise, and the first film from Marvel’s Phase Four, is ‘Black Widow’, which was supposed to open on May 1. But it definitely doesn’t look as though theaters will be open by then, so ‘Black Widow’ has been pushed way back to November 6. That was the original release date for ‘Eternals’. That film has now been pushed to February 12, 2021, and as a result, has shifted the entire slate of Marvel Phase Four movies back. Here are the new dates: ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ – May 7, 2021 ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ – November 5, 2021 ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ – February 18, 2022 Mixed into the report was the announcement of release dates for the first parts of Phase Five– ‘Black Panther 2’ on May 6, 2022, and ‘Captain Marvel 2’ on July 8, 2022. ‘Black Widow’ is believed to be complete and ready […]

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‘New Mutants’ Gets A Fourth Delay In Its Release Thanks To The Coronavirus

Jax Motes — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 14:00:35 +0000

The beleaguered ‘New Mutants’ has been delayed yet again. This makes the fourth time that the film’s release has been changed. The culprit this time is the one you’re thinking of– the coronavirus. This follows the announcement that ‘A Quiet Place – Part II’ has also been indefinitely postponed for the same reason. That movie was supposed to open next weekend. ‘New Mutants’ was set to arrive in theaters on April 3, 2020. Disney also announced that it was delaying the release of potential blockbuster ‘Mulan’ and smaller horror movie ‘Antlers’. All movie theaters in China and Italy are closed. In the U.S., closures vary by state, but some states are already advising all gatherings of more than 100 people be canceled or postponed. A representative for Disney stated: “We truly believe in the moviegoing experience, and we are looking at new potential 2020 release dates to be announced at a later date.” ‘New Mutants’ is the last movie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘X-Men’ series and was intended as the first of three pictures, but those plans were scuttled when Disney bought 20th Century Studios (then known as 20th Century Fox). This film is reportedly more of a horror movie […]

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The Makers Of ‘The Toys That Made Us’ Are Making A Doc About Margaret Loesch, The Woman Behind FOX Kids’ Biggest Hits

Jax Motes — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 14:25:59 +0000

‘Batman: The Animated Series’. ‘X-Men’. ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’. Are you old enough to remember these shows blowing up on FOX Kids? You may have never thought about it, but there is one person to thank for delivering these hits, as well as ‘The Smurfs’, ‘Goosebumps’, ‘Muppet Babies’, and ‘Fraggle Rock’ — TV executive Margaret Loesch. Loesch can be seen in episodes of Netflix’s ‘The Toys That Made Us’, and the company that made that series is dedicating an entire documentary to Loesch and her role in shaping a generation of childhoods. It doesn’t appear that the doc has a title yet, but it will hail from The Nacelle Company, which has also created ‘The Movies That Made Us’, which was recently confirmed to be getting a second season. This doc will be co-directed by Brian Volk-Weiss (‘The Toys That Made Us’, ‘The Movies That Made Us’, ‘Behind The Attraction’) and Brian Stillman (‘Plastic Galaxy: The Story of The Star Wars Toys’, ‘Eye Of The Beholder: The Art Of Dungeons and Dragons’). It was recently announced that Stillman will also be co-directing a doc about ‘Magic: The Gathering’, also headed to Netflix. Cisco Henson will executive produce the Loesch project for […]

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‘The New Mutants’ Is Safe From Reshoots

Mike Phalin — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 00:10:51 +0000

It has been a long road, but ‘The New Mutants’ is going to see the light of day this year finally. The part horror film and part superhero movie has been on the shelves for a couple of years. Now it is set for release and has an honor rarely seen by modern superhero flicks. Entertainment Weekly discussed the X-Men spin-off with director Josh Boone. ‘The New Mutants’ is pulling off something that we haven’t seen very often. Despite what has been rumored in the press, this film is reshoot-free! However, it was a series of fortunate events that led to this unicorn. The production wrapped just as Disney was beginning the takeover of 20th Century Fox, which stuck the mutant story in a bit of a limbo. RELATED: Get To Know The ‘New Mutants’ In 15 New Still Photos Boone illuminated on the situation: “Everybody said we did reshoots! We’ve never done reshoots. And I’ll tell you this: if there hadn’t been a merger, I’m sure we would’ve done reshoots the same way every movie does pickups. We didn’t even do that because by the time the merger was done and everything was settled, everybody’s older.” OK, […]

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