Fox Formally Assigns Simon Kinberg to direct X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX, with Jessica Chastain to play villain.
Twentieth Century Fox has formalized the details for the next X-Men movie, X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Included in those details is the switch of director from Bryan Singer to Simon Kinberg. Singer, who directed four of the X-Men movies, including the original X-Men in 2000, will serve as producer for Dark Phoenix, alongside Kinberg.
Kinberg, who has been a major asset to the X-Men universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wrote X-Men’s The Last Stand, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. He’s also producer for FX’s Legion series, Logan, and both Deadpool and the upcoming Deadpool 2 movies.
Oddly enough, Dark Phoenix will be Simon Kinberg’s directing debut.
With him at the helm, he’ll have a group of veterans to the X-Men cinematic universe as James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique), NIcholas Hoult (Hank McCoy/Beast), Alexandria Shipp (Ororo Munroe/Storm), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Scott Summers/Cyclops), and Kodi Smith-McPhee (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler) are all returning to reprise their roles.
One major addition to the cast is Jessica Chastain, who is in talks to take on the role of supposed main villain Shi’ar Empress Lilandra. In the comics, Lilandra Neramani had a romantic relationship with Charles Xavier, and was an ally for the X-Men, so it’s interesting to find out the character will be a villain.
Production for X-Men: Dark Phoenix is planned to begin soon in Montreal, Canada, with the release date set for November 2, 2018.
(Source)
