Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow and Bob Hoskins

[Swinny]

Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, and Bob Hoskins as Wolverine

A decade before Bryan Singer brought the X-Men to the screen, the author of the mutant team's greatest stories imagined an X-movie produced by James Cameron, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and starring Bob Hoskins as Wolverine and Angela Bassett as Storm.

Chris Claremont spoke Saturday about how he first imagined the movie -- and his acclaimed 17-year run as the writer of Marvel comics' "Uncanny X-Men" -- at a Columbia University panel. It commemorated his decision to dedicate his archives to the school.

"James Cameron, Bob Hoskins, Angela Bassett -- ahhh. Fanboy heaven. I would have been happy as a clam," Claremont said in a Q&A with Louise Simonson, his longtime "X-Men" editor.

Claremont also talked about how he tried to dissuade former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter from reviving the character Jean Grey after Claremont killed her off in the Dark Phoenix saga, one of his most famous X-Men stories. (It was partially adapted, along with Claremont's X-Men graphic novel, "God Loves, Man Kills," for the second X-Men film.)

He was wistful about the X-movie that might have been -- but still irritated at the retcon that brought Grey back to life for the comics series "X Factor."

Claremont has said before that he wanted Hoskins as Wolverine and Bassett as Storm, but went into detail Saturday about why a proposed adaptation from the then-married Cameron and Bigelow never came to pass. (Cameron went on to win best picture and director Oscars for "Titanic" and Bigelow to beat Cameron's "Avatar" to win best picture and directing Oscars for "The Hurt Locker.")

In the comics, Claremont noted, Wolverine is diminutive but feral, like a real wolverine. He recalled a scene in the 1984 film "Lassiter" in which Hoskins pushes open a door and shoves the much taller Tom Selleck while berating him. That moment, to Claremont, captured the essence of Wolverine.

He said that as Cameron launched his own studio, Lightstorm Entertainment, in 1990, he and Marvel Comics mastermind Stan Lee went to his office to pitch him an X-Men movie.

"Just think about this for a minute: James Cameron's X-Men. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. That's what we were playing," Claremont said. "So we're chatting. And at one point Stan looks at Cameron and says, 'I hear you like Spider-Man.' Cameron's eyes lit up.

"And they start talking. And talking. And talking. About 20 minutes later all the Lightstorm guys and I are looking at each other, and we all know the X-Men deal has just evaporated. Kathryn goes off and writes a screen treatment for X-Men that was eaten alive by all the idiots who have a piece of Spider-Man because Marvel during its evolution has sold off the rights time and time and time again.

The Wrap

 

[TroyTheAverage]

Re: Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow and Bob Hoskin

I'm not sure about Bob Hoskins as Wolverine though.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow and Bob Hoskin

I'm not sure about Bob Hoskins as Wolverine though.

Yeah, that does seem a little out there doesn't it? I know Hoskins can be intense in roles, and he's small like Wolverine is in the comics but still, its Bob Hoskins. :

 

[Swinny]

Re: Chris Claremont's Dream X-Men Movie: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow and Bob Hoskin

Yeah, Hoskins as Wolverine caught me off guard a bit. Angela Bassett as Storm would have been perfect though.