As a franchise, X-Men is a cornerstone of the comic book industry with multiple screen adaptations – with a mixture of failure and success. This has included spin-off films such as Deadpool and the Wolverine trilogy starring Hugh Jackman. The latest attempt to expand the X-Men universe is with the upcoming horror film The New Mutants, of which the first two minutes debuted at the recent Comic-Con@Home event.
Filming began in 2017 and features a star-studded cast of young talent such as Game of Thrones alumi Maisie Williams and Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton. Directed by Josh Boone, it was stated from the beginning that this spin-off would have a strong focus on horror elements, with Boone stating that the film was unique hybrid of “Stephen King meets John Hughes.”
The New Mutants has had a rocky production history. It was initially slated for an April 2018 release, with its first trailer being released on Friday 13 October, 2017. However, 20th Century Fox felt that the film needed more references to the original X-Men series and demanded major reshoots. Then, due Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the film was once again pushed back with its release date set for 28 August, 2020.
For a film which was initially meant to be released over two years ago, it’s understandable that a large majority of fans became extremely worried about the quality of the film. However, with director Josh Boone confirming in March 2020 that the film was complete to his standards, fans have become more optimistic.
As more footage has been shown, it’s clear that Boone’s horror vision for the film is an exciting take for a superhero project, with the Comic-Con teaser suggesting the right amount of thrill and suspense to create an interesting film.
Words by Paul Dawson
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.