Access ‘Week In Geek’ (August 20, 2010)

In this edition of Access’ “Week In Geek,” all the Marvel news you could want: Updates on the possible candidates in line to helm the follow-up to “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and the “Deadpool” spin off film, which mutant called Angel will be in “X-Men: First Class,” and David Fincher’s take on his “Social Network” star taking the lead in the Spider-Man reboot.

“WOLVERINE” SEQUEL UPDATE
It looks like Hugh Jackman will be hitting the gym hard in the fall to get back his mutant physique for the follow up to “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Deadline reports that Jackman has even dropped out of starring in the 20th Century Fox comedy “Avon Man” to clear his schedule to do so.

The director of the next big screen adventure featuring the popular clawed superhero has been narrowed down to two candidates, according to Vulture.

David Slade, hot off of helming “Twilight: Eclipse,” is reportedly in the final running with Robert Schwentke (“The Time Traveler’s Wife,” and the upcoming “Red”) to direct the sequel, which will follow Jackman’s Wolverine to Japan in a Samurai influenced story. Next week both helmers will reportedly meet with Hugh Jackman, who is also a producer on the film, for the final decision. “It’s going to be Slade,” according to Vulture’s studio insider.

Slade’s resume and distinct shooting style would certainly add an exciting new dimension to what we previously have seen so far for Wolverine.

MEET ”X-MEN: FIRST CLASS’” NEW ANGEL
The most surprising news regarding “X-Men First Class” this week was the casting of January Jones as Emma Frost/The White Queen, when Alice Eve had been so widely previously speculated on for the role. Deadline’s new report included several additions to the film’s ever-expanding cast, and subsequently led to some initial confusion as to Zoe Kravitz’s reported role as a mutant called “Angel” in the film.

The blonde winged mutant Angel/Warren Worthington III was featured in 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and played by Ben Foster. The character Kravitz would portray in “First Class” is more likely to be a different mutant named Angel Salvador, a young female who develops insect-like wings.

Director Matthew Vaughn was asked by MTV Splash if the film would serve as a direct prequel to all the previous “X-Men” films in the franchise. “Yeah, I would say absolutely so,” he responded. So by that, it seems fans will be able to look forward to everything fitting neatly together, from the “First Class” era films, to the three “X-Men” entries, to the “Wolverine” spin off series.

DAVID FINCHER CALLS THE “SPIDER-MAN” REBOOT AN EXCITING GAMBLE
Director David Fincher, who will helm the upcoming U.S. big screen adaptation of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” weighed in on the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise at Sony, starring Andrew Garfield, to MTV News.

“They’re going at it in a different way,” he said. “They’re rolling the dice. I think that’s always exciting.”

Fincher directed Garfield in his upcoming film “The Social Network” (he also cast Rooney Mara for the lead in “Dragon Tattoo” after working with her on that film as well). “He’s a wonderful actor, he’s incredibly skilled and empathic and a lovely guy. So, it’s nice to see that,” he said of Garfield.

When asked about Garfield donning the web slinger’s costume, Fincher was a bit skeptical. “I can’t imagine [Garfield] in spandex, I can’t imagine him being comfortable,” Fincher mused.

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ TALKS “DEADPOOL”
“It’s a great script and a great property,” director Robert Rodriguez said regarding the planned “Deadpool” spin off film to LA Times Hero Complex. He was uncommitted to his next project, so fans will have to sit tight a little longer to see if he will take on the project. “I’m just working everything out,” Rodriguez said.

This would seem to confirm that Rodriguez has been approached to helm the Ryan Reynolds starring film for 20th Century Fox. A Rodriguez directed “Deadpool” would bring to center stage the character Reynolds first played in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” as previously reported on AccessHollywood.com.

Reynolds’ schedule couldn’t be any busier it would seem. Despite the fact that his other big budget superhero film, “Green Lantern,” just wrapped, its sequels are being fast tracked into production by Warner Bros. Reynolds is in high demand these days being and is currently attached to several other projects.

Though if scheduling conflicts were to arise between the shooting of his two comic book franchises, I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of courtesy extended between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. following the 11th hour dispute over the final rights to “Watchmen,” which almost delayed the film’s 2009 release date.

“STAR WARS” COMING TO BLU-RAY IN 2011
George Lucas’ big announcement at the Star Wars Celebration V last weekend in Orlando was that all of the theatrical films (Episodes 1-6) would be released as a Blu-Ray box set in the fall of 2011.

Mark Hamill, who will forever live in fans’ minds and hearts as Luke Skywalker, introduced a deleted scene from “Return of The Jedi” to those in attendance. In the dramatic never before seen footage, his iconic Jedi Knight is being drawn to the Dark Side of the Force by Darth Vader while he completes work on a new lightsaber. The scene is set towards the beginning of the film shortly before Skywalker heads on out on his mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt.
As described on StarWars.com, “What makes the ‘Jedi’ deleted clip so remarkable is that it made it all the way to postproduction before it was cut, so it is a rare example of a cut scene with completed visual effects and music.”