As excitement for X-Men: The Last Stand builds, we speak with writer Simon Kinberg about the unique challenges he faced coming aboard the third installment of a massively successful film franchise, how he approached the film adapatation of the Dark Phoenix and who he was most eager to script for the movie. TheXverse: How did you get involved with X-Men: The Last Stand? Simon Kinberg: In a way, it goes back to my first meeting with Avi Arad and Kevin Feige at Marvel, about four or five years ago. They asked me which of the Marvel properties was my favorite, and I told them that my ultimate dream would be to write an X-Men movie. So fast forward to last summer. When Bryan left X3 to do Superman, they were left without a director and screenwriter (since Dan and Mike followed Bryan to Supes). The Marvel guys called me and said, "we're going to make your dream come true." I started working on the project in September or October. Then Zak Penn got involved, and we decided to partner up to write the script. Initially, the studio wanted us to write two separate drafts, as they had done on X2 and at various stages in Fantastic Four. But given the tight schedule, and the fact that Zak and I seemed to have a very similar sensibility about the franchise, we just felt it would make the most sense to work together. Matthew Vaughan was hired early in 2005, and we wrote our infamous 88 page scriptment in February or March of last year. TXV: Do you feel you were at a disadvantage at all because you didn't work on X2, versus the involvement that Zak, the producers, cast and some crew had? SK: I think if Bryan Singer were the director of the film, then it would have been a bigger disadvantage, because there would have been more continuity in terms of the production process. But having a new director with a largely new crew made the film feel like an even mix of old and new faces. And since I grew up on these comics, I felt like I had lived with the characters for most of my life. Also, the returning cast and crew happen to be some of the kindest, sweetest people on the planet, so they made me feel very welcome. TXV: How much freedom did you have in coming up with the main storylines for the movie? Did Fox have a specific direction that they wanted you to go in? SK: Fox definitely had some specific guidelines, but we were given a great deal of creative freedom within those parameters. The one thing we all knew in approaching X3 was that it would be the Dark Phoenix story. That's what excited me most about the project. The Phoenix Saga was always my favorite run in comic book history. Then an exec at the studio, Alex Young, thought it would be a good idea to incorporate the "mutant cure" into the film, so we could explore a more political subplot, and track parallel storylines. That's how the cure came to be a part of X3. Other than that, we were given some directives about Cyclops' role. But the rest was pretty much up to us -- us meaning all the filmmakers, including Matthew, then Brett, and the producers. TXV: And what about restrictions you were given based on any plans for spin-off films by Marvel and Fox? SK: I don't think Marvel and Fox ever gave us restrictions based on their plans for spin-offs. The Wolverine film would be a prequel, so nothing in X3 would impact that movie. The same goes for Magneto. We were all really focused on making X3 the best film it could be, to keep the franchise healthy. TXV: How did you get on with Zak Penn? What strengths do you feel that you brought to the script? SK: I have to say working with Zak was the best part of the process for me. From the very first time we met, we just totally clicked. We have very similar sensibilities, so we were creatively (and in some ways politically) aligned throughout the movie. It was great having an ally who would fight for the same things. And I don’t think we could have survived the speed, intensity, and pressure of this process without each other. I’ve never worked with a writing partner before, but working with Zak was really effortless. It helped that we’re both fairly neurotic Jews who like the same comics, movies, books, and we’re both incredibly skilled basketball players. I think we brought similar strengths to the script. I tend to approach all projects from the perspective of character and emotion. Then I really build the story and action from there. Writing X3 was the first time I had to write a script with so many characters and subplots, so having a writing partner really helped me balance all those separate, parallel tracks. TXV: Brett has said that you and Zak referenced the comic books extensively in putting together the script. Comics aside, how did you study the world established in X1 and X2 to continue building on the universe, and for what amount of time did you do your research? SK: We watched the first two films over and over. We discussed a lot of the scenes, and all of the character dynamics from those films. More than anything, we wanted to honor Bryan's tone. He created a very unique, very sophisticated voice for these movies, and we wanted to make sure we were loyal to that. But the comics were always the first and final touchstone for us. We both know the books inside and out, and we always had comic pages on the walls wherever we worked. TXV: Besides the magnificently eloquent Xavier and Magneto, who were you eager to write scenes and dialogue for? SK: I was very eager to write for Hugh Jackman, because I’m a huge fan of his work. I do think one of the reasons he keeps saying this is his favorite of the franchise is because we gave him a lot of dramatic, emotional scenes. I was also eager to write for Halle Berry, because I felt she got short shrift in the first two films, and I’m a big fan of her and the comic-book Storm. We really tried to bring more strength and passion to the character, which are two things that come naturally to Halle. Kelsey was another fun actor to write for, because he has such a wonderful voice, almost like a British-trained stage actor. He’s in the Ian and Patrick camp of fancy voices that make our words sound good. And I was excited to write Phoenix, because I really believed that Famke could pull off this incredibly tricky role. TXV: Talking about the Dark Phoenix saga, what sort of difficulties have you had in bringing that to the big screen? Given the magnitude of power that the character could wield in the comics, and the complexities of her situation what sort of research was required to help bring the storyline into the more "real" movie world? And do you feel that you lost any of the "epicness" of Phoenix because of budget/SFX limitations? SK: Adapting the Dark Phoenix saga to fit the tone and scope of the film was our biggest challenge. In fact, I would say it’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced as a writer. Bryan Singer created a very specific, realistic tone for this franchise, so we all felt we couldn’t have Phoenix flying through the galaxy destroying planets. The first conversations we ever had were all about how to make her power as epic and visual as possible, while grounding her in some semblance of reality. We really gravitated toward a character-driven approach to Phoenix, seeing her as a fundamentally schizophrenic character. The research we did (and Famke did, on her own) was all about different forms of schizophrenia. I don’t think budget or SFX ever dictated the visual manifestations of her power. It was always about balancing the superhuman with the human – the physical with the emotional. TXV: Speaking of Bryan, do you think he will like what you have come up with? Did you have any discussions with him regarding plot etc when he visited the set? SK: I really hope Bryan enjoys the film. We tried to honor his tone, his voice, his characters. I'm a very big fan of his work, so I hope he likes our chapter. Unfortunately, I never had any discussions with him about the plot. In fact, I didn't even meet Bryan until a couple months after we wrapped photography. I met him at a birthday party for John Palermo, Hugh’s producing partner. TXV: How has your involvement in the movie changed throughout its various stages? Can you tell us what a typical day for you was like during pre,principal and post production? SK: My role really evolved throughout the year-and-a-half I worked on the film. Initially, I was writing the movie from my office, getting notes from the producers and studio. Then I would work with Zak in his office, usually brainstorming, outlining, writing about seven or eight hours a day. Once the studio hired Matthew Vaughn to direct, we spent a great deal of time with him in the production office, visualizing, budgeting, and creating the major sequences of the movie. When Matthew left, and Brett came aboard, we continued this process, and revised the script according to Brett’s general notes. Once the film started shooting, I spent the majority of production living up in Vancouver, working with Brett, working with the actors, tweaking dialogue, and constantly revising action to fit our budget, sets, and locations. It was an incredibly intensive process. Brett is a very open, inclusive, collaborative director, and we spent time every day talking through every scene. Once we wrapped photography, I spent less time with the movie. Brett worked closely with his editor Mark Helfrich, and they would ask us for notes or suggestions whenever they completed a new cut. We also did a few days of reshoots, which demanded new writing, and we wrote a few lines of ADR (off-camera dialogue recorded in sound studios with the actors). TXV: What was it like working with the new faces of the franchise - namely, Kelsey, Ben, Ellen, Vinnie and Dania? What do you feel each of them brings to the movie and their characters? SK: It was great to work with the fresh blood, partly because I was new to the franchise too, so there was some solidarity there. And they're playing some of my favorite characters from the comic -- namely Beast and Juggernaut. They were all so incredibly committed to their performances, whether Kelsey and Vinnie suffering through hours of prosthetics every day, or Dania training for her fights, or Ben and Ellen really focusing on the emotional throughlines of their characters. Honestly, these films are an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the actors, and it was a thrill to show up at work every day and see what these folks would do with the words we gave them. Of all the fresh faces, Kelsey is probably the most prominent character. He's not the most obvious choice for the role, but once you hear his voice, and see his eyes, his posture, his demeanor, you can't imagine anyone else playing Beast. He's got so much pathos in those eyes, and so much power in that voice. TXV: How about the returning characters? How do you feel they have evolved in this movie? SK: Well, they’ve all evolved emotionally. The last film ended with such an emotional climax (the death of their friend and lover), so they begin this film in disarray. Scott is still suffering, Logan is struggling, Storm is more defiant, Xavier is more wary, and the kids seem a little unsettled. Over the span of the film, the X-Men must put the past behind them, and learn to work as a team. I think this film is the most team-oriented of the three films, maybe the most loyal to the comics in that respect. Overall, we just tried to infuse these characters with as much emotional turmoil as possible. This is a superhero movie in which characters cry and scream and sacrifice and suffer. It’s big and operatic in some ways, while still having the quiet moments that defined the first two films. Of all the familiar faces, I would say Storm and Jean have evolved the most. Storm is more charged and militant. Jean is obviously struggling with her consciousness and power. She goes from a woman who’s always been in control to a truly schizophrenic identity. One of the challenges of writing sequels is remaining true to the beloved characters, but also tweaking them enough to make the film feel fresh and distinct. TXV: Did you write any of the action sequences / power usages into the movie based on particular things that you personally thought would look cool on screen? Or did a lot of the stuff really get shaped by the plot of the movie? SK: Good action sequences are always created from character. The same is true of power uses. That's the way we approached the script. We laid down the story and character arcs first, then looked for the best ways to express their development with action and effects. Some of the sequences were inspired by the comics. Some of the sequences were definitely things I thought would look cool (things I'd always wanted to see on screen, as a fan of the franchise -- for instance, I always wanted to see Storm fly, and always wanted to see Iceman do some things he'd never done in the first two films). But one thing you have to understand about action sequences is that every sequence is a real collaboration between the writers, Brett, the visual effects department, second unit, and of course the actors. These sequences go through so many hands that no one person can claim authorship over them. TXV: How do you feel about the huge volume of spoilerish clips and in-depth movie reviews that have surfaced regarding X-Men: The Last Stand before the movie has even been released? SK: Well, it’s complicated. On the one hand, I understand the studio wanting to combat any negative buzz out there. I know Fox is very proud of this film, and they want sell the quality and gravity of the product. But on the other hand, it’s tough to see so much of the film being exposed. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of surprises that have yet to be revealed, but it’s tough to see your work presented out of context. Obviously, a big part of drama is build and balance, which you can’t really achieve with individual snippets. So I guess I would say I’m mixed. Also, I remember when I was a kid, and I would wait hours in line for the new Star Wars or Superman or Indiana Jones movie, chiefly because I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I saw the trailer and the poster and nothing else. There was something really magical about that mystery. With the internet and cable and every other mass media in existence today, it’s tough to sustain that type of mystery. TXV: What, in your opinion, was your biggest challenge on X3? And what do you believe was the biggest challenge for the team as a whole? SK: The biggest challenge from a creative standpoint was the adaptation of the Dark Phoenix Saga. As I’ve said before, it wasn’t easy to find a cinematic, realistic version of a character who blows up planets in the comic. At the end of the day, I’m very proud of our Phoenix. Famke gives an incredibly committed performance, which I think may be the best of the franchise. And the visual effects team really found smart ways to visualize the Phoenix effect. On the production side, the biggest challenge was probably the scope of the film. There are so many characters with so many different powers, it was an insane balancing act. Every action sequence has so many elements working simultaneously, from visual effects and stunts to prosthetics and production design. The battle sequences in this movie are bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced, so it was astonishing to see all the various teams working in concert. TXV: Is there a door open for X4 at the end of this movie? Would you like to come back and be involved? SK: Well, there’s always a door, in that almost all of the main characters could return for X4. The key to this franchise is the characters, and as long as they exist, so can the films. We definitely tried to complete the arcs that Bryan created with the first two films, so an X4 would have to create new dynamics and new issues (not to mention some new characters). As you know, there are hundreds of untapped characters in the X-Men universe, so there’s always space for new faces. I know the fans would love to see Gambit or Emma in a sequel. TXV: What have you taken away from this whole experience? Do you have a fondest memory? SK: I’ve taken so much from the experience. I really learned to be a better writer over the course of making this movie. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an integrated, intimate experience on a film. Even with Mr and Mrs Smith, I wasn’t side-by-side with the director in the same way. I definitely learned tons about working with actors on script and performance, and I learned a lot from watching Brett direct. He has a very specific eye, and he’s meticulous with his composition. This was also the first time I’ve ever worked with a writing partner, which was probably the best part of the process for me. As I said, Zak made this movie a lot of fun, and he was a critical ally on so many fronts. In terms of a fondest memory, I would have to say writing the very first draft with Zak ranks pretty high. The first day of photography was incredibly exciting. And I’ll never forget the walks I took in Stanley Park. Our thanks to Simon for taking the time to speak with us!