Simon Kinberg

The Martian was easily one of Ridley Scott’s better films in recent years, thanks in part to Andy Weir’s solid source material. It seems as though Scott has grown quite fond of the author, as the pair are reuniting for another film project based on a new, original pitch from Weir. Although Scott is a little too busy to direct it himself, he is teaming up with Simon Kinberg to produce the project for 20th Century Fox.

Back in 2013, Fox tapped Kick-Ass 2 director Jeff Wadlow to script an X-Force movie, but Deadpool’s development put X-Force on the back burner, and the Merc With a Mouth’s record-breaking box office seems to have made the studio rethink their plans. Bryan Singer basically confirms as much, revealing that not only is Simon Kinberg currently working on a new X-Force screenplay, but that Singer himself pitched a female version of Wolverine — lending credence to recent rumors that X23 will appear in The Wolverine sequel.

It’s been a bit of a bumpy road for Gambit, the X-Men spinoff starring Channing Tatum as the eponymous mutant. After losing director Rupert Wyatt and replacing him with Doug Liman, Fox removed nixed the film’s release date with little explanation, leaving fans to wonder if Gambit would still happen at all. In a new interview, producer Simon Kinberg confirms that the project is still moving forward and offers a bit of optimism while explaining the delay.

The Fantastic Four movie stunk. Perhaps you heard about it. Fox attempted to reboot Marvel’s First Family with a younger cast, a darker tone, and a buzzy young director (Chronicle’s Josh Trank). The finished product was a baffling, ugly mess. It made just $167 million worldwide, way less than either of the Fantastic Four movies that had come before it, earned some of the worst reviews of 2015, and won (“won”) three Razzie Awards, including Worst Director for Trank and Worst Picture.

You may recall a rumor from a few weeks back that suggested several members of the lineup for Josh Boone’s New Mutants movie, and although that rumor was predictably denied by Fox, Boone seemingly confirmed those characters for his X-Men spinoff just last week. We can add another rumored character to the confirmed pile, as producer Simon Kinberg has revealed that Professor X does indeed have a role in New Mutants, which could begin filming early next year.

X-Men: First Class took place in the ’60s. X-Men: Days of Future Past moved to the ’70s. Apocalypse is set in the ’80s. Like one of those “what comes next” questions on an IQ test, you can probably guess where this is going, but just in case you had any doubt, producer Simon Kinberg says — get ready — that the next X-Men sequel will take place in the ’90s. Jennifer Lawrence would probably look pretty cute in a choker necklace, to be honest.

Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine for over 15 years. He’s appeared on screen as the iconic X-Men character in seven films, including his uncredited cameo in X-Men: First Class, and by the time The Wolverine 2 rolls around, we can round that number up to eight (and that’s not including the potential for cameos in X-Men: Apocalypse, which he’s denied, as well as Gambit). Fans have been wondering if Wolverine will be recast once Jackman exits the franchise, but according to Bryan Singer and producer Simon Kinberg, that’s not likely to happen.

The Merc With a Mouth really earns that nickname in the latest red band trailer for Deadpool, the profane, balls-out and very violent new superhero-adjacent film that sees Ryan Reynolds reprising his role — albeit far more faithfully — for director Tim Miller in the first X-Men spinoff that doesn’t feature Wolverine. The new red band trailer offered plenty of previously unseen footage and raised a few questions — questions that Miller and producer Simon Kinberg are happy to answer in their official breakdown of the trailer.

Following reports of his potential involvement over the summer, Kenneth Branagh is official set to helm 20th Century Fox’s remake of director Sidney Lumet’s classic Murder on the Orient Express, itself based on Agatha Christie’s famed mystery novel of the same name. Branagh will pull double duty in the remake, taking on the lead role originated by Albert Finney in the 1974 film.

A remake / reboot of Logan’s Run has been in the works for years, like, people have had children and seen them enter junior high with a mountain of pimples in the time it’s taken Warner Bros. to figure this one out. But it looks as though the studio might be closer than ever, as producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men) has offered an update on the remake, which he now says WB hopes to develop into a blockbuster franchise. Surprise…?