Film News: X-Men Apocalypse announced, Disney acquires Indiana Jones, and more

Bryan Singer announces another new X-Men film; Disney acquires the Indiana Jones franchise; the new Godzilla remake goes viral, plus trailers for Mandela – The Long Walk To Freedom and Walking With The Enemy

Feature by News Team | 09 Dec 2013

BRYAN SINGER TEASES TITLE FOR NEW X-MOVIE: X-MEN - APOCALYPSE
Fox Studios, the current rights-holders for Marvel's X-Men franchise (and also the Fantastic Four) have this week announced that the follow-up to next year's hotly-anticipated, Bryan Singer-helmed X-Men: Days of Future Past will be X-Men: Apoclaypse. Producer Simon Kinberg has been hired by Fox to create a 'shared cinematic universe' for the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. The forthcoming Fantastic Four reboot will be helmed by Kinberg, and he is reported to be heavily involved with the creation of Days of Future Past

"I have a lot of ideas on how to build those brands and do what everybody is thinking of these days: be like Marvel," Kinberg told The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to be able to build stories over multiple movies." Kinberg is also working on the forthcoming Star Wars movies, and will be a co-creator and executive producer on the new TV series Star Wars: Rebels. Now signed to Fox for a three-year contract, he will oversee a proliferation of the Fox-licensed X-Men franchise, including a planned version of X-Men spin-off X-Force

Yesterday, the news of Kinberg's three-year deal was made even more exciting by Bryan Singer's Twitter announcement about Apocalypse. Singer tweeted the title, and a date: "#Xmen #Apocalypse 2016!" In the X-Men comics universe, Apocalypse is a time-travelling mutant bent on enslaving the human race. Also on the slate for future Fox / Marvel movies is a third outing for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, once again pairing him with director James Mangold. 

DISNEY ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO INDIANA JONES FRANCHISE
In news that will no doubt stun and sadden as many Indy fans as it excites, it was revealed today that Disney has acquired the rights to the Lucasfilm-owned Indiana Jones franchise. The previous films were already owned by Disney – they were acquired lock, stock and barrel when Disney took over Lucasfilm last year. But the company which owned the rights to produce new Indy movies – Paramount – have waited until now to sell their future option on the franchise to the Disney group. 

Although no announcements have been made yet regarding a fifth Indiana Jones movie, there are several ways this could go – with an ageing Harrison Ford returning for another outing in the title role, or possibly being replaced by his on-screen son from Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Shia LaBeouf. Or could Disney be planning to reboot the franchise with a younger actor? None of these solutions seems likely to delight fans – we'll keep you posted as the inevitable rumours surface.  

GODZILLA GOES VIRAL: MUTORESEARCH.NET
The new Godzilla movie, due out next year, has begun an online viral marketing campaign with the launch of a new website, mutoresearch.net. Containing an emergency tracking system which links to grainy, distorted clips of footage, it will eventually host the full trailer for the forthcoming film, which stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche, and is helmed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters). The M.U.T.O site is the second viral site set up to promote the film – Godzilla Encounters surfaced earlier this year, sharing behind-the-scenes footage and stills from the production.

TRAILERS: MANDELA – THE LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, WALKING WITH THE ENEMY
Following the death of Nelson Mandela last week, the timing of the new film Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba as Mandela, has become even more poignant. Based on Mandela's autobiography of the same name, it charts the politician and global figurehead's transition from his rural childhood, through his time as a revolutionary, to his period in office as the first black President of South Africa. 

Looking at an untold true story of a persecuted Austrian Jew who loses his family, and goes undercover as a Nazi officer, Walking With The Enemy is a powerful new drama starring Ben Kingsley, Jonas Armstrong and Burn Gorman.