FX's "Legion" (Season 3 Premieres June 24)

[Walts Ghost]

Fox Are In Deep Development On A Live-Action X-Men TV Show

Bleeding Cool’s Hollywood sources (which also brought you the news that Warners were shipping round a Supergirl series – though we did get the producer wrong) have just landed us a massive trout, flapping around on the Bleeding Cool deck.

That Fox are currently in deep development on a live-action X-Men TV show. And are starting to get interest in that as well. Which is how it leaked to us.

No details whatsoever. And right now, no way of getting any. Hopefully, as a result of this article, someone like Deadline will do the heavy lifting.

Or maybe someone will mention it at NYCC? We’ll keep our ears open.

And looks like soon it may be time to add X-Men to The Strain, The Walking Dead, Daredevil, Flash, Arrow, Constantine, Gotham, Powers, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Defenders, Agents Of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Supergirl and all the other comic book-based TV shows coming down the pipe.

Over a decade ago, Marvel created the show Mutant X, but legal pressure from Fox saw them have to distance the show from the X-Men as much as possible. Won’t be a problem this time… could I suggest that the New X-Men series by Grant Morrison might make for interesting source material?

Bleeding Cool

[doctorD]

Wow, I've got to believe this will be with lesser known mutants if this does go through.

[kemcha]

I don't see this series as being that impressive. While it would be nice to see it developed like the original Uncanny X-Men were during the 80's, I just see this falling flat like Mutant X and Alphas did.

There are some storyarcs that I remember fondly:

The Brood Saga (Uncanny X-Men 254-266)
The Mutant Massacre
Fall of the Mutants

Unless the series went back to basics and featured characters like Cyclops, Marvel Girl/Jean Grey, Iceman, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine ... KI just don;t see too many people tuning into this.

[lazystoner]

According to some tweets from eatgeekplay's Shawn Madden, the plan is for the series to be based on Peter David's X-Factor run, and he adds that, "The X-Factor series will definitely feature Jamie Madrox and be sort of like 'Fringe in the X-Men world.'"

Pretty much sounds like X-Factor Investigations.

[Pizzamorg]

Eh, I know everyone likes Arrow and stuff but I still don't think this kind of stuff can be done on TV budgets with today's technology.

[GoldMotel]

Unless they have a bigish budget, I can't see how the show is going to do well sfx-wise. Even Agents of SHIELD has a pretty big budget for a network show and some of the effects are...wonky to say the least. Mutants with crazy powers...yikes.

I wish it was an animated show, but I'll probably still check it out, since I'm assuming Fox wants to tie it into their x-men verse.

[Elaniel]

I'm optimistic. Love the X-Men and think if the right people are involved, it can be done.

[kemcha]

Fox is going to screw it up just as they have done every other sci-fi series they have produced. Let's see, Fox screwed up various TV shows they have produced such as Firefly, Sliders, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Millenium, Alien Nation, The Lone Gunmen ... and these are just a few.

Where it concerns superhero related shows. Alphas, The Tomorrow People, Mutant X ... all of these shows were canceled by their respective networks and it's no doubt that Fox's X-Men series would get canceled as well. Additionally, wrapping up X-Factor into an X-Men TV series? Then, it's not X-Men.

Fox is going to have a problem with the pilot episode gaining any traction. Everyone is going to tune in expecting to see familiar characters such as Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Kitty Pride, Colossus, Iceman, Angel, etc. Without these characters in an X-Men live action series, it'll get canceled before the first season completes.

[Elandyll]

That would make a lot of sense with the New Mutants, but X Factor features mostly main line Mutants (Scott, Jean Grey, Beast... etc.)...

Don't see that as a good idea, it would muddle up their X-Verse for movies.

But New Mutants? If done right , heck yes. The Selene arc (and Karma's background) was dark as hell, and I'd love to see that (leading up to introducing Magma in the group).

[SGRSBSKIER]

Does Marvel not own the TV rights?
I thought Fox and Sony only had the live action movie rights.

[kemcha]

Walt's Ghost, I've been collecting The Uncanny X-Men, X-Force and X-Factor ever since the early 80's and you're correct about the original comics. But, I just don't see Fox using the main X-Men team for the series. Matter of fact, I think Fox would want to keep the TV series and the movie series separate.

I just don't see Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine or any of the other popular characters even appearing in this series and that's what's going to kill it. If it's based on X-Factor or New Mutants, then name those shows as such. X-Men fans are a very particular group of fans and that's who is mainly going to be watching the series.

[Elaniel]

While the ratings aren't stellar, weren't people saying the same for Agents of SHIELD? It would bomb without the big guns? I think it's treading along nicely considering what ABC has paired it with this season.

[GoldMotel]

Originally Posted by SGRSBSKIER

Does Marvel not own the TV rights?
I thought Fox and Sony only had the live action movie rights.

I think Walt could shed more light on it, but I think Fox only owns the live-action X-Men television and film rights.

I think anything X-Men animated would fall under the Marvel/Disney umbrella.

[kemcha]

I seriously doubt that Fox has the rights to any TV version of the X-Men. They can stomp all they want but that Marvel only sold Fox Studios the movies rights, not the TV series rights, otherwise, Marvel wouldn't be able to produce any X-Men animated TV series, or anime version.

The rumors about a possible X-Men series are probably just that, rumors.

[HDMe]

Originally Posted by kemcha

I seriously doubt that Fox has the rights to any TV version of the X-Men. They can stomp all they want but that Marvel only sold Fox Studios the movies rights, not the TV series rights, otherwise, Marvel wouldn't be able to produce any X-Men animated TV series, or anime version.

The rumors about a possible X-Men series are probably just that, rumors.

Animation licenses are often separate from live-action...

This is why Sony has the rights to Spider-Man, but Marvel is producing Spider-Man cartoons... Marvel could not, however, have a live-action Spider-Man on TV while Sony has the live-action license.

[kemcha]

Not really. Marvel only sold the movie rights. I have serious doubts that Marvel sold Sony and FOX movie and TV rights. They were only sold the movie rights. TV series rights are a different licensing rights altogether.

Movie rights, TV series rights, animation rights ... these each have different licensing rights attached to them. It's similar to anime licensing. Anime distributors who obtain rights to an anime series have to purchase digital, streaming, home video release rights individually or as a group package.

[HDMe]

No studio would buy movie rights for characters in live-action and let someone else produce a live-action show for TV.

The TV show would steal your audience.

If there was a live-action Spider-Man show on "free" TV every week, for 10-20 episodes a season... that would severely impact the fortunes of a Spider-Man movie.

No studio would pay big bucks for a movie license when it takes several years to put together a good movie and then watch while the company undercuts them by putting a TV show on with those same characters.

If you even had a doubt... Consider the ABC show a few seasons back "No Ordinary Family"... It was basically the Fantastic Four without being called the Fantastic Four... a family gets powers, has a Dr Doom-like villain, and even cast the guy who had been the Thing in the FF movie! But they didn't make it a Fantastic Four show. IF they had, it would have done better in the ratings... but they couldn't do it.

[Walts Ghost]

'X-Men' Live-Action Series in the Works at Fox

An X-Men TV series could be coming to Fox.

With '24's' Many Coto and Evan Katz overseeing, and 'Star Trek 3's' Patrick McKay and JD Payne writing.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the network is having preliminary conversations to adapt the iconic Marvel comic series — and feature film franchise — as a live-action television series with 24 producers Evan Katz and Manny Coto involved.

Fox's potential live-action series is being penned by Star Trek 3 writing duo Patrick McKay and JD Payne, sources tell THR, who will share a created by credit on the project with Katz and Coto. Katz and Coto will serve as showrunners.

Fox declined comment on Katz, Coto, McKay and Payne's involvement.

Fox studio counterpart 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the film franchise (with seven features already released based on X-Men characters). While conversations to bring the franchise to the small screen are under way, sources indicate a deal is far from complete with Marvel — which owns the comic rights — still having to sign off on the deal. The comic book powerhouse is based at Disney, with ABC shows including Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter on the network and five upcoming straight-to-series programs in the works there. Marvel would have to sign off on the deal.

TV Insider first reported theX-Men news.

The potential X-Men series comes as Fox, under television group chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman, noted that the network has also had conversations to revive The X-Files with Chris Carter as well as a limited run of Prison Break.

The network currently does not have plans for another run of 24 as a limited series, but has heard a pitch for a potential revival in 2016 — with our without star Kiefer Sutherland.

THR

[Samus Aran]

Billy Warlock as Wolverine. He's already short, dark, has a gruff voice and ageless (he was on Happy Days!!!!).

[R3P0]

If they do this they should to it without the main X-Men, Use Jubilee, Xi'an Coy, Gaveedra Seven, Nathan Summers, Samuel Guthrie, Max Eisenhart, I think they could build a good team and bring the movie ppl in for cameos on really BIG missions.