X-Men 1

X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name.

Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen,

Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane. It introduces Wolverine

and Rogue into the conflict between Professor Xavier's X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto.

Magneto intends to mutate world leaders at a United Nations summit with a machine he has built to bring about

acceptance of mutantkind, but Xavier realizes this forced mutation will only result in their deaths.
Development for X-Men began as far back as 1989 with James Cameron and Carolco Pictures. The film rights went

to 20th Century Fox in 1994. Scripts and film treatments were commissioned from Andrew Kevin Walker, John

Logan, Joss Whedon and Michael Chabon. Singer signed to direct in 1996, with further rewrites by Ed Solomon,

Singer, Tom DeSanto, Christopher McQuarrie and David Hayter. Start dates kept getting pushed back, while Fox

decided to move X-Men's release date from December to July 2000. Filming took place from September 22, 1999

to March 3, 2000, primarily in Toronto. X-Men was released to positive reviews and was a financial success,

spawning the X-Men film series and a reemergence of superhero films.
Contents

• 1 Plot
• 2 Cast
• 3 Production
o 3.1 Development
o 3.2 Casting
o 3.3 Filming
o 3.4 Design and effects
o 3.5 Music
• 4 Release
o 4.1 Promotion and gross
o 4.2 Reviews
o 4.3 Awards

Plot
In congress senator Robert Kelly attempts to pass a "Mutant Registration Act", which would force mutants to publicly

reveal their identities and abilities. Magneto begins his plans to level the playing field between mutants and humans.

Meanwhile, a girl named Marie (a.k.a Rogue) runs away from her home in Meridian, Mississippi after accidentally

absorbing her boyfriend's energy while kissing him. She meets Wolverine in Canada. Suddenly, both of them are

attacked by Sabretooth, a mutant and associate of Magneto. Cyclops and Storm arrive and save Wolverine and

Rogue and bring them to the X-Mansion. Professor Charles Xavier runs the facility, and leads a group of mutants

who are trying to seek peace with the human race, educate young mutants in the responsible use of their powers,

and stop Magneto from starting a war with humanity.
Abducted by Mystique and Toad, Senator Kelly is brought to Magneto, who tests a machine on him that artificially

induces mutation though Kelly manages to escape imprisonment with his new abilities. After an accident causes

Rogue to use her powers on Wolverine, she is convinced by Mystique (disguised as Bobby Drake) that Xavier is

angry with her and that she should leave the school. Xavier uses Cerebro to locate Rogue at a train station.

Mystique infiltrates Cerebro and sabotages the machine. At the train station, Wolverine convinces Rogue to stay with

Xavier but a fight ensues when Magneto, Toad and Sabretooth arrive to take Rogue. When they arrive back at

Xavier's school Kelly dissolves into a puddle of water when his mutation becomes unstable.
The X-Men learn that Magneto intends to combine Rogue's ability with his own to power his machine. Xavier

attempts to use Cerebro to locate Rogue but falls into a coma. Jean fixes it and uses Cerebro to find Magneto's

machine on Liberty Island, which Magneto intends to use on the world leaders who are meeting for a summit on

nearby Ellis Island. Just as the group arrives at the top of the statue and kills Toad, Magneto and Sabretooth

incapacitate the group and continue with their plans. Magneto transfers his powers to Rogue who is forced to use

them to start the machine. Wolverine breaks free and initiates a fight with Sabretooth but is thrown over the side of

the statue.
Wolverine returns, and Cyclops, with Jean's help, blasts Sabretooth out of the statue. With Jean stabilizing him,

Storm uses her abilities to send Wolverine to the top of Magneto's machine. With time running out, Wolverine

attempts to stop the machine and save Rogue, but Magneto, now having regained some of his strength, halts

Wolverine's claws. Cyclops manages to find a clean shot, wounding Magneto and allowing Wolverine to destroy the

machine. Placing his hand to her face, Wolverine succeeds in transferring his regenerative abilities to a dying Rogue.

Professor Xavier recovers from his coma and the group learns that Mystique is still alive (after Wolverine stabbed

her at Liberty Island) when they see her impersonating Senator Kelly on a news broadcast. In an attempt to help

Wolverine learn more about his past, Xavier sends him to a military base near Alkali Lake. Xavier visits Magneto in

his plastic prison cell, and the two play chess. Magneto warns his friend that he will continue his fight, to which

Xavier promises that he (and the X-Men) will always be there to stop him.
[edit] Cast
• Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine: A tough, rugged, belligerent loner who makes a living in cage

fights. He has lived for fifteen years without memory of who he is, apart from his dog tags marked "Wolverine" and

an adamantium-encased skeleton (as well as adamantium claws). He has the ability to heal rapidly from numerous

injuries, including the surgery that bonded the metal to his skeleton, which makes his age impossible to determine.
• Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier: Founder of the X-Men and the Xavier School for Gifted

Youngsters, Xavier hopes for peaceful coexistence between mutantkind and mankind and is regarded as an authority

on genetic mutation. Although he is restricted to a wheelchair, he is a powerful mutant with vast telepathic abilities.

Along with Magneto, he is the inventor of the Cerebro supercomputer, which further amplifies his abilities.
• Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto: A Holocaust survivor, he and Xavier were once allies, and they

built Cerebro together. However, his belief that humans and mutants could never co-exist lead to their separation.

He has powerful magnetic abilities and a sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation, which he uses

to plan a mutation of the world leaders to allow mutant prosperity.
Anna Paquin as Marie D'Ancanto / Rogue: A seventeen-year-old girl, forced to leave her family in

Mississippi after putting her boyfriend in a coma by kissing him. If she touches anyone, she absorbs their strength,

memories and abilities, potentially killing them. During her travels, she meets Wolverine, who becomes her closest

friend. She begins to have a romance with Bobby Drake.
• Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey: She is engaged to Cyclops and works as the doctor of the X-Mansion.

She has the powers of telekinesis and telepathy.
• Bruce Davison as Senator Robert Kelly: An anti-mutant politician that supports a Mutant Registration Act

and wishes to ban mutant children from schools. He is kidnapped by Magneto in a test of his mutation machine,

which causes his body to turn into a liquid-like substance.
• James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops: He rescues Wolverine and Rogue from a truck explosion,

taking them to safety to The X-Mansion where they live. He is the second leader of The X-Men behind Xavier,

and is the team's field leader when they are out on missions as well as an instructor at The Institute. He is in

love with Jean Grey and she is engaged to him. He produces a strong red beam of force from his eyes, which is

only held in check by specialized ruby-quartz goggles and sunglasses.
• Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm: She works as a teacher at The X-Mansion and has the ability to

manipulate the weather with her mind. Ororo has become bitter with other people's hatred for mutants, and while

comforting a dying Senator Kelly says that she sometimes hates humans.
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique: Magneto's loyal second-in-command, her mutant ability to alter her

shape and mimic any human being is almost secondary to her role as "the perfect soldier". She is an agile fighter,

expert martial artist, and seems completely facile with modern technology. It is unknown whether her blue, scaly skin

is her normal physical expression or if it is a choice which sets herself apart from "normal" humans.
• Ray Park as Toad: A very agile fighter with a menacing streak and a long, prehensile tongue, who can

also spit a slimy substance onto others.
• Tyler Mane as Sabretooth: A ferocious, feline-like fighter who attacks Wolverine and Rogue in Canada

before being stopped by Storm and Cyclops. He is a brutal and sadistic henchman of Magneto, and wields claws

extending past each finger. It is revealed in X-Men Origins: Wolverine that Sabretooth is Wolverine's brother.
• Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman: A student at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters who takes

a liking to Rogue. He can change temperatures to subzero degrees and use the moisture in the air to create ice.
David Hayter, Stan Lee, and Tom DeSanto make cameo appearances. George Buza, the voice of Beast in X-Men:

The Animated Series, appeared as the truck driver who drops Rogue off at the bar at which Wolverine fights.[1]

Gambit was considered for one of the students at the X-Mansion. Singer remembered, "We thought about Gambit

as the young boy on the basketball field, but the feeling was that if he has the basketball and then releases it and

it exploded, [then] people would be like 'What's wrong with those basketballs?'"[2] A young Colossus appears

sketching a picture in one scene.[2]
Production
[edit] Development


Concept art for Beast (before the character was deleted from subsequent scripts) by Industrial Light & Magic[3]
Throughout 1989 and 1990, Stan Lee and Chris Claremont were in discussions with James Cameron and Carolco

Pictures for an X-Men film adaptation. The deal fell apart when Cameron went to work on Spider-Man, Carolco

went bankrupt, and the film rights reverted to Marvel Studios.[4] In December 1992, Marvel discussed selling the

property to Columbia Pictures to no avail.[5] Meanwhile, Avi Arad produced the animated X-Men TV series for Fox

Kids. 20th Century Fox was impressed by the success of the TV show, and producer Lauren Shuler Donner

purchased the film rights for them in 1994.[4][6]
Andrew Kevin Walker was hired to write the script in early 1994.[7] Walker's draft involved Professor Xavier hiring

Wolverine into the X-Men, which consists of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. The Brotherhood of

Mutants, which consisted of Magneto, Sabretooth, Toad, and the Blob, try to conquer New York City, while Henry

Peter Gyrich and Bolivar Trask attack the X-Men with three 8 feet (2.4 m) tall Sentinels. The script focused on

the rivalry between Wolverine and Cyclops, as well as the latter's self-doubt as a field leader. Part of the backstory

invented for Magneto made him the cause of the Chernobyl disaster. The script also featured the X-Copter and the

Danger Room. Walker turned in his second draft in June 1994.[8]

More scripts were written by John Logan, James Schamus,[1] and Joss Whedon. Whedon claimed his script was

rejected because of its "quick-witted pop culture-referencing tone".[9] Only two dialogue exchanges from his draft

appeared in the finished film.[10][11] One of these scripts kept the idea of Magneto turning Manhattan into a

"mutant homeland", while another hinged on a romance between Wolverine and Storm.[6] In 1996, Fox approached

Michael Chabon to write a script. Chabon's six-page film treatment focused heavily on character development

between Wolverine and Jubilee. It also included Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman, and

Storm. Under Chabon's plan, the villains would not have been introduced until the second film.[12]
Robert Rodriguez was approached to direct, but turned down the offer.[13] Bryan Singer was looking to do a

science fiction film after the release of The Usual Suspects. Fox approached Singer for Alien Resurrection, but

producer Tom DeSanto felt X-Men would be a better opportunity as he was impressed with how Singer directed an

ensemble cast in The Usual Suspects.[4] Singer turned down the offer, believing that comic books were unintelligent

literature. By July 1996, Singer had further turned down the film another two times,[6] and finally accepted after

reading the comics and watching the animated series.[4] The themes of prejudice in the comic resonated with

Singer.[1]
By December 1996, Singer was in the director's position, while Ed Solomon was hired to write the script in April

1997, and Singer went to film Apt Pupil. Fox then announced a Christmas 1998 release date.[14][15] In late 1997,

the budget was projected at $60 million.[2] In late 1998, Singer and DeSanto sent a treatment to Fox, which they

believed was "perfect" because it took "seriously" the themes and the comparisons between Xavier and Magneto

and Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, unlike the other scripts.[1] They made Rogue an important character

because Singer recognized that her mutation, which renders her unable to touch anyone, was the most symbolic of

alienation. Singer merged attributes of Kitty Pryde and Jubilee into the film's depiction of Rogue. Magneto's plot to

mutate the world leaders into accepting his people is reminiscent of how Constantine I's conversion to Christianity

ended the persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire; the analogy was emphasized in a deleted scene in

which Storm teaches history. Senator Kelly's claim that he has a list of mutants living in the United States recalls

Joseph McCarthy's similar claim regarding communists.[1]
Fox, who had projected the budget at $75 million, rejected the treatment, which they estimated it would have cost

$5 million more. Beast, Nightcrawler, Pyro, and the Danger Room had to be deleted before the studio greenlighted

X-Men.[6][16] Fox head Thomas Rothman argued that this would enhance the story,[6] and Singer concurred that

removing the Danger Room allowed him to focus on other scenes he preferred. Elements of Beast, particularly his

medical expertise, were transferred to Jean Grey.[1] Singer and DeSanto brought Christopher McQuarrie from The

Usual Suspects, and together did another rewrite.[17][18] David Hayter simultaneously rewrote the screenplay,

receiving solo screenplay credit from the Writers Guild of America, while Singer and DeSanto were given story

credit.[6] The WGA offered McQuarrie a credit, but he voluntarily took his name off when the final version was

more in line with Hayter's script than his.[19]
Casting
Many actors were considered for roles in the film particularly Wolverine and Cyclops.
Patrick Stewart was the first and only choice for the role of Charles Xavier since his debut in Star Trek: The Next

Generation. Terrence Stamp was in the running for the role of Magneto before Ian McKellen was cast.
For the role of Wolverine, Gary Sinise, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Viggo Mortensen, Aaron Eckhart, Edward Norton

and Jean Claude Van Damme were all considered. At one point in the 1990s, Glenn Danzig was approached to

play Wolverine in ad hoc committee X-Men film, because he bore an uncanny resemblance to the character, as

well as being the same height as Wolverine, and very muscular. However, he had to decline, due to the fact that

the shooting for the film would force him to put a halt to touring with his band for nine months.[20]. Dougray

Scott was originally cast as Wolverine. But he was forced to pull out the project due to scheduling conflicts with

Mission:Impossible II. Fox on the other hand wanted Keanu Reeves for the part.
For the role of Cyclops, Thomas Jane, Johnny Lee Miller, Eric Mabius, Owen Wilson, Edward Burns, Edward Norton

and Jude Law were considered. Michael Biehn was at one point considered for the role back in 1989 when James

Cameron was developing it. James Caviezel was originally cast but pulled out before filming began. Wrestler Kevin

Nash was offered the role of Sabretooth but he turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts. Sarah Michelle

Gellar Prinze, Natalie Portman and Katharine Isabelle were considered for the role of Rogue. Angela Bassett was

offered the role of Storm but she turned it down. Jada Pinkett Smith and Rachel Luttrell were considered for the

role. Jeri Ryan and Maria Bello were considered for the role of Jean Grey.
Filming
The original start date was mid-1999,[21] with the release date set for Christmas 2000, but Fox moved X-Men to

June. Steven Spielberg had been scheduled to film Minority Report for release in June 2000, but he had chosen to

film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Fox needed a film to fill the void.[22] This meant that Singer had to finish

X-Men six months ahead of schedule, although filming had been pushed back.[23] The release date was then

moved to July 14.[24]
Filming took place from September 22, 1999 to March 3, 2000 in Toronto and in Hamilton, Ontario.[25][26]

Locations included Central Commerce Collegiate, Distillery District and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Casa

Loma, Roy Thomson Hall and Metro Hall were used for X-Mansion interiors, while Parkwood Estate was chosen for

exteriors. For the train station scenes, Toronto Union Station and Hamilton GO Centre were set. Spencer Smith Park

doubled for Liberty Island. A scale model was used for the Statue of Liberty.[27]
[edit] Design and effects
The filmmakers decided not to replicate the X-Men costumes as seen in the comic book. Stan Lee and Chris

Claremont supported this decision. Claremont joked, "you can do that on a drawing, but when you put it on people

it's disturbing!"[4] Producer/co-writer Tom DeSanto had been supportive of using the blue and yellow color scheme

of the comics,[1] but once he saw tests of them, he declared, "No, that just doesn't work." Despite receiving

positive feedback from various associates at Marvel Comics for the black costume design, fans on the internet still

had negative emotions when X-Men was filming.[28] To acknowledge the fan complaints, Singer added Cyclops' line

"What would you prefer, yellow spandex?" – when Wolverine complains about wearing their uniforms – during

filming. Singer noted that durable black leather made more sense for the X-Men to wear as protective clothing.[1]
Wolverine's claws required a full silicone cast of Hugh Jackman's arm, and 700 versions for Jackman and his stunt

doubles.[29] It took nine hours to apply Rebecca Romijn's prosthetic makeup.[30] She could not drink wine, use

skin creams, or fly the day before filming, because it could have caused her body chemistry to change slightly,

causing the 110 prosthetics applied to her skin fall off.[6] Between takes, the makeup department kept Romijn

isolated in a windowless room to ensure secrecy. Romijn reflected, "I had almost no contact with the rest of the

cast; it was like I was making a different movie from everyone else. It was hell."[6]
In the late 1990s, computer-generated imagery was becoming more commonly used. Singer visited the sets of Star

Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Titanic to understand practical and digital effects.[2] Filming had started

without a special effects company hired. Digital Domain, Cinesite, Kleiser-Walczak Construction, Hammerhead

Production, Matte World Digital, CORE and POP were all hired in December 1999.[31] Visual effects supervisor Mike

Fink admitted to have been dissatisfied with his work on X-Men in 2003, despite nearly being nominated for an

Academy Award.[32]
Digital Domain's technical director Sean C. Cunningham and lead compositor Claas Henke morphed Bruce Davison

into a liquid figure for Kelly's mutation scene. Cunningham said, "There were many digital layers: water without

refraction, water with murkiness, skin with and without highlights, skin with goo in it. When rendered together, it took

39 hours per frame."[33] They considered showing Kelly's internal organs during the transformation, "but that

seemed too gruesome", according to Cunningham.[33]
Music
Singer approached John Williams to compose the film score, but Williams turned down the offer because of

scheduling conflicts.[34] John Ottman was originally set as composer.[35] Michael Kamen was eventually hired.
[edit] Release
[edit] Promotion and gross
On June 1, 2000, Marvel published a comic book prequel to X-Men, entitled X-Men: Beginnings, revealing the

backstories of Magneto, Rogue and Wolverine.[36] There was also a comic book adaptation based on the film.[37]

Marvel Studios was depending on X-Men's success to ignite other franchise properties (Spider-Man, Fantastic Four,

Hulk and Daredevil).[38] X-Men was released in 3,025 theaters in North America on July 14, 2000, earning

$54,471,475 in its opening weekend. The film eventually grossed $157,299,717 and made $139,039,810 in other

countries, coming to a worldwide total of $296,339,527.[39] X-Men was the ninth highest-grossing film of

2000.[40] The film made over $50 million in home video sales.[2] The success of X-Men (alongside Blade)

started a reemergence for the comic book and superhero film genre.[41]
Reviews
Based on 144 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 81% were positive, with the consensus that the "story [is]

faithful to the comic books and, while the movie may be too Wolverine-centered, it packs a freaky punch that is

sure to excite the average summer moviegoer".[42] 61% of 30 selected popular reviewers gave it positive

reviews.[43] By comparison Metacritic collected an average score of 64/100 from 33 reviews.[44]
Kenneth Turan found "so much is happening you feel the immediate need of a sequel just as a reward for

absorbing it all. While X-Men doesn't take your breath away wire-to-wire the way The Matrix did, it's an

accomplished piece of work with considerable pulp watchability to it."[45] ReelReviews.net's James Berardinelli, an

X-Men comic book fan, believed, "the film is effectively paced with a good balance of exposition, character

development, and special effects-enhanced action. Neither the plot nor the character relationships are difficult to

follow, and the movie avoids the trap of spending too much time explaining things that don't need to be explained.

X-Men fandom is likely to be divided over whether the picture is a success or a failure".[46] Desson Thomson of

The Washington Post commented, "[T]he movie's enjoyable on the surface, but I suspect many people, even

die-hards, will be less enthusiastic about what lies, or doesn't, underneath".[47]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said he "started out liking this movie, while waiting for something really

interesting to happen. When nothing did, I still didn't dislike it; I assume the X-Men will further develop their

personalities if there is a sequel, and maybe find time to get involved in a story. No doubt fans of the comics will

understand subtle allusions and fine points of behavior; they should linger in the lobby after each screening to

answer questions."[48] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone noted, "Since it's Wolverine's movie, any X-Men or Women

who don't hinge directly on his story get short shrift. As Storm, Halle Berry can do neat tricks with weather, but her

role is gone with the wind. It sucks that Stewart and McKellen, two superb actors, are underused."[49]
[edit] Awards
The film was nominated the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, but lost to Crouching Tiger, Hidden

Dragon.[50] X-Men was successful at the Saturn Awards. It won categories for Best Science Fiction Film, direction

(Singer), writing, costume design, Best Actor (Hugh Jackman) and Supporting Actress (Rebecca Romijn).

Nominations included Performance by a Younger Actor (Anna Paquin), Supporting Actor (Patrick Stewart), Special

Effects and Make-up.[51] Empire readers voted Singer Best Director.[1]