James Mangold To Direct ‘Cyclops’ (No, It’s Not What You Think)

I could have left the title ambiguous so that you’d read this item believing that there was another X-Men Origins film in development. However, I’m a nice guy and I wouldn’t like to either, get your hopes up, or fill you with dread. So I decided to be honest, something that rarely happens in the 21st Century, except here at Screen Rant of course!

Cyclops is based on a graphic novel, which according to Variety is:

“Set in the near future, the actioner concerns mercenary forces whose soldiers wear Cyclops-like cameras in their helmets and broadcast in real time to both central command and living rooms. One mercenary chosen to lead an elite squad begins to realize he isn’t fighting for freedom and justice as much as for commerce.”

Warner Bros. has bought the property in the hope that the Walk The Line director will helm the feature.

Sounds like a blend of Soldier, Aliens and The Running Man with a dash of Robocop thrown in for good measure. Which isn’t a bad thing, if you think about it.

I really like Mangold, he has created a strong and diverse filmography with films such as Copland, Identity, Girl, Interupted, 3.10 To Yuma, Kate and Leopold and the above mentioned Johnny Cash biopic under his belt. He’s shaping up to be the new Howard Hawks, or at the very least the new Richard Donner, a director who can tackle any genre and give the audience a pretty damn good movie.

The script hasn’t been written yet – Cathy Konrad, Mangold’s producer and his wife said:

“This is something that Warner Bros. wants to move very quickly on. We already have a shortlist of screenwriters and will be out to people in the next week.”

While Mangold himself is quoted as saying:

“It is an electrifying package you find in the best sci-fi: great action sequences combined with themes that are eminently foreseeable.”

I’m pretty excited about this project, Mangold really is a talent to watch and I’ve pretty much enjoyed everything of his that I’ve seen, yes even Kate and Leopold, despite Meg Ryan (man I hate her!).

This is something to look forward to, an interesting premise and a solid director. Let’s hope that the casting is good.

Hint: James, reunite with Christian Bale or Hugh Jackman (or both).

Source: Variety