Fox is still working on the script for a Multiple Man movie. The clock may be ticking on Fox's X-Men franchise, but until the Disney merger is finalized, they're operating as if it won't go through. This means they're still developing a number of projects that may need to film sooner than later if they're ever going to happen. Disney is committed to finishing and releasing any X-Men movie that is filming when the merger is completed. While that guarantees Dark Phoenix and New Mutants will be released, something like Multiple Man isn't as clear.
James Franco was announced to star and produce Multiple Man alongside Simon Kinberg late last year. Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg is set to write the script, but he's also just recently received a production commitment on an ABC Marvel show. There's been hardly any updates on the status of the movie since the original announcement, but a small one has finally come out.
Related: Multiple Man: James Franco's X-Men Character Explained
IGN spoke to Multiple Man producer Simon Kinberg and asked him about where the movie stands in development. Despite the lack of information that's come out since, Multiple Man is still a project they're developing. Kinberg updated Multiple Man's status by saying, "that script’s being worked on right now."
Heinberg has been working on the Multiple Man script for nearly a year, but it doesn't yet appear to be in a position to move forward. Unlike Gambit (another X-Men movie Fox is still working on), Kinberg didn't reveal any indication for when Multiple Man will be ready. He confirmed recent rumors that Gambit is eyeing an early 2019 start to production, so the fact that Multiple Man isn't yet in a position where they're even thinking about when they will shoot shows just how much it needs to progress. After all, it doesn't have a director or any other cast around Franco, so it will need to fall into place quickly to have a chance at getting made.
The Disney-Fox merger is expected to be officially finalized summer 2019, so there's still several months for Multiple Man and any other X-Men projects to get into production. That said, any of these movies that may have franchise aspirations could never materialize as Marvel Studios is going to take control of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Although their plans are not confirmed, it is widely expected that Disney and Marvel will completely reboot these characters. This could make it more difficult for these in-development projects to attract talent if they're just lame duck entries. However, it is entirely possible Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige could look through the X-Men scripts Fox had developed and decide to repurpose them in the MCU. So, either Multiple Man's script needs to finish soon to get into production before Disney can shut it down or they may be better off waiting to see if there's a future post-merger.
MORE: All 13 X-Men Movies Fox Still Has In Development
Source: IGN
