FOX President of Production Emma Watts gave fans an update about the "Fantastic Four" reboot and "X-Men" franchise in the latest issues of The Hollywood Reporter.
Off the heels of "X-Men: Days of Future Past" box-office success, Watts revealed the studio is in the process of "outlining" the upcoming "X-Men: Apocalypse" film. Watts could not confirm the return of Bryan Singer to the FOX franchise, but it would make her "happy" for the director to sign on for the project.
A civil lawsuit filed by accuser Michael Egan claimed Singer sexually abused him when he was a minor during an infamous Hollywood party. However, Singer has repeatedly claimed he is innocent, but decided to drop out of press-related meetings for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" film.
In light of the controversy, Watts also explained to THR why the "X-Men" franchise has become a huge success for FOX.
"It was the management of the franchise. And a big part of it was getting Bryan [Singer] back [as director]," she told THR. "The debate about originality versus familiar titles is interesting. You can have original movies that feel derivative in their execution, and you can have franchise titles that feel solely original and aspirational in terms of the talent attached, the story, et cetera. So I think the reason for Days of Future Past's success is, it doesn't underestimate what the audience is wanting or capable of enjoying."
Watts admitted to THR she isn't concerned about a possible decrease in popularity regarding superhero films. She claimed original filmmaking is what draws a crowd into a franchise. The FOX executive explained the studio is making a "big bet" for the release of "The Fantastic Four" reboot in 2015 with director Josh Trank.
"To me, the key is the originality of the filmmakers and the choices they make," Watts said. "Josh is another really interesting example, who is using the vision he gave us in Chronicle to reinvent a franchise he's loved his whole life. It's not that you can't make original ideas -- you can, and we did it with Chronicle. The director is the key to not letting superhero movies go stale. That's the truth."
The "Fantastic Four" reboot stars Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell. The film is set to open in theaters on June 19, 2015.
