On paper, the casting of James Franco as Jamie Madrox aka Multiple Man is certainly enticing. Fox is developing the project with Franco also serving as a producer in addition to starring. Reports initially had Matthew Vaughn slated to direct and serve as another of the film's producers before being quickly removed as the news began to spread. Perhaps Fox's deal with Vaughn isn't as far along as Franco's negotiations? Simon Kinberg is listed as another of the film's producers while Wonder Woman script writer Allan Heinberg will be creating the screenplay.
Deadline reports that Franco and his younger brother Dave were initially meeting with Kinberg about starring together in the drama, The Hardy Men, an adult take on the classic YA novels, The Hardy Boys. It seems those meetings led to Kinberg pitching Multiple Man to James... perhaps there's another character that was pitched to Dave?
After a brief stumble with X-Men: Apocalypse, the X-Men franchise appears to be back on track with Deadpool 2, a horror-oriented New Mutants adaptation and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Even Channing Tatum's long-gestating Gambit movie is showing signs of life, with Gore Verbinski recently being hired as director. Logan director James Mangold is also developing an untitled spinoff for X-23.
Of course, if the on-again/off-again sale to Disney actually goes through, it's anyone's guess as to what happens to Multiple Man and the rest of these carefully laid plans....
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