Montreal outlet LaPresse has word from the Quebec Film and Television Bureau that filming on X-Men: Dark Phoenix‘s reshoots are going be massive as it will take a full three months to complete.
A surprise makes possible this new record of foreign shootings: the additional scenes of the film X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Initially, X-Men thought they would have to spend two weeks in Montreal to finish the film shot in the metropolis last summer. However, the team of X-Men will turn rather three months. “They are returning the last part of the film. It’s a nice surprise, “says Pierre Moreau.
For some perspective, the original Montreal shoot last year took three and a half months (June 28th-October 14th). The studio says this only for the ending/third act, but this is a little fishy. Filming was bumped from two weeks to now three months. To me, if this reshoot schedule is accurate it sounds like 20th Century Fox might be reshooting the entire thing.
I’ve been extremely vocal that first-time director Simon Kinberg was a huge risk for a project of this scale and these extensive reshoots comes off as the studio trying to furiously fix issues that have been coming up during test screenings. We’ve heard from those who have watched the film it’s complete mess. Along with rumblings of issues during the summer shoot as Kinberg was said to be over his head with the action sequences.
Nothing says this is going to happen, but I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if they announce that another director will be replacing Kinberg on the reshoots. This might end up being the most expensive film for a first-time director.
Fox had recently set the film’s release date for February 14th, 2019, but we are expecting yet another delay.
SOURCE: LA PRESSE/BCTQ