Corona | Coming Attractions

20th Century Fox has hired Josh Schwartz to write the screenplay for a new proposed spinoff movie arising from the X-Men universe called X-Men: First Class. The idea behind First Class is to show the next generation of younger mutants learning how to live with and control their mutant powers while attending Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning.

Schwartz is the creator of several successful television shows including The O.C., Chuck and Gossip Girl. Fox's deal also includes the option for Schwartz to direct the film if he wants, although at this early stage he's only committed to produce the screenplay. Original X-Men movie trilogy producer Lauren Shuler Donner will also serve in the same capacity on First Class along with Simon Kinberg, the screenwriter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jumper, XxX: State of the Union and co-writer on X-Men: The Last Stand.

According to Variety the details on what creative direction Schwartz's screen story will head remain closely guarded by Fox. In 2006 Marvel Comics published a First Class title that told new adventures of the first group of teenage X-Men made up of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast and Angel. If Schwartz and Fox keep to the established canon of the X-Men film series then the lineup of mutants we'll see in the First Class team will be slightly modified as some of the movie's first class of X-Men are a decade or more older (like Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Beast) than their classmates (Iceman, Angel).