In a recent interview with director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars), the filmmaker revealed that the film will emphasize the scariest aspects of all three aforementioned elements.
“We are making a full-fledged horror movie set within the X-Men universe,” Boone told Entertainment Weekly. “There are no costumes. There are no supervillains. We’re trying to do something very, very different.”
The 20th Century Fox film is based on the comic book series of the same name created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, which debuted in 1983 and followed a group of teenage students of Charles Xavier coping with the combined stresses of young adulthood and having powerful abilities that set them apart from the rest of humanity. The series was well-received for its serious take on the issues facing teenagers and the very real threats — and consequences — the team faced both within their own social circle and from outside enemies.
The report indicates that an anonymous source close to the project offered the following, unconfirmed synopsis of the film’s plot: “Held in a secret facility against their will, five new mutants have to battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their past. They aren’t out to save the world — they’re just trying to save themselves.”
The film’s script was penned by Boone and his longtime friend and collaborator, Knate Lee, and already has several high-profile cast members attached to roles. The Witch and Split actress Anya Taylor-Joy will play the teleporting, sorcery-wielding mutant Magik, while Game of Thrones and Doctor Who actress Maisie Williams will play the mutant Wolfsbane, who can transform into a savage, wolf-like creature.
The report also indicates that 13 Reasons Why actor Henry Zaga will officially be announced in the role of Sunspot, a mutant who can harness solar energy. Daredevil and Luke Cage actress Rosario Dawson is also rumored for an unidentified role in the film.
Previously, it was reported that the studio is searching for a Native American actress to play Danielle Moonstar, a mutant capable of creating terrifying illusions, as well as an actor to portray Cannonball, a Kentucky teenager who is able to propel himself forward at blazing speed while surrounded by a near-invulnerable barrier, and the alien Warlock, a member of a techno-organic extraterrestrial species.
The New Mutants is currently scheduled to hit theaters April 13, 2018.
