Even before Kick-Ass hit theaters in the Spring of 2010, there was talk of a sequel to the adaptation of Mark Millar's ultraviolent comic book series.  After the film debuted, sequel discussions continued, even as a follow-up looked increasingly improbable, if not impossible.  Often, reports of progress on the next installment in the Kick-Ass saga came from hyperbole-prone Millar himself, but apparently Kick-Ass 2 might actually, really happen soon.

Last summer's X-Men: First Class ended with a snap, crackle, and pop, as erstwhile BFFs Professor Xavier and Magneto ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum agitating for mutant rights.  While Xavier set about establishing his school for gifted youngsters, Magneto adopted his codename and helmet to bring the fight to the Man.  That doesn't mean, however, that Erik Lensherr will be twirling his mustache as an arch villain in the planned sequel, though.  According to screenwriter Simon Kinberg, Magneto will remain a conflicted character in the continuation.

2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was commercially successful, but critics and audiences didn't exactly fall in love with the film and there was a general sense that the X-Men franchise might be running out of steam.  Then last summer, X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, basically rebooting the series and setting it in a promising new direction.  20th Century Fox has indicated it would continue with a sequel to the prequel and even hired a writer to do some work, but its been an open question whether or not Matthew Vaughn would return for another round. 

Contemporary horror tends, more often than not, to be based around garish brutality and jolting jump scares with cranked-up sound, as evidenced by any number of interchangeable films in which nubile young folks get naked just in time to meet their ridiculously elaborate demises.  A new trailer for The Woman in Black, however, promises that the movie will be a an old-fashioned and very effective scare-delivery vessel by relying on tried and true methods of inducing dread.  The trailer slowly builds an ominous sense of foreboding, using sound and visuals to convey that something horrible is on the way in this story of Arthur Kipps, a young clerk who travels to English countryside to sort out the affairs of a woman who recently met her end.  Daniel Radcliffe, in his first post-Harry Potter role, plays the protagonist, and it looks like Mr. Kipps will be getting up to his chin in scary shenanigans.

Over the summer, the prequel X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, performing well, but not phenomenally, and establishing a new direction for a franchise that was probably running out of creative momentum.  It was something of a palate cleanser, a well-reviewed adventure with solid word of mouth to hook wayward fans back into the world of Marvel's mutants.  It also ended with a promise of continued adventures for Michael Fassbender's Magneto and James McAvoy's Professor Xavier, we've seen precious little indication that 20th Century Fox would continue the series.  An as-yet unconfirmed rumor suggests that a continuation of X-Men: First Class is in the works, with a writer familiar to the Merry Mutants at work on a sequel to the prequel.

Two years ago, Matthew Vaughn was the producer of Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels who, between Layer Cake and Stardust, made two wildly different, well-executed films as a director.  Now, though, he's very much associated with comic books properties, having directed last year's Kick-Ass and this year's X-Men: First Class.  Though creator Mark Millar still enthuses about the possibility of Kick-Ass 2 and many fans similarly can't seem to give up hope that Vaughn will return, the odds there are pretty much slim to none.  Still, Vaughn is currently developing two different Millar titles as possible directing vehicles, and Superior or The Secret Service could end up being his next project.  Maybe.

For his first starring role since the end of a certain franchise involving wizardry and a lightning bolt scar, globally recognizable and widely loved actor Daniel Radcliffe chose another novel adaptation, the upcoming The Woman in Black.  The novel by Susan Hill follows Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer who travels to a remote village on Britain's east coast in order to organize a recently deceased woman's legal affairs.  At the Eel Marsh House, however, he's menaced by the titular spectre.  Hill's novel is held in extremely high regard, and a new UK trailer gives a good idea why, as it's chock full of classic spooky moments.  Like the last trailer, issued in August, this one is full of very effective and dread-inducing atmosphere, but it also features a surprising number of more visceral jolts.  What's more, it also imparts more than previous trailers about Kipps himself.  And hey, it's got Ciaran Hinds, one of my favorite underapreciated British actors.  All in all, a damn fine trailer.

Lauren Shuler Donner has produced some of the most beloved films of the last thirty years including Mr. Mom, St. Elmo’s Fire, Dave, Free Willy, and You’ve Got Mail. But to comic book fans around the world she will always be remembered as the woman that successfully ushered the X-Men on to the silver screen.

Beginning with X-Men in 2000, Donner has produced every one of Fox’s mutant themed films including X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In addition, she recently reunited with Bryan Singer (director of the first two movies), and Matthew Vaughn (who almost directed the third) to make X-Men: First Class, a prequel to the long running franchise. X-Men: First Class tells the story of how Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) first met, and includes surprise cameos from Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), which helped to solidify the film’s place in the overall franchise. The film opened this summer to glowing revues and so far has earned over $350 million worldwide at the box office.

Ever since supermodel Rebecca Romijn first slunk across the screen in blue bodypaint and latex scales as shapeshifter Mystique more than a decade ago in X-Men, the makeup and the process behind it have been a natural point of interest for audience everywhere.  That's only natural, and with Oscar nominee and fellow gorgeous woman Jennifer Lawrence having sported the scales as Mystique in this summer's X-Men: First Class, it's only natural to be curious all over again.

A new behind-the-scenes video excerpted from the upcoming Blu-ray release of X-Men: First Class goes into some detail about the arduous daily routine that turned the actress into a shapeshifting mutant.  It includes some interesting trivia, such as the fact that, though previous makeup artists had three movies to perfect the process, First Class did not benefit from any of their expertise, with the all-new makeup team starting all over.  Also, as surreal as Mystique may appear in her final form, it's far stranger to see Lawrence in partially-completed makeup.

Earlier this summer, X-Men: First Class proved to be the franchise's best installment since X2, and the story of emergent mutants in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis was anchored by a simple tale of friendship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, with each man's philosophy and background leading them to an inevitable break.  As Xavier, James McAvoy was charmingly flippant and kind, while Michael Fassbender's nascent Magneto was the engine driving the entire film, filled as he was with and almost regal rage and determination.  Would Fassbender's performance not have reached new heights of wonder if a scene were included of him in drag, rocking a slinky dress and a wig?  It's a legitimate question, since director Matthew Vaughn actually shot that bit, but didn't include it in the final cut.  Now it's online and available for viewing by your disbelieving eyes.