20th Century Fox’sThe Fantastic Fourhas beenreceiving praise this week, with an alleged studio employee claiming the reboot, “isn’t a complete trainwreck” and is “a genuinely good movie.” One day later, producerMatthew Vaughnadded that, “it’s good,” and that fans of directorJosh Trank’s first movieChroniclewill enjoyThe Fantastic Four. Today, we get a much different report fromBleeding Cool, where an unidentified “well-connected senior executive” described the movie as “a mess.” The studio has gone ahead and ordered extensive reshoots, which could be the reason why we haven’t seen the first trailer or even any photos as of yet, less than eight months until the release.
A rumor surfaced last year alleging that 20th Century Fox was quietly searching for other directors to take over forJosh Trank, though no one was willing to start over from scratch. While the studio denied the rumor at the time, this new report claims that Fox has set aside “millions of dollars” for reshoots, with sets being rebuilt in Louisiana. Some have describedThe Fantastic Fouras “Chronicle 2,” and thatJosh Trank’s movie isn’t what the studio was looking for.
Badass Digestis also reporting that they have heard aboutThe Fantastic Fourreshoots, although they have been planned for well over a month, and they don’t necessarily indicate that 20th Century Fox is unhappy with the movie. The site has spoken to sources who claim that the movie is good, while others think it is “a mess” like the unnamed Fox executive fromBleeding Cool’s report. The reshoots are said to include more action scenes since the movie has turned into a character-driven piece, and, despite rumors that have been circulating,Josh Trankremains on board as the director, and he will oversee these reshoots.
This new report also claims that the reboot is an “old-school origin story,” and that the main characters don’t really “becomeThe Fantastic Fouruntil the very end of the movie.” The site speculates that this format has left the studio unsure of how to market the movie, although they claim that the first trailer is “coming soon.” They also speculate that those who think the movie is “a mess” are watching the footage without completed CGI work being done, and that the same people who are already writing off this reboot were the same who saw unfinished footage ofRise of the Planet of the Apesbefore the effects were ready.Rise of the Planet of the Apeswent on to become a huge hit for the studio, starting a whole new franchise, so perhaps those claiming thatThe Fantastic Fouris in trouble are speaking too soon.
Of course, this report has not been confirmed by 20th Century Fox, but if there is a “major disquiet” at the studio about this reboot, it would surely explain why we haven’t seen anything official fromThe Fantastic Fouryet. ProducerSimon Kinbergrevealed inOctober thatthey haven’t released any footage or photos because they are trying to get the “voice” of the movie just right. What do you think about these unconfirmed new details? Chime in with your thoughts below, and stay tuned for more details onThe Fantastic Fouras soon as we have more information.
