Disney’s pending acquisition of Fox certainly isn’t slowing down the latter. The Hollywood Reporter states that Fox has a new X-Men film gearing up for development. Codenamed 143, the story is said to be a Kitty Pryde spin-off.
The names attached to the project make the news all the more juicy. Deadpool director Tim Miller is set to direct 143. Brian Michael Bendis is attached to write the script. Miller’s Deadpool ended up becoming the highest-grossing X-Men film ever. Even with an R rating the movie raked in $783 million worldwide.
Bendis’ involvement is big news in itself. Brian Michael Bendis recently left Marvel Comics after serving 17 years as one of the company’s lead writers. He’s now planning Superman comics for DC. He’s renowned for creating iconic characters such as Miles Morales and Jessica Jones.
Miller and Bendis’ take on Kitty Pryde is under wraps, but the codename of 143 seems to show their hand. In Uncanny X-Men No. 143, Kitty Pryde gets one of her first solo adventures. Alone in the X-Mansion, the character faces off against a demon known as N’Garai.
There’s no word yet as to who will play Kitty Pride in 143. Ellen Page took on the role in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. It’s unclear whether Tim Miller would hope to get the actress back or instead recast the role.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of a potential Kitty Pryde movie. Back in early January, it was reported that Tim Miller would be tapped to bring a film to fruition. But today’s news brings us the story’s likely focus as well as word of Bendis’ involvement.
Kitty Pryde is a fan-favorite character. A project combining Miller and Bendis is exciting news for those eager to see Pryde’s moment in the spotlight. However, with Fox’s looming purchase, we’ll have to wait and see if Disney actually allows the movie to reach production.