Previous X-MEN movies typically revolved around the teams of heroic mutants (and their occasionally reluctant colleagues) contending with major threats like Sentinels, mutant genocide, ancient malevolent entities and even the Cuban Missile Crisis. When Fox found tremendous success with DEADPOOL and LOGAN by focusing on specific characters and the personal stakes they face, THE NEW MUTANTS was developed to continue that tradition of stepping away from the expected path, gathering a small cast of characters and putting their distinct personalities and interactions in the spotlight while giving them the common goal of addressing their own issues.
(NOTE: This set visit took place in 2017, before Disney's acquisition of Fox and the movie's continued release delays.)
Everything you need to know:
– The scope of THE NEW MUTANTS is relatively small and more performance-driven when compared to other X-MEN movies. Aside from flashbacks, nearly the entire movie is set on the grounds of the fictional Millbury Hospital, an abandoned asylum repurposed to treat the young mutants.
– The movie loosely adapts the "Demon Bear" story from the New Mutants comic, an arc where a monstrous other-dimensional entity preys on the students. Director Josh Boone (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS) and co-writer Knate Gwaltney stated that they always wanted to adapt it, even before they figured out how they were going to do it.
– Influences for THE NEW MUTANTS include THE SHINING, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, GIRL INTERRUPTED and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, all of which indicate the unsettling and surreal tone expected to permeate the finished film.
– The Overlook Hotel from THE SHINING served as an inspiration for the atmosphere and setting of NEW MUTANTS.
– Director Josh Boone and X-producer Simon Kinberg had originally considered setting the movie in the 1980s, but ultimately decided to make it current-day.
– Boone and his writing partner approached Fox for the project by creating a comic book PDF file pitching a trilogy of NEW MUTANTS films that would each be a unique kind of horror movie, with the first being a supernatural horror movie.
– The movie features five teenage mutants: Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane (Maisie Williams from "Game of Thrones"), Illyana Rasputin/Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy of THE WITCH and SPLIT), Sam Guthrie/Cannonball (Charlie Heaton from "Stranger Things"), Roberto da Costa/Sunspot (Henry Zaga of "Teen Wolf"), and Danielle Moonstar/Mirage (Blu Hunt of "The Originals").
– Danielle "Dani" Moonstar is the most recent mutant to arrive at the hospital, with the others each having been there for varying amounts of time. Played by Blu Hunt in her first feature role, Dani acts as the audience's "guide" for the movie. Her power involves creating realistic illusions drawn from the minds of others, which will contribute to the movie's horror aspect.
– Magik's appearance in the movie will resemble her comic book counterpart, with pieces of mystic armor and a glowing Soulsword that can harm magical beings. The character also has a Russian accent (in the comics, she is the sister of Colossus).
– The alternate reality of Limbo (also known as Otherplace) will be a factor in the movie. In the comics, Illyana Rasputin was raised in Limbo after being abducted at a young age by a demon name Belasco. Her mutant teleportation power ("stepping discs") is tied to Limbo.
– Magik will be accompanied by a small dragon named Lockheed. The origin and depiction of the beast will differ from the comics, where Lockheed was an alien creature that bonded with Kitty Pryde during a trip into deep space with the X-Men.
– Sam Guthrie (Cannonball) is seen with a bruised face and a cast on one arm through much of the movie to illustrate his lack of control over his powers, which allow him to generate energy and "blast" through the air at significant speed (with landing safely as the obvious challenge).
– The movie's version of Sunspot is considered a "fresh start" from the previous screen incarnation seen in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The visual representation of his mutant solar powers will be similar to the comic, but strongly tied to Roberto's emotional state.
– Rahne Sinclair's mutant power allows her to transform completely into a wolf or enter a hybrid bipedal form that gives her enhanced strength, speed and senses. To realize this look on screen, Maisie Williams went through various tests with prosthetics, body suits, fingernails, teeth and facial hair. Ultimately the filmmakers decided to create most of the effect in post-production.
– Even in human form, Rahne's personality in the movie is generally animalistic and her naturally enhanced senses give her additional insight as to what is happening in the hospital. She struggles with her physical transformation, and reconciling the shame of her power against her strict religious upbringing.
– Aside from Magik, who retains elements of her iconic comic book appearance, none of the characters wear the traditional costumes from the comic. However, their wardrobe reflects each of their personalities and backgrounds.
– Boone used most of the "core team" of New Mutants from the original comic, limiting the members to five because he wanted each to have the time to develop in the movie. He wanted to introduce members like Warlock, Cypher and Karma in potential sequels, and describes this as "more like NEW MUTANTS BEGINS".
– Alice Braga (I AM LEGEND, "Queen of the South") plays Dr. Cecilia Reyes, the only adult in the ensemble cast. She replaced Rosario Dawson in the role.
– Although the character of Dr. Reyes exists in Marvel comics (as a reluctant mutant capable of generating psionic shields), she mostly interacted with the adult X-Men, and is skilled as a surgeon rather than a behavioral health expert. In the movie, Dr. Reyes is ostensibly treating the young mutants for their physical and psychological challenges, but her true motives and methods are unclear.
– Boone and co-writer Knate Gwaltney have known each other since a young age and have always been huge Marvel fans. The pair had their own "comic company" as kids, xeroxing copies of their own hand-made comic work and distributing them to family members.
– A sign the movie will be a reasonably faithful adaptation of the comic story: artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who illustrated the original "Demon Bear" arc of the New Mutants comic back in 1984, acted as an on-set advisor during filming.
– With THE NEW MUTANTS, the filmmakers hope to push the boundaries of the PG-13 rating.
– Boone is massive fan of Stephen King, and has worked on adapting the author's books Revival, The Talisman and The Stand.
– The actual Massachusetts shooting location of Medfield State Hospital is a defunct insane asylum built in 1892. Martin Scorsese's SHUTTER ISLAND and Richard Kelly's THE BOX also filmed at the hospital. For THE NEW MUTANTS, parts of five different buildings (including a full chapel) were gutted, cleaned and dressed to represent the expansive single structure of the movie's Millbury Hospital. The production scouted in 14 states and four countries before finding the location for filming.
– The fictional Millbury Hospital is described as a "psych hold" for mutant students that are too dangerous or unstable to be in the general public. They are at the facility recovering from various traumatic experiences, and to protect others and themselves from their powers, which are viewed more as an affliction than a gift.
– The "common room" set for the students contained charts for anxiety relief, various board games, and some outdated technology (cassette player, tube television) mixed with modern. DVDs on the shelf included DIE HARD, "The Simpsons", "The X-Files" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (unsurprisingly all released by Fox, the original home of the X-Men movies).
– The hospital rooms for each of the mutants are decorated to reflect each character's personality and backstory — for example, Rahne's religious upbringing will be apparent, while Roberto is obviously trying to emphasize his affluent family background.
– Production designer Molly Hughes previously worked with director Josh Boone on THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and was also the art director on the HARRY POTTER movie series.
– The institution's small graveyard with numbered headstones also adds to the horror tone of the setting. (Historically, asylum inmates had to be buried on the hospital premises, and were only given numbers instead of names.)
– Cinematographer Peter Deming also worked on MULHOLLAND DR., DRAG ME TO HELL, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, the SCREAM sequels and the new "Twin Peaks" revival show.
– The movie is set during winter to help create a further sense of isolation.
– The movie filmed under the code-name GROWING PAINS.