Some interesting gossip about this movie originally being a two parter
https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?117161-Dark-Phoenix&p=4398625&viewfull=1#post4398625
- Okay so there are some HUGE name OSCAR winning people behind the scenes creating this movie, look them up on IMDB. They ALL signed on to a FINISHED two part script, and were hired for their experience and talent, to bring together the huge undertaking of filming TWO movies.
- The two movies were to be filmed together. The plan was to film most of the huge action pieces first. So the UN set, the largest of any X film, as well as the New York night street battle set, were all being built. These to sets were the THIRD act sets for each movie, with the UN set serving as the HUGE invasion style finale for PART TWO! Part one‘s finale set, is still partially in THIS movie, albeit scaled down, and with key players missing. It also serves as the close of the second act, opposed to a final act battle.
- Fox, with about 2 months until principal photography, BLINDSIDED the entire team, CUT the budget and informed the creative team to scale it down to ONE movie. They were not told of any reason (no employee at Fox knew about the merger until it was announced, only higher ups). They scrambled. They had to rewrite an ENTIRE script, pulling together pieces and ideas from the old ones, while COMPLETELY cutting out characters, set pieces, sequences, and changing some characters motivations.
- The biggest omission from this is the Shi’ar!!!!! Yes the Shi’ar were to be introduced and fleshed out in the scrapped two part movies. Simon KNEW bringing them in this new script would be foolish, drawing away the spotlight from Jean. Having to do their origin story, as well as a certain character’s relationship with Charles, while also telling Jeans descent into darkness, in a two hour time frame, was UNREALISTIC. Things had to be cut guys.
- Jessica Chastain signed on to play LILANDRA! When the scripted changed, they had to delay her from shooting, while they figured out who she would play and how she would be involved. Eventually Jessica started TWO and a half months after all the other actors had started.
- Because they already had sets built for the original idea, they had to use them, also with the budget cut, they couldn’t just destroy them and build new ones. They incorporated them into this singular movie. While they had managed to rewrite the first two acts, by the time shooting had begun, THEY HAD BARELY a working script for the third act lol. Just ideas.
- The reason Jessica kept teasing her character was because even after the rewrites, they still intended her to be Lilandra. They filmed a whole scene of her introducing herself to the world as the Empress, although the Shi’ar are NOT named, instead she leads a mysterious grey humanoid alien race. They realised she resembled NOTHING of Lilandra, so shot an alternate version of her being nameless, which would have been the cut we saw, had they kept the old third act. Basically someone needed to have a chat with Jessica lmao!
- When Fox reviewed the footage, and seeing the test audience feedback, they realised their blunder, and allowed for additional photography to commence (reshoots).They realised in doing so, they would have to push back the film. Fox wanted the February date while Kinberg urged them for a later date, because the reshoots would end in September, and the film coming out in Feb wouldn’t allow enough time to edit, score and add effects. Keep in mind they are REPLACING a whole third act. Fox Announces the Valentine’s Day release anyway.
When everything was completed, FOX again realised the effects weren’t going to be complete lol, so agreed to move it to the current date, ON THE CONDITION a trailer was to be released in order to soften the delay. The trailer would have the new date, and would be the announcement. Somewhere in the shuffle, the company that cuts trailers, left the Feb date on and was released. The biggest LOL....
Because the delay in rewrites, they had to cut out, Storm, Beast, Magneto, who all had other commitments by the time filming the old third act had started. Easiest option was to have them “captured”. This new Sequence corrects that! Only Evan Peters (Quicksilver) was unavailable to do both (AHS) lol.