The New Mutants Will Be A ‘Full-Fledged Horror Movie’

The X-Men have thrilled you, inspired you, made you laugh and – most recently – made you cry. And now they’re about to scare the living crap out of you too.

At least, that’s the idea. The next X-Men spin-off, The New Mutants, will be a “full-fledged horror movie,” according to director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars).

“We are making a full-fledged horror movie set within the X-Men universe, Josh Boone told Entertainment Weekly. “There are no costumes. There are no supervillains. We’re trying to do something very, very different.”

The New Mutants are, on the surface, exactly what they sound like: a teenaged version of the X-Men, enduring the trials and tribulations of superpowers and puberty. But throughout the original series, writer Chris Claremont pushed their story in creepier and creepier direction, particularly in the terrifying Demon Bear Saga, which forced the team to confront a demonic nightmare, brought to vivid and disturbing life by renowned horror artist Bill Sienkiewicz.

In other words, conventional action adventure suddenly pivoted into… stuff like this.

Marvel Comics

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Josh Boone, who is attached to direct the upcoming Stephen King adaptations The Stand and Lisey’s Story, and who gained prominence directing the John Hughes-ish teen drama The Fault in Our Stars,  says he has taken his inspiration from this particular run on The New Mutants, which he fittingly describes as “Stephen King meets John Hughes.”

Last year, Coming Soon released an animatic that revealed the New Mutants movie would adapt the iconic Demon Bear Saga. Entertainment Weekly’s sources were not as specific, but their vague description sounds a lot like the set-up for Demon Bear, which takes place at Professor Xavier’s School, in the middle of a snowstorm: “Held in a secret facility against their will, five new mutants have to battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their past. They aren’t out to save the world — they’re just trying to save themselves.”

The cast of New Mutants also mirrors the original team. Josh Boone’s movie will star Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) as Magik and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) as Wolfsbane. Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why) is currently rumored to play Sunspot, and Rosario Dawson (Daredevil) is rumored to be in talks for a role as well.

The New Mutants is scheduled to premiere on April 13, 2018. The film is currently expected to receive a PG-13 rating.

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Top Photo: Marvel Comics

William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.

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