In a candid revelation, director Matthew Vaughn has shed light on his experiences within the Hollywood industry, particularly during his time in the X-Men franchise. Vaughn’s departure from the third installment, X-Men 3, stemmed from a surprising revelation involving actress Halle Berry’s role as Storm.
The Hollywood Reporter Reveals:
Matthew Vaughn spoke openly about the inner workings of Hollywood and industry politics, offering a glimpse into his journey. His time within the X-Men universe became a topic of discussion, where he revealed one of the pivotal reasons for his decision to step away from the project.
Vaughn recalled an intriguing encounter with an executive at the studio, where he discovered a significantly altered script for X-Men 3. He expressed his immediate concern, saying, “I went into one of the executive’s office and I saw an X3 script, and I immediately knew it was a lot fatter. I was like, ‘What the hell is this draft?’ He went, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m the director. I’m worrying about this draft.'”
When Vaughn pressed for more information, he decided to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. “He wouldn’t tell me, so I grabbed it literally — it was like a crazy moment — opened the first page, and it said, ‘Africa. Storm. Kids dying of no water. She creates a thunderstorm and saves all these children.'”
Vaughn found the concept intriguing, but what he learned next significantly affected his perspective on the project. He continued, “[I went,] ‘What is this?’ [They said,] ‘Oh, it’s Halle Berry’s script. I went, ‘OK, because she hasn’t signed up yet.’ ‘But this is what she wants it to be, and once she signs up, we’ll throw it in the bin,’ ” recounted the director, referring to the executive’s response.
Shocked by the proposed treatment of an Oscar-winning actress who portrayed Storm, Vaughn made a decisive choice. He stated, “I was like, ‘Wow, you’re gonna do that to an Oscar-winning actress who plays Storm? I’m outta here.’ So I quit at that point.”
This revelation offers an intriguing insight into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of a major film production and the decisions that can alter the course of a project.
Written by:
Dana Sterling-Editor
