Zack Stentz and Ashley Edward Miller have worked together in the past many times including the TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Kenneth Branagh's upcoming comic book movie, Thor! Now they've been drafted in to write X-Men: First Class which will focus on the early years of the mutant team. In the following interview (the full version can be viewed by clicking the link at the bottom of the article) they talk more about working on the movie!
How did you guys end up on Fox's radar for First Class?
Zack Stentz: We had one of those great general meetings you have where the executive says "I have to find something for you guys". And you expect to never hear from him again!
Ashley Edward Miller: They knew we worked on Thor, knew we knew the universe, they liked our writing, and thought we could bring something to it that was compatible with Bryan Singer's vision.
Had either of you read Jeff Parker's First Class comic before landing the assignment? Did you lean on it at all, or was the idea of "X-Men: Freshman Year" enough to run with?
Ashley Edward Miller: Nope. all we had to hear was Bryan's take.
Zack Stentz: That sold us immediately. It felt so of a piece with the emotionalism and drama of the first two films.
What were your first meetings with Bryan Singer like?
Ashley Edward Miller: Bryan is a great collaborator. He's very smart, he knows what he wants and he's great with the back-and-forth of designing cool scenes and moments. And when you get into the superheroics, he wants to understand how and why things work.
How difficult was it to settle on the story to tell? There are so many firsts the X-Men had...how do you choose just one?
Ashley Edward Miller: So you ask the same questions you'd ask on any other script: Who are these characters? What do they want? What's in their way?
How accelerated was the process? It all seems like it's moving pretty fast from here on the sidelines...
Ashley Edward Miller: It's a very accelerated process. I don't think that's a secret.
Zack Stentz: They've eliminated the usual screwing around and waiting two to four weeks when you turn in a draft. It's amazing how much fat there is in the feature development process. And how quickly you can make it happen if you cut it out. TV proves that.
What's it been like working with Matthew Vaughn?
Ashley Edward Miller: Honestly, we haven't spoken to him yet.
Are you guys done with your First Class responsibilities?
Ashley Edward Miller: Of course, there's a complete script. but these things are never done until they're shot and edited. All we know is we throw ink where we need to throw ink and we do it until they say stop.
It feels a bit like you're Marvel's go-to writers. Not a bad position to be in.
Ashley Edward Miller: That's an interesting way to look at it. I think there are three Marvel comic book adaptations coming out next summer. And we wrote two of them. That blows my little fanboy mind.
How much are you guys still plugged in to what's happening on Thor?
Zack Stentz: We talk fairly regularly with the guys.
Ashley Edward Miller: I went to the set just last week.
Did you get to...hold it?
Ashley Edward Miller: Dude. Mjolnir is awesome. I got to hold it. I was so stoked. I brutally beat the script supervisor with it.
Thor will be released on May 20, 2011 with X-Men: First Class following shortly after on June 3.
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