'X2' marked its spot at the box office this weekend with the "X-Men" sequel coming in at No. 1, grossing nearly $86 million. And already, rumors are flying that a third film might be mutating.
"X2: X-Men United" director Bryan Singer tells this column, "It depends on the circumstances. I know I love this cast and I love the experiences I have on these movies. I feel great affection and proprietorship when it comes to this franchise, so I would probably want to be involved in a third film."
The rumor is the rest of the cast will be back for part three, but Oscar winner Halle Berry has opted out. "You know, it depends," Singer hedges. "I think a lot depends on the evolution of her character, Storm."
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) insists that he'd welcome his own fur flying again, yet he won't commit in print. "I'm sure they're planning 'X3,' and all I can say is I love this character," Jackman says. "There's so much more meat on the bone than you would ever hope to get out of a movie like this and it's great fun. You have all the action, too. Of course, my agent says, 'Never say definitely yes, Hugh!' "
What about the proposed Wolverine movie just for him? Jackman smiles and says, "I think my agent proposed it! I don't know about that project. I guess we have to wait until the box office rolls in this weekend before any decisions will be made."
As for this movie, one scene that didn't make the final movie was a moment when Jackman in full Wolverine gear kissed Singer. "Bryan wanted to do a goof reel, so I came up, grabbed him and kissed him on the lips. You've never seen anyone run that fast," Jackman says, laughing.
Will it be on the DVD? "That depends if my producer cons me into letting him have that little piece of priceless film because it's horrible. I'm wearing the same outfit that [Famke Janssen's Jean Grey] is wearing," Singer says, laughing.
BIG 'DADDY': Comedian Jeff Garlin is coming home. The star of the upcoming Eddie Murphy flick "Daddy Day Care" is planning to direct his own feature film in Chicago. "It's a real low-budget film I wrote for myself to star in. It's like a comedic 'Marty.' It's tentatively called 'I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With.' He adds, "I'll direct it in Chicago because the story has a real Chicago flavor to it and Chicago really is my kind of town."
Garlin knew of Murphy from their days working comedy clubs in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "I heard all the stories about this young comic genius," he says. Garlin was born here, but raised in Florida where he got his career start. Then he moved back to Chicago to work at Second City. "I replaced Chris Farley when he went to Saturday Night Live. The fat-guy comedian was a staple with Second City," he says. After stints on episodic TV, Garlin and pal Larry David joined forces for the hit HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." A new season is in the works. "We're filming right now. We do 10 episodes per season," he says. In the meantime, he returns home on Father's Day where the Museum of Broadcast Communications is honoring him; he'll also appear at Zanies.