Fox casts 'X-Men' mutants (original) (raw)

Twentieth Century Fox’s origins pic “X-Men: First Class” is bringing Banshee to the bigscreen for the first time in the franchise, with Caleb Landry Jones cast to play the mutant.

In a second key casting, Nicholas Hoult will play a young Beast, the mutant who was played by Kelsey Grammer in “X-Men: The Last Stand.”

Matthew Vaughn is directing “First Class,” which toplines James MacAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively. Alice Eve will star as Emma Frost.

Conceived by Bryan Singer and written by Jane Goldman, the film follows Xavier and Lensherr as young men discovering their powers for the first time and meeting up with other mutants.

Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg are producing.

Vaughn is set to begin lensing next month. Pic will unspool in theaters June 3, 2011.

Banshee’s power is a sonic scream that harms hearing and causes sonic vibrations. The Irish mutant’s real name is Sean Cassidy. He also has the ability to fly and hover at the speed of sound.

Beast, or Hank McCoy, possesses superhuman physical strength and agility. Throughout his history, the Beast undergoes various transformations, taking on such animal characteristics as blue fur and feline facial features.

Jones stars in David Fincher’s upcoming “The Social Network,” from Sony, and Eli Roth’s “The Last Exorcism,” from Lionsgate. Previous credits include “No Country for Old Men” and CBS pilot “Gimme Shelter,” from producer John Wells.

Hoult, who starred in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” and was named one of Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch,” also is set to star in Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Previous credits also include “About a Boy,” opposite Hugh Grant.

Jones is repped by Paradigm and Untitled; Hoult, by UTA and UK agent Independent Talent Group.