Legion

[alive she cried]

So, when the news broke about Fox making X-Men tv shows, all my attention was on Marvel possibly getting Fantastic Four back. But somehow no one seems to be talking about the fact that Noah Hawley (The creator and writer of the Fargo tv series) is making an X-Men tv show.

 

FARGO Producer Noah Hawley Talks LEGION Pilot & How Deal With Marvel Came To Be

 

Marvel & Fox made quite the announcement this week when they revealed their plans for two X-Men universe television shows: Legionand Hellfire. Now, a new interview with producer Noah Hawley has shed some light on Legion and details on a lot more. Come check it out!

 

By Rohan Patel - 10/17/2015

 

20th Century Fox Television, FX Networks, & Marvel Entertainment made headlines earlier this week when they announced the production of two X-Men universe television series:Legion, which will introduce David Haller, & Hellfire, which will be set in the 1960s and follow The Hellfire Club.

 

Immediately following the announcement, a variety of rumors began to circulate about how/why Marvel and Fox were striking up this particular deal, but nothing fruitful was produced (although it should probably be noted that Marvel Studios' current president Kevin Feige received his start in the movie business from Lauren Shuler Donner on the first X-Menfilm) and shortly therafter, every rumor was debunked when both studios came out and denied any ulterior motive behind their new partnership.

 

 

A new interview with Noah Hawley, who will write the pilot episode for Legion and will also serve as one of the show's executive producers, has seemingly confirmed the fact. Speaking with TV insider, Hawley revealed that the show had been in the works for quite a while and was only held up because of Marvel's extensive dealmaking process: "Fox has rights to make movies and sort of tacitly the rights to do TV, but they've never done it before so they had to work out all the details." Sounds like a good enough reason, best to get all the kinks worked out before embarking on such an ambitious project.

 

Hawley went on to confirm that Bryan Singer &Lauren Shuler Donner, who are the masterminds behind the X-Men film universe, were also the brains behind the bringing the X-Men to television. They pitched the idea to Fox Networks Group chairman/CEO Peter Rice, who had previously greenlit Singer's first X-Men film, and once he expressed interest, the project was more or less a go. Without any character attached, the idea was brought to Hawley and he was asked whether he would be interested in exploring the X-Men universe following a successful first season of Fargo. His reaction:

 

"I'm not a huge comic person. I read a lot of X-Men growing up, but it's not something that was my life-long dream to do something like this. But what's nice is I just started the process, not even based on any of the characters from the universe, but I just started thinking about that world and if there is an interesting show to play around that idea of mutant-outsider identity. The thing about the X-Men franchise that’s so unique is it's a movie that starts in a concentration camp. And so you know that it's actually concerned with real-world morality and evil. It also has these diametrically opposed points of view that are both right.

 

Magneto feels that he knows humans will try to wipe them out because they're a fear-based animal, and so they have to be wiped out first. Which, given his past, is a totally legitimate feeling. And you've got Professor X saying, no, we have to teach them, and get them to the place where they can accept us, which is also a totally valid point of view.

 

I like those two morally opposite ideas could exist in this world. I basically came up with a TV show that I wanted to tell and then found the right character for it. It was more about trying to find my way to what the show was. In some ways reverse engineering it. We found the perfect character. But it has to be a great show, it can't just be a great genre show."[/indent]

 

As to why he specifically decided to adapt Legion, Hawley further explained:

 

"

What I really like about him is, here's a character who is schizophrenic on some level, a character struggling with mental illness. Is he crazy or does he have these powers? The answer is, kind of both. I'm a big believer that the structure of a story should reflect the content of the story. And so I liked the idea that if you have a character that doesn't know what's real and what's not real, that is also the audience's journey.

"

 

Well, it sounds like fans everywhere may be in for something special whenever this project comes to pass. Hawley, who will be coming in hot after producing two critically acclaimed seasons of

Fargo

, also said that he plans to kick off production on

Legion

by "

the end of January or early February.

" He then adds: "

hopefully we've made something great and we can shoot the rest of the year and go from there.

"

 

When further prodded about how the show will fit into the bigger X-Men film universe, which has its biggest film to date,

X-Men: Apocalypse

, slated to release in May 2016, Hawley explained that while the show is set in the same world as the films, it is being conceived as more of a standalone: "

I don't want to say too much more about it on that level, but certainly it's not constructed as a back-door anything. It's more just that there's a story that I want to explore that has to fit into that larger universe, which is exciting.

" He was then asked whether there would be any chance of a crossover with

Hellfire

, which was jointly-announced alongside

Legion

, or would the two shows be set in separate worlds: "

I think more the latter. We certainly haven't had any conversations about crossovers. I don't know anything about it, but I think that one is more linearly taken out of the world of the movies. Ours has its own world to it.

" Considering

Hellfire

is expected to be set in the 1960s, Hawley's reply wasn't all too surprising.

 

Finally, it seems as though

Marvel Television

will have at least some involvement with the two X-Men shows: "

FX Productions is the lead studio. My relationship is with FX primarily, and I'm just getting to know Jeph Loeb and the people at Marvel, and I think it's going to be collaboration in the best sense.

" It's probably safe to assume their involvement will be minimal at best, but it's certainly interesting to see

Marvel

&

Fox

working together so openly.

Edited October 18, 2015 by alive she cried

[Newtype]

[Mr. Hakujin]

I had zero interest in this as Legion was never an X-Men character I ever knew much about or connected with s a reader. But Jerry Dantana, Matthew Crawley, and April Ludgate are in this series so I'll give it a go. I'm kind of getting my fill of mentally unstable protagonists w/ Mr. Robot though, so I'm not sure how long I'll stick around.

[alive she cried]

I came here to post this trailer, I've no idea if it's the same as the one Newt posted up there as it's region locked (seriously though? You don't even want us to see the trailer? That's a bit fucking extreme) and I'm too lazy to turn on my vpn.

 

 

But this looks fucking great and I'm super pumped (a phrase I could never use in real life, as I'd sound like a complete wanker, but totally okay to use online when conversing with youse guys).

[Visitant]

It'll be interesting to see if with the hush hush marvel/fox talks going on, if this series could be the bridge between the universes.

[alive she cried]

First reviews hit, and they're very positive.

 

First Reviews For LEGION Indicate FX May Have A Massive Hit On Its Hands

 

 

It seems FX and Marvel chose right in selecting Noah Hawley as the showrunner for Legion as the show's first reviews are in and critics just can seem to heap enough praise on the Fargo producer.

 

 

Trippy seems to be the most prevalent description of FX's new X-Men TV drama, Legion. But it's used in a positive sense as critics agree that showrunner Noah Hawley has crafted a finely-tuned alternative take on superheroes that will generate noteworthy buzz this season.

 

The eight-episode first season of Legion premieres Wednesday, February 8 at 10/9c on FX. Check out an in-depth featurette on the upcoming drama by CLICKING HERE.

 

The Hollywood Reporter

"It might seem weird to have a Marvel show on FX, or to have it star that upper-crust Brit from Downton Abbey, filtered through the creator of Fargo, but somehow it all works. Three episodes of Legion — in all their cracked visual glory — were enough to want the rest of the season immediately.

 

 

Collider

"Legion plays a lot with themes of identity and memory and emotion, and if the key to visual storytelling is to show and not tell, well, Legion grasps onto that wholeheartedly. But above all, it’s a deeply considered portrait of mental illness. Even if David’s schizophrenia is actually part of a mutant power, it’s also still literally angry voices in his head fighting to control him and his actions. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a problem for his daily life, and something he has struggled with since he was a young boy. The X-Men have always been a stand-in for outsiders, for people who feel persecuted or just different from the rest of the world. David’s journey is Legion is his own, but we’re connected to it, too."

 

 

Variety

“Legion,” a Marvel-inspired drama from “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley, is not timid. It offers a jittery take on many of the genre’s familiar themes, and it hurls them together with such boldness that the entire concoction ends up carrying quite a kick. Like I said, it won’t be for everyone, but those who are pulled into the surreal, jagged orbit of this distinctive drama are likely to stay there for the full eight-episode run. It is, literally and figuratively, a trip — and it’s often an exhilarating one."

 

UPROXXX

"It’s a delight, existing so far outside the mold of recent superhero adaptations in the 2010s that it couldn’t see the mold even with telescopic vision. It’s a comic book show likely to be as appealing to people who have no interest in comic books as to those who can name David’s famous relative without Googling, if not more, and it’s easily the most exciting new series this young year in TV has offered so far."

 

 

TV Line

"Comic-book fans might be eager for Legion to hurry up and get to “the good stuff,” connecting David to the X-Men universe they know and love. But I’m not in any hurry. Speaking as someone with next-to-zero knowledge of comic books, this is the first superhero show I’ll be adding to my DVR’s season-pass list. Legion has created a compelling world that firmly stands on its own… and I look forward to Hawley and the cast dazzling me even more in the weeks to come."

 

 

Nerdist

"Legion plays fast and loose with narrative convention, and it can be tough to keep up if you’re not giving it your full attention. Luckily that won’t be difficult, because the show’s cinematography is completely and utterly engrossing. Imagine if Charlie Kaufman, Wes Anderson, and the Coen Brothers all swapped brains and started collaborating on a show that’s maybe set in the ’70s (except not really), and you have a rough idea of what to expect. Or, if you’ve seen showrunner Noah Hawley’s work on Fargo, it’s like that, but with an added dose of cerebral, horror-fueled psychedelia. Also some vaguely Bollywood-style dancing. No, seriously."

[The NZA]

...huh. going in with low hopes, but then coming from the books, the x-men haven't really been exciting in years so that might be why. hoping to be surprised here!

[Mr. Hakujin]

They promo'd the shit outta this during the Superb Owl. I'll likely wait until all 8 eps have aired then give it a go. The fact it's the guy who writes and runs the FARGO series is really the only thing that's got me interested in even doing that.

[Visitant]

For as much of an X fan as I've been, I've pretty much missed everything surrounding legion. (I'm listening to a history of the x-men 'cast now to get all caught up on what I didn't read when I was younger). So far the promos look good, and I'm going in with no expectations.

[Da Cap'n 2099]

So, the first episode is good. I bit mind-fucky, but interesting. Definitely curious to see where it goes. The hightlight, though, is the cinematography. The music was cool too.

[alive she cried]

Holy fuck! I don't want to be hyperbolic, but for me the XCU/Foxverse just got a new peak. Trippy as fuck, excellently acted, amazing cinematography and with an ending that both brings the whole episode together and sets us up for a potentially astounding series. Hawley has done it again.

Edited February 14, 2017 by alive she cried

[Visitant]

Finally got around to watching the first two episodes last night. I was a bit worried because my roommate/co-host said he hated the first ep and stopped watching after 3 - and he's the big film buff around the apt.

 

Visually it felt like there were nods to Kubrick in the first ep - the non linear pacing of the show not only keeps you engaged but wondering what's going on moment to moment and I feel like it's acted extremely well. (please god don't let them use the pixies for anything in this show)

 

The last 5 mins of the first ep felt like a "oh hey by the way this is in the x-men universe" concession I honestly could have gone without. Otherwise, I'm really enjoying it so far and it feels like it's going to be fun ride.

[alive she cried]

The end of the first episode didn't feel like a concession to me, quite the opposite actually. For me, it felt like they were saying that they were a mutant show and proud, on top of the amazing mindbendingness.

 

I'm five episodes in and I think it's safe to say that this is one of the best Marvel live action adaptations ever, possibly even the best. I'm trying not to overhype this, but if I was to say less I'd be lying. It really is that good.

[Keth]

Yeah this show is trippy as fuck and crazy entertaining. Definitely on par with the Netflix stuff and if Fox werent a bunch of assholes I could see this as a great reboot point for the X-Men to introduce them into the MCU proper.

[Visitant]

It got its season 2 announcement the other day, btw.

[Mr. Hakujin]

Yeah this show is trippy as fuck and crazy entertaining. Definitely on par with the Netflix stuff...

Maybe this is just PIFSD (Post-Iron Fist Sucking Disorder) but I think LEGION is possibly the best thing associated with Marvel that's ever been done on TV...ever. The only thing keeping it from being a 100% lock for that position in my mind is it's not the "real" X-Men, but it's the closest thing to what I've wanted from a live action X-Men since the first Bryan Singer film was announced.

 

It's definitely quirky, but in a fun and not off-putting way. It's got complicated twists, a unique aesthetic, and stylized sequences, but I binged the first 7 episodes and didn't find them frustrating at all. However, I could definitely see how it would be frustrating watching it from week to week and having to wait for answers.

 

This show captures all my best memories of what it was like to read X-Men comics back in the day. It's fun with a strained sense of a dysfunctional family, new people with weird abilities popping up, and shit can go wonky at any moment. And unlike the X-films, the main focus in LEGION is on the telepaths and mutants with mental abilities.

 

S1E1-7 Spoilers

 

And another thing this show brings from the comics that I absolutely love is the Astral Plane! One of the reasons X-MEN APOCALYPSE gets high marks from me is that it includes the first real battle Xavier had in the Astral Plane. In the comics it felt like shit was going down there every issue. And entire episodes of LEGION take place there. And this show brings the biggest baddie telepath of them all--Aubrey Plaza as the Shadow King is a stroke of fucking genius. She crushes that roll.

 

Ditto for Dan Stevens as David/Legion and this woman playing the Roguesque Syd. Oh, and Jermaine Clement as Oliver Bird! Fucking hell, what a stroke of genius this character is! The whole cast really is great. The only character I can say that's "underdeveloped" thus far is the Magneto like character. I don't even know his name. Ptolomy (I think that's his name--the black telepath) could use a bit more development, too.

 

I can't wait for the S1 finale on Wednesday and if show creator Noah Hawley sticks the landing with this episode then, and I hope I'm not jinxing things here, LEGION could go down as the best show of 2017 (until S7 of GoT at least).

Edited March 27, 2017 by Mr. Hakujin
Noah, stick the landing!

[Visitant]

God. damn. S7.

 

I just can't with this show. It's so good. I fight with Tony all the time about it because he loathes it, and I just can't believe there's an X show or superhero show in general that is this freaking good.

 

It's really showing that you can do more with the genre than just capes.

[Mr. Hakujin]

I'm so glad I waited to binge this. I think being able to get answers right away and not having to wait weeks for plot threads to join together was a key part to me enjoying this show so much. Agreed, this show is so good it transcends the superhero genre and is just a great drama period.

[Keth]

I love the convoluted and confusing nature of the show. Most of the time that would be a bad thing, but here the show is clearly trying to fuck with your head. It does it so well that its enjoyable instead of frustrating.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Axels

[Mr. Hakujin]

Well, I've had a bit of time to process the S1 finale and I read an interview creator Noah Hawley did explaining some of his choices. It was a decent enough episode, but too formulaic or traditional for me, especially considering the originality this series showed in the first five episodes. Title for best 2017 season will likely go to GoTS7 now.

 

The writing choices in this S1 finale were particularly perplexing for me...

Like why are we getting a six minute intro for this "villain" who is immediately neutered and becomes nothing more than a bystander for the rest of the episode? Why not spend that time on Lenny/Shadow King backstory?

 

Oliver is back from the astral plane for what exactly? Oh, it's to serve as a plot device to get Shadow King out of David.

One of the things that made David the most interesting character on TV for 7 episodes is gone now? Oh. Okay. Guess you painted yourself into that corner, Noah Hawley. Moving on to a more traditional focus on external conflicts for season two, I see. Well, it was a good run while it lasted. :/

 

In the comics David/Legion has many different abilities and powers, but whichever personality or consciousness that's in control of David's mind at the time only has access to certain abilities. (Similar to the James McEvoy character in the film Split. In fact exactly like that. I'm wondering if that film's success is partially to blame for Hawley moving away from that with David/Legion?) I was hoping the show would move in that schizophrenic direction, exploring what schizophrenia with mutant abilities could be like, dealing with the internal struggle, exploring the definition of sanity. However, from the interview I linked above w/ Noah Hawley, it seems the show is moving away from the source material more in season two and more into traditional good vs evil superhero territory. It's a shame.

 

And that post-credit scene with the orb is most likely the Division 3 "Equinox" the mystery guy in charge of Division 3 spoke of earlier in the episode.

[Visitant]

 

 

In the comics David/Legion has many different abilities and powers, but whichever personality or consciousness that's in control of David's mind at the time only has access to certain abilities. (Similar to the James McEvoy character in the film Split. In fact exactly like that. I'm wondering if that film's success is partially to blame for Hawley moving away from that with David/Legion?) I was hoping the show would move in that schizophrenic direction, exploring what schizophrenia with mutant abilities could be like, dealing with the internal struggle, exploring the definition of sanity. However, from the interview I linked above w/ Noah Hawley, it seems the show is moving away from the source material more in season two and more into traditional good vs evil superhero territory. It's a shame.

 

This was Tony's biggest beef with the show, and it did irritate me some too to be honest. I'm not as intimately familiar with the comics, but I do know that his powers are mostly based on who lives in his mind and right now it seems like he's A OK as far as that goes from here on out. I do still kinda hold the hope that the other members of the team are all part of his imagination, but who even knows at this point.

 

Honestly, I still really love the show and I feel like the shorter season made them have to take risks and do things they would not normally do to stand out. I know they won't but I feel like keeping shorter seasons could do really well for them in general.

 

...also I love that Prof X said on a late night show this weekend that he'd come back to play role for Legion.

 

[Keth]

I thought it was a great and fun end to a great and fun show. I just can't wait for more of it.

[Mr. Hakujin]

 

 

[/color][/color]

 

This was Tony's biggest beef with the show, and it did irritate me some too to be honest. I'm not as intimately familiar with the comics, but I do know that his powers are mostly based on who lives in his mind and right now it seems like he's A OK as far as that goes from here on out. I do still kinda hold the hope that the other members of the team are all part of his imagination, but who even knows at this point.

 

Honestly, I still really love the show and I feel like the shorter season made them have to take risks and do things they would not normally do to stand out. I know they won't but I feel like keeping shorter seasons could do really well for them in general.

 

...also I love that Prof X said on a late night show this weekend that he'd come back to play role for Legion.

 

Oh.Em.Gee. That thought never crossed my mind. If S2 turned out to be Summerland was a complete figment of David's imagination, or perhaps to phrase it more accurately, a manifestation of his schizophrenia, that would be a fucking game changer. I don't think that's true though because then that means Division 3 and the whole war would be all in David's mind. Maybe that's the finale of the series though--the big reveal this whole thing has been playing out in David's mind while in his psychiatrist's waiting room. I could possibly be onboard with that if it's handled a certain way. Cool theory though.

 

And as for Tony's beef with the show, that obviously didn't bother me until S1E8. To me, this season set this series up as a show all about mental disorders, and what does it mean when someone's mental disorder affects not only the person afflicted with the disorder but the entire fucking world. That's a great premise. It's one LOGAN touched on with Prof. X, and to a lesser degree with the film SPLIT. Couple that with the hodgepodge of decades mish-mashed for the show's aesthetic, the superb cast, and the stylized sequences and you've created a uniquely compelling season of TV. Then iy gets all formulaic in the finale. But I won't go on about that again.

 

And as for your last bit about Patrick Stewart, I think you may've seen me post that on fb this weekend. (I also thought I had already put it in this thread, but I guess I didn't.) It was from an interview he did while doing press for LOGAN about a month ago. Just so happened he was on with Dan Stevens and the question was put to him directly. Here's the clip for anyone else who hasn't seen it. LEGION bit comes near the very end.

 

 

[The NZA]

6 eps in - started slow but picked up, the main dude can't really act really but it's working

 

 

we're at the ep where everyone's stuck back at the asylum in david's head and i'm nearly certain the "parasite" is a form of the shadow king but let's see if they call him that

 

 

Maybe this is just PIFSD (Post-Iron Fist Sucking Disorder) but I think LEGION is possibly the best thing associated with Marvel that's ever been done on TV...ever.

 

 

it's good, but it's not daredevil good.

[The NZA]

Bryan Singer removed as executive producer on FX's 'Legion' amid allegations

EXCLUSIVE: X-Men helmer Bryan Singer is no longer an executive producer on the X-Men universe-themed FX drama series Legion as it is ready to launch its second season.

“Bryan asked to take his name off the show, so we have done that,” Legioncreator/executive producer Noah Hawley told Deadline following the Legion TCA panel.

Yesterday, Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn told Deadline that the network is “looking into” Singer’s status as n executive producer on The Gifted in light of the allegations, which Fox brass are taking “very seriously.” That situation is more complicated because Singer directed The Gifted pilot, which contractually guarantees him an EP credit on the series.