Writer Sheldon Turner (
The Longest Yard) is to write a draft version of the
X-Men spin-off
Magneto which is to be based on the villain played by Ian McKellen, according to Variety.
Magneto follows the development of 'Wolverine' which is currently being written by David Benioff (
Troy).
Turner said he wasn't a comicbook fanatic, but when he was asked to read back issues of the Marvel Comics franchise and see if any character was ripe for its own movie, he sparked to Magneto, a mutant whose power is the ability to manipulate and control metal objects.
The original "X-Men" film began with a prologue that showed his character as a child being led to a concentration camp by Nazis, and that is the period in which the Magneto film will take place. This setup will allow a future villain to at least flirt with the designation of protagonist. Since the character will be seen almost exclusively in his formative years, it is not clear whether McKellen will be in the film at all.
"I pitched a film that is almost 'The Pianist' meets 'X-Men,' about a guy who, after watching his family slaughtered, has an awakening of his powers and seeks revenge," Turner said.
Storyline will heavily involve Professor X, the wheelchair-using X-Men leader played in the films by Patrick Stewart. That character was a soldier in the allied force that liberated the concentration camps. The professor meets Magneto after the war, and while they bond over the realization that they are alike in their special powers, their differences soon turn them into enemies.