New Mutants Movie Exclusive: Anya Taylor-Joy says James McAvoy will star

After our big November reveal of the Demon Bear animatic from 20th Century Fox‘s New Mutants movie, we were hoping for a deluge of news on the project. Since then, though, its been fairly quiet on that front, but today we got the chance to speak to delightful actress (and recent BAFTA Rising Star Award nominee) Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) at the Split junket, where she not only confirmed seeing the pre-viz but seemed to hint that wheels are indeed turning rapidly for a 2017 start date.

RELATED: An Animatic from the New Mutants Movie Lands Online!

“I have [seen the Demon Bear animatic], it’s pretty cool,” Taylor-Joy confirmed. “I’m a big fan so I’d love to be a part of it. I can’t say very much, but I would love to be a part of it. I think this year’s gonna be very exciting.”

When we asked her if she hoped to reunite with her Split co-star James McAvoy as Professor X, she replied, “I mean, I think James is already a part of it, isn’t he?”

While it was previously reported that McAvoy’s Professor X could play a major mentor part in The New Mutants, this all but clinches it as a done deal should the movie go forward.

The New Mutants adapts the monthly comic book series of the same name that launched in 1982. Created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, “The New Mutants” follows on a group of teenage mutants as heroes in training in the Marvel Universe.

Director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is set to helm the feature, which will boast a script by Boone & Knate Lee and Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber. No other official announcements have been made, though rumors peg the time period not far removed from the 1983 setting of X-Men: Apocalypse. Casting points toward Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) as Wolfsbane, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) as Magik, and Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars) as Cannonball. Dani Moonstar aka Cheyenne/Mirage, Sunspot and Warlock will also be part of the team.

Our sources indicate the feature will be a big departure from the sci-fi-action spectacle of other X-Men films and is instead being described as a “Stephen King meets John Hughes”-style horror movie. A comparison that might make people think of this summer’s hit series Stranger Things, albeit with even more super powers.

We also learned that New Mutants is being targeted for a spring 2018 release date.

Let us know your thoughts on the New Mutants movie in the comments below!

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