Bryan Singer on longer directing 'First Class'

No, Bryan Singer won't direct 20th Century Fox's upcoming "X-Men: First Class." No, they didn't fire him or anything. They just decided it would be better for him to produce the new "X-Men" flick, which could open doors to a whole new franchise. Fox really seems to rush this thing, and Singer's departure as director will certainly piss off a bunch of people. I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, to be honest with you.

Anyway, Deadline New York broke the story about Singer taking on the job as a producer, and word is Fox may head into production on "First Class" this summer or fall. Singer will be a busy guy this year, because he's about to start work on "Jack the Giant Killer." Jamie Moss penned the script for "First Class" based on a treatment by Singer, and studio folks seem to like it. Yeah, it sure needs a strong script.