X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film based on the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Entertainment Group. It is the sequel to X2 (2003) and the third installment in the X-Men film series, as well as the final film of the original X-Men trilogy. It was directed by Brett Ratner and features an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, and Patrick Stewart.

Plot:

In 1986, Charles Xavier and Magneto meet young Jean Grey at her parents’ house to invite her to join their school, the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Ten years later in 1996, industrialist Warren Worthington II discovers his son is a mutant, as the latter tries to cut off his wings. In the present, Worthington Labs announces an inoculation to suppress the X-gene that gives mutants their abilities and offers the “cure” to any mutant who wants it. The cure interests some mutants,

such as Rogue, who cannot touch anyone without harming them, while others are wary of it. Magneto re-establishes his Brotherhood of Mutants with those who oppose the cure, warning it will be weaponized to exterminate the mutant race. With help from Pyro, Callisto, and several other mutants, Magneto attacks a mobile prison. He frees Mystique, Multiple Man, and Juggernaut. Mystique shields Magneto from a cure dart and loses her mutant abilities, so he abandons her.

Box office:

X-Men: The Last Stand earned $45.1 million on its opening day and went on to generate $102.7 million during its three-day opening weekend, making it the fourth-highest opening weekend of all time, behind Shrek 2, Star Wars:The film’s second weekend dropped 67 percent to $34 million, which was the steepest post-Memorial Day opening drop on record. X-Men: The Last Stand eventually grossed $234.4 million in the domestic box office and $225 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $459.4 million, the fourth-highest in domestic grosses and seventh-highest worldwide for 2006.

Filming:

X-Men: The Last Stand began shooting in August 2005 and wrapped in January 2006. Much of the film was shot at Vancouver Film Studios, the same location of X2. Locations included the Hatley Park National Historic Site and Royal Roads University, which doubled for the X-Mansion. An old lumber mill next to the Fraser River doubled as Alcatraz Island. The tight schedule made Ratner “begin post-production the day I started shooting,” sending the scenes he had just filmed to his editors. The editing team was led by Mark Helfrich, who had edited all of Ratner’s films, assisted by Mark Goldblatt in the action scenes and Julia Wong with effects-heavy footage.