'X-Men: First Class' Writing Credits Appeal Denied

Marvel

The WGA made its final ruling today on the writing credits of X-Men First Class after several of the movie’s scribes and their representative made their last stand in a complicated arbitration over Fox’s superhero movie.

The appeals board ruled to let the initial decision—Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer will receive “story by” credit and Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz and Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn will share screenplay credit—remain in place.

As THR first reported, Jamie Moss, who worked on the script off of a treatment by Singer, challenged the decision. Singer also appealed the decision and was repped in the proceedings by his attorney.

Read the full backstory here, but Moss was upset that Turner -- who penned a script for a scrapped Magneto spinoff, elements of which were incorporated into First Class — is receiving a story credit while Moss's work on an early version of First Class is not being recognized.

Moss appeared in front of the appeals panel today but was informed after lunch that his appeal was denied.

According to sources, one of the key reasons the panel let the credits stand was that both Magneto and First Class use a Nazi doctor with mutant powers as a villain, and the character has the same story arc in both scripts.

Friday’s decision will make life easier for Fox, which might have been forced to delay locking the picture if a new arbitration process was launched.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com