X2 is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. It is also called variously in promotional materials X2: X-Men United, X-Men 2: X-Men United and X-Men 2. The film is the second part of the trilogy; following X-Men (2000), and preceding X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). It was directed by Bryan Singer, and starred an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Kelly Hu and Alan Cumming.
The film is loosely based on the 1982 X-Men graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills. In the film, William Stryker is a high-ranking army colonel who leads an assault into Professor Xavier's school to build his own version of Xavier's mutant-tracking computer Cerebro in order to destroy every mutant on Earth. The X-Men are forced to ally with Magneto and Mystique to defeat Stryker. X2: X-Men United, which introduced Nightcrawler to filmgoers, surpassed the initial film at the box office, earning approx. $215 million in North America compared to $157.3 million for X-Men, making the sequel one of the top ten movies of 2003.
Before the release of X-Men, director Bryan Singer confirmed interest in directing a sequel, with humans as the villain, and with Nightcrawler as a new character. Singer felt he wanted to study, "the human perspective, the kind of blind rage that feeds into warmongering and terrorism." 20th Century Fox hired David Hayter and Zak Penn to write two different scripts for the film, with an aim to release the film in December 2002.
Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were hired to re-write the script in February 2002, writing around 26 drafts and 150 on set. Production began on June 17, 2002 in Vancouver and wrapped by November. Cinesite created 300 visual effects shots, focusing on character animation. Rhythm and Hues created over 100.
As with the original film, X2 garnered praise from critics and won over most of the comic book community, and it earned more money at the box office, totaling $214.9M for North America and $407.5M worldwide. Empire magazine called it the best comic book movie of all time in 2006. Wizard named the film's ending as the twenty-second greatest cliffhanger of all time.Wikipedia
,_2003,_Hugh_Jackman.jpg "X-Men 2 (X-Men United), 2003, Hugh Jackman")