October 26, 2001 - IGN FilmForce was able to speak directly with a pair of key personnel from the first X-Men film to find out the latest on the status of the highly anticipated sequel. First, producer Lauren Shuler Donner advised FilmForce that the sequel "will film in the late spring (of 2002). We are (currently) working on the script." Yes, it's not exactly new information but Shuler Donner confirms the new start date that's been rumored online for awhile. A late spring start date would suggest, however, that X-Men 2 might not be ready for its previously announced holiday 2002 bow and might now have a summer 2003 release instead.In other X-Men 2 news, IGN FilmForce also chatted with composer Michael Kamen, who scored the first film, about the recent spate of conflicting Web rumors regarding who will score the sequel. These rumors have suggested that both John Ottman (director Bryan Singer's longtime composer) and Michael Kamen have been hired to score the film. So which one will it be?Kamen advised IGN FilmForce interviewer Kenneth Plume (as part of a longer, forthcoming interview with the composer) that, although he enjoyed working with Bryan Singer, making X-Men "was very, very tough. Fox was having a little difficulty with the film and everybody was a little nervous and nobody knew what it would be. ... I worked on it for, probably, 3 or 4 months longer than most films take. I parted on good terms with Bryan, but we haven¿t been in touch much since. And then, this summer ... Bryan and I re-connected, and I found out from him that he was making X-Men 2. I said to him, 'Look man, if you asked me to do it, I¿d be happy to be there.' So he may ask me, and (producers) Lauren and Dick Donner are great friends of mine and they¿re still involved with it. I think and I hope that I¿ll be considered to do the movie. I know that John Ottman may be a preference for him ¿ which I can understand, because he had an earlier relationship with him ¿ but if John doesn't want to do it, I¿ll be there."So Michael Kamen has NOT been approached yet (let alone signed) to compose X-Men 2. Kamen is not adverse to the idea of sequels, however, as his work on the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard franchises proves."One of the things that was so much fun about Lethal Weapon, and even Die Hard, was revisiting themes because you never do that in film," Kamen explains. "(The) philosophy of a sequel is to make more money ¿ to stamp out new dollar bills ¿ and it¿s not always an artistic triumph. I know that the Lethal Weapon series, made by Dick Donner and Joel Silver, were each a delight to work on. That¿s not always the case. The first Die Hard was great fun, the second one was less fun, and the third was no fun at all. But as I said ¿ if they want to make an Iron Giant 2, I¿ll be there. If they want to make Robin Hood 2, I¿ll be there. I¿d be very happy to do great films with great storytelling all the time."