March 04, 2005 - IGN FilmForce has learned that the shortlist of directors to succeed Bryan Singer as director of X-Men 3 has been narrowed to five or six names. One of those names, according to a trusty source, is Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead). We were advised, however, that just because Snyder is on the list doesn't mean he's got the job. 20th Century Fox is expected to make a final decision shortly.

In other news, screenwriter Zak Penn advised Sci Fi Wire that he has been brought in to work on the script for X3. IGN FilmForce has been able to confirm that Penn and the previously reported scribe Simon Kinberg are writing simultaneous drafts for X3. This is also what Fox did with Penn and Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris on X2: X-Men United.

Penn confirmed that the biggest challenge in scripting X3 is its large cast of characters. "It's not just about including everyone," said Penn. "It's really more about how you give everyone more and better screen time. ... The answer is that you can't, and you have to make really difficult choices."

"That's actually the most difficult thing about writing an X-Men movie. I think on X-Men 2, I counted 14 main characters, and I haven't even begun to count how many there are now. It's actually very difficult. It might not seem it, but it's a very difficult writing assignment in a lot of ways, because it's so complicated juggling all these different storylines. The movie is still coming together, but I believe that all the major players are back."

For more of what Penn had to say, click here.