Ain't-It-Cool-News has confirmed that Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn will direct X-Men 3 for 20th Century Fox. Bryan Singer directed the first two films of the franchise and is now shooting Superman.
The anticipated third film is expected to center on the Dark Phoenix saga. Both Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn wrote scripts, but the site says the studio will use Penn's draft for the movie.
In related news, while Hugh Jackman (who is also producing), Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming and more are all coming back, Halle Berry still isn't sure. She tells XMenFilms.net:
I have not read the script. All I have asked, is that if I come back as Storm, she need to be closer to the comic book. So, if they have in fact written her closer to the comic book character, then I'm in. If not, I'm out. I hope I'm in though. I love Storm, and really want to be part of the last film.
Fox and Marvel Studios are eyeing a Memorial Day, 2006 release date for X-Men 3.

 

From Sci-Fi Wire:

X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner told SCI FI Wire that a third movie in the Marvel Comics franchise is slated to begin filming in Vancouver, B.C., in June 2005, with a release date of May 2, 2006. "I just had a conversation with [director] Bryan [Singer] today," Shuler Donner said in an interview at the Saturn Awards in Los Angeles on May 5. "We just started to talk about what the possibilities are. We're pretty sure Wolverine's going to come back."

Shuler Donner added that she's going to push to add the new mutants Gambit and Beast this time around. "I'm dying to put Beast in," Shuler Donner said. "I tried to get Beast in the first one and the second one, but it was always too expensive. So, yeah, I'm really dying to get Beast in, and I'd love to get Gambit in, because he's such a cool guy. And there's some really good casting ideas for Gambit." She declined to say who was up for the role.

As for Halle Berry - the Oscar-winning actress who has said she's reluctant to return unless her character, Storm, has a lot more to do - Shuler Donner said, "I certainly hope so, because I love working with her. ... We would only write a big huge role for her, so she's right in that respect, and we would make sure that that would happen."

Donner also confirms that writing duo Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris (X2) will return to pen the third entry, which will focus at least somewhat around Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) transformation into the powerful entity Dark Phoenix. Hit the link below to read it yourself!



Source: Sci-Fi Wire

James Marsden spoke to DIRECT TV GUIDE about his possible future in the X-Men films. He also confirms that he is not yet signed for an X3:
"Hopefully with the loss of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) in the second film and her potential return as a different character (the evil Dark Phoenix), we might be able to delve into the emotional side of Cyclops a bit more. I'm not signed yet for X3. I've recieved word that they're interested in having me in X3, and I'd be very happy to be a part of it." 


I know many people hate the idea of bringing Cyclops more in to the spotlight, but I think it could work if they brought forth some of his past as well...