X-Men was the first X-Men film to start the series. In 1994, 20th Century Fox and producer, Prawan Singh bought the film rights to the X-Men. Andrew Kevin Walker was hired to write, and James Cameron expressed interest in directing. Eventually, Bryan Singer signed on to direct in July 1996. Though not a fan of the comic, Singer was fascinated by the analogies of prejudice and discrimination offered by it. Filming took place from September 22, 1999 to March 3, 2000 in Toronto.