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Discuss the Wolverine movie's news, production, actors, etc. that is now OFFICIALLY happening. Hope this isn't closed because its not a general discussion about the character like the others it's only for the movie.

David Benioff to Write Wolverine Spinoff!
Source: Variety
October 5, 2004


20th Century Fox has hired "Troy" screenwriter David Benioff to write Wolverine, a spinoff focusing on the character from the studio's "X-Men" films and Marvel comics. Variety reports that Benioff will write with the expectation that a deal will be made for Hugh Jackman to reprise his role as the superhero.

The trade adds that the film will likely be produced by the "X-Men" duo of Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad, though those talks haven't been completed.

Benioff seems an unusual choice for the project, but he is a fan of the comic book. Fox will press forward with Wolverine development while simultaneously preparing its third installment of "X-Men," which will be written by Simon Kinberg.

I heard about this awhile ago... maybe it'll tell about his past? That was one rumor.

Yeah but until now it was only speculation that the film would be made. Now it is official because it has a writer. Yes it will definitely be about his past and X3 is about everything happening now.

http://auction4.comton.com/member/G2QRF5J/XMenWolverine2728.jpg

Squee! Where'dja find that pic?

I did a search and found it. It's not the real poster for the movie because they don't have one yet but it still looks like a great teaser to me though.

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/promo/images/x2_Wolverine.jpg

Yeah, I didn't think it was official; but, like you said, something to whet our appetites!

http://www.darknesspage.hpg.ig.com.br/downloads/wallpapers/xmen/movie01/x-wolverine_1024x768.jpg

5 October 2004

Can we get a SNIKT! in the house?!!
Wolvie fans, you may commence rejoicing right about now - today Variety reports that screenwriter David Benioff (Troy) has been hired by 20th Century Fox to develop a Wolverine screenplay, and it's expected a deal will be out soon to Hugh to reprise the role. (X3, meanwhile, will continue to develop simultaneously; no details yet as to how the spinoff will affect the part Logan plays in the next sequel.) Visit Comingsoon.net for further details.

SOURCE

well sabretooth has to be in it, they have alot of past together, well in the comics they do, i wonder what other mutants will be in it

True. Since Wolverine doesn't remember much they can always put Sabertooth and Deathstrike into it.

about deathstrike, so in the comics she is a cyborg, liek a robot

Yeah in the comics she is a cyborg but in the movie she is like Wolverine. This is just an idea but since Wolverine can't rmember anything and Deathstrike was under mind control we don't know of any past history between them in X2. So maybe in the Wolverine film they could have been past lovers.

yes but now they can make her an admantium cyborg, coz she is full of it now

Yeah but if its a prequel they can't They will just have to go with something like my past lovers idea if they put her in his movie.

SOURCE: x3movie.net

OCTOBER 5, 2004 - WOLVERINE SPIN-OFF MOVING FORWARD!

We mentioned a long while back that Fox would develop X3 and WOLVERINE around the same time. Today, news broke from Variety that 20th Century Fox is indeed moving forward with a WOLVERINE spin-off film by hiring screenwriter, David Benioff (TROY) for the project! The film would see the popular X-Men character, Wolverine, go off in his own adventures. To date, Tyler 'Sabertooth' Man and Kelly 'Deathstrike' Hu both have options to return for future X-MEN films OR spin-offs, so will we be seeing them in the film? We'll see! Hugh Jackman is not yet signed for the spin-off, or X3. Fox will likely try inking a two-picture deal with the actor, which could be in the $20 mil range!

yeh but in the third one she can be in it

OMG OMEGA RED.

I hate prequels, I already know what happened to wolverine. This is why the fist Xmen movie wasn't as good as it could have been, it explained every thing I already knew.

u made that thats so fake

dont u read?



see he found it, and knows its not real

Thanks RK. http://images.killermovies.com/forums/moresmilies/thumbs_up.gif

Actually thats where it is different. Even though we know he got the Adamantium skeleton and claws, their version of his story is different. They don't even have a Weapon X in the movies so its not the same. Thats why it will be interesting to see how they will tell his story in the movie.

i wonder if it will show a it of his past, when he uses his real claws the skeleton ones

It could happen and it would make sense. They might go with Wolverine's "Origin" series.

thats what im hoping

There is one question about that though. Who would play the young Wolverine or basically the teenage Wolverine?

i dont know, i didnt know he was a teen when he killed his step father or some thing

I'm not sure but he sure looked young enough to be one. I haven't read it in a while. But I still know he was younger than Hugh Jackman is.

'Wolverine' may soon have a movie to his credit
Thursday, 07 October , 2004, 10:48
Washington: Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the X-men flicks might be seen in the lead role in the movie titled Wolverine, a spin off from X-Men, if an announcement by 20th Century Fox is to be believed.

According to Zap2it, David Benioff will write the script for the movie that is to be based on the Marvel Comics character, with Hugh Jackman in mind to reprise his role as the hero.

In the previous X-Men films Wolverine's bones were replaced with adamantium, which combines accelerated self-healing with his mutant ability to create a nigh indestructible fighter.

http://sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=13584459

One More.



Fox Eyes "Wolverine" Spinoff

by Josh Grossberg
Oct 5, 2004, 2:05 PM PT

Call it a Marvel-ous mutation.

20th Century Fox has sealed a seven-figure deal with Troy scribe David Benioff to develop Wolverine, a spinoff following the razor-clawed mutant hero of the studio's X-Men franchise, Fox reps confirmed.

A longtime fan of the comic book, Benioff will pen the script based on an idea he pitched to 20th Century Fox executives. X-Men producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad are expected to supervise the project once they finalize their own deals.

Benioff, who wrote the upcoming Fox drama, Stay, recently adapted the George Pelecanos novel, Right as Rain, for L.A. Confidential filmmaker Curtis Hanson. According to Daily Variety, he's also working on an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls for Warner Bros.

When last we left our heavy metal hero, Wolverine had learned that he was the subject of an Army medical experiment that replaced his skeleton with a steel frame that made him nearly invincible and gave him the use of retractable steel talons as a weapon. However, X2: X-Men United still did not answer questions about his mysterious past, a notion likely to be addressed in future sequels or in the Wolverine spinoff.

The studio declined to divulge details of the plot. However it's unlikely other mutants, such as Wolverine's love interest, Jean Grey, or his shape-shifting nemesis, Mystique, will make an appearance.

Of course, the big question is whether Hugh Jackman--who essayed the tough-talking comic-book character in the first two installments--will don the furry sideburns again.

Fox is obviously banking on the newly crowned Emmy winner returning to the role that made him famous.

However by tailoring a tale around one of its most popular mutants, Fox could run the risk of overkill, especially since Wolverine could end up competing with the proposed third X-Men flick the studio has targeted to hit theaters May 5, 2006, and thus, dilute the franchise.

Development on the third entry was hobbled recently when its road-tested comic-book director Bryan Singer abruptly left the project for another Man of Steel--opting to helm Warner Bros. update of Superman.

While Fox searches for a replacement for Singer, the studio has since tapped writer Simon Kinberg to get cracking on the screenplay.

If Jackman does suit up, Wolverine could very well be an indestructible force at the box office, especially if X-Men's history has anything to say about it.

The Marvel series has become quite a cash cow for Fox. The first X-Men movie grossed over $295 million at the international box office upon its release in 2000, while its superhero sequel, 2003's X2: X-Men United, surpassed that total, raking in $406 million in global ticket sales.

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,15074,00.html?tnews

Another pic of Wolvie http://www.sf-fan.de/sf-film/kino/x-men_2/archiv/x-men_2_002.jpg

o my bad im so srry

Its cool.

lmao

Sorry about that.

http://wolverine.x-knights.com/fullsize/wolverine210.jpg

SOURCE: Hollywood News

'Wolverine' may soon have a movie to his credit! :

Hollywood News > Washington, Oct 6: Hugh Jackman, who played 'Wolverine' in the X-men flicks might be seen in the lead role in the movie titled 'Wolverine', a spin off from 'X-Men', if an announcement by 20th Century Fox is to be believed.

According to Zap2it, David Benioff will write the script for the movie that is to be based on the Marvel Comics character, with Hugh Jackman in mind to reprise his role as the hero.

In the previous "X-Men" films Wolverine's bones were replaced with adamantium, which combines accelerated self-healing with his mutant ability to create a nigh indestructible fighter. (ANI)

thing is, with jackman as wolverine the movie'll be huge

(angry expletives deleted)

Is that a bad thing?

you know me, i aint his biggest fan, i'd rather see money spent on makin x3 as good as possible, but it could suffer financially because of a wolverine movie, andf then there'd be no x4 crybaby

Believe me 20th Century has enough money to go around but if your worried then maybe you should be thinking about FF losing them the money and not the Wolverine movie.

no, i mean if wolvie aint in x3 alot of the non x-fans wont go and see it.

He will be in X3 but the Wolverine film is going to happen after X3.

really? so hes gonna play the same character in two different movies? i would not be surprised if he pulled out of x3 or had a really small role in it.

Hugh Jackman will be back in X3 with the same role he had in the previous 2 films.

Then the Wolverine movie will be filmed after X3 is released.

i hope so, i really do

It will so don't worry.The only way it wouldn't happen is if Hugh Jackman just suddenly fell dead.

or got offered van helsing 2 or james bond *shudders at the thought of jackman as 007*

I don't really see a Van Helsing 2 being made.

were theres a company theres a stupid producer, but it is a bit of a long shot i suppose

I don't think it will be made because it only made $119 million out of a $160 million budget. Considering Hugh has two films coming X3 and Wolverine I don't think he would risk that for a poor franchise like this. If it does ever happen it will be after a few years.

yeah i suppose, as long as he doesnt go and do a "hall berry" we should be ok

yeah

http://www.actorcomicfund.org/Pages/AuctionArt/Wolverine.jpg

nice Proph!!!

Thanks. Thats the best one I have found so far, it looks professional.

I have some manipulations with his bone claws

Hows that?

I'll post it if you want me to.... just let me look for them....

Alright

Are you serious??? I had no idea that the Wolverine Movie was this far along! I mean, I heard talks about it, but wow. This is news to me.

Yeah it blew us all away. We went from not having an X3 movie to having both an X3 movie and a Wolverine movie.

http://www.rrousselle.com/wolverine.gif

hey tfp who is that guy in ur sig,. not magneto, blob, pyro or mystique, the silver one, dont tell me its avalanche,

ps saop opera time, now

Ark: It's AVALANCHE!

god every time i see him, he gets more retarded

wolverine movie droolio cant wait

Neither can I.

hmm i hope they clear alot of his pastup, and tfp in online now we can soap opera, coz the boss let me finish way early today

Yeah me too.

http://wolverine.x-knights.com/fullsize/wolverine172.jpg

what if they change it? detective

They already have

more I mean...

If there is no Weapon X involved then you can't expect them to stick too closely to the original story. I'll be happy as long as they include either Deathstrike or Sabertooth if its a prequel.

http://www.greghornjudge.com/images/Large/4%20Magazine%20art/Jackman_Wolverine-X-men.jpg

I was kind of thinking more about the Origin series...

That far back?

Don't think they will do that Since they want more special effects and big villains to bring in the kids not the old country. Even if they did though then they might have to cast a younger Wolvie for that part of the film.

you're right

that won't work

So who would you like to see in the Wolvie film?

Sabertooth
Lady Deathstrike

Or both?

Deathstrike all the way.... I don't like Sabrefool for obvious reasons

but it would be a great dissappointment if he wouldn't make it to a Wolvie movie...

I will be really, really happy to see Kelly Hu again.http://images.killermovies.com/forums/moresmilies/drool.gif

and I wonder why!

she's cute I loved her in X2 and that other show she appeared in..."Martial Law" or something..... whenever she fought I imagined her with purple hair

I have always thought she was beautiful but when I saw her in person her beauty just captured me completely.serenade

open a thread about her and tell me EVERYTHING!!! droolio
but tomorrow.... 'cause I must go to sleep yawn

see ya Proph!!

KELLY HU WAS IN MARTIAL LAW?!?? jawdrop

but of course

or maybe that wasn't the show's name

Where?

Shuler Donner on X-Men & Wolverine
Source: CHUD
November 20, 2004


'Rafferty Rulz' pointed us to CHUD which has now posted its full interview with "X-Men" series and Constantine producer Lauren Shuler Donner. In it, she talks about X-Men 3, the Wolverine spin-off and the upcoming Constantine. Here's a clip about Wolverine:

Donner: The plan is to do more of an origin story for Wolverine. The first one. If that’s successful, my deepest desire – I’m not reflecting Fox but you never know – my deepest desire is after the origin story, which David has worked out beautifully, it’s really good – if that works, the second one could be the Mariko, ninja story.

Check out the interview at the link above!

here?

About Kelly or Yuriko?

Exactly

here must be about Yuriko

Alright, I made it.

great!

Thanks and here is more Wolvie movie art

This sounds very cool, not sure about Benioff doing the script though, Troy's script was pretty dire and cringeworthy in some places, so we will have to see what he makes of this script, hopefully it will be good

Yeah I agree.

I have no doubt that it will be great.

David Benioff on the Wolverine Spin-Off
Source: Daniel Robert Epstein
December 28, 2004


In a new interview with "Troy" screenwriter David Benioff, he talks about writing the Wolverine spin-off. While Benioff couldn't reveal many details, here's an interesting bit:

I'm not allowed to talk about it. Fox is pretty careful about that. It's not even totally finalized what story we are doing. What I can say is that in the X-Men movies we've seen a lot of the sweet Wolverine so I think it's time to mess him up a little bit because all the fans know that he's the best there is at what he does but what he does isn't very nice. Also getting to write "Snikt" in a comic book is the coolest thing.

this doesnt sound good.

Read this highlight from the interview, it doesn't actually sound that bad.

BENIOFF: Well with Wolverine it was easier because Troy was already being done. For Troy it was a leap of faith because I had only done a $12 million Spike Lee movie. With Wolverine the story is already there so the people at Fox and Marvel know everything about Wolverine. That meeting was just showing them how passionate I was about this character. I’ve been reading Wolverine comics for 23 years.

DRE: What was the first Wolverine comic you ever read?

BENIOFF: I think it was the issue of X-Men that a friend lent to me when I was 12. I believe it was a really early issue of X-Men that Chris Claremont wrote.

Here is another highlight, and possible indications on the story for the new film.

BENIOFF: Well with Wolverine it was easier because Troy was already being done. For Troy it was a leap of faith because I had only done a $12 million Spike Lee movie. With Wolverine the story is already there so the people at Fox and Marvel know everything about Wolverine. That meeting was just showing them how passionate I was about this character. I’ve been reading Wolverine comics for 23 years.

DRE: What was the first Wolverine comic you ever read?

BENIOFF: I think it was the issue of X-Men that a friend lent to me when I was 12. I believe it was a really early issue of X-Men that Chris Claremont wrote.


HERE is the link if you want to check it out yourselves.

Hugh Jackman to Produce X3 & Wolverine
Source: Variety
January, 2005


In a Variety article talking about how "X-Men" series star Hugh Jackman is developing three new musical features at Disney (more here), it also states that he'll be producing X-Men 3 and Wolverine:

Jackman has formed a company with new partner John Palermo...whom he met when the latter was Bryan Singer's assistant on "X-Men."

Jackman would seem a good candidate to broaden the audience appeal of tuners. He is most readily identifiable to moviegoers for the "X-Men" character Wolverine and the vampire hunter Van Helsing.

He'll continue on the action track: Jackman and Palermo will cut their teeth as producers by getting involved in the third installment of "X-Men," as well as a "Wolverine" spinoff feature "Troy" scribe David Benioff is penning at Fox.

He is expected to return as Logan/Wolverine in both films as well, of course.

soo i am assuming thats good news>????

If he is a good producer then yes it is, if he isn't a good producer then its horrible news.

David Benioff Talks About Wolverine!
Source: Newsarama
April 15, 2005


Newsarama has transcribed part of a new interview with Wolverine screenwriter David Benioff in which he reveals a few details about the X-Men spinoff movie:

Newsarama’s friends at Comics Buyer’s Guide scores an exclusive interview with Wolverine screenwriter David Benioff in their latest issue (#1605, June 2005). The Troy scribe cops to a life-long obsession with the character, citing 1982’s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller limited series as his favorite Wolverine storyline and the moment Logan’s adamantium skeleton gets sheared of all flesh by a Sentinel blast in “Days of Future Past (Uncanny X-Men #141-142) as a traumatic moment for his as a kid.

While understandably tight-lipped on details regarding this screenplay (an assignment he calls “living a childhood dream” and aggressively pursued going back as far as 3 years ago), Benioff did tell CBG he’s writing Wolverine with Hugh Jackman very much in mind.

“Other than the height, I think Jackman was inspired casting,” he tells CBG. “Though, when he was first picked for the role, I thought, “Huh?’ at the time, probably along with most Wolverine fans. Now I can’t really imagine Wolverine being played by anyone else: Jackman’s performance obviates consideration of anyone else for the part.”

That said, Benioff did say he wants to “rough” Wolverine/Jackman up a bit, giving him an opportunity to show sides the first two movies didn’t afford the character aside from the Mansion invasion scene in X2. Promising his story will be a “bit darker and a bit more brutal”, Benioff says he’s writing an ‘R’ script and that Marvel Studios and director will have to decide where to go from there.

Finally, Benioff tells CBG that his script and vision stays away from the more “fantastical” elements associated with the X-Men franchise.

“I’m going to stay away from the ‘Four Riders’ kind of stories and the science fiction stories where he was battling aliens or demons”, says the writer. “I’m sticking with something more realistic. Of course it is kind of hard to talk realism when you’re speaking about a guy who has adamantium claws popping out of this hands. But my concept of him for this movie is the one I grew up with: He’s a gritty character, a tough, working-class Canadian guy who was born with certain special powers and granted more through a series of brutal experiments – for more that’s my Wolverine reality. I’m not going too far from that.”

The full 3-page interview which details Benioff’s thoughts on the character in much greater detail can be read in its entirety in the new issue of CBG, on sale now at comic book shops and newsstands and arriving in subscriber’s mailboxes right now.

o0o..sounds good....i wouldnt have liked the idea of having a alien fighting demon wolverine movie..it's kool for comics...but i prefer the movies, inlcuding the x-men movies. to be a littel more relaistic and not so far fetched...^__^

It sounds like this writer actually understands some of the most important aspects of Wolverine and even better he is writing a Rated R script for the film.

R rated script?!

Yes its true, hopefully the studio won't reduce it to a PG-13 flick though.

That said, Benioff did say he wants to “rough” Wolverine/Jackman up a bit, giving him an opportunity to show sides the first two movies didn’t afford the character aside from the Mansion invasion scene in X2. Promising his story will be a “bit darker and a bit more brutal”, Benioff says he’s writing an ‘R’ script and that Marvel Studios and director will have to decide where to go from there.

In his spin-off do you think he'll have a love interest, who's kick-ass or just a regular caring person who takes him in?

Wolverine with a girlfriend is bad for him, because he wouldn't be able to anything he ordinarily does, like staying in both the New Avengers and the X-men, go aroung the world just to kick some asses, drink every night, go chase some chicks, etc. Wolverine's a nomad, and nomads are not the best partners you can have.

yeah i totally get what u r saying, i mean like what jean is or someone who he cares for, yet won't get involved

The thing I'm most looking forward to about the Wolverine movie? People can't ***** about the other X-Men not having equal screen time since it HIS movie. BWAHAHAHA!!!

hope a little poetic justice is done and whoever shares credits with him takes the movie dev

hope I made myself clear...

Originally posted by Paola
hope a little poetic justice is done and whoever shares credits with him takes the movie dev

hope I made myself clear...

I get ya

... say Psylocke is his co-star... the babe steals the spotlight.

I can't think of any characters in the Marvel universe that are going to have both the popularity and sufficient impact on Wolverine's story to have a chance to steal the spotlight from him. Besides maybe a few cameos, this is going to be the WOLVERINE SHOW! 'Bout time too. Those other X-Men were killing his street cred as a "loner" type as it was. Man, this is going to be great. We finally get to see Wolverine vs. Sabretooth as it was meant to be before Singer ruined it with all that wire-fu bullshit.

maybe, we'll see...

I think its a mistake....Although i still look forward to watching it.

its probably going to be about the weapon x facility

Okay. Update time:

MovieWeb Aug 13, 2006
During a recent press event for his new film, 10th & Wolf, James Marsden talked about returning to the X-Men franchise for any sequels or spinoffs on our favorite mutants.
Even though it's supposedly a prequel for Wolverine, James said he'd love to join the cast if he's asked. "It's prior to our meeting in the first film. Yeah, I feel very lucky to be a part of those films and great affection for the comics and for those characters and I feel very lucky to be a part of it and I would. If they'd have me, I'd be a part of everyone they did."

Sounds to me like maybe Marsden was having second thoughts about ditching Marvel for Singer and Superman. I hope he rots. That'll teach 'im...

IESB.net Oct 15, 2006
The IESB sat down with Jackman and a few other journalists today at The Prestige press day in Pasadena. Jackman revealed that the final script for Wolverine has been turned in and signed off on. He also said that shooting would begin immediately after he completes filming on the as yet untitled Baz Luhrmann project he is signed on to do with Nicole Kidman in Australia.
Check out Hugh Jackman in his own words below.

HJ: We just now signed off on the script. If you know the history of the X-Men movies, this is a revolution for us. We're a year away from shooting the film and we have the script, and by the way it's unbelievable. It's the David Benioff script. He's a huge fan. You guys know Benioff, one of the hardest working writers in town. He was beating down our door to write this movie. It was like the most amazing thing. So we have this fantastic script and I have a couple movies coming up in the next month and I might be able to tell you who the director is by then. We are in serious talks right now.

Q: We know that it's a prequel is it going to follow any of the Japanese storylines?

HJ: At present no, that is something that we really want to do, that's a whole other movie. What we really want to do is establish who he is and find out how he became Wolverine.

Q: So there is a possibility of Wolverine 2?

HJ: I'm not ruling it out.

So there you have, the latest up to date news on the Wolverine film straight from Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman.


The fact that Benioff is a fan suggests he will (hopefully) be more true to the characters than what we've seen so far with the X-Franchise movies so far. The prospect of a Wolverine 2 dosen't suck either.

ign.com Oct 30, 2006
Slowly but surely, Wolverine is coming together. According to star and producer Hugh Jackman, if all goes to plan, fans can look forward to seeing Wolvie in his first solo, big screen adventure in late spring of 2008.

"That's kind of what we're looking at right now," Jackman tells IGN. "A summer release would be great though. Perhaps that's possible. But some things still need to fall into place."

The first element that needs to fall into place is the screenplay. And the word from Jackman is screenwriter David Benioff "has delivered, big time. We now have the final script, the final draft, which I absolutely love. For me, it's the most superior of them all. I know the fans are going to go crazy for it."

Jackman and his producing partners inquired with a few screenwriters and considered story proposals. Inevitably, they were sold by Benihoff's knowledge of X-Men lore and enthusiasm for the Wolverine movie.

"Here's a guy who's this amazing writer, probably one of the hottest writers going in town; Spielberg and everyone are after him," says Jackman. "But he was beating down our door to make this movie because he's the most passionate Wolverine fan. He's followed all of the books since he was 9-years-old. For us, it's one of those rare combinations where you have a writer who has all these Oscar-winning directors wanting to work with and he's like, 'I want to do Wolverine!'"

As Jackman was working on The Prestige and other projects, he stayed in periodic contact with Beinhoff as he wrote the script.

"With someone like David, you mostly let him do his thing and he comes back with the script," he says. "He'd deliver a draft, we'd sit down together and talk about it. And I'd let him know what I think. If I think so, I'll say 'It's fantastic.' Or, 'We may have to go in this direction.' Or, 'What about this?' He's very collaborative."

Having played Wolverine for three films, Jackman says he was able to bring his unique perspective to the script.

"For better or worse, I've played the role for three movies so it's a character that I know. I feel like I know what I want to achieve with the film, but David has been very collaborative, and I'm not shy in telling him what I think. He'll say I disagree with you or whatever. But it's been a really terrific process so far."

What Jackman wants for Wolverine is this: "I don't want the film to appear at all like X-Men 4 in disguise. I want it to feel like a very fresh, whole new character piece. I want it to be a character movie. And by the end of the movie, I want it to be that you definitely knew who this guy was. Cool action, great characters, but ultimately that you totally know who Wolverine is. Like Mad Max and Dirty Harry. Characters I loved. He's a good guy, but he's not a nice guy. He's just the guy you want on your side. really got that. He's one of the best character writers in Hollywood. He totally got it."

The next essential element is working Wolverine into Jackman's schedule. As the star and producer, he knows it will be a huge time commitment - probably three to four months of photography, some of which may take place in Australia, then considerable post-production.

"I'm shooting a movie with Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman next year in Australia, and then we plan to do Wolverine after that."

And let's not forget about a director. "That's our next goal," says Jackman. "Now we have to find a director, which we're looking for now. If I see you guys maybe in about a month, I might be able to let you know who the director is. We're close."

Beinhoff is sounding like a pretty good choice so far, but only time will tell. I wonder who they are going to approach about being a director. I hope they avoid Singer like the plague.

movies.about.com Nov 6, 2006
Hugh Jackman can’t avoid questions about the movie Wolverine, even when he’s busy promoting a different film. During the press rounds for The Prestige (a thriller directed by Christopher Nolan and co-starring Christian Bale), Jackman patiently answered questions about the upcoming Wolverine movie.

What can say about the status of Wolverine?

“We just now have a final script, final draft from David Benioff, which I absolutely love. I know the fans are going to go crazy for it. It’s just fantastic. Benioff is an amazing writer. Obviously you guys know him, but for the fans who don’t, he’s probably one of the hottest writers hanging around town. Spielberg and everyone are after him. He was beating down our door to make this movie because he is the most passionate Wolverine fan. He’s followed him since he was nine, so it’s one of those rare combinations where you have a writer who all these Oscar-winning directors are wanting to write, and he’s like, ‘I want to do Wolverine.’ So he’s written a script, which for me is the most superior of them all, and now we have to find a director which we’re looking for now.

I’ve got a couple movies coming out so if I see you guys maybe in about a month, I might be able to let you know. We’re close. Then I’m shooting a movie with Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman next year in Australia. We plan to do Wolverine after that.”

Will that preclude more X-Men movies?

“For me? In the near future, yeah. I think the plan is to do the Wolverine movie. I don't know what the future is for that franchise. I’m almost sure there’s no more X-Men movies. I have heard talk about a movie about the younger X-Men, a more kid-orientated thing which I might play a small part in. I’ve heard a story about a Magneto spin-off as well. But, honestly, I’ve probably heard what you’ve heard. I’ve heard nothing official. But I do know that we’re going to make the Wolverine movie.”

What intrigues you most about playing Wolverine?

“To me, he’s one of the great screen archetypes. He’s like, when I was growing up, Han Solo and Mad Max, Dirty Harry. These were all the kind of roles I loved. And that’s what Wolverine is. He’s that reluctant hero. He is a good guy, but he’s not a nice guy. I think we all love that character. He’s the guy you want on your side, but at the same time, there’s no B.S. about him.”

Will it be weird to play a younger Wolverine?

“Well, he doesn’t age, right? We have to ask the audience to suspend their disbelief a little because I have aged. I’m not going to go and have surgery, but I think that’s the beauty of playing that role. I won’t be able to do it when I’m 60, but I think for a few years I should be all right.”

A film about the younger X-Men should make the people who wanted more screen time for Colossus and Kitty happy. Personally, I don't think it will do well without the big-name characters to help sell tickets, but I also don't work in Hollywood.

More Updates:

IESB.net Nov 13, 2006
While talking to Hugh Jackman during The Prestige junket he told me that he hoped to be about a month away from announcing who would be directing Wolverine. Fast forward one month and we talked to Hugh again on Saturday during the press day of The Fountain.

With the recent revelation that Bryan Singer had been offered to direct Wolverine, we have been working overtime to get more details.

Before talking to Hugh on Saturday, we looked at all the specifics involving Wolverine/Superman:

Bryan has not yet read the Wolverine script
Pre-production of the Superman sequel will start September/Fall of 2007
Bryan would consider Wolverine only if he can finish it before prep on the Superman sequel begins
Hugh Jackman really wants Bryan to come back to the X Men franchise and direct Wolverine
So knowing ahead of time that Hugh wants Bryan for Wolverine we decided to ask some specifics regarding the project.

IESB: About a month ago, you said you might have news on who you would prefer to have direct Wolverine. Recently, Bryan Singer has said he was offered to direct it, doing more research I am hearing it’s been you hoping to get Bryan to direct it.

Hugh Jackman: Well, the…(laughing)…the thing is it’s all in negotiations, I can really…there is a list and Bryan is, sort of, at the beginning of it, so, of course, he’s in the loop. So, but, it is too early for me to say.

IESB: The fact that he is talking about it…

Hugh Jackman: I think it’s great, we’ll see the way we go, and now we have the script and now we really need to work out who is the best person for it. But, you know, Bryan has always been in the loop, for us.

IESB: Is the plan still to shoot mid-year next year (2007)?

Hugh Jackman: No, I’m meant to finish Baz’s movie, the end of August, my guess is that Baz might just go til September…well, who knows, I think we’ll go for the beginning of ’08. That way…I need to have, my idea for Wolverine, I want to have four months clear before I start shooting, ‘cause I want to be in shape, the physical shape, I have never been in before.

So what did we learn in this quick chat with Hugh? That Bryan is the preferred director but there is a major timing issue in the production.

With Hugh hoping to start production of Wolverine first few months of 2008 that would put Bryan in the middle of pre-production of Superman. So unless the Baz Luhrmann project is finished early, which won’t happen, or if Superman or Wolverine start production at a different time, it is safe to say that Bryan Singer will not direct Wolverine.

Hmmm. I should have seen this coming considering the friendship between Jackman and Singer. Not the best news for me and everybody else who doesn't care for Singer's directing style. Here's hoping Singer will be too involved with Superman to do Wolverine. Not really happy with the delay in the shooting schedule either.

ComingSoon.net Nov 14, 2006
ComingSoon.net caught up with Hugh Jackman (The Fountain) and got an update about his upcoming projects.

...The "X-Men" fans are also eager for updates on his Wolverine spinoff. Jackman said the project "is out to directors and no, I haven't heard anything. It's hard because you can't... we're approaching very A list directors so you can't give it to 20 of them at once."

Asked if we can expect any mutant cameos, Jackman grinned and replied, "It's a prequel, so there won't be many. There will be other new characters."

No director yet. Bummer. No Singer yet. Good. I wonder who the "new characters" Jackman is referring to will be. I hope there is an "old character" in the movie as well. Wolverine without Sabretooth would have been like the X-Men without Magneto.

they already made a wolverine spin off. it was called wolverine 3: wolverine wolverine wolverine.

you remember, the war finally broke out and magneto had his brotherhood and jean was all in phoenix mode. that had as much wolverine ball-sucking as a spin off would.

Originally posted by manorastroman
they already made a wolverine spin off. it was called wolverine 3: wolverine wolverine wolverine.

you remember, the war finally broke out and magneto had his brotherhood and jean was all in phoenix mode. that had as much wolverine ball-sucking as a spin off would.

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting it's trendy to be a Wolveracist now. Tell you what, you can stay home for the Wolverine movie and ***** to all your friends about how your favorite character either didn't make it in any of the X-Movies or had all of their screen-time stolen by the most popular super hero ever. I'll go see the movie and enjoy Jackman's dead-on portrayal of the character that pretty much singlehandedly saved the X-Men from being cancelled about twenty years ago and pay the character the respect he deserves. Then, we'll compare notes and see who had more fun on movie night.

You know, there was a Wolverine that didn't suck a long time ago, before Marvel ruined the character by overusing him and making him ridiculously overpowered. THAT is the Wolverine in the movies. Like it or not, Wolverine is the reason the X-Men movie was made in the first place. Wolverine is the reason enough people came to see it to warrant making two (and possibly more) sequels. It's actually a pretty simple concept: The reason why Wolverine gets top billing and the most screen time is because he's the one most people are there to see. Most non-comic fan people couldn't give a rat's ass about Cyclops, Iceman or a horribly portrayed Storm. How well does anybody really think a movie about the X-Men without Wolverine in it would do? Anybody who wants more movies about the X-Men universe better hope nothing ever happens to Hugh Jackman.

as much as i hate logan.saber here is right.with out wolvie not that many would give an crap aout the x-men.I must say i liked storm in all the movies. i was apit p-off the Psylocke was bad

Originally posted by Sabretooth
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting it's trendy to be a Wolveracist now. Tell you what, you can stay home for the Wolverine movie and ***** to all your friends about how your favorite character either didn't make it in any of the X-Movies or had all of their screen-time stolen by the most popular super hero ever. I'll go see the movie and enjoy Jackman's dead-on portrayal of the character that pretty much singlehandedly saved the X-Men from being cancelled about twenty years ago and pay the character the respect he deserves. Then, we'll compare notes and see who had more fun on movie night.

You know, there was a Wolverine that didn't suck a long time ago, before Marvel ruined the character by overusing him and making him ridiculously overpowered. THAT is the Wolverine in the movies. Like it or not, Wolverine is the reason the X-Men movie was made in the first place. Wolverine is the reason enough people came to see it to warrant making two (and possibly more) sequels. It's actually a pretty simple concept: The reason why Wolverine gets top billing and the most screen time is because he's the one most people are there to see. Most non-comic fan people couldn't give a rat's ass about Cyclops, Iceman or a horribly portrayed Storm. How well does anybody really think a movie about the X-Men without Wolverine in it would do? Anybody who wants more movies about the X-Men universe better hope nothing ever happens to Hugh Jackman.

that, and it was called "wolverine III: wolverine wolverine wolverine". if wolverine hating is trendy, you must be on the level of neon pink hobies and watching survivor.

Originally posted by manorastroman
that, and it was called "wolverine III: wolverine wolverine wolverine". if wolverine hating is trendy, you must be on the level of neon pink hobies and watching survivor.

Burn!!!



...Wait.



...What?

You mean "hobies" like the sailboats? Sailboats right? WTF?!?

First, the "wolverine 3" joke wasn't all that funny when you used it four posts ago. Were you hoping it would get funnier if you kept cramming it down everybody's throat?

It didn't.

Honestly though, I really wasn't expecting much from someone that used to call themselves "hoorayforpeepee".

Second, I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to tell me, but I'm fairly certain it was a horribly attempted insult. So you can kiss my ass.


...


Now that THATS over with, more news:

IESB.net Nov 19, 2006
Just when you thought our interview with Lauren Shuler Donner was over we come back with even more details on future X-Men films.

IESB: Well, you mentioned X-Men…

LSD: I also believe movies should be fun, I totally believe they should be a fun experience, you’re gonna pay a lot of money, you are gonna stand in line, it has to be fun.

IESB: Absolutely, from early stages, talking with Tom Rothman recently…he’s really excited about genre, and he does not rule out future X-Men ensemble films. I asked him point blank if we were going to see Gambit and he said he really believes we will see Gambit one day. Do you think you will be involved in the X-Men franchise at that time?

LSD: Oh yes, we are a team, it’s myself, Ralph , Avi and Kevin . We have a production manager Ross Fanger, we are a team and we go from X-Men, we are the X-Men world and I would hope we would always stay together, I mean, I am contractually bound, but yes I will always be…

IESB: We were talking to Shawn Ashmore recently and we asked him if he’s heard anything about any young X-Men spin offs and even Halle Berry at the junket for The Last Stand was open to coming back. Do you think soon, a couple years down the line…

LSD: I hope so, I think if we can work out the economics of it, absolutely. Certainly there are tons of stories. There is 40 years worth of stories. I’ve always wanted to do Days of Future Past and there are just really a lot of stories yet to be told. I wouldn’t rule anything out.

IESB: Wolverine, we mentioned this earlier, Hugh’s like, oh yeah I really want to bulk up for four months, he might just have to bulk up in Australia during the Baz Luhrman film? Is that what you think?

LSD: I don’t know, it’s our desire but, you certainly, you know, he has to be available and willing and my desire is always to shoot it sooner than later because every year there are more and more comic book movies and we want to remain fresh in everybody’s mind. So, I’m hoping to do it in the Fall, another movie may precede us, I don’t know.

IESB: And it’s the first time that an X-Men script has been done so early.

LSD: Yes, I know (laughing) Yeah, so let’s do it!

I totally agree with Mrs. Donner. The script is done, so MAKE THE DAMN MOVIE!

sabertooth don't worry about what he says.anyway yes make the movie already

Originally posted by Shalimar_fox
sabertooth don't worry about what he says.anyway yes make the movie already

Thanks for the kind words Fox. It doesn't really bother me when people insult me though, it's when people make absolutely no sense while they try to insult me that pisses me off.

By the way, I stumbled across this old interview with X3 screenwriter Simon Kinberg while looking for something unrelated:

ifmagazine.com June 20, 2006
It's the highest grossing movie of the summer ($200 million and still counting), but the future is still uncertain for more movies based on Marvel Comic’s mutant books. One of the biggest fans of the comics was Simon Kinberg who with Zak Penn scripted X-MEN THE LAST STAND for the big screen. Kinberg gave iF some clues as to where the screen future of the X-MEN lies, and how each actor approached what may be their final portrayal of an iconic role.

iF MAGAZINE: What was working with the Wolverine character like knowing they are planning a Wolverine movie?

KINBERG: Wolverine doesn’t exactly come after X3 so what happens to him is not terribly relevant to his own movie. We did talk about a couple of characters that they wanted to save for the Wolverine movie spin-off. I can’t tell you who they are, but there was really only one we wanted to use for X3, and they said they’re not going to have a big enough part to risk losing them for Wolverine. Sabretooth will be in there, but I don’t know in what form. I think his relationship with Wolverine is under explored. I like X1 a great deal, I thought the tone was fantastic and thought the X-Men were great, but I was a little under whelmed by the Brotherhood in that movie. I thought the secret island lair and Magneto’s plot were confusing to me, and Sabretooth and Toad were not as strong as Mystique. I like working with actors who have inhabited their characters for a while, and I welcome their input. Hugh has lived with Wolverine for five years and he knows this character better than anybody. He knows him better than Chris Claremont or better than Avi Arad, and certainly better than any of us working on this film. Hugh was also a producer on this movie, and we worked really closely with Hugh on Wolverine. The most conversations that I had with actors on this movie were with Hugh about Wolverine and Famke about Phoenix. They both are incredibly smart people who had a lot of intelligent informed questions about the characters. I would say the most input about Wolverine came from Hugh and not the studio.

I sure hope what he is saying about Sabretooth is true. That would put me back in my happy place.

i posted that sabertooth was alive some time ago.you know how the game told the story between x2 and x3.

Yeah, but just because the game designers say he's alive doesn't mean the scriptwriters at Marvel are going to agree with them and use the character. The fact that Lucasfilm "authorized" all the Star Wars games and books as in continuity didn't matter at all when Lucas needed to change some of the facts or history of some of his characters in to fit his story in the movies whenever he needed to. That's his prerogative though. It's HIS universe. Just like Marvel owns their universe and ain't no geeky little game developer gonna tell 'em how to run their characters. They kill and bring back to life whomever they damn well please. So I was just happy to hear the call officially made by someone in Marvel actually authorized to make such a call.

They could make a terrific movie if they take their time and pretty much do a montage of his early life with familiar actors playing unfamiliar characters. Tyler Mane as Dog, Famke Janssen as Rose, James Marsden as Maverick, Patrick Stewart as Proffessor Andre Thornton, etc. Maybe make the main villain of the movie someone truely frightening, like Cyber.

For those unfamiliar, historically, Cyber has been the only villain that can make wolverine piss himself every time.

Not a bad idea, but people who are not familiar with the comics may have trouble differentiating between two characters played by the same actor or actress. For example: "Why are they calling her rose? I thought her name was Jean, and I thought Wolverine didn't meet her until X-Men 1..."

Besides, I don't know if I want Wolverine's origin fully explained. I think that losing the mystery is one of the things that ruined the character in the comics. I would rather they reveal more of the Weapon X story with Silver Fox as a love interest and Sabretooth earning his place as Wolverine's arch-enemy by killing her. I also really like your idea of Cyber as the main villain, and think he would translate well to the screen. Wolverine's past in Japan has also been mentioned by a few fans and maybe the way to go would be a "Batman Begins" sort of story with Ogun playing the part of a Ra's Al Ghul-type mentor. I figure I'll just be happy as long as Jackman is playing the part and Singer isn't directing.

Originally posted by Darth Jello
They could make a terrific movie if they take their time and pretty much do a montage of his early life with familiar actors playing unfamiliar characters. Tyler Mane as Dog, Famke Janssen as Rose, James Marsden as Maverick, Patrick Stewart as Proffessor Andre Thornton, etc. Maybe make the main villain of the movie someone truely frightening, like Cyber.

For those unfamiliar, historically, Cyber has been the only villain that can make wolverine piss himself every time.

Wolverines not scared of him anymore...but he did used to be terrified of him

Not really an update, but I'll post it anyway:

www.imdb.com Oct 16, 2006
Credited cast:
Hugh Jackman .... Logan/Wolverine
Brian Cox .... William Stryker (rumored)
Ken Watanabe .... Kenuichio Harada/Silver Samurai (rumored)

Writing credits:
David Benioff (written by)

Plot Outline:
A prequel to X-Men. Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately signs up and goes through the mutant Weapon X program.

I'm not sure about the reliability of imdb, but I like the mention of Victor Creed waisting Wolvie's girlfriend and I think Ken Watanabe would be great as Silver Samurai. Watanabe has played samurai characters in the past, so this shouldn't be too much of a stretch for him. I'm not ready to make any bets on whether or not he's even in the movie at this point though.

I look forward to seeing this movie. Loved Hugh Jackman in the X films. I'm not sure which origin will be told, but I look forward to seeing it.

aintitcool.com Feb 2, 2007
Brian Cox to be CG Young-ified in WOLVERINE movie?

Hey folks, Harry here - Remember that Playboy - CG - Airbrushed look that they did to Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in X3? Well, looks like they might be employing that technique on the WOLVERINE movie to Brian Cox - as the film is apparently set 17 years before the events that Wolverine goes through in the X-Men movies. Here ya go...


Something small about the upcoming Wolverine movie.

Brian Cox was on a BBC programme, Film 2007 talking about Running With Scissors, the presenter Jonathan Ross asked him about Wolverine to which Cox replied, 'it's set seventeen years ago, which is fine for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine doesn't age but for me, I'm thinking they could what they did with Patrick and Ian for the start of the third one. I know my character is in it, they've asked me to be in it but that was a while ago now, it's completely stalled so no start date as yet.'

Adrian

What the crap does he mean by "completely stalled" ?!!! Has Marvel actually put Wolverine on the back burner to concentrate more on movies like Ant Man and Namor? I thought Marvel was in the business of making money. At least we now know Stryker is included in the movie now, bringing the total number of confirmed characters to...

uh...

two.

Originally posted by Sabretooth
What the crap does he mean by "completely stalled" ?!!! Has Marvel actually put Wolverine on the back burner to concentrate more on movies like Ant Man and Namor? I thought Marvel was in the business of making money. At least we now know Stryker is included in the movie now, bringing the total number of confirmed characters to...

uh...

two.


hehe

but if the wolverine movie really has to be good, basically the script has to be outstanding and the director brilliant otherwise they're just gonna screw it all up and make a film about ant man and just the name sounds horrible.

Besides they have to put some interesting characters into it... meaning not deathstrike cause they've used her up already and in X2 Logan didn't sort of know her...

I dunno but i think deathstrike isn't such an appealing choice...

www.mtv.com Mar 21, 2007

Could Sabretooth be plotting to take another bite out of Hugh Jackman? According to massive actor/wrestler Tyler Mane, discussions are under way to have his evil mutant from the original "X-Men" movie return for the highly anticipated Wolverine spinoff flick. "We will see," an optimistic Mane revealed recently. "There is talk of a Wolverine-Sabretooth , and we will see what happens with that." Mane might have some competition from Vinnie Jones, however, who has insisted in the past that his Juggernaut will be the target of those famed adamantium claws. Nevertheless, Mane's comments would seem to support fans who believe the prequel will have Logan seeking revenge against Victor Creed — who eventually became Sabretooth in the "X-Men" comic book series. "We will see," Mane said cryptically. "You never know." ...

JUGGERNAUT?!!! Stay out of this Vinnie, it doesn't concern you.

PLEASE Marvel don't screw this up by casting the wrong villain as Wolverine's arch-nemesis.

I hope Logan or James fights either Sabretooth or The Silver Samurai? Maybe Juggernaut?

i hope i am not ruining this thread but...

has anyone watched the deleted scenes in Xmen 3-it shows an extended fight with wolvie and storm,against juggy and calisto in jeans old house
very cool

Originally posted by LORDSIDIOUS01
I hope Logan or James fights either Sabretooth or The Silver Samurai? Maybe Juggernaut?

Personally, I would prefer if Marvel used villains from Wolverine's rogues gallery like Sabretooth or Cyber or Sabretooth or Silver Samurai or Sabretooth or Omega Red or Sabretooth. Juggernaut is a fine villain for the X-Men (Colossus in particular), but not really what I expect to see when I open a Wolverine comic.

Originally posted by starlock
i hope i am not ruining this thread but...

has anyone watched the deleted scenes in Xmen 3-it shows an extended fight with wolvie and storm,against juggy and calisto in jeans old house
very cool

Saw it. Enjoyed it. I thought the Wolverine/Deathstrike fight and the X-Mansion invasion scenes were both choreographed better though.

I read a review of the script it said Sabretooth had a big part in it....google Wolverine script review I think the site it latinoreview.com but I'm not sure. It does have a few spoilers in it thought.

***ATTENTION***

This update contains SPOILERS, so don't whine at me if you keep reading and ruin the movie for yourself:
http://www.filmick.co.uk Apr 28, 2007
Wolverine Script Review

By now, I'm sure you know how I like to do script reviews. I like to fill them with excerpts. I like to show you just what the script is made of. If I can, I even resort to big swathes of cut and paste, because I know what I'd want to see in a script review.

Unfortunately, this time, I'm not going to be able to do that. Yesterday, I had a hard copy of David Benioff's Wolverine script in my hands. Right now, I do not.



But I remember details well, so there's still plenty to tell you. I've been warned to avoid spoilers, so I'll do my best - but some of the set-up will have to be discussed, and you need to know which characters appear, don't you? Sure you do. How on earth can I tell you anything meaningful about the story otherwise.

The story is a short one, really, and not much happens - certainly in comparison to the X-Men films. And it's a prequel: we begin with a pre-Adamantium Logan, go through his alteration at the hands of Stryker into Weapon X and then set him free to wander alone until Singer's first X-Men will pick up the pieces. As such, there's no role for Anna Paquin as Rogue, so her interview comments about her willingness to participate in the film are entirely moot. Sorry Anna, you're out in the cold - and a whole load of less interesting characters are in.

The film opens with a joint flashback-come dream-sequence in which Logan, aged 12, gets into an almighty ruckus with some jock types. He has big sharp claws and regenerative capabilities, the jocks do not, the outcome is inevitable.

Waking from this dream, Logan has shredded his bed sheets in his sleep. This scene is where we meet his partner, Kayla Silverfox, a full-blodded Innu. She's underwritten but given pseudo-insightful folkloric references to make and a plot Maguffin role to fulfill.

Before very long, we find out that Victor Creed, never once called Sabretooth, is hunting and killing mutants. Why? Because he's naughty. Beak - a Morrison mutant - makes a short appearance in a Creed scene. He doesn't have claws either, so the outcome is again inevitable.

Essentially, the lose plot is this: Stryker tracks Logan down, takes him to Alkali lake and gives him his adamantium skeleton. The descriptions of this painful procedure (to say the least) are bang-on accurate to the flashback nightmares - seems that logan has a lot of those! - in the Singer films. This was very respectful, I thought.

Of course, it happens that the Wolverine is tougher than even Stryker anticipated and, now encased in his virtually indestructible adamantium, and with claws more deadly than ever before, Logan just slashes his way out of the facility at Alkali lake. He'll return later and make even more of a mess - I'm not sure it is left in a state perfectly in continuity with Singer's films, but then again, I'm not sure it isn't - the details are quite vague.

Brian Cox has mentioned how the Wolverine script was set seventeen years before X2. There's no way to pin it down to an exact seventeen years - actually, in all honesty, it could wrap up very shortly before the first X-Men film begins. I think that is likely to be the way they go with this - so Jackman can play the part reasonably. And that way, Cox could quite happily reprise Stalker, no silly make up or digital de-aging required.

Logan's hunt for Creed takes up a healthy share of the page count. Barely drawn, throwaway characters are written in and killed before they nose past the cliche-spouting cypher stage. There's a Mos Eisley bar for Mutants, if you know what I mean - or maybe something more like the Vampire nightclub in Blade (this is where some chap called Barbarus turns up). My point is, essentially, this is very generic stuff, from top to bottom.

Are there any 'twists'? Well, some of the betrayals that come later are utterly predictable but still feel disappointing as they play out. Oh, and, while we're on the subject, faked-deaths that require heart-rate slowing injections and bags of blood being spilled should have been outlawed some time ago, really. Yawn.

Lip-service is paid to the idea of a Mutant war, and a few moral conundra are alluded to, seemingly insincerely and without any gravitas or insight. The whole thing seems like a light, shallow and pointless retread of bits and pieces from X2 - like off-cut scenes plucked from the dumper. This script might aim to be the Godfather II to X2's Godfather I, heading into the past and revealing more details, but it has so little to say, and is so utterly devoid of invention or surprise, the whole trip seems completely redundant. These might have been the deleted scenes from a tedious, excised subplot in a three hour cut of X2.

I'm quite sure that Jackman will come out of this very well, and Cox too. Even though their dialogue is far from special, and often rather woeful, to hear it spoken in their voices, given their particular cadences and personal timing choices, it will play much better than it reads.

And the badness doesn't stop there. There's a lot of bad logic too - "You brainwashed me to love you, but then you went off and I kept loving you, therefore the brainwashing was irrelevant, I really do love you". Explain that one to me if you will. If I brought you up to speak Spanish and I left the room you wouldn't suddenly start talking Dutch, would you? That's one important plot point that makes no sense whatsoever. Brainwashed is brainwashed.

Another truly silly moment? A character claims that they aren't frightened of dying and they are asked how they know because they haven't died before. I mean, that would have worked if they said they weren't frightened of death, but of course they'll know if they're frightened of dying or not. Think about it: only actually dying is going to negate that one, not being alive. Bad.

The most interesting detail for me is a fairly inconspicuous reference to the Ultramax prison - a prison for supervillains, the baddest of the bad mutants. I wonder if Justin Marks had read this script before cooking up his Green Arrow/Super-Max pitch?

So, I've wandered around and meandered a bit and not been able to go into anything like the detail I wanted to but, well, I think I've said enough. Botom line? This is a bad script and the best we could hope for is a mediocre, moderately entertaining, but by no means memorable, valuable or cherishable film.

Time to get a new writer in? Yeah, if there was any intent to make anything more than a cash-in, cop-out cheat of a film.

// posted by Brendon @ 10:17 AM
I'm sure I'm heavily biased here, but I think "cash-in, cop-out cheat of a film" is a bit harsh. It sounds to me like the overall story is almost exactly what I was expecting, but the dialogue needs to be tweaked some. At least they're being faithful to the continuity established in the previous movies. Maybe Marvel "accidentally" leaked the script to gauge public reaction. If so, I'll be interested to see how much of the script changes before shooting starts because of negative reviews like the one above.

http://www.variety.com Jul 19th, 2007
Fox says Hood good for 'Wolverine'
'Tsotsi' director takes on 'X-Men' spin-off film

By MICHAEL FLEMING, PETER GILSTRAP

Twentieth Century Fox has set Gavin Hood to direct Hugh Jackman in "Wolverine," the "X-Men" spin-off film that was scripted by David Benioff.

Pic, which begins production in November for 2008 release, will be produced by Lauren Shuler-Donner, Jackman and his Seed Prods. partner John Palermo.

Hood is the South African director whose 2005 film "Tsotsi" won the foreign film Oscar. He was among several hot young directors vying for "Wolverine" and sources said Fox brass was swayed after viewing his latest film, "Rendition," the politically charged New Line drama starring Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Peter Sarsgaard. It opens Oct. 19 and premieres at Toronto.

Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Barry Windsor-Smith and work by Frank Miller, "Wolverine" mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.

After three "X-Men" films grossed over $1 billion worldwide, studio has made "Wolverine" a top priority.

"I have long been a fan of Gavin's work and know he will make a masterful film with the character intensity and action beats the fans expect," said Jackman.

Hood’s repped by WMA and Anonymous Content.

Date in print: Fri., Jul. 20, 2007, Los Angeles

Honestly, I've never seen anything by this Hood guy so I have no opinion about him one way or the other. I'm just happy we finally have a set shooting schedule and approximate release date.

hey i heard somewhere that:
Sabertooth
Lady Deathstrike
William Stryker
Weapon X
Omega Red
are all to appear in the wolverine movie.
any confirm?