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Jeff Katz, a comic book writer and former executive at Fox, came back from the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and says: "I think it delivers."
The movie, opening May 1, 2009, will feature some characters familiar to comic fans but new to theater screens in Gambit and Deadpool (who just might get his own spin-off if Wolverine does well), and will feature a much darker Wolverine than he was portrayed in the previous X-Men movies.
Ultimately though, there's one main reason why Katz was so impressed: "I'm of the belief that you can boil down these characters to a couple of key words, phrases or images that sum up the tone and tenor of what they should be. And to me and [Hugh] Jackman, our mantra for 'Wolverine' has really been one term: 'bad-ass.' As long as 'Wolverine' is consistently bad-ass, people are generally going to go with you. That's what they want from that character." Indeed.
Jackman initiated the "bad-ass" talking point at Comic-Con this summer.
The X-Men Origins: Wolverine trailer premieres exclusively in theaters December 12 before The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Posted 11.26.08 by reelz -
With X-Men Origins: Wolverine's May 1, 2009, release date approaching, Fox is already planning more X-Men movies.
In the hopes that Wolverine will be a huge success, X-Men Origins: Magneto is already being developed, with The Dark Knight writer David Goyer attached as director, and a plot revolving around Magneto's concentration camp beginnings, as seen in the first X-Men, and his friendship with a young Charles Xavier that eventually breaks apart as their philosophies evolve and differ.
Fox has also announced a movie adaptation of the comic book X-Men: First Class which will examine the early years at the Xavier School, featuring some of the mutants shown in the previous trilogy. Variety confirmed that Josh Schwartz, creator of TV's Gossip Girl, will write the screenplay.
Lastly, a Deadpool movie is in discussion, a spin-off of the comic book assassin Ryan Reynolds portrays in X-men Origins: Wolverine, should the movie be a hit and Reynolds becomes an audience favorite.
Posted 11.24.08 by Ryan -
It's been a tough summer for 20th Century Fox, with the studio rolling out an unprecedented wave of box office bombs, led by such masterworks as Babylon A.D., Meet Dave, The Happening, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, and Mirrors.
Who can rescue the once-mighty studio from of its box office doldrums? Superheroes, of course. In addition to Hugh Jackman's much-anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Variety reports that Fox is contemplating a number of high-profile comic-book projects, including a young X-Men spin-off and a Deadpool vehicle with Ryan Reynolds in the lead.
Most intriguing is the prospect of a reboot of Daredevil,Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 disappointment, which starred Ben Affleck as the titular blind, red-leather-clad superhero attorney. Daredevil, a mercurial character with a tumultuous past, is a prime candidate for the Christopher Nolan "dark" treatment that's so trendy with the kids these days. But are the Fox execs, who are reportedly feuding with Wolverine director Gavin Hood over his gritty take on that character, willing to commit to a bold new direction for the Man Without Fear?
Posted 09.10.08 by reelz -
We caught up with Hugh Jackman during his inaugural appearance at Comic-Con to discuss the upcoming X-Men spin-off Wolverine. Jackman compares Wolverine to Mad Max and Dirty Harry, the kinds of characters he grew up with and loved.
Posted 07.25.08 by reelz -
Methinks things are starting to get a bit nutty down Wolverine Way. The already robust cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is swelling to Altman-like proportions with today's news, courtesy of Variety, that Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch and the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am have joined Gavin Hood's X-Men spinoff, in the roles of Gambit and Wraith, respectively.
The logic behind Marvel attaching the prefix "X-Men Origins" to the title is starting to emerge. Rather than a full-fledged spinoff, Wolverine is looking more and more like just another ensemble X-Men flick.
Source: Variety
Posted 02.19.08 by reelz -
Ok, the onslaught of X-Men Origins: Wolverine news items is starting to get a little ridiculous. The latest bombshell comes straight from fanboy haven Ain't It Cool News, which is reporting that Ryan Reynolds, star of this weekend's fifth-place box office finisher Definitely, Maybe, will be making a cameo in the Wolverine prequel as the high-tech mercenary Deadpool.
Reynolds had forever been attached to play The Flash in a big-screen adaptation of the classic D.C. comic, but this recent revelation may very well put the final nail in the coffin of that long-gestating project.
Why would Reynolds opt to play Deadpool rather than The Flash? Like Wolverine, Deadpool is a darker character with a sharp tongue and Canadian roots -- two factors that likely appealed to Vancouver-bred Reynolds. Or maybe he simply grew tired of waiting for the Flash flick to happen. Either way, it's good news for comic book fans.
Source: AICN via JoBlo.com
Posted 02.18.08 by reelz -
It seems that X-Men Origins: Wolverine news is emanating from all over the web these days. The latest scoop comes from filmschoolrejects.com, which is reporting that B-list Marvel villain The Blob will likely make a cameo in Gavin Hood's Wolverine prequel.
From what we could gather from Marvel's official site, The Blob's "super powers" essentially consist of tough skin and morbid obesity -- the former presumably developed in response to the ridicule he received as a result of the latter.
According to filmschoolrejects, footage has already been shot of a guy wearing a fat suit tailored to make him appear to be in the 800 lb. range., with producers reportedly looking at (presumably digital) ways to bump him up to a full metric ton. Never mind CGI -- a few trips to KFC should do the trick.
Posted 02.18.08 by reelz -
The cast of the upcoming Wolverine prequel (officially -- and ponerously -- titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine) appears to be filling out quite nicely. In addition to Hugh Jackman reprising his signature role and Liev Schreiber playing Wolverine nemesis Sabretooth, JoBlo.com is reporting that it appears 30 Days of Night villain Danny Huston has been cast as young William Stryker, the renegade army colonel responsible for the gruesome experiments that gave Wolvie his adamantium skeleton.
We loved Huston in 30 Days of Night. Then again, most of his dialogue in that flick consisted of high-pitched shreaks and the occasional command, spoken in his bizarre vampire language, so we're not entirely sure what to expect.
Source: JoBlo.com
Posted 02.15.08 by reelz -
If director Gavin Hood gets his way, expect the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine to differ dramatically in tone from 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.
Speaking last week to Secret's Out guest host Aisha Tyler, Hood described his Wolverine as "a person who's really suffering from a great deal of existential angst, who wants to lash out and yet hates himself for doing so...his battle is within his own nature."
Referencing ancient Greek lore, the Rendition director laid out his ambitious plan for the highly anticipated X-Men prequel, in which Hugh Jackman will reprise his trademark role. "These characters are modern mythological characters that represent human emotion in a grand and somewhat operatic way," Hood said of the inhabitants of Wolverine's comic book universe. "And if we can access that and combine it with some good action and some great cinematography and music and sound and so on, then we could have an exciting, emotional movie."
"Exciting and emotional" sounds pretty good, especially when contrasted with Brett Ratner's controversial "shallow and bombastic" approach toward X-Men 3.
Posted 10.24.07 by reelz -
It's true, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is getting off the ground. Gavin Hood, who headed up this weekend's political thriller, Rendition, is the unlikely choice to direct this fanboy prequel that will explore the 'violent and romantic' early years of Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman will be reprising his role and Liev Schreiber is close to nailing down a deal to play a young William Stryker. Shooting is scheduled for Australia, New Zealand, and New Orleans, which is leading some to speculate that the character of Gambit might be making an appearance.
In other news, Kim Basinger has signed on to join Charlize Theron in Guillermo Arriaga's directorial premiere, The Burning Plain. Arriaga, who wrote Babel, also wrote The Burning Plain, which follows a womaon who tries to repair her relationship with her parents after a troubling childhood. Basinger will play Theron's mother.
Source: Variety.
Posted 10.18.07 by reelz