The Wolverine : Post Production/Publicity

[jo]

Hugh confirmed to go to San Diego for ComicCon on July 20.


www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00062170.html

Fox's Comic-Con Panel Includes 'Wolverine', 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' and a Surprise

July 13, 2013 03:02:21 GMT
The studio prepares 'something major' for its Hall H presentation on July 20 in addition to panels for the Hugh Jackman starrer and Andy Serkis' sci-fi.



Previously leaving its Comic-Con slate blank, 20th Century Fox now reveals what it will bring to San Diego on Saturday, July 20. According to the announcement, the studio will take hotly-anticipated "The Wolverine" as well as "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" to Hall H.

Director James Mangold and leading man Hugh Jackman are confirmed to participate in the presentation of "The Wolverine", due out July 26. As for the sci-fi pic which is slated for a July 18, 2014 release, director Matt Reeves will be on hand for the promotional effort alongside Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell.

Fox additionally prepares another treat for fans who attend its panel. The studio teases a surprise panel and promises "something major," which fuels rumors that "X-Men: Days of Future Past", to be released in May 2014, might head to San Diego as well.

There was some speculation at Bleeding Cool site that there might be an announcement re a much wider franchise called " X-Force" ?


Jo

[birchie]

Jul 12, 2013 22:58:53 GMT -5 natalieavery said:

Not sure if you've seen this yet.

vimeo.com/70068836

That is a very well put together video collage...the subject ain't bad either. giggle
Sue

[birchie]

Today's clips...
Red Robin Wolverine Berserker Burger Commercial-Some of you may have seen this but I haven't seen this in my area.

'The Woverine' Why Hugh Jackman Loves Playing the Role 'More Than Ever'...He's so adorable in these interviews. smiley-love067

Sue

[jo]

Hey, Hugh's on the MSN Entertainment News Homepage!

social.entertainment.msn.com/movies/blogs/post--hugh-jackman-would-love-wolverine-avengers-team-up

Hugh Jackman would love Wolverine/Avengers team-up

In other words, he wants the same thing we do

By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse 21 hours ago



Just like fans everywhere, "The Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman would love to see his character, the rest of the X-Men, and the Avengers team up in one ultimate superhero spectacular.


Bing: More on Hugh Jackman | More on 'The Wolverine'


Speaking with Collider while doing press for the upcoming "The Wolverine" -- his sixth appearance as the immortal mutant with the adamantium claws -- Jackman was asked whether he thought that 20th Century Fox (owners of the rights to the X-Men, Wolverine and Fantastic Four), Sony (owners of Spider-Man) and Marvel (owners of the Avengers and the rest of the Marvel universe) could ever combine forces and franchises.

His reply: "Mate, I ask the same question. I literally asked the same question the other day to Tom from Marvel who works with all the other studios, he works with Sony and Fox, that's his job to liaise. I said, 'Man, can this happen?' and he goes 'Look, it's not gonna be easy because you're working with different studios and they're their properties.'"

He added, "But I believe -- maybe I'm optimistic, I understand at Marvel they've got The Avengers, they've got a lot of big things going on, but at some point I just find it almost impossible that there's not a way to bring Iron Man, all the Avengers characters, Wolverine, the X-Men characters, Spider-Man, and somehow get them in together."

Questioned further about the financial and rights issues involved, Jackman has a simple solution: "I'm like, okay you've got three studios, just split it three ways in terms of the cost, and happy days it's all coming together! I would love to...I'm in for it, I'm totally up for it because I think that would be really exciting for fans across the board."


We've discussed the whys and hows of whether the entire cinematic Marvel Universe could ever come together here, if you want more info, but in the meantime it's kind of interesting that one of the biggest stars of that universe (Jackman has played Wolverine more than any other actor has played any other superhero) is thinking along those same lines. Should he try to convince the powers-that-be to make it happen?


Would you like to see the entire Marvel Universe together in one giant movie? Tell us at MSN Movies on Facebook and Twitter.


"The Wolverine" is out in theaters July 26.

This is all excellent publicity for THE WOLVERINE!!

[jo]

The gallery for the Mens Health photoshoot ( 70 photos in all )

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.556202877752441.1073741840.176256179080448&type=1


This one looks almost like an artistic rendering ( instead of a photo) --





Jo

[jo]

Respected film commentator Drew McWeeney ( who used to be "Moriarty" at AICN) writes about his impressions re Hugh and the Wolverine role --

www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/hugh-jackman-talks-about-playing-the-character-for-the-sixth-time-in-the-wolverine

Hugh Jackman talks about playing the character for the sixth time in 'The Wolverine'

Plus find out what he happily stole from Darren Aronofsky

By Drew McWeeny Saturday, Jul 13, 2013 6:15 PM


Hugh Jackman didn't stab me even one time during our conversation about 'The Wolverine,' so I'll count that as a victory.



It's not often that my eight-year-old son and my seventy-something-year-old mother are both jealous of me over the same interview, but that pretty much sums up the preposterously broad appeal of Hugh Jackman.

"The Wolverine" marks the sixth time that he has played the character, and he'll do it again next summer for "X-Men: Days Of Future Past," and at this point, I'd say he owns the character in terms of public perception. What makes "The Wolverine" work is the way it builds off of even the less successful films in the series to explore the sadness and pain that drive the character at this point.

I stopped in New York for approximately 24 hours on my way back from London, and within an hour of me getting to my hotel, I was sitting across from Jackman, jet-lagged and punchy and not entirely sure what was going on. Even so, as soon as you start talking to the guy, he's so engaged and enthusiastic that you want to respond in kind.

It's very smart of Jackman to take control of where the character is headed, because if he wants to keep playing the part, he obviously needed to make a major course correction. I'm still confused about what the point of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was, and it's obvious that no one on that film had a clear idea of why they needed to tell that story. Here, they're working from one of the most famous storylines in the history of the comic, and they've got Mark Bomback and Scott Frank writing it, and that amount of brain power managed to come up with something that felt like a new chapter in this character's story and not just more of the same for no good reason. I even think the use of Famke Janssen as Jean Grey here makes the ending of "The Last Stand" count in a way that the film itself never managed.

I have no idea how much longer Jackman's going to be willing to subject himself to the extreme physical demands of playing this role, but it's obvious that he is still determined to do the best possible job every time he plays the part, and that's one of the reasons it's still worth watching him work.

"The Wolverine" will appear in theaters July 26, 2013. And when it does, make sure you stay for the credits. Seeeeeeeeriously.

It seems that Drew must have already seen a screening, given his comments ( of which he can only express broad hints due to the temporary embargo), which sounds very well for the movie! This makes it even more exciting to me - I am now hyped that the movie is indeed going to be the surprise hit of the summer

Jo

[jo]

Longish feature from the UK Daily Mail -- much of which we have already committed to our memory cells, BUT, there are quite a gems

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2360413/Hugh-Jackman-When-I-mother-saw-school-When-I-got-home-gone.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'When I was eight my mother saw me off to school. When I got home she was gone': Abandoned by his mum and bullied as a boy, how Hugh Jackman became a star


By STUART JEFFRIES


PUBLISHED:21:00 GMT, 13 July 2013| UPDATED:21:10 GMT, 13 July 2013



Now he’s world-famous as a muscle-bound, murderous mutant in the summer's biggest blockbuster


'She (mum Grace) saw me off to school wearing a towel round her head and when I came back she was gone. Two days later there was a telegram saying she was in England,' said Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman is telling me about his haircare problems.


‘When I first wore a wig, I used to hold it in place with so much hairspray. I used more than on that movie – what’s it called?’ Hairspray? ‘That’s the one. I depleted the ozone layer single-handed.’


We’re in a 21st-floor hotel suite in Montreal, where Jackman is making the seventh X-Men film, playing unkillable, hirsute, mutant action hero with retractable claws Wolverine.

But we’re here to talk about another movie in the Marvel franchise – The Wolverine, second spin-off in the X-Men series.


It’s a film that asks the big questions: is eternal life a blessing or a curse? What’s the point of living if everything you love dies? What superpower would you choose? And what’s happened to Wolverine’s hair?

'I stopped myself being Billy Elliot. I didn't have the guts,' said Hugh

Let’s take that last question first.


When the first X-Men film came out in 2000, Jackman’s wig looked like John Travolta’s as Danny Zuko in Grease – requiring so much backcombing it risked becoming a full-time occupation.


‘It was much longer then. Every time there was a fight it would go wild and I’d have to spray more on it.’


Jackman, who narrated 2008 global warming documentary The Burning Season, and does a lot of work for anti-poverty charities, shakes his head at the ecological wrongness.

‘Now, I’m happy to say, the wig is shorter and environmentally sound.’


The first five films have been extraordinarily successful, grossing nearly $1 billion in the U.S. alone.


‘Kids can relate to it. Every teenager feels murderous and marginalised – just like the mutants in X-Men,’ says Jackman.


He can relate because he often felt the same way as a boy.


‘I was bullied by my big brother. Playing Wolverine makes me think how I used to fight with my brother. He used to call me poofter and sissy for being interested in dancing.


'And by the time he said there was nothing wrong with that, I was too old. I was 18 then.’


So he stopped you becoming Billy Elliot? ‘I stopped myself being Billy Elliot. I didn’t have the guts. But the rage I felt then, I can use to play Wolverine.’


Jackman was born in Sydney in 1968 to English parents who were part of the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ immigration scheme that lured one-and-a-half million Britons to Australia after the war.

When he was eight, mum Grace returned to England.


‘She saw me off to school wearing a towel round her head and when I came back she was gone.


‘Two days later there was a telegram saying she was in England. It took me years to realise it wasn’t temporary.’


His father Chris, an accountant, raised Hugh and four other kids in Sydney.


‘I’ve been reunited with Mum since. We see each other four or five times a year.’


The Wolverine begins with a nuclear explosion and Jackman running round, top off, displaying enviable muscle definition, saving a Japanese prison guard. It’s August 9, 1945, and we’re in the Aussie PoW camp in Nagasaki as the atom bomb drops.


Fast-forward to present-day Japan where he must – for reasons that won’t detain us – battle sharp-suited, fast-handed yakuza gangsters atop the Tokyo Bullet Train. It’s like the start of Skyfall – though Japanese trains go faster than Turkish ones.


'I was bullied by my big brother. Playing Wolverine makes me think how I used to fight with my brother. He used to call me poofter and sissy for being interested in dancing,' said Hugh

Aren’t you better than this? You sing and dance, you won a Tony on Broadway, you were a romantic heart-throb in Kate And Leopold, you won a Golden Globe and got an Oscar nomination earlier this year for Les Misérables. Aren’t you more substantial than a sociopathic mutant in a comic-book franchise?

Jackman smiles amiably. He really is the anti-Russell Crowe. After that jibe, Crowe would have dangled me by the ankles from the balcony until I retracted. Not Jackman – he’s unremittingly cheerful.

‘I find it interesting,’ he explains. ‘If I didn’t I’d get out.’


When his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness, saw the first X-Men script, though, she told him to turn it down.

‘I was given three pages of script. She read them and said, “There are words like ‘kerpow’ here.” She thought it was beneath me. I was working with Trevor Nunn at the National Theatre (playing Curly in the 1998 production of Oklahoma).’

Wasn’t she right? ‘It’s the only time my wife has ever been wrong – and you can quote me on that.’


Jackman’s problem (some problem) is he is so vexingly multi-talented that he can take any role and deliver what the directors want. Read reviews of almost any picture or show in which he has starred and he is praised for holding the thing together.


He admits as much when he quotes friend and Les Misérables co-star Russell Crowe: ‘Russell says my problem is I don’t know how to say no.’

'In my living room, I'd walk around wearing the claws, to get used to them. I've got scars on one leg, punctures through the cheek, on my forehead,' said Hugh

My suspicion is that part of him wishes he had followed his dream to sing and dance.


Typically he blames himself. He is, among many other things, gracious and devoid of rancour. It’s hard not to hate Jackman for being so likeable.

It’s all perfect: hair, muscles, cheekbones, manners. Even his teeth as he smiles are intolerably white and shapely.

Much of that had to go as he mutated into surly, gnarly, hot-tempered Wolverine. Some was physical – he has to gain 25lb in 12 weeks of workouts and dieting each time he plays Wolverine.

‘The problem is my height,’ he says. ‘I’m 6ft 2in and lean but in the books he’s 5ft 3in and stocky.’


Directors have made co-stars wear platforms and shot Jackman from unusual angles to make him seem smaller.

‘Part of the bulking-up was to make me look squatter – more Mike Tyson than Hugh Jackman.’

He watched Tyson bouts on video to study how to move like the boxer.

‘He was a touchstone because he’s ruthless and has that Wolverine build.’


But more important is how Jackman suppresses his sunny, all-singing, all-dancing self.

‘The first day on set, Bryan (director Bryan Singer) said, “Stay still for one goddam second, will you!” I moved too much, probably because of my background in musicals. I was too expressive.

'Bryan sent me to my trailer to watch Mel Gibson in Mad Max. Mel has about 11 lines in the whole picture, but you sense unbounded rage through his minimal movement. I learned from watching Mel how to act in films.’


Hugh has to gain 25lb in 12 weeks of workouts and dieting each time he plays Wolverine. 'The problem is my height. I'm 6ft 2in and lean but in the books he's 5ft 3in and stocky,' he said

Jackman also watched Dirty Harry repeatedly to cop Clint Eastwood’s unremittingly surly persona. The similarities with Eastwood are striking – though he smiles more. One day, he was in front of Clint in a queue at a Hollywood event.

‘I said, “Good day Mr Eastwood, Hugh Jackman.” He said, “Yeah, I know.” So I said, “I’ve been told I occasionally look like you in films.” And Mr Eastwood replied, “You’re holding up the line, kid.”


‘Well, I still watch his movies for inspiration .  .  .’


Nobody said mutating into Wolverine would be easy.

‘In my living room, I’d walk around wearing the claws, to get used to them. I’ve got scars on one leg, punctures through the cheek, on my forehead.’


But he stuck at it. ‘No one apart from Sean Connery has been in so many films in the same franchise.’


Each time he becomes Wolverine he undergoes a workout he hates and a 6,000-calorie-a-day diet he’s worried will give him a heart attack. He fondly remembers the days before he had a superhero’s build.


‘I used to go to the gym and see these guys pumping iron and I thought they were idiots. In what situation could you need to bench 350lb? I never understood the addiction, it’s just painful. But that’s what I do to become Wolverine.’


Worse is the diet. ‘It’s not good for me to eat 6,000 calories a day. I have to eat a dozen eggs every day.’


Can’t you vary the diet? ‘The only way that seems to work is eating chicken. I know there are vegan bodybuilders but chicken is what works for me. Lots and lots of chicken.’


But you’ve been doing this for years. ‘I worry I’ll have a heart attack.’


In 2011, when Hugh was preparing to become Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, he lost 15lb so he could look emaciated on prison work detail. Later, he gained 30lb to suggest his character's success

The demands on Jackman’s body are not confined to when he mutates into Wolverine.

In 2011, when he was preparing to become Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, he lost 15lb so he could look emaciated on prison work detail.

Later, he gained 30lb to suggest his character’s success. He gave up coffee, drank seven litres of water a day, took three steam baths a day, endured cold baths and a damp flannel on his face during flights to protect his vocal cords. He would sing numbers from the show as he bench-pressed at his gym.

When, one might think, is he going to stop yo-yo dieting and making himself over at the gym? Do you want to emulate Sly and Arnie, both still bulking up to look buff in their seventh decade as Hollywood he-men?

‘I can’t imagine anything worse! I doubt I’ll be doing it then,’ says Jackman. So Wolverine’s days are numbered? Not just yet.

‘I shouldn’t gripe so much about what I have to do to become Wolverine,’ he admits.


‘One thing that is good about having the body I have,’ he says, standing up to emphasise the point, ‘is it makes you more physically imposing. People back away when you’re in a crowd and give you more space.’


Isn’t there a paradox with all the comic-book franchises? You’re buff, but the kids who watch the movies and play the video games might be sofa-bound blobs?


For a moment the pinch of flesh between Jackman’s eyebrows tightens and he looks a little cross – during our hour together, this is as far as he moves from his accomplished performance as Mr Nice.

‘I think kids follow the example of their parents. I can’t take responsibility for kids who love X-Men not taking exercise.’


'I'm never happier than when on stage singing to thousands of people,' said Hugh (pictured with Sarah Jessica Parker at the Tony awards)

He tells me he’s strict with his two: Oscar, 12, and Ava, seven.

‘I don’t let them watch TV in the week or play video games. I try to get them out and do active stuff with them. The last thing I want them to do is sit indoors looking at screens.’


Jackman’s love of musicals began at ten, when he saw a high school show of Man Of La Mancha.

‘My dad had the record and I played it to death.’


Later he played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady – though he was scarcely out of short trousers and Rex Harrison was 56 when he defined the role in the 1964 movie.

Now 44, Jackman is ready to play Higgins once more.

‘Someone came to me about playing the part recently. The one problem you have is that there is something pretty creepy about Henry Higgins. I mean, a 44-year-old bachelor grooming a young woman? Weird, very weird. Mind you, I would still love to play him.’


After seeing Jackman host the 2009 Oscars, you’d think him capable of any role. He sang, danced, did topical satire. Better yet, he told self-deprecatory gags.


He joked to the Oscar-night audience that after the flop of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, he was making a new film better suited to recessionary times: New Zealand.


It’s good you could joke about Australia (in which Jackman played a butch drover opposite Nicole Kidman’s stuck-up English lady), but what do you think went wrong with the picture?


‘Dunno. Was it a failure?’ he asks glumly, that knot of flesh above his nose tightening again.



Hugh has two adopted children with actress Deborra-Lee Furness

‘I’m really proud of it, an epic about my homeland. Fantastic! I loved working with Baz. I guess somehow it didn’t catch fire at the box office.’


Australia remains, so far, Jackman’s one box-office flop (although CBS TV cancelled his musical drama-comedy series Viva Laughlin after two episodes).


That said, at the Oscars, he sang jokingly about the failure of the X-Men franchise to win Oscars.

‘How come comic-book movies never get nominated?’ he demanded.

‘How can a billion dollars be unsophisticated? Everyone went to see The Dark Knight. What is it I’m doing that’s not right?’


Any answers? ‘There’s snobbery, but know what? I don’t get too concerned.’

And there are pay-offs – not least the adoration of his son Oscar.


‘He’s nearly 13 and thinks it’s cool I play Wolverine. And his friends think he’s cool because his dad is Wolverine. He seems to think he can use me being Wolverine into getting dates.’


Can you blame him for that?

‘Of course not, but that makes me his wing man. But I suppose if it helps him get girls, then fine.’

Jackman has two adopted children with Deborra-Lee Furness, the actress he met on his first professional acting job, Australian TV show Correlli.

Nearly two decades on, this jack of all acting trades seems to enjoy his work – whatever he’s in.


And he gives me an insight into family life.

‘A few months ago we were on someone’s boat in the dock at New York. Really posh number.

'My daughter Ava said, ‘‘I would love a boat like this.’’ Oscar said, “I’d hate it. It might get damaged or stolen. Imagine how much it would cost to run.”

‘Such different characters. I think Oscar just wants to be normal, to keep his head down. That’s why he doesn’t want to be an actor like me. I can’t blame him – it’s too exposing.’


But you love the exposure, don’t you? ‘I do! I’m never happier than when on stage singing to thousands of people.’

For now though, it’s all about Wolverine. So what super-skill would he like? Immortality? Razor claws?

‘I’d like to be able to teleport. That would be so cool. Then I could get home to New York and be seeing my family in a split second.’


Family man Hugh Jackman... a very different beast from the sociopathic mutant that he has spent so much of his life playing.

‘The Wolverine’ is released on July 25

>>>Later he played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady – though he was scarcely out of short trousers and Rex Harrison was 56 when he defined the role in the 1964 movie.

Now 44, Jackman is ready to play Higgins once more.

‘Someone came to me about playing the part recently. The one problem you have is that there is something pretty creepy about Henry Higgins. I mean, a 44-year-old bachelor grooming a young woman? Weird, very weird. Mind you, I would still love to play him.’<<<


Aha - this must be one of the "interesting offers" ...I wonder if this is for a movie remake or a stage revival??


Re Man of La Mancha -- now I can proudly share with him the love for the musical. I saw the very first original staging, with Richard Kiley and it struck me so hard with the story and the performances! I saw it again with B Stokes Mitchell ( excellent voice but not as impressive acting as Kiley) in its Broadway revival. I still have the CD which I play occasionally. I wonder if Hugh ever sang THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM, although I would love to hear him sing DULCINEA, too. Man of La Mancha is one of my top favorites!


Jo

[alma]

Jul 12, 2013 22:58:53 GMT -5 natalieavery said:

Not sure if you've seen this yet.

vimeo.com/70068836

Whoa, Natalie!

I hadn't seen this one; thanks for sharing. Quite a photo montage; all that Wolverine rage. Sexy photos... :o

Alma

[jo]

The media person/film site critic who couldn't share his exact review of the screening because of the embargo found an indirect way to substantiate his feeling of excitement on why he thinks THE WOLVERINE could be the "best superhero movie in years" --

www.gotham-news.com/news/2013/07/12/the-wolverine-director-cast

8 Things THE WOLVERINE Director & Cast Want You to Know About the Movie


By Pietro Filipponi
Published: July 13, 2013 - 3:22pm


Directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) and featuring Hugh Jackman reprising the popular character on film for the sixth time, The Wolverine takes the feral mutant's story overseas in an adaptation of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's popular comic book arc.

Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world, he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.

The Wolverine director James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and Famke Janssen attended a press conference yesterday in New York to discuss the highly anticipated film. Here are a few of their words about the project that highlight some of its most noteworthy aspects:


This is a very different Wolverine than you're used to


Hugh Jackman: "Bryan Singer had this mandate that noone could read comic books on the set because when he was creating the first X-Men he wanted to be very human and three dimensional and he was worried that the actors would come on set with an over the top performance and that their perception of comic books was two dimensional, even though X-Men as you know is not. But we were handing them around and I remember being handed this comic book, it was like contraband we were hiding them around, and I said to the producer Lauren Shuler Donner -- those who know the series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller know that it involves all the X-Men -- so I said this would make a great X-Men movie. And actually as it progressed he idea of making it to ultimate movie for Wolverine grew in my mind and she agreed with me. This idea of taking him to a place that's completely foreign and making him completely unhinged, not knowing who anybody is is a great way [to go], because he's a natural outsider. I think the customs and the atmosphere, the history, the samurai code -- the honor and obeying -- is the opposite of Wolverine and is the perfect place to put that character."


It's less like a blockbuster actioner and more like a Western

James Mangold: "I really think a lot of genre art is different [from] what people think they are. I'm kind of the guy who likes record shops where all the records are on one stack. I never go 'Why is Ray Charles in Country/Western and why is this album Rock and Roll' ..it's almost like *you* guys need to put records in boxes so it makes it easy to talk about and then we all follow. The reality is the Western and samurai film are incredibly similar, and there's been a huge amount of dialogue between those films over the years. For me, what Hugh was touching on was trying to get inside all the characters in this movie which means you need space. You need space from other mutants. You can't make a movie that gets inside characters when you have twelve mutants and two hours, each character gets eight minutes. You also need a movie that has openings for people to expose what's inside them. The Western is a beautiful example of a format that's both action and character [driven]."

Hugh Jackman: "Jim [Mangold] said to me in the first phone conversation we had, when I rang him about it and he read the script, tonally I'm thinking The Outlaw Josey Wales. I said I hadn't seen and he sent it me immediately. But that was the time.. immediately I knew we would create something different, and setting it in Japan obviously makes it different. "


Jean Grey returns to help Logan battle his demons

Famke Janssen: "X-Men: The Last Stand ended on a very high emotional note, but the audience didn't really have the time to really process what happened which is that The Wolverine kills Pheonix/Jean Grey and that's something people were left with. The fact that Jim and Hugh took on this part [for my character], even though it's a very small through-line for this film, it's such an important part of the series, and what happens with the journey Logan goes through after that. The guilt that he lives with, the reconciliation he has to do with his past, and the fact that somehow this Jean Grey character that comes in -- in trying to either guide him or challenge him or find a way to help him through his part of his past -- I think that is a really beautiful way [Jim and Hugh] incorporated it into the story."


The women are a focal point of the story

Hugh Jackman: "We wanted to make this stand alone. We didn't want it to feel like any other Wolverine movies or any other comic book movies. We wanted it to be in service of the character. We never worried about ratings we just thought 'lets bring this character to life.' And one of the things of the comic books, as some of you will know, is the thing [he's got] with women. It's sort of his Achilles Heel. In this movie we have a predominance of women. Having Famke Janssen back and she plays such a key role in this, it's fantastic. In such a short time we were able to explore their relationship more than ever. And I just want to point out that these two [Tao Okamoto playing Mariko, Rila Fukushima playing Yuriko], it's a very daunting film to be in your first film, but when your first film is as big as this there's a lot of pressure. I'm so proud of what both of these women achieved... I think both of them have done such an unbelievable job."


Don't be surprised if your girlfriend likes it too (and not just for shirtless Hugh Jackman)

Famke Janssen: "I've never really been able to watch these films without any kind of preconceived notions, because I was a part of [production from beginning to end], but this one because I was only there less than a week I didn't really know what was going on.. I saw the film the film as a true audience member and I think what's so absolutely remarkable about it is I think women are going to respond to this film more than any other of the X-Men films so far because it has love story, it has real emotional depth."


Simplicity is key, especially with action scenes

James Mangold: "[The train sequence] is made up of hundreds of pieces. There's a lot of pieces in that sequence and it requires two types of planning. One of the things that could happen when planning an action sequence for a film, especially when you have resources, is that you can do anything. And the trick when you can do anything is that there's a huge temptation for the filmmaker to start flying the camera through the window of the train and up through the accordion and out the window and up the drainpipe.. and my kind of overriding goal with the actors and the camera and how I was directing the film is to try to make the film feel more real and therefore don't make shots you couldn't make. Don't make shots that [just because] the technology now allows you to. Because you can literally do anything. It almost puts the filmmaker in an odd position because suddenly you can create any frame of any shot. It's almost too many choices. Why does the chase scene in The French Connection with Popeye Doyle in Queens look so good? Because it was a handheld camera running down under the overpass and it was real... I'm in the habit of saying no. Meaning, I'm in the habit of saying give me shot as if I were doing it all absolutely 100% real."


The movie respects its setting

Hiroyuki Sanada: As a Japanese born actor, I would like to say thank you to Jim, Hugh, the crew and cast because a lot of the movie is located in Japan. Sometimes [there are] a lot of misunderstandings of our culture, but they respected our culture and researched a lot. So when I saw the movie I was so happy because this movie had a great balance, a nice mixture of East and West, and tradition and modernism. I think Japanese audiences will be happy watching it. It has very ,super modern Japan with nostalgia.. like a taste of old classic Japanese movies.


The action isn't outrageous, it's brutal and intense

James Mangold: "What I was really into in seeing in the film was sweat, blood, eyes. Grounded action. We're not at the budget level of some of the other summer movies and I didn't want to compete on an epic scale I wanted to compete on the intensity scale. What that meant for me is that Wolverine isn't Spider-Man, he isn't Superman. He can't jump up and grab a 747, he can't fly up into the atmosphere... he has claws and he has a skeleton and he's bitter and grumpy and he kills. And that's it. So what that allows you to do is to.. I thought much more in line with Dirty Harry films or Popeye Doyle films, characters who captivated us but whose feet are firmly on the ground."

[natalieavery]

Jul 13, 2013 18:37:14 GMT -5 alma said:

Jul 12, 2013 22:58:53 GMT -5 natalieavery said:

Not sure if you've seen this yet.

vimeo.com/70068836

Whoa, Natalie!

I hadn't seen this one; thanks for sharing. Quite a photo montage; all that Wolverine rage. Sexy photos... :o

Alma

So glad you enjoyed it!

[jo]

Hugh is criss-crossing the planet for THE WOLVERINE publicity -- this photo was supposed to have been taken in South Korea, where he is now on a publicity stop.

[jo]

HughJackManiaHughJackMania Club 1h

@realhughjackman #HughJackman in airport in Korea this night to promote #TheWolverine pic.twitter.com/aBFuPxSj3v

[jo]

Another one of the "beautiful people" in the movie, Svetlana Khodchenkova playing Viper, in this funeral scene --




I wonder why she missed the Mandarin Hotel/NYC press conference?


Hope she is able to join some parts of the press junket/premieres.


Jo

[jo]

Interesting anecdote while filming in a foreign land giggle

Although sometimes WENN reports can draw skepticism as to their veracity

www.contactmusic.com/story/hugh-jackman-failed-to-cover-up-at-mount-fuji-sacred-spa_3761643

Hugh Jackman - Hugh Jackman Failed To Cover Up At Mount Fuji Sacred Spa
by WENN | 14 July 2013


Hugh Jackman upset locals at a sacred onsen in Japan during a break in filming The Wolverine by failing to cover up his manhood.

The X-Men star let it all hang out during his time at the hot springs and it took him the best part of an hour to realise the hand towel he had been given at the entrance was to cover his privates.

Jackman tells Wenn, "The place is separated male and female and they hand you a towel, a small washcloth and there are eight different types of tubs with heats of different temperatures.

"I'm getting so hot and I'm using the towel they gave me to dip into the cold water and put it on my head and I was getting very strange looks from everybody. This was at the base of Mount Fuji and I was the only white person there. I thought, 'Maybe this isn't cool and I'm not allowed to be there'.

"I was feeling uncomfortable and finally this guy in the tub grunts and points to my head and then grunts and points to my private parts. Finally I realised the towel was meant to be covering my privates and I'd spent about an hour just waltzing around this place with this thing in one hand and a beer in my other hand!"

Jackman reveals Mount Fuji became a major part of his time in Japan - he climbed the peak with his son Oscar.

[alma]

Jul 13, 2013 15:02:26 GMT -5 jo said:

The gallery for the Mens Health photoshoot ( 70 photos in all )

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.556202877752441.1073741840.176256179080448&type=1


Jo

Thanks, Jo!

I was wondering how I could pause it at each shot to be able to admire them leisurely...

Alma

[njr]

Jul 13, 2013 23:04:29 GMT -5 natalieavery said:

Jul 13, 2013 18:37:14 GMT -5 alma said:

Whoa, Natalie!

I hadn't seen this one; thanks for sharing. Quite a photo montage; all that Wolverine rage. Sexy photos... :o

Alma

So glad you enjoyed it!

Natalie,
Loved the pics and also love your avatar photo!

Nancy

[njr]

Jul 14, 2013 9:40:47 GMT -5 jo said:

Interesting anecdote while filming in a foreign land giggle

Although sometimes WENN reports can draw skepticism as to their veracity

www.contactmusic.com/story/hugh-jackman-failed-to-cover-up-at-mount-fuji-sacred-spa_3761643

Hugh Jackman - Hugh Jackman Failed To Cover Up At Mount Fuji Sacred Spa
by WENN | 14 July 2013


Hugh Jackman upset locals at a sacred onsen in Japan during a break in filming The Wolverine by failing to cover up his manhood.

The X-Men star let it all hang out during his time at the hot springs and it took him the best part of an hour to realise the hand towel he had been given at the entrance was to cover his privates.

Jackman tells Wenn, "The place is separated male and female and they hand you a towel, a small washcloth and there are eight different types of tubs with heats of different temperatures.

"I'm getting so hot and I'm using the towel they gave me to dip into the cold water and put it on my head and I was getting very strange looks from everybody. This was at the base of Mount Fuji and I was the only white person there. I thought, 'Maybe this isn't cool and I'm not allowed to be there'.

"I was feeling uncomfortable and finally this guy in the tub grunts and points to my head and then grunts and points to my private parts. Finally I realised the towel was meant to be covering my privates and I'd spent about an hour just waltzing around this place with this thing in one hand and a beer in my other hand!"

Jackman reveals Mount Fuji became a major part of his time in Japan - he climbed the peak with his son Oscar.

O...M...G!!!!! That is so funny! 8-)

Nancy

[jo]

20thCFoxID20th Century Fox ID 27m

.@realhughjackman prepares for his press day for #TheWolverine in Korea pic.twitter.com/TVt8TSqz6p

[jo]

Sunrise‏@sunriseon73h
How awesome is @realhughjackman! See @melissadoyle's full EXTENDED interview HERE: au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/factsheets/article/-/17998328/?cmp=twitter … pic.twitter.com/vMyLMSrHNd

Boo-hoo -- I can't get to view it. My computer crashed and it has been reformatted but I seem to have occasional issues with FlashPlayer

Can someone re-upload it -- maybe I can view it that way? I have been waiting for this interview since the sneak peek. Thanks in advance!


Jo

[mamaleh]

Jul 14, 2013 16:04:26 GMT -5 njr said:

Jul 14, 2013 9:40:47 GMT -5 jo said:

Interesting anecdote while filming in a foreign land giggle

Although sometimes WENN reports can draw skepticism as to their veracity

www.contactmusic.com/story/hugh-jackman-failed-to-cover-up-at-mount-fuji-sacred-spa_3761643

O...M...G!!!!! That is so funny! 8-)

Nancy

To check the veracity of the report, I recommend a thorough review of the security camera footage. I predict no shortage of volunteers.

Ellen

[jo]

Public appearance in Korea --

[jo]

I wonder if he was not joined by American-Korean actor Will Yun Lee (who plays the Silver Samurai) for this press appearance. I remember that he was joined by another Korean actor Daniel Henney when he promoted ORIGINS.

Btw, Les Miserables was a big hit in South Korea!

Jo

[jo]

Lauren Sanchez tweeted that she flew red-eye with hubby ( Patrick Whitesell, Hugh's longtime agent) for the London premiere of THE WOLVERINE ( which is scheduled for July 16)

laurensanchez.com/red-eye-w-hubby-to-london-for-the-premier-of-wolverine-w-hughjackman/


I wonder if there are also talks that PW might want to do with London-based producers for possible Jackman projects ( like My Fair Lady )?? He could have very well just attended the Hollywood premiere of THE WOLVERINE ( I think that one is due on July 22 or so?)


Jo

[JH4HJ]

...up close and personal with Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman in New York

Fave line: After 4 movies in a row, Deb has him "grounded" for the rest of the year. Smart woman. 

[alma]

Jul 14, 2013 21:00:08 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

Jul 14, 2013 16:04:26 GMT -5 njr said:

O...M...G!!!!! That is so funny! 8-)

Nancy

To check the veracity of the report, I recommend a thorough review of the security camera footage. I predict no shortage of volunteers.

Ellen

As always, Ellen, you hit the nail right on the head. 8-)

Alma