The Wolverine 2

[jo]

Still untitled, but work or conceptualization is already underway for the next Wolverine movie --

www.mstarz.com/articles/22178/20131123/hugh-jackman-james-mangold-wolverine-sequel-will-based-existing-marvel.htm

Hugh Jackman & James Mangold say 'The Wolverine' sequel will be based on existing Marvel comic book plotline

BY Jon Niles , Mstarz reporter | Nov 23, 2013 04:42 PM EST


Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold are reuniting for the sequel to this year's blockbuster movie The Wolverine. The two haven't revealed too much about the new project besides saying they have some "really cool ideas" for it, but now a new interview with the director has given us at least a small hint at the plot details.

When asked if the sequel would be based on a comic book series arc, Mangold couldn't help but go into some detail of the movie.

"Absolutely," Mangold said. "I can tell you that in determining where we are going I'm not solely relying on my own imagination but also the imaginations that have spun great stories about Wolverine in the comics."

He added: "I honestly have sketches and ideas, but there are many alternatives and that certainly is indeed a window that exists."

So the director didn't reveal too much detail, but at least we know that his inspiration is coming from the source material and not a made up story. This will likely please fans of the popular Marvel comic character.

We do know that Wolverine has left Japan according to the conclusion of The Wolverine, but the bonus scene at the end of the credits was a tie-in to X-Men: Days of Future Past. This just means that we have no real hints as to wear Logan will end up. We'll have to see what happens in this new X-Men film first, it seems.

What kind of story would you like to see in the sequel to The Wolverine?

[carouselkathy]

Here's a link that Mr. Mangold should take a look at. It's an apocalyptic fan fiction about Logan and Rogue. Changes would have to be made, but the basic storyline is very interesting. Maybe it could be combined in some way with some of the comic book story lines. The chemistry between Logan and Rogue that started in the truck scene in the first X-Men film was dropped in favor of the Logan/Jean story. I was always sorry about that. Anyway, if you want to check out this fan fic, it's called NORTHERN TERRITORIES.

www.wolverineandrogue.com/fic/dbfiction.php?fiction_id=2083&&novelpart=y&&pro=y&&part=1

[njr]

Nov 23, 2013 18:44:33 GMT -5 carouselkathy said:

Here's a link that Mr. Mangold should take a look at. It's an apocalyptic fan fiction about Logan and Rogue. Changes would have to be made, but the basic storyline is very interesting. Maybe it could be combined in some way with some of the comic book story lines. The chemistry between Logan and Rogue that started in the truck scene in the first X-Men film was dropped in favor of the Logan/Jean story. I was always sorry about that. Anyway, if you want to check out this fan fic, it's called NORTHERN TERRITORIES.

www.wolverineandrogue.com/fic/dbfiction.php?fiction_id=2083&&novelpart=y&&pro=y&&part=1

Ahh, JJBlazer! She writes great Wolverine fanfic! I read that story about 10 years ago!!

Nancy

[jo]

A lot of film sites are making a big deal of a recent interview of Hugh ( Vanity Fair) where he was quoted as saying the next solo Wolverine movie is not a done deal -- they're just talking about it, no firm concept, no script and he will reserve judgment on whether to take on the role depending on how good the script and vision are. Which he said before he accepted the second solo spinoff -- he reserves judgment until...

But practically all film sites picked up the story and announced in blazing headlines that the next Wolverine movie may not have its original "Wolverine" in it! LOL - they all think that the "hesitance" on Hugh's part is a headline grabber.

IGN instead writes about the various Wolverine comic-book stories that could be mined for the next spinoff.

www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/06/storylines-we-want-to-see-in-wolverine-3?page=2

Storylines We Want to See in Wolverine 3

The Japan saga was just the beginning.


by Jesse Schedeen

December 6, 2013



It should come as no surprise that there's talk of a third solo Wolverine movie. Wolverine has been the centerpiece of Fox's X-Men franchise from the beginning. And with The Wolverine generally being much better received than its predecessor, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it's pretty much a guarantee that we'll be seeing another Wolverine solo movie after X-Men: Days of Future Past. Fox is currently moving forward on the project and is in talks with The Wolverine director James Mangold.

Unfortunately, today brought a bit of a snag with the news that Hugh Jackman may not be up for reprising his role. Hopefully he can still be persuaded to play Wolverine for an eighth time.

Mangold himself has expressed an interest in adapting more iconic Wolverine storylines now that his first movie covered the original Chris Claremont/Frank Miller mini-series. The question is - which Wolverine comics should Mangold and Fox tackle next? How can they build on the preceding seven X-Men films and their increasingly complicated continuity? We've got some ideas for where Wolverine's adventures can take him next.



Old Man Logan

There have been many stories depicting an older Wolverine continuing his struggles amid a new generation of Marvel heroes. The trend dates back to the Days of Future past storyline. And it just so happens that Days of Future Past the comic is inspiring Days of Future Past the movie. We can tell from the trailer that Wolverine will be sporting his silver wingtips from the comic, though why his body has suddenly started showing sides of aging is unclear.

Regardless, with Days of Future Past showing us a glimpse of an aged Wolverine, we'd like to see an entire movie devoted to the concept. And after DoFP, the most iconic "Old Wolverine" story is probably Old Man Logan. Writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven told a story of a grizzled Logan who has forsaken violence to become a farmer and start a family. But after falling into debt with the Hulk gang (a group of inbred, hillbilly monsters led by the original Hulk), Logan agrees to embark on a cross-country roadtrip with a blind Hawkeye to escort valuable cargo to the east coast. Along the way, they encounter a Venom-possessed Tyrannosaurus Rex, President Red Skull, and various other oddities. But beneath the bizarre sights is a tale of a man who can't ever seem to escape the tragedies of his life.

If Old Man Logan sounds similar to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, that's because it is. And the story would need some modifications to avoid becoming too similar in the transition to film. Also, many of the Marvel cameos would have to be removed, since Fox only has the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. But it would be fun to see the FF crew appear in the story, with The Thing or Human Torch taking the place of Hawkeye and Doctor Doom the place of Red Skull. The movie could help Fox build the shared universe they've been teasing, and it could give Hugh Jackman or another actor a chance to play a very different take on Wolverine.



Wolverine vs. Daken


As long as Wolverine has lived, and with as big a fondness he has for drinking and chasing impossible romances, he's fathered a few children over the years. Unfortunately, they tend to meet tragic fates just like their mothers. Wolverine's most significant offspring in the comics has been Daken, the half-Canadian, half-Japanese son he fathered with a woman named Itsu in the mid-20th Century. Because Itsu was murdered, and Wolverine believed his unborn son died with her, he never encountered Daken until the boy had grown into a bitter, vengeful, 60-year-old man. By that point, Daken was more interested in killing his father than bonding with him. He has all of his father's mutant abilities, as well as a pheromone-based power that allows him to charm and manipulate others.

That troubled relationship has been explored mainly in the pages of Daniel Way's Wolverine: Origins and Daken: Dark Wolverine and Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force. Daken was raised as an agent of Romulus, a shadowy mastermind whose origins date back to the Roman Empire. We're not entirely sure we want Romulus to be brought into Fox's movies, as he tends to unnecessarily complicate Wolverine's already dense mythology. But Daken himself seems ripe for adaptation.

There have been rumblings that an X-Force movie is one of the first projects being planned post-Days of Future Past. Given Fox's fondness for Wolverine in the past (he is the only character besides Xavier to appear in every single film), it stands to reason they'd opt for a Wolverine-led team inspired by Remender's Uncanny X-Force rather than a more classic team led by the cybernetic assassin Cable. So Daken could easily play a role in the movie just as he did in Uncanny X-Force. There, he led a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants team that included Sabretooth, Mystique, the Shadow King, and various others with personal grudges against X-Force. Wolverine's X-Force vs. Daken's Brotherhood could make for a very entertaining (and very violent) X-Men adventure.



Madripoor


Wolverine has a long history with Japan - a history that was finally explored in film with The Wolverine this past summer. But as much as he's associated with Japan, he's also spent quite a bit of time in the comics causing trouble in a place called Madripoor. This fictional island nation is basically Marvel's version of Singapore. It's a city crammed with gangsters, ninja, and supervillains. It's a wretched hive of scum and villainy, and it's the perfect place for Wolverine to cut loose and have some fun.

The Wolverine left some room for more standalone movies leading up to the events of Days of Future Past. All we really know is that Logan and Yukio spent two years wandering the globe before they finally parted ways and Logan was recruited by Xavier and Magneto in the post-credits sequence. That leaves plenty of room for at least one good Madripoor adventure in the interim. We could see Logan and Yuriko cross paths with the island's leader, Tyger Tiger, or the inter-dimensional law firm Landau, Luckman, & Lake. He could do battle with whatever Hydra-esque organization Viper was a part of. She could even cheat death and challenge the duo to a rematch. And because Daken was briefly the ruler of Madripoor, this concept could be another way of bringing him into the movie universe.

Madripoor would also allow Wolverine to try out his cover identity, the one-eyed bartender known as Patch. It might be fun to see a Wolverine movie where Logan has to rely on subterfuge and detective work to solve his problems in addition to slicing and stabbing.



Expanding Weapon X

X2: X-Men United offered viewers a glimpse of Wolverine's history with the Weapon X program and its director, Col. William Stryker. Unfortunately, X-Men Origins: Wolverine took all the lingering potential of that history and squandered it. We'd really like to see a Wolverine movie that can make better use of this element of the X-franchise.

One possibility is to bring Lady Deathstrike back into the mix and reflect the much more personal rivalry the two share in the comics. Deathstrike's father was a disgraced WWII pilot-turned-crime lord who developed the adamantium bonding process. Deathstrike sees men like Wolverine as thieves of her father's work. It might be nice to see Deathstrike treated as a full-fledged villain with depth rather than just a mute assassin with no backstory.

We'd also like to see Omega Red brought in as a major villain. This villain was experimented on by Soviet scientists, gaining enhanced strength, energy-draining tentacles, and a body coated in the nigh-unbreakable but toxic metal carbonadium. He's definitely a physical challenge for Wolverine. But much of the characters appeal comes from his history as a Soviet super-soldier and his ties to Wolverine's past as a member of Team X.

Finally, Grant Morrison's New X-Men series offers an example of how to expand the Weapon X mythology in a big way. That series established that Weapon X was just one offshoot of a much bigger program called Weapon Plus. The "X" is actually the Roman numeral, not the letter, making Wolverine the tenth successful product of Weapon Plus. Incidentally, Weapon I is Captain America, but we don't see the movie acknowledging that unless Fox suddenly decide to start playing nice with Marvel Studios.

Bringing Weapon Plus into the mix would allow for a new wave of characters like the sentient, body-possessing bacteria Sublime and the flamboyant mutant thief Fantomex. We'd love to see Wolverine and Fantomex battle their way through The World, the giant dome where Weapon Plus' scientists accelerate time and grow all manner of insane super-soldiers and biological weapons. The possibilities are practically endless.



Headmaster Wolverine

Wolverine's relationship with the X-Men has evolved quite a bit over the years, going from gruff, reluctant team player to figurehead of the entire team. The basic, current status quo for the X-Men comics was established in the mini-series Schism, where Wolverine and Cyclops had a falling out and parted ways to lead separate mutant schools. Since then, Wolverine has served as headmaster of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning (when he's not carrying out field missions, serving with the Avengers, or getting into his own personal shenanigans).

While this schism can't really play out in the movies (seeing as how Cyclops is dead and never was much of a focus in the early films), the franchise is in a perfect place to tackle an adaptation of Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men series. We have yet to see what state Xavier's school is in following X-Men: The Last Stand. Even with Xavier having cheated death, the school could probably use a new headmaster. The fact that Wolverine isn't the best candidate for the job is really the whole point of the Wolverine and the X-Men comic (and the animated series of the same name, for that matter). He's the only one that can do it, and so he tries.

This change of direction for Wolverine would explore vastly different sides of his character. We've seen him try to make peace with his troubled past and his bloodthirsty nature. As headmaster, his struggle becomes to give a younger generation of mutants a better life and ensure they aren't forced to become killers to survive like he did. At the same time, these students will become targets for Wolverine's many enemies. It's an ongoing struggle, and one he'll repeatedly fail at. But that's Wolverine for you.



The Brown Costume

Wolverine has worn some of the more outlandish costumes in superhero comics - all yellow spandex and tiger stripes and shoulder pads and spiky masks. It's not a look that translates very well to live-action, which is why few were surprised to see the X-Men movies opt for more functional black leather costumes over spandex. Still, many fans have wondered what Hugh Jackman might look like in a more traditional Wolverine costume.

The Wolverine almost answered that question. As you may have heard, a deleted scene included on the Blu-ray sees Logan accepting a gift in the form of a ceremonial costume modeled closely on his brown suit from the '80s-era X-Men comics. He didn't actually put it on, but it was a step forward.

At this point, our curiosity is piqued, and we want to see Jackman slice some bad guys while wearing this costume. Really, after seeing comic-accurate takes on characters like Spider-Man and Thor, is Wolverine's outfit that much of a leap?



The Jackman Factor

More than nay one specific storyline or villain, what we want most out of the third Wolverine movie is Jackman himself. As much as it can be annoying that Fox hinges the entire franchise so heavily on one character, it's not hard to understand why. Jackman embodies the role. He's got the look down, as well as the ferocity, but he also captures Logan's tortured nature in a way a lot of Hollywood action heroes just wouldn't be able to.

The franchise wouldn't be the same without Jackman. He allowed us to overlook a lot of the cornier elements and questionable casting choices in the first X-Men movie, and he's remained one of the best elements of the franchise ever since. Yes, he's getting older. We don't envy Jackman the amount of work he has to devote to constantly staying in Wolverine-worthy shape. Eventually he'll get to the point where he's simply too old to play an ageless mutant samurai, other than futuristic storylines like Old Man Logan. But while Jackman still looks the part, we really want to see him reprise the role at least one more time. Or a few more times.

Too true about the last observation! Hugh captures the action/superhero vibes together with the dramatic chops!

Ironic that another XMEN ( Apocalypse) movie was hinted at by a very recent Bryan Singer tweet! He even projects 2016 as a possible release date!

Jo

[jo]

SCOOP!


James Mangold replies on Twitter re query about the next Wolverine movie --

Røb ‏@r__E__D_R__U__M · Mar 14
@20centuryfox @shudonner @mang0ld Is the new #Wolverine film coming after #XMenApocalypse???

Mangold ‏@mang0ld · 18h
@r__E__D_R__U__M @20centuryfox @shudonner We are figuring it all out. At the moment, I'm shooting The next #Wolverine after #XmenApocalypse.

Is Hugh part of the project?? It is hard to believe that he is going to say NO to this one.


Jo

[jo]

An analysis by Screenrant on the probability of a sequel to The Wolverine ( or another story) happening --

screenrant.com/wolverin-2-shooting-after-x-men-apocalypse-2017/

James Mangold Says ‘Wolverine 3′ Will Shoot After ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

Published by Anthony Vieira


We all know that 2015 will be a fairly epic year for blockbusters, and the stakes are high for every studio and their superhero brands. While Fox will be unveiling their ambitious Fantastic Four reboot that summer, after this May’s release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, we won’t see the next installment of their X-Men franchise until 2016 in the form of X-Men: Apocalypse.

Fox is ramping up the marketing push for DoFP, with a slew of new images (along with some new plot details on Apocalypse) and a teasing countdown to the film’s second full-length trailer – not to mention speculation around yet another prominent character’s supposed contribution to the film.

Among DoFP‘s expansive slate of mutants – both familiar and new – the character of Logan, A.K.A. Wolverine, once again played by Hugh Jackman, is front and center, with near-future versions of Prof. Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) sending his consciousness back in time to prevent a mortal threat to all their brethren in the form of the mutant-hunting Sentinels.

This basic plot was teased as a mid-credits tag at the end of last year’s The Wolverine, the character’s second standalone spinoff film, directed by Walk the Line‘s James Mangold. This direct lead-in to Days of Future Past has left many fans wondering about the future of this character – Hugh Jackman has noted that recasting is “inevitable” - and whether any further standalone movies are in the cards.

According to Mangold, the answer is yes. Check out his response to a Twitter follower below:

Røb @r__E__D_R__U__M
@20centuryfox @shudonner @mang0ld Is the new #Wolverine film coming after #XMenApocalypse???

Mangold ✔ @mang0ld
Follow
@r__E__D_R__U__M @20centuryfox @shudonner We are figuring it all out. At the moment, I'm shooting The next #Wolverine after #XmenApocalypse.
3:01 AM - 16 Mar 2014

The first (adamantium) stab at a spinoff film, director Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is still largely detested by fans of the X-Men universe, with its over-cooked plot and stupefying approach to fan-favorite character Deadpool. Mangold’s sequel was a vast improvement – for the first two acts, anyway. The film has its flaws, but Jackman’s performance was not one of them – he remains as committed to his signature character as ever, making its box-office success a decent gauge that fans were open to another solo outing.


James Mangold has dropped enigmatic hints about a possible storyline for Wolverine 3 (or maybe it’ll be called The Wolverine 2), but many expected the fate of that project to hinge on the success of Days of Future Past, which, with its estimated production budget north of $200 million (not accounting for distribution and advertising costs), would have to either smash some box office records here in the U.S. or dominate globally to turn a profit.

Mangold’s tweet is by no means an official announcement, but the rough timeline presented may be a strong indication that Fox has a hell of a lot faith in DoFP‘s potential. This could mean that, really, the viability of a third solo Wolvie flick will depend on the reception of Apocalypse. The idea seems to be that DoFP‘s connection to Apocalypse will blow open the potential for alternate timelines and directly influence further spinoffs, such as the mooted X-Force movie, X-Men and Fantastic Four crossover and, logic suggests, Wolverine 3.

The plot details of Apocalypse are still murky at this point, but if everything goes according to plan, we could possibly see our third solo Wolverine movie in 2017.

Stay tuned for more on this as details emerge.

[jo]

BoxOffice.com is usually a reliable site --

twitter.com/BoxOffice

BoxOffice ‏@boxoffice · 43m
Fox has scheduled an UNTITLED WOLVERINE film for wide release on March 3, 2017.

Why that date -- March 3, 2017??

Will Hugh be involved??

On the other hand, BoxOfficeMojo does not show the scheduling on its 2017 chart --


www.boxofficemojo.com/schedule/?view=bydate&release=theatrical&yr=2016&p=.htm


We'll see how this develops.

Jo

[jo]

It's confirmed by THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fox-sets-dates-wolverine-fantastic-690143

Fox Sets Dates for 'Wolverine,' 'Fantastic Four' Sequels

8:40 PM PDT 3/20/2014 by Aaron Couch

.
The studio also announces a mystery Marvel film for 2018.

20th Century Fox is making it's Marvel properties a foundation of its upcoming slate and has announced a release date for a Fantastic Four movie before the first has even begun shooting.


The studio announced The Fantastic Four 2 will open July 14, 2017, while an untitled Wolverine film will open March 3, 2017. Fox has also slated an untitled Marvel film for July 13, 2018.

Fox owns the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, so the mystery 2018 Marvel film could draw from either of those. It's not unthinkable that the project might even be a crossover between the two.


James Mangold is returning to direct the sequel to The Wolverine, which earned more than $414 million globally last year. The Fantastic Four reboot recently solidified its cast, with Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Miles Teller taking on the roles of the superhero team. It's slated for a June 19, 2015, release.

Fox also announced a release date for Liam Neeson starrer Taken 3, slating it for Jan. 9, 2015. An unnamed Ridley Scott film is set for March 4, 2016.

Fox shifted the release dates for several projects. Matthew Vaughn's The Secret Service has been moved up from March 6, 2015, to October 24, 2014; an untitled Vince Vaughn film moved back from October 24 to March 6, 2015; and Frankenstein, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is moving from January 16, 2015, to October 2, 2015.

Borys Kit contributed to this story.

[jo]

HitFix gives an insight on the release date of the untitled Wolverine project --

www.hitfix.com/awards-campaign/new-wolverine-fantastic-four-2-and-taken-3-get-release-dates

New 'Wolverine,' 'Fantastic Four 2' and 'Taken 3' get release dates

Plus: 'Prometheus 2' and another 'X-Men'?

By Gregory Ellwood Friday, Mar 21, 2014 2:03 AM



If Hugh Jackman stars in a 3rd "Wolverine" he'll be 48 when it hits theaters.



There have been rumors that 20th Century Fox and director Josh Trank might not be on the same page for the studio's new "Fantastic Four" flick, but it's clear someone will be helming the reboot. "Fantastic Four" is scheduled for release on June 15, 2015. Tonight, Fox dated "Fantastic Four 2" for July 14, 2017. So, yes, it's happening.

More intriguingly, the studio also dated "Untitled Wolverine" for March 3, 2017. That would be the first superhero movie that Fox has released outside of the summer months since they dumped "Elektra" in January of 2005. The James Mangold directed sequel to "The Wolverine" will come less than 10 months after "X-Men: Apocalypse" arrives over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend.

And as for "X-Men" movies, the studio also dated "Untitled X-Men/Marvel" for July 13, 2018. Now, don't get too excited by the "Marvel" part. No one expects Fox and Marvel Studios to officially team up on anything anytime soon. Could it be a third "X-Men" film after "Days of Future Past" and "Apocalypse"? Sure. It could also be an X-Men/Fantastic Four team-up.

The Century City based studio also announced the inevitable "Taken 3" for Jan. 9, 2015 and "Untitled Ridley Scott" flick for March 4, 2016 ("Prometheus 2" possibly?).


A few of the studio's films already in production are moving around the schedule. "Frankenstein" with Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy is moving from Jan 16. to Oct. 2 2015. Matthew Vaughn's "The Secret Service" (think R-rated James Bond) is arriving this year on Oct. 24. It was originally slotted for March 6.

There are two very intriguing aspects to all these new Fox dates. First, and it's not a huge surprise, the studio is investing heavily in its Marvel properties as tentpoles for the next four years. If the films go into production there is no shot of Disney getting control of Marvel's mutants or first family anytime this decade.

Second, March is a hot, hot, month for distributors. It used to be that the third frame of the year was a nice window for an animated family flick or two. Now, the all-ages success of blockbusters such as "Alice in Wonderland," "Oz: The Great and Powerful," "The Hunger Games" and "21 Jump Street," among others, has made Hollywood consider it a tentpole garden. This year we've got "Divergent" (pacing for a $45-60 million opening) and "Noah" (looking at over $45 million). 2015 has Disney's live action "Cinderella," "Divergent" sequel "Insurgent" and the Will Ferrell meets Kevin Hart comedy "Get Hard." And now 2016 has - potentially - "Prometheus 2" and Universal's "Warcraft" adaptation. 2017 brings "Wolverine" to the table. So much for "Beware the Ides of March."

Of course, for years Hollywood has said that if you really have a true blockbuster you can open it any time of year. Audiences will come if it's worth their time. "Gravity" proved that last October and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" will win that argument in early April. As for these "new" Fox titles? That remains to be seen.

Jo

[jo]

Deadline.com confirms that Hugh will reprise the Wolverine role in the next solo outing and names new screenwriter --

www.deadline.com/2014/03/fox-sets-david-james-kelly-to-script-next-wolverine/

Fox Sets David James Kelly To Script Next ‘Wolverine’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday March 21, 2014 @ 5:33pm PDT

EXCLUSIVE: Fox has hired David James Kelly to script the next installment of The Wolverine, the X-Men franchise spinoff that James Mangold will direct with Hugh Jackman reprising his signature role. The studio is eyeing a March 3, 2017, release. Kelly also is next set to adapt the Dark Horse graphic novel Mind Mgmt for Scott Free Productions and the original pitch Sentinel for Appian Way and Fox. Kelly is repped by WME, LBI and Hansen, Jacobson.

Will this likely be Hugh's farewell portrayal to his iconic Wolverine role ?

Jo

[jo]

This is completely out-of-left-field speculations from me

It was in November of 2013 when James Mangold started talking about a possible sequel to The Wolverine...at the time, while he had discussions with Hugh about his ideas, Hugh had not confirmed that he would be in the possible forthcoming project. In the Empire feature on Days of Future Past, Hugh seemed to have expressed his vacillations -- that he would only be on board for the next solo Wolverine movie if the right script and everything else came along. Although we know that the Empire on-set interviews happened no later than August 2013, when DOFP wrapped in Montreal.

But in January 2013 or thereabouts, Hugh had announced that he was withdrawing from HOUDINI due to scheduling conflicts. We know that Houdini was plagued by delays in writing the book and composing the musical score and it had also wanted to do the traditional out-of-town tryouts and previews before it could open officially on Broadway. The producers further confirmed that Houdini will not make an appearance on Broadway until the 2015-2016 season.

I wonder -- if the next Wolverine solo movie is due for release in March 2017, had initial planning also indicated that it would have to start filming no later than a year before that ( first months of 2016) which would could coincide with the timing of Houdini ( presumably rehearsing, previewing, and  opening during late winter to spring, for TONY award purposes). Even if it is able to open in late fall 2015, that would still run smack into the potential filming schedule for what could be Hugh's farewell portrayal of his iconic Wolverine role.

So, maybe the "scheduling conflicts" mentioned as the reason for his withdrawal from HOUDINI could very well be the real or main reason for leaving the upcoming stage show ( other reasons could of course be the quality of the material he has seen so far, the ability of Schwartz to complete the score even with the delayed timetable, and the conflict with his busy schedule posed by the out-of-town tryouts).

LOL - am I overthinking this whole thing up


Jo

[jo]

Interesting but somewhat naïve Indiewire blog ( or trying to sound smart-alecky) on the project tentatively titled Wolverine 2 --

blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/fox-sets-daredevil-reboot-writer-to-write-the-next-wolverine-film-20140323

More and more, film studios are pulling a Babe Ruth: pointing at the upper deck and signaling where their would-be home run is going to fly once the bat connects (always assume the bat will connect of course). While it’s bold flag-staking, this approach is in many ways anti-development and horse before the cart. And of course, it’s all business driven. Instead of the old days: “lets develop a sequel and when it’s ready, plan a release around it,” the new game plan is: “ok, we’ve given ourselves two years, the clock is ticking go.”

One could argue this does combat the over-development by committee that happens in Hollywood and yes, all release dates can move, but one has to wonder what the negative affects are when you’ve planted a date in the crowd are and your would be blockbuster isn’t quite ready. This of course wouldn’t be the first time this has happened of course, and goes back more than 30 years. For example, the book “The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made,” documents the process of a “Star Trek” movies that was never made (by director Phil Kaufman) and how the dry and uneven “Star Trek: The Motion Pictures” was released at Christmas in 1979 even though then Paramount head Michael Eisner knew it was a “disaster” of a movie. It simply wasn’t ready to go, but by then shooting had been well-underway and the studio really had no choice.

One has to also worry about “Star Wars: Episode VII,” a movie that the director himself J.J. Abrams knew wasn’t ready, asked for a year extension into 2016 and was denied by Disney because their shareholders were told they would star seeing profits from the $4 billion dollar purchase of LucasFilm in 2015 (Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy have to now suck it up and be ready for December 2015 by hook or by crook).




This brings up to Fox’s upcoming gameplan. They’ve set a rash of 2016, 2017 and 2018 dates which include a new “Wolverine” movie, the would-be proper sequel to James Mangold’s “The Wolverine” (I guess everyone’s going to pretend “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” never happened which is probably for the best).

Dated for March 3, 2017, no script has been written and it’s unclear if Hugh Jackman – who has been hinting that he’s getting a little old for the role now – is even properly signed on for anymore sequels, but the project is moving forward regardless. They’ll cross those bridges, like a story, when they get there.

But while Fox has unveiled a half a dozen new future release dates, it appears they’re thinking seriously about “The Wolverine 2” as they’ve quickly hired a writer on the heels of their announcement (i.e., “date is set, get cracking kid.”) Deadline reports that David James Kelly has been hired to write the film. And you might know his name from “The Daredevil” film that never was (you can add it to the list of 20 Superhero Movies That Couldn't Fly All The Way To The Big Screen). No, don’t panic, not the Ben Affleck “Daredevil” from the early aughts, but the unproduced version that almost went forward with Joe Carnahan in the directors chair (it would likely be shooting or in post-production now had it gotten the green lit; instead, rights lapsed back to Marvel as Fox wasn’t happy with the planned movie as is).

And so, what should we expect? Well, if “The Wolverine” drew from the classic Chris Claremont mini-series where Logan went to Japan (and it must be said, in the end that movie is nothing like that terrific mini-series which has almost nothing to do with super heroes and everything to do with a man fighting ninjas, yakuzas and samurais all in the name of honor), then it’s currently unknown which classic comic they’ll rape and pillage (and hopefully not miss the mark this time). James Mangold says he’d like to return, but he’s currently not signed on for the film either (though apparently he and Jackman are in negotiations, despite the fact that the actor likes to say he's not coming back in every other interview). Right now it’s all in the “development stage” with exactly 24 months to go. Should be sufficient time, that is unless you hit a screenplay snag like “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” but have to plow through regardless.

Film-making by major studios is a big business run by corporations whose primary interest would be the business goals in an industry whose artistic vision defines the future of the business. Artistic goals go hand in hand as filmmaking is part of the visual arts, but there is a balance between throwing away the money by simply pointing out start- point and end- point, without defining the critical path and making the key artistic and financial decisions along the way. What Fox did was to engage in the activity of "corporate planning" ( defining the goals and the business path to get there) and announced these plans ( of course in terse bits, as is usually the case in press releases)! As every other big studio must also be doing!

I think the blog is somewhat naïve in thinking that Fox simply stated they want a Wolverine movie by March 2013 and we'll worry how we get there later on smiley-rolleyes010

*I think Mangold already has made an artistic proposition on the subject and probably worked out a rough budget estimate. He is a very experienced filmmaker and he works out pragmatic decisions together with his artistic vision. Hand in hand, XMEN longtime producer Lauren Shuler Donner must have also put together an initial operating and financial plan on how the film project is going to get accomplished.

*Hugh coming back as Wolverine was probably worked out when Mangold first made a business and cinematic proposition about the sequel. That was reported around November 2013. What was probably confusing some people were the many Hugh interviews where he was quoted that his return to future Wolverine roles is not always definitive. He was interviewed mostly around the time of the wrap of DOFP, along with all the set visit interviews -- that was around August 2013. Lauren Shuler Donner and the Fox people ( could even be Fox Film Chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos ( who also chaired Hugh's One Night Only concert last year) must have already solicited and obtained Hugh's agreement ( even if no contracts might have been signed).

*The screenwriter was hired maybe earlier than it was announced -- and given the past movies, Hugh must have participated in the decision to hire David James Kelly. Hugh has been particular about the quality of the writing. Maybe James Mangold who will likely supervise the writing itself ( as he himself does screenwriting) has already worked out with the new screenwriter what and how the script might look like, or maybe a first draft has already been submitted?


Jim Gianopulos must now be coming on his own as the Fox head who is establishing business goals firmly and with a strong degree of aggressiveness, a few years after co-head Tom Rothman was let go. JG  ( whose forte before he became responsible for the total business was film distribution) was known to have also recently reorganized the marketing group of Fox, which has been perceived as somewhat lagging in support activities. The film business must be changing fast and aggressively and he must be in step with the developments. The announcement of some of the Fox projects in the next few years ( as they pertain to superhero/action movies) is an indication of the longer-term planning that the company is undertaking.

I think it is somewhat naïve to say that Fox simply put out a wish-list and that it hopes they can materialize!  Film bloggers should develop some acumen about business if they wish to present a better thought-out analysis of current trends.

Jo

[jo]

www.flicksandbits.com/2014/04/30/hugh-jackman-talks-the-wolverine-3-if-i-did-another-one-im-99-9-sure-it-would-be-the-last/69520/

Hugh Jackman Talks ‘The Wolverine 3′: “If I Did Another One I’m 99.9% Sure It Would Be The Last”



During a recent chat with SFX for ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ Hugh Jackman opened up about the third Wolverine solo movie, which is currently in development and set for a March 3rd, 2017 release. Asked where he and writer-director James Mangold want to take Logan next in ‘The Wolverine 3,’ Jackman responded, “I don’t know yet. We’re talking it through. I still am very ambitious for the character. And tonally I feel like we corrected the ship with the last one. But I feel we can still go further, in a way. If I did another one I’m 99.9% sure it would be the last, so that will inform what it is for me.”

Asked if there are any classic Wolverine comicbook story lines that they’re eyeing for inspiration, the Oscar nominee replied, “Well, of course we’re looking at Old Man Logan, because that may be the only option left at this point! [laughs] We are looking at a lot of different storylines. No one has jumped out. You can tell from my answer that we’re still working it out. I’m working with Jim Mangold, which is exciting. Jim came on board The Wolverine after Darren [Aronofsky] left, so he inherited it. And of all the things that Jim can do, one of the great things he does is develop scripts. I’m excited to see what we can come up with, but I haven’t signed on signed on. I’m genuinely at that point where unless it’s better than the last one I’m not going to do it.”


SFX followed that answer up with this exchange, “SFX: What if it’s as good as the last one? Hugh Jackman: If the script is as good? Hm. I don’t know if that will get me across the line, man. I think it has to be better. I can still see where we can improve on the last one. I love the intimacy of that story, I liked the small stuff, I liked that it was a little unexpected. I don’t want to get into specifics, because it just upsets people, but there are certain parts of that story where I felt we were predictable. And I don’t think you need to do that with Wolverine. What’s exciting is that you can make it a more interior story, and people actually prefer that. And that was good to show and convince everyone – especially everyone who greenlights the movies!”...

These are the excerpts from the original interview. It seems the full interview is only found on the hard copy of SFX Magazine.

Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine 3 – But Will He Do It?


Nick Setchfield at 10:00am April 30 2014





SFX recently spoke to Hugh Jackman about his return to the role of Wolverine in X-Men: Days Of Future Past. We also took the chance to take the pulse of the third Wolverine solo movie, currently in development. As Jackman tells us, his involvement may not be the done deal that everyone assumes…

So where do you want to take Logan next in Wolverine 3?

I don’t know yet. We’re talking it through. I still am very ambitious for the character. And tonally I feel like we corrected the ship with the last one. But I feel we can still go further, in a way. If I did another one I’m 99.9% sure it would be the last, so that will inform what it is for me.

Would you take it back to Japan or would you move it beyond that story?

I’d probably move it to a different visual palette. I’m pretty sure that would move.

Are there any classic comic book storylines that you’d love to get stuck into?

Well, of course we’re looking at Old Man Logan, because that may be the only option left at this point! [laughs] We are looking at a lot of different storylines. No one has jumped out. You can tell from my answer that we’re still working it out. I’m working with Jim Mangold, which is exciting. Jim came on board The Wolverine after Darren [Aronofsky] left, so he inherited it. And of all the things that Jim can do, one of the great things he does is develop scripts. I’m excited to see what we can come up with, but I haven’t signed on signed on. I’m genuinely at that point where unless it’s better than the last one I’m not going to do it.

What if it’s as good as the last one?

If the script is as good? Hm. I don’t know if that will get me across the line, man. I think it has to be better. I can still see where we can improve on the last one. I love the intimacy of that story, I liked the small stuff, I liked that it was a little unexpected. I don’t want to get into specifics, because it just upsets people, but there are certain parts of that story where I felt we were predictable. And I don’t think you need to do that with Wolverine. What’s exciting is that you can make it a more interior story, and people actually prefer that. And that was good to show and convince everyone – especially everyone who greenlights the movies!

Nick Setchfield

Read the full interview with Hugh Jackman in SFX 248, on sale today

[jo]

It looks like there is already some definite direction that Hugh and James Mangold are now pursuing re the storyline for the next Wolverine solo movie.

www.latino-review.com/news/exclusive-hugh-jackman-on-the-next-wolverine-movie?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=twitter

Exclusive: Hugh Jackman on The Next 'Wolverine' Movie


May. 9.14 – by Kellvin Chavez

Just a little while ago Hugh Jackman had said that James Mangold and himself were still looking for the right story to tell in the next chapter of Wolverine. Jackman had always said that depending if they found the right story that would determine if he would come back to play Logan once more.

I was able to sit down with Hugh Jackman to chat about “X-Men: Days of Futures Past” and we pressed him for update on the next solo Wolverine movie and he has revealed that the story has been found. While he can’t reveal which storyline they are developing he is quite happy with the direction they are headed.

Click on the video below to see part of our exclusive interview. The entire video interview will be posted in the coming days.

[jo]

Is Hugh going to be in XMEN APOCALYPSE as well, presumably filmed back to back with the next Wolverine solo?

Speculations...

collider.com/wolverine-in-x-men-apocalypse-hugh-jackman/?_r=true


Could that be one of the reasons why THE RIVER was pushed forward or scheduled earlier in the coming theatre season?

[jo]

Hugh says he might have talked too prematurely about leaving the Wolverine role --

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/hugh-jackman-not-giving-up-wolverine_n_5315858.html

Hugh Jackman Says He's Not Ready To Give Up Wolverine Role Just Yet



AP | by LOUISE WATT
Posted: 05/13/2014 9:37 am EDT Updated: 19 minutes ago



BEIJING (AP) — Hugh Jackman said Tuesday he wasn't ready to give up playing the popular X-Men character Wolverine as he visited China to promote the franchise's latest movie, which includes local elements intended to appeal to the massive Chinese audience...



"X-Men: Days of Future Past," the seventh movie in the mutant superhero franchise that has grossed $2.3 billion worldwide, premiered in Beijing on Tuesday. The Australian actor, who has appeared in every X-Men movie over 14 years, said it may have been premature for him to have said the next one would be his last.

The latest film sees Jackman travel back to 1973 in a bid to change history and save humans and mutants from destruction. It has Chinese elements, including the casting of Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, highlighting how Hollywood studios are keen to attract audiences in the world's second-biggest movie market as box-office revenue growth flattens out at home.

Fan, who has a small role as the teleporting superhero Blink, said that the movie would gross more in China because of her participation. When the movie's action moves to the superheroes' last place of sanctuary, a remote monastery, the Chinese subtitles indicate it is: "China." However, Fan said at a news conference Tuesday that some of the columns looked "European."

Jackman said there was a change in Hollywood owing to China's growing might.

"The Chinese market in particular is just booming, so the larger the market becomes the more the stories are going to reflect what that market wants," he said in an interview. "I see collaboration in every way as a positive. At the end of the day audiences sniff out cynicism, they sniff out if something is just a marketing driven thing."...



"X-Men: Days of Future Past" will be released in China and the United States on May 23. It has an all-star cast, including Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry and Patrick Stewart. "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage, who plays a scientist wanting to destroy the mutants, was also in Beijing to promote the movie. The blockbuster franchise has grossed $2.3 billion worldwide.

While Jackman previously said that he was pretty sure he wouldn't act in any further X-Men movies after the next one, which is scheduled for release in 2017, he told the AP: "I think I might have overplayed my hand a little bit by saying I'm almost sure that the next one will be my last."

Interesting development --

*Maybe the top honchos at FOX ( Gianopulos and even the Murdochs) may have talked to him...to persuade him that there are many other challenges that can happen, given that the movie market is moving to the much larger international arena? Maybe the creative teams have convinced him that the new portal for storytelling opened up by DAYS OF FUTURE PAST needs more Wolverine involvement in the next sagas? Of course, Hugh being the face of the franchise, is important to FOX and maybe they promised him everything ( Who knows, maybe even financing a dream project like Carousel )

*Maybe Hugh was having some sort of "Quo Vadis?" moment, at a career crossroads, while having to cope with a personal health issue, and did not want to make any longterm commitment to a continuing franchise? Maybe he is considering exploring other career options and did not think being Wolverine for a few more movies would give him more professional challenge?

We'll see how this eventually plays out!


Jo

[jo]

Further clarification from Hugh on what he wants to do --

www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00070917.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Hugh Jackman Clarifies His Wolverine Retirement Plan



May 14, 2014 06:00:52 GMT
When he finally decides to leave the 'X-Men' franchise, Jackman wants his mutant character to get rebooted rather than recast.


Despite his previous statement that he would not stick around for much longer as Wolverine in "X-Men" franchise, it seems that Hugh Jackman is not ready to hang up his adamantium claws just yet. "I think I might have overplayed my hand a little bit by saying I'm almost sure that the next one will be my last," he admitted to The Associated Press during a visit to China for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" promo tour.

"Right now I don't [want to let it go], and as long as it keeps going this direction I probably won't (smiles)," he told Collider in a separate press junket. "But I've made that promise to you, it's not something I will stick around at and stay at if I feel it's dropping off or if I don't feel that urge to go and do it, because I know there's 10 million actors out there who would kill themselves to play the part. They should, it's a great part."

"I'm enjoying this more than ever, and you and I have talked about this a lot, I think the scripts from what Jim [Mangold] pulled off with 'The Wolverine' to what Simon Kinberg and Bryan [Singer] have pulled off with [Days of Future Past], the scripts are getting better and better. For me there has to be something new and some new direction, I suppose, for the character to go; not only for me, but for the audiences. And I feel that that's been happening."

And when he finally leaves, he would like to follow Jerry Seinfeld's footsteps. "I was always really inspired by Jerry Seinfeld, how he left that show at its height on his own terms," he explained. "I think that's a really smart way to do it. It'd be great to leave people wanting more, rather than the other way around. It'd also be great to make the decision rather than getting that phone call, 'Now listen Hugh, I know you thought you were going to [keep going], and thank you so much for all you've done, but...' I think it would be much better to be making that decision together."

When the day comes for him to depart, he would love to see Wolverine getting rebooted rather than just recasting a new actor to inherit the role. "I just presume, in a way, that if it happens they will reboot. I don't know why I thought that. I think you could replace him because he's older, but it would be interesting - because I was 30 when I got the role, it'd be interesting to follow that character from 20, or even 18, because we haven't seen it. So that's just what I assumed it would be."

Jackman is expected to reprise his role as the clawed mutant in "X-Men: Apocalypse" which is slated for May 27, 2016. He will next return for "The Wolverine 3". Both movies are likely to get filmed back to back, but nothing has officially been set in stone.

My gut feel is that he has already made up his mind about leaving after the third solo Wolverine movie. His participation in APOCALYPSE could have been a gracious concession to the producers, maybe to Brian, and maybe to the top brass at FOX, too? That is why they are offering to shoot it back to back to the Wolverine solo movie, to make it easier for him to handle new commitments to other professional challenges ( film or stage). I think he was just prevailed upon to make it sound as if he might still be around for the ride in the long term...but that he might have already privately told them about his final plans.

Whatever you think is best, Mr. Jackman!


Jo

[jo]

Only somewhat related as James Mangold is supposedly working on the next Wolverine solo movie ( due out in March 2017?) -- will James still be on board for the next Wolverine movie if he is in early talks to direct a Joe Namath biopic for FOX 2000?

collider.com/james-mangold-joe-namath-biopic/

Jo

[jo]

CinemaBlend has the same question re the rumored Joe Namath biopic ( I do remember Broadway Joe ) which is supposedly has James Mangold in talks to helm it for FOX 2000 --

www.cinemablend.com/new/Joe-Namath-Biopic-Coming-From-Wolverine-Director-James-Mangold-43228.html

The question is, when would Mangold actually have time to make a Joe Namath biopic? He's currently attached to an untitled Wolverine movie that's coming in 2017, but what is that movie even about in the wake of X-Men: Days Of Future Past? Even though Hugh Jackman has openly spoke about tackling the Old Man Logan story, Mangold might want to go in another direction. The Wolverine made $414 million worldwide, but if Mangold is looking at other properties, you wonder if Fox knows exactly what to do with the adamantium-clawed hero, particularly considering he might just show up in X-Men: Apocalypse.

I doubt that Hugh will have a big role in APOCALYPSE, unless FOX thinks he is the only who can really lead the cast. The talk about Old Man Logan was brought up by a reporter and Hugh was simply responding to it, and maybe just being gracious about it. What is interesting is that FOX made the official announcement of a release date for the next Wolverine solo...and Hugh and James were reportedly in discussion about the project...and the Namath biopic is said to be also a project of a Fox subsidiary. Hmmm.

Jo