LOGAN : Awards Nominations and Wins

[jo]

Mangold is the creative heart of that screenplay! Although, I do remember Hugh talking about how the idea of the basis for the storyline came to him after he has been thinking about it and which he recorded immediately...and obviously shared with Mangold. There were also some interesting insights on how changes were occurring while they were already filming ( including the finale - whether Logan should die or not! Even the intention of whether the finale lines from Logan ( "So this is how it feels.") were meant to convey that he was at peace now or that he finally knew how it was to be a father was a very interesting scene. Mangold said that the way Hugh acted it out left it to both interpretations -- excellent collaborative effort between screenwriter, director, and actor!

Also, not only did the character of Logan have interesting nuances ( his aging and dying self, his attitude as a potential father, his caring regard for his mentor, his nemesis who was also himself but representing the dark side of Wolverine, and the fighting Wolverine unleashed)... but care was also written for the characters of Prof X and that of Laura ( X-23). Very strong interactions among the three!

The western frame of the storyline enhanced the interest in the film very much, making it look more interesting than the typical superhero movie.

Hope the AMPAS follows suit and reward LOGAN for a number of things such as for Best Adapted Screenplay and including Best Picture contender and acting honors!


Jo

[jo]

According to Indie Wire, Logan’s landed itself a nomination for the Best Adapted Screenplay of the year, competing against films like Call Me By Your Name, Molly’s Game, The Disaster Artist and Mudbound. The film’s making the same mark as the studio’s R-Rated film Deadpool during the awards race last year.

Meanwhile, films like The Big Sick, Get out, I, Tonya, The Shape of Water and Lady Bird have all been nominated by the Writer’s Guild of America for original screenplays. The winners haven’t been announced just yet, but they’ll be announced on February 11.

Though the films nominated by the WGA have all received accolades, it’s a nice surprise seeing Logan up along with films like Call Me By Your Name despite being a blockbuster superhero movie.

[jo]

And from Hugh himself -- what LOGAN has meant to him and what James Mangold has done to fulfill a most important phase in his career!

http://instagram.com/p/BdirwjBjn1S

[jo]

[jo]

Pardon my bias, but --

Sometimes the movie press ( in this case, in an article written by a woman as suggested by the first name) can't help show its bias -- why say that it was Wonder Woman which accomplished more than LOGAN, when it is not about social justice issues during awards season. The rationale and only rationale should be the artistic excellence of a movie ( whether it is the storyline, the work of the creatives, and how the cast has portrayed their characters). A guild award is oftentimes the true arbiter of such correct choices! Not because a popular issue such as gender equality means more than filmmaking accomplishment.

www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/01/writers-guild-awards-nominations

Excerpts --

writers guild awards
Could Logan Be Awards Season’s Dark Horse?

The superhero movie just got a major boost in the form of a Writers Guild Award nomination.

by Yohana Desta
January 4, 2018 1:33 pm



For all their box-office dominance, superhero movies are hardly ever given much love when it comes to awards season. Still, there are a few rare outliers each year, and this year is no exception—thanks mostly to Wonder Woman. Now, though, another superhero movie has managed to sneak its way into the gilded conversation: Logan, the gritty Wolverine tale that impressed fans and critics alike last May. On Thursday, the film was nominated for a Writers Guild Award in the adapted-screenplay category, picking up a rare but earned accolade. The movie has also notched a few other nods, including recognition from the National Board of Review, which named it one of the top films of 2017.

The Writers Guild Award nominations were otherwise fairly predictable, as far as this particular season goes. The original-screenplay category was filled with familiar titles on this circuit, including Get Out, Lady Bird, and The Shape of Water. The adapted-screenplay category was also filled with circuit regulars, including front-runner Call Me by Your Name, Mudbound, and The Disaster Artist, James Franco’s charmingly insane ode to The Room.

However, a few titles were surprisingly missing altogether from the nominations. Phantom Thread, the latest prestige picture from Paul Thomas Anderson, didn’t make the cut, nor did Sean Baker’s warm and intimately human drama The Florida Project. Steven Spielberg’s The Post, starring up-and-comers Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, was also missing from the herd, despite the fact that its script, written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, has grabbed several headlines during the film’s journey to the big screen.

Still, that doesn’t mean the Oscars won’t eventually come calling for these films. The WGAs don’t always line up with the main event’s choices: Logan, for example, still has tight competition if it wants to take this race all the way to the Academy Awards. And it’s also still up against Wonder Woman, which was not only one of the top movies of 2017, but also captured the zeitgeist in a much timelier way—though that film’s Allan Heinberg-penned script did not get a WGA citation either.

For the record, LOGAN obtained the highest aggregated critics ratings on Rotten Tomatoes among superhero movies in 2017! Also, the writer did not do some fact-checking, saying LOGAN was released in May. LOGAN was not released during the summer season ( when superhero blockbusters show their wares) but on March 3, 2017 ( sometimes a difficult physical time of the year for releasing movies)


Jo

[jo]

A major film site specializing in superhero movies gives HUGH JACKMAN the best and most deserved chance to win an Oscar nomination for his work in LOGAN.

www.cbr.com/superhero-actors-of-2017-ranked/

1. HUGH JACKMAN AS LOGAN/WOLVERINE


In a year with great films and profound performances, it’s hard to choose the top spot, but this year we got Logan. It gave audiences the opportunity to enjoy a film that seemed bleak and frightening. The trick of the film was its sense of hope despite the odds against the protagonist. This gave Hugh Jackman a foundation for something a superhero film hasn’t had in a long time. This was an opportunity for an Oscar-worthy performance.
Wolverine is a character that Jackman has had two decades of portraying and it was mesmerizing to watch. Logan has always been a deeply flawed character that just couldn’t leave the past behind. Here, Jackman had the chance to really flex the acting chops he used in films like Prisoners and The Fountain, playing Logan as defeated, but with one last chance to save the world one more time.

The work of Patrick Stewart (6th) and Dafne Keen (5th) are also ranked among the top ten portrayals in comicbook film adaptations! I am surprised the work of this trio did not get an SAG nod for Best Ensemble! Instead the SAG gave it to the Stuntmen ( Best Stuntmen Ensemble) -- couldn't they recognize how strong and mesmerizing the performances of this acting trio?

[jo]

Don't bother with BAFTA -- nominations are very British and Specialty Cinema ( aka indies) borrowed from the GOLDEN GLOBES

Just kidding about not watching it


deadline.com/2018/01/bafta-film-awards-nominations-shape-of-water-blade-runner-three-billboards-full-list-1202239064/

No love for LOGAN or THE GREATEST SHOWMAN :

No love either for THE POST/Meryl/Hanks/Spielberg...

and James Franco

But Chalamet and Kaluuya are there ... er ...no comment



Plus the organizers say they will follow the lead of the GGlobes and tackle the issue of equality and social justice in the ceremonies, and with a lady host ( Joanna Lumley) instead of a male host ( for one, Stephen Fry has retired).

deadline.com/2018/01/bafta-looks-to-stamp-out-pernicious-working-practices-ahead-of-2018-event-1202239076/

BTW - the name Joanna Lumley rings a bell.

Standing Room Only is a 2003 film directed by Deborra-Lee Furness and starring Hugh Jackman, Michael Gambon and Joanna Lumley. It has been distributed as part of the compilation film Stories of Lost Souls.
Plot[edit]

The film begins with Larry, Michael Gambon's character, walking up to a theatre door on an empty wet side street in what appears to be the West End of London. He sits by the door, passing the time, but is soon joined by a younger man, Simon (William Ash), also interested in waiting by the door. It soon becomes apparent that the two men are very early patrons for a show by "The Man of a Thousand Faces". As both sit waiting for the time to slowly pass, their attention gets diverted by the stunning Maria, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. After much gawking at her beauty, the men decide to have a game of chess, during which Roger (Hugh Jackman) exits a taxi and starts to make his way to the group, as Granny (Andy Serkis) turns a corner heading the same way. Determined not to be left in the cold, Granny all but runs to the forming line, nearly stepping on her dog. Alas, Roger beats her. Dismayed at her defeat, she scares away the newly advancing woman, who would be the last one in line. Having scared away the Granny and her dog, and seen the show, the trio regroups by the stage door, and Simon lines the group for a picture, which one of the performers offers to take for them. After the smiles and laughing fade from the picture taking, the dog reappears and follows the cast member down the street, and the patrons put two and two together about Hunter Jackson, the 'Man of a Thousand Faces'.

Jo

[njr]

Joanna Lumley is better known for playing Patsy on Absolutely Fabulous. 😉

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Lumley

Nancy

[jo]

Argghhhhhhhh...

CriticsChoice for BEST ACTION MOVIE is WONDER WOMAN


deadline.com/2018/01/critics-choice-awards-2018-winners-list-live-blog-1202241352/

Too much of "ME,TOO"

[jo]

The USC ( University of Southern California) Scripter Awards has nominated LOGAN among its candidates foe Best Scriptwriting.

www.tracking-board.com/usc-scripter-award-nominees-include-mindhunter-and-two-comic-book-movies/

Jeff Sneider of TRACKING BOARD bats for Call Me, Logan, or Disaster Artist


The USC has been named the TOP FILM SCHOOL in 2017, a reputation it has had for sometime now.

www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/top-25-american-film-schools-2017-1029477/item/top-25-film-schools-chapman-university-1029525

[jo]

Congratulations to LOGAN for its Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay!


This, to me, is already a major recognition that LOGAN rose beyond the usual storytelling for action/superhero movies -- by presenting a storyline and character development that speaks well of its quality and filmmaking beauty in an award-community that seems to like only certain types of films! It is a departure from all the others -- and the company it keeps among nominees can attest to that! It was a harder journey to make to get that artistic recognition!

Btw, this is the first time that a comicbook movie has received a nomination for SCREENPLAY honors. Not even The Dark Knight reached that kind of honor!

Again, CONGRATULATIONS to the script-writing team (led by James Mangold) of LOGAN!

[jo]

This is the competition --

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

[jo]

Hugh is also very pleased --

[jo]

And the trade paper, film bloggers, and fans are delighted at the singular honor accorded a so-called comicbook hero movie! They think ( as we also do) that it is already the first step towards full recognition in the future.


www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/logan-oscar-nominations-film-nominated-best-screenplay-1077336


www.joe.co.uk/entertainment/logan-got-an-oscar-nomination-and-people-are-absolutely-delighted-158895

[jo]

There were only 9 nominations for BEST PICTURE.

Why couldn't LOGAN have been given the 10th slot

It deserves a place in that most important category! Its critics's ratings are superb, its audience support shines, and even the artistic community ( the Writers Guild nomination) recognized its value as an important movie for 2017!

The Oscars will always be political, sad to say! Some best picture nods are simply out of habit while some are nods to social justice issues. Sad when the artistic side is the less-recognized aspect of an art form like film-making!

[mamaleh]

LOGAN definitely deserved a Best Picture slot. Hugh served a Best Actor nod, too. His gut-wrenching performance is the heart of the movie and sets it apart from any superhero movie ever made. I saw PHANTOM THREAD. DDL is ok but the slyest perf in that film is by Lesley Manville, who deserves her nomination.

And if I can be politically incirrect here, why is a nomination virtually assured for Denzel Washington, no matter the film? Another impassioned lawyer movie—really? What does that add to the canon? I enjoyed GET OUT—but as satisfying as Kaluuya’s and the other performances are, they are not the shining feature of the movie; rather the very deserved nods for writing and directing this clever social satire and new take on a horror film. I can envision many good actors in Kaluuya’s role; not so the case with LOGAN.

These are just my opinions, of course and therefore subjective. But I do think AMPAS, in a laudable move to correct past wrongs, has overcorrected itself to the detriment of recognizing truly exceptional achievements.

Ellen

[carouselkathy]

I understand that nominations require a certain number of votes. For example, acting requires 203 votes. I'm sure Hugh came close. I'm still mad that Myrna Loy never got nominated. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES was her masterpiece, and no nomination.

[mamaleh]

Wow, I didn’t realize Myrna Loy was overlooked. Didn’t that movie receive seven Oscars? Seems like a deliberate snub not to include Loy, “the perfect wife,” among the nominees. Winner Olivia deHavilland must have had some strong political pull.

Ellen

[jo]

Film sites continue to write about how the LOGAN nomination for screenplay honors is a major step for artistic recognition of the genre --

screenrant.com/logan-oscar-nomination-hugh-jackman-reaction/

[jo]

James Mangold is interviewed by the LA Times --

www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-mn-oscar-reactions-logan-james-mangold-nomination-20180123-story.html

'Logan' director James Mangold surprised that Wolverine film got him his first Oscar nod for adapted screenplay

By Nardine Saad

Jan 23, 2018 | 11:50 AM


"Logan" director and screenwriter James Mangold has helped bring mainstream comic book films back to the Academy Awards.
The "Walk the Line" and "Girl, Interrupted" director earned his first Oscar nomination on Tuesday for adapted screenplay for co-writing the final Wolverine film. Mangold teamed up with Scott Frank and Michael Green to write the Hugh Jackman-starring vehicle based on the Marvel comic-book character.

In a chat on Tuesday morning with the Los Angeles Times, the filmmaker said he approached the gritty action flick the same way he did his other critically acclaimed films.

LAT: How are you feeling this morning? Where were you when you found out the news?

Mangold: I'm great. I was just stumbling around in the dark at home in Malibu when the news broke.
Live update: The 2018 Oscar nominations »


Comic-book movies rarely ever get nominated. Why do you think this film got the academy's attention?

First of all, I think that there are other filmmakers who have paved the way with their adaptations of comic books that may not have gotten recognition, but have kind of opened people's minds of the possibility of risk and creative invention in that genre.

On this film, we really focused on doing something different: a dramatic and character-driven film rather than trying to compete in the arms race of comic-book films… "I can spend more than you, I can blow up more than you." We wanted to make a film that operated on the character engine and emotion. I've been really gratified by the way fans have embraced the movie.



You've worked on several films that have made their way to the Oscars before — "Girl, Interrupted" and "Walk the Line," among them. Does it surprise that it was "Logan" that earned you your first Oscar nod?

Yes! But I'm thrilled. It speaks to the idea that people are opening up to all genres to look for creative invention and I'm thrilled that people saw it in the work that Scott Frank, Michael Green and I did.


Apparently, this is the first superhero movie to be nominated for adapted screenplay.

Other filmmakers have done really amazing work in the genre before. As a genre it takes a long time for people to accept where there can be real creativity and ambition. There was a time when the western was considered a low form or pulpy form, but people invested in it. I very much wanted us to — in the script and in conversation with the cast and crew — to see this film as a personal film. As a film about character more than a franchise or a tentpole.

And from another media outlet --

James Mangold, Scott Frank and Michael Green, “Logan,” Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“While ‘Logan’ was always going to be perceived as the last chapter in a successful ‘super hero’ franchise, and a final performance in this role by my brilliant friend Hugh Jackman, Scott Frank, Michael Green and I always viewed the task of writing it as, first and foremost, an opportunity to make a dramatic character piece, one that just so happened to feature beloved comic book characters. We are so grateful for the nomination.”

[jo]

James Mangold acknowledges Hugh's role in the artistic success of LOGAN --

His nod to Hugh's contribution in the film is very touching.

[jo]

And the trade paper VARIETY recognizes the signal honor that LOGAN has given to the genre --

Another milestone in the nominations was the adapted screenplay bid for “Logan”; James Mangold’s film became the first superhero movie ever nominated for writing. Mangold pushed for a hard-R version of Hugh Jackman’s beloved Wolverine in the character’s send-off picture. He spoke to that on another episode of “Playback” nearly a year ago.

“[Violence is] central to the entire story of this character,” Mangold said. “One thing has been essentially true about Logan through his comic book and movie history, which is that he is carrying a ton of shame on his back about dark deeds he did when he was younger, when he was a drug-pumped killer. In the metaphor to the western, he was a gunslinger. A lot of people were hurt and they weren’t all guilty. It wasn’t always the justified death. I think that’s something that has been played with throughout comic book history, but the idea for me of this character coming to terms with his life in a final film seemed necessary, to go deeper into his odd relationship with violence.”

[jo]

ESQUIRE recognized what the nomination for LOGAN for screenplay honors means --

www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a15855007/logan-oscar-nomination-best-adapted-screenplay/

Logan Just Had a Monumental Moment for Superhero Movies

Wolverine may have just saved the genre.

By Matt Miller
Jan 24, 2018


The Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay has gone to Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather (parts I and II), No Country For Old Men, and, last year, Moonlight. Now, for the first time, it could go to a superhero movie. This morning, Logan became the first film of the genre to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Even in the adjacent Best Original Screenplay category, the closest thing to a superhero film that's been nominated is Pixar's The Incredibles—which doesn't even exactly count, as it wasn't based on a pre-existing comic book property.


'Logan' Is the Superhero Movie We Deserve

This marks another groundbreaking moment for the superhero genre, where in recent years it has been elevated from popcorn summer blockbuster to award-caliber films. Logan, for its part, played out more like a simmering arthouse film, an apocalyptic thriller and the final chapter for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. It detailed the tragic conclusion for the hero as he escorted a young mutant to safety across the southern United States. Co-writers James Mangold (also the film’s director), Michael Green, and Scott Frank crafted human, complex characters rarely seen within a genre, with sharp dialogue and truly emotional moments. This wasn't simply an action film; it was a drama, a tragedy, a touching story above all else, all inspired by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's graphic novel Old Man Logan.

Certainly this isn't the first Oscar-nominated superhero film (and Heath Ledger won for his role of the Joker in The Dark Knight). This is, however, the first superhero film to be nominated for its writing—something that's never a focus on a genre that's considered more for its technical mastery (sound and visual effects) than its stories.

As I noted when Logan came out early last year, this film marked a new era in the genre—on in which audiences aren't afraid of complex heroes. It was a box-office success upon its release, even with a generally avoided R-rating. It also proved that studios were willing to take risks with the genre. In this case, it was a creatively ambitious superhero film that could have alienated audiences. Thankfully, the risk paid off, and even the Oscars are taking note.

This nomination—even though it won't likely be a win up against Call Me By Your Name—is a huge step for superhero films. What this means going forward is that studios may begin to put real effort into these stories. While the action sequences might be important, the plot and dialogue can shine as well. It means that studios will hopefully continue to take risks with these stories—and that the creative liberty superheroes have enjoyed for decades might finally translate to the big screen. Most importantly, studios will hopefully think twice before releasing a dull, formulaic story that's all CGI flash and no substance (ahem: Justice League, Batman v Superman, etc., etc.) And maybe that will be Wolverine's truly final heroic moment.

[jo]

Cinemablend speak strongly for a LOGAN Oscar win!

Why Logan Should Win The Oscar For Best Adapted Screenplay

By Mike Reyes
4 hours ago



When Logan was announced as a nominee for the Best Adapted Screenplay at this year's Academy Awards, I experienced a moment of jaw-dropping awe. Sure, the impressive work done by Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green on their collaborative script was a victory in and of itself, with the standard talk of the film becoming an outside contender for the Oscars following close to the film's release in theaters. However, to actually see a nomination come through for this amazing work of art was the cherry on top, and as far as I'm concerned, it should be the #1 pick out of the Best Adapted Screenplay field.

Logan's script is hugely successful, as noted by its Oscar nod, and its success starts with the fact that it gets its characters. The movie knows what type of film it wants to be, and is able to tie the overall universe of the X-Men films and their Wolverine spin-offs into a genre-bending flick that makes the story its own, as well. Logan doesn't need to distance itself from its comic book roots; rather it throws itself willingly into the arms of the comics. Not to mention, the brilliant mechanic of integrating the real life X-Men comic as a factor of the film's universe lends to a slightly meta examination of comic book stories in general. The comics, much like typical comic book movies, symbolize the over-the-top stories that we're used to in movies these days. While Logan's initial rejection of those stories as cotton candy fluff used to condition Laura into believing a kinder lie, the film ultimately vindicates those sort of films and stories as inspiration for us to be better people. The beaten, downtrodden Logan gets to be the Wolverine in the pages of those books by time the film ends, and he goes out in a fashion appropriate to his character.


As we touched on prior, with some clever tweaks, Logan could be a western noir in the vein of Taylor Sheridan. If you changed all of the characters into normal people, and reworked the mechanics just a smidge, this film would still work as a straight drama. Most comic book movies depend on the comic book universe to survive, but the really good ones could be reworked into more traditional narratives with the quickest of ease. We'd seen this before with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and now we see it again with Logan, as the story of a man who's trying to protect everything he stands for in a cruel, hard-scrabble world is only further enhanced when that man is Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

Perhaps the greatest victory for Logan's impressive adapted screenplay, and the one I feel should clinch this film's win in my eyes, is the fact that it's a gorgeous melding of those two previous factors. Either of those factors alone is a win for a film, but the fact is we're dealing with a film that not only dabbles in comic book and western noir storytelling, but does so without sacrificing its integrity. The redemption arc of Jackman's Logan, the tender decline of Stewart's Professor X, and Dafne Keen's stellar debut as Laura / X-23 all rock out as both comic book archetypes and noir protagonists.


In an ideal world, Logan could have run the table with more big ticket nominations. The fact that it's up for Best Adapted Screenplay in the same breath as Call Me By Your Name and The Disaster Artist is still a beautiful thing in and of itself. As far as I'm concerned, Logan should win the Adapted Screenplay category because it expanded the notion of what a comic book movie could be. The film also manages to work as a functional western noir picture, something we also saw to great effect with this year's Wind River, etc. It is a story that taps into some of the most emotional storytelling captured on film in 2017, and that is where the greatest victory for Logan lies.

Logan is a film that, in an established comic universe mold, would have been a nonstop spectacle with minimal heart. But the work of Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green turned into a big, beating four-chambered hit. I personally was left crying my eyes out, with my heart in my hands, as I said goodbye to The Wolverine, James Logan Howlett. To award this film the honor of Best Adapted Screenplay is to give the comic genre the message that it should expand its borders into more experimental storytelling. And, above all else, such a win would be the epitome of the category's intent, as this is truly the best, most intently detailed adaptation of the year when considering the source material.

[jo]

One of the most inane comments re the LOGAN screenplay nomination honors came from the GOLDDERBY ( supposed "Oscarlogists"), so I am not even going to post that *rolleyes*

But this analysis from THE WRAP is a good one --

www.thewrap.com/logan-james-mangold-oscar-first-logan-fears-most-wolverine/

“Logan” made Oscar history by becoming the first ever superhero movie to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay — and writer/director James Mangold says they key to its success was focusing on what Logan fears most.
It isn’t Sentinels, Sabretooth, or any of the legion of foes he’s dispatched over the decades.

“For us, ‘Logan’ was always going to be a dramatic character piece,” Mangold, who wrote the film with Scott Frank and Michael Green, told TheWrap. “The last chapter of Wolverine’s arc, to us, should be about what he fears most, and that’s not the end of the world or his life, but intimacy. So every step of the way, we wanted to put Logan in a situation where he’d be in the greatest jeopardy, which is being asked to be vulnerable and to trust.”

Mangold said he and his fellow writers are grateful not only to the Academy, but to the “X-Men” fans who were willing to join him as Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart’s delivered their final performances as Wolverine and Professor Xavier.

“When I first started writing the film with Scott Frank and Michael Green, I was really nervous over whether the take we were going to have on Logan was going to be something that people were going to be shocked by and reject or embrace. The way people have leaned into this story has been very moving, and it’s really gratifying that we put this picture out almost a year ago and that people are still talking about it so much,” Mangold said.

“Logan” was loosely inspired by Marc Millar’s 2009 comic “Old Man Logan,” which finds the former Wolverine crossing a harshly divided America. The film finds a weakened, older Logan trying to protect both a senile and unstable Xavier and a young mutant named Laura (a.k.a. X-23), in a world where mutants are either engineered for nefarious purposes or exterminated.

Superhero films of late have been divided by the darkness of DC efforts like “Batman v Superman” and the comic tone of Marvel hits like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“Logan” is dark in places and even sad, but Mangold says he wanted his tone to suit the story.

“‘Dark’ can just be an art direction,” Mangold said.

The film had two major inspirations, he said. The first was X-23, an “X-Men” character who debuted in the animated series “X-Men: Evolution” and has since grown in the comics as a successor and foil to Wolverine. The second was the 1950s western “Shane,” a film that is referenced in “Logan” and which provides the words for Laura’s tearful tribute to Logan at the end of the film.