According to 'Wolverine' himself that seems to be the plan! I have no idea how it's possible that no one (I mean the movie blogs etc) took notice of that. Updates for the future of the X-men franchise have always been big news in the film world. Anyway, here's what Hugh said backstage at the People's Choice Awards: that they're going to start shooting the Wolverine in Japan film in a year, maybe in a year and a half. I give you the link to the video so you can listen the news straight from his mouth ((don't even know if there's such an expression but we use it overhere! )
P.S. Scroll down to the video titled 'Hugh Jackman backstage (0:51)'

Wolverine 2 update by Hugh

This message has been edited. Last edited by: martha s.,

Martha. Hugh said it and he looks happy. I think he has a lot of fun being Wolverine and he does make a ton of money. I would guess Seed Productions will be in charge and that would make Hugh "The Boss". I wouldn't mind working for Hugh. Would anyone?

Logan Lover, Nancy B

Martha...

When I saw the thread title, all it said was...Wolverine 2 to start shooting and I thought WHAT??? Then I saw the rest of it and thought...okay. Whew!

This makes perfect sense. By filming it spring/summer of 2011, it'll be done in time for a May 2012 release. Three years after the first one. If you count back, you'll see that all the X-Men films have been spaced three years apart. Which means...

The third one should be out in May of 2015. That would be 15 years and 6 films playing one character and as much as I love that character and will be sad to say goodbye to him, that will be more than ENOUGH! But I wonder, if he doesn't start pulling down some box office soon with other films, is he going to seek out another 'cash cow' franchise? I think I remember something about him wanting to develop an original comic book character that could be made into a series of films. Don't do it Hughie. Let the comic books go. Concentrate elsewhere. Another thought...

He's gonna have to get that bod back in 'Wolverine' shape one last time in 2014. He'll be 45 going on 46 and while I think he'll get there, you gotta know that's gonna be alot harder to do in your mid forties as oppose to your thirties. One last thought...

I've heard that X-Men Junior Class is going to be the next installment. Wonder if they're going to wait until they're through with Wolverine? I'm guessing no. I mean, do they really want to wait until 2018 (if they stick to the three year thingy) for the next series of films? I'm thinking though, I just might be more interested to see the story of the young Charles and Eric and how they met. Next to Wolverine, Eric/Magneto is the most fascinating character in the cannon. Just my opinion.

I got a question...
When Hugh is no longer involved with the X-Men films, how many of us will continue watching the subsequent ones? I will because now that I understand what it's about, I think it is a very compelling story. A story about predjudice and alienation. The X-Men is actually about something.

Anyway. Just curious how many will stick with it.

Barb

Barb, The X-Men and Wolverine fans will stick with it.

You said the 3rd Wolverine movie will be in 2015. There is a big diffrence between great shape and Wolverine shape. I would be happy with the Japan story in 2012 but if Hugh can do it. YAY!

Logan Lover, Nancy B

They have X-Men First Class and the Deadpool spinoff being worked on in addition to the Wolverine sequel, and they are definitely not waiting on the Wolverine movies to finish up before the get started on the rest.

There are a gazillion X-Men characters who haven't had their chance in the films yet, and the fans are really craving to see them. Keep in mind, Wolverine's first X-Men appearance didn't happen until 10 years after the first X-Men comic, so there are tons of other non-Wolverine stories for them to do, and that the X-fans have been wanting to see for years.

I'm really excited to see it, and I know my lunatics over at SHH are excited to see it. I know Singer has said he wants to make it a prequel in the same kind of style as the new Star Trek movie was. If First Class is anything like that, it's going to be awesome.

I'm even hoping they don't find a way to sneak a Wolverine cameo in First Class, just so they can let the other characters get their movie. Wolvie's got his own bloody movie series (and please, let the next movie actually be bloody this time!).

I just finished reading the Old Man Logan series, and I couldn't help thinking that maybe 20 years from now, Hugh could come back and play Wolverine again if they adapted that story. It was one of the best Wolverine stories I've read in awhile.

Barb -

I don't think there's going to be a 3rd Wolverine film and that's because I seriously doubt the success of the 2nd one if it ends up with the reviews the original did. In our days people don't want just empty blockbusters. They want blockbusters, plus quality. Then, it's that I hope there won't be another one after the Japan movie cause enough is enough! For God's shake, he has to move on! I'd be happy as a fan (a Hugh Jackman fan, not an X-Men films one) to see him stop doing X-men movies after X-Men Origins: Wolverine, unless the sequel becomes the next Dark Knight, X2 or Iron Man. Don't take me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the character, I love the comics, I've read the whole original Wolvie comic book series, the Japan saga, Weapon X, Origin, etc but I don't want Hugh to be remembered only as Wolverine. He's a tremendous talent and has to take on more challenging roles and try to make a huge success that'll have nothing to do with the X-Men universe.

As for the X-men films that won't include Wolverine (like Singer's X-Men: First Class), I don't care about them much. I've always been a fan of Wolverine, he's the heart of both the films and the comic books for me, the most intriguing, brilliant character. The original X-men movies were great because the center of them was the Ol'Canucklehead but watching a film based on a young Cyclops and Beast, without Logan in it? No thanks! I agree that Magneto is a great character though. I also love the Dark Phoenix saga.

To conclude, I'm really anxious about Wolverine 2. And that's because deeply inside I know FOX is going to mess up with it and piss off the fans. They're gonna throw in dozens of not-related-to-Logan heroes we don't care about, they're gonna release it incomplete with crappy special-effects in their rush to make money, they're gonna re-write the script dozens of times etc. They'll never going to make the film that the character deserves: a genuinely dark, violent, raw, bloody, with possibly some sex, R-rated film, with a script that will focus on Wolverine and only on Wolverine. A serious, adult action film with a serious adult story. The comic books are exactly like that (the supposedly cruel operation that Logan went through when he got the adamantium is nothing compared to what happened in the original comics). The material is there, they just have to take it as it is given and put it on the celluloid. Making Wolverine PG-13 is like declawing him. And in the end, FOX's blindness will cause a disaster that will surely affect Hughie both professionally and emotionally.

Wolverine 2 has to be a million times better than the first film if there's going to be a Part 3.

-It needs to be lots more violent. Yes, Wolverine struggles with hurting innocent people, but he loves killing bad people, and we all love watching him do it. He did that a grand total of once in this entire film.

He didn't do anything in that Team X sequence at the beginning but stand around and disapprove. When he freed all the captured mutants from 3 Mile Island, they should have had him do some kind of X2 mansion invasion-style take down of the guard, not leave it to baby Cyclops to blast away at them. He's Wolverine, for god's sake, slice up a couple of those bad guys.

-The movie needs to be longer. Pixar does longer movies than the last 2 X-Men movies have been. Yes, X1 was short too, but that was before these comic book movies became all the rage and that doesn't count. You've got one of the most awesome century-old mutant superheroes with tons of backstory, Liev Schrieber playing his arch-nemesis, let the bloody thing be at least 2 hours long.

Again, with the Team X stuff - they should have done so much more with that, they could have totally expanded that sequence. I would have loved to see more of Ryan Reynolds as Wade. He and Liev were fantastic together, I would have liked to see more scenes between the two of them.

-Do something about the CG. His claws looked terrible in a few scenes, especially that bathroom scene. They looked like cartoon claws. I know they need to do CG for them to come out, but when he's just holding them up? I don't get why they had to be CG there. It was totally distracting because the claws looked really fake.

-Do not stick random characters into the movie. More importantly, do not stick popular fan-favorites into the movie and then totally change them into Mortal Kombat characters. Personally, I didn't care what happened to Deadpool at the end of the movie, but he's very popular, that's not what happens to him in the comics, and the fans will never stop whining about it and I can't stand listening to them.

Regardless of that, I do like the movie. I have the blu-ray and I've watched it a bunch of times. But I can't argue with people who didn't like it, or were at least disappointed with it...he's such a great character and he deserves a much better film. I'm just hoping the next movie remedies that - a lot.

I respectfully disagree...

If Wolverine 2 is a lousy film, but it makes a kajillion dollars at the box office, you can bet they'll make a third. It's all about the money. These films aren't about artistic integrity. They're cash cows. They don't really care about quality here and X-3 was the proof of that. They know they've got a built in audience who'll show up no matter how big a sh*t sandwhich they serve up.

Guess what's on the drawing board right now? Pirates 4 and everyone knows the third was lousy and it was figured the franchise was done. But...it made money and that's ALL Hollywood cares about. I would bet both my hands no matter what the quality of Wolverine 2, this will end up a trilogy. The only thing to stop it? If the fans stay away. And they won't. And FOX knows it.

And yeah, I remember when Hugh talked about his vision for the Wolverine films. He said explicitly...'I have no interest in making X-Men 4.' Yet, that's exactly what he did. He wanted a dark, gritty, violent, sexual R rated film befitting that character and a week after he said it, Lauren Shuler Donner shot him down.

I hate to say this but...Hughie is a company man through and through. Could you see a Russell Crowe going along? He's a pain in the ass, but the man will fight for what he believes is right for a character. And he's willing to walk away from something if he disagrees with the artistic direction. What Hugh has never gotten in all of this is, he held (and does hold) ALL OF THE POWER here. Without him, there is no more Wolverine. He could have gotten the film he wanted. He just would have had to play hardball and I don't think that's in him.

He needs to please and he needs approval. Those are his needs and he'll do what he has to do to get them. Even compromise. Just my opinion.

Barb

Hugh is not just a movie actor, he also wants to be a film producer. I think that partly explains why he is " an organization man" ( And what is wrong with that? I used to be one )

FOX is now lolling in money from AVATAR -- I don't think Rothman and Gianapolus are ever going to be kicked sideways, if the formula is working...

Also, the movie business has changed a lot -- the big studios are chasing blockbusters, even if they are simple mass crowd-pleasers! It is the indie spirit which still produces films with full artistic integrity - but you can count them now by your fingers. Remember " I haven't seen The Reader..." - that wasn't just a joke -- it was a reflection on what is happening to Hollywood! They have even expanded the Oscars list to 10 nominations for best pics -- to make room perhaps for films like AVATAR or STAR TREK... Although people can really just say, if a movie pleases me, why not???

Up in the Air and Nine are supposed to be movies with artistic merit - but how many people saw them, compared to Alvin??

Sorry, but I have become more realistic about the state of affairs in the movies -- I guess the commercial side has to be served because Wall Street demands that the studios produce smooth quarterly profits into forever...or there is no raising capital or specific funding for your movies!

As for Hugh proving his dramatic talent - I was very happy with A STEADY RAIN! Maybe the theatre is a solid avenue for him to fulfill personal artistic needs. I know I won't be able to see all his theatrical forays eventually, but I am glad that Hugh has found a solid footing onstage... On an aside, I was just reading an article about Denzel Washington's forthcoming theatre appearance in FENCES. It said how very much DW is looking forward to it, because it seems he did start in the theatre...and he is home!

Jo ( not really cynical, but a realist!)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jo,

Re WOLVERINE 2 --

I am excited about the prospects and was pleased when Hugh mentioned that in the press room for the PCA.

Recently, I even bought a comic book / graphic novel( for the first time - LOL!) on the Samurai saga. I was in Japan in the spring last year - and it would be such a beautiful setting, with the magnificent countryside and the unique Oriental setting...plus of course the basic plot is focused on the fierce almost-feudal Samurai warriors. This is the first time that Hugh will be involved in a story taking place in our side of the world -- so I am excited. Australia doesn't count - as that is almost European, with a bit of Asia and Polynesia thrown in

Jo

Old Man Logan would be so awesome!!!! It was definitely one of the best story arcs last year. Sorry, but I for one will never tire of anything to do with Wolverine.

And I agree with Barb...

<<He just would have had to play hardball and I don't think that's in him.

He needs to please and he needs approval. Those are his needs and he'll do what he has to do to get them. Even compromise.>>

Hate to say it but sometimes he's just to damn nice and safe for his own good. But we love him that way.

And I'm an artistic soul, a dreamer, a sap who thinks that film is the greatest art form known to man and that, that art form is being destroyed by chasing after the all mighty dollar. And THAT concept will ALWAYS offend an artistic soul. When an artist KNOWS that he's sold out, it eats away at his soul. Either that, or he compromises enough and he forgets why he went into the arts in the first place.
What's happening in films is the corruption of art. And that is offensive to me.

You wanna know what's really bowled me over with Rob Pattinson? And it's not his pretty looks or even his quirky personality.

It's his artistic integrity that he fears he'll end up compromising if he hands himself over to Hollywood for the long haul. He doesn't want that. He says he wants to form a film company. He wants to employ a handful of screenwriters and directors and form a company of actors who aren't just in it for the money. He's said that no film should cost more than 5-10 million dollars to make (that's about what Woody Allen spends on each of his). He wants to be an artist, not just a money making movie star.

When I heard him say those things I thought...'my god, there's one left.'

But then I think...oh kid, you're young and idealistic and Hollywood already has it's hooks in you and they'll wreck you too. I hope he has the courage to walk away from the temptation of it all and realize his dream. That kid gives me some hope.

And then when he said..."I hate money. I hate what it's done to us. I wish I could do what I do for free and just give it to the people. Here you go, it's your's. Doesn't cost a thing."

When he said that, I knew I had stumbled upon a kindred spirit. I adore that kid. And he was only 22 when he said those things and that's ALOT of wisdom for 22. Hell, that's alot of wisdom for 92.

Adore. That. Kid.

Barb

I also think that a movie should be more about quality than about quantity of special effects. I love movies and this year was just painful. The only movie I really enjoyed was District 9, the others were disappointing to say the least.

I hope Hugh will be done with Wolverine after the second one. I like him but he is 41. It´s not that much but he isn´t getting any younger and to get a career of a serious movie actor in the age of 46 is hard. I think he is respected enough but he just should stop turning down good offers. He probably knows that, so does Deb (she tried to tell him not to do Wolverine exactly for these resons - she saw a potential in him, maybe now is a time to tell him again).
So I hope he has some bigger plans, hopefully not involving 80% of Seed projects...

Barb, you know, I am glad you have another actor next to Hugh but you can´t compare them. As you said, he is just 22 and has one, ONE successful movie with him and it is a franchise that nobody except fans of actors involved or fans of books thinks much about. You can´t count first Twilight because it was a suprise hit with him totally unknown. I am pretty sure that if it wasn´t RP in it, anyone else in the movie would be famous and popular right now. He will be hit very hard. Idealistic or not.

Hugh is like that, too. He isn´t too materialistic and does a lots of charity work that even we don´t know about (so he makes it for a real reason, not publicity like someone else) But he knows that compromises are important. It´s just his way with people. He doesn´t want to argue. I think he is able to fight for Wolverine (do you think that the crazy promo tour to it after the leak was just for a good health?) but Fox is one of the biggest studios that has few successful franchises. And Wolverine didn´t make that much money so he can say "I am leaving" without them answering "OK, go".

Russell Crowe is a pain in the ass and I noticed that people are not interested in his movies anymore. Yes, they are good, but nobody is going to see them and to work with him isn´t probably easy. It´s not going to make a movie better when the main star acts like a stubborn child and makes a place where hundreds of other people are making a living a pleasant place. Yes, he can fight for the character but there are limits.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Klenotka,

Wolverine was a good movie if you like such-you all know I dont like Xmen but I made my husband take me on Mothers Day to see it and I didnt think it was half bad but my husband hated it and is still talking about how I made him go see it of course he knows why I wanted to see it-obviously Hugh is loved for this series so why shouldnt he continue if he also doing plays and other movies??Heck he just got BEST ACTION ACTOR!

Maybe they will do it in 3D. That could be awesome.

I'm all for Hugh continuing to do Wolverine movies as long as he fits some meatier roles and theater work in between. Wolverine,unfortunately, has turned into fun fluff for all the reasons you guys have already discussed. I love it but I want Unbound Captives, Prisoners and Houdini too! I'm greedy!!!

quote:

Originally posted by jo:
FOX is now lolling in money from AVATAR -- I don't think Rothman and Gianapolus are ever going to be kicked sideways, if the formula is working...

That's more to do with James Cameron than with anyone else. It's been said he's one of the few people at Fox who they don't mess with.

Just because they're crowd pleasers doesn't mean they don't deserve better treatment than Fox has been giving their comic book franchises in recent years. It's been so obvious when you compare them to what other studios are doing that they aren't nearly as good.

The reviews for Wolverine complained that it was a letdown after the summer before when we had Iron Man and The Dark Knight. And there's no reason Wolverine can't be as good as those movies were.

Fox just doesn't seem to get that making a lot of things explode and shoe-horning in a lot of characters that don't need to be there is not making the fans happy. They want a story that's more faithful to the source material is done well. You can do that and make the crowds show up too.

I think there is an audience for anything Wolverine. I had a little amusement the other day that convinced me. I took my two year old granddaughter to the local library hour for toddlers. I chatted with this young man who was there with his son. I asked him what his son's name was and he said it was Logan. I LOL and jokingly said, "After Woverine?". To my shock he said yeah, blushed and then talked about his love of Wolverine. Hugh is amazing and I think that even in his mid-40s he will pull off something wonderful. I don't think he will be part of something that would put Wolverine in jeopardy. It means too much to him.

You can totally tell how much he loves that part. I saw him heading into the theater before ASR a few months back when I was on my way home from work and some guy yelled "WOLVERINE!!" when he was out there signing some autographs. He seemed to get big laugh out of it, and that usually annoys actors who have that kind of stuff happen.

He's terrific with the Wolverine fans, and you can see how much he loves that character. He just need a better movie next time!

He does seem to love the character and the fans. In fact, many of the criticisms of the movie stem from the fact that he and all involved tried too hard to do what they thought would please the fans, which in many ways didn't please the fans or your basic film-goer b/c it seemed to stray too far from the comic (not that I know b/c I have never read anything bu the Origins book). And as for the PG rating, the public story during publicity was that they wanted to keep it PG to allow for younger fans to legitimately see the movie. Doesn't hurt box office either.