James Mangold May Direct Biopic on New York Jets QB Joe Namath

The National Football League has more than its share of larger-than-life athletes, but only one was known as "Broadway Joe". Legendary New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath was one of the league's original superstars, and now James Mangold may be bringing his story to the big screen.

Mangold is in talks to direct a biopic on the Hall of Fame QB, and if he agrees it would reunite him with his 3:10 to Yuma screenwriters. Born in Beaver Falls, PA, Namath would go on to play college ball at the University of Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant before being drafted by both the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Jets in 1965. He chose to play for the latter, spending the majority of his career with the Jets and becoming notorious for his glitzy sideline outfits and womanizing persona.

This wouldn't be Mangold's first shot at a film on Joe Namath as he was attached to another biopic some years ago that had Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role. 

When Mangold plans to fit this into his schedule is unclear. He could conceivably fit it in before The Wolverine sequel shoots in 2016.  [THR]

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Bryan Singer Talks 'X-men: Apocalypse'; James Mangold Updates on 'The Wolverine 2'

In just a few short months Bryan Singer will give us X-men: Days of Future Past, a film which will be key to the rebirth of the X-men franchise. We know Singer is already looking ahead to 2016 and X-men: Apocalypse, which we still no precious little about other than the titular villain. At the same time, James Mangold is prepping a sequel to The Wolverine and that figures into the mix somewhere. With press beginning on X-men: Days of Future Past, Singer has revealed a few small details about 'Apocalypse', while Mangold has cleared up when his sequel will start rolling.

In an interview with Total Film, Singer says screenwriters Michael Dougherty, Simon Kinberg, and Dan Harris are "breaking the story" now, which will be set in a different time period than X-men: First Class and 'Future Past'....

Singer: “We’re going to deal with the notion of ancient mutants – the fact they were born and existed thousands of years ago. But it’ll be a contemporary movie – well, it’ll take place in the ’80s… The ’80s is a period now – it’s hard for me to believe that!”

He also says the film will be much bigger in scope and the level of super-powered destruction....

Singer:  “Apocalypse will have more of the mass destruction that X-Men films, to date, have not relied upon. There’s definitely now a character and a story that allow room for that kind of spectacle… I don’t want to get too specific, but we’ll introduce familiar characters in a younger time. That’ll be fun to show the audience. I call these movies in-between-quels. It’s a mind-fuck sometimes in terms of where things fall in the timeline!” 

"Younger characters in a younger time"? Could he be talking about reintroducing younger versions of Cyclops and Jean Grey? Sounds like he's setting up for exactly that....

Singer:  “Yeah, there actually are [more stories I want to tell]. It all stems back to when I did [the first] X-Men. You always want to know where a character’s going to go, what their future’s going be like. You can always sequelise. But on that film I also had actors asking ‘Who am I? Where did my character come from?’ So as a director you always need a backstory to give your actors. It may not be the right backstory, but it’s one you can give the actor to help them understand their character. These prequels are really exciting for me because they give me a chance to explore ideas I came up with more than a decade ago.” 

The central figure in 'Future Past', and nearly all of the X-men movies, is Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. We know that Mangold is coming back to write and direct Logan's next adventure, although Jackman has been wobbly about returning. He's always non-committal until a script is done. Anyway, a Twitter user asked Mangold when The Wolverine sequel would begin filming, and the director responded with...

@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.
— Mangold (@mang0ld) March 15, 2014

That means we won't see The Wolverine 2 until 2017 at the earliest, and by then Jackman will be 48 years old. He's still quite the physical speciman and could probably play Logan until he's 60, it's just a matter of desire.....and how much money 20th Century Fox offers.

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James Mangold to Direct Travis McGee Mystery 'The Deep Blue Good-By'

There are a number of projects that A-list actors become attached to that never pan out for one reason or another, and Leonardo DiCaprio is no different. A few years ago he agreed to join director Oliver Stone for The Deep Blue Good-By, based on John D. MacDonald's 1964 novel and the first in his Travis McGee mystery series. It never came to pass, but now 20th Century Fox is reviving the film and bringing aboard a familiar director to be at the helm.

Deadline reports Fox has turned to The Wolverine director James Mangold to direct the adaptation, with the most recent script coming from DiCaprio's Shutter Island writer, Dennis Lehane. The series of pulp novels centers on McGee, a detective and self-professed "salvage consultant" who will help anyone find anything for the right price. Here's a synopsis of the novel....

Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He’s also a knight-errant who’s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior’s latest victim, Lois Atkinson.

Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women’s spirits and livelihoods. But he can’t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He’ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse.

Fox has always had eyes on this as a potential franchise, but at the time that was with DiCaprio in tow. They'll obviously be looking for someone of his stature if that remains their long-term goal, so we'll have to wait and see how this develops and if it interferes with plans for a 'Wolverine' sequel. 

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Hugh Jackman and James Mangold Returning for 'The Wolverine' Sequel

Even before The Wolverine clawed its way to over $400M this summer, Hugh Jackman was openly discussing the possibility this would be his time as the Canadian mutant. In regards to returning, he said “I wasn’t even sure after the first film if I would do another. I won’t say never, because I’m still loving it. But there would have to be a pretty compelling reason.” Perhaps that compelling reasons is a hefty sum offered up by 20th Century Fox, or maybe it has to do with the revitalized X-men universe the studio is building. Whatever the reasons are, Jackman is coming back for more, and he won't be alone.

Deadline reports Jackman and director James Mangold are in talks to return for a sequel to The Wolverine. Jackman enlisting for another film isn't too much of a shock, but Mangold's participation is a little unexpected. The Wolverine had begun as a Darren Aronofsky project which Mangold took over after he departed. As for the script, it looks like Mangold will take a first shot but we can expect to see others give it a go at some point.

This is obviously still very early on but one has to start thinking about where this film will fit into the larger picture being developed. Wolverine is the central figure in next year's X-men: Days of Future Past, and The Wolverine served as a bridge towards getting there. Will The Wolverine sequel take us into Jeff Wadlow's X-force? Or possibly X-men 4? Or something entirely different? And where will this one be set? Certainly Japan is out of the question, right? Maybe they'll drop Wolvie off in the wilds of the Savage Land? Maybe the next one will acknowledge that X-men Origins: Wolverine still exists? Eh, probably not.  Lots of questions to be answered. Stay tuned.

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James Mangold Says 'The Wolverine' "Stands Alone" From 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

 

When The Wolverine was announced, back when Darren Aronofsky was attached, it was expected to be a stand-alone effort that would have nothing to do with the other X-men films. Most especially it was skirting past X-men Origins: Wolverine, which nobody cared much for. James Mangold would eventually come aboard as director, and the landscape changed when Bryan Singer began developing X-men: Days of Future Past. Instantly the rumors began that the two films would be connected, even detailing a scene that would serve as a bridge between them. In a conversation with SFX, Mangold holds fast to his claim that the film is a total one-shot that has nothing to do with 'Days of Future Past'....

Mangold: “Bryan and I have talked and he’s seen what we’ve done. Clearly the reality is that we are all trying to work together and make things groove together. But the trick is we were making our movie before Bryan came on and before I knew what they were up to in that film. Our agenda was always our agenda and our movie stands alone, so the journey we take Logan on in The Wolverine, we bring to a close.”

It's possible for Mangold to be telling the truth without refuting prior rumors. The Wolverine could bring Logan's solo story to a complete conclusion, and then in a post-credits sequence shift gears in order to set up Singer's film. We'll find out what's really up for Logan when The Wolverine opens on July 26th. Personally, I'm hoping for an early screening at Comic-Con. *fingers crossed*

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New photos from 'The Wolverine' reveal some action in front and behind the camera

The Wolverine is already slicing its way through new marketing campaigns as the release date for the film draws closer. Director James Mangold recently shared a few behind-the-scenes pictures, and now five new photos have emerged to gift us with more excitement for the film. 

This time, we get a glimpse at some of the action in front and behind the camera as Wolverine brings down anyone unintelligent enough to fight him and makes Japan his temporary home. 

Check out the pictures below! 

The Wolverine hits theaters July 26. 

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New trailer for 'The Wolverine' starring Hugh Jackman

It's easy to forget because the film was so forgettable, but 20th Century Fox had a lot riding on 2009's X-men Origins: Wolverine. After X-men: the Last Stand left fans with a bad taste in their mouths, the plan was to release a number of solo films, including a young Magneto tale set during WWII. But after Wolverine's outing proved to be a box office and critical bomb, pretty much everything was shuttered until X-men: First Class opened up a glimmer of hope. Now we see things coming full circle, with X-men: Days of Future Past bringing back the old X-men cast and tying in somehow into Hugh Jackman's solo sequel, The Wolverine, which has just debuted a new trailer.

Coming on the heels of two new one-sheets featuring Yukio and the evil Viper, the new footage is heavily focused on the many women who are making Logan's life miserable. We knew that Famke Janssen would be making a cameo as Jean Grey, and her presence is felt immediately as the feral X-man is still dealing with his role in her death. Much of the footage will be familiar, including the arrival of the red-haired assassin Yukio, and Logan's heroic rescue of a man who will later make an offer he simply can't refuse. But we do see more of the inexplicably snake-tongued Viper, a closer look at Lord Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada), and Logan battling what appears to be a giant robotic samurai. Leaving aside some of the film noir elements we've seen in earlier photos and trailers, this one aims squarely for action, including what looks like an intense sequence aboard a train racing through Japan.

Directed by James Mangold, The Wolverine claws into theaters on July 26th.

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Set photos from 'The Wolverine' and 'Days of Future Past' reveal Hugh Jackman across time

One thing we know going in to Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past is that it's going to include a lot of time travel. The story we presume is set in our present, with the team attempting to stop an apocalyptic future from taking place. But when exactly is that "present"?  How does it jibe with the placement of The Wolverine? Or X-men: The Last Stand? Or any of the other X-men movies, for that matter?

Bryan Singer and The Wolverine director James Mangold have revealed two new set photos featuring Hugh Jackman as Logan. Singer's image from 'Days of Future Past' shows Logan and his trusty, fashion-timeless jacket, opposite Nicholas Hoult as Henry "Beast" McCoy. Captioned "Welcome to 1973", it suggests that Logan has been transported back in time, which would also support recent rumors about the conclusion of The Wolverine. But is it really so cut 'n dried? Let's not forget that Logan is essentially immortal ages slower than others, so this could just be him in his proper time looking exactly the same as he does years later. Have a headache yet? Such is the nature of time travel movies.

Mangold's set photo is a claw-to-sword battle between Logan and his nemesis Lord Shingen, played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Comparing the images, Logan's still sporting a mean set of muttenchops, but the hair is all wrong. Maybe he goes back in time and gets a perfectly retro haircut? The Wolverine finds the Canadian X-man in Japan finding love with Mariko Yashida, earning the wrath of the yakuza, and having his immortality pushed to the limits by a powerful new foe.

The Wolverine hits theaters later this year on July 26th. X-men: Days of Future Past takes over on July 18th 2014.

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Sure Shots: Keira Knightley; Scott Cooper; Reese Witherspoon

* A major change is in order for Laggies, the long-developing dark comedy from Your Sister's Sister director, Lynn Shelton. Anne Hathaway had been set for the film, but due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, she's had to drop out. EW now reports that Keira Knightley is in talks to replace her as the 28-year old woman who freaks out after her boyfriend's marriage proposal and runs off to hang out with a group of adolescents. Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber, and Chloe Moretz co-star.

* Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) has had no trouble attaching himself to a slew of projects, most of which don't seem to be progressing all that much. But that won't stop him from adding one more, as he'll next take on 36th Precinct, a remake of the 2004 cop film directed by Olivier Marchal. The story will be set in the NYPD anti-terrorism unit, and follows a pair of ruthless cops seeking a promotion by taking down a criminal gang. [Deadline]

* Reese Witherspoon is hoping you're done staring at her mugshot and ready to embrace her as America's sweetheart again. Witherspoon, who has booked two big projects in the last week, is set to rejoin her Walk the Line director James Mangold for Three Little Words. An adaptation of Ashley Rhodes-Courter's memoir, the story follows a Florida girl who entered the child welfare system at the age of four. Witherspoon will play the social worker trying to convince the child's mother to give up her rights. Amanda Seyfried is currently being eyed to play the mother. The last time Witherspoon and Mangold teamed up, she walked away with an Oscar win. Can it happen again?

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New CinemaCon trailer for 'The Wolverine'

Is someone trying to turn the annual CinemaCon event into a new breeding ground for footage of the summer's biggest tentpoles? Just a few days ago we were treated to an epic trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim, which had been exclusive to attendees of the event up to that point. Now comes new footage from the second Marvel offering of the summer, The Wolverine.

The trailer doesn't actually provide a lot of new footage, but does show that Logan (Hugh Jackman) will be breaking out the adamantium steel early and often. Rain-soaked, noirish Japan makes for an intriguing backdrop compared to the sterile X-men Origins: Wolverine, and we've been promised that the Canadian X-man will be tested physically like never before. Look close and you'll catch a glimpse of Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, the most important woman in his life up to this point.

Directed by James Mangold, The Wolverine claws into theaters on July 26th.

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New Japanese trailer for 'The Wolverine' offers up new footage

Let's not forget that Marvel has more than just Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World coming up this year. Over at 20th Century Fox, the mutant corner of their superhero universe is gaining new ground with the arrival of The Wolverine this summer, which will serve as a lead-in of sorts to next year's X-men: Days of Future Past. We've already seen Hugh Jackman claw his way through one trailer as the Canadian X-man, and now new footage can be found in the Japanese version.

Directed by James Mangold and based on Chris Claremont's seminal comic book story set in Japan, the film finds Logan facing an old enemy strong enough put his immortality to the test. Tao Okamoto co-stars as Mariko Yashida, Logan's true love and the one who inspires his quest to tame his feral nature and embrace the samurai code. The film continues to look less like your standard superhero movie, and more like a gangland noir.

Also starring Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto and Svetlana Khodchenkova, The Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

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James Mangold talks 'The Wolverine', says Logan will be "stripped clean" of the X-men

We're not that far away from The Wolverine clawing its way into theaters, and yet we've still seen little from it other than a few photos of Hugh Jackman. The film seems to be flying under the radar a little bit, interesting considering its just as much a Marvel movie as Iron Man 3. We know the gist of the story, with Logan finding himself in Japan at his lowest point, finding romance and old enemies bent on destroying him.

There are a number of questions still in the air, most of which involving the film's placement in the larger X-men universe. Rumors have Famke Janssen popping up for a cameo, and the story is said to take place after the events of X-men: The Last Stand. But how long after? James Mangold spoke to EW and reveals the Logan we catch up with won't be tied down by his past ties to the X-men....

Mangold: "I felt it was really important to find Logan at a moment where he was stripped clean of his duties to the X-Men, his other allegiances, and even stripped clean of his own sense of purpose. I was fascinated with the idea of portraying Logan as a ronin – the definition of which is a samurai without a master, without a purpose. Kind of a soldier who is cut loose. War is over. What does he do? What does he face? What does he believe anymore? Who are his friends? What is his reason for being here anymore? I think those questions are especially interesting when you’re dealing with a character who is essentially immortal."

The story is merely based in part on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's seminal comic, not a direct adaptation. Many of the same characters from the story do appear, such as Yukio, Silver Samurai, Lord Shingen, and Logan's true love, Mariko Yashida.

Mangold:  "What I wrote on the back of the script when I first read it was 'Everyone I love will die'. The story I’ve been telling, he enters it believing that. Therefore he’s living in a kind of isolation. He gets drawn to Japan by an old friendship and then finds himself in a labyrinth of deceit, caught up in the agendas of mobsters, of wealth, and other powers we come to understand... You find Logan and his love is gone, his mentors are gone, many of his friends are gone, his own sense of purpose – what am I doing, why do I bother – and his exhaustion is high. He has lived a long time, and he’s tired. He’s tired of the pain."

Man of Steel and The Wolverine sound like they could be very similar in tone, which should be perfect for a director like Mangold. We'll see how it turns out on July 26th. 

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Sheathe those claws: No trailer for 'The Wolverine' until next year

As if The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey isn't enough of a major event, it was starting to look like every blockbuster film of 2013 was scrambling to get in on the action. Already we're expecting to see a full Man of Steel trailer ahead of it, along with a whopping nine minutes from Star Trek Into Darkness. Most recently rumors have been kicking around that a trailer for The Wolverine would also debut. Well, not so much on that last one. At least not according to director James Mangold.

Mangold took to Twitter and revealed the first footage wold premier some time early next year....

Mangold: "Contrary to reports, there will be no trailer on THE HOBBIT for THE WOLVERINE. You will get a glimpse early 2013. I promise."

So much for that. I'm guessing we'll see it maybe ahead of Fox's A Good Day to Die Hard on February 14th. Or if the studio is feeling really frisky they may slot it during the Super Bowl. Either way, we won't see the finished product until  July 26th 2013.

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*UPDATE* 'The Wolverine' takes place after all previous 'X-men' movies

 *UPDATE* I've updated the post with the newly released image of Wolverine rockin' the bone claws. So clearly this scene takes place before his trials at the Weapon X facility, which means this is likely a flashback sequence. The rest of the original story is below....

The assumption from the very beginning has been that The Wolverine would be a prequel, keeping in line with the forgettable X-men Origins: Wolverine, and showing how the feral Canadien mutant became the honorable superhero we all know and love. But we never really had any evidence of that. We were just going off of our own expectations and the general idea that the previous X-men films were being ignored until somebody at Fox figured out what to do with them. Turns out that isn't the case at all, as James Mangold has revealed The Wolverine is set after all of the previous X-men movies. He tells Empire....

Mangold: "Where this film sits in the universe of the films is after them all. Jean Grey is gone, most of the X-Men are disbanded or gone, so there’s a tremendous sense of isolation for him."

"That’s something that for me was very important, that I land in a very specific place in his timeline.I wanted to be able to tell the story without the burden of handing it off to a film that already exists and having to conform to it. The ideas of immortality reign very heavily in this story and the burden of immortality weighs heavily on Logan. For me that’s such an interesting part of Logan’s character that is nearly impossible to explore if you have a kind of league or team movie."

This makes it all the more likely that earlier rumors of Famke Janssen making a cameo as Jean Grey are true, as his killing of her in X-men: The Last Stand would no doubt weigh heavily on his mind. But it also leaves the door open for other characters to return, and with talk spreading of "connectivity" between the various X-men movies, this will certainly add fuel to the fire. Mangold also seems to confirm that this is very much a "one-shot" story, designed to focus on this one intriguing aspect of Logan's character, and not as part of a larger storyarc.  Mangold does get one thing wrong, though. Logan isn't immortal. He can be killed and will eventually die of natural causes, it'll just take an insanely long time.

Anyway, expect to see more photos from The Wolverine emerging soon, so we'll have those up as soon as they're available. 

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Hiroyuki Sanada and others join the cast of 'The Wolverine'

We haven't heard much about The Wolverine lately, which is odd since on paper it should be one of the biggest superhero movies around. Iron Man 3 comes out next year, and we hear something new about it all the time. The Wolverine? Eh.  Just sorta forgotten, and I think a lot of it has to do with people still being a little down about Darren Aronofsky's dropping out. James Mangold's a fine director, though, and apparently he and 20th Century Fox are getting the wheels turning as a number of Japanese actors have just been set to join Hugh Jackman.

Comingsoon reports that Hiroyuki Sanada, who some will recognize from The Last Samurai and as Dogen from the sixth season of Lost, has signed on. He'll be joined by Hal Yamanouchi(Push), and newcomers Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima. We know that the story will be based on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's classic Japanese-set story, which has Wolverine learning about the samurai code of honor while fighting for the love of Mariko Yashida, the daughter of an infamous crimelord named Lord Shingen.  Sanada will be taking on the Lord Shingen role, while Okamoto will play Mariko, who is far and away the love of Wolverine's life. Don't buy all that crap about Jean Grey. Wolverine loves her, but he really just wants to nail her. Fukushima will play Yukio, Shingen's best assassin who ultimately becomes one of Wolverine's staunchest allies. Yamanouchi is playing a character simply named Yashida, which could mean he's just some lowly member or distant relative in the Yashida Clan.

The only other major part that's yet to be filled is that of the Silver Samurai, Shingen's bastard son and one of the most conflicted characters in the entire X-men universe. He's been an ally, an enemy, a crime lord, an assassin, and at all times sticking to his rather malleable moral code. He ultimately becomes one of the founding members of Big Hero 6, who we just learned are about to get their own Marvel movie soon.

Filming on The Wolverine begins in August, set for release on July 26th 2013.

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'The Wolverine' starts filming in August

It almost seemed like some form of karmic justice. After the terrible X-men Origins: Wolverine, 20th Century Fox was having a Hell of a time putting together the sequel, titled simply The Wolverine. Hugh Jackman would of course return as the feral, Canadian mutant, with Darren Aronofsky(Black Swan) as director. Unfortunately, Aronofsky had to drop out due to personal reasons, setting the production a little ways. Then there was this whole earthquake and tsunami thing that continues to have long lasting effects in Japan, where the film would primarily be shot, causing further delays. Not to mention Jackman had commitments to Tom Hooper's Les Miserables. Just one thing after another, although the tide started to turn in the right direction with James Mangold(3:10 to Yuma) coming on board.

Now after all the headaches and missed start dates, Jackman has taken to Twitter to reveal that filming will finally begin this August. Staging would take place in Sydney, Australia, with principle photography in Japan, and as previously reported will feature a mostly Japanese cast. The story was written by Christopher McQuarrie, with a recent draft by Mark Bomback, and will be based on the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller run which had Wolverine in Japan fighting for the honor of himself and the woman he loves. We've also learned that The Silver Samurai will be his nemesis in the story.

This one will probably take a lot of post-production, so I'll be surprised if it can hit the target release date of July 26th 2013. My fingers crossed.

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'The Wolverine' will claw it's way into theaters in July 2013

Does it seem like forever since there's been an update on The Wolverine? After what seemed like a tidal wave of news on the sequel back in 2010 and 2011, almost all bad, it's been pretty quiet while star Hugh Jackman has been busy with every other project under the sun. He's still not done, with Tom Hooper's Les Miserables on the way, but at least we now know when the feral Canadian's next adventure will hit screens.

The Wolverine has been set for a release on July 26th 2013, which right now means it'll be going head to head with the Dirty Dancing remake. Few films have had quite the tumultous run as the sequel to 2009's dismal X-men Origins: Wolverine, as production was delayed by natural disasters in Japan, but also by the departure of former director Darren Aronofsky. He was replaced by James Mangold(3:10 to Yuma), directing a story by Christopher McQuarrie based on one of Wolverine's most cherished stories. The feral mutant will find himself in Japan looking to discover more about himself, and finds the meaning of honor while fighting the criminal Yakuza and family politics to win the hand of the woman he loves. His struggle will put him claw-to-sword with the vicious Silver Samurai.

While the franchise appears to be on the right track again thanks to X-men: First Class, Wolverine is really the test case for any future films featuring the core X-men team. X-men Origins: Wolverine made over $370M worldwide but was a considered to be a critical failure.

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James Mangold to direct American remake of Icelandic crime thriller, City State

With The Wolverine now bumped back until Hugh Jackman finishes up with Tom Hooper's Les Miserables, James Mangold(3:10 to Yuma) isn't sitting around to figure out what to do in the mean time. Deadline reports he's signed on to helm a remake of the upcoming Icelandic crime flick, City State. Yeah, upcoming, as in it's not even friggin' out yet. This one's being put on the fast track, so it's not clear if Mangold will try to cram it in before The Wolverine kicks off next spring, or if it'll be first on his list once the superhero film is wrapped.

Written and directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson, the film follows four intersecting stories of those whose lives have been affected by a foreign mafia's takeover of the drug market. Sounds a little bit like 2008's amazing multi-tiered mob film, Gomorrah. If you haven't seen it, check it out right away.

Whether Mangold will write as well is still up in the air, but I assume we'll learn more about that, as well as potential casting, in the coming days. Don't expect it to be in Iceland, either.

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Hugh Jackman confirms The Wolverine start date and the film's villain

It's been no secret that the plot of The Wolverine is going to be based on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's classic 1982 series which took the Canadian superhero to Japan, so really this barely qualifies as a news story to me. It's only interesting because it happened at San Diego Comic-Con when the Aussie actor showed up at the Real Steel panel.

Jackman appeared to answer a few questions, which naturally veered away from his upcoming robot brawler film and onto the subject of The Wolverine. After Darren Aronofsky had to drop out due to personal reasons, James Mangold(3:10 to Yuma) came aboard to direct, based on a reportedly fantastic script by Christopher McQuarrie(The Usual Suspects). Jackman revealed two details about The Wolverine, one of which I guess could be considered a spoiler, so use this as spoiler space....

That hilarious image courtesy of Retrojunk...

Ok, so Jackman reiterated something he said just last month, that The Wolverine will begin shooting in Japan in October. Didn't we believe him the first time?

Jackman: “I’m filming Les Miserables in February, but before that I will be filming Wolverine 2 in October. Chris McQuarrie has written a fantastic script and it should turn out really good. I’ll fight the Silver Samurai in it so that should be exciting. Most of the filming will take place in Japan.”

The Les Miserables he's referring to comes from Tom Hooper(The King's Speech), and Jackman has been attached to it pretty much from the beginning. As for the Samurai, he's one of Wolverine's most storied rivals and an occasional ally. At this point in their acquaintance, he's more the former. Real name Kenuichio Harada, he is the mutant half-brother of Wolverine's lover, Mariko Yashida. He helps train the clawed hero in the ways of being a samurai, but doesn't take too kindly to the gaijin(non-Japanese) getting it on with his sister.

I'm getting visions of epic sword vs. adamantium claw battles. Here's hoping Mangold has the vision to give those clashes the look they deserve. [Screenrant]

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Hugh Jackman says The Wolverine to shoot in October

At this point, there's probably nobody outside of Fox that wants to see The Wolverine get moving more than Hugh Jackman. Anticipation has been running high for the superhero sequel, even though the first film wasn't exactly highly regarded. Most of that sprung from Christopher McQuarrie's well-received script, which would take the Canadian X-man to Japan in a story based on the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller series. The hype was also due to the involvement of Darren Aronofsky(Black Swan), and the potential for him to work the same magic he brought to The Wrestler and Black Swan. But when Aronofsky dropped out, and Japan was hit by a horrific tsunami, all seemed lost, or at least hopelessly delayed. That was until James Mangold(3:10 to Yuma) took over a couple of weeks ago, but the expectation was that we wouldn't see The Wolverine until around 2013.

Hugh Jackman himself says otherwise, though. While discussing the film on a Toronto radio station, he revealed that production could begin sooner than expected. Like in three months...

Jackman: "We shoot in October, so it will probably come out a year after that. That’s usually around the timeline.” 

That's pretty quick, but it's probably better to just get the ball rolling now rather than wait another year. Then again, after X-men: First Class's middling box office haul, maybe the franchise could use a breather. Jackman's plan would have the movie out in 2012. This also means his plan to star in Les Miserables, from The King's Speech director Tom Hooper, may get pushed back.

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