Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky has unfortunately left the director’s seat in The Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman. The new movie is a stand-alone, separate from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and deals with Logan’s adventures in Japan. And due to this, Aronofsky reasoned that he doesn’t want to spend almost a year in Japan and away from family.
Directed by Shawn Levy is action drama film Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman. The synopsis?
Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
The trailer for Real Steel released today, and I can’t help but think of it as a scaled down version of the 1990’s film Robot Jox. Despite the similarities of robots battling, the movie is inspired by the short story and episode of The Twilight Zone written by Richard Matheson.
The sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine has been given an official title that’s been revealed by director Darren Aronofsky: The Wolverine. It’s simple and short. I like it.
The new film will take place during Logan’s time in Japan. For those who don’t read the comics: in Japan Logan develops a relationship with a woman who’s being forced into an arranged marriage. Of course Logan is stubborn, so he ends up fighting against the woman’s father and and her samurai brothers.
The film will be a “one-off”, a standalone movie, said Aronofsky. It’s a smart move considering how horrible the first movie was. Hopefully their second outing with the character is done well; otherwise the nerd rage will reach Hulk proportions.
A sequel for Wolverine is underway with two directors in mind: Robert Schwentke and David Slade. The story continues, this time with Logan in Japan. The latest draft of the script is written by Christopher McQuarrie. And, of course, Hugh Jackman is attached to the project.
Logan’s origin is a long one due to his healing factor slowing his aging considerably, and in the comics, Japan is involved in his past. But do we really need a continuation on his origin after all the liberties the last film took? The only thing they essentially got right was Sabretooth’s personality. Ignoring the comic books, the film itself was mediocre. Not to mention the effects were laughable.
I have a little hope that the second outing will be more respectful and true to the comics — Hugh Jackman is clearly passionate about playing Wolverine, and he loves his fans. Hopefully he’ll reel in the suits. It’d suck to end up with a similar fate like M. Night Shyamalan’s.