With the X-Men franchise possibly being revitalised by the upcoming 'First Class' project (due summer 2011), it looks as if the spin-off Wolverine franchise may also be undergoing some radical tweaking. A press release from Fox indicates what many had already believed - that Darren Aronosfsky is the man who will helm the next movie... but what exactly will he be doing with it?
It seems that the movie is to be entitled THE Wolverine and early word is that it is not a 'sequel' in the strictest definition of the word though there sems to be a strong connection to the part of the character's comic history - written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller - that dealt with his time in Japan. High Jackman WILL reprise the role of the adamantium-bladed mutant and will be working with Aronofsky for a second time, th first having been the symboism-rich/inpenetrable The Fountain.
Fox's press release mused that: "'Darren’s vision has brought audiences some of the most original and memorable stories and characters in recent motion picture history,' said Fox Searchlight heads, Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley. 'We at Fox witnessed this first hand with his work on 'The Wrestler,' and 'Black Swan,' and now, on 'The Wolverine', which will be an exciting take on that iconic figure and on the genre itself. We can’t wait to see what else Darren has in store for us.'"
The Wolverine looks set to begin shooting in the spring, though beyond that there is no information as yet on a proposed release schedule...
