‘THE WOLVERINE’ getting a SEQUEL with Hugh Jackman and James Mangold returning
If, uh, a movie makes like $100+ million in the woods, and only a bear talks about it, does it exist? That’s my metaphysical question. ‘Cause The Wolverine is getting a sequel. Despite it being a relatively fun movie with a dreadful final act, I can’t really remember anyone giving a fuck about it. And yet! Here it is. Sequel primed.
“I wasn’t even sure after the first [stand-alone] film if I would do another,” Hugh Jackman said about returning for another “The Wolverine” movie in the run-up to this summer’s film. “I won’t say never, because I’m still loving it. But there would have to be a pretty compelling reason.” And while those compelling reasons are yet to be declared, it’s probably a safe bet that the movie’s $413 million worldwide haul—making it the second best performing X-Men movie ever—has something to do with it.
Deadline reveals that both director James Mangold and Jackman are in negotiations to return for a sequel, and really, was there any doubt this was going to happen? With Fox pretty much planting the seeds of massive world building with next year’s “X-Men: Days Of Future Past” (which was given a credits stinger in “The Wolverine” with the appearances of Charles Xavier and Magneto), it was only matter of when they were going to get the ball rolling. So now they have a director and star, but what about a script?
Well, Mangold will apparently pen the treatment but no word yet on whole will write the first of what will probably be many drafts, given Fox’s usual operating method. But as they watch Marvel now churn out two movies per year, we’d wager this won’t be one Fox will want to keep in development hell for too long. Will “The Wolverine 2 But Actually 3” serve as the buffer between ‘Days Of The Future Past’ and whatever X-Men adventure comes after that? If we were betting men…
I’m fine with this. Dug the movie. It was whatever. With claws. Whatever with Claws and Rage usually can make me giggle for an hour or two or three.