Wolverine Sequel in the Works

The Jack-Man Already Developing a Second Wolverine

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (21)

I’m just glad they at least waited until the movie opened this time. But, the inevitable has happened. After an $87 million opening weekend (and about $150 million worldwide), Fox is already developing a Wolverine sequel. And why not? As bad as Wolverine was, it not only put up a massive opening weekend (which will fall apart in weekend number two, I promise; $30 million tops), but it was demographically friendly. When I said, in the box-office round-up, that Wolverine prevented Ghosts of Girlfriends Past from doing well, I wasn’t kidding. Forty-seven percent of Wolverine’s ticket buyers were women, effectively killing counter-programming a romantic-comedy against is. So, when Wolverine 2 opens, it’ll probably get the weekend all to itself, like the next Harry Potter film and, effectively, Star Trek (the urban friendly Next Day Air opens in a paltry 1,000 theaters this weekend).

The storyline of the second Wolverine is expected to follow the samurai storyline of the comics, with a Japanese locale hinted at the end of Wolverine.

Now, let’s get this straight: There’s an X-Men franchise, a Wolverine franchise, a greenlit X-Men: First Class and the possibility of Deadpool and Gambit movies. By 2011, in fact, Fox could roll out an X-Men film every month of the summer. Fan-fucking-tastic.

In other Jack-man news, in addition to Ghostopolis, which we mentioned yesterday, the man has a few other projects in the works. He’s also developing Drive, about a racecar driver who moonlights as a get-away driver, and his big priority is Carousel, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, in which he’d play Billy Bigelow. He wants Anne Hathaway for the Julie Jordan role.

All of which is to say: If you’re not sick of Jack-man yet, you probably will be soon.

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Comments

about a racecar driver who moonlights as a get-away driver

Hey now, that's getting into Statham territory. There's going to be a slap fight.

Posted by: twig at May 5, 2009 10:14 AM

Forty-seven percent of Wolverine’s ticket buyers were women

What'd I say?

Posted by: Jay at May 5, 2009 10:15 AM

CAROUSEL?!?!? Effing Carousel?!? As someone who actually studied and appreciates musical theatre, for the love of Christ on a cracker, PLEASE do not ever make anyone listen to this music!

Posted by: Patty O'Green at May 5, 2009 10:18 AM

Hey now, if you're gonna talk shit about "You'll Never Walk Alone" then we're gonna tangle!

Posted by: Jay at May 5, 2009 10:21 AM

Gotta hand it to Jackman, he's that special kind of actor who can play a total badass while simultaneously starring in a musical.

Only five more years before no one cares about Wolverine anymore and Jackman starts making kids movies. The circle of life.

Posted by: UncivilizedMike at May 5, 2009 10:39 AM

"Urban friendly" means white people won't watch it.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at May 5, 2009 10:40 AM

Only five more years before no one cares about Wolverine anymore and Jackman starts making kids movies

He's not a native species and will migrate back to his homeland of the stage.

Posted by: twig at May 5, 2009 10:43 AM

You forgot about the MAGNETO movie they're working on, Dustin!

So, are they gonna erase his memory at the end of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE II, also? I think it'd be funny if he did a whole series of WOLVERINE movies where his memory is erased at the end of each one...waking up at the beginning of each one going, "Wha...Wha happened?!"

Posted by: Case at May 5, 2009 11:04 AM

Jay, I have to agree with Patty. Effing Carousel? What a waste of some sweet sweet Jack-Man.

I don't mind the music as much but the plot particularly makes me want to shoot someone. He comes back from the dead to beat up his fatherless child but "the slap felt like a kiss"? Maybe if he really did go to hell in this version...

Posted by: Anne (in Reno) at May 5, 2009 11:19 AM

Wolverine at samuria's home like as Fast&Furious 3? please stop the massacre!

Posted by: lalala! at May 5, 2009 12:44 PM

No no no, there's a very good storyline about his time in Japan, they're not pulling Japan outta their ass.

That's not to say it'll be adapted well.

Posted by: Jay at May 5, 2009 1:01 PM

I will watch anything with X-Men in it.

And seriously, Wolverine is ALL about the beefcake. As I helpfully illustrated here:

http://figgylicious.blogspot.com/2009/05/sunday-hot-post-action-man-edition.html

Something for everyone.

Posted by: figgy at May 5, 2009 1:26 PM

Oh Figgy... you make my heart sing.

Posted by: Kelly at May 5, 2009 2:22 PM

I have a few solid points to make here so stick with me.
First of all- Next Day Air was the one with Mike Epps and Donald Faison right? With a little Mos Def in there too? I thought that looked like it had potential. Is there any way it'll make it to rural Michigan? To quote Will Smith- Aww Hell Naw.
Secondly, does anyone else think that a young Clint Eastwood would've been incredibly Statham-esque awesome as Wolverine? Look at some older pictures of him. He had the hair. He has the scruffy beard. He was in good shape. He would've kicked ass.
In fact, I'm starting to think he influenced Wolverine. Can anyone back me up on this? Maybe in a Sting/John Constantine way?

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at May 5, 2009 2:40 PM

Hmmm. Is Mariko going to be in this one? I'd like to see their wedding storyline, but I don't know how they'd do it based on the universe established in the X-Men trilogy (Logan meeting Rogue when she's a teen, etc).

Posted by: Melissa at May 5, 2009 3:38 PM

Nope. Still not tired of him.

Posted by: BiblioGeek at May 5, 2009 10:21 PM

Hugh Jackman. MMMMMmmmmmm. And amaretto. Now, if I could pour the one on the other.....sounds like a good time to me...... I can dream, can't I?

Posted by: lori at May 5, 2009 11:24 PM

Everyone talks about the ending with him in japan...our viewing didn't have that. We had a deadpool ending which opened up for a solo film. did anybody else see that?

Posted by: pabs at May 6, 2009 10:01 AM

If it gets me more Liev Schreiber I'm game. And more Gambit! :woop: I want some Jubilee too.

Posted by: Meimi132 at May 6, 2009 5:55 PM

I saw Wolverine again today... cause I loves me some Wolverine/ Jackman / RR / hot men... and I think I actually liked it better the second time around... and I got the other after the credits ending, yay! So now I've seen them both... it all depends on which theater you go to.. and if they have it on multiple screens, they may have both versions... Neither one adds a ton to the movie, but does work well in setting up sequels and spinoffs, yay!!
Because I am a whore to the actiony summer blockbuster starring hot mens... yum!

Posted by: shel at May 7, 2009 1:26 AM

Wait, wait, wait - there's a *different* post-ending thingy?! I got the crappy Deadpool one.

*sigh*

I guess that means I'll have to see it again at a different theater and see if they show the other one. You know, just to be thorough :)

Posted by: elisamaza at May 7, 2009 9:47 PM

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The Jack-Man Already Developing a Second Wolverine

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