Wolverine: Set Reports/Filming Update(s)

[Advanced Dark]

Yeah it's early but I didn't expect to find this news either.

http://www.scene.co.nz/cms/news/top_stories/2007/10/art10001426.php

It's a Hugh-dunnit - Jackman brings Hollywood to town

Exclusive Philip Chandler 18 Oct 2007

A HOLLYWOOD movie starring heart-throb Australian actor Hugh Jackman will be shot around Queenstown and Central Otago over December and January.

Titled Wolverine, the 20th Century Fox film is a prequel to three X-Men blockbusters in which Jackson also played the comic-book superhero of the same name.

According to industry sources, who asked not to be named, a production office has already been set up in town to employ several locals and out-of-towners.

The four- to six-week shoot could see 100 or more Queenstowners hired as set builders, grips, runners, drivers, caterers and the like.

More than one set will be built in the Wakatipu but shooting will also take place in Central Otago, including Naseby.

A source says Queenstown was chosen not only for the scenery but because of the sizeable film community here – who mostly work on TV commercials – as well as the ready availability of accommodation, bars and restaurants.

Interior shooting will take place afterwards at Fox Studios in Sydney. The Sydney-born and raised Jackman, who turned 39 last Friday, first starred in ABC TV prison drama Correlli 12 years ago.

According to website information, he was a last-minute addition to the original X-Men movie in 2000, then starred in the 2003 and 2006 sequels with Hollywood beauty Halle Berry.

Jackman has hosted American theatre’s Tony Awards, sung the Aussie national anthem before a Bledisloe Cup rugby Test in Melbourne and an NRL league Grand Final in Sydney – and has been voted among “The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine.

Some women might be disappointed to learn he’s married – he met his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness, while shooting Correlli. The couple, who live in Melbourne, have two adopted children.

Wolverine is said to be the first project for a production company owned by Jackman, his wife and long-time assistant John Palermo.

Interestingly, the Wolverine character he plays is only 1.6m tall while he’s 1.89m. A human mutant, Wolverine first emerged as a fictional Marvel Comics superhero in 1974.

 

[Retroman]

From the imdb.com forums.

Brendan Cowell?

by dmorgan-11 5 days ago (Fri Oct 12 2007 21:59:34)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I heard on Triple J that Brendan Cowell may have been auditioning for a part in the new Hugh Jackman Wolverine film.... he couldn't confirm it nor could Triple J...but it was insinuated.

Source:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/board/thread/87372810


Edit! - Just listened to the Triple J interview which is available on their official site. Cowell pretty much confirms that he auditioned for a mutant role but doesn't say which one.

Brendan Cowell - 10 October (1.87 MB) 10/10/2007
On his way to a MAJOR film audition, Brendan Cowell (your fave Reality Radio Start of Actor Factor) quickly calls Robbie Buck and the Top Shelf Team to run his lines through! Break a Leg Man!

Source:http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/topshelf/listen/audio_alpha_B.htm
Direct download link for mp3 of interview: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/topshelf/m1458752.mp3

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184698/

 

[Electrix]

He looks like a young Magneto to me

I wonder who he could be audition for...

 

[narrows101]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4242755a1860.html

Jackman to film in South Island
By DAVID WILLIAMS - The Press | Friday, 19 October 2007

Hugh Jackman will be filmed in the Southern Lakes this summer, employing hundreds of people.

Rumoured to have a budget in excess of $100 million, pre-production is well under way in Sydney for X-Men prequel Wolverine – a 20th Century Fox film, in conjunction with Jackman's own company, Seed. The majority of filming will take place at Fox Studios in Sydney.

The film's New Zealand production supervisor, Simon Ambridge, confirmed to The Press that locations around Queenstown and Central Otago would be used during a four-week shooting period in late December and early January.

Asked if the Aussie heart-throb would be coming to New Zealand, Ambridge said: "He's the central character in the film so, yes, it would be fair to assume that he's coming."

He did not know whether Jackman would be accompanied by his wife, actress Deborra-lee Furness, or their two children.

Jackman, who celebrated his 39th birthday in Sydney last week, has been across the Tasman shooting director Baz Luhrmann's epic film Australia, with Nicole Kidman.

Ambridge said the production office in Queenstown was opened last week by Woz Productions, a New Zealand offshoot of 20th Century Fox.
With eight weeks until shooting started, things would now ramp up pretty quickly, Ambridge said.

"We're still looking for locations," he said. "There's ongoing scouting and the key creative people have had a look. Obviously, we want to shoot here and have a number of options for different sequences in the film."
Accommodation was being sought in Queenstown for cast and crew, he said. He was still in the process of finding crew.

"A lot of Kiwis have done significant work on films before. There will certainly be a lot of Kiwis working on the film."

The final mix would include "hundreds" of industry professionals, from New Zealand, Australian and the United States, he said, including many Queenstown locals.

Wolverine has been scheduled for release next July. It will be a busy time for the film industry in the Southern Lakes over summer, with Dutch film Bride Flight and another project called Mood Indigo also to be filmed in the region.

 

[BatJew]

Wow, Wolverine will be filming in NZ? I might have to check it out t:

 

[Electrix]

Good idea!

 

[narrows101]

Only posting this article mainly about Nicole Kidman because it gives info on when Hugh will be done filming AUSTRALIA - looks like December is the date for the start of WOLVERINE:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/nics-big-sister-routine-no-act/2007/10/21/1192940894542.html

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are back on set for Australia in Sydney, after Kidman made a quick trip to the US to fulfil a contractual obligation.

Kidman and Jackman are working full-time at Fox Studios in Moore Park to complete filming for Baz Luhrmann's epic film. The stars are expected to remain here until the end of next month, when filming is scheduled to finish.

Despite industry speculation that Luhrmann was running behind schedule and beyond budget on his spectacular film, reports from the set suggest otherwise. "The studio is happy," one insider said, adding the Hollywood heavyweights behind the film had been pleased with the progress of the movie.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22624305-5006002,00.html

Busy times for Hugh
October 22, 2007 12:00am

THE casting call continues for Aussie stud Hugh Jackman, who has jetted off to LA to unearth some US talent for the upcoming sci-fi blockbuster Wolverine.

While his wife Deborra-Lee and kids were beaching it at Bondi yesterday, Jackman was busy building the Hollywood buzz around the $100 million dollar project his company Seed Productions is producing with 20th Century Fox.

As Jackman attended the annual A Fine Romance gala dinner for the Motion Picture and Television Fund in California, industry was alert with word Naomi Watts' beau Liev Schreiber is in talks to play a younger version of Wolverine's nemesis William Stryker in the upcoming film.

As pre-production for Wolverine is already well underway at Moore Park's Fox studios, the role would coincide perfectly with Watts and Schreiber's plans to celebrate Christmas in Sydney with their newborn son Alexander Pete.

Meanwhile, the Australia clock is still ticking for Jackman, who dashes back today to be on set.

 

[Retroman]

It seems like Jackman has been working on that movie for an eternity now. Good thing he's been able to prep for Wolverine at the same time.

 

[narrows101]

It seems like Jackman has been working on that movie for an eternity now. Good thing he's been able to prep for Wolverine at the same time.

Tell me about it! It's been filming since the end of April! It better show on the big screen!

I'm sure he's also prepping for WOLVERINE and a few other projects he has going - it probably helps that AUSTRALIA is now filming at Fox Studios for the duration.

 

[Hypestyle]

Now that Viva Laughlin is canceled (hooray!), Hugh will have that much more time to concentrate on the Wolverine project, including the sequel..

 

[narrows101]

Now that Viva Laughlin is canceled (hooray!), Hugh will have that much more time to concentrate on the Wolverine project, including the sequel..

He really didn't have much to do with it - I think most of the stuff was being handled by his business partner in LA and there were also other producers. He didn't even really promote it - I've only seen one online short interview with him about it. He filmed two episodes, but that was in March and July. He's still busy filming AUSTRALIA - that and pre-production on WOLVERINE I'm sure are taking up much of his time.

 

[Retroman]

UPDATE!
Found some new details on the New Zealand leg of the Wolverine shoot.The filming dates courtesy of the NZ Film and Video Technicians' Guild official site.

Wolverine
Format: Feature Film
Dates: Prep from October 8th; Shooting 10th Dec 2007 - 18th Janurary 2008 (2 week break over Christmas 21st Dec 2007 - 7th January 2008)
Locations: Queenstown and surrounds
Production Co: WOZ Productions

Source:http://www.nztecho.com/index.php?pageID=17

 

[narrows101]

Hugh is filming AUSTRALIA with Nicole Kidman. Nicole said on Oct. 28 that this movie has six weeks left to film! Which brings it to the end of November/the first week in December, which leaves Hugh no time off - unless they finish a bit before that or he's done sooner. So looks like December 10 it is.

Source: http://www.nicolekidmanunited.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=8791

 

[Retroman]

^^They're really cutting it close.

 

[narrows101]

This might be a rehash but it's another confirmation of filming. I have a feeling this may be the first location since we think Hugh is still filming AUSTRALIA and it won't be finished until sometime at the end of the month. This article is a report on four movies filming in New Zealand, all of which you may have heard about.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1501119/story.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10474141

Meanwhile, further south, Queenstown locals will also get a taste of Hollywood as Hugh Jackman prepares to star as Wolverine in an X-Men spin-off.

Prep for the film is reportedly underway with filming scheduled to begin on December 10.

 

[Retroman]

Looks like principal photography has been pushed back (at least the New Zealand leg is) because new dates have just been posted on NZ Film and Video Technicians' Guild site.

Wolverine
Format: Feature Film
Dates: Prep from October 8th; Shooting from Janurary 2008
Locations: Queenstown and surrounds
Production Co: WOZ Productions

http://www.nztecho.com/index.php?pageID=17

Maybe Hugh's long filming schedule on Australia is a blessing in disguise. The Wolverine movie crew will have much more time to prepare for filming than they initially thought.

Somewhere Matthew Vaughn is watching in envy.

 

[narrows101]

Looks like principal photography has been pushed back (at least the New Zealand leg is) because new dates have just been posted on NZ Film and Video Technicians' Guild site.

http://www.nztecho.com/index.php?pageID=17

Maybe Hugh's long filming schedule on Australia is a blessing in disguise. The Wolverine movie crew will have much more time to prepare for filming than they initially thought.

Somewhere Matthew Vaughn is watching in envy.

I really wonder if that's the start of filming or if some filming at Fox Studios is going to be done first. If they started December 10 (the date that was rumored) December is a short filming month anyway since they take off for the holidays.

 

[MattC]

I have been hearing January start for the past couple of weeks, and this just goes towards further confirming that. I don't know if it is due to Hugh's schedule or not, I assumed that it was mainly strike related.

 

[narrows101]

I have been hearing January start for the past couple of weeks, and this just goes towards further confirming that. I don't know if it is due to Hugh's schedule or not, I assumed that it was mainly strike related.

Hugh is still filming AUSTRALIA - it's supposedly FINALLY going to be finished filming at the end of November.

 

[Retroman]

Hugh's schedule probably had something to do with since they were orginally supposed to start this last week.

Whether it's a December or January start at least they'll have plenty of time for shooting and post production unlike the last X-Men movie.

 

[narrows101]

A January date was mentioned in this article:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4259685a1860.html

The consent period applied for is from November 5 to February 28, including reinstatement work, although filming is expected to be from January 14.

 

[YJ1]

Somewhere Matthew Vaughn is watching in envy.

Think how Dougray Scott feels?

 

[narrows101]

Think how Dougray Scott feels?

From a 2006 article:

http://www.celebrityspider.com/news/march06/article031906-20.html

Hugh Jackman Says Sorry to Dougray Scott 3/19/06

Hollywood star Hugh Jackman felt so guilty about taking Doughray Scott's role as Wolverine in the first X-Men film, he apologized to the Scottish actor.

Jackman, who accepted the part of Wolverine after Scott pulled out due to his filming overlap with Mission Impossible II, was catapulted to fame as a result of the role and went on to play Wolverine again in X2 and the forthcoming second sequel X-Men: The Last Stand. And the Australian hunk was relieved that Scott didn't hold it against him.

Jackman tells British magazine Hotdog, "I didn't quite have the guts to say thank you, I kind of apologized to him. "I spoke to him later and I said, 'Well I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say,' and he said, 'Ah, that's Hollywood, these things happen.'"

 

[Congo Jack]

I've never seen him in anything, but looks-wise he's got a bit of a Maverick/Agent Zero vibe.

 

[merbass]

i also think that he was auditioning for Agent Zero role. i also have a feling that he will be bluish black like nightcrawler.