Is 'Wolverine' in Trouble?
Filed under: Action, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, 20th Century Fox, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
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It seems my favorite superhero is about to enter the land of ugly rumors. According to Hollywood Elsewhere, there's trouble on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It seems that director Gavin Hood and Fox co-chairman and CEO Tom Rothman are butting heads over the look and feel of the film.
Hood, being a smart man who knows his character, wants the film to be dark and gritty. Rothman wants a happier, friendlier, Iron Man sort of film. Apparently, things came to a head at least once on set when Hood came to work to find one of his dingy and somber sets completely repainted into something brighter and more cheerful. (I bet they even put one of those "Hang in there!" kitten posters on the wall.) The set revamp had been done on Rothman's orders, who has a reputation for being stubborn and micromanaging. It's not clear from the second-hand story who won out on this particular battle, but if we see a chirpier set design on opening day, we'll know.
Word around town had production troubled for awhile (it's all anyone talked about prior to the footage screening at ComicCon, though it's all been very hush hush) -- and I'm also under the impression from ComicCon that the film has finally wrapped, so all this set redecoration may be very old and irrelevant news. Perhaps Hood has already won out, as the teaser footage certainly suggested that it was a bit grittier than Iron Man or the previous X-Men films. Please, let that be the case. If I'm disappointed by Wolverine (and I inevitably will be), I don't want it to be because my beloved Logan has a penchant for kitten posters.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens May 1st, 2009.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-20-2008 @ 10:35AM
Paul Arnette said...
Perhaps Rothman needs to take another look at the box office receipts for The Dark Knihgt? I sure wish these 'suits' would stick to what they do best. By the way, when someone figures out what that is, please let me know.
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8-20-2008 @ 11:36AM
Jana TheJunction.de said...
I do love Wolverine, so this is bad news. I think dark and gritty would be the thing to go for.
What a nightmare..you got your film all planned out, you got your vision and your ideas and then some guy just changes your set....
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8-20-2008 @ 11:55AM
Adam said...
You mean to tell me the guy who destroyed X3 (And yes he is the real destroyer of X3. Rothman was letting Singer and Matthew Vaughn go long before Ratner ever signed on) is destroying the Wolverine movie? I just don't believe it.
Rothman has that old Hollywood mentality: The movies should just be made to sell toys to little kids. Yes, Dark Knight is changing all of this for the better. But unfortunately, Wolverine was probably close to wrapping up production before the huge box office numbers of Knight were known.
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8-20-2008 @ 6:41PM
John said...
Iron-Man, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four... they are meant to be happier films. Wolverine has been always gritty and dark character. The guys on board for this film need to realize what movie they're making.
I'm scared too that this will be a disappointment. The orginal trilogy was lackluster and did not live up to the name (with the second one being the exception).
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8-20-2008 @ 4:41PM
E-Rock said...
I cannot stand these fat cat studio execs that only see quantity not quality. These execs don't care about the director's vision or the fans, they just care about what's inside the fans' wallets. I don't think anybody wants see a happy Wolverine movie, just writing "happy" and "Wolverine" in the same sentence is making me dry heave. It makes sense with Spiderman and Iron Man, but Wolverine HAS to be dark and gritty.
I would love to see some more 'R' rated superhero movies in the future. V for Vendetta was amazing and I can't wait for the Watchmen movie, but imagine if "The Dark Knight" was rated 'R', I think the Joker's magic trick would've been even more twisted.
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8-20-2008 @ 9:34PM
Joe said...
Well this is saddening news Wolverine has always been a dark character. Do the guys making the movie not know what kind of stuff happened to Wolverine in the Weapon X project.
Some major Sh** went on with that. Even when back in WW2 Wolverine did some very unhuman like stuff. So if Wolverine turns out to be a nice family film I will be really sick. Why can't people who make movies stay close to what they are basing it off.
All I can hope is when Magneto comes out that is dark. Because if this one is not dark may be for the Magneto film it could be dark. Erik did some very messed up things to the Nazis when He found out what He could do. So that should be dark too.
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8-21-2008 @ 11:50AM
Petro1734 said...
This is not cool. Friggin' Rothdouche.
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8-22-2008 @ 12:30PM
Moo said...
Yup, Rothman...ONCE AGAIN...getting his dirty paws into the mix. I agree with the statement above about Rothman being the person who destroyed X3 1000%.
Thank jebus Marvel has its own studio now, so at least they wont have to deal with this type of meddling with the new properties moving forward.
ROTHMAN- YOU ARE A HACK! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE WANT! GO AWAY!
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8-25-2008 @ 6:04PM
serwaa said...
Leave the movie alone!!!!!!!! This is not for kids its for the adults!!! Its supposed to be dark, and gritty!!! What the hell!!!!! Yo that guy really need to read the comics and watch the 90's cartoon of X-MEN, Not attended for kids!!!! Look at Batman, its blowing the DC comics out of the open!!!! Watchmen will be next!!! FOX get it together!!!!!!!!
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8-29-2008 @ 1:59AM
TrueBeliever said...
Rothman: "Oh it looks too depressing. Lets change it to sell toys for the kiddies" Dumb-ass leave the film alone.
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