This press release just came in, officially announcing Darren Aronofsky as the director of The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman back to star and Christopher McQuarrie (Valkyrie) penning the script with the film is scheduled to begin production in April next year.
Fox Filmed Entertainment has signed Darren Aronofsky and his production company Protozoa Pictures to a new two-year, overall deal, it was announced today. Under the deal, Protozoa will develop and produce films for both Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Aronofsky’s debut picture under the pact will be The Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman. Written by Oscar-winner Christopher McQuarrie, the film is scheduled to begin production in April next year.
The deal solidifies Fox’s relationship with Aronofsky, whose recent films – this fall’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller, Black Swan, was produced and distributed by Fox Searchlight, which also distributed Aronofsky’s 2008 award-winning film The Wrester. Black Swan opened this year’s Venice Film Festival, and has since screened at such major festivals as Telluride, Toronto and London to great acclaim. The film arrives in theaters beginning December 3rd.
“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.”
Added Emma Watts, president of production, Twentieth Century Fox: “We’re excited Darren is going to bring his unique vision to The Wolverine and we take great satisfaction that Fox, irrespective of the size of his films, continues to provide a home for his extraordinary talent.”
The Wolverine is expected to hit theaters Summer 2012.
Previous stories have said the film will take its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, which is set in Japan and features Wolverine dealing with ninjas as he struggles whether to follow his animal killer instincts or the life under a samurai’s code of honor and respect. The setting shouldn’t be much of a surprise to fans who caught one of the two alternate post-credit endings which featured Wolverine in Japan and speaking Japanese with his bartender who asks him if he’s drinking to forget. He replies in English that he’s, “Drinking to remember.”
