Did you think you were going to get Wolverine in 2008? Sorry, as Variety is reporting today, Fox has set a May 1, 2009 release date for the X-Men spin-off starring Hugh Jackman and to be directed by Gavin Hood.
However, there is some news on the casting front as the site reports Liev Schreiber is in final negotiations to play a young William Stryker, the role that Brian Cox played so well in the 2003 hit X2: X-Men United.
Most likely Fox’s early poaching of the lucrative May 1st date will force other studios to shy away for at least a week following the superhero release as the weekend has proved to be superhero friendly recently as it marks the beginning of the Summer movie-going season. As of right now the only film releasing that weekend is Disney’s animated G-Force.
Wolverine will explore the claw-wielding character Wolverine’s violent and romantic past, and his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program, as well as his encounters with other mutants.
Hood will start shooting in Australia before moving to New Zealand and, later, to New Orleans. Latter location is a clue that the storyline might include New Orleans-based character Gambit, who is able to make objects explode and was a professional thief before joining the X-Men.
Variety mentions that Fox is still persuing the Magneto spin-off and also notes that Fox has now lined up three major films for summer 2009 with Wolverine along with Jim Cameron’s Avatar on May 22 and Ice Age 3 on July 1.
