The Wolverine was initially scheduled to begin shooting last year but Hugh Jackman’s commitment to Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, along with location issues, caused a delay. However in February 20th Century Fox set a July 2013 release date, and now reports suggest filming will take place later this year in Australia.
From AU News:
In a deal estimated to be worth $80 million to the New South Wales economy, the blockbuster is the latest big budget movie to be made in the state following recent hits such as The Great Gatsby, Lego, Walking With Dinosaurs and Happy Feet 2.
Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner, who helped secure the deal with 20th Century Fox when he flew to Los Angeles in January, said winning the film would generate more than 2000 jobs for Sydney.
“The Wolverine is expected to generate more than $80 million in production expenditure in NSW and create more than 720 jobs for NSW-based cast and crew, along with opportunities for 1200 extras,” he said.
“It is a testament to our screen industry that Hugh Jackman and his team have chosen to come back to Australia after such a positive experience making the X-Men Origins.”
The script, written by The Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, takes Wolverine to Japan where he falls for a woman named Mariko, the daughter of a Japanese crime lord. Early in production there was talk of shooting in Japan, and some shooting may still take place there, but it looks like Australia is once again the shooting base for Wolverine.
James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) is directing, and we can expect to hear casting news soon.