Last month, it was revealed that 20th Century Fox had assembled a varied list of probable directors who could take over handling The Wolverine in the wake of Darren Aronofsky leaving the job. While the likes of Doug Liman, Jose Padilha and Mark Romanek were considered, one of those who made the short list has gotten the gig, with James Mangold emerging victorious.
Mangold’s latest job was also for Fox: he delivered Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz action comedy Knight and Day, which, while it didn’t exactly fly at the US box office, delivered a decent showing around the world. But we figure it’s the intense likes of Identity and 3:10 to Yuma’s blend of drama and Western action that convinced executives that Mangold could handle the job.
He’s not totally locked in yet, but negotiations have begun in earnest, with the confirmation expected soon.
With a script by Christopher McQuarrie, The Wolverine will see Hugh Jackman’s Logan living in Japan and managing to get in yet more trouble when he falls for the wrong woman. Though the tragic earthquakes and tsunami in Japan have affected the shooting schedule, the studio apparently wants to get filming under way this autumn.