2013 superhero film by James Mangold
The Wolverine is a 2013 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series, a spin-off/sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and the second Wolverine solo film following X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). The film was directed by James Mangold and written by Scott Frank and Mark Bomback. Hugh Jackman stars as Logan / Wolverine, alongside Svetlana Khodchenkova, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, Hiroyuki Sanada, Will Yun Lee and Famke Janssen. Following the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan travels to Japan, where he engages an old acquaintance in a struggle that has lasting consequences. Stripped of his healing powers, Wolverine must battle deadly samurai while struggling with guilt over Jean Grey's death.
The film's development began in 2009 after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Christopher McQuarrie was hired to write a screenplay for The Wolverine in August 2009. In October 2010, Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct the film. The project was delayed following Aronofsky's departure and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. In June 2011, Mangold was brought on board to replace Aronofsky. Bomback was then hired to rewrite the screenplay in September 2011. The supporting characters were cast in July 2012 with principal photography beginning at the end of the month around New South Wales before moving to Tokyo in August 2012 and back to New South Wales in October 2012. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.
The Wolverine was released by 20th Century Fox in various international markets on July 24, 2013, and in the United States two days later. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its action sequences, production design, Jackman's performance, and thematic profundity, though criticism was directed towards the climax. The film earned $414 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film in the series.
An unrated extended cut of the film referred to as the "Unleashed Extended Edition" was released on Blu-ray, featuring more blood and violence, extended action scenes, as well as additional footage during moments of character interaction. A third film titled Logan was released on March 3, 2017.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.