Who Plays Who?

Hugh Jackman Liev Schreiber Danny Huston Will i Am Lynn Collins Kevin Durand Dominic Monaghan Taylor Kitsch Daniel Henney Ryan Reynolds Scott Adkins Tim Pocock Julia Blake Max Cullen Troye Sivan Michael-James Olsen Peter O'Brien Aaron Jeffery Alice Parkinson

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Logan/Wolverine Victor Creed/Sabretooth William Stryker John Wraith Kayla Silverfox Frederick J Dukes/The Blob Chris Bradley/Bolt Remy LeBeau/Gambit David North/Agent Zero Wade Wilson/Deadpool Weapon XI Scott Summers Heather Hudson Travis Hudson James Dog (Young Creed) John Howlett Thomas Logan Elizabeth Howlett

The Inside Story While the three previous X-Men films were set in the not-too-distant future, the main story of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" as the saga’s first chapter; is set prior to the events of those pictures, in the not-too-distant past, sometime in the 1970s. But the epic sweep of the new film also encompasses flashbacks that span 150 years. It has a scale and ambition new to even this high-reaching series. "We wanted to exceed expectations in every way," sums up star and producer Hugh Jackman. "We couldn’t just make a very good movie; it had to be much more than that." To that end, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" provides a great roller coaster ride of adventure and action, while tapping into complex themes and rich and powerful emotional conflicts that have been hallmarks of the X-Men films. "Yes, the film needs to be visually stunning, and the action has to be amazing and hard-hitting," says director Gavin Hood (2005 Academy Award ® best foreign language film "Tsotsi"). "But you’ve also got to buy into the story and characters. The core idea of the film is that it’s about someone who is not comfortable with who he is, who’s at war with his own nature. That’s an interesting character to explore. The theme of being at war with one’s own nature, fuels and energizes the film so it becomes more than just action for its own sake." Jackman was convinced that Hood was the right man for the job after he viewed dual 2005 Edinburgh International Film Festival winner Hood’s modestly budgeted Oscar ® winner, a penetrating drama set in Johannesburg about a hardened teenage criminal whose life is changed when he becomes emotionally attached to an infant left in the back seat of his car. "The character Tsotsi was at war with himself, just like Wolverine is," says Jackman. "I got carried away by Tsotsi’s journey, and by Gavin’s instincts for character and story. The characters have always been at the heart of the X-Men comics and movies. People connect with and relate to them." Indeed, when comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men over fourty years ago, they shaped characters and stories with drama and conflict. The X-Men were an unusual heroic group: at times sarcastic, antisocial, and clearly flawed; yet sympathetic when battling the demons of their lives, or taking on powerful villains in their universe of special powers. The character of Wolverine came years after many of his X-Men brethren, first appearing in comics in 1974 (as a creation of writer Len Wein and art director John Romita Sr.) before becoming an integral member of The X-Men, as well as the headliner of his own comics series. The character’s impact on pop culture has been profound; last year alone, Wolverine was ranked #1 of Wizard magazine’s 'Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time' and was ranked #4 in Empire Magazine’s 'The 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters'. The first X-Men movie, with then Hollywood film newcomer Hugh Jackman taking the key role of Wolverine, was released in 2000 to critical and audience acclaim, reinvigorating the 'comics to film' genre and taking $US296,339,527 worldwide. "X2: X-Men United" released in 2003 grossing $US407,711,549 worldwide while 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand", was another success with a worldwide gross of $US459,359,555. By 2009, over seventy percent of American moviegoers had seen at least one of the X-Men movies. For Jackman, reprising the role was an opportunity to expand and deepen the three previous films’ exploration of Wolverine. "We now get to see Logan’s journey and the battle within, as he owns up to the events of his past," says 2006 ShoWest Convention Male Star of the Year winner, Jackman. "Wolverine has certain qualities that are sacred, and number one is that he’s a badass. Borrowing the character’s catch phrase, Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn’t very nice," Jackman offers. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner, who produced on the three previous X-Men films notes: "Logan’s got attitude, humor and a way about him. He just doesn’t give a damn: and that’s fun for an audience to experience." In this prequel to the X-Men franchise Logan is seeking solace from a past rife with darkness, working as a lumberjack in the remote Canadian Rockies. Finding love and contentment for the first time in his very long life, Logan leads a seemingly idyllic existence with schoolteacher Kayla Silverfox. "He couldn’t be further away from the past he’s so long been trying to escape," says Jackman, who played Eric Ringer in 1988's "Halifax f.p: Afraid of the Dark". "Kayla is a catalyst for the biggest changes Logan’s ever faced," says Lynn Collins ("Suddenly 30" & "The Lake House"), who took on the role after Jackman had seen her on stage as Potia, in "The Merchant of Venice" opposite Al Pacino. "She leads him to think differently about the conflict of being human and being a mutant. Their relationship leads him to try and heal old wounds, and experience the consequences and risks of love." But as Logan searches for the peace that has eluded him more than a century, "the world he’s been trying to escape keeps drawing him back in," says Jackman. "As with anything in life, unless you’ve really dealt with a problem, unless you’re really at peace with it, the problem tends to recur. And it’s clear from the beginning that Wolverine has run away from things he needs to face. And one of them is Victor, his brother." Victor Creed, also known as Sabretooth, possesses powers similar to Logan’s. They are both virtually indestructible and have a feral, super-human strength. Logan (born James Howlett) and Victor did not learn they were brothers until their teens, in the aftermath of a family tragedy that leads to the emergence of Logan’s signature berserker rage and claws that power their way through his flesh as razor-sharp spikes, turning him into something more and something less than human. "Victor is incredibly brutal and has a bloodlust unlike any character I’ve ever played," says Schreiber, who played Stuart Besser opposite Jackman in "Kate & Leopold". "This guy is a real killer." The character of Stryker was introduced to movie audiences in "X2 United", in which he tries to bring about the destruction of all mutants across the world. That film hinted at a long history between Logan and Stryker, but only through quick flashes of Logan’s lost memories. Now, fans of the franchise will discover the full measure of Stryker’s impact on Logan, Victor and other mutants in full detail. The filmmakers tapped 2005 Satellite Award winner Danny Huston ("The Constant Gardener") to play Stryker. "Every character Danny plays is so vivid and present," says Jackman. Huston ("21 Grams") likens Stryker to Dr Frankenstein. "In a way, he helped create Wolverine. Stryker both hates and loves Logan, and certainly wants to control him and other mutants. He sees the mutants as children or wild animals. In controlling them, he can use them as weapons for what he perceives to be the safety of mankind. He loves Wolverine like a son. But he has to manipulate him and possibly exterminate him for what Stryker sees as a personal crusade, which he believes is bigger than any one man: or any one mutant." "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" introduces audiences to the original members of Stryker's 'Team X'. Ryan Reynolds ("Waiting") seemed destined to take on the role of Wade Wilson who resurfaces near films end in a battle royale as Deadpool. "I’ve wanted to play Deadpool most of my adult life," says 2003 Young Hollywood Award winner Reynolds. "It’s a beloved character with comics fans, so it’s not a responsibility I take lightly." Wade/Deadpool’s weapon of choice are katana swords, and Reynolds trained extensively to make his swordplay convincing. "I lived, ate and breathed swords." Team X member Bradley, is portrayed by 2002 PFCS and 2003 NBR Award winner Dominic Monaghan ("LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring" & "The Two Towers") who notes: "With Team X, he was a guerrilla soldier, but when things got out of hand, and he saw things he didn’t want to see, he left the unit." Team X member John Wraith, who becomes Wolverine’s closest friend, is a teleporter who can appear or disappear at will. "He’s not to be messed with," says music icon Will.i.am, of the famed group "The Black Eyed Peas", who makes his motion picture acting debut in the film. Long after departing Team X, Wraith remains closely allied with one Fred J Dukes, a supreme warrior who later let himself go, becoming a seven hundred pound behemoth known as 'The Blob': the meanest man you’ve ever seen. Kevin Durand ("Lost") donned one of the largest and most elaborate fat suits in motion picture history to play the super fatty, inside of which was a state of the art cooling system originally designed for NASA. An equally fearsome warrior is Agent Zero, an expert tracker with lethal marksmanship skills, played by Daniel Henney. The American-born actor, who became an enormous star in South Korea, notes that Zero and Logan, although once members of the Team, are enemies. "He’s always been jealous of Logan and he’s determined to stop him." One character many will be hoping to see more of, wasn't in the original franchise. Beloved by fans of the X-Men comics who have long awaited the character’s debut in the film franchise, Gambit, who also goes by the name Remy LeBeau is played by Taylor Kitsch. Producer Ralph Winter ("Fantastic Four" & "X-Men" franchise) recalls how before each of the "X-Men" films were released people would ask, "Is Gambit in the movie? Is he going to throw cards?" His answer? "Hang on, we’ll get to him." Kitsch's training included long sessions with the bö staff and fighting sticks; as well as endless hours going through packs and packs of trading cards, learning LeBeau's signature moves. "By the time cameras rolled, I could do quite a bit with a deck of cards." A big part of what drives the film is the relationship between Logan and Victor. "I think of Victor as Logan’s doppelganger, his darker side," says Schreiber. "What drives both of them is their desire to find their place in their world: to belong to something." To beat Victor, the cunning Stryker tells Logan, "you’re going to have to embrace the other side of you. Become the animal." This statementleads to the bonding Logan's bones to adamantium. Logan survives the process and escapes from Alkali Lake as the now indestructible Wolverine many of us know. "I had more fun playing Wolverine in this film than ever before," Jackman revealed. "This film has lots of great characters new to the X-Men movies. It was particularly rewarding to establish these new characters." And, he trained harder than ever before. While 'Aunty Jack' once threatened to "rip yer bloody arms off!", Jackman revealed he wanted audiences to say, "Okay, this guy is frightening; this guy could easily rip someone’s head off." The Verdict "Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness and John Palermo (founders of Seed Productions), along with screenwriters David Benioff ("The Kite Runner") and Skip Woods ("Swordfish"), are to be heartily congratulated for coming up with such an exciting and highly entertaining prequel to the "X-Men" franchise. This edition, which takes audiences on a trip covering one hundred and fifty years shouldn't be seen as a grab for cash production to feed the studio executives retirement fund. It's obvious Jackman has a genuine love for the character and a genuine desire to bring to the screen what the franchise had previously overlooked: the grass root storytelling of Wolverine's origin. Audiences will quickly realize (from the montage after the opening segment), that the writers have opened up endless possibilities when it comes to future 'Wolverine' productions. And that's without allowing for tales from the comic books. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" introduces screen fans to the infamous 'Team X', headed-up by (soon to become mutan-hater) Stryker, all of whose characters are larger than life, in particular Fred J Dukes who over time, turns himself into a seven hundred pound blob. Action, love, new characters, spectacular settings and special effects will ensure fans of the franchise are left hanging by their fingernails. And, don't worry if you're an 'X-Men' newbie, it really doesn't matter whether you've seen the other three 'X-Men' films. WARNING: be patient and stay for the closing credits because there's a scene at the beginning and, another at the very end. As I said after the media launch two days before it hit cinemas, "get your claws into this one when it opens." In fact, put "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" at the top of your M.S.M.L. 5 STARS." Synopsis

After decades of living amongst humans, Logan and his brother Victor's luck has finally run out. The two have been sentenced to death by firing squads thanks to Victors 'discretions' while the two are serving in Vietnam. Ten hours after their execution they are chained and shackled to the wall of their cell. They have a visitor. William Stryker has come to offer them a new life working with him on covert operations for the government. Logan and Victor become part of a unique team comprising: Wade Wilson, a high-tech mercenary skilled at swordplay; Agent Zero, an expert tracker and lethal marksman; Wraith, a teleporter; Fred J Dukes, also known as The Blob, a morbidly obese and super-strong behemoth; and Bradley, who can manipulate electricity. Logan soon becomes disillusioned and leaves the team, settling for a quiet, peaceful life in Canada. Until Stryker decides to pay him a visit.

What Do The Critics Say

"Angst-ridden superheroes have become so ubiquitous that it's invigorating to become reacquainted with one as rough and ready for anything as Hugh Jackman's feral X-Man, Wolverine. This big, handsome, pacey film is the perfect vehicle for him. It races along at such a clip that his origins are almost accounted for by the time the titles start to roll. It's fun and, for a film possessed of its scale, ambition and extravagantly loopy plotlines, it's refreshingly unpretentious." Sandra Hall SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "An action-packed ride filled with nonstop thrills and spectacular visual effects that deserves to be experienced on the big screen with a large crowd." Avi Offer NYC MOVIE GURU "Even if you're not a superhero fan, Wolverine won't disappoint. It's an intelligent, brooding movie." David Edwards UK DAILY MIRROR "I'd take ten X-Men Origins: Wolverines over the hot mess of X-Men: The Last Stand, any day." Diva Velez THE DIVA REVIEW "We went in as fans of the series, but held no expectation that this was going to live up to the hype or the originals. We were pleasantly surprised. Overall, the movie is fast-moving and slick, with audiences brought up to speed on Logan’s back story within minutes. X-Men Origins: Wolverine has more than enough spark to reignite the franchise." David Christopher THE CELEBRITY TRUTH "Hugh Jackman's instincts are spot on to get in early and make the most of his screen capital, created with the Wolverine character almost a decade ago. As producer as well as star, Jackman is able to steer the project to his liking and the result is a superbly cast film with attention to detail, concern for character: and the odd touch of dry humour. In cinematic terms, the film is a great success, an audio visual feast with seamless effects and some terrific location footage." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

"For the most part, Jackman and Schreiber carry the story and hold their own by chewing through the sometimes cringe-worthy dialogue. The guys do play well off each other, and the audience is treated to several nice fight scenes between them. And that’s why people are going to see this movie, aren’t they? X-Men Origins: Wolverine is like a Big Mac: not really good for you but decadently enjoyable." Kevin Carr 7M MOVIES "The action is fast and furious, the script is impressive for this type of movie and the visual effects (apart from the odd occasion) are phenomenal. This is a not to be missed blockbuster that will impress as much as it will entertain." Simon Thompson HEART 106.2 "The movie's version of adamantium is its three leads, all superb actors as well as action heroes." Nell Minow BELIEFNET "Hugh Jackman's feral superhero is back, and maybe even better." Kurt Loder MTV "It's fun and, for a film possessed of its scale, ambition and extravagantly loopy plotlines, it's refreshingly unpretentious." Sandra Hall SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "Hugh Jackman is this film's biggest redeemer; a truly likeable lead actor with screen presence and menace that demonstrate a familiarity and level of comfort with the source material that only comes from ten years of playing the same character: the titular hero, Wolverine." Patrick Kolan ING MOVIE REVIEWS "Exploding with as much entertainment value as Hugh Jackman has muscles, Wolverine is a dazzling comic book fantasy in which the characters, storytelling, action and special effects are perfectly balanced. Gavin Hood has packed such density into these 103 minutes which escalate into a tense and thrilling crescendo of a conclusion." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE

The Production Team

Director Screenplay Producers Original Music Director of photography Film Editors Casting Production Designer Supervising art director Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Designer

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Gavin Hood David Benioff and Skip Woods Hugh Jackman/John Palermo Lauren Shuler Donner/Ralph Winter Harry Gregson-Williams Donald M McAlpine Nicolas De Toth & Megan Gill Christine King & Debra Zane Barry Robison Ian Gracie Michael Diner/Brian Edmonds/Helen Jarvis Karen Murphy/Mark Robins Rebecca Cohen & Sandy Walker Louise Mingenbach

Run Time M minutes Rated 107 [AUST] ©2009 - Twentieth Century Fox Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.