Since The Wolverine first started to get going, one of the biggest problems has been the country of Japan. While the original plan was to be finished with production in 2011 to potentially get ready for a 2012 release, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel found itself in trouble when the Asian nation was rocked by a tsunami. Since then, the production has been searching for a location to shoot in that could double for Japan. In August of last year there were reports that project would set up shop in Vancouver, Canada, but now it looks like that won't be happening. Instead, they're going to get things moving in Hugh Jackman's hometown.
Australia's News.com.au is reporting that the James Mangold-directed superhero sequel will be shot in Sydney. Commenting on the deal, Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said that "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." While this news was a long time coming, it also creates another link between the new project and Gavin Hood's 2009 spinoff, as that movie was also made down under. Most of the production will be taking place in Sydney, including post-production and visual effects, but some of the movie will also be filmed here in the United States.
Based on the comic arc by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, The Wolverine will be based on a script by Christopher McQuarrie that was rewritten by Mark Bomback. The new report doesn't say when production is scheduled to get underway, but a release date is set for July 26, 2013.
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