“The Wolverine” set for July 2013 release
20th Century Fox has set a release date for the Hugh Jackman “Wolverine” sequel, titled “The Wolverine.”
The film is now set for a July 23, 2013 release date, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Jackman returns as the title character, based on the Marvel Comics mutant who first appeared in “Incredible Hulk” No. 181 in 1974. Wolverine is considered the most popular of the X-Men, and now appears in the X-Men titles, his own solo series, and Marvel’s Avengers comic books.
Jackman has starred as Wolverine in three previous “X-Men” films and in “Wolverine: Origins.” (And, SPOILER WARNING, perhaps, has a brief, but excellent, moment in “X-Men: First Class.”)
James Mangold is the director of the film, which is said to be loosely based on the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller “Wolverine” miniseries and will be set in Japan.
- Matt Price
Christian Bale wraps up Batman; Luke Skywalker lunch; Hulk TV plans
Batman 3, aka “The Dark Knight Rises,” has wrapped, and Christian Bale is done. Also: Lunch with a Star Wars legend and Hulk TV news.
LUNCH WITH LUKE
Actor Mark Hammill, who brought Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker to life in the original Star Wars Trilogy, is offering to have lunch in Los Angeles with the highest bidder and a guest to raise funds for The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, which provides an ongoing base of support to human rights defenders around the world. Valued at $10,000, the exclusive experience is open for bidding from November 29th through December 15th at:
http://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/276455
BAT-FINISHED
The Philippine Daily Inquirer talked with Christian Bale, and he confirmed he was done with Batman. 
“I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,” he said. “I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done. Everything’s finished. It’s me and Chris – that will be the end of that Batman era.”
He also praised co-star Anne “Catwoman” Hathaway.
“I had plenty of scenes with Anne,” he said. “And I was there when we did the screen test for her. The thing that I said to Chris [Nolan] that day was that there were many very accomplished actresses who had read for the role. I’m terrible at auditions, so I’m very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time.”
THE INCREDIBLE HULK NEARS
Guillermo del Toro tells io9 that the screenplay is in for the possible upcoming “Hulk” TV show, and the team is waiting for a green light. Del Toro, serving as producer, says he and his team know the essential stories, including “Hulk: Grey,” written by Jeph Loeb, who is involved with the show.
“We know all the iterations of the Hulk pretty good. We’ve read all the essential stories, and we’re then riffing on that. There are so many incarnations and ideas. Jeph Loeb — who did a good run [on Hulk: Grey] — is involved, and I love Peter David’s Hulk. But there’s really no part in that mythos that we don’t know, so we are trying put our own personal spin on it.”
REVIEW FILE: Green Lantern The Animated Series #0, Wolverine #19, Uncanny X-Men #2, X-Men Legacy #259, Archie #627, Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1.
Comics read in 2011: 1,853. Still to go: 158
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Halloween comics review: X-Men and Power Pack #1 (2005)
X-Men and Power Pack #1 (2005)
The 2005 miniseries “X-Men and Power Pack,” written by Marc Sumerak, started off with a Halloween-themed issue, as the Power kids are heading to a Halloween party, with young Jack dressed as one of his favorite heroes, Wolverine.
The Wolverine faces more delays
Hugh Jackman (AP)
Splash Page reports that “The Wolverine” filming has been delayed until next year.
While promoting “Real Steel,” Jackman confirmed he’ll be shooting “Les Miserables” next, which will push the filming of “The Wolverine” into 2012.
The film has had a bumpy road, already losing director Darren Aronofsky. James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma”) is the director scheduled to helm the project.
- Matt Price
Wolverine faced “The End” in 2003 miniseries
Strictly speaking, it’s non-canonical, but if you want to see how the man who created Wolverine’s “Origin” envisioned his “End,” you could check out the six-issue miniseries “Wolverine: The End,” written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by Claudio Castellini, released in 2003.
Wolverine 2 filming update; DC Comics’ New 52 trailer; Conan the Barbarian released
Matt Price and Kyle Roberts discuss Wolverine 2 filming news, the release of the New 52 DC Comics relaunch trailer, and the new Conan the Barbarian film in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast.
Marvel will relaunch Uncanny X-Men in November
As somewhat anticipated, Marvel has announced its plan to reboot the “Uncanny X-Men” series with a new No. 1 issue in November. The series’ final issue before the relaunch will be October’s No. 544.
Following the X-storyline “Schism,” the X-Men will split into two teams. The relaunch is being called “ReGenesis.” (The Chris Claremont-Jim Lee “X-Men” No. 1 in the 199os was part of a storyline called “Mutant Genesis,” so this may be a reflection of that title in some way.)
According to Marvel: Never before have there been TWO teams calling themselves the X-Men and never has anyone had to choose a side. Guided by their different ideologies, each leader has their own mission for saving their species, but is only one of them right?
October will bring “Wolverine and The X-Men” No. 1, with a team lead by Wolverine. It’s written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachalo.
In November, “Uncanny X-Men” No. 1 will be released, from writer Kieron Gillen and artists Carlos Pacheco and Greg Land.
“Years of X-Men history have been leading to this. X-Men: ReGenesis will affect our entire line leading up to a major conflict coming up in 2012!” said Marvel Editor in Chief, Axel Alonso in a news release. “This is just the start of what we have planned for the X-Men. Next summer all eyes will be on mutantkind – we guarantee it!”
- Matt Price
Milo Ventimiglia: Nerdage’s #15 actor with geek appeal
Milo Ventimiglia (AP)
Perhaps best-known as Peter Petrelli on the now-cancelled NBC series “Heroes,” actor Milo Ventimiglia isn’t done being a superhero — he’s the voice of Logan on the new G4 animated series “Wolverine,” based on the Marvel comic.
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Hugh Jackman: Nerdage’s #19 actor with geek appeal
Hugh Jackman (AP)
Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, comes in at #19 on Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal.
The action star will be seen in the sci-fi film “Real Steel” this October, in which Jackman plays a down-on-his luck boxer begins training a fighting robot.
His “Wolverine” sequel recently hit a setback with the departure of director Darren Aronofsky. Producer Bryan Singer tells IGN UK it’s not impossible we might see Wolverine in a sequel to this summer’s “X-Men First Class,” though it’s not completely clear from the quote if the role would be played by Hugh Jackman.
“I think there would definitely be room,” Singer is quoted as saying. “I think it would be a very exciting thing. This universe has to establish itself first, but that would be a very interesting and fun thing.”
Jackman this week is encouraging people to try to live on a $1.50 food budget per day, in order to better understand the lives of those living in extreme poverty, as part of the Live Below the Line campaign.
“It is certainly a challenge to eat and drink off of $1.50 a day for five days, but for 1.4 billion people, $7.50 is all they have not only for food, but also for living costs, clothing — everything! ‘Live Below the Line’ highlights the challenges that over 1 billion people are faced with every day and urges us to do something about it,” Jackman says at the LA Times.
Click past the cut for more images from Jackman’s film “Real Steel,” set for release on Oct. 7, which co-stars Evangeline Lilly (“Lost”) and Dakota Goyo (“Thor”).
- Matt Price
Steve Rogers’ return as Captain America; Milo Ventimiglia cast as animated Wolverine; Neil Gaiman writes Doctor Who
STEVE ROGERS TO RETURN AS CAPTAIN AMERICA
Marvel has announced Steve Rogers’ return as Captain America in “Captain America” No. 1, the first issue of an all-new ongoing series premiering in July. The writer is Ed Brubaker, joined by artist Steve McNiven.
“Captain America and Bucky,” another series from Brubaker and Marvel, will pick up the “Captain America” numbering with No. 620.
FORMER ‘HEROES’ TO VOICE IRON MAN, WOLVERINE
Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb announced casting for two of the company’s much anticipated anime
The anime version of Wolverine
Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Rocky Balboa, Heroes), takes on the title role in WOLVERINE, as Logan claws his way through Japan’s criminal underworld.
“Adrian and Milo are perfect as Iron Man and Wolverine,” said Loeb. “It’s extremely exciting to see these talented guys take on two of the most iconic Super Hero roles of all time.”
DOCTOR WHO RETURNS TO AMERICA ON APRIL 23Doctor Who delivered record ratings in 2010 and now returns to BBC AMERICA on April 23 for the first block of the new 13 episode season, which opens in with a two-parter set in the U.S.
The premiere episode is written by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman). Doctor Who premieres Saturday, April 23, at 9/8c.
REVIEW FILE: Axe Cop #2, Nonplayer #1, Fear Itself #1, Superman/Batman Annual #5
Comics read in 2011: 532. Still to go: 1479.
