We've known for awhile now that Fox was already pushing ahead with a sequel to X-men Origins: Wolverine, even though that film was met with a lukewarm response. It still grossed a ton of money, nearly $400M worldwide, and that's all that really matters. Well, that and Hugh Jackman's continued excitement for the franchise. The storyline has been in place almost from the word "Go", with it taking place mostly in Japan and following the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller mini-series that really catapulted Wolvie into comic book superstardom.
One thing we didn't know was who would direct. A few weeks ago we got a rumored shortlist, which included oddball names like Tony Scott, Kathryn Bigelow(The Hurt Locker), and Matt Reeves(Cloverfield). Now we're learning that the list has been reduced all the way down to two: David Slade and Robert Schwentke(Red).
Slade is said to be the frontrunner, with the job all but signed, sealed, and delivered. All he needs to do is meet up with Hugh Jackman for final approval. That really shows the kind of clout Jackman has with Fox that they're letting him basically make the call. If he fails to impress, Schwentke is the back-up plan.
Slade is best known for directing The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which probably isn't the best showcase of his abilities even if it was the best of the series so far. For his best work, one can look at 2007's vampire flick, 30 Days of Night, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Or better yet, the film that launched his career, 2005's revenge thriller, Hard Candy, a flick I find more interesting than good.
Schwentke has the upcoming CIA retiree actioner, Red, coming out in just a couple of months. Looks good, but I've heard some mixed reports on it. His resume is considerably less interesting than Slade's, having directed The Time Traveler's Wife last year and Flightplan back in 2005.
X-men Origins: Wolverine was such a colossal turd that no matter who is chosen Fox has a hard road towards convincing me that the sequel will be any different.
