Wolverine Finds a Director

According to Variety and Superhero Hype, the upcoming Wolverine film has found a director:

20th Century Fox has set Gavin Hood to direct Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, the "X-Men" spinoff that was written by David Benioff.

The film, which begins production in November for a 2008 release, will be produced by Lauren Shuler-Donner, Jackman and his Seed Productions partner John Palermo.

Hood is the South African director whose 2005 film Tsotsi won the foreign film Oscar. His next film, the thriller Rendition with Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, opens on October 12.

Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller, Wolverine mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.

After three "X-Men" films grossed over $1 billion worldwide, the studio has made Wolverine a top priority.

"I have long been a fan of Gavin's work and know he will make a masterful film with the character intensity and action beats the fans expect," said Jackman.

As some of you were aware, key parts of the X2: X-Men United story were filmed in the Kananaskis area of Alberta. Because the character has roots in our province, it was great to see parts of the movie filmed in the place in which the story is set. Let's hope the production decides to film more of Logan's history in Alberta.



Photo: 20th Century Fox.

LIONSGATE To Film TV Series In Edmonton

Various news agencies are reporting that Lions Gate Entertainment will be opening up a production office in Edmonton to work on a television series.

According to AMPIA:

With financial incentives from the provincial government and the City of Edmonton, Lionsgate, one of the world's leading independent producers and international distributors, has been lured to produce one of their drama series in the capital city of Alberta.

The new deal will see 13 episodes per season for a minimum 2 seasons produced both in-studio and in various locations throughout the city, beginning this Fall.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

As part of a financial incentive package, the province of Alberta will invest CAN$5.4 million in the TV series, and the city of Edmonton will provide another CAN$3.5 million. In return, the city of Edmonton will receive a 15% equity stake in the TV series.

Lionsgate will decide by the end of July which of its series will relocate to Edmonton. But it is thought that either "The Dresden Files," a detective fantasy series starring Paul Blackthorne airing on the Sci Fi Channel, or Showtime's "Masters of Horror," will make the move.

Tucker said Lionsgate cold-called Edmonton last year, looking for financial incentives in oil-rich Alberta to help shift a TV series to a new locale.

Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel subsequently met in Washington with Lionsgate executive vp Mark Manuel to discuss terms for a possible relocation. "He (Manuel) wasn't just looking for tax credits. He was looking for a business deal," Tucker said.

And from the Edmonton Journal:

It's expected that the Film Alberta studios near Calgary Trail South -- formerly Allarcom Studios -- will be home to the production. Streets and communities around Edmonton will also get in on the action.

In fact, Edmonton was attractive to Lionsgate because it is considered fresh and welcoming. Not so with cities like Montreal and Vancouver, where the citizenry is burned out on TV and movie productions. Some Vancouver neighbourhoods even prohibit filming on their streets.

Lionsgate's body of work is extensive, eclectic and involves both TV and film, including the Oscar-winning movie Crash. In television, it's known for such series as The Dead Zone and Missing.

While some naysayers will not be happy at provincial and civic governments getting (back) into helping the film industry, I would like to remind them that it is an industry which employs many cast and crew who are possibly family and friends of theirs. As mentioned in the articles, there is also a chance that graduates of audio visual programs will gain experience by working on the series and help to increase the local talent base.

Great news indeed, and as both an Albertan and Edmonton-born industry supporter, it's about time things started looking up for film and television production again. I also get the feeling that this is just the beginning for many more productions that will call Alberta home over the coming years. Our cities, towns, talent, and crew deserve it.

This is an example where many partners work together to make things happen. Cross-provincial, cross-governmental, and cross-creative. Kudos to all involved in making this deal a reality.

Lions Gate Entertaimment also produced Good Luck Chuck starring Jessica Alba. Segments from the upcoming film were shot in Edmonton.