Probably the most popular character in the X-Men series is Wolverine. The actor, who has embodied this image on the screens for 15 years, is Australian Hugh Jackman. In 2013, the second separate film dedicated to the fate of James Logan was released. What were the ups and downs of Wolverine this time, and did the film manage to recoup its budget?
Wolverine: Immortal: A Short Story
Back in 2009, Wolverine single-handedly appeared in the center of the plot of a high-budget film. Actor Hugh Jackman then played it in the movie X-Men: The Beginning. Wolverine". It was a success: an action movie with a budget of $ 150 million raised 373 million at the box office. Then the creators of the films about the "X-Men" decided to release another picture, completely dedicated to the adventures of Logan. In 2013, the picture “Wolverine: Immortal” was released.
This time, Logan goes to Japan to say goodbye to his old friend - Yasida. He dies of cancer and hopes to receive from a friend his gift of regeneration. However, Wolverine does not have time to help him - the Japanese are dying. Instead, a hunt opens for his granddaughter Mariko. Logan undertakes to protect her, and a relationship is established between them. And, of course, in the final, Wolverine manages to save Mariko from death, as well as defeating all the villains. True, before this, he will lose and regain his ability to regenerate, and also meet face to face in the fight against another mutant - the Viper, performed by Svetlana Khodchenkova.
Wolverine: Immortal: filmmakers
How Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman became famous throughout Hollywood and earned a decent fortune. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the actor produced a new film about a mutant man.
But the director James Mangold, who shot the film “Wolverine: Immortal,” made a name for himself in such famous films as the biographical drama “Interrupted Life”, the melodrama “Kate and Leo”, the thriller “Identification” and the action movie “Knight of the Day”.
The script for the picture was written by several people at once. Christopher McQuarrie began work (worked on the X-Men project), and Mark Bomback (Die Hard 4) and Scott Frank ("Special Opinion" by Stephen Spielberg) finished the script.
The film "Wolverine: Immortal" was released under the auspices of the film companies 20th Century Fox and Marvel Entertainment. With a budget of $ 120 million, the militant raised almost 415 million dollars at the world box office. e.
Wolverine: actor. Hugh Jackman
In the distant past, when 15 years ago the first part of the movie "X-Men" was released, Russell Crowe could play James Logan . Dougray Scott also claimed this role (Mission Impossible-2). But in the end, this character was received by then-beginning actor Hugh Jackman. Wolverine made Jackman a celebrity. Now it is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood.
When Hugh Michael Jackman got this role, he was 32 years old. Behind him were only three roles in the movie. How did it happen? Only at the age of 23, having received a journalistic education, Jackman realized that he was actually attracted to the theater. The young man had to spend another three years learning acting. At 26, Jackman made his television debut in the TV series Corelli. Then there were a few more roles in Australian films until the X-Men producers decided that they needed Hugh Jackman to play Logan.
Wolverine became a happy movie ticket for the actor. And Hugh, it seems, is not going to give up this role, despite the fact that he is already 46 years old.
Wolverine: Immortal: actors. Japanese actress Okamoto
The role of Logan's lover - Mariko - was played by the little-known Japanese actress Okamoto.
Tao Okamoto is actually a model. She has been working in this field since 14 years.
A girl was born in the Japanese city of Chiba in 1985. At the moment, she is thirty years old.
Since 2006, Tao Okamoto has been living in Paris. She is the face of Ralph Lauren, takes part in shows and photo shoots. For some time, the girl represented such famous brands as Alexander Wang, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel.
In 2009, the model moved to New York and began to collaborate with famous American brands and fashion houses. But, apparently, the career of the Tao model was not enough, so in 2013 she decided to try herself for the role of Mariko. The film "Wolverine: Immortal" was a resounding success. After such a successful debut, Tao was invited to the shooting of the series “Hannibal”, and a little later - in the mini-series “Blood on the Tracks”.
In 2016, the actress can be seen in the film “Batman vs. Superman: At the Dawn of Justice”.
Svetlana Hodchenkova
The international cast of the film was supplemented by the famous Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova.
Sveta has been in films since 2003. She has participated in such well-known projects as “Bless the Woman”, “Love in a Big City”, “A Short Course in a Happy Life” and “Spy, Get Out!”
The film "Wolverine: Immortal", whose actors instantly become world celebrities, only strengthened Khodchenkova's position in Russian cinema. In the past few years, large-budget films with the participation of Svetlana, who “make a good box office” at the box office, have been released one after another. The most anticipated premiere for fans of the actress is the historical film Viking, which can only be seen in 2017. In addition to Khodchenkova, stars like Daniil Kozlovsky, Maxim Sukhanov, Igor Petrenko, Vladimir Epifantsev and many others will take part in the film.
Rila Fukushima
The film “Wolverine: Immortal” made another Japanese woman famous - Rila Fukushima. This person remains a mystery to all fans of the film: almost nothing is known about the girl.
Fukushima is a native of Tokyo and from childhood dreamed of becoming a model. But she was worried that a small growth would prevent her from fulfilling her dream. Therefore, Rila went to a modeling agency in order to get a job as a modeling agent. Instead, she was offered to become a model.
In 2004, the girl moved to New York and decided to dye her blonde to stand out from other Asian models. Then she was invited to shoot in the video clip Lenny Kravitz “Where Are We Runnin '?”
In 2010, Fukushima left her modeling career and returned to Japan due to a serious illness of her mother. Just during this period, the girl begins to master acting, and also opens her blog on the Internet. Rila made her debut in the short film Karma: A Very Twisted Love Story. The debut on the big screen happened in the film "Wolverine: Immortal."
Hiroyuki Sanada
Hiroyuki Sanada played in the film the role of the son of Yasida - the dying friend of Wolverine. Shingen Yashida is a powerful person who wants to strengthen his position in the Japanese government. That is why he wants to give his daughter forcibly married to the Minister of Justice, to whom the girl feels nothing but disgust. Moreover, Shingen is unhappy that his father left all his fortune to Mariko. Therefore, Shingen, after his plans failed, decides to kill his own daughter.
The film "Wolverine: Immortal" did not debut for the
Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada in Hollywood: Hiroyuki has already starred in such films as The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise, The White Countess with Natasha Richardson, Peak Hour 3 with Jackie Chan and
Chris Tucker. After participating in the action movie about Wolverine, Sanada starred in the acclaimed film "47 Ronin."
Noburo Mori and the actor who played the character
Japanese Justice Minister and fiancé Mariko were played by Brian Tee.
Brian was born in Okinawa (Japan), but immigrated to the United States as a child and is considered an American actor. He mainly starred in television films and TV shows, for example, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Detective Monk, and Anatomy of Passion.
However, the young man had to play in high-budget projects. For example, in 2006, he played in the movie Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. You can also see Brian in the action movie “We Were Soldiers,” where Mel Gibson is starring.
Other actors
Many famous actors starred in a series of films featuring Wolverine and X-Men. The film "Wolverine: Immortal" again returned to the screens the dead in the previous part Gene Gray performed by Famke Janssen. True, she will come to Wolverine in dreams, not in reality. Actress Famke Janssen is also known to viewers for her roles in the TV series “Melrose Place”, in the film “Celebrity” by Woody Alain, “House of Night Ghosts” by William Melone, “Alien Game” by Rob Walker.
In the picture you can see Ian McKellen, who played Magneto for a long time in X-Men. McKellen is also known for his role in The Lord of the Rings, where he embodied the image of the wise wizard Gandalf on the screens.
In addition, in the film "Wolverine: Immortal," Patrick Stewart appears in the familiar role of Charles Xavier. Stewart is a British theater actor who can be seen not only in the X-Men series. The artist played in such films as “Los Angeles Story” directed by Mick Jackson, “Conspiracy Theory” by Richard Donner, “Excalibur” by John Burman, “Dune” by David Lynch, as well as “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” by Mel Brooks.