You should probably consider this news ‘rumor’ rather than ‘fact’, but according to The Playlist, a reliable source is reporting that Fox is currently looking at two directors for Wolverine 2: Tony Scott (Man on Fire, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) and Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In).
Apparently, Fox execs have been meeting with a number of directors behind closed doors, including Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch), and Daniel Espinosa (Snabba Cash) – but have narrowed their shortlist down to Scott and Reeves for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel.
While the news that there will be a second Wolverine movie may come as a surprise to some – Origins opened to middling reviews – the movie grossed over $370 million worldwide, practically guaranteeing a sequel. Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) has already turned in a script, and Fox has tentatively set production to begin this January.
That date may well give us a clue as to who will ultimately take the director’s chair. Because Tony Scott is already committed to Potsdamer Platz (which also shoots in January), Reeves becomes the more likely contender if the studio plans to stay on schedule. Picking Scott would push the shoot date back until considerably later in 2011.
In addition, Scott has never dealt with a comic franchise or genre film like X-Men, while Reeves’ work on Cloverfield and the upcoming Let Me In make him somewhat more qualified. Nevertheless, Scott, one of Hollywood’s elder statesmen, would command a much higher salary – all of which leads me to believe that Reeves has got to be Fox’s first choice for director.
Still, both men could pass on the offer, leaving the studio to search out another director entirely, so feel free to take this ‘rumor’ with a big ol’ grain of salt.
Source: The Playlist
