Wolverine 2 gets an Oscar winning writer in Chris McQuarrie

[Captain Craig]

Chris McQuarrie to pen Wolverine 2.

Oscar-winning scribe Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") has signed on to pen the script for 20th Century Fox's "Wolverine" sequel says the trades.

My admiration for The Usual Suspects gives me high hopes that a tighter script and more focused story can be told in Wolverine 2. Especially since they are adapting the classic Claremont/Miller story.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

hopefully we see this commie scum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-dJTC2r_C8

 

[Captaindemotion]

Very promising - though I wouldn't rule out the possibility of McQuarrie turning in a great script and Fox then vetoing or neutering it. But this definitely seems to be a good start.

Wonder if it might tempt his Usual Suspects/ Valkyrie director Bryan Singer back into the mutant fold ...

 

[Too Much Fun]

It doesn't guarantee anything, though. Nothing he's written since "The Usual Suspects" has seemed to be of much worth, and the guy who directed the first Wolverine was an Oscar winner too. The adaptation idea is promising, though. Wasn't X2 (the best X-Men movie AND the best overall superhero/comic book movie to date, in my opinion) partially adapted from a Claremont story?

 

[clint g]

Well, it cant be any worse than what we got

 

[Captaindemotion]

It doesn't guarantee anything, though. Nothing he's written since "The Usual Suspects" has seemed to be of much worth, and the guy who directed the first Wolverine was an Oscar winner too. The adaptation idea is promising, though. Wasn't X2 (the best X-Men movie AND the best overall superhero/comic book movie to date, in my opinion) partially adapted from a Claremont story?

Actually, Gavin Hood, director of Wolverine, has never won an Oscar.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004303/awards

I'd also dispute your claim that nothing since TUS has been of much worth. I haven't seen Valkyrie but his The Way of The Gun (which he directed) was superb. He also did uncredited script work on the first X-Men movie, including the concentration camp scene with the young Magneto.

But you're right, it doesn't guarantee anything. Though IMHO McQuarrie is a better writer than David Benioff, writer of the last movie. So in that regards, they're off to a better start.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Wasn't X2 (the best X-Men movie AND the best overall superhero/comic book movie to date, in my opinion) partially adapted from a Claremont story?

It was very loosely based on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (the contributions amounting to the villain using Xavier to kill all mutants, the villain's name (though not any of his backstory), and the X-Men teaming up with Magneto).

 

[Too Much Fun]

It doesn't guarantee anything, though. Nothing he's written since "The Usual Suspects" has seemed to be of much worth, and the guy who directed the first Wolverine was an Oscar winner too. The adaptation idea is promising, though. Wasn't X2 (the best X-Men movie AND the best overall superhero/comic book movie to date, in my opinion) partially adapted from a Claremont story?

Actually, Gavin Hood, director of Wolverine, has never won an Oscar.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004303/awards

I'd also dispute your claim that nothing since TUS has been of much worth. I haven't seen Valkyrie but his The Way of The Gun (which he directed) was superb. He also did uncredited script work on the first X-Men movie, including the concentration camp scene with the young Magneto.

But you're right, it doesn't guarantee anything. Though IMHO McQuarrie is a better writer than David Benioff, writer of the last movie. So in that regards, they're off to a better start.

Well, Hood may not have directly received an award, but a movie he directed winning "Best Foreign Film" definitely gives him Oscar 'cred'. As for McQuarrie, I know some people like "The Way of the Gun", but I just meant it didn't generate much buzz. I can't really judge it since I haven't seen it, but I am disappointed that he hasn't put together anything that seemed to generate much enthusiasm either from genre fans or critics since writing a movie as significant as "The Usual Suspects".

I've been waiting since then for him to write something as clever and memorable that has both pop culture impact (I'm sure many 90s film buffs like myself will always remember "The Usual Suspects" as having one of the most fun casts and one of the best endings of any movie in that period) as well as 'prestige' from being Oscar worthy (even if just for someone in the cast). I'd love to see that happen with this movie, restoring some sheen to the Wolverine character after how much it lost following the last X-men sequel and his first solo outing.

And even if just elements of Claremont's story went into X2, I think his influence shows what good story and character ideas he can come up with. Despite the fact that he was just a regular man rather than some theatrical and/or super-powered baddie usually found in comic book movies, I thought Stryker was an awesome villain.

I know a lot of that probably came from Brian Cox's performance and dialog, but the original conception of the character must have contributed to it as well. I love the moral issues of the movie too, which I think gave it some much-needed depth and substance compared to the other more shallow X-Men movies (although the third one certainly, albeit less effectively gave the appearance of social consciousness and important moral implications the old college try ).

 

[Bad Bishop]

20th Century Fox should consider dropping "X-Men Origins" from the title of the next WOLVERINE. After all, Warner Bros. made a BATMAN film without the name "Batman" in the title, and mass confusion did not ensue throughout the world.

 

[Dream]

20th Century Fox should consider dropping "X-Men Origins" from the title of the next WOLVERINE. After all, Warner Bros. made a BATMAN film without the name "Batman" in the title, and mass confusion did not ensue throughout the world.

I think FOX only owns the rights to making the X-men movies as long as they release X-men movies every few years. If they don't do that the rights revert back to Marvel. I'd imagine if they got rid of the X-men title Marvel would argue the new movies don't count and want back the rights. It's stupid but the X-men Orgins title is staying.

I hope people remember that Akiva Goldsman who is also an oscar winner wrote Batman and Robin. This doesn't mean much.

 

[Aragorn]

X-Men Continuations: Wolverine

 

[Captaindemotion]

I hope people remember that Akiva Goldsman who is also an oscar winner wrote Batman and Robin. This doesn't mean much.

I would also hope that people would be able to differentiate between a hopelessly-over-rated tv-movie-of-the-week-promoted-to-the-big-screen like A Beautiful Mind and a bona fide classic like The Usual Suspects. But it's fair point to make that winning an Oscar is no guarantee of quality. Personally, though, I'd have to say that McQuarrie, unlike the hackish Aiva Goldsman, totally deserved his little bald man.

 

[JacksonArcher]

This is great news. Now all need is Singer onboard and we're set.

 

[Caretaker]

20th Century Fox should consider dropping "X-Men Origins" from the title of the next WOLVERINE. After all, Warner Bros. made a BATMAN film without the name "Batman" in the title, and mass confusion did not ensue throughout the world.

As long as they kept the X-Men part of the title, they should have used the "Cerebro opening" sequence at the beginning of the film.

Well, whatever happens with the sequel, hopefully the studio (and Tom Rothman) stay the hell away from messing with it - let the writers and director do their thing. I mean, nothing went wrong with studio interference the last two times, did it?

 

[JacksonArcher]

This kinds of puts the kabosh on my idea of Chris McQuarrie writing the next Superman film to lure Singer back into the fold but I think he can do great things with Wolverine... So long as they don't screw it up. David Benioff wrote a terrific script with the first film that was squandered by Skip Woods, writer of such "masterpieces" as Hitman. Let McQuarrie do his thing. Director Gavin Hood is expendable. I was impressed with his technical skill with the first movie but he let the story deteriorate. Too bad Bryan Singer is attached to direct Battlestar Galactica because I'd love to see him behind this. Oh, well.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Yeah, I think the BSG remake is a bad career on Singer's part, apart from anything else. Maybe McQuarrie will direct Wolvie 2, who knows.

Hugh Jackman has been talking (briefly) about the sequel but there's nothing really new here:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25538

 

[DarthPipes]

I'm sure whoever writes the Wolverine sequel, it will still suck balls.

I have no desire to see Hollywood Wolverine...

 

[Admiral_Young]

This is good news...as long as they keep the eye on the ball and don't include so many characters like in the first one this movie can only be an important. I'm looking forward to seeing Logan in Madripoor and maybe an encounter with the aforementioned Omega Red would be cool.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Agreed that Wolverine sucked. But there's no reason why the series can't right itself with the next instalment. I'm assuming that this new one is still going to take place during the 15 year gap between the last movie & the 1st X-Men?

And in addition to The Usual Suspects, I thought that Valkyrie was awesome!

 

[Captain Craig]

Agreed. Valkyrie was a good movie. Another reason to have hopes for the script he'll put out.