Hood to Direct Jackman in 'Wolverine,' Set for '08 Release

According to Variety, a director has been found for the upcoming X-Men spin-off Wolverine, starring Tony Award-winner Hugh Jackman in the title role.

Wolverine, which "mixes action with an origin story about how Logan (Jackman) emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws," will be helmed by South African director Gavin Hood, whose credits include Tsotsi (which won the 2005 Oscar for Best Foreign Film) and the upcoming political drama Rendition, with Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon and more.  Wolverine will begin filming in November and will be released sometime in 2008.

With a screenplay by David Benioff, Wolverine will be based on the Marvel comics as well as more recent work by Frank Miller and Barry Windsor-Smith, the author of the "Weapon X" graphic novels.  The three X-Men films, starring Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin and more, have grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

The multi-talented Jackman won a Tony Award for playing Peter Allen in Broadway's The Boy from Oz, and also won an Emmy for hosting the 2004 Tony Awards ceremony. He was also nominated for the 1998 Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical for his Curly in the Royal National Theatre's Oklahoma! A musical theatre veteran back in Australia, he played Joe Gillis in the 1996 production of Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne, and Gaston in 1995's Beauty and the Beast.  Allen is the executive producer of the new CBS show "Viva Laughlin!." Other film credits include The Fountain, The Prestige, Scoop, and Someone Like You. 

Photo of Hugh Jackman by Linda Lenzi