X-men Origins: Wolverine - News and Information

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men series, It was released worldwide on May 1, 2009. The film is directed by Gavin Hood and stars Hugh Jackman as the title character, along with Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, and Ryan Reynolds. The film acts as a prequel to the X-Men film series, focusing on the violent past of the mutant Wolverine and his relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed. The plot also details Wolverine's early encounters with Colonel William Stryker, his time with Team X, and the bonding of Wolverine's skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium during the Weapon X program.

The film was mostly shot in Australia and New Zealand, with Canada also serving as a location. Production was troubled, with conflicts arising between director Hood and Fox's executives, and an unfinished workprint being leaked in the internet one month before the film's debut. Reviews for X-Men Origins: Wolverine were mixed, with critics considering the film and its screenplay uninspired, but praising Hugh Jackman's performance. It opened at the top of the box office, and has grossed $179 million domestically and over $373 million worldwide.

Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre and television.

Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters. He is well known from his role as Wolverine in the X-Men series, in addition to his leads in Kate & Leopold, Van Helsing, The Prestige, and Australia. Jackman is a singer, dancer, and actor in stage musicals, and won a Tony Award for his role in The Boy from Oz.

In November 2008, Open Salon named Hugh Jackman one of the sexiest men alive.http://open.salon.com/blog/kaysong/2008/11/10/my_sexiest_men_living Later that same month, People magazine named Jackman "Sexiest Man Alive."http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20241213,00.html

A three-time host of the Tony Awards, Jackman hosted the 81st Academy Awards on February 22, 2009.Gans, Andrew."Tony Winner Jackman to Host Academy Awards," playbill.com, 12 December 2008