Darren Aronofsky to Direct WOLVERINE 2; Filming Slated to Begin in March

Last week, we reported that director Darren Aronofsky was close to taking the helm of Wolverine 2.  Now, Deadline is reporting that the deal is so far along that they’re already planning to shoot the sound-stage portions in New York so that Aronofsky and Hugh Jackman don’t have to inconvenience their families.  However, once the shooting in New York is finished, the production will move to Japan (where the sequel is set) for the bulk of the filming.

Deadline also reports that shooting is scheduled to begin in March in order to allow Aronofsky time to do the necessary press and awards-season obligations that will come when his new movie, Black Swan, opens on December 3rd.  Hit the jump for a recap on what we know about Wolverine 2 thus far.

Details on the sequel are scarce but so far there’s been no word of adamantium memory bullets, so that’s a good sign.  The script is actually being handled by The Usual Suspects screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie.  Since the sequel is being set in Japan, it’s possible that McQuarrie is drawing from Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s 1979 arc that had Wolverine traveling to Japan and falling in love with Mariko Yashida whose father, Shingen Yashida was a Yakuza crime boss.  Shingen also had an illegitimate son, Keniuchio Harada, who was a mutant and came to be known as the Silver Samurai.

While I’m not crazy about Aronofsky using his talent on a sequel to a horrendously terrible movie, he’s one of the few people that could get me interested in another Wolverine film.  Also, I’m going to assume that the logic behind the decision is the “one-for-them, one-for-me” mentality that would give Aronofsky a larger budget for a more daring project on the condition that Wolverine 2 is a success. Since X-Men Origins: Wolverine raked in $373 million worldwide even though it’s pretty much unwatchable, I think Aronofsky should have a hit on his hands with the sequel.