With Pan opening this weekend in theaters, I recently sat down with Hugh Jackman for an exclusive interview. During our wide-ranging conversation he talked about what it is about the story of Peter Pan that has fascinated generations, how director Joe Wright pitched him on the project, Blackbeard’s musical number, the idea of making a movie that his entire family could watch, Wright’s approach as a director and how it compares to his experience with Christopher Nolan, the status of the next and final Wolverine movie, and a lot more.

If you’re not familiar with Pan, which is a re-imagining of the classic J.M. Barrie story, the film takes an origin approach to Peter Pan, as we follow newcomer Levi Miller and other young wartime orphans being kidnapped by the men of the dreaded pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), thus beginning a series of adventures in Neverland that shape the boy into the hero known to generations as Peter Pan. The film also stars Garrett HedlundRooney MaraAmanda SeyfriedCara Delevigne, Adeel AkhtarJack CharlesTaejoo Na,Nonso AnozieKathy BurkeKurt EgyiawanLewis Macdougall, and Leni Zieglmeier. For more on Pan read Adam’s review.

Here’s my interview with Hugh Jackman:


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Hugh Jackman:

  • What is the collaboration process like with Joe Wright and what does he have in common with the other great directors he’s worked with?
  • Talks about how Joe pitched him the film that won him over.
  • Says Blackbeard’s musical number wasn’t originally in the script.
  • Jokes that the final Wolverine film is the musical.
  • Talks about how the musical number came about.
  • Why is Peter Pan a story that has stood the test of time?
  • Was he attracted to the idea of making a movie that his entire family could watch?
  • Talks about Wright’s approach as a director and compares it to his experience with Christopher Nolan.
  • Talks about the status of Wolverine and the role that Professor X plays.
  • Says the plan is to start shooting next year and talks about how he’s begun preparing for the role.
  • Is everybody really happy with the script they have so far?
  • He's filmed all over the world as Wolverine, does he have an ideal shooting location in mind for the final film?

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