Fox will begin shooting its sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Vancouver with production there scheduled from November 11th to March 1st.  This is a bit of a surprise since Christopher McQuarrie’s well-regarded screenplay for the Wolvie sequel is set in Japan, and the film was expected to be shot in the Land of the Rising Sun.  In fact, Darren Aronofsky stepped down as director largely because he did not want to be away from his family for an extended period while shooting in Japan (see “Aronofsky Ankles ‘The Wolverine’).

 

James Mangold is now helming the Wolverine sequel (see “James Mangold to Direct ‘Wolverine’).  Since Hugh Jackman reportedly loves the McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) script, it is likely that the production will use a combination of CGI and second unit work to create the Japanese locations.  It is undoubtedly cheaper to shoot in Canada where numerous U.S. productions are filmed and the logistics are just much easier.  Is the move to Vancouver, which was revealed by The Vancouver Sun, another example of the new wave of studio austerity, or a gesture on behalf of Fox towards the cast and crew who won’t have to travel nearly as much since the film is being shot in the same time zone as Hollywood?