Director James Mangold talks ‘Logan,’ being for adults, filming Hugh Jackman’s last scene as Wolverine
James Mangold‘s Logan is already looking like a fan favorite before it even arrives in theaters as the latest trailer showcased more violence and action as well as the introduction of Dafne Keen as X-23 and a much darker tone than other superhero films.
20th Century Fox screened the first act of the movie and director Mangold spoke with Slash Film about the films R-rating, use of profanity and violence as a liberating experience.
“Well, it was exciting. What was inspiring, and what we really set out to do more than anything about specific ratings, was just to make an adult film. For me, the rating and the violence level was part of it. But also just raising the maturity level of the film. You know, a lot of these films are essentially made for both 12-year-olds and 20-year-olds, and I thought it would be interesting, even if we got less money to do it, to make one of these films, a comic book film, essentially, that’s for adults.”
Logan plays very much like a Western, and less like your typical PG-13 four-quadrant blockbuster.
“Comic book movies don’t have an identity. There’s many kinds. There’s Avengers, there’s movies like Guardians, there’s movies like Deadpool, there’s movies as somber as the Dark Knight series. The word “comic book movie” doesn’t define the movie. It’s up to us to bring a kind of genre and a sense of tone. I think that’s what, hopefully, makes Logan original, is that we’ve staked out a new tone, and something you haven’t seen.”
It’s been promised that Logan will be Jackman’s last time brandishing the claws after nine appearance as Wolverine. Mangold said this of the final scene.
“To be honest, when we did that — I’m trying to remember the day we did that — we were racing daylight, we were losing daylight. So it all kind of happened and then suddenly, as we finished the shot, I announced it, because I realized that it happened. But the reality is that you can’t be aware of it or it gets in the way of doing the work. But it is powerful. It’s amazing. Because you know, he’s been doing this longer than anyone who’s been playing James Bond. I think he’s the longest-running character, actor in a single character, ever.”
Stephen Merchant is set to play Caliban with Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal and Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Check out the full interview posted at Slash Film.
Logan is in theaters March 3, 2017.
