“Logan” marks Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as the clawed mutant. But did you know that for the occasion, the actor did something unique for the feature film to be rated R?
Logan : the last appearance of Hugh Jackman in Wolverine
For 17 yearsfrom the first movie X-Men in 2000 until Logan in 2017, comedian Hugh Jackman played the famous Wolverine. The actor appeared at 9 times in the skin of the clawed mutant and remains, even today, totally inseparable from the role. It must be said that Wolverine remains an iconic character in the Marvel universe and perhaps one of the most popular with comic book readers. Created in 1974 by Roy Thomas, Len Wein and John Romita Sr., his cinematographic appearances have also marked the spirits. But the best portrait of Wolverine is certainly his last: Logan. Directed by James Mangold, Logan is unquestionably one of the best opus of the whole license X-Men.
The story is a road movie in a dystopian universe, in the near future, where most mutants have disappeared. Logan continues to care for Professor X until the arrival of a new mutant: X-23. Their daily life is then turned upside down. Logan received rave press and popular reviews. Nominated once for the Oscars, the film brought in more than $619 million in box office receiptsdespite an R ranking (prohibited under 17 in the United States). In addition to the final return of Hugh Jackman in the skin of Wolverine, the film also offers a cast composed of Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant and the young Dafne Keen.
The Hugh Jackman Concession
The fact that Logan either rated R was not a foregone conclusion. R-rated superhero films are quite rare in the American cinema landscape. Major studios are usually pretty nervous about the idea of rating a superhero movie under 17. Often because such a classification results in a significant loss of money, due to entries limited by the age of the public. Films of the genre to be rated R are therefore quite rare. The most famous remain Watchmen: The Guardiansboth films Dead Pool, Kick-Ass and more recently the excellent Joker. James Mangold therefore demanded that his work also be classified R. However, it was not a foregone conclusion.
The 20th Century Fox has indeed, initially, denied that Logan be rated R. And this despite the insistence of its director. It was Hugh Jackman’s intervention that enabled Logan to finally be rated R.
The actor has indeed demanded from Fox that the feature film be prohibited for those under 17, thus supporting his director. Faced with the inflexibility of the studio, the actor has therefore decided to revise his salary downwards. Hugh Jackman has thus given up part of his pay, so that this final chapter of the Wolverine franchise obtains the famous R classification. Faced with this unfailing will of Hugh Jackman, the 20th Century Fox eventually gave permission. A decision that paid off, given the mostly positive reviews of the work, and its more than respectable score at the box office.
So thank you Hugh Jackman, without whom this superb film would never have happened. Anyway, not this way…
