THE WOLVERINE Casting News Announced

The Wolverine cast has been announced today by Superherohype. The long awaited film has gained its first cast members to star opposite Hugh Jackman. Unfortunately, we do not have any new information on the plot of the film, but we do know that this is the first round of casting news, and that more will be announced soon.

The cast will include a mix of newcomers and veteran actors. Hiroyuki Sanada (Lost, Rush Hour 3, The Last Samurai) will play Shingen; veteran actor Hal Yamanouchi (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Push, Sinbad of the Seven Seas) plays Yashida; and new discoveries Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima will star as Mariko and Yukio, respectively. Since the film will be based in Japan, Fox is moving forward with casting Japanese actors. I love this fact, because I feel it will add authenticity to the film. This is much better than many other studios remaking Japanese anime into feature films with American cast members.

We do know that the story is inspired by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's fan-favorite comic book arc, and that The Wolverine "finds Logan, the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel clashes with adamantium claws as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed."

The stage work is set to take place in Australia, but a large part of the film will be shot on location in Japan. The Wolverine is slated for a July 26, 2013 release with James Mangold directing. This production already sounds like it is off to a great start with the casting. I look forward to seeing who else will be announced in the weeks to come. What do you think of the cast members that have been announced thus far?