EXCLUSIVE: Fox Source Responds to Claim of Wolverine Lie

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When an early cut of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked online, 20th Century Fox chairman Tom Rothman assured fans that the final theatrical version would be radically different and include around ten minutes worth of reshoots that had not yet been integrated into the film. Now, though, a HuffPo blogger claims to have caught the chairman in a lie -- and we've got a rebuttal from a highly-placed Fox source close to the film.

The accusation against Rothman was made by HuffPo entertainment writer Scott Mendelson, who noticed something interesting while perusing Wolverine pre-orders:

Remember when Tom Rothman swore up and down that the final version of the film would be ten minutes longer? Apparently that was a lie. The bootleg apparently ran 107 minutes with credits. The official running time listed in the AMC and Arclight websites lists the film as running... drum roll... 107 minutes. While Tom Rothman had no choice but to convince moviegoers that the free version would be vastly different from the completed picture, it'll be interesting to see the reaction should that not turn out to be the case. Because, at this point, it would seem to not be the case.

We ran Mendelson's claim by our Fox source, who responded, "It's lunacy. When the workprint was uploaded and pirated, the final cut of the movie wasn't done. The music was temporary, the sound was temporary, the effects weren't in place, there was still wirework, the footage that was shot wasn't integrated. What [Rothman] said to EW was that there was about ten minutes of [new] footage, so I don't know if Mendelson is just comparing apples to apples." Further elaborating, the source confirmed that the final running time (with credits) is 107 minutes, but claimed that cuts had been made to the leaked workprint before the additional footage was added, which resulted in a similar running time.

Meanwhile, Wolverine star Hugh Jackman had his hands and feet immortalized in cement today outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Claims that the final footprints may contain an extra ten centimeters of length went unverified at press time.

· Ten minutes shorter, eh? Final cut of X-Men Origins: Wolverine has same running time as bootleg. [HuffPo]



Comments

  • Colander says:

    I'm pretty proud of myself for not watching the leaked version (despite way too many chances to do so), so this crap better be worth it.

  • Old No.7 says:

    Jazz hands!

  • Buckstar says:

    F' the pirated version. I want to see the final movie.

  • Inhaler says:

    Some of his very best moments have been while on his knees.

  • sweetbiscuit says:

    Me, too. I have faith in the final.

  • One thing I'd like to clarify. By using the term 'accusation', you imply that I believe that Tom Rothman is guilty of some kind of wrong doing. Not so. Regardless of whether the final cut of Wolverine is as different as he claims (and I of course knew that the bootleg contained various unfinished production elements, which was beside the point), Rothman played the only card he could. Once the bootleg turned up online, the only move for him to make was to quickly, and incessantly talk up how unfinished the copy was compared to the final cut. He had no choice but to exclaim how different the two cuts would be, regardless of whether that was true. It was the only play he had and I don't begrudge him for it.
    Scott Mendelson

  • Christopher says:

    What I do begrudge him for is single-handedly removing the Phoenix Effect from X3. He's an idiot.

  • Neil says:

    I can't agree with those who say they think watching the print would ruin the cinema experience. If anything this leak has made me likely to see it, whereas before I was very unlikely to after the last x-men movie. And it's highly likely I will appreciate it more for having seen an unfinished version.
    In a movie like this you are aware of the CGI when otherwise impossible action is shown, but you don't notice the hunderds of FX shots that are used where it *could* be real.
    I bet that in the movie the overhead shots of the island wouldn't even warrant a 2nd glance. Now that I know those shots are 100% CGI I will be looking at them more closely and I will be impressed, I'm sure, by how natural they look.
    Even the low-quality matte work gives us an idea of just how good FX are now. 20 years ago the finished film mattes weren't much better than these placeholders. The final product now is just amazing.
    Of course there's the conspiracy nuts saying this leak was planned as the world's largest focus group, but even if it was an accident, Fox should use the incident as a positive and take a lot of people's comments as a means of improving the film's reception on release.
    I hope it opens well, not only would it be a shame if the doom merchants are vindicated, this is the 2nd-best x-men film so far and is worth a look.

  • VFXstudent says:

    The pirated version is interesting (so a friend told me) because you get to see behind the curtain on how some of the shots were made.
    They should include the workprint when it comes out on DVD/Bluray on bonus disc.

  • Mike says:

    Am I the only one that interprets "...around 10 minutes of reshoots..." to mean they changed a few scenes, and NOT that they *added* 10 minutes to the movie?

  • Marc says:

    The pirated copy is the same. They released the "story" about the 10 minutes just to cause doubt. I'm guessing a decent percentage of people heard it wasn't the real deal and where deterred. Don't under estimate the power of laziness and media's ability to use it against us.
    For all those that fight for watching the film in the theater or whatever... get over yourself. Do what you do, no one cares, and no it doesn't make you "better" ... but yes I realize superiority is an intoxicating idea, until you find that we are all awesome and you don't need to hold anyone down to express how awesome you are, in fact while your holding them down your not doing what you could be doing, your wasting your time holding them down... hmm...

  • zwesell says:

    I saw the leaked version last night and it was horrible. Not becuase of the unfinished CG work. Not because of the unfinished green screen work. Not because of the wire work that was still visible.
    It was horrible because of the story. Wolverine is very close to X-Men 3 in story execution. There's very little climactic build up. Sure its all about revenge, but the emotion of Wolverine's trials just doesn't come thru. The actors are all wooden and their characters are poorly developed or not at all.
    The Dark Knight raised the bar for plot and character development in a comic book film, and Wolverine doesn't even come close to it.
    I'll probably wait for the final release on DVD.

  • Old No.7 says:

    You know what's even better than having a pirated version of a movie floating out in the interwebs, where I have the option to avoid it?
    Having a bunch of tools give out of spoilers of the pirated movie, where I CAN'T avoid it.

  • zwesell says:

    No spoilers in any of the comments in this thread. Just opinions.
    Since you mentioned it though I will give a spoiler:
    There are absolutely no surprises, cliffhangers or edge of your seat moments in the movie. You will not walk away with new insight into any of the characters.

  • vagabond says:

    Lol. It wasn't that good to begin with. The best parts of the movie are in the first 10 min.

  • Jay says:

    I also had the opportunity to download the film but chose not to.
    I was anticipating the movie and enjoy the movie theatre experience...watching an incomplete movie with no special effects on my computer holds no interest for me.
    I plan on going to see this when it comes out to help offset some of the damage done.

  • sweetbiscuit says:

    I don't think I'm "better" or superior for having not seen the pirated version. It's like knowing there's a rich chocolate cake that isn't available until after dinner, and resisting the half-baked crappy cookies offered before dinner. I don't feel superior, but I'm happy that I'm patient because my hope is the chocolate cake is worth it.
    To further wring out this weak metaphor: some people's appetites might be increased by eating those cookies, but I know mine would be ruined. That's just me.
    I don't see how that holds anyone else down, either. Eat whatever you want and enjoy it. (And by "whatever" I apparently mean various versions of Mr. Jackman.)

  • Allie says:

    The leaked copy was a workprint, of course it wasn't finished.

  • JJ The Gooch says:

    Pirating a multi million dollar investment is the absolute worst thing ever that could happen to a filmmaker and a major studio -- not to mention the heartache of having your work seen and judged before its finished. True fans of movies should be outraged. And it'll get worse before it gets better. Entertainment is the USA's #1 export -- lots and lots of jobs and households' incomes, particuly in Los Angeles depending on the overall health of "The Business" (witness the local economic fallout that the WGA strike had on this town). Why are the internets rooting for pirates and taking relish in the misfortune of others. The entertainment industry needs to be protected from the parisites who profit on other peoples creativity, hard work and the dedication it takes to get a movie made.

  • So long as it's a good movie, they shouldn't have anything to worry about.

  • Jonathan says:

    I must admit (i have not seen the bottleg - so no spoilers here) i would want to see the bootleg, but AFTER i saw the finished product in the theatres - as i will. Just to compare the two and get a glimpse into the making of the movie.
    People are to self-involved and selfish. I want it NOW! has become a problem with alot of things and this movie has become the flagship of showcasing that. Why can't people just wait the 2 weeks or 1 week until it comes out? why cant you give the cast the honor they deserve and to respect that they want EVERYONE to see it on opening day - and to not have anyone give spoilers away early?
    They work hard to make a movie and should not have to contend with pirates just to get it out ontime, and with the best version possible.

  • i dont really think they have anything to worry bout ..for the trailer looks amazing and so are the early review of the leaked version ..
    Waiting for the final official release

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