Fox Wants James Mangold to Direct The Wolverine

That "shortlist" of eight directors to replace Darren Aronofsky at the helm of The Wolverine has been narrowed down to one. Deadline reports that Twentieth Century Fox has begun negotiations with James Mangold to take over the coveted X-Men spin-off sequel following months of speculation. What other rumored names did Mangold beat out for the gig?

You'll recall the original short list included Mangold, Jose Padilha, Doug Liman, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Romanek, Justin Lin, Gavin O'Connor, and Gary Shore. Per Deadline, that list was whittled down to Mangold, O'Connor and Fuqua heading into this week, with the Knight and Day director left as last man standing.

Twentieth Century Fox is hoping to shoot The Wolverine this fall. What that will do to star Hugh Jackman's schedule -- especially in light of the reports that he might star in Tom Hooper's Les Miserables adaptation -- remains to be seen.

· James Mangold Fox's Choice For 'The Wolverine' [Deadline]