The film was mostly shot in Australia and New Zealand, with Canada also serving as a location. Production and post-production were troubled, with conflicts arising between director Hood and Fox's executives, and an unfinished workprint being leaked on the Internet one month before the film's debut. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released worldwide on May 1, 2009 and their reviews were generally unfavorable, with critics considering the film and its screenplay uninspired, but praising Hugh Jackman's performance. It opened at the top of the box office, and has grossed $179 million in the United States and Canada and over $373 million worldwide.
Plot
In 1845, James Howlett, a young boy living in Canada, sees his father killed by groundskeeper Thomas Logan. The trauma activates the boy's mutation: bone claws protrude from James' hands, and he kills Thomas, who reveals that he is James' biological father before dying. James flees along with Thomas' son Victor Creed, who is thus James' half-brother. They spend the next century as soldiers, fighting in the American Civil War, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War. In 1975, Victor (Liev Schrieber) attempts to rape a woman, but is stopped after killing a senior officer. James (Hugh Jackman) defends Victor and the two are sentenced to execution by firing squad, which they survive. Major William Stryker (Danny Huston) approaches them, now in military custody, and offers them membership in Team X, a group of mutants including Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), John Wraith (will.i.am), Fred Dukes (Kevin Durand), and Chris Bradley (Dominic Monaghan). They join the team, but the group's disregard for human life causes James to leave.
Six years later, James, now using the alias Logan, lives in Canada with his girlfriend Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Stryker locates Logan and warns him that someone is killing members of the team; both Wilson and Bradley are dead. Afterward, Victor murders Kayla and attacks Logan. Stryker offers Logan a way to beat Victor; Logan undergoes an operation to reinforce his skeleton with adamantium, a virtually indestructible metal. Before the procedure, Logan asks for new dog tags inscribed with "Wolverine". Once the procedure is complete, Stryker orders Logan's memory erased, but Logan escapes.
Logan locates Wraith and Dukes and asks them about the location of Stryker's new laboratory, referred to as "The Island". They tell him to find Remy "Gambit" LeBeau (Taylor Kitsch), who knows it. Logan and Wraith locate Gambit. Victor kills Wraith. Gambit takes Logan to Stryker's facility. There, Logan learns that Kayla is alive and conspired with Stryker in exchange for her sister's safety. Enraged, Logan leaves. Victor then arrives, demanding the adamantium bonding promised for his service, but Stryker refuses on the basis that Victor would not survive the procedure. Meanwhile, Stryker activates Weapon XI, a "mutant killer" which Stryker refers to as "the Deadpool".
Escaping, Kayla and Logan are found by Deadpool; Kayla is wounded. Deadpool attacks Logan who is rescued by Victor. Logan decapitates Deadpool and Victor departs. Stryker shoots Logan with adamantium bullets, rendering him unconscious. Kayla persuades Stryker not to kill Logan and leave, before dying from her wounds. Gambit returns as Logan regains consciousness, but is amnesiac. Gambit tries convincing Logan to come with him, but the latter declines, wanting to go his own way.
