In a blow to the local biz, Hugh Jackman’s shingle Seed Production (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) has shuttered its Aussie office to focus on its U.S. operations.

”We are in a transitional period,” a Seed spokesperson said in a statement. “In the meantime, we are operating from our Los Angeles office which is based on the Fox lot. We have several Australian projects in the works and will continue to play a major part in most of Australia’s film festivals.”

The Oz office, headed by Alana Free, was based at Sydney’s Fox Studios. At its star-studded launch in 2006, Jackman said the aim of Seed was to “support Australian filmmakers, to stimulate the creative community and provide international opportunities for Australian artists.” (more…)

Hugh Jackman is the most dangerous Australian celebrity to search for in cyberspace, according to Internet security company McAfee. Other dangerous Aussies in cyberspace are said to be Nicole Kidman, Delta Goodrem, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Hawkins.

McAfee used its SiteAdvisor technology to compile its third annual list of celebrity names that it claims lead to the largest number of risky sites, when searched on the Web.

It warns that Web users looking to catch up on gossip or searching for wallpaper, screensavers, and photos of their favourite stars can unwittingly download spyware, adware, spam, and viruses. (more…)

Hugh Jackman is bulking up again for Wolverine 2.

The Aussie actor admits he has a little work in the gym to do before he is in superhero shape ready for a sequel to his successful X-Men spin off.

“We’re starting work on it now,” dished Hugh. “That’s not to say we are actually shooting now — and a good job too. I have a little work to do to get back in shape because I’ve kind of let myself go a bit from those Wolverine workouts.

“I’ve been eating all the wrong things — like you do.”

And Hugh already knows where he’s off to once he is ready for action. “Japan is where we’re heading,” he says. “It’s going to be a very exciting part of the saga.” (more…)

Wolverine and James Bond will soon be squaring off eight times a week. And here’s the first publicity photo of Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in the Broadway play A Steady Rain, in which they play Chicago cops with enough troubles to fill Soldier Field. Jackman, who won a Tony in 2004 for hoofing it as 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz, plays Denny, a patrolman with a racist streak and violent temper. And Craig, a London stage veteran making his Broadway debut, plays Joey, a recovering alcoholic and gentler soul who may not be as docile as he first seems. In A Steady Rain, which just began rehearsals, the two buddies in blue recount a few harrowing days on the job and their very different accounts of a police call that quickly went south.

Performances of American playwright Keith Huff’s two-man play begin Sept. 10 with an official opening set for Sept. 29. The show, directed by Tony nominee John Crowley (The Pillowman), is scheduled to run through Dec. 6. And while I have my reservations about Craig’s porn-stache — a look that 007 could never get away with, thank heavens — I have to say that both stars look rugged, handsome, and intense. They can walk my beat any day.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Broadway – “A Steady Rain” – Publicity Photos
Source: Entertainment Weekly

Hugh is photographed being a great husband in father in downtown Manhattan on August 16, 2009.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Candids from 2009 – 08-16 – Out and about in Downtown Manhattan

Although he hasn’t started performances in the new drama A Steady Rain yet, Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman already has his eye on another stage project: Shakespeare! In an interview in the September issue of Vogue, Jackman is said to be ready to fulfill a longtime dream by starring in a yet-to-be-chosen Shakespeare classic for director Trevor Nunn.

In the feature (in which the actor was handsomely photographed celeb shutterbug Annie Leibovitz at the Cherry Lane Theatre), Jackman reminisces about his early career on the stage, making a debut at age eight in Camelot (“I was probably the most squeaky-voiced King Arthur of all time”) and auditioning for a professional production of Beauty and the Beast in Australia by singing “Stars” from Les Miserables. (“My voice cracked on the last note, which really made me feel terrific.”)

Of returning to Broadway opposite Daniel Craig in Keith Huff’s thriller A Steady Rain after his Tony-winning turn in the splashy musical The Boy from Oz, Jackman says, “I loved the idea of returning to the basicis—the spoken word, two actors and the audience.”

GALLERY LINKS:
• Photoshoots – Shoot #018
(more…)

Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman is more usually seen fighting the forces of darkness, but he’s now taken on a practical real-life mission.

The Aussie actor has been out and about in Manhattan in the role of a roving reporter, tackling the issue of fair trade for producers in the developing world.

In the ‘guerrilla’ documentary the star turns up unannounced at cafés and restaurants to ask vendors about if they are aware of fair trade practices.

Father of two Hugh is deeply involved in anti-poverty initiatives.

After shooting an advert recently on the topic for the UN, he said his commitment was “as an actor… not an economist”.

He is looking to answer questions such as “How is it that a kid dies every three seconds from extreme poverty”.

I’ve updated the gallery with new photos of Hugh out and about in NYC, at LAX, and visiting some of his friends in the Hollywood Hills.

GALLERY LINKS:
• Candids from 2009 – 08-08 – Out and about in NYC [HQ]
• Candids from 2009 – 08-09 – Arriving at LAX
• Candids from 2009 – 08-10 – Visiting a friend in the Hollywood Hills
Source: Sarita

Hugh Jackman receives an award for Choice Male Movie Actor Action/Adventure for “Wolverine”. Congrats!

GALLERY LINKS:
• Appearances from 2009 – 2009 Teen Choice Awards – Backstage
• Appearances from 2009 – 2009 Teen Choice Awards – Press Room
• Appearances from 2009 – 2009 Teen Choice Awards – Show

Thanks to the amazing Sarita. I’ll be posting more soon!

Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to write the script for Fox’s sequel to its “Wolverine” movie.

Hugh Jackman is set to return as the Marvel Comics character, a mutant with healing powers and a skeleton laced with the indestructible metal known as adamantium. Jackman is also producing via his Fox-based Seed shingle along with Lauren Shuler Donner.

The movie’s story line will take its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, which is set in Japan and features Wolverine dealing with ninjas as he struggles whether to follow his animal killer instincts or the life under a samurai’s code of honor and respect.

The story line was hinted at in one of the movie’s codas after the credits. (The other teased a spinoff based on Deadpool, the character played by Ryan Reynolds.) (more…)