The Wolverine - Wolverine will be an 'animal' in new film

Wolverine will be an 'animal' in new film

'The Wolverine' director is ''making him an animal'' in the new Film.

The latest film about the superhero - played by Hugh Jackman, who stars and co-produces - sees him in Japan, and director James Mangold is planning to bring out the character's basest qualities.

He said: ''I wanted to go as far as we could in the direction of making him an animal. That's what he is. I feel like Logan [Wolverine] is, in many ways, the dog that's been in the pound for half his life, and its ready to bite at all points. He has to already be ready for a scrap.''

The director also thinks the film - based around a limited series comic by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller - being set in Japan is a move which suits the tone and character very well.

He added to Empire magazine: ''The cultural qualities that Japan and its people bring - honour, a sense of duty, of conflict - really fit beautifully around Logan. Our film finds Logan at a point where he's very much a Ronin - a samurai without a master.''

'The Wolverine' is set for release in July 2013.