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Wanted
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Timur Bekmambetov
Written by	Michael Brandt Derek Haas Chris Morgan
Produced by	Marc Platt Jason Netter Jim Lemley
Starring	James McAvoy Morgan Freeman Common Thomas Kretschmann Terence Stamp and Angelina Jolie
Cinematography	Mitchell Amundsen
Edited by	David Brenner
Music by	Danny Elfman
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	United Kingdom: June 25, 2008 Russia: June 26, 2008 United States: June 27, 2008 Australia: July 31,2008
Running time	110 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Box office	$249,457,069

Wanted is a 2008 action film with the first half loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann and Terence Stamp. Production began in April 2007. Wanted was released on June 25, 2008 in the United Kingdom and June 27, 2008 in the United States.

Plot

A man called "Mr. X" (David O'Hara) meets with a ballistics expert to find out who made a particular bullet for a "competitor". Suddenly, a sniper shoots the ballistics expert in the head from a nearby building. Mr. X leaps through the window and shoots his opponents in mid-flight, killing them. He lands on the building and begins talking to a man on a cell phone, unaware that he is standing on a marked spot. He notices it as the man, named Cross fires a multi-stage bullet from across town, killing Mr. X by going through the back of his head and out through his forehead. A young man named Wesley Gibson works at a dead-end job with an overbearing boss. His live-in girlfriend is sleeping with his best friend. One night at a pharmacy, Gibson meets a mysterious woman who tells him his father was an elite assassin who had been killed the day before. Gibson replies that his father abandoned him a week after his birth. At that moment, Cross appears, gun in hand. The woman opens fire on Cross. Wesley and the woman escape from the resulting shoot-out and have a wild car chase in the streets of Chicago. The woman brings Gibson to the headquarters of The Fraternity, a thousand-year-old secret society of assassins. The group's leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), formally introduces Gibson to Fox (Angelina Jolie), the woman from the night before, and invites him to follow in his father's footsteps as an assassin. Sloan tests Gibson by making him shoot the wings off a fly. When Wesley refuses, a gun is put to his head, triggering a panic attack. Wesley somehow manages to shoot the wings off several flies. Wesley wakes up the next day hoping everything was a dream, but discovers his father's gun (which he stashes in the toilet tank), and that he has $3.6 million in his bank account. At work, Gibson tells off his boss, bashes his duplicitous friend with a computer keyboard, and storms out. Wesley then sees pictures of himself and Fox on the front page of several newspapers as wanted fugitives for the pharmacy shooting. Then he notices Fox, who has been waiting outside, and she gives him a ride back to the Fraternity headquarters - an unassuming textile mill.

Sometime later when his training is complete, Gibson is given orders to kill people from the Loom of Fate, a loom that gives the names of the targets through a binary code hidden in weaving errors of the fabric. While on his first assignment, Gibson has second thoughts and does not kill his target. Later he tells Fox it isn't right to kill people without knowing anything about them or why they deserve to die. Fox then relates a childhood story: About a judge handling a sensitive case, and the defendant had ordered him assassinated. A hired killer held the young girl at knifepoint as they waited for her father to return home. The killer then lit the father on fire as the young girl watched, and then branded his initials into her neck. Fox explained that the man who killed the judge had been targeted by the Fraternity several weeks prior to the events of the story, but their assassin had failed to carry out his duty. Fox then tells Wesley The Fraternity's idea, "Kill one and maybe save thousands". As she prepares to leaves, he notices initials branded on her neck and realizes the story was about her. Wesley bends a bullet trajectory to kill the target a moment after this recollection.

Gibson and Fox travel to the Fraternity's original base of operations in Europe. The two easily capture Pekwarsky and force him to take them to Cross. The meeting leads to a confrontation between Wesley and Cross on a moving train. Fox steals a car and crashes it into the train, eventually causing the train to derail when it reaches a bridge over a deep ravine (killing all innocent passengers). Wesley is about to fall into the ravine before Cross catches his hand, saving his life. Wesley unhesitatingly shoots him. Before Cross dies, he tells Wesley that he is his real father and that the Fraternity had been lying to him. Fox confirms the truth and explains that Wesley was recruited because he was the only person that Cross wouldn't kill. Fox then tells Wesley about the kill order on him and raises her weapon to shoot him. Wesley, however, shoots the glass underneath him and plunges into the river below.

Gibson awakes in an apartment across the street from his former apartment. He finds Pekwarsky there. Upon inspecting the apartment, he discovers it belonged to his father, who had been monitoring him his whole life. Pekwarsky hands Wesley a loom weaving and tells him to decode it. Gibson is shocked to discover Sloan's name in the weaving. Pekwarsky explains that after Sloan discovered his name, he started manufacturing his own targets and after discovering this Cross goes rogue and Sloan turns the Fraternity against him. Since then Sloan has used false kill orders to direct the Fraternity as mere contract killers. Gibson realizes that Cross had never actually tried to kill him in their previous confrontations; he had been assassinating Fraternity members to keep them away from Wesley. Pekwarsky departs after giving Wesley plane tickets, stating that his father wished him a life free of violence. While exploring the apartment further, Gibson discovers a secret room containing all of his father's weapons and maps. He even finds a supply of the Exterminator's mini-bombs, realizing that the Exterminator had been working with his father. Wesley then devises a plan to take out Sloan and the Fraternity. Upon entering Sloan's office, he finds himself surrounded by Fox and her fellow master assassins. Gibson tells them that Sloan is killing for profit by providing his killers with fraudulent kill orders. He then attempts to kill Sloan, but is disarmed by Fox.

Fox asks Sloan if this is true. Sloan then reveals that all of their names had come up in the weaving, and that he had merely acted to protect them. He then goes on to explain that if they truly believe in the code then they should take their lives right where they stand. Otherwise, they should kill Wesley. The other assassins decide to kill Gibson , but Fox turns on her fellow assassins. She "curves" a bullet to kill the assassins who had been standing in a circle, then throws her gun to Wesley before stepping back into the bullet. Sloan escapes. Wesley, penniless once more, does not know what to do with himself. While Wesley provides a voice-over, the audience sees a young man sitting in front of a computer in a cubicle much like Wesley did at the beginning of the film. The man types the name "Wesley Gibson" into Google and searches for it but does not have any results, as in the beginning of the film. Sloan appears and points a gun at the man's head. At that moment, the man turns around and is revealed to be a decoy and looks down. Sloan also looks down and realizes he is standing on a marked spot. He then looks up and says, "Oh, fuck", before Wesley, who is actually miles away, shoots him in the head from the comfort of his own apartment, from the same window his father killed Mr. X from at the beginning of the movie. It is also shown that the same bullet passed through an energy drink his former best friend was holding as his unfaithful girlfriend looks on in shock, mere moments before it killed Sloan.

The movie ends with Wesley breaking the fourth wall, addressing the audience and giving an overview of his last six weeks as an assassin saying, "This is me taking back control of my life. What the fuck have you done lately?"

Cast

• James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson: A meek 24-year-old who works in a cubicle, but is heir to a legacy of assassins. McAvoy was cast in the lead role in October 2006. McAvoy, who had screen-tested for the role early in 2006, was initially rejected due to the studio seeking an actor that had conventional Hollywood leading-man looks and physique. McAvoy was later recalled, being considered the "runt of the litter" of those who tested. According to McAvoy, "They wanted someone geeky." The Scottish actor, who portrays an American in the film, trained for the film's action scenes.
• Morgan Freeman as Sloan: The charismatic assassin partner of Wesley Gibson's deceased father.
• Angelina Jolie as Fox: One of Fraternity assassins who mentors Gibson. Jolie was cast in March 2007 after screenwriter Dean Georgaris rewrote the screenplay to tailor the role for her.
• Thomas Kretschmann as Cross: A rogue assassin who has left the Fraternity.
• Common as The Gunsmith: A professional gunman who trains others to use weapons.
• Konstantin Khabensky as The Exterminator: Khabensky, who starred in Bekmambetov's Night Watch, was cast so the director would have a familiar face around Wanted.
• Marc Warren as The Repairman
• Dato Bakhtadze as The Butcher: A master of knife work.
• Terence Stamp as Pekwarsky: A master in the science of killing. Pekwarsky operates as a rogue agent outside of The Fraternity.
• David O'Hara as Mr. X/Allan Gibson: Said to be the greatest assassin. His killing catalyzes Wesley's introduction to the Fraternity.
• Chris Pratt as Barry
• Kristen Hager as Cathy

Production

The comic book miniseries Wanted by Mark Millar first attracted the attention of Universal Studios executive Jeff Kirschenbaum, a comic book fan who sought a film adaptation that would be considered a "hard-R" and encouraged the studio to pick up the rights to the miniseries. By 2004, producer Marc Platt set up development of the film adaptation. In December 2005, Russian-Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov was attached to helm the project as his first English-language film, with the script being written by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt. Millar did not like the first draft of the script. He explained, "I wanted the film to basically be the opposite of the Spider-Man movie, the idea of someone getting powers and realizing they can do what they want, then choosing the dark path. The I read was just too tame. It just seemed a little bit Americanized. But Timur came in with his Eastern European madness, and he really made it nasty. He went closer to the spirit of the book."

Director Timur Bekmambetov said that the film would keep the same characters from the miniseries (which ultimately, did not happen) though the director would take liberty in adapting the comic book's world. In July 2006, screenwriter Chris Morgan was hired to revise the third act of the Wanted script written by Haas and Brandt. The script was also rewritten by screenwriter Ruby Aduana to include the role of The Fox for actress Angelina Jolie. Haas and Brandt returned to even out the character of Wesley Gibson, which they had established in their first draft.

Comic book author Mark Millar described the first half of the film as being close to the graphic novel. Millar also said that the film's ending was similar, though it was relocated elsewhere from the setting in the graphic novel. The superhero costumes in the series were also removed, with the exception of the leather attire worn by Wesley Gibson and the Fox. Ironically, this had been Millar's intent when writing the graphic novel, although he and artist J. G. Jones had forgotten to. "I wanted them to have those powers and then just wear those costumes for the initiation, but just for one panel." he said. "And then I forgot. I’d have liked to keep the supervillain mythos. That’s one thing I’m kind of sad they didn’t keep, ’cause I really liked that, the idea that supervillains and heroes did exist at one point and they’re all gone now." The story arc of the Fates issuing death orders in line with the series' original theme of predestination was a new element to the film, an addition to which Millar was amicable.

Wanted includes free running and parkour in addition to car chases and gunfights. Wanted creator Mark Millar saw previsualized footage for the film and said the footage had raised his expectations for the film adaptation.

Location plate shooting took place in Chicago in April 2007. Several chase scenes, including one with a low flying helicopter, were shot in Chicago on May 17 and 18 on Wacker Drive along the Chicago River, between Columbus Drive and LaSalle Street. Production moved to the Czech Republic later in May, scheduled for 12 weeks of shooting. For the film, production designer John Myhre constructed a large textile factory in Prague as part of an industrial world, the setting of a mythological environment in which looms create fabrics interwoven with the destinies of people, interpreted by weavers to issue orders for specific individuals' deaths to preserve the balance of the world. Afterward, filming moved to Budapest, then returned to Chicago in August.

Release and reception

Wanted was initially set to be released in cinemas on March 28, 2008, but in December 2007, Universal announced it would be moving the release date later to June 27, 2008. Wanted was released June 27, 2008. Previews started in the UK on June 25.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. As of June 27, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of critics gave Wanted positive reviews, based on 163 reviews, with the consensus that the film "is a fast-paced, crackling thrill ride tailor-made for the Summer audience." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 64 out of 100, based on 30 reviews.

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly encapsulated many critics' views, saying "'Wanted' is kind of unintelligible and idiotic. Also kind of nasty and brutish. And also undeniably kind of fun..." Likewise, Tom Long of The Detroit News said, "Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock". Claudia Puig of USA Today found the "thrilling stunts and hyperkinetic action scenes the undisputed stars of this surprisingly entertaining film". Conversely, John Rosenblatt of The Austin Chronicle denounced those same attributes, saying, "If Maxim magazine ever decides to branch out into filmmaking, Wanted is just the kind of ear-throttling nonsense it's bound to produce", and David Fear of Time Out New York called it "the cinematic equivalent of an energy drink. The film keeps artificially pumping your adrenal glands with mindless, malnutritional sensations, only to leave you crampy and cranky minutes later. ...his exercise in ultraviolence then insults us by having a beaten, bloodied McAvoy inform viewers that he used to be a loser 'just like all of you'". Frank Lovece of Film Journal International, one of few mainstream critics to have read the comic-book miniseries, said the film compared poorly with the source material. Noting that the hero in the comic goes even further, "breaking the fourth wall and positioning himself so that he's 'prison-raping' and taunting the reader for having liked the series," Lovece found that, "While Millar may have contempt for his readers — and, by extension, the medium in which he works — at least he has his own vision, and gets it across with style and wit" that the movie lacked.Roger Ebert of Ebert & Roeper said "'Wanted' slams the pedal to the metal and never slows down. Here’s an action picture that’s exhausting in its relentless violence and its ingenuity in inventing new ways to attack, defend, ambush and annihilate" while Richard Roeper said "It’s made for fans of films that really just want to see some great visuals, some amazing sequences and some terrific performances."

In the comics press, Erik Amaya of Comic Book Resources said, "The film's biggest faults lie in how far it strays from the source", and that, "If you've ever seen any movie about leather-clad assassins, you already know how this film plays out. The speed and skill of the movie-making balance out those faults, however". Tom McLean of Newsarama noted that while the story deviated strongly from the source, the movie "stands out as a highly entertaining action film that preserves the comic's core premise and cheeky attitude while taking the story into very different but still satisfying territory".

Among European critics, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said, "It looks as if it has been written by a committee of 13-year-old boys for whom penetrative sex is still only a rumour, and the resulting movie plays like a party political broadcast on behalf of the misogynist party", concluding, "In an ideal world, the title would have the word 'Not' tacked on to the front".

Box office performance

In its opening weekend, Wanted grossed $50.9 million in 3,175 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office and averaged an estimated $16,100 per theater, the $50.9 million opening exceeded the analysts projections of $30-$35 million opening weekend. Wanted has made over $132 million in the US and over $228 million worldwide.

Soundtrack

The main song that features throughout the film and as the credits roll is a rock song by Danny Elfman called "The Little Things"

Also features the song Every Day Is Exactly the Same, by Nine Inch Nails

References

1. "Wanted at the BBFC". British Board of Film Classification. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-06-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. "Exclusive: James McAvoy Talks Wanted". Empire. 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. ^ Edward Douglas (2007-02-16). "Exclusive: A Chat with James McAvoy". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. ^ Phil Miller (2007-03-23). "Comic writer signs up Jolie as assassin". The Herald. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. ^ Michael Fleming (2007-03-19). "Jolie 'Wanted' for Universal film". Variety. Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
6. ^ Larry Carroll (2007-06-11). "Why Angelina Jolie, Common 'Wanted' To Work With Red-Hot Russian Director". MTV. Retrieved 2007-06-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. The Butcher Dossier
8. Stacy Dodd (2007-06-20). "Terence Stamp". Variety. Retrieved 2007-06-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. Kris De Leon (2007-07-03). "What Are They Up To? Everwood's Chris Pratt". BuddyTV. Retrieved 2007-07-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. Stacy Dodd (2007-05-09). "Kristen Hager". Variety. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. Edward Douglas (2007-08-17). "Exclusive: The Writers of Wanted!". SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved 2008-01-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. Gabriel Snyder (2005-12-07). "Helmer's on Universal's 'Wanted' list". Variety. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
13. ^ Justin Aclin (2007-12-03). "MARK MILLAR ON THE 'WANTED' MOVIE". Wizard. Retrieved 2007-12-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
14. Carl Cortez (2006-02-27). "Exclusive Profile: DIRECTOR TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV COMES INTO THE LIGHT WITH NIGHT WATCH - PART 2". iFMagazine.com. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. George A. Tramountanas (2006-07-22). "CCI, DAY 2: CHRIS MORGAN – A "WANTED" SCREENWRITER". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
16. George A. Tramountanas (2007-10-12). "THE WICKED WITCH RETURNS IN BOOM!'s "SALEM"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2007-10-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. Mark Millar (2007-06-11). "Wanted director talks to MTV". MillarWorld.tv. Retrieved 2007-06-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
18. Mark Millar (2007-02-20). "Mark Millar Talks Wanted". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2007-02-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
19. ^ "Spring, summer movie production accelerates". Reel Chicago. 2007-04-18. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |ur;= ignored (help)
20. Tribune Staff (2007-05-17). "Filming of movie to close off streets". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-05-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
21. "Stillking Films head new productions in Prague". Czech Film Commission. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
22. "Wanted Pushed to Summer". CanMag.Com. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
23. "Wanted Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
24. "Wanted (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
25. Schwarzbaum, Lisa. Wanted (review), Entertainment Weekly. June 26, 2008
26. Long, Tom, "Over-the-top 'Wanted' is the action film to beat", The Detroit News, June 27, 2008
27. Puig, Claudia, "'Wanted' weaves an intriguing, if far-fetched, plot", USA Today, posted June 26, 2008
28. Rosenblatt. "Wanted (review), The Austin Chronicle, June 27, 2008
29. Fear, David. "Wanted (review), Time Out New York, June 26-July 2, 2008
30. Lovece, Frank. "Wanted (review), Film Journal International, June 27, 2008
31. Roger Ebert. "Wanted (review), June 26, 2008
32. Richard Roeper. "Wanted (review), June 30, 2008
33. Amaya, Erik, Wanted (review), Comic Book Resources, June 26, 2008
34. McLean, Tom. "Movie Review - Will Moviegoers Want 'Wanted'?", Newsarama, June 20, 2008
35. Peter Bradshaw review, The Guardian, June 25, 2008
36. "Wanted (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
37. "WALL-E (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
38. Danny Elfman - The Little Things

External links

• Official site
• Wanted at IMDb
• Wanted at Rotten Tomatoes
• Wanted at Metacritic
• Wanted at Box Office Mojo
• Template:Amg movie
• FraternityOfWeavers.com - viral site
• Wanted Fan Immersion Game

• 2008 films
• 2000s action films
• American films
• English-language films
• Action thriller films
• Films based on comics
• Universal Pictures films
• Films shot in Chicago