Wolverine: Running Time Controversy and New Internet Trailer

From: SlashFilm.com
Written by: Peter Sciretta

20th Century Fox has released a new internet-only trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine on Apple (click on the “exclusive clip”). The film finally hits theaters next week. I’m not quite sure the point of the new edit, as it doesn’t seem to offer much that wasn’t shown in previous trailers/television spots. It’s very possible that the trailer was an alternative cut of the previous trailer, and that Fox decided to release it online to further combat the piracy of the leaked workprint.

Speaking of which, when the movie showed up online, Fox head Tom Rothman told Entertainment Weekly that “the version that went out” was “about 10 minutes shorter, doesn’t have key scenes, it wasn’t edited, and none of the effects shots were in any remotely final form.” The Huffington Post noticed that both the leaked “unfinished” workprint and the final cut have the same running time of 107 minutes. How could this be? Did Rothman lie? Or does the theatrical cut actually feature ten minutes of “key scenes” not in the early cut?

Movieline ’s sources claim that “cuts had been made to the leaked workprint before the additional footage was added, which resulted in a similar running time.” I’m sure we’ll find out exactly how much different the theatrical cut is early next week.