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Wanted

Choose your destiny.

2008 · 110 min · Action
7.1 Modest
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Action Thriller Crime

Doormat Wesley Gibson is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. He meets an attractive woman named Fox and discovers that his recently murdered father - whom Wesley never knew - belonged to the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins which takes its orders from Fate itself. Fox and Sloan, the Fraternity's leader, teach Wesley, through intense training, to tap into dormant powers and hone his innate killing skills. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.

Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Year
2008
Studio
Kickstart Entertainment · Universal Pictures · Spyglass Entertainment · Marc Platt Productions

Trivia & behind the scenes

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Origins

Universal Pictures acquired the film rights to Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' comic through executive Jeff Kirschenbaum, who sought a hard-R adaptation, and producer Marc Platt secured the rights by 2004.

Origins

Producer Marc Platt pushed for Timur Bekmambetov to direct based on his visual style in Night Watch and Day Watch, marking Bekmambetov's first English-language film.

Origins

Mark Millar was initially unhappy with the first script draft, finding it too tame and Americanized, but became supportive once Bekmambetov brought his own vision closer to the comic's spirit.

Origins

The superhero costumes from the comic were dropped from the film except for leather outfits worn by Wesley and Fox; Millar admitted this was actually his original intent for the comic, which he and artist J.G. Jones forgot to include beyond one panel.

Casting

James McAvoy screen-tested for the lead role early in 2006 and was initially rejected for not having conventional leading-man looks, but was later recalled because the studio ultimately wanted someone geekier.

Casting

McAvoy, a Scottish actor playing an American, trained to improve his physique for the action scenes and suffered a twisted ankle and an injured knee during filming.

Casting

Angelina Jolie was cast in March 2007 after screenwriter Dean Georgaris rewrote the Fox character specifically for her, and Mark Millar became far more enthusiastic about the project once she joined.

Casting

Although Jolie already had 13 known tattoos, she had temporary tattoos added for her role as Fox.

Casting

Kristen Hager originally auditioned for the role of Fox but ended up being cast as Wesley's unfaithful girlfriend Cathy instead.

Filming

Filming took place in Chicago, the Czech Republic, and Budapest, with chase scenes shot over two days on Wacker Drive along the Chicago River using a low-flying helicopter.

Filming

Production designer John Myhre built a large textile factory set inside a former sugar factory in Prague to serve as the Fraternity's mythological headquarters with the Loom of Fate.

Filming

Angelina Jolie was actually strapped to the hood of a moving Dodge Viper for one of her stunts, and many actors performed their own parkour and free-running stunts.

Filming

Two full-sized train cars were built for the production, including a Chicago 'L' car and a Czech Pendolino mounted on a hydraulic gimbal to simulate the climactic train derailment.

Effects

Visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier took over the project after the original supervisor withdrew due to illness, and found the effects far behind schedule with only 12 of 500 planned composites finished, requiring him to bring in two additional supervisors to meet the deadline across eight visual effects companies.

Music

Danny Elfman scored the film with a guitar-based, heavy-metal-inspired sound and wrote and performed the rock song 'The Little Things', which also received a Russian-language version sung by Elfman for the film's Russian release.

Trivia

For the Russian release, writer Sergei Lukyanenko handled the literary translation, on-screen texts were translated via CGI without subtitles, and several Russian actors from Bekmambetov's Night Watch and Day Watch dubbed the main cast.

Reception

Wanted had the best opening weekend ever for a June-released R-rated film at the time, a record only surpassed four years later by Prometheus and Ted.

Memorable quotes

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SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

Wesley Gibson Overwhelmed by the chaos of discovering his true identity

This is not me following my destiny. This is not me following in my father's footsteps. This is definitely not me saving the world. ... This is not me. This is just a mother-fucking decoy.

Wesley Gibson Realizing he's been manipulated and used as a decoy

Everything they told you was a lie. ... You are my son.

Cross The final revelation about Wesley's true parentage

You know when you have a dream and you're half-awake, but still in the fringe of your brain. Then you open your eyes and you're so damned glad it was a dream? [His father's gun falls to the floor] This was NOTHING like that.

Wesley Gibson Processing the surreal nightmare of his life

Six weeks ago I was ordinary and pathetic just like you. Who am I now? Account manager? Assassin? Just another tool who was mind-fucked into killing his father? I am all of these. I am none of these. Who am I now?

Wesley Gibson Struggling with his fractured identity and conflicting roles

Do you make sweaters, or do you kill people?

Wesley Gibson Confronting Fox's deceptive nature

Fate wanted YOU dead. And you couldn't take it.

Wesley Gibson Explaining Sloan's motivation to kill him

We don't know how far the ripples of our decisions go. We kill one, and maybe save a thousand. That's the code of the Fraternity. That's what we believe in, and that's why we do it.

Fox Justifying the Fraternity's philosophy of selective killing

Welcome to the Fraternity.

Sloan Recruiting Wesley into the assassination organization

We call this the Loom of Fate.

Sloan Introducing the mystical device that controls their targets

Your father died yesterday in the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building. He was one of the greatest assassins who ever lived. The man who killed him is behind you.

Fox Delivering the shocking news about Wesley's father

Now I know why I could never care about anything before this. I was living a lie.

Wesley Gibson Understanding his previous apathy about life

You apologize too much.

Fox Criticizing Wesley's constant apologizing

His name came up. … So did yours.

Fox Hinting at Wesley's connection to the Fraternity

I'm finding it hard to care about anything these days. In fact, the only thing I do care about is the fact that I can't care about anything. Seriously, it worries me.

Wesley Gibson Opening monologue about his emotional detachment

You really want to know who you are?

Sloan Challenging Wesley to confront his true nature

How the community felt

😵 Shocked 50%
😆 Amused 30%
🤩 Amazed 20%

What people are saying (1)

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T

Torrezno

1 week ago

Review ★ 4

Puedo entender que si eres un pelirrojo maldito como Mark Millar te cueste ser atractivo para las mujeres, así que realizar una puta oda al incelismo con un argumento suyo mantiene perfectamente esa esencia y si, además, a eso le añades cambiar a un personaje “inspirado” en Halle Berry por Angelina Jolie  pues te queda la adaptación perfecta para todos los nerds antiwokes. O sea,  para cualquier fan promedio de los cómics de superhéroes.

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