Wanted is a 2008 action film which is 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 young man named Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) works at a dead-end desk job with an overbearing boss, takes anti-anxiety medication for panic attacks, and has a live-in girlfriend who cheats on him with his best friend. He speaks of how his father left when he was just one week old. He wonders if when he was born his father looked into his eyes and saw a failure.

Elsewhere, an assassin called "Mr. X" (David O'Hara) is targeted by a group of snipers, whom he easily dispatches. However, he finds himself standing over an 'X' on the ground, and is killed by a rogue named Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) with an untraceable bullet. During one of his trips to the pharmacy, Gibson is told by a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie) about how his father was killed, and that the killer, Cross, is behind him. Cross and Fox engage in a spectacular shoot-out followed by a car chase in the streets of Chicago.

Fox brings Gibson to the headquarters of The Fraternity, a thousand-year-old secret society of assassins. The group's leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), invites Gibson to follow in his father's footsteps as an assassin. To show him what he's capable of, Gunsmith (another assasin and member of The Fraternity) holds a gun to Gibson's head and has him shoot the wings off several flies. Gibson has a panic attack and does as asked. Sloan explains that his heart beats around 400 times a minute when he's stressed, sending massive amounts of adrenaline into his bloodstream, and that he can learn to control it. Gibson is initially reluctant and returns to work, only to finally snap after being shown a new possible life; his online bank account balance is over 3 million dollars. He tells off his boss in front of the entire office. On his way out, he hits his friend, who had been having an affair with Gibson's girlfriend, across the face with a keyboard. Fox is waiting outside to take him back to the Fraternity headquarters - an unassuming textile mill.

After much training, Gibson is shown the Loom of Fate, a loom ,or instrument of God, that gives the names of the targets through binary code hidden in weaving errors of the fabric. Those the loom identifies are apparently destined to cause tragedy in the future; thus, killing them spares those the person would have harmed, so assassins are doing good. But only Sloan sees and interprets the names that "Fate" wants to kill, and after today, Gibson will never again be allowed in the room.

Alone with Fox, Gibson expresses doubt he can kill people. Fox shares a story about "a little girl" (herself) whose father, a judge handling a racketeering case, was burned alive by a hired killer (the target) as she was forced to watch. The man then burned his initials on her neck. If someone had killed the hired killer, as the loom had ordered, her father wouldn't have died. Preventing such tragedy is now her mission.

After several routine missions and a chance meeting with Cross, in which Cross shoots him in the arm with a deliberately traceable bullet, Gibson becomes impatient and demands to be allowed to avenge his father. Sloan grants his wish, saying that Cross's name had come up on the loom, but then secretly gives Fox a mission to kill Gibson, saying that Gibson's name had come up as well.

Gibson and Fox travel to the Fraternity's original base of operations in Europe and capture the bullet-maker, Pekwarsky (Terence Stamp) who arranges a meeting with Cross. Gibson and Fox are tricked into separating, leaving Gibson to face Cross alone 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. Gibson is about to fall into the ravine before Cross catches his hand, saving his life. Gibson shoots him as Cross holds Gibson mid-air, and the train car they are in crashes down to become wedged in the ravine. Before Cross dies, he tells Gibson that he is his real father and that the Fraternity had been lying to him. Fox confirms the truth and explains that Gibson was recruited because he was the only person that Cross wouldn't kill. Fox then tells Gibson about the kill order on him and raises her gun to shoot him, but Gibson escapes by shooting out the glass underneath him and plunging into the river below.

Gibson is retrieved by Pekwarsky, who takes him to his father's apartment, located across the street from his old home. Pekwarsky explains that Cross was always "only a camera-click away" and shows Gibson all the photos Cross had kept of him since childhood. Pekwarsky explains that Sloan discovered that he was targeted by the Loom of Fate, so - instead of killing himself - he started manufacturing his own targets for profit, and didn't tell the Fraternity members that they were now nothing more than paid killers. Cross discovered the truth and went rogue. Gibson realizes that Cross had actually been targeting Fraternity members to keep them away from him. Pekwarsky departs after giving Gibson plane tickets, stating that his father wished him a life free of violence. Gibson, however, decides to take out Sloan after discovering a secret room containing all of his father's weapons and maps, and instructions for using rats with explosives and detonators.

Gibson then lures rats with peanut butter laced with plastic explosives, traps them, and straps detonators to them. Gibson mounts an attack on the Fraternity, driving up in a large truck filled with the rats. He releases the rats into the textile mill and detonates them as a distraction. Upon entering Sloan's office after killing nearly every present Fraternity member, he reveals Sloan's deception to the other master assassins left in the room. Sloan then states that all of their names had come up in the weaving, and that he had merely acted to protect them. Were they to follow the code, every one of them should kill themselves on the spot. Otherwise, they should kill Gibson. The other assassins decide to kill Gibson, but Fox, who believes in the code more than anyone due to her own experience, 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 Gibson before stepping back into the path of the bullet. Sloan manages to escape.

Gibson, penniless once again (his online bank account balance is now $14.59), does not know what to do with himself. While Gibson provides a voice-over, the audience sees a young man sitting in front of a computer much like Gibson did at the beginning of the film. Sloan appears and points a gun at back of the man's head. At that moment, the man turns around and is revealed to be a decoy (with the name of J.G. Millar, a reference to J. G Jones and Mark Millar, the comic series creators). The decoy looks down at the carpet and Sloan finds himself standing over an 'X' on the carpet (the 'X' is marked in small yellow Post-its). Sloan is then killed by Gibson, who shoots him in the head from the same window from which his father killed Mr. X at the beginning of the film. Similar to the comic, the film ends as Gibson turns to the camera and breaks the fourth wall, 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 [1] 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.The Butcher Dossier
• 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: 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 [2] 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 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 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 filmmakers 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 September 23, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of critics gave Wanted positive reviews, based on 178 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..."Schwarzbaum, Lisa. Wanted (review), Entertainment Weekly. June 26, 2008 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".Long, Tom, "Over-the-top 'Wanted' is the action film to beat", The Detroit News, June 27, 2008 Claudia Puig of USA Today found the "thrilling stunts and hyperkinetic action scenes be the undisputed stars of this surprisingly entertaining film".Puig, Claudia, "'Wanted' weaves an intriguing, if far-fetched, plot", USA Today, posted June 26, 2008 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",Rosenblatt. "Wanted (review), The Austin Chronicle, June 27, 2008 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. ...[3]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'".Fear, David. "Wanted (review), Time Out New York, June 26-July 2, 2008 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.Lovece, Frank. "Wanted (review), Film Journal International, June 27, 2008 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"Roger Ebert. "Wanted (review), June 26, 2008 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."Richard Roeper. "Wanted (review), June 30, 2008

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".Amaya, Erik, Wanted (review), Comic Book Resources, June 26, 2008 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."McLean, Tom. "Movie Review - Will Moviegoers Want 'Wanted'?", Newsarama, June 20, 2008

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."Peter Bradshaw review, The Guardian, June 25, 2008

DVD & Blu-ray release

The DVD was released on December 2, 2008 in the U.S. and came in a single-disc widescreen dvd, a single-disc full-screen dvd, a 2-disc special edition dvd, a 2-disc limited edition gift-set dvd, a single-disc blu-ray, and a 2-disc limited edition gift-set blu-ray. The single-discs had no features, but the 2-disc special edition dvd contained 8 featuretes (Cast and Characters, Stunts on the L Train, Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible, Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution, The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life, Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov) a feature on the making of the video game, Wanted: Motion Comics, a "killer" extended scene, and a digital copy of the film. The Blu-ray release will also include some additional BD-Live features. The 2-disc gift-set dvd contained the 2-disc dvd features, plus: A Book of Assassins, 4 collectible postcards and a lenticular scene in an acrylic frame. Which all comes in a hard-box type container.

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".Danny Elfman - The Little Things

Also featured throughout the film is the song "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" by Nine Inch Nails.

Played for comic relief after the initial car chase is the song "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes.

Box office performance

According to Box Office Mojo, 'Wanted' debuted in 3,185 theaters and got $50,927,085 on its opening weekend, putting it at second place under 'Wall-E'. The film made $134,327,125 domestically and has $207,430,122 so far from foreign theaters, putting its current worldwide total up to: $341,757,247. It was in theaters for 12 weeks.

Sequel

Director Timur Bekmambetov is planning a sequel to Wanted with the studio, though creator Mark Millar has denied that he will write a sequel to the comic book. In November 2008, screenwriter Chris Morgan was penning a screenplay to follow the first film and reported to MTV that Bekmambetov and Universal Pictures were negotiating a deal to film the sequel.