For His New Film ‘Reminiscence’, Hugh Jackman Takes A Look Back to Wolverine

Only a few years ago, Hugh Jackman wrapped up 17 years of sporting fake claws as Wolverine for the long-running X-Men franchise, and he has since shot down any speculation of a reprisal. But for his role in the upcoming film Reminiscence, the actor tapped into some of the same characteristics he developed when acting as the beloved Marvel superhero.

Released later this month, Reminiscence sees Jackman as an anti-hero on-screen once again — albeit, this time without the superpowers. Jackman plays Nick Bannister, a veteran living in a near-future version of Miami flooded by rising sea levels, and who is tasked with aiding those seeking to escape the bleak present-day by reliving the memories of their choice.

But when his newfound lover Mae (played by the Mission: Impossible star Rebecca Ferguson) mysteriously disappears, Nick’s occupation leads him to investigate a recent saga of violent crimes, along with Mae’s mysterious past.

Speaking to HYPEBEAST, Jackman geeked out on director Lisa Joy’s approach to shooting sci-fi effects “for real” instead of opting for CGI, explaining that he was “used to having tennis balls on top of sticks to act with.”

“There was a lot going on there, which I found fascinating,” said Jackman, describing the process of shooting Reminiscence as “quite complex — a lot of math and slide rules and tape measurements.”

He credits his tenure as Wolverine with preparing him for the fast-paced action of the film, including “a lot of underwater work.”

“Elements of the character have a lot in common with Wolverine; that kind of broken man with an incredibly tough impenetrable exterior with pain underneath,” he said.

Jackman also likened the movements used in a fight scene to dancing — fitting for the Australian actor who’s been acclaimed for his roles in musicals from Les Miserables to The Greatest Showman. “The choreography is very similar so there’s a precision to it,” he said. “There’s a relaxation to it, which you kind of have to hide, but if you don’t have it, you get injured real quick.”

He attributed the final product to Joy, who “knows exactly what she wants” and “exactly how she’s going to shoot it.” While the movie marks Joy’s feature directorial debut, she’s mastered the sci-fi genre as the co-creator, writer, director and executive producer of HBO’s hit dystopian Western series Westworld.

Jackman had been a fan of Joy’s prior work and was eager to join Reminiscence when it was first pitched to him. “I was like, ‘this is a world in this film that I’ve never seen before’,” he said. “It seemed incredibly smart and different and unique,”

Reminiscence hits theaters nationwide on August 20. The film will also be available for viewing on HBO Max for 31 days after its release.

In other entertainment news, Scarlett Johansson has been cast in Wes Anderson’s next film.