The Powers That Be at Twentieth Century Fox has assigned a release date for their sure-to-be Summer tentpole film, the “X-Men” spin off “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. Yes, that seems to be the full name for the Hugh Jackman Wolverine movie: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. My guess is that the Magneto spin-off will also be called “X-Men Origins: Magneto”, etc. The film, to be directed by Gavin Hood, will be working off a script by screenwriter David Benioff, and as the title may imply, will chronicle the origin of mutantdom’s most famous and popular feral assassin-cum-leader of muties, Logan, aka Wolverine. According to Variety, Liev Schrieber is in talks to play a younger version of William Stryker, Wolverine’s main nemesis in “X-Men 2″.

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There’s been much speculation about the spinoff, which gained speed when the studio finalized deals with Jackman (who reprises the role he played in the three “X-Men” pics), Hood and scribe David Benioff, who penned the script.

Pic explores the claw-wielding character Wolverine’s violent and romantic past, and his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program, as well as his encounters with other mutants.

Hood will start shooting in Australia before moving to New Zealand and, later, to New Orleans. Latter location is a clue that the storyline might include New Orleans-based character Gambit, who is able to make objects explode and was a professional thief before joining the X-Men.

I’m not sure about Hood’s qualifications to make a major comic book movie, but then again, I wasn’t sure about Singer’s, either, and he did a pretty bloody good job.