Hugh Jackman's 'Wolverine' claws his way to the top of the blockbuster series

Hugh Jackman has done it all - almost.

He's hosted the Oscars, danced on Broadway, flashed his winning grin and flexed his acting muscles, but Friday is the first time the Australian actor will claw his way into movie theaters as the main attraction.

In "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," there's no Halle Berry or Nicole Kidman by his side to buoy the box office. This time it's just Jackman, his claws and a heap of Hollywood expectations to the tune of $150 million.

That's what it cost to make the film, which tracks the origins of Jackman's Marvel comics character, a hairy, muscled hunk with adamantium claws that sprout from between his knuckles. Wolverine can recover from injuries more quickly than Clark Kent can take off his glasses. Hopefully, Jackman won't need that power.

"In terms of how I feel, I'm excited about it," says Jackman, 40. "Once I saw the movie, I was really jazzed by that. I've laid everything else into the hands of the box office gods."

Jackman is also a producer on the movie - it's the second project from the production company he founded with his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, and business partner John Palermo. He lobbied for the flick to be shot in Australia and New Zealand, making it the first "X-Men" title filmed in those countries, and calls the movie "my baby."

All things Wolverine means all things Hugh Jackman. Let's see those Aussie and NZ backdrops!

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