Rather than being a direct sequel to 2009's ooftastic X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this new movie is a standalone tale set within the X-universe.  Based on a much-loved four-issue 80's story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, The Wolverine follows Logan to Japan, where he falls in love, discovers new notions of honor, and goes head to head with some very bad people.

These pictures from shooting in Picton, New South Wales, Australia indicate that The Wolverine won't take place exclusively in Japan.  This snowy exterior looks more like America or Logan's native stomping grounds in Canada.  Perhaps this is the amnesiac exploring his origins since an adamantium bullet inexplicably wiped his memories clean.

All four images are courtesy or SuperHeroHype, and they got there via WENN.com.

The Usual Suspects and The Way of the Gun writer Christopher McQuarrie wrote a screenplay about which everyone said only good things, but Live Free or Die Hard and Total Recall contributor Mark Bomback nonetheless carried out revisions in collaboration with director James Mangold.  After Darren Aronofsky departed The Wolverine, 20th Century Fox spent some time finding a new helmer, eventually selecting Knight and Day and Walk the Line director Mangold, who is reuniting with his Kate & Leopold star Jackman.

Obviously, Jackman is the star here, and he's joined by Hiroyuki Sanada, Will Yun Lee, Rila Fukushima, Hal Yamanouchi, and Tao Okamoto.  Sventlana Khodchenkova is also in talks to play Viper, who once blackmailed Logan into marrying her.

The Wolverine is scheduled for release on July 26, 2013.