There has been a lot of drama surrounding Wolverine - and much of that has nothing to do with the action occurring on-screen! Now, director Gavin Hood has spoken to The Hollywood Reporter to address rumors about fights between him and Tom Rothman and whether or not Rothman wants to "ruin the X-Men franchise."

Hood was quick to say that there were never any big fights between him and Rothman. "Some of these fan sites have really been upsetting in that way," the director said. "I have never had a stand-up fight with Tom Rothman. Never, ever in all his time with me - never. And that is a fact. It's quite upsetting to see how these things spiral." Hood also addressed the comments that Rothman was trying to ruin the future of seeing Marvel's mutant superheroes on Fox screens. "This [movie] is a huge thing for the studio," Hood said. "Of course he doesn't want to ruin the franchise. What, he's gonna put a gun to his head? He has a huge amount riding on this movie, as do I."

To watch the video CLICK HERE

Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe. The movie stars Hugh Jackman, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan, and Daniel Henney.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine hits theaters May 1st, 2009.