Tempe Goes Hollywood For "Wolverine"

Hugh Jackman says he has no regrets about taking the premiere of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine out Hollywood and into the desert city of Tempe.

Some moviegoers who already had tickets to the Monday night screening said they had waited outside the theater since 3 a.m. to catch a glimpse of Jackman and other stars walking the red carpet. They screamed in delight when the actor finally rode in on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

"No one in L.A. is sleeping out overnight when they already had tickets to the best seat in the house," Jackman said of the thousands of fans lining the barricades.

"I love this place," Jackman said of the Phoenix suburb. "I'm moving here. It's awesome."

Tempe, he remarked to Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman, is "not Hollywood. That's what's so great about it. These guys are so passionate about it. They're the ones I kept thinking of when I was training early in the morning, working hard, and so, to share it with them first is awesome."

What, Kauffman wondered, should fans look for this time that they didn't get before?

"They're going to get a lot more nudity!" Jackman joked. "No, this movie, it's fun, it's action packed."

It's also hot early at the box office. More than 150 theaters are already sold out for Friday's opening, Kauffman reports.

But even "Wolverine" is no match fro swine flu, Kauffman adds. The movie was set to have another all-star premiere Wednesday in Mexico City. But that premiere has been postponed.

Before the celebrity arrivals, a group of Arizona State University cheerleaders danced to music from a local high school marching band.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, proclaimed the day "X-Men Day" and presented Jackman with a "Wolverine Parking Only" placard, poking fun at the lack of parking around town.

Paul Morales, 20, got tickets to the screening, and still showed up at 4:30 a.m. to get a good spot to see the stars.

"It's tiring waiting for the tickets but it's so worth it. I'm proud of my hometown for getting the recognition it deserves for hosting a premiere like this," Morales said. "I couldn't be more ecstatic."

In March, Jackman announced an online voting contest to choose which U.S. city would get to premiere the movie. Tempe beat out dozens of cities nationwide.

Ryan Reynolds, who plays the mutant Deadpool, said he thinks premiere locations should be decided by vote more often.

"I think this is how they should do it from now on. I really do," Reynolds said. "L.A. has had their fair share of Hollywood premieres. So has New York. This is the way to do it. You get to be interactive with the fans."

The movie is slated to open nationwide Friday.