Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Darren Aronofsky to direct gritty heist thriller
Another Darren Aronofsky movie announcement!We already know about 'Black Swan' (starring Natalie Portman, and Mila Kunis), and 'Robocop' (although the status of his involvement is uncertain). The director has mentioned the possibility of a 'Fountain' Redux, and he's also developing a 'Noah's Ark' project.Now, he has has signed on to direct and produce an as-of-yet-untitled heist film ,inspired by true events, which will be primarily based on a Sports Illustrated article called "Breaking the Bank", written by Jon Wertheim, and a book called Heist: The Inside Story of the World's Biggest Robbery, by Howard Sounes. Kerry Williamson will be penning the script.According to Darren Aronofsky 'It's a very unique British heist tale with colorful London characters'.In the 2006 heist, MMA and UFC star "Lighting" Lee Murray was allegedly involved, and $85 million was stolen.
Sources: Variety, Cinematical, Box Office
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
'Robocop' delayed?
According to RiskyBizBlog Darren Aronofsky could shoot supernatural horror 'Black Swan' later this year (Natalie Portman is already cast in the lead), which would push production on Robocop back to mid-2010. The delay could still conceivably see the film hit screens in 2011 ,as previously planned.
However, it's also making MGM nervous, with the studio apparently "quietly putting out feelers for other directors who could come on to Robocop in case the timing doesn't work out."
Sources: RiskyBizBlog, IGN
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Friday, March 6, 2009
Darren Aronofsky talks about 'Robocop'
Last January,Darren Aronosky spoke to MTV (on the the red carpet at the Golden Globes) about the 'Robocop' reboot he'll direct.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Darren Aronofsky's Plans for 'Noah' and 'The Fountain' Redo
By Elisabeth Rappe,Cinematical
The Fountain Redo
It's becoming clear that Darren Aronofsky is still haunted by the failure of The Fountain -- and I don't mean that as negatively as it might sound. He has a right to be bothered by it. It was a struggle to make, and a deeply personal story that was given rather shoddy treatment all around.
So it's not surprising that he wants to return to it -- but what is surprising is that he told MTV that his goal isn't an ultimate director's cut, but something akin to a remake. "It wouldn't be a 'director's cut' - more like an alternate story told with the addition of unused footage from the first go-round. This would be a complicated project on a couple of levels, though, and it's at least a few years away."
That has to be the most intriguing tease ever. Some of the missing scenes could be found in the graphic novel -- in its afterword, Aronofsky described rewriting the script to be the lean indie film we saw onscreen, which always implied that he had never shot the "extras" that were in the book. There's nothing that changes the story drastically -- the book was esentially the same, except for an extended sequence in Spain that explored the love affair between the Queen and Tomas, the political problems it was causing her, and the hold the Inqusition had on the country. It's a beautiful, incredibly romantic chapter of the book.
At First Showing, Aronofsky clarified (kind of) his idea of redoing The Fountain, saying that it wasn't a recut but something like a redux: "It's something more for fans. I worked on the film for 6 years and it went through a lot of versions. And there was one version that was much closer to one of the scripts that we had. And we kind of chose between which way we would go with it and they both are kind of interesting. So I was always curious for myself to see what that alternative version would be. And we cut it actually recently, it's done ... It's very similar but it's looking at a few things in a few different ways and answers a few questions for people and raises some new questions in other ways." The director hopes that popular demand will convince Warner Bros to let him properly make and release it.
Noah's Ark
Darren Aronofsky's Noah movie is on every sensible film fan's wish list, and it seems to inch a little closer to reality every day. In September, he revealed that he had finished the script -- and now comes news as to what he's doing with it. Aronofsky told Ropes of Silicon that he's currently in the process of turning it into a graphic novel. Considering the one he did for The Fountain, we'll be in for a very special read.
But fear not, film fans, he's still planning to put it on the big screen: "Eventually we'll set it up, but we're just figuring it out. It's a very difficult film to get made and we're slowly working on it to get it put together." And how's this for a tease? "There is an actor attached, but I'm not going to say who, but he's a big movie star."
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Monday, December 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic about Noah
By Elisabeth Rappe,Cinematical
September 14,2008
One of Darren Aronofsky's most intriguing ideas may actually come to fruition now that everyone with money likes him again. He wants to make a Biblical epic about Noah, who he calls "a dark, complicated character." Lest you think it has been forgotten between The Wrestler and Robocop, Aronofsky told /film that it's not only still on -- he's finished the script:
"I wrote it. Me and Ari Handel, the guy who worked on The Fountain. It's a great script and it's HUGE. And we're starting to feel out talent. And then we'll probably try and set it up ... [the budget] is big. I mean, Look... It's the end of the world and it's the second most famous ship after the Titanic. So I'm not sure why any studio won't want to make it. It's a really cool project and I think it's really timely because it's about environmental apocalypse which is the biggest theme, for me, right now for what's going on on this planet. So I think it's got these big, big themes that connect with us. Noah was the first environmentalist. He's a really interesting character. Hopefully they'll let me make it."
Now that he's in the spotlight again -- the deserved center of huge buzz and Oscar talk -- I suspect a studio may just make a grab for it. Surely, there has to be a studio president, somewhere, who really liked The Fountain, and wouldn't mind funding another epic by Aronofsky and Handel? We may actually live to see the day when a studio is dying to buy an Aronofsky movie.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
'The Wrestler' wins Venice's Golden Lion-VIDEO
By Eric J. Lyman,Hollywood Reporter
September 6,2008
ROME – Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," which set the Venice Lido abuzz after its world premiere Friday, won the festival's top prize Saturday.
Mickey Rourke, considered by many a favorite for the festival's best actor prize for his interpretation of an aging pro wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career. The film, which may have sealed Rourke's acting comeback, had been a dark horse for the overall Golden Lion prize, however.
"Darren Aronofsky came here a couple of years ago and fell on his ass," Rourke told a packed Sala Grande crowd after the award was announced, referring to Aronofsky's "The Fountain," which flopped in Venice in 2006. "I'm glad he had the balls to come back. I don't think he wanted to come back but I told him, "You have to come back' and he did."
Source: AssociatedPress
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Bruce Springsteen Sings for 'The Wrestler'-Venice Film Festival Update
By Jessica Barnes,Cinematical
September 2,2008
By far, one of the most anticipated movies on the festival circuit this year is Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. But many have been wondering why the film had secured such an 'undesirable' closing spot at the Venice Film Festival -- could there be trouble ahead with the finished product? But it looks like all that fretting was for nothing, because Aronofsky updated his personal blog with the news that the only reason for the delay in the selection process was that he was awaiting a completed song from Bruce Springsteen for the end of the film.
The Wrestler is the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by an almost unrecognizable Mickey Rourke); a former star of pro-wrestling in the '80s who has been reduced to appearing at high schools and community centers. With a heart condition and early retirement looming, Robinson takes one last shot at the 'big-time' in a match against a former rival. I can't say pro-wrestling is my usual area of interest, but I am pretty excited to see what a visual maestro like Aronofsky can do with that world -- and for a great primer on the difficult life of a pro-wrestler, I highly recommend the documentary Beyond the Mat
According to Aronofsky, "Springsteen wrote a beautiful original song for the closing the film. called THE WRESTLER it is a wonderful acoustic piece. makes me choke up every time i hear it. he really captured the spirit of the film and mickey's character in the piece." The pairing of Springsteen with the film seems to be a perfect fit. Because, if anyone has the knack for singing about the travails of a downtrodden man, it's Springsteen (and that Oscar pedigree probably doesn't hurt either).
The Wrestler will premiere in Venice on September 5th (we'll have a review from Toronto), and is expected to arrive in theaters later this year.
[Thanks: /film]
UPDATE 6/9 (from Venice Film Festival):"The Wrestler" was the toast of the Lido on the Venice Film Festival's penultimate day, with star Mickey Rourke's interpretation of an aging wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career creating a buzz that had been absent for most of the festival.
The Darren Aronofsky film helped the 65th edition of the Venice event wind up on a high note after days of steady criticism for what the domestic press has considered a relative lack of strong films in the lineup.
The competition film, which co-stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, packed three Venice screenings Friday and prompted speculation among festival participants that Rourke could be a candidate for Venice's best actor prize, which will be announced with the other major awards Saturday.
Source:Hollywood Reporter
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
MGM Press Release:Darren Aronofsky will direct Robocop
LOS ANGELES, CA July 24, 2008 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) has signed Darren Aronofsky to direct and David Self to write a new installment for its ROBOCOP franchise. Aronofsky, the director of The Fountain, and Self, the writer of Road to Perdition, make a formidable creative team, fast tracking the ROBOCOP motion picture and spotlighting it as one of the most anticipated new films for 2010.
The announcement was made today by Mary Parent, Chairman, Worldwide Motion Picture Group, MGM.
In making the announcement Parent said: “Darren is undeniably one of the most talented, original and visceral film makers, and David is one of the greatest writers in Hollywood. All of us at MGM couldn't be more excited.”
Phoenix Pictures’ Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brad Fischer and David Thwaites will produce ROBOCOP. Cale Boyter, Executive Vice President Production at MGM will oversee the project for the studio.
Phoenix Pictures’ Chairman and CEO Mike Medavoy said: “After making the first ROBOCOP at Orion more than 20 years ago, I’m thrilled to be helping to return this character to the screen with our partners at MGM and through the eyes of Darren Aronofsky and David Self.”
Phoenix co-presidents Brad Fischer and David Thwaites added: “With a filmmaker of Darren Aronofsky’s vision and imagination and a writer of David Self’s caliber, we are poised to bring to the screen an entertaining and provocative film, which will now be under the creative guidance of two of the best storytellers working in our industry today.”
Aronofsky’s credits include Pi, Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain. He is completing the feature, The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. He is repped by CAA and attorney Carlos Goodman.
David Self's credits include 13 Days and Road To Perdition. He wrote God of War for Universal, to which Brett Ratner is attached to direct, and was a writer on Universal's Wolfman currently in production. He is represented by UTA and attorney Karl Austen.
The original ROBOCOP, which premiered in 1987, was "part man, part machine and all cop." The film's storyline focused on the future of law enforcement as a terminally wounded cop returns to the police force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories. The original film was nominated for two Academy Awards – Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Since the film’s debut, ROBOCOP has become one of the most successful titles in MGM's vast film library. The franchise continues as a worldwide phenomenon, especially in the U.S., Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom. ROBOCOP, ROBOCOP 2, and ROBOCOP 3 have sold approximately 4.1 million gross DVD units worldwide.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Robocop remake:Darren Aronofsky in talks to direct
By Elisabeth Rappe,Cinematical
July 9,2008
What could make a remake of an edgy '80s classic worthy of our valuable time? A top-notch director, of course. Within a Hollywood Reporter article focused on MGM's new chairman, Mary Parent (and all the franchises she's kicking into high gear) is one heck of a good name drop. According to the studio, Darren Aronofsky has stopped by to talk about helming the Robocop remake.
Now stop and savor how brilliant Aronofsky's Robocop would be. Doesn't that feel nice? Don't get too excited, as it's probably too good to be true, but what if? Not only could he actually make a film that could rival the bitter satire of Paul Verhoven's original, but it would actually give him some long overdue recognition and box office success. (Yes, I know we film nuts know him like he's our best friend -- but have you actually discussed The Fountain around the water cooler lately?)
Aronofsky has been dancing around big budget movie making for years. I don't know how many comics adaptations he's been attached to over the years -- I can think of Batman, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Ronin off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure there's more. Robocop really does seem right up his alley. Let this idea actually come together. I think audiences deserve it.
[via CHUD]
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