Aronofsky Talks The Wrestler And What He's Doing Next

RopeOfSilicon got a chance to talk with Darren Aronofsky about his new film as well as some of the other projects he's got looming in the future. Aronofsky has some interesting things to say about getting notorious bad-boy Mickey Rourke to commit to the project and how it was working with him. He also talks briefly about his upcoming Noah project, which is still very early in its development. It'll be made into a graphic novel first (Aronofsky, you'll remember, also put out a graphic novel version of his original draft of The Fountain), though there is a draft of the script kicking around already. The RoboCop relaunch is also still in the works, though no script has been completed yet. So either of those could wind up bring Aronofsky's next directing gig, or maybe even a different movie altogether. The Wrestler opens in limited release on December 17th.

And to revisit talk about the recut version of The Fountain, Aronofsky spoke to FirstShowing and offered some clarity. Sort of. He's now labeling it as more of a "redux," though even he admits that he's not sure what that words means. He expands:

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. I would have to get Warner Brothers to support it and get it out there.

The film didn't do too well at the box office, but maybe the fan following its developed on DVD can eventually spur Warners to move forward with the redo/redux/recut. Added Aronofsky, "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." For those who were puzzled by The Fountain, this new version could hold the answers you were seeking. Or not. But for a film as stunning as The Fountain, does it really matter?

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Sci-Fi Updates: I Am Legend & The Fountain

Wait a minute, didn't both of these movies come out already? Well, only in Hollywood are supposedly "finished" properties ever able to come back to life. First off, we have more news on the I Am Legend prequel/sequel. Collider talked to star Will Smith about the project at a recent press day for the upcoming Seven Pounds, and the actor was able to give us some more details on the rumors. Turns out it is in fact a prequel, and would revolve around a group of survivors having to make a trek to Washington, D.C. from New York, and then head back to New York in an effort to defend the last city. I'm still not sure how to feel about this project, but I did really dig the original remake (that sounds funny), so I'm open to see what they can do for a follow-up.

As for The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky talked to MTV recently about releasing a reassembled version of the film. Though it tanked at the box office, the film went on to find a cult following on DVD and Blu-Ray (where it looks GAW-GEOUS). The story behind how the movie got made is actually an intriguing one. Aronofsky had planned a much bigger version of the movie than the one that finally ended up on screen. It was originally set to star Brad Pitt (how Aronofsky courted Pitt was an interesting tale in itself. Just know it involved a private screening of Requiem For A Dream and a soul-searching walk down Santa Monica Blvd.) before he left the picture to appear in Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, effectively killing the project. The sets were dismantled and auctioned off, the crew was let go, and everything about Aronofsky's passion project seemed dead in the water. But unable to let the dream go, Aronofsky eventually rewrote it, turning it into a much smaller film that became the version we've come to know and love. And to give his original vision a just farewell, Aronofsky also released a graphic novel version that adhered more closely to his original script. Now, though, it looks like he's planning for another interpretation of his film. According to MTV:

“It wouldn’t be a ‘director’s cut,’” he said — 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 sounds interesting as hell. I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved the hell out of the film, and I'm more than interested in the prospect of "unused footage," especially if there's enough of it to tell another chunk of story we haven't seen yet. No word on how this would relate, if at all, to the Criterion Collection version of the DVD that's been rumored. So some interesting rumblings today from old projects. What do you guys think? Do we need another I Am Legend movie? Or how about another version of The Fountain?

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Aronofsky's The Wrestler Poster Hits The Net

Fox Searchlight has released a poster for Darren Aronofsky's new film The Wrestler, which has had everybody and their mamas gushing about Mickey Rourke's turn in the title role.

The pic co-stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. The Wrestler opens in select theaters December 17th.

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