Following his success with Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky has made the ambitious decision to have a biblical epic as his follow up film. The film is Noah, which will center on the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark. Due to his estimated $130 million budget, Aronofsky is looking to find a bankable star to get backing on his passion project.
Originally, He wanted Christian Bale to star, but Bale passed. Aronofsky looked at Michael Fassbender as a good replacement, but Fassbender claimed to be too busy. Now Deadline is reporting that Darren has finally found his Noah, and it is Gladiator star Russell Crowe. Even though no deal has been officially signed, an agreement with Crowe is said to be in place. With Crowe seemingly in place, Aronofsky is now searching for the villain of the film and has his sights set on Liam Neeson. The villain will argue against Noah’s faith as he builds a massive ship to weather the impending flood.
Paramount and New Regency want to start shooting Noah this summer for a 2013 release.
Aronofsky has already told his version of the story of the Bible’s Noah through a graphic novel with artist Nico Henrichon. The story is not a direct interpretation of the original biblical tale but a more fantastical vision of the story. Aronofsky has been dreaming of bringing this story to life since he was 13 years old.
Now John Logan is re-writing the film’s script and various studios are getting interested in co-financing the ambitious project. For a sneak peak at the graphic novel, see the video after the jump. Pardon the French.
