Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Reportedly Has A Big Villain; Summer Shoot & Fall 2013 Release Being Eyed

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by Kevin Jagernauth
January 26, 2012 2:01 PM
11 Comments

It's been a while since we last heard anything about Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" which has been on a circuitous path to the big screen. A long-standing dream project for the director, it already has a graphic novel incarnation, but over the past year Fox and New Regency came aboard to finance the big budget spectacle that reportedly has a $130 million budget. The film got another boost when Christian Bale circled the lead role, but his commitments to Terrence Malick's back-to-back films shooting this year took him out, with Michael Fassbender now tipped to take over (though he's remained mum on his potential involvement as it seems too tenuous this early on). We haven't gotten wind of much else in a while but it appears that behind the scenes, the wheels are in motion.

During the latest Oscar Poker chat between Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Jeffrey Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere), the latter revealed some interesting tidibts he received while chatting with Aronofsky's regular collaborator, cinematographer Matthew Libatique. Yes, this is a bit of hearsay, but this isn't "Law & Order" or a courtroom and it's pretty fascinating stuff. "...And he was telling me about 'Noah' and what the script is like. They're going to start shooting in July in New York and Iceland and he says it's really a good script. They're really doing the story of Noah, a very unlikely subject you might think for a cutting edge fellow like Darren Aronofsky, but that's what they're doing. It's going to be more likely a Fall 2013 release," Wells shared.

As for who's gonna take the lead, that's still up in the air, but it's not the only part up for grabs, as "Noah" will feature of villain (of sorts). "That's the hangup right now, they haven't cast Noah yet. But it's got a guy in his 40s so it's not going to be young. It's going to be 40s. And there's a big villain part, gotta have a villain in the story of Noah," Wells added. "Someone who's saying 'Listen, don't listen to him. We're fine! We don't need to build any ark. Don't be so alarmist! Don't be so fundamentalist.' You know? One of those guys. So it sounded like a lot of fun, actually."

So yeah, less of a villain and more of a doubting Thomas perhaps, someone who will challenge Noah's faith that God is sending a flood, is our guess. And a summer shoot would likely conflict with Fassbender's commitment to "Twelve Years A Slave," so we presume he's out of the mix (though if 'Slave' shoots and wraps fast, we suppose it's still a possibility). It looks like Steven Spielberg isn't the only filmmaker dipping his toes in the Old Testament...and should it come together, Aronofsky will get there before him. Fascinating stuff, and here's hoping we hear more soon.

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11 Comments

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ume88 | February 2, 2012 10:23 PMReply

Darren Aronofsky's villain in Noah's Ark should be someone who works for biblical times & worrier type movies, someone like actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (of LOST & OZ) would be great to see in this type role.
ume88 | February 2, 2012 10:22 PMReply

Darren Aronofsky's villain in Noah's Ark should be someone who works for biblical times & worrier type movies, someone like actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (of LOST & OZ) would be great to see in this type of role.
Tom | January 27, 2012 4:27 PMReply

As strange as it sounds, I think Bale would have been a perfect Noah. Too bad that won't work out. Also too bad Fassbender's not likely, but if he doesn't show his penis in every movie now, I'll be sorely disappointed.
James | January 27, 2012 11:38 AMReply

Aronofsky should put this project on hold until Bale and Fassbender are available. Do something else in the meantime.
kitcon | January 27, 2012 7:28 AMReply

$130M budget = big name Noah + big name villain.
caro | January 26, 2012 5:37 PMReply

i guess Vincent Cassel will be the villain and Pitt as Noah (if Fassbender can't be in the movie)
Leyna | January 26, 2012 5:10 PMReply

Michael Fassbender seems like a great candidate for this film.
Paul | January 26, 2012 4:24 PMReply

DANIEL DAY-GODDAMN-LEWIS. 'Nuff said.

(This is if he's not still attached to Scorsese's Silence which is supposed to shoot this year)
Christian | January 26, 2012 3:20 PMReply

Who the fuck could play Noah if the actors need to be ready for a summer shoot + be in his 40s?

Brad Pitt
Johnny Depp
Robert Downey Jr.
Russell Crowe
Guy Pearce
Adrien Brody
Colin Farrell
DJ | January 26, 2012 11:10 PM

I really really but really wouldn't want an A-Lister like Pitt, Depp, or Crowe because they might be to big that would overshadow the role and the film itself. I was glad by hearing that both Bale and Fassbender were circling the role as they might be some of the best actors to emerge in this century.
Justin | January 26, 2012 2:46 PMReply

I wonder if the screenplay has the part (after the flood) where Noah's son Ham sees Noah naked, or--well there's different interpretations on the extent of what happens--and Noah places a curse on Ham's bloodline to forever be servants/slaves.