106 replies to this topic

[Peter T Chattaway]

MattPage wrote:
: I got it early, haven't watched it or any of the extras yet and have been kicking myself as the price gradually goes down and down. These days I'm better at buying Bible films than I am watching them or reviewing them.

I hear ya. I've buckled and given in and picked up a couple of the recent Blu-Ray re-issues, especially when they're limited-editions sets with handy-dandy brand-new making-of documentaries and the like, because I figure I'll need the material some day. But we're not QUITE at the point yet where I can introduce my 3- and 5-year-old kids to, say, a 4-hour Bible epic (and I'm still not sure if the kids are ready for the violence, yet, either). So those discs sit on my "someday" pile, for now, sigh.

[Peter T Chattaway]

‎Bale weighing post-Batman projects
Christian Bale has made clear he won't decide his next move until after "The Dark Knight Rises" wraps later this fall. When that time comes, he'll have some weighty options -- several high-profile projects and a handful of studios are actively courting the soon-to-be former caped crusader.
They include Warner Bros.' remake of "A Star is Born" starring Beyonce Knowles and directed by Clint Eastwood; "Gold," which Michael Mann will direct; the villain role in a remake of Korean thriller "Old Boy" that Spike Lee will direct for Mandate; Relativity's "Out of the Furnace" directed by Scott Cooper; and "Noah," Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic at Paramount. . . .
Variety, August 24

[Overstreet]

Update

[Peter T Chattaway]

Anthony Sacramone on the thematic potential of this story for director Aronofsky:

Aronofsky seems fascinated with obsessive types: from the numbers-mad recluse in Pi to the drug-addicted souls in Requiem to the scientist driven to save his dying wife in The Fountain to the lost and lonely wrestler who can see only one road before him to the perfection-haunted ballet dancer in Black Swan.

I too love the monomaniac — the chess master, the mad scientist, the artist driven to finish his masterwork — which is why I will always plunk down my nickel to see something with Aronofsky’s name above the title, even though I have been disappointed in the past.

And now we have Noah to look forward to: the story of a man who is convinced God has spoken to him and will let nothing stand in the way of his fulfilling the divine command to build the ark despite the scoffers and sunny skies. Sort of like a talented film director with an idea no one else really gets.

[Peter T Chattaway]

You can look at select pages from the graphic novel here, and there's a slightly longer version of the graphic novel's trailer, as well:

[Peter T Chattaway]

Christian Bale passes on 'Noah'; Fassbender in?
Christian Bale has passed on Darren Aronofsky's "Noah," and the filmmaker is now targeting Michael Fassbender for the title role in Paramount and New Regency's biblical epic.
While Fassbender has not yet received an official offer, sources tell Variety that he has discussed the part with Aronofsky. Fassbender finds himself available now that WB's "Londongrad" has stalled following the departure of helmer Rupert Wyatt, whom Fassbender was keen to work with. . . .
Variety, November 30

[Tyler]

Russell Crowe?

Quote

It should be noted that the above "news" is very preliminary and may not ultimately lead to a deal, though it's certainly an intriguing prospect.

The story also says Liam Neeson is being considered for a role.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Crowe and Aronofsky are now in negotiations.

[Ryan H.]

Aronofsky's NOAH is launching with Russell Crowe as the star, with a July production start.

[Peter T Chattaway]

The casting of Russell Crowe in the title role was made official yesterday, and today Grace Hill Media sent out its own version of the press release announcing Crowe's casting... so it looks like this film will be getting the same push for "Passion dollars" that Evan Almighty and other religiously-themed films have had over the last few years. Could be interesting, if this film turns out to be anything like Aronofsky's previous films, all of which were decidedly R-rated (except for Requiem for a Dream, which was NC-17 before it was released "unrated"). (Oh, wait, The Fountain was released PG-13... but it WAS originally rated R before it was re-edited for the lower rating.)

[Christian]

Peter T Chattaway, on 23 April 2012 - 09:28 PM, said:

The casting of Russell Crowe in the title role was made official yesterday, and today Grace Hill Media sent out its own version of the press release announcing Crowe's casting... so it looks like this film will be getting the same push for "Passion dollars" that Evan Almighty and other religiously-themed films have had over the last few years. Could be interesting, if this film turns out to be anything like Aronofsky's previous films, all of which were decidedly R-rated (except for Requiem for a Dream, which was NC-17 before it was released "unrated"). (Oh, wait, The Fountain was released PG-13... but it WAS originally rated R before it was re-edited for the lower rating.)

Grace Hill promotes films that are in production? I figured they waited to see a final product before deciding whether it was worth highlighting for Christian audiences.

[Peter T Chattaway]

The Hollywood Reporter mentions in passing that the film's cast will include Jennifer Connelly (who co-starred with Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind and worked with Darren Aronofsky on Requiem for a Dream) and Saoirse Ronan.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Douglas Booth And Logan Lerman Board Boat For ‘Noah’
EXCLUSIVE: Darren Aronofsky is casting up the main roles for Noah, the Biblical epic that stars Russell Crowe. I’m told Aronofsky has set Douglas Booth to play Noah’s son Shem. Noah’s older son, Ham, will be played by Logan Lerman. Still to be cast is Noah’s wife — word is that Jennifer Connelly is among the actresses in the mix for that role (she starred with Crowe in A Beautiful Mind) — as well as Noah’s nemesis in the film. Early on there were whispers that Liam Neeson might play that role, but that’s not happening. There is also a great role for a young actress, the love interest for Noah’s oldest son. . . .
Deadline.com, June 4

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Love interest, not wife? Interesting... And are we to infer that the "oldest" son is neither Shem nor Ham? In that case, it would be Japheth... which would be interesting, since Stephen Schwartz's musical Children of Eden included a subplot in which Japheth sneaks his girlfriend Yonah onto the Ark, despite the fact that she is a descendant of Cain and is therefore cursed by God. (However, in Children of Eden, Japheth was the *youngest* son, not the oldest.)

[Tyler]

"Noah's nemesis"?

[Thom Wade]

You do not remember his Nemesis?! How could you forget the guy who burns down the first ark so Noah must start all over? Pyroah?

[Peter T Chattaway]

FWIW, in the Jon Voight mini-series produced around the turn of the millennium, Noah and his ark had to deal with pirates. What made things even crazier is that the leader of the pirates was Lot, as in "survivor of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah" Lot (and yes, the mini-series actually *began* with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah).

[Tyler]

Peter T Chattaway, on 06 June 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

FWIW, in the Jon Voight mini-series produced around the turn of the millennium, Noah and his ark had to deal with pirates. What made things even crazier is that the leader of the pirates was Lot, as in "survivor of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah" Lot (and yes, the mini-series actually *began* with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah).

It was a time travel movie?

[Peter T Chattaway]

Tyler wrote:
: It was a time travel movie?

Not quite. To quote my review:

Floods, volcanoes, meteors, tornadoes, shipwrecks–Noah’s Ark has it all. The film also begins with a glaring anachronism. In Genesis, the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah are not destroyed until hundreds of years after Noah’s lifetime. But in Halmi’s version, scripted by Peter Barnes, Noah (Jon Voight) is a native Sodomite, albeit a righteous one, who flees the town shortly before its destruction; his best friend Lot (F. Murray Abraham) also escapes, even though he is decidedly not righteous. . . .

Indeed, this just may be the first post-modern biblical epic: shortly after their escape from Sodom, Noah tells his wife Naamah (Mary Steenburgen) that they should get a scribe to write their story down. Naamah balks at the idea. "Scribbling scribes have a very bad reputation," she says. "They change things. By the time they’ve finished the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, they’ll probably say we weren’t even there." . . .

Edited by Peter T Chattaway, 06 June 2012 - 01:13 PM.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Emma Watson In Talks To Board Darren Aronofsky’s Biblical Epic ‘Noah’
EXCLUSIVE: Emma Watson is in talks to join Darren Aronofsky’s cast of Noah, which stars Russell Crowe as the Biblical ark builder. Watson is in discussions to play Ila, a young woman who develops a close relationship with Noah’s son, Shem. That role will be played by Douglas Booth, with Logan Lerman playing Noah’s other son, Ham. . . .
Deadline.com, June 7

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Interestingly, a quick Google for "ila" and "noah" turned up this Wikipedia page on Manu (Hinduism):

In various Hindu traditions, Manu, is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. . . .

"The ten sons of Manu are known as Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, the eighth, a daughter named Ila, Prishadhru the ninth, and Nabhagarishta, the tenth. . . ."

Coincidence, or not?

[Ryan H.]

Probably not, I'd say.