Darren Aronofsky to Direct Story of Real-Life Robbery
“The Wrestler” director Darren Aronofsky will direct and produce a movie based on the robbery committed at the Securitas Depot in Tonbridge, England in February 2006.
Kerry Williamson, recent scribe on Alexander Payne’s adapted “Fork In The Road,” is adapting the script from an underlying rights package that includes Jon Wertheim’s Sports Illustrated magazine article “Breaking the Bank” and Howard Sounes’ nonfiction book “Heist: The Inside Story of the World’s Biggest Robbery.”
Variety says that XYZ Films and Time Inc. Studios are partnered with Protozoa Pictures on the project. Scott Franklin of Protozoa will produce alongside Aronofsky. Time Inc. Studios chief Paul Speaker is executive producing, with XYZ fully financing the development.
Mila Kunis Joins Natalie Portman In “Black Swan”
Mila Kunis is in negotiations to star opposite Natalie Portman in Darren Aronofsky’s supernatural drama “Black Swan.”
The movie centers on a talented ballerina (Portman) in the New York City Ballet who is tormented by a rival who might or might not be a figment of the dancer’s imagination.
Kunis will play the rival, Lilly, with strange occurrences between the two increasing as they prepare for a big performance.
“Black Swan” is set to begin shooting in the fall in New York. Aronofksy’s Protozoa Pictures is producing with Mike Medavoy’s Phoenix Pictures.
Kunis, who broke out with her role as Jason Segel’s love interest in last year’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” next can be seen in Mike Judge’s comedy “Extract,” as Denzel Washington’s assassin-turned-ally in “The Book Of Eli” and alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carell in comedy romance “Date Night.”
The Wrestler New Trailer
New trailer for Darren Aronofsky-directed “The Wrestler“, starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood has been released.
Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson who comes out of retirement to try to knock down an old rival.
The movie won Golden Lion award for best movie at Venice Film Festival. Rourke told in an interview: “The Wrestler” was “the best … movie I’ve ever made.”
“The Wrestler” Two Posters
Check out two new posters for Darren Aronofsky directed “The Wrestler.”
The Wrestler poster
Written by Rob Siegel, “The Wrestler” stars Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey.
“The Wrestler” has won the top award – Golden Lion – at the Venice Film Festival.
Rourke, who received a rare standing ovation at a press conference, is generating early Oscar chatter. He told in an interview that “The Wrestler” was “the best … movie I’ve ever made.”
“The Wrestler” Footage
AP posted a clip from Darren Aronofsky-directed “The Wrestler“, starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. This clip features footage from the movie and interviews with Aronofsky and Rourke.
Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson who comes out of retirement to try to knock down an old rival.
Mickey is no stranger to knocking people out – he used to be a pro boxer.
“The Wrestler” has won the top award – Golden Lion – at the Venice Film Festival.
Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” wins Venice’s Golden Lion
Venice Film Festival will be remembered for Rourke’s performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler“, which the actor and critics agree is his best yet.
“The Wrestler” won the coveted Golden Lion award for best movie on Saturday.
“Darren Aronofsky came here a couple of years ago and fell on his ass,” Mickey 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.”
The award seals his comeback from the Hollywood wilderness, and comments that Rourke is ready to ditch his bad-boy image and cooperate with directors suggest there is more to come.
“A guy like me changes hard, I didn’t want to change, but I had to change,” the star of 1980s hits “9-1/2 Weeks” and “Angel Heart” told in an interview in Venice.
There was controversy at Saturday’s closing ceremony when jury president Wim Wenders criticized rules which prevent the Golden Lion winner also picking up best acting prizes, suggesting Rourke should have won that too.
The Silver Lion for best director was won by Russia’s Alexei German Jr. for “Paper Soldier“, set on the windswept steppes of Kazakhstan and centring on the 1960s Soviet space program.
The best actor prize went to Silvio Orlando for his acclaimed portrayal of an overprotective father in “Il Papa di Giovanna” (Giovanna’s Father).
The best actress prize went to France’s Dominique Blanc in “L’Autre” (The Other One), a haunting tale of a woman who becomes dangerously obsessed with a young ex-boyfriend.
“Teza“, by Ethiopian director Haile Gerima, picked up two prizes, the special jury award and best screenplay.
The story chronicles the life of an Ethiopian intellectual who flees his country during the Marxist “red terror” in the 1980s, only to be attacked in Germany by racist youths.
Jennifer Lawrence of the United States was named best emerging actress for her role in “The Burning Plain“, in which she appeared alongside Kim Basinger and Charlize Theron.
As well as “The Wrestler”, “The Hurt Locker” by U.S. director Kathryn Bigelow impressed critics with its portrayal of the perils faced by a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, while actress Anne Hathaway generated awards buzz in “Rachel Getting Married“.
Venice 2008 – Review
The competition film, “The Wrestler,” which stars Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, packed three Venice screenings Friday and prompted speculation among festival participants that Mickey Rourke could be a candidate for Venice’s best actor prize, which will be announced with the other major awards Saturday.
Mickey Rourke has given what critics are calling the performance of his life in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” in which he plays a lonely, washed out wrestler whose story poignantly mirrors the Hollywood outsider’s own troubled past.
“Wrestler,” which centers on an aging former professional wrestler, is the fest’s final premiere at the Sala Grande.
Rourke, who received a rare standing ovation at a press conference, is generating early Oscar chatter. He told in an interview that “The Wrestler” was “the best … movie I’ve ever made.”
The film, the last of 21 movies in the main competition to premiere, is a contender both for the top actor award and the coveted Golden Lion for best picture, critics say. The festival wraps Saturday with its prize ceremony.
Anne Hathaway also impressed in her unusually dark role in “Rachel Getting Married,” Jonathan Demme’s touching wedding drama that has been lauded in Venice.
A third late entry, Thursday’s premiere, “The Hurt Locker” by U.S. director Kathryn Bigelow, leads an informal poll of Italian critics who were impressed by its portrayal of the perils faced by a bomb disposal unit in Iraq led by a reckless sergeant.
“The Wrestler” Movie Stills – Hi-Res
Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson who comes out of retirement to try to knock down an old rival in new flick “The Wrestler.”
The Wrestler
“The Wrestler” is the story of retired professional wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, making his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
Rourke is no stranger to knocking people out – he used to be a pro boxer.
“The Wrestler” is directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Ajay Naidu.
MGM Signs Darren Aronofsky to Direct New Robocop Movie
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures announced today that they have signed Director Darren Aronofsky to direct the next installment of to Robocop franchise. Aronofsky perhaps best know for his work on “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Fountain” with Hugh Jackman will be joined by writer David Self who wrote “Road to Perdition” and the upcoming film “The Wolf Man“.”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,” said Mary Parent, Chairman, Worldwide Motion Picture Group, MGM.
Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brad Fischer and David Thwaites of Phoenix Pictures will produce Robocop. Cale Boyter, Executive Vice President Production at MGM will oversee the project. The film is set to be released sometime in 2010.
The original “RoboCop,” written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, was directed with camp adroitness by Paul Verhoeven in 1987 and released by Orion Pictures. It focused on a mortally wounded cop in a futuristic, crime-ridden Detroit who returns to fight corruption in the guise of a tough-talking cyborg. Sequels followed in 1990 and 1993, along with TV series and video games. RoboCop retains a sizable fan base online.
“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 through the eyes of Darren Aronofsky and David Self,” Medavoy said.
Darren Aronofsky to Direct RoboCop Remake?
As is the way of the entertainment industry, there was one great film and iffy sequels in the Robocop franchise, and thus, it is due to be recycled. Not a problem, because Robocop is absolutely awesome. The 1987 original, however, was more than just a straight-up sci-fi action flick, but it had a strong satirical tone about the old ultra-violence and the decay of society. For example, the city of Detroit is essentially owned by a giant corporation called Omni Consumer Products, to the point where the mayor is largely ignored by both the conglomerate and the public, which views the CEO as their real figurehead.
So any remake of Robocop is to be looked upon with trepidation, as the tendency would likely be to ignore all that and just go for broke with a super-cyborg martial law machine that probably doesn’t have a big hulking metal body anymore, but rather looks just like Shia LaBeouf with implanted gadgetry here and there.
The news that Darren Aronofsky, among others, is in talks to helm the picture. Aronofsky is the man behind the most depressing film ever, “Requiem for a Dream,” and the recently released “The Fountain.” He is clearly a talented filmmaker and was once even offered to redo the Batman franchise, before Christopher Nolan stepped in but he was “too dark” for Warner Bros., might be taking the helm is an interesting sign. He doesn’t take the easy way out of anything, as Requiem’s depressing assault on human decency illustrates. If he can strike the right balance between action, humor and commentary that made the original so brilliant, there’s a chance Requiem for a Robocop might not let us all down.
