Trivia: Darren Aronofsky Almost Directed ‘Man Of Steel’
One day,Darren Aronofskywill direct a superhero movie. After three close calls, it’s inevitable. Years agothe director was developing a filmthateventually becameBatman Begins. Hewas very close tomaking this summer’sThe Wolverineand, it’s now been revealed, he was also a finalist to directthis week’s Superman reboot,Man of Steel.
EventuallyZack Snydergot the job, thanks to his previous relationship with Warner Bros. and the endorsement of producerChristopher Nolan, but Aronofsky was reportedly next in line.
The news comes from a brief aside in a larger article atThe Hollywood Reporter(thanks toThe Playlistfor the find). Here’s the paragraph in question:
Over at Warner Bros., studio chief Jeff Robinov’s fierce loyalty to director Zack Snyder is being tested June 14 with the $225 million Man of Steel. The relationship dates to the 2007 hit 300, even though Snyder’s three subsequent Warners films – Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch – disappointed. However, while giving him Man of Steel (over the other finalist, Darren Aronofsky), Robinov took out insurance with producer Christopher Nolan, the studio’s most important filmmaker (Batman, Inception). “Chris had the confidence in Zack, and based on the movie I’ve seen, Chris was spot-on,” says Warners president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman.
The phrase “over the other finalist” makes it seem like, for Robinov,Man of Steelcame down to Snyder vs. Aronofky and no one else. Now, what’s interesting about that isn’t that the director ofThe Wrestler, Black Swan, and the upcomingNoahdidn’t get the job. Nor that he was being considered. It’s that the studio head like him and, maybe, that gives him a shot a directing an upcoming DC movie. Possibly even a rebooted Batman. That’s pure speculation but, it would mark the end of a long, long road for the director if it came true.
What do you think an AronofksyMan of Steelwould look like? Do you think this suggests he’ll be back at DC in the future?
