So it looks like Darren Aronofsky woke up this morning and it finally dawned on him that the next project he was gearing up to make was a sequel to the ridiculous X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and in a panic about what he was getting himself into, has bailed....
"As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of 'The Wolverine' would keep me out of the country for almost a year. I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won't be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again."
The whole 'being away from my kids' line is the same excuse Matt Vaughn used when he originally exited on X-Men 3: The Last Stand six years ago. How does a smart man like Aronofsky only just suddenly realise what a commitment making a comic book blockbuster is and that a script set exclusively in Japan, is going to require him to upsticks for a year? Surely he knew this already? Fox say they are to 'regroup' and will 'aggressively' move forward with the film;
"While we are of course disappointed that Darren can't do 'The Wolverine,' we also understand and respect his reasons. Having done both 'The Wrestler' and 'Black Swan' with Darren, we know he is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to working with him on other projects in the future. Hugh Jackman and Fox both remain fully committed to making 'The Wolverine.' We will regroup and move forward aggressively."
So with filming only weeks away (although that must be in doubt now) who will Fox attach to replace him in a panic hiring? Well David Slade (30 Days of Night, Twilight: Eclipse) would have been favourite as he was in the final three to direct The Wolverine but he's just this week signed on to direct Daredevil, so presumably his focus is elsewhere. The other guy that was in the final three was Robert Schwentke (Red, Flightplan) but he has since gone on to attach himself to R.I.P.D that shoots this summer. So he's unavailable. One man who may be ready to step in is Cloverfield and Let Me In helmer Matt Reeves, a guy who Fox looked at very closely to direct Wolverine 2 in the early stages of development. Would he be able to jump in last minute? Of course, this is usually the time when Brett 'The Rat" Ratner starts sniffing around to thrive on other people's throw-a-way crumbs....