I agree with
Drew McWeeny - despite
Mike Fleming reporting that
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) has spoke to 20th Century Fox and producer/star
Hugh Jackman about potentially stepping in to helm
Wolverine 2 in the Spring, it's unlikely he will actually end up with the gig come game time. At the end of the day, Aronofsky is an auteur and rarely do auteurs take helm on already established box office properties such as this. Somebody will probably bring up
Chris Nolan and
Batman, but it's not the same thing - Batman was as dead as the dodo when the then obscure Indie filmmaker took on the Caped Crusader reigns. Nolan was able to put his complete artistic stamp on how he wanted to build his version of Gotham but here Fox clearly have a certain kind of adaptation in mind. Aronofsky sings to his own tunes, a distinct filmmaker who works not to put mass bums on seats but instead to excite, engage and fascinate us with his deep psychological studies of the human psyche. He's more Kubrick than he will ever be Spielberg and he is putting together a unique body of work with specific stories he wishes to tell, in the way he absolutely wants to tell it. And where does Aronofsky, a guy who who cares more about the integrity of his work than the bottom dollar - fit in?. However, it has to be said... there's undoubtedly a geek gene that flows through the body of Aronofsky.. Most recently, he was the unlucky victim of MGM's financial meltdown that cost him his
Robocop reboot and he has found himself at various stages of his career trying to adapt Frank Miller's
Batman: Year One &
Ronin and interestingly, the Japanese set
Lone Wolf and Cub. He is clearly a comic book fan but when your filmography reads
P.I, Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain, Black Swan - just where does Wolverine 2, a sequel to a prequel of someone elses' franchise really stand? Even with the opportunity to work with Hugh Jackman again and from a
Chris McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) screenplay, we just can't see him making the transition from the Indie Fox Searchlight brand to the mega Fox mansion. He cares about his filmography too much for that.
A couple of weeks ago I suggested
Robert Schwentke (Time Traveler's Wife, Flightplan) was my number one choice of who was available to helm the movie and I still think it would have been a good move for him at this stage of his career, but Fleming reports that he is now out of the running. That leaves only
David Slade (Twilight: Eclipse, 30 Days of Night) who met with Jackman over the weekend and who is someone I have no doubt will understand the X-material better than previous helmer
Gavin Hood but he's hardly a choice that will give you that adrenalin rush to see the movie opening night. I think a decision is coming soon on this one, so hold tight. I can't see it being Aronofsky though.