More Information on Why Aronofsky Left The Wolverine

More Information on Why Aronofsky Left The Wolverine

His family may not be the reason for him abandoning the project. Could Fox's ever-present pressure be the real reasoning?

News
By ecksmanfan - Mar 17, 2011 05:03 PM EST
Filed Under: The Wolverine
Source: CinemaBlend

It's no secret that Fox has a history of being over-bearing when it comes to their films, especially when it comes to the X-Men franchise. One only has to look at films like X-Men: The Last Stand to see the end result of that. More recently, we've heard rumors of Fox rushing Matthew Vaughn and the production on X-Men: First Class. Time will tell if their pressure will be evident in the final product.

Today, we learned that Darren Aronofsky would be leaving The Wolverine, stating that the production would be pulling him away from his family for too long and he couldn't do that. So he opted to step down, leaving 20th Century Fox to scramble for a new director. But the folks over at Cinema Blend may have the real reason why he bailed.

One of their long time scoopers(who happened to fill them in about Jon Favreau leaving Iron Man 3 months before ti was announced) has informed them that Aronofsky pulled out due to Fox's unwillingness to allow him to have full control over the film, much like Warner Brothers has done with Christopher Nolan and the Batman films.

...but he’s still Aronofsky, and his style requires total control over whatever he’s working in. Movies like Black Swan don’t happen in an environment of studio interference and Darren no doubt knew of all the problems the previous X-Men movies have had. So he attached himself to the project, but didn’t sign on the dotted line until Fox agreed to give him the control he wanted.


The article goes on to say that once Aronofsky earned his Oscar nomination, he asked for total control of the film, which he wanted all along. Fox offered him more money instead, but Aronofsky turned that down and the studio basically told him to walk...so he did.

This obviously makes more sense to me and is more along the lines of Fox's M.O., not turning anything over fully to the director and keeping their "under-the-thumb" mentality. Obviously,they are going off what their scooper has told them and we may or may not ever really know what happened.

What do you think? Is there any premise or footing to this idea?
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JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/17/2011, 5:46 PM
Understandable. Though there was something more to this story than that stuff about his family. FOx should give him DD, and put Slade on this. Nice find ECKS! :)
113
113 - 3/17/2011, 5:48 PM
That's what i expected the true story was all along.
PaulRom
PaulRom - 3/17/2011, 5:49 PM
I knew it all along.
Screw Fox to the bottom of hell.
DaenerysTargaryen
DaenerysTargaryen - 3/17/2011, 5:50 PM
YOU BASTERDS AT FOX! *shakes fists*
ironpool007
ironpool007 - 3/17/2011, 5:52 PM
Oh I don't doubt that for a minute. This typical FOX business practices. Anyway, the whole news of his departure was vey dissapointing. Almost any chance of redemption for the X-Men franchise has now been lost.
Dopamine
Dopamine - 3/17/2011, 5:53 PM
Yea That's what i was thinking... Damn Fox
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 3/17/2011, 5:53 PM
Take this article with a grain of salt. Any blogger can write whatever they want and use unamed insiders. It's not always Fox's fault. X3 suffered because the director AND writers bailed to make Superman. Ratner did not do a terrible job! The script was lacking hence a lot of plot details were absent. He tried to do as much as possible to appease fans which usually is a detriment. A lot of you dont even know what you really want.

I agree Fox makes it tough on filmmakers by committing to release dates and by requiring a running time but they don't screw with everything. Aronofsky has had plenty of time to work on this and it sounded like he and Jackman were given the reigns to do what they wanted. I think the explanation was likely true and if anything Aronofsky probably isn't comfortable with such a big production. He used to smaller movies.
patriautism
patriautism - 3/17/2011, 5:53 PM
He is awesome for not selling out.
TorturedXGenius
TorturedXGenius - 3/17/2011, 5:57 PM
im telling you......it's the same situation as XMEN3/Vaughn that happened back then.
HeyVanity
HeyVanity - 3/17/2011, 6:04 PM
Can't say I'd be terribly surprised if that's true. Lame.
TheGambitFreak
TheGambitFreak - 3/17/2011, 6:05 PM
HE LEFT WTF!!!!
Spock
Spock - 3/17/2011, 6:06 PM
That makes more sense to me!
P862010
P862010 - 3/17/2011, 6:07 PM
i love darren and all but he is mad lol he is box office poison first of all

The fountain - 15 million WW on a 35 million budget

and that was his only main stream type movie

he has not shown that he can make money with his films
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/17/2011, 6:07 PM
there loss & they wonder why fox is so hated ?

the wolverine had so much potential to be one of the best cbm's ever,now i'm not intrested at all.

aronofsky just wasn't meant to be one of fox's b!tches like all the other directors that work on their films.

so f*ck em,i'm not gonna pay to see any cbm's from fox.

TheGambitFreak
TheGambitFreak - 3/17/2011, 6:07 PM
DAMN! I wanted a Rated R film, based on Frank Miller's run.
@Gaston, I would've bought every [frick]ING TOY!!!!! If it meant to get this film.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 3/17/2011, 6:10 PM
Actually black swan and the wrestler made money. Still, I never felt he was suited for this. I'm not a fan personally and you might be surprised to find out that some of them stuff he wanted may have sucked. Sometimes these things are okay as long as the don't hire a guy a week before shooting.

Funny how heres talk about directors being Fox's [female dog]es but Marvel didn't treat Fav's much better!
TheGambitFreak
TheGambitFreak - 3/17/2011, 6:10 PM
@marvel72 Thank the lord for bootlegs right! lol I loved making fun of X-men Origins 2 months before it came out!
CobyCarnage
CobyCarnage - 3/17/2011, 6:11 PM
@P862010 Film making shouldn't be about making money and filling seats! It should be about creating a final product thats of worth! And Darren Aronofsky would have achieved that.
For this film to be any good it wold have to have a high age rating and a creative mind in control of the project... In foxes hands THAT wont happen. EVER!
Sorry to say it but this film WILL probably suck.

(plus I'm totally fed up of seeing wolverine in films anyway!)
TorturedXGenius
TorturedXGenius - 3/17/2011, 6:14 PM
"The Fountain" failed at the BO cuz people couldnt open their F uCking minds, and just take a journey about accepting death by not letting it tie you down, also they couldnt understand it. simple as that. They want it explained right then and there instead of sitting on the movie and letting it marinate and actually have a discussion about it.

The Wrestler & Black Swan did great cuz it had a very small budget but it also had alot of great buzz around it, especially before the Oscar season and during it, thus people wanted to know what the whole hype was about
astromerc
astromerc - 3/17/2011, 6:14 PM
People that believe that this was a"family"issue are stupid. That is just what publicists say to keep it light. I have worked on movies, they can fly the family in, he can fly back home every night, it happens all the time! They film movies all over the world come on! It had everything to do with control, and Fox wants it and has it, that is why every marvel comic book movie they produce will suck!

F*** YOU FOX!!!!
Illuminatus
Illuminatus - 3/17/2011, 6:15 PM
P862010 is an obvious idiot, or a troll, most likely both. Aronofsky must be getting pretty popular is people are already trolling his stuff.
RorschachBros
RorschachBros - 3/17/2011, 6:15 PM
I hate Fox too, and they're one of the dumber studios. But I won't let my hatred blind me from the obvious. But he's going through a rough custody case, him simply not wanting to be out of the country that long makes more sense that stuff CinemaBlend(of all the sites to go with, really?) says. If there were creative problems between Aronofsky and Fox then he would have split a long time ago. He's Darren Aronofsky, he doesn't sign onto this kind of thing with obvious provisions. Which is why it was such a big deal they got him in the first place.

When much more credible sources then Cinemablend's are saying it had nothing to do with creative and simply the rather public personal trials Aronofsky is going through, I'm more inclined to believe them.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 3/17/2011, 6:15 PM
@cobycarnage These aren't the kinds of movies you make for art! It a friggin comic book movie made as summer popcorn action. When they cost $150 million and nearly $100 million more to advertise I think they may want some input especially when it's the or money and Aronofsky had never made a movie like this.

You guys have NO clue how movies are made. I may be biased since I was in the business but this stuff happens all the time. Your just narrowing your view to CBM's.
Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon - 3/17/2011, 6:16 PM
Because that makes so much more sense than [frick]ing trolls making up this shit to stir up whiny ass fanboys.

I mean, it's not like the man has a legitimate reason to not want to be away from his family or anything... what with his recent breakup with his wife and being in a custody battle over his kid.

Per the MUCH more reliable Deadline:

"Deadline has heard that his withdrawal has to do with his breakup with actress Rachel Weisz, and custody issues involving their son. All but two weeks of the film will be shot in Japan (a few scenes are being shot in Canada).

His withdrawal had nothing to do with the script, because I'm told that Chris McQuarrie delivered. Or even the current crisis in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. Aronofsky simply couldn't be out of the country that long. There hadn't been a firm start date. There was once an intention to start in the spring, but the situation in Japan and Jackman's Real Steel promotional schedule pushed things back a bit."
Cross
Cross - 3/17/2011, 6:16 PM
It's starting to make [frick]ing sense. [frick] Fox.

marvel72
marvel72 - 3/17/2011, 6:17 PM
@ gambitfreak

XD hahahahahahahaha F*CKIN A,i have no problem paying for a film that deserves my hard earned cash,but fox can kiss my ass.

i look forward to ripping x-men first class to pieces.
Ryden
Ryden - 3/17/2011, 6:19 PM
Fox= Shit X-Men movie.

It was always going to happen. The Wolverine was doomed from the start, as long as Fox is in charge we're never going to get a great X-Men movie.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 3/17/2011, 6:21 PM
Do you guys even realize the studio bosses change and the people who make decisions at studios turn over all the time? You guys hate on Fox but the guys they have now could have been at Sony or Universal back when DD or F4 were made. Hell some of them may work with Marvel now. There's a lot of talking out of a$$es around here!
CobyCarnage
CobyCarnage - 3/17/2011, 6:21 PM
@CapFan79 I do see your point. Business is business after all. Lol!
BUT doesn't that just go to show what a sorry state the movie industry has become?
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 3/17/2011, 6:21 PM
I RATHER HE WALK THAN DO A MOVIE THAT WOULD BE NOT ALL THE WAY HIS VISION..BASICALLY, FOX WILL FIND SOME OTHER DIRECTOR THAT WILL BEND OVER FOR THEM AND TAKE IT LIKE THEIR LITTLE BI***.
rockstar728
rockstar728 - 3/17/2011, 6:25 PM
that's not going to happen with any of these comic book movies. you can do that with Black Swan because it's not a franchise. no company is going to give that much free reign to one person when it's a franchise.
MovieMann
MovieMann - 3/17/2011, 6:28 PM
I was really hoping that with Aronofsky directing there would finally be another CBM besides Nolan's Batman movies that promised depth and great acting and not just a fun mindless action ride that all of these other CBMs are.
Cross
Cross - 3/17/2011, 6:28 PM
Wolverine is not a [frick]ing Teletubbies episode. It deserves a rated R movie.
ecksmanfan
ecksmanfan - 3/17/2011, 6:29 PM
I have no idea whether or not this is true. I found a story that proposed a new idea and reported it. It is hard to deny the fact that Fox has a history of rushing their films, as I reported above, some of the actors involved with First Class have said this. They did the same thing with The Last Stand (though that film had many other problems).

I know that Aronofsky is going through tumultuous times right now in his personal life and that likely played a major part in his decision, but the above info also fits the bill when you look at Fox's past and Aronofsky's past.

CapFan79
CapFan79 - 3/17/2011, 6:29 PM
@cobycarnage Yes the film industry is garbage now. That's why I don't do it anymore. The idea that directors should have total control is a false one though. Sure in the 70s you had Scorsese, Coppola and Speilberg who were auteurs but that rarely is the case and even they make questionable decisions. With all the CGI & stuff now movies cost too damn much. 15 years ago you could make a huge film for about $50 million. Now they're costing over $200. They have to make what the audiences want to see which unfortunately is more Transformers 2 and Avatar.

I'm sure Aronofsky was making a more personal or intimate Wolverine film but if Fox is gonna spend $250 mil to make and advertise they must be sure it has the elements that can help it make a profit. If one of these films really bombs then it could kill other CBM films.
revloveR
revloveR - 3/17/2011, 6:32 PM
they blew it.
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