Aronofsky Comments on The Wolverine

I have a complicated relationship with Darren Aronofsky. I enjoy his films while watching them, but can never seem to decide exactly how much I like them at the end. Take The Fountain for example. I really like watching that movie, the visuals are beautiful and I’m emotionally invested in the characters, but by the end of the film I’m just sitting there watching the credits roll thinking to myself, “Wait . . . what?” I’m not exaggerating either, I’ve watched it four times and each time I interpret it a little differently – maybe that’s the point?

But I digress. I really believe having this type of director take on a Marvel film with The Wolverine is going to bring something new, and hopefully really great, to the superhero genre. For the most part, Aronofsky his keeping his lips sealed on what he has planned for Logan, but he did give a few details to Popcorn Biz:

“It’s not a sequel,” Aronofsky told PopcornBiz, though he’s still playing close to the vest on the storyline specifics (which reportedly derive from the character’s seminal Japanese adventure in the 1982 Marvel Comics miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller). The director did, however, explain why he signed onto a superhero film after the Oscar-stalking success of “Black Swan.”

“I just love working with Hugh Jackman,” said Aronfsky, who previously collaborated with Logan’s Aussie actor alter ego on 2006’s “The Fountain.” “And I think there’s something to be done in that world that hasn’t been done yet. I’m also excited to do something that everyone wants to make, as opposed to being the only person that wants to make the film at the beginning.”

To be honest, when Aronofsky’s name showed up on the short list of potential directors for the next Wolverine movie – and then went on to sign a deal, I was a bit apprehensive. Now though, I really believe the director who brought us Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, and Black Swan could really have something new and great to bring to the table for one of Marvel’s most popular mutants.

No word yet on when production is set to start, nor on a potential release date – though, it will most likely be some time in Spring-Summer 2012.