Paramount at odds with Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic, Noah, has hit a crossroads with Paramount Pictures. After disappointing test screenings of the film, Paramount is wanting to change the final cut of the film and Aronofsky is not too pro on the idea. He has enjoyed success, including Oscar attention, from films such as Black Swan, The Wrestler, and Requiem for a Dream. However, his independent style is clashing with a company that wants a blockbuster hit at the box office.

Noah had a budget of $130 million and managed to draw an impressive cast including Russell Crowe, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, and Anthony Hopkins. Given the subject matter, Paramount chose to do the test screenings with largely religious audiences including a screening in a largely Jewish area in New York, a mostly Christian audience in Arizona, and a control group in Orange County. All three areas reported concerns and troubling responses from the viewers and has prompted the studio to want to change the film. Darren Aronofsky has been unresponsive so far.

At this point there is no telling how this one will end or if Noah will make its planned release date on March 28, 2014.