Russell Crowe Officially in Talks for Darren Aronofsky’s NOAH

Earlier this month we heard that Darren Aronofsky was courting Russell Crowe to star in his ambitious epic Noah. It appears that the courting paid off, as Variety reports that Crowe is now in negotiations to take on the title character in Aronofsky’s retelling of the Biblical tale of Noah’s Arc. The $130 million film has been in the works for a while, and Aronofsky was previously keen on Christian Bale starring before the actor ultimately passed. In the same report on Crowe earlier this month, we heard that Aronofsky was also high on offering another part to Liam Neeson. Variety’s report makes no mention of the Taken actor, but I sincerely hope he signs on as well; the prospect of Crowe facing off against Neeson in a Biblical epic is insanely enticing.

If Crowe signs on, production is expected to get underway this July for a 2013 release. Aronofsky wrote the script alongside Ari Handel, with John Logan credited with a rewrite. Aronofsky’s Noah is described as, “a man who loves Earth and all of its animal inhabitants, but has become disillusioned with the way humans have treated their planet.” This will mark the director’s first project post-Black Swan and I can’t wait to see what he has in store.