Russell Crowe accepts the call and takes the role of Noah for Darren Aronofsky

Russell Crowe will play the lead in NOAH for Darren Aronofsky, according to an exclusive from Deadline.  It’s official folks, and holy hell is that a cool thing to write.  Aronofsky had this to say during NOAH’s pre-production:

”Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family’s journey.  The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It is my hope that I can present a window into Noah’s passion and perseverance for the silver screen.”  The report by Deadline then makes the point that while Aronofsky’s reported budget for NOAH is $130+ million, this should give little pause to a producer considering the fact that Aronofosky’s own BLACK SWAN made $315 million worldwide off of a budget of $12 million.  To be fair, it did give pause for a while there, causing Aronofsky to have to craft a comic to adequately illustrate his vision.  But either way, that time is past now and NOAH is on the move.  

While Crowe’s main antagonist remains yet uncast (Liam Neeson being the guy Aronofsky is hoping for), production is planned to set sail in July of this year for an intended 2013 release date. 

I think what I love most about this whole project is the fact that I really have no idea what to expect… and now that delicious mystery is going to bug me for over a year.  Damn.  First there was INCEPTION, then DRIVE, then PROMETHEUS, and now NOAH? I don’t know if my poor heart can take much more of this anticipation…