Here’s your first look at Russell Crowe in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

At first glance, NOAH doesn’t appear to be a movie we’d cover here at AITH. It’s a biblical epic, right? When was the last time we tooled around with that genre?

Well, they’ve never drawn comparisons to MAD MAX before.

It appears as though NOAH’s director, the always-intriguing Darren Aronofsky, has decided to take the template of the Noah legend and use it to launch a very ambitious, almost CLASH OF THE TITANS-esque fantasy-adventure. And with Russell Crowe in the lead role, and a supporting cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, and Ray Winstone, you can’t not be interested in this…

Below you get your first look at Crowe, who is currently in Iceland at work on the movie. But what’s that to the right? Last year saw the publication of the first entry in a graphic novel series tie-in created by Aronofsky, executive producer Ari Handel and artist Niko Henrichon, called “Noah, For the Cruelty of Men.” Below you’ll find a transcript of the novel’s plot summary (it was originally in French, and thanks to Movies.com for putting in most of the leg work here); you should get an idea of the scope Aronofsky is going for:


His name is Noah. Far from the stereotype of the patriarch that one appends the character of the Bible, he looked like a warrior. He looks like a Mad Max out of the depths of time. In the world of Noah, pity has no place. He lives with his wife and three children in a land barren and hostile, in the grip of severe drought. A world marked by violence and barbarism, delivered to the savagery of the clans that draw their reason to survive from war and cruelty.

But Noah is like no other. This is a fighter and also a healer. He is subject to visions which announce the imminent end of the earth, swallowed by the waves of an endless deluge. Noah must notify his followers. If man is to survive, he must end the suffering inflicted on the planet and “treat the world with mercy”. However, no one is listening.

The tyrant Akkad, who Noah went to visit in the city of Bal-llim, chased him and sentenced him to flee. After consulting with his grandfather Methuselah, Noah decided to rally to his cause the terrible Giants and accomplish the task entrusted to him by the Creator…

So, obviously, this isn’t your church-goin’ granny’s Noah.

Click right HERE to go to the page of French publisher Izneo, where you can see a few more pages from the Noah graphic novel. Aronosky’s epic is due out in March of 2014.

Source: USA Today, Movies.com

About the Author

Eric Walkuski is a longtime writer, critic, and reporter for JoBlo.com. He's been a contributor for over 15 years, having written dozens of reviews and hundreds of news articles for the site. In addition, he's conducted almost 100 interviews as JoBlo's New York correspondent.