Black Swan's Darren Aronofsky talks money. Like, where is it?
The director of the new Natalie Portman psychothriller "Black Swan" and the indie hit and Oscar nominee "The Wrestler" wonders why nobody wants to back his movies.
Black Swan’s Darren Aronofsky talks money. Like, where is it?
Steven Rea, Inquirer Movie Columnist and Critic
OK, The Fountain – Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, time travel -- was a cosmic bomb. Production budget: $35 million, total box office: $10 million. But Darren Aronofsky followed his 2006 metaphysical flop with The Wrestler, the much-hailed 2008 indie that resurrected Mickey Rourke’s career, glommed two Oscar nominations, cost $6 million and grossed $26 million. Factor in foreign box office, DVD sales, cable and whatnot, and The Wrestler looks like the kind of profitable property the studios’ boutique wings -- in this case Fox Searchlight – dream of.
Steven Rea's previous blog posts can be found here. Read his most recent columns and reviews, here. He also curates the movie stars and bicycling photo blog, Rides A Bike. Reach Steven at srea@phillynews.com.
