Darren Aronofsky, Paramount Spar Over 'Noah' Final Cut (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter

Darren Aronofsky, Paramount Spar Over 'Noah' Final Cut (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter

The auteur and the studio are at odds over the final cut of a $125 million biblical epic plagued by troubling reactions from audiences in New York (largely Jewish), Arizona (Christian) and Orange County, Calif. (general public).

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A version of this story appears in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

God gave Noah some very specific instructions on how to build an ark. But it seems there was no such clear voice of authority when it came to the making of Darren Aronofsky's epic movie based on the Bible story.

Multiple sources say that with test screenings of various versions producing worrisome results, Aronofsky and Paramount have been at odds over the version of Noah that is set for release March 28. It's not clear whether Aronofsky -- whose most recent film, 2010's Black Swan, grossed $329 million worldwide and won an Oscar for star Natalie Portman -- has held on to his right to final cut. Aronofsky and his reps did not respond to requests for comment, but Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore says the film, which stars Russell Crowe as the seafarer, is going through a "normal preview process" and the result will be "one version of the movie that Darren is overseeing."

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