Welcome to what has become our continuing coverage of Darren Aronofsky Week, in which the Wrestler director, shiny with heat from his latest, Black Swan, is offered just about every megaphone job going. We’ve previously reported that his name was in the ring for the new Superman film, which of course went to Zack Snyder. Yesterday saw new forward momentum in his discussions about tackling Wolverine 2. And today? Word on a possible counter-offer from Warner Bros., which is dangling the chance to make ‘40s-set crime adaptation Tales from the Gangster Squad.
You might recall Gangster Squad as one of the films that Warners offered to Ben Affleck, himself the recipient of plenty of kudos (and box office success) with** The Town**. But according to Vulture, he’s passed on the job, and now there’s a gap.
Aronofsky is said to be top of the studio’s wish list, but if he plumps instead for Wolverine’s adventures in Japan with old mate Hugh Jackman, there will be vacancy for someone to lead the Gangster Squad.
But this is Hollywood, where there’s always a backup in case the first choice (or both of them) falls away. Latino Review is reporting that Warners has a clutch of possible directors that would be considered if Aronofsky goes to Fox. And in no particular order, they are:** I Am Legend**’s Francis Lawrence, Green Zone’s Paul Greengrass, Crazy Heart’s Scott Cooper, Life as We Know It’s Greg Berlanti (who you think would be too busy working on superhero scripts like Green Lantern 2 and The Flash), and Martin Campbell (talking of Green Lantern…)
Tales from the Gangster Squad follows the exploits of Sergeant John O’Mara’s off-the-books team of police mercenaries, who targeted mob-linked gangster Mickey Cohen and his attempts to bring East Coast organised crime firmly into LA. Originally chronicled in a series of LA Times articles by Paul Lieberman, the script has been penned by cop-turned-writer Will Beall.
So, assuming for a moment Aronofsky doesn’t take the gig (which, if we’re honest, we’d probably rather see him do than Wolverine), who would you pick from this bunch? Or would someone else be better than any of ‘em?