Darren Aronofsky's Cut of 'Noah' Hitting Theaters; Plus New Character Posters

Considering all the time he's spent developing a big budget, epic version of the story of Noah, it's no wonder Darren Aronofsky has fought to maintain his creative vision. Last fall it looked like Paramount was getting nervous about the film and the reaction by religious groups that may not take to Aronofsky's approach. The studio's test screenings weren't exactly winning the religious audience over, and without any word on it we were left to wonder what form Aronofsky's film would take. But it looks like the director has had his say, and the film will be hitting theaters uncut.

In THR's impressive piece on Noah's production, Aronofsky reveals that things didn't always go well between him and the studio, saying "There was a rough patch". The director was faced with the unfamiliar situation of having multiple cuts of his film, prepped by the studio, tested for audiences without much of the special effects, music, and designed to appease a specific demo that may not appreciate his vision.

“I was upset – of course. No one’s ever done that to me… I imagine if I made comedies and horror films, [test screenings] would be helpful,” he says. “In dramas, it’s very, very hard to do. I’ve never been open to it.” The studio also insisted that test audiences are sophisticated enough to evaluate movies without finished effects in place. “I don’t believe that,” he says. 

Paramount's concern, expressed by vice chair Rob Moore, is that certain people may go in wanting a simple adaptation of the Biblical tale, not realizing that Aronofsky rarely goes by the expected playbook.

One worry, says Moore, was that “significantly conservative folks who have a more literal expectation” from a movie about Noah might turn against it and become hostile. “There are some people where it’s a very emotional experience of, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa — a Hollywood studio is trying to tell a story from my faith, and I am skeptical,’ ” he says. “Not necessarily 50 percent of the people, but maybe 10 or 20 percent. And those people can be very noisy.” 

Aronofsky added that one of his goals was to take the familiar story in a new direction while "completely honoring and respecting everything in the Bible", and Paramount eventually agreed his cut, which is about 2 hours and 18 minutes in length, was the best way to go.

"They tried what they wanted to try, and eventually they came back," the director says. He adds, "My version of the film hasn't been tested … It's what we wrote and what was greenlighted."

And now we'll have to wait until March 28th to see how everybody, the religious and non-believers alike, respond to Noah when it hits theaters. For now, check out a number of new character posters featuring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, and Logan Lerman.