Guess who is directing the new Noah movie?

Without Googling, try to guess which well known filmmaker said the following:

Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family’s journey. The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It’s my hope that I can present a window into Noah’s passion and perseverance for the silver screen.

A new Noah movie is coming to a theater near you — one that already sounds leaps and bounds better than recent updates or yesteryear’s John Huston/Dino de Laurentis version, because the director at the helm is none other than…well, who would be our likely candidates? Who do you think of when you read the quote above, noting its emphases (family, faith, passion, perseverance)? Who do you think a studio would likely pick to film such a movie?

This guy?

Nope, it’s not him. But how about this veteran of inspiring films?

Not him either.

Maybe they wanted someone with artistic flair and religious chops? Like this guy?

Nope. (Though he is at work on a new religion film of his own.)

This new Noah film will be the work of none other than Darren Aronofsky, the man who made the most fascinating indie film I saw in college, the most disturbing film I ever saw (ever), two of the most gripping and draining sports melodramas I’ve ever seen (if ballet is a sport, and it sure looks like one in The Black Swan), and the most bewildering science-fiction fantasy…actually, I never saw it.

It’s funny–Aronofsky has often been accused of being overly sentimental about his dark tales, and here he is taking on a story that is not, in its essence, sentimental at all, but that has long been sentimentalized in religious cultures. Here’s betting he won’t embrace flannelgraph versions of Noah, and color me excited to see what he makes of this awesome ancient tale.

Here’s the press release:

PARAMOUNT AND NEW REGENCY TO MAKE  “NOAH”
HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 3, 2011) – Paramount Pictures and New Regency Productions jointly announced today that Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky will direct the feature filmNoah, with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) coming aboard to re-write the script by Aronofsky & Ari Handel. Aronofsky and Scott Franklin will produce the movie.

“Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family’s journey.  The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It’s my hope that I can present a window into Noah’s passion and perseverance for the silver screen,” said Aronofsky.