Paramount and director Darren Aronosky are fighting over the biblical film Noah.
The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively revealed that the two are on opposite sites on dealing with the movie after test screenings of the movie have produced troubling reactions.
Paramount held test screenings directed at different groups to see how they might view the film, with New York for Jewish audiences, Arizona for Christians and Calif. for general public. The results has made the studio seek changes, but Aronofsky isn't a fan of their suggestions. It is not known if he holds rights for the final cut.
A studio rep commented, "Darren is not made for studio films. He's very dismissive. He doesn't care about [Paramount's] opinion."
One particular challenge is dealing with how to avoid alienating a Christian audience. There have been worries there as Aronofsky has called Noah "the first environmentalist."
A source told FOX411 that the studio wants the film to be biblically accurate, while Aronofsky isn't as interested would prefer to follow his vision.
Angie Meyer-Olszewski said, "You can't stray from the Bible in a Bible-based film without upsetting a percentage of the Christian faith base. Interpretations may vary, but if the story changes, even a little, it's deemed offensive."
Pop culture expert Jenn Hoffman feels Aronofsky can do what he like. "Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker, not a historian or theology professor so as an artist he can interpret the story of Noah however he wants. Paramount might worry about offending people, but that shouldn't be a director's concern. Aronofsky only has to stay true to his own vision."
It will be interesting to see who loses this fight and what the final product looks like.
image: Wikimedia Commons
