Darren Aronofsky will direct The Wolverine NO MORE

Darren Aronofsky, the Oscar-nominated director of Black Swan and scarf-aficionado, will no longer direct the highly-anticipated X-Men spin-off The Wolverine.

Aronofsky released a joint statement with 20th Century Fox, revealing that the project would keep him away from his family for too long.

The statement (courtesy of Deadline) reads:

“As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of ‘The Wolverine’ would keep me out of the country for almost a year. I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won’t be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again.”

Fox added,

“While we are of course disappointed that Darren can’t do ‘The Wolverine’, we also understand and respect his reasons. Having done both ‘The Wrestler’ and ‘Black Swan’ with Darren, we know he is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to working with him on other projects in the future. Hugh Jackman and Fox both remain fully committed to making ‘The Wolverine’. We will regroup and move forward aggressively.”

So, there are a couple of potential reasons other than what is stated in the press release for Aronofsky’s exit. Obviously, the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that have rocked Japan – where the film is set to be filmed – could have altered the shooting schedule (and fair enough really). Then, there is the possibility that a stubborn director like Aronofsky – who is used to having complete creative control on a project – balked at Fox’s meddling (just ask Gavin Hood). They may have had a prosperous relationship in the past on Black Swan and The Wrestler, but those were low-budget art house flicks for Fox Searchlight, not a tentpole blockbuster.

Or, maybe the recently divorced Aronofsky really just doesn’t want to be apart from his kids for a year. No doubt the in-demand director won’t be unemployed if he stays in the States.

Discuss: So, which director would you like to see jump into the driver’s seat to make you interested in The Wolverine again?