Darren Aronofsky is once again in discussions with James Gunn to direct a Plastic Man film for the DCU. A listing on Production Weekly has The Whale filmmaker listed as the helmer behind the anticipated superhero big screen adaptation.
The news comes after DCULeaks previously shared the announcement earlier this year that Aronofsky was being considered by Gunn to direct the new movie, which is still in pre-production. Neither filmmaker has publicly confirmed the news.
Aronofsky’s potential introuduction into the DCU comes after he has made a name for himself writing, helming and producing eclectic movies. Besides The Whale, those films include The Wrestler, Black Swan and Mother! He was also attached to helm an R-rated Batman feature co-penned by Frank Miller back in 2000.
Plastic Man is one superhero who has not yet had his own movie. Several years ago, Gunn pitched a big screen adaptation of the character to Warner Bros with Matthew Lillard playing the titular role. However, the studio rejected the pitch. Now, the filmmaker may be revisiting the project as the current boss of DC Studios.
The news comes after Cat Vasko was hired in 2020 to scribe a gender-swapped version of Plastic Man with a female lead. Two years before that, Amanda Idoko signed on to write a comedic action-adventure adaptation set in the 1940s. It’s not currently known what kind of version of the story Aronofsky may pursue.
The comics follow Patrick ‘Eel’ O’Brian, a criminal who gets doused with a mysterious chemical during a botched heist. He awakens to find himself infused with the power to shape-shift and stretch his body into almost anything. The character previously had his own cartoon series.
While waiting to hear if he will indeed be moving forward with the Plastic Man movie, Aronofsky is preparing to shoot the New York City-set crime thriller Caught Stealing. The drama, which will begin filming next month, will star Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz and Regina King.
House of the Dragon and The Crown actor Matt Smith, along with Liev Schreiber, are the newest additions to the cast of Caught Stealing. Details about their roles are currently being kept under wraps.
Caught Stealing is based on the books by Charlie Huston, who also adapted the screenplay. The film will follow Butler’s character, Hank Thompson, a burned-out former baseball player. He’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of 1990s New York City.
The movie is being produced by Sony and Aronofsky’s production company, Protozoa Pictures. The screen adaptation is set to be released next year.
The Whale, which was the latest film to be released by Aronofsky, premiered in 2022. Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor for the drama. The A24-produced indie grossed $54 million worldwide on a $3 million budget.
Aronofsky has only directed eight movies in his 25-year career. His other features include Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain and Noah.
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