Darren Aronofsky Drops Out of “Wolverine”

The most head-scratching Oscar follow-up of all time...isn't going to happen.

When it was announced that Darren Aronofsy would be following up his critically-acclaimed and Oscar-feted "Black Swan" with a semi-sequel to the abysmal comic book effort "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," many people were, to put it mildly, taken aback (except comic book fans, who were ecstatic).

Well, now NYMag reports that Aronofsky's "The Wolverine" won't be happening after all.

The director has apparently dropped out of the project after realizing (now?) that the production would keep him out of the country and away from his family for almost a year.

"I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time," says Aronofsky, in a statement. "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."

The timing is suspicious, and the rumors about Aronofsky's true motivations are already swirling. Some claim that the notoriously control-freakish Fox studio (who clashed numerous times with "Origins" director Gavin Hood and who forced a partially-written and slapped-together "X-Men: The Last Stand" into theaters because they refused to change the pre-set release date), while others think that Aronofsky has decided he no longer needs to deliver a big special effects blockbuster in order to keep doing smaller films like "Black Swan" or "The Wrestler."

Whatever the reason, "The Wolverine" now joins "Batman: Year One" in Aronofsky's "What Might Have Been" file.

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