When you're as enigmatic and prolific as director Darren Aronofsky, the mere mention of your name next to a project sets the world on fire. With 2014's Noah serving as Aronofsky's last time behind the camera, it seems like the time is right for the veteran director to get back into the saddle again. Except that this time, the saddle might be the seat of a motorcycle, and the subject might be legendary daredevil Evel Knievel.
Deadline ran the brief news item earlier yesterday, stating that the Black Swan director is being mentioned as the possible helmer for the biopic that's had Channing Tatum's interest for quite some time now. The picture is set up at Sony, with no other talent mentioned as being attached, though previous reports had producers Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti pegged as the backers of the project.
Knievel's life was recently the subject of the documentary, Being Evel, which is probably the best explanation for how Aronofsky may have stumbled upon the idea to direct a feature film based on the life and times of the legendary American daredevil. There are plenty of stories that could populate any successful Evel Knieval biopic – ranging from when he was a professional insurance salesman, to his last jump in 1976 that may or may not have inspired Happy Days to literally jump the shark. Though in between the stunts and the salesmanship were the more "intense" moments, like the time when Knievel kidnapped his girlfriend in order to marry her. Wholesome, Aronofsky friendly fun, it is.
With material both thrilling and absurd, it's no small wonder that Darren Aronofsky would be a possible candidate for the Sony project, though there are a few questions that come up with his name in play. First, is this another project that Aronofsky will toy around with, only to drop – a la the Robocop reboot? Also, will Sony's Evel Knieval project back in play, one has to wonder if any interested buyers will surface for the other Knieval biopic that was being shopped around around the same time the Tatum project first came to market?
The upside to these Evel Knievel rumor is the fact that Darren Aronofsky's only possible project to interfere with any forward movement on the biopic is his involvement with HBO's adaptation of MaddAddam. Considering how well fellow minded filmmaker David Fincher's proposed projects with that same network have gone, it's a fair cop that the sci-fi oddity may be dormant, if not completely scuttled. Either possibility would give him better footing to get on board, so at this point, it's just a matter of official confirmation or denial from his camp or Sony's.
As soon as any updates have been made to the Evel Knieval project's status, you'll hear it from us just as quickly. In the meantime, who would you want to see direct, or even star, in the Evel Knieval project? Let us know in the comments section below.
