Director Darren Aranofsky says 'Noah' is 'the least biblical film ever made'

The upcoming epic film Noah has caused controversy at home and abroad, but director Darren Aranofsky is not fazed by the hype.

Noah will star Russell Crowe as the titular biblical character, who is said to have built an ark to save his family and other living creatures from a flood that wiped out life on earth. The film's subject matter has stirred controversy since its inception, and offended parties continue to speak out against the movie in the U.S. and several Middle Eastern countries.

Aranofsky doesn't understand the fuss, however. The director told Variety last week that, "There isn't really a controversy. The controversy is all about the unknown and about the fear of people trying to exploit a Bible story. It will all disappear as soon as people start seeing the film."

"[Noah] was made for believers and nonbelievers," he added. "I'm more concerned about getting nonbelievers into the theater or people who are less religious."

The director elaborated on his position during a frank interview with The New Yorker.

"Noah is the least biblical biblical film ever made," Aranofsky bluntly stated. "I don't give a [expletive] about the test scores!"

"Ten men in a room trying to come up with their favorite ice cream are going to agree on vanilla," he continued. "I'm the Rocky Road guy."

Paramount Pictures, Noah's distributor, has recently sought to appease audiences by stressing that the film is a product of imagination and not an accurate portrayal of biblical material. Aranofsky told The Hollywood Reporter that although the film is a product of his artistic interpretation, "the key themes of the Noah story in Genesis -- of faith and hope and God's promise to mankind" will still be present.

Noah will also star Emma Watson, Jennifer Connolly, and Anthony Hopkins. The film debuts in theaters on March 28.

[Variety] [New Yorker] [Hollywood Reporter]