Aronofsky + Jolie = Serena

Word from The Hollywood Reporter is that Angelina Jolie and director Darren Aronofsky are entering talks to adapt the 2008 novel Serena, by Ron Rash. Christoper Kyle (Alexander, K-19: The Widowmaker) has written a screenplay for the project, and it would be produced by Nick Wechsler (The Road, previous Aronofsky films Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain).

Anything new from Aronofsky is worth keeping an eye on in my book, particularly after watching The Fountain, carried by amazing visuals and one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever (I got to see parts of it performed by Clint Mansell himself last year), and my favourite 2009 film based on UK release dates – The Wrestler. However, I hadn’t really seen Angelina Jolie as anything more than a sex symbol – that is, until her great performance in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, which convinced me that getting her to star in a film is worth it. So a collaboration between these two could work out very well. Basically because they’re both…good at what they do.

Serena is set in 1929, and plotwise, may remind some of There Will Be Blood. George and his wife Serena start the beginnings of a timber empire in the mountains of North Carolina, and as business starts to improve, Serena becomes more and more powerful – the couple begin to kill anyone who gets in their way. She reaches the point where she sets out to kill her husband’s illegitimate child. It sounds pretty intense.

Aronofsky’s just wrapped up work on Black Swan, so the question is – will Jolie go with this next? Apparently she has passed on Gravity which will be directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and she is currently filming The Tourist with Johnny Depp.