Piledriver pas de deuxDarren Aronofsky reveals that "The Wrestler" and his upcoming ballet movie "The Swan" almost were one and the same film, about a grappler's relationship with a ballerina. "I've always considered the two films companion pieces," he said. "They are really connected and people will see the connections. It's funny, because wrestling some consider the lowest art -- if they would even call it art -- and ballet some people consider the highest art." Aronofsky said his dream is for "some art theater to play the films as a double feature." We can only thank him for sparing us the spectacle of a Mickey Rourke-Natalie Portman coupling.
The final reelBradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds are set for an untitled buddy-cop movie written by Sheldon Turner ("Up in the Air"). ... John Cusack will play Edgar Allan Poe in "The Raven." ... Dwayne Johnson replaces Brendan Fraser for the sequel to "Journey to the Center of the Earth." ... George Clooney will direct the political drama "Farragut North," with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Chris Pine. ... Scarlett Johansson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are "loosely attached" to the comedy "Brothers: A Zombie's Lament," produced by Diablo Cody.
CYNTHIA DICKISON
