That was quick. Yesterday Darren Aronofsky’s supernatural thriller “Black Swan” set in the world of ballet was heavily favored for inclusion in the 67th Annual Venice Film Festival and now it’s been confirmed as the festival’s opener on September 1.
And here’s your first look of the picture as well.
The picture centers on the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer (Natalie Portman) and a rival, played by Mila Kunis who may or may not be a figment of the dancer’s imagination and it also stars Winona Ryder, Vincent Cassel, Sebastian Stan (Bucky In “Captain America”) and Barbara Hershey.
Why a ballet film? Aronofsky’s sister studied it. He says of an early draft of the script, “It had a little bit of All About Eve in it, a little bit of Polanski’s The Tenant and a little bit of Dostoevsky’s The Double,” and he also name checks one of the greatest dance movies of all time, “The Red Shoes.”
The opening slot at Venice is fitting as Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” won the top award (The Golden Lion) there in 2008. The picture isn’t dated yet, but expected to hit theaters later this year. Our guess is late November early December much like Fox Searchlight did with “The Wrestler” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” [USA Today/Deadline]