• Latest
  • Trending
The Fountain

How ‘The Fountain’ Became Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz’s Transcendent Sci-Fi Romance

1 year ago
Eye for an Eye Review

Eye for an Eye Review: Florida Gothic Done Right

Alma and the Wolf Review

Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

Hi-Five Review

Hi-Five Review: An Origin Story on Fast-Forward

28 Years Later Review

28 Years Later Review: A Saga Begun, Not Ended

Soul Reaper Review

Soul Reaper Review: Indonesian Folk Horror That Haunts Your Dreams

Mindhunter

David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

2 days ago
How to Train Your Dragon

‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

2 days ago
Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen Courts Vin Diesel for ‘The Studio’ Season 2

2 days ago
Jack Betts

Jack Betts, Spaghetti-Western Export and Spider-Man Board Chief, Dies at 96

2 days ago
Amanda Seyfried

Here We Go Again? Seyfried, Craymer Push Mamma Mia 3 Forward

2 days ago
Lynn Hamilton

Lynn Hamilton, Steady Star of ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 95

2 days ago
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Monday, June 23, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

    Seth Rogen

    Seth Rogen Courts Vin Diesel for ‘The Studio’ Season 2

    Jack Betts

    Jack Betts, Spaghetti-Western Export and Spider-Man Board Chief, Dies at 96

    Amanda Seyfried

    Here We Go Again? Seyfried, Craymer Push Mamma Mia 3 Forward

    Lynn Hamilton

    Lynn Hamilton, Steady Star of ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 95

    Owen Wilson

    Owen Wilson Rejoins Stiller and De Niro as ‘Meet the Parents 4’ Sets 2026 Release

    Pretty Little Liars Stars

    After Reboot’s Demise, Pretty Little Liars Cast Plots Big-Screen Return

    jackie chan and bruce lee

    Bruce Lee Returns—Digitally—as Beijing Launches $14 M Restoration Drive

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Eye for an Eye Review

    Eye for an Eye Review: Florida Gothic Done Right

    Alma and the Wolf Review

    Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    Hi-Five Review

    Hi-Five Review: An Origin Story on Fast-Forward

    28 Years Later Review

    28 Years Later Review: A Saga Begun, Not Ended

    Soul Reaper Review

    Soul Reaper Review: Indonesian Folk Horror That Haunts Your Dreams

    Promised Hearts Review

    Promised Hearts Review: Melodrama Meets Existential Yearning

    Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade Review

    Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade Review – Conversations in the Dakota Shadows

    America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 Review

    America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 Review — From Tryouts to Takeover

    Pinch Review

    Pinch Review: Sharp Humor Meets Social Reckoning

  • Game Reviews
    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

    Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Review

    Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Review: All Style, Less Story

    Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Review

    Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Review: A Dialogue With Tradition

    Yakuza 0 Director's Cut Review

    Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Review: Neon Lights and Brutal Fights

    Trident's Tale Review

    Trident’s Tale Review: Buried Treasure or Fool’s Gold?

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

    Seth Rogen

    Seth Rogen Courts Vin Diesel for ‘The Studio’ Season 2

    Jack Betts

    Jack Betts, Spaghetti-Western Export and Spider-Man Board Chief, Dies at 96

    Amanda Seyfried

    Here We Go Again? Seyfried, Craymer Push Mamma Mia 3 Forward

    Lynn Hamilton

    Lynn Hamilton, Steady Star of ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 95

    Owen Wilson

    Owen Wilson Rejoins Stiller and De Niro as ‘Meet the Parents 4’ Sets 2026 Release

    Pretty Little Liars Stars

    After Reboot’s Demise, Pretty Little Liars Cast Plots Big-Screen Return

    jackie chan and bruce lee

    Bruce Lee Returns—Digitally—as Beijing Launches $14 M Restoration Drive

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Eye for an Eye Review

    Eye for an Eye Review: Florida Gothic Done Right

    Alma and the Wolf Review

    Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    Hi-Five Review

    Hi-Five Review: An Origin Story on Fast-Forward

    28 Years Later Review

    28 Years Later Review: A Saga Begun, Not Ended

    Soul Reaper Review

    Soul Reaper Review: Indonesian Folk Horror That Haunts Your Dreams

    Promised Hearts Review

    Promised Hearts Review: Melodrama Meets Existential Yearning

    Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade Review

    Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade Review – Conversations in the Dakota Shadows

    America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 Review

    America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 Review — From Tryouts to Takeover

    Pinch Review

    Pinch Review: Sharp Humor Meets Social Reckoning

  • Game Reviews
    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

    Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Review

    Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Review: All Style, Less Story

    Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Review

    Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Review: A Dialogue With Tradition

    Yakuza 0 Director's Cut Review

    Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Review: Neon Lights and Brutal Fights

    Trident's Tale Review

    Trident’s Tale Review: Buried Treasure or Fool’s Gold?

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
The Fountain

Zelda Tops Gamers' Wish List for Video Game Movie Adaptations

Charlie Brooker's 'Black Mirror' Presciently Skewered AI Fears Just as They Exploded

Home Entertainment Movies

How ‘The Fountain’ Became Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz’s Transcendent Sci-Fi Romance

Darren Aronofsky's mind-bending 2006 film originally aimed for Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett before its ambitious vision crystalized

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
1 year ago
in Entertainment, Entertainment News, Movies
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

In the annals of ambitious sci-fi storytelling on film, Darren Aronofsky’s 2006 metaphysical romance The Fountain stands out as a transcendent work of visual poetry. Spanning a millennium through interwoven narratives, the film uses the ages-old quest for eternal life as a tapestry upon which to explore profound themes of love, mortality, and the cosmic dance bridging science and spirituality.

As mind-bending as the finished product is, the path to bringing Aronofsky’s daring vision to the screen proved equally labyrinthine – one originally meant to star a very different pair of actors from the ones who ultimately brought it to such sublime life.

When first conceived, the auteur had his sights set on Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett to play the lead roles of a woman confronting death and her husband who becomes consumed with trying to cure her condition. Aronofsky even personally screened his previous film, the cult classic Requiem for a Dream, in hopes of convincing Pitt.

Pre-production proceeded for over two years before being derailed when Blanchett became pregnant, throwing the prospective $70 million production into budgetary peril. It was only when producer Eric Watson secured scaled-back funding that the restructured project regained momentum.

Even then, Pitt abruptly exited after just one day of shooting due to the director’s admitted failure in addressing the actor’s requested script revisions. “Brad lost trust in me and faith in the project,” Aronofsky later reflected. “He told me he felt like he was breaking up with a girl.”

With his originally-envisioned leads gone, the filmmaker’s quest to realize his cosmic love story seemed in jeopardy. However, new inspiration struck in the form of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, to whom Aronofsky’s ambition promptly pivoted.

While far from his first choices, Jackman and Weisz proved phenomenal catches capable of handling the daunting demands. These included incarnating the same metaphysically-linked soulmates across three separate timelines – from 16th century Spanish conquistadors embarking on a mythical quest, to the present-day where one half frantically researches immortality to save his dying wife, to the far future where a celestial traveler nurtures an ancient tree containing the essence of all existence.

Jackman was fresh off drawing raves for his versatility in the Broadway musical The Boy from Oz when Aronofsky identified him as an ideal candidate to juggle the roles of dedicated scientist, zealous explorer, and spacebound loner. Meanwhile, the director’s then-girlfriend Weisz took convincing from Jackman himself before Aronofsky was won over to cast her as the transcendent soul bridging all three timelines.

In the end, both actors shined as the cosmic soulmates, pouring every ounce of emotional heft into their parts. Jackman’s portrayal of a husband desperate to defy death itself is particularly gut-wrenching, while Weisz’s embodiment of grace in the face of mortality elevates the metaphysical themes into the profound.

Working with just half of the originally-planned $70 million budget, Aronofsky still conjured spectacular visuals from cinematographer Matthew Libatique, creating indelible images that seamlessly intercut between the parallel storylines towards a reality-shattering conclusion.

Though divisive upon release, The Fountain has rightly gained increasing appreciation in the years since as an uncompromising creative achievement by an ambitious artist working at his full powers. And at its heart lie two perfectly-cast lead performances that transform Aronofsky’s universe-spanning paean to eternity into an intimate, transcendent love story for the ages.

Tags: 20th Century StudiosCliff CurtisDarren AronofskyFernando HernandezHugh JackmanMark MargolisMatthew LibatiqueRachel WeiszRomanceSci-FiThe FountainWarner Bros.Warner Bros. Pictures
Previous Post

Zelda Tops Gamers’ Wish List for Video Game Movie Adaptations

Next Post

Charlie Brooker’s ‘Black Mirror’ Presciently Skewered AI Fears Just as They Exploded

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Marshmallow Review

    Marshmallow Review: These Woods Hide Unexpected Secrets

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • We Were Liars Season 1 Review: Paradise Lost on Beechwood Island

    6 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Art Detectives Review: The Case of the Brilliant Man and the Underwritten Woman

    168 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Review – Bridging Eras with Spellbinding Charm

    44 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

28 Years Later Review
Movies

28 Years Later Review: A Saga Begun, Not Ended

2 days ago
F1: The Movie Review
Movies

F1: The Movie Review: An Engineered Ecstasy That Sputters at the Finish

6 days ago
Elio Review
Movies

Elio Review: Lost in a Beautiful Cosmos

6 days ago
K.O. Review
Movies

K.O. Review: This Heavyweight Contender Lands Solid, If Predictable, Blows

6 days ago
The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Review
Entertainment

The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Review: The Moral Topography of a Postal Code

7 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version