Darren Aronofsky has always been attracted to stories of extremity – whether it’s the bodily intensity of The Wrestler and The Whale, the psychological torment of Mother! and Black Swan, the religious endurance of Noah, or the actual endurance test that is Requiem For A Dream. And for his next project, he’s found something that’s set to invoke all kinds of extreme reactions – because it centers on a person who’s divisive to the nth degree. According to reports, Aronofsky is set to direct an A24 biopic of none other than Elon Musk – the controversial mega-rich Space X founder, owner of Twitter (sorry, ‘X’), former bigwig of Tesla, and more.
The news has been confirmed by Variety and was originally reported by Puck, noting that the film will be based on Walter Isaacson’s unauthorised biography released this September, simply titled Elon Musk. And if we’re looking at what that might mean for Aronofsky’s film, it was Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography that was the foundation for Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs. According to Variety, there was a studio bidding war over who’d gain the rights for the source, with A24 coming out on top.
Which angle the film chooses to take on its subject remains to be seen. Musk is a notable figure upon which to make a film – the wealthiest person in the world, with a $200 billion-plus net worth. He’s also utterly polarising, has a reputation for a trollish mentality, and has come under fire for his approach in overhauling the social media site formerly known as Twitter. As for Aronofsky, he’s an ever-fascinating filmmaker – whatever he makes of Musk on screen, it should at least result in an interesting film.