It seems like it was ages ago that director Darren Aronofsky was relying on large physical sets, seeing how wholeheartedly he has embraced generative artificial intelligence. Aronofsky broke out on the indie scene and reached the pinnacle of his career with the Oscar-winning psychological thriller Black Swan, which was released in 2010 to blockbuster success and critical acclaim. The movie earned him the figurative blank check Hollywood gives to directors who make money for the industry. Aronofsky cashed in his cachet with a large-scale biblical epic, the sort of movie that Hollywood had been reluctant to make at such a scale. Interestingly, Aronofsky's movie was released in the same year as Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings, which bombed with critics and audiences alike.
Exodus, starring Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton, grossed $268 million worldwide against a reported budget of $200 million. It attracted controversy for its whitewashed casting, which Scott defended in his trademark inelegant manner. Exodus received poor reviews and is now sitting at a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Aronofsky's movie, on the other hand, was considerably more successful. It was released a few months before Exodus, and ended up grossing around $360 million worldwide against a reported budget of $160 million. And now, more than a decade after its release, the movie is climbing the streaming charts again.
Darren Aronofsky's Epic Remains a Fan-Favorite
We're talking, of course, about the very controversial epic Noah. Starring Russell Crowe as the titular biblical figure, the movie was banned in several territories around the world, owing to its religious themes. Noah also featured Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, and others. It holds a "Certified Fresh" 75% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, but has been pretty heavily review-bombed by viewers who've brought its audience score down to 41%. Nevertheless, the movie recently witnessed a viewership spike at home. According to FlixPatrol, Noah was among the most-watched movies on the Pluto TV streaming service this week. Aronofsky followed it up with the divisive Mother!, another movie inspired by biblical stories but told on a much smaller scale. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Unexpected Team-Up: Prince William and Emma Watson Unite for Change
Prince William had plenty to celebrate this weekend, but his latest public appearance quickly turned heads for a very different reason. After marking his 44th birthday and Father's Day with his family, the future king returned to royal duties—and made a surprisingly personal confession about the emotional toll of climate change.
William joined Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch at a United for Wildlife forum in London, an initiative he launched with the Royal Foundation in 2013. The organization works around the world to combat wildlife trafficking, environmental crime, and the destruction of endangered species.
But it was William's candid admission about his own fears that stole the spotlight.
The Prince of Wales revealed that climate change has caused him "sleepless nights," admitting he has struggled with anxiety about what the future could look like. Yet instead of allowing those fears to overwhelm him, William said seeing real progress through conservation efforts has helped keep his environmental anxiety under control.
He also delivered a powerful message to business leaders, urging them to become the kind of leaders they admired when they were children. With technology and innovation transforming the world at an incredible pace, William challenged CEOs to use their influence to create meaningful change.
The event launched London Climate Action Week, with more royal appearances expected, including the Earthshot Prize assembly.
Emma Watson also delivered a surprising revelation of her own. The Harry Potter star highlighted the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, pointing out that it produces more emissions than aviation and ranks behind only oil among major polluting industries.
Watson, who is also pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford, shared a hilarious story about mistakenly believing paparazzi were following her. After spotting photographers with telephoto lenses, she arranged a distraction and escaped through another exit. The twist? They weren't photographing her at all. They were waiting to capture a red kite.
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch praised William as "a great guy" and urged businesses and individuals to recognize that they can still make a difference, even when global environmental challenges appear overwhelming.
With William, Watson, and Cumberbatch joining forces on the issue, the London forum delivered a clear message: the fight against environmental destruction is becoming impossible for the world's biggest names to ignore.
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