"If you're expecting it to be word for word from the Bible, you're in for a shock," he says. "There can be an opportunity for Christians to take offense. [But] we were pretty excited that a studio like Paramount would invest in a Bible-themed movie." On Feb. 4, Pastor Brian, at the church's Heart and Soul night in Sydney, spoke before a few thousand congregants and joked, "You'll enjoy the film -- if you're not too religious."
THR spoke with several people who saw an early test screening in Southern California's Orange County and who identified themselves as religious. One viewer, who declined to give his name because Paramount required him to sign a nondisclosure agreement, echoed the sentiments of others by criticizing the depiction of Noah as a "crazy, irrational, religious nut" who is fixated on modern-day problems like overpopulation and environmental degradation.
With the film poised to make headlines in the run-up to its release, Aronofsky says he hopes those who might have expected a certain version of the story will accept that Noah is for them, too. "For people who are very literal-minded, it would be great to communicate that the themes of the film are very much in line with the themes of the Bible -- ideas about hope, second chances and family," he says.
So basically, Noah is just a left wing hippie in this movie.
