New Photos: Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler makes it’s premiere next month, and we have the first batch of official promotional production photos. Aronofsky’s The Wrestler tells the story of a old professional wrestler (Mickey Rourke) barely making a living on the independent circuit, who is told by a doctor that he could die if he wrestles again. It’s a film which attempts to do for wrestling what Rocky did for boxing. Marisa Tomei plays a stripper friend named Cassidy and Evan Rachel Wood plays his estranged daughter Stephanie. We will be seeing the film at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, and will check back in with a review from the fest. But for now, check out these photos. As always, click to enlarge.

  • Andy
    This sentence gives me happy feelings...

    "...Marisa Tomei plays a stripper friend named Cassidy""
  • erik
    I'm really looking forward to this movie and hope you guys have nothing good to report next month.
  • Captain Awesome
    The more I see Rourke in this, the more I'm glad Nicholas Cage never stayed to play the part. I can't imagine Cage doing this and making it feel "proper" within the context of this film.

    Rourke has such a great face that it helps tell the story along with his presence.
  • This movie might be good. The stripper photo makes me uncomfortable though. That male pig customer looks sleazy as hell.
  • Micky Rourke can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. I've enjoyed every one of his roles in the few years. (Not that he ever really went away...) But I've really loved his comeback. Hope this film really puts him back at the top where he belongs.
  • JB
    Marisa Tomei is all you gotta say. I'm there.
  • Tendrillar
    Trailer please!
  • Tendrillar
    Also, I'd really like to read an interview with Aronofsky about this. The subject matter seems so out of left field, for any director really, that I'd really like to get an idea of his personal interest and why he chose to do this project.
  • Captain Awesome
    ANGRY BROOMSTICK!!!!!!!!!!,

    That's what a strip club is like. People don't go there for the watered-down drinks and microwaved food

    ;)
  • D.A.
    I'm loving this.

    just the 2 shots of Rourke as a wrestler look like something out of a WWE show

    cant wait to see this
  • Gart, Bo
    Rourke looks like he fits the role. I hope this is some sort of weird masterpiece.
  • aaron
    I wonder if they present pro wrestling as real in this film, the way they used to in the early 20th century.
  • A.J.
    Hopefully this is better than The Fountain.
  • J.D.
    I hope at some point he yells: "Caaaasssiddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
  • kiwi
    "I'll take Marisa Tomei as a stripper for 1000, Alex." Seriously.

    Meanwhile, the picture of Sir Mickey of Rourke in tights with long hair looks so late 80's WWF it's amazing. What Aranofsky is doing on something like this is baffling, but it means it will have some substance, which means it will be worth checking out.
  • This sounds just like that episode of the Simpsons where Dr. Hibbard told Homer that if he took one more cannon ball to the gut he would die. I hope Mickey Rourke does the right thing and jumps out of the way at the last second.

    Kidding aside, this looks very compelling, am very much looking forward to it.
  • Ed
    look in the background of that one pic. "necrobutcher sucks a fat dick". Im totally there.
  • Dexter
    This looks promising, the photos are great.
    Mickey Rourke is sure going to rule this movie.
  • Daniel
    Did anyone else have the first impression that he looks almost exactly like Shawn Michaels in the second pic?
  • w smith
    The Requiem for a Dream of pro wrestling movies?.... don't know about this one. When I first heard about it I thought it was going to be some sort of bizarre dark comedy or something. I like Aronofsky's style, but I'm starting to think he takes himself WAY too seriously.
  • ROURKE: Doc, what's the prognosis?

    DOCTOR: One more fake blow to the heart, and you could undergo a fake heart failure, and fake die.

    ROURKE: Damn.
  • kingdarius
    Thought it looked kind of blah! but then i saw marisa tomei as a stripper and now im sold
  • Pavelz
    Can you smellll what The Rourke is cookin'?
  • Jimmy....dude...that made me do one of those uncomfortably loud geek laughs in this uncomfortably quiet office. Hilarious.
  • spooky
    aronofsky looks like christian bale
  • Craig M.
    I can't wait to see this. I was interested even when Nic Cage was in it (liked the plot), but Rourke definitely looks more like a pro wrestler than Cage ever possibly could.
  • J'osh
    Wow, Rourke had some really bad work done on his face. He looks like a woman. A large woman, but his new face is odd looking. Know when to say when man.
  • Captain Awesome
    J'osh,

    That's due to him taking up boxing in between his acting career.

    "In 1991, Rourke decided that he "…had to go back to boxing", because he felt that he "…was self-destructing…[and] had no respect for myself being an actor." When Rourke became a professional boxer, he won all of his fights against minor opponents (and had one fight come to a draw). However, he never achieved national prominence, and he received a number of injuries, including a broken nose, toe, ribs, a split tongue, and a compressed cheekbone. His trainer during his boxing career was Hells Angels member Chuck Zito."
  • Gajonka
    MICKEY ROURKE LOOKS LIKE MICHAEL MYERS!!!!!!!! aHHHHHahhahhahahhahahha !!!

    CMON!!!! HIT ME!!!
  • Gajonka
    AHH , MARISA TOMEI, SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SEXY. THE PIC OF DARRENAT THE END THERE SI PRETTY STUPID. I BET HE PICS WHICH ONE HE LIKES. MAYBE HE WONT BAIL ON THIS ONE LIKE HE DID THE FOUNTAIN.
  • shanna
    I just returned from the Toronto Film Festival where I got to see this beautiful film. Great performances by Mickey and Marisa filled with humanity and warmth. I expect it to win some awards.

    Warning: blood, some gore and lots of naked Marisa in this film.
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