Russell Crowe to star in Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic 'Noah'

He already played one famed seafarer in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and now Russell Crowe is set to play the best known sailor of them all. The Oscar-winning actor has signed on for the title role in Noah, director Darren Aronofsky’s film of the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark, Paramount and New Regency announced today.

The announcement also included a telling detail, noting that Aronofsky’s film — penned by the Black Swan director and Ari Handel (The Fountain), with a polish by John Logan (Gladiator) — will be a “close adaptation” of the well-known tale from the Book of Genesis. (No word yet on how the animals saved by Noah will be organized, but hopefully not alphabetically.)

Paramount will release the film on March 28, 2014.

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