What is Darren Aronofsky's Net Worth?
Darren Aronofsky is an American director, writer, and producer who has a net worth of $25 million. Darren Aronofsky is responsible for such films as "The Wrestler," "mother!" and "Black Swan," among others.
His first film, "Pi," debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998. It was a movie made on a budget of $100 donations from his friends and family members. Aronofsky won the Best Director Award for the film at the festival, which eventually earned more than three million dollars at the box office. His follow-up effort was the award-winning adaptation "Requiem for a Dream."
His first major film was "The Wrestler," which had several performers nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars. Aronofsky then directed and produced Black Swan in 2010 with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis receiving an Oscar nod for Best Director and Best Picture. He has described his 2006 film, "The Fountain," as being indicative of his religious and spiritual beliefs.
Early Life
Aronofsky was born in the neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City on February 12, 1969. His parents, Charlotte and Abraham, both worked as teachers and were Jewish, though not very spiritual. He was raised with his sister Pattie and attended Edward R. Murrow High School.
Aronofsky developed an interest in show business after his parents began taking him to Broadway theatre performances. His worldview was further developed through his training as a field biologist with The School for Field Studies in 1985 and 1986 when he traveled to Kenya and Alaska for studies. His interest in film specifically developed after enrolling at Harvard University, where he majored in social anthropology and studied filmmaking, graduating in 1991. His senior thesis film, "Supermarket Sweep," was a finalist in the 1991 Student Academy Awards. He then received his MFA degree in directing from the AFI Conservatory and won the institute's Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal.
Career
Aronofsky's debut feature film is entitled "Pi" and was shot in November of 1997. He financed it through small donations from friends and family. Aronofsky promised to pay everyone back if the film made any money. He premiered the film at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where he won the award for Best Director. The film itself was nominated for a special Jury Award. Following the festival, Artisan Entertainment bought distribution rights for $1 million, and the film was released to the public later that year for critical acclaim. It also grossed a total of over $3 million at the box office. The film was also the first to be made available for download on the Internet.
Following his success with "Pi," Aronofsky released the film "Requiem for a Dream," based on the Hubert Selby Jr. novel of the same name. The film featured more prominent actors and had a much higher budget. Upon its release, Aronofsky was praised for his stylish directing ability and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Director category. The film was also nominated for five awards in total, as were some of the actors in the film.
In March of 2001, he helped write the screenplay for the horror film "Below," which he also helped produce. His next major film was "The Fountain," which was released in November of 2006 and featured actors Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Aronofsky's big breakthrough came with the film "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke. The film was shot in around 40 days and then premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion award. Both Rourke and co-star Marisa Tomei received numerous awards and accolades for their performances in the film. "The Wrestler" became Aronofsky's highest-grossing film to date.
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His next project was the horror film "Black Swan." The movie received a record 12 Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations, four Independent Spirit Award nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, and three SAG nominations, among other honors. It grossed nearly $330 million at the box office, exceeding expectations.
Following his success with "The Wrestler" and "Black Swan," Aronofsky began working on projects with much larger budgets. He filmed "Noah" in 2011 and 2011, which retold the story of Noah's Ark. His next film, "mother!," was released in 2017 and starred Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, and Michelle Pfeiffer, among other notable actors. Though the film achieved critical success, audiences were split.
Aronofsky has also done some work in nonfiction film. He is the executive producer for "One Strange Rock" for NatGeo. The ten-part series explores ten of the most unique places in the universe. He also was the producer for the documentary "Some Kind of Heaven," which follows residents of The Villages retirement community in Florida.
Aronofsky's unique filmmaking style and perspective have been widely praised. He is known for using montages and very short shots, as well as using music to help move his storylines along.
Personal Life
In 2001, Aronofsky began dating English actress Rachel Weisz. They got engaged in 2005 and then had a son together in May of 2006. The couple lived together in Manhattan, but in November 2010, they announced that they had been apart for months. In September of 2016, he began dating Jennifer Lawrence, whom he had met while filming "mother!" Their relationship lasted until November of 2017.
Aronofsky is known for his environmental activism, and several of his films can be read as environmental parables. In 2014, he received the Humane Filmmaker Award from the Human Society of the United States. In 2015, he collaborated with the artist JR to create the public art installation "The Standing March" in Paris to encourage diplomats at COP21 to take action against climate change. He is also a board member of the Sierra Club Foundation and The School for Field Studies.
