The Fountain: Takashi Seida

The Fountain

RELEASE DATE Nov. 22

WHY WE CAN'T WAIT It's been six years since director Darren Aronofsky last fried our brains with Requiem for a Dream, and we're eager to see what he can do with an eight-figure budget.

THE PREMISE It's a sci-fi/fantasy saga that has something to do with the Fountain of Youth. Hugh Jackman and The Constant Gardener Oscar winner Rachel Weisz play characters in three different time periods spanning 1,000 years, from the days of the conquistadors to the present to 500 years from now.

SOURCE An original screenplay by Aronofsky

THE BACKSTORY We almost saw a different, more expensive version of the film that would have starred Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, but Pitt's pull-out seven weeks before shooting was to start in 2002 all but killed the $72 million project. Aronofsky recast the film with Weisz (now his fiancée) and Jackman, who goes completely hairless in some of the future scenes. ''Feels amazing,'' says the formerly hirsute Wolverine.

BURNING QUESTION Will the big-studio production values and A-list cast help the cult-fave director break through to the mainstream?

COME FOR The lush, trippy visuals

STAY FOR The time-transcending love story