Mickey Rourke has signed on for the lead role in Darren Aronofsky's latest, The Wrestler, slated to begin filming in January. Rourke will play an over the hill wrestler who returns to the ring for one last shot at glory. Originally the role was set for Nicolas Cage, but he's since left the project.
I've always been a Rourke fan. After a long absence from cinemas, he's since bounced back in several high profile supporting roles, most notably as the anti-hero Marv in Sin City, Rourke has several films in the pipeline, including the upcoming Bret Ellis adaptation, The Informers, and the long delayed Killshot – based on the Elmore Leonard novel.
I think Rourke is a far better choice to be playing an over the hill grappler. He famously gave up acting in the nineties to pursue a career in boxing, so he'll definitely be believable in the role. Cage's loss is Rourke's gain I say, especially with a visionary like Aronofsky at the helm (although I HATED The Fountain).
