Shooting was set to begin this spring in Japan, but the “Black Swan” director said he didn’t want to be out of the country for as long as production would take.

“I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time,” he said. “I am sad that I won’t be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again.”

In the abscense of “The Wolverine” Aronofsky is said be developing “Machine Man” a sci-fi for Mandalay, though he has no projects on the immediate horizon, his reps told Variety.

The announcement that the sought after director won’t helm the tent pole release leaves 20th Century Fox in the hunt to fill his place.

“While we are, of course, disappointed that Darren can’t do ‘The Wolverine,’ we also understand and respect his reasons,” Fox said in a statement. “Having done both ‘The Wrestler’ and ‘Black Swan’ with Darren, we know he is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to working with him on other projects in the future. Hugh Jackman and Fox both remain fully committed to making ‘The Wolverine.’”

Deadline reports that negotiations began soon after the script went out last week and that McG, who’s currently directing the 20th Century Fox comedy “This Means War” with Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, will produce.

Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox and Walden Media have jointly acquired the rights to Bil Keane’s syndicated comic strip “The Family Circus,” with plans of creating a live action, multiple quadrant, family franchise.  In fact, the studio has already hired Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir to pen the script, and John Baldecchi and Stacy Maes to produce.

Keane started the strip in 1960 and still produces the single-panel strip with his son Jeff to this day.  According to King Features, “The Family Circus” is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world.

The popular comic strip has long been coveted by studios but Keane never had much interest in selling the film rights.  It wasn’t until producer Baldecchi tracked him down after a two year search and managed to convince the father-son team that now was the time to sell.

Fox and Walden, which are working together on the forthcoming  ”The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” won a fierce bidding war with a number of studios reportedly striking a deal of six figures against seven figures.

According to LA Times Warner Bros., its subsidiary New Line Cinema, and partner Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are very close to giving the greenlight to one of the most anticipated pair of films in history.

The “Lord of the Rings” prequel “The Hobbit,” which will be shot all at once and split into two films, will cost close to $500 million to produce on top of the $45 million that has already been spent on preproduction costs like script fees, set design, casting meetings and visual effects work.

Anonymous sources close to the project have indicated that the studios are in final negotiations with director, producer and co-writer Peter Jackson, solving the problem created when director Guillermo del Toro backed out, and have solved a slew of other setback including a rights issue regarding Tolkien’s estate. The one remaining obstacle to make the long-awaited return to the land of dragons and elves is an official go-ahead from the struggling MGM, which is responsible for financing half the production budget (Warner and New Line are ready and willing to commit the other half).

MGM’s debt problems have been well-documented over the past few years putting traditional cash cow titles like “James Bond” in jeopardy. Spyglass Entertainment heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum are expected to take over management of the studio and help to negotiate its more than 100 debt owners. MGM is reportedly eager to get the films off the ground because of the potential cash flow the high profile pics are expected to generate, and may give Warners the go-ahead in the coming days, but has yet to secure financing for their half of the budget.

Potential investors include 20th Century Fox (which already has a deal to distribute MGM’s films overseas), private investors, or Warners which may loan MGM its share of production costs.

Those close to negotiations are confident that all issues will be resolved in time for the first film to get a 2012 holiday release with the second film to follow in December 2013.

Below is 20th Century Fox’s official press release announcing James Cameron’s epic special effects bonanza’s return to theaters:

“On August 27, return to Pandora and re-experience James Cameron’s History-Making Epic film, with more than Eight Minutes of Never Before Seen Footage- exclusively in Digital 3D and IMAX® 3D. Since – and largely as of result of – AVATAR’s release last December, the number of available digital 3D screens has exploded, and moviegoers who missed experiencing the film in 3D, as well as fans that want to return to Pandora again, will now have that opportunity.”

Visit the official website for details and go here for dates and locations.

THR reports that Amy Miles, head of the world’s largest theater operator, said “Avatar” would appeal to older viewers who have not seen 3D films because so far, children’s films have dominated the medium.

“I think what that would do is introduce a section of the audience that has not seen 3D,” she said.

“Avatar” is the brainchild of luminary writer/director James Cameron (“Titanic,” “True Lies”) and tells the story of a U.S. Marine who visits an extraterrestrial world called Pandora in search of adventure and a cure for his paralysis.

The film has been billed as a revolutionary advancement in CGI and 3D technologies, and will be released by Twentieth Century Fox on Dec. 18.

And though Miles was confident that “Avatar” would be a hit, she played down the hype that the flick would transform the entire industry.

“I’m a little less of the opinion that ‘Avatar’ is a game-changer,” Miles said. “I think from a film technology perspective, there’s a lot of enhancements that are going to benefit the industry, but 3D is going to be successful whether ‘Avatar’ is successful or not,” Miles said.

Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Release: December 18, 2009

Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

Release: December 18, 2009

Variety reports that Christopher McQuarrie has been hired to pen the script for the sequel that will further the legend of the most popular X-Men character, Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman is developing the story and will reprise his role as Logan, a mutant with super healing power and an ultra-hard, metal skeleton with razor-sharp claws.

It’s not yet clear whether the studio will bring back Gavin Hood as director.

McQuarrie worked on the original “X-Men” with Bryan Singer but didn’t take credit.

The story is expected to follow the narrative of the popular Chris Claremont-Frank Miller comic series “The Samurai,” wherein Wolverine goes to Japan to learn the ways of the Samurai.

Jackman will produce along with John Palermo and Lauren Shuler Donner.

McQuarrie’s most recent credit was for writing and producing the WWII, Hitler assassination story, “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise.

Director: Wes Anderson
Writer: Wes Anderson
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Cast: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray

Release: November 13, 2009