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Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and his longtime creative partner, Ari Handel, are on a mission. At their production company, Protozoa Pictures, the two want to use movies and television to make science cool at a time when it’s under attack.
“There’s a lens that we look at things through,” says Handel. “A lot of our work is pro-science or involves technology or the environment. Morally, we think the world can use that right now.”
Some of that has to do with the backgrounds of the pair — Aronofsky did field research as a student at Harvard, and Handel has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. But that embrace of empiricism was also something the two felt had become important during the Trump era, when the government was often at odds with experts.
From their office in Chinatown, Handel and Aronofsky are busier than ever. In addition to “The Whale,” an Oscar hopeful that’s earned rave reviews for Brendan Fraser’s performance as an obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter, Protozoa has backed “The Good Nurse,” a Netflix drama about serial killer Charles Cullen that stars Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. The company also recently released “The Territory,” a documentary about the impact farmers and settlers in Brazil are having on an Amazonian tribe. And they’re about to launch “Limitless With Chris Hemsworth,” a Disney+ series that follows the youthful “Thor” star as he talks to experts about research into the aging process.
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Additionally, Aronofsky is about to find a way to bring back the movie that launched his career for a new generation to experience. When he sold the rights to “Pi,” his debut feature, to Artisan, he negotiated to get ownership of it after 25 years.
“It was a crazy thing to ask for, but for some reason they gave me that deal,” Aronofsky says.
In honor of that anniversary, the director is rereleasing the film in Imax theaters next spring. From “Pi” to “The Territory,” the stories Protozoa produces embrace a range of genres and mediums but share connective tissue.
“Right now, we really want to make movies and shows that bring about human connection and inspire empathy,” says Handel.
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