Darren Aronofsky has made two films for Fox Searchlight, The Wrestler and Black Swan, but as we all know big Fox is a completely different beast, making money off stuff like Alvin and the Chipmunks and not exactly known for their artistic adventurousness. But now that Aronofsky has signed on to direct Wolverine 2-- ah, excuse me, The Wolverine- he's bringing an arthouse cred to the major studio, and he's willing to make that commitment even more official.

According to a press release snagged by Deadline, Aronofsky has moved his production company Protozoa Pictures to the studio and signed a two-year overall deal to develop and produce films for both big Fox and Searchlight. First up, of course, is The Wolverine, which is scheduled to start production in April. Emma Watts, the president of production at Fox, commented specifically on the wide range of films Aronofsky has brought to the two studios:

We're excited Darren is going to bring his unique vision to THE WOLVERINE and we take great satisfaction that Fox, irrespective of the size of his films, continues to provide a home for his extraordinary talent."

Fox has never had a great reputation for working with directors who want to keep their visions intact, but Aronofsky could be leading the charge for a new direction at the studio. No matter how The Wolverine turns out, if the studio is willing to give more room for talented directors to breathe, it'll work out well for everyone.