Overview

• Darren Aronofsky confessed he tried to manufacture off-screen tension between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis to mirror their characters’ on-screen feud
• Mila Kunis revealed that a six-month prep—extended after financing delays—consisted of drinking broth, dancing up to 12 hours a day with very little food and led to bruised ribs and a dislocated shoulder
• Natalie Portman said she urged Aronofsky to cast Kunis based on a brief ballet background, though Kunis later admitted her dance experience had been overstated
• Both actresses said they immediately saw through Aronofsky’s “sneaky director” tactic, turned it into an inside joke and sustained their close friendship with no lasting harm
• The IMAX remaster’s upcoming release and Vogue disclosures have prompted debate on social media over the ethics of intense directorial methods and rigorous actor preparation