Noah director and self-professed atheist Darren Aronofsky has managed to make a secular film about a Bible figure, painting Noah as an "environmentalist" in a film that doesn't mention God once.

Given that he is best known for Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan and The Wrestler, Aronofsky's decision to make an adventure epic about the Bible's most CGI-friendly of events, Noah's flood, was met with a collective "Really?" last year.

To the delight of the atheist and the concern of the pious however, Aronofsky's film is pushing an environmentalist rather than religious agenda.

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He described Noah to The Telegraph as "the least biblical biblical film ever made", and sees its protagonist (played by Russell Crowe) as the "first environmentalist".

Shape Created with Sketch. Noah: Picture Preview Show all 8 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Noah: Picture Preview 1/8 Noah Jennifer Connelly, who plays Noah's wife, and Russell Crowe in Noah Paramount Pictures 2/8 Noah Russell Crowe films a dramatic storm scene in Darren Aronofsky's Noah Paramount Pictures 3/8 Noah Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe in Noah Paramount Pictures 4/8 Noah Emma Watson stars as Noah's adopted daughter Ila Paramount Pictures 5/8 Noah Logan Lerman, who plays Noah's second son Ham, and Russell Crowe Paramount Pictures 6/8 Noah Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe film Noah Paramount Pictures 7/8 Noah Sir Anthony Hopkins and Gavin Casalegno in Noah Paramount Pictures 8/8 Noah A stormy scene from Noah Allstar/Paramount Pictures 1/8 Noah Jennifer Connelly, who plays Noah's wife, and Russell Crowe in Noah Paramount Pictures 2/8 Noah Russell Crowe films a dramatic storm scene in Darren Aronofsky's Noah Paramount Pictures 3/8 Noah Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe in Noah Paramount Pictures 4/8 Noah Emma Watson stars as Noah's adopted daughter Ila Paramount Pictures 5/8 Noah Logan Lerman, who plays Noah's second son Ham, and Russell Crowe Paramount Pictures 6/8 Noah Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe film Noah Paramount Pictures 7/8 Noah Sir Anthony Hopkins and Gavin Casalegno in Noah Paramount Pictures 8/8 Noah A stormy scene from Noah Allstar/Paramount Pictures

The re-telling has made some serious departures from the biblical account of the 'event', and an early reviewer has spotted that the name 'God' is not spoken once during it.

It has provoked outcry from Christian groups, with Paramount being forced to put out a statement explaining it is "inspired by the story of Noah" and re-iterating that "artistic license has been taken".

It added helpfully: "The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis."

Noah opens in cinemas on April 4.