The Wrestler is a film directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Robert D. Siegel, and starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ernest Miller. Production began in January 2008, and the film premiered at the 2008 65th Venice Film Festival in August, winning the Golden Lion Award. Fox Searchlight acquired rights to distribute the film in the U.S, it was released in a limited capacity on December 17, 2008 and was released nationwide on January 23, 2009.