Fox stated: “While we are of course disappointed that Darren can’t do The Wolverine, we also understand and respect his reasons. Having done both The Wrestler and Black Swan with Darren, we know he is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to working with him on other projects in the future. Hugh Jackman and Fox both remain fully committed to making The Wolverine. We will regroup and move forward aggressively.”
It turns out that Aronofsky’s unwillingness to relocate for a long stretch of time was the deciding factor. "As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of The Wolverine would keep me out of the country for almost a year,” Aronofsky said along with Fox in a statement.
“I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won't be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again,” he continued.
The Wolverine has no release date at this time and won't have any connection to 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine; instead, Jackman's attempt to erase that '09 mess from our memories will be a stand-alone film set in Japan. It isn't known whether or not the recent devastation that hit Japan will have any effect on the filming of the movie.
[Via The Wrap]