Natalie Portman took some well-deserved time off after winning her Best Actress Oscar for “Black Swan” last year (she also had this thing called, you know, a baby, which is just like a grown-up person except smaller and cuter), but if a somewhat nebulous story posted in the Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope this evening is to be believed, the actress may soon be getting back on Hollywood’s casting radar for a secretive sci-fi film titled “Jupiter Ascending” that’s being written by “The Matrix” filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski.
The project, set up at the siblings’ longtime home Warner Bros., looks to be the Wachowskis’ next film after they finish post-production on “Cloud Atlas”, an adaptation of David Mitchell’s portmanteau-style sci-fi novel that they co-directed with “Run Lola Run” helmer Tom Twyker. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Broadbent, among others, “Atlas” is expected to see release this fall, meaning the Wachowskis could realistically begin production on “Jupiter” by then.
And while it’s worth stressing that Portman hasn’t yet signed on to the project (particularly given the relative sketchiness of the Times story), the anonymous source cited does indicate that the actress is “seriously weighing” taking the role on.
Of course, this wouldn’t be Portman’s first collaboration with the Wachowskis; in 2006 the “Thor” actress starred in the siblings’ adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel “V for Vendetta”, which they wrote and produced before bringing James McTeigue in to direct. That film proved a minor box-office hit (it grossed around $130 million worldwide) and garnered generally positive reviews, so the prospect of the trio teaming up again certainly makes sense. Still, there’s really no telling at this point how real the rumor is.
It should be noted, too, that if “Thor 2” ends up happening with the actress (who apparently wasn’t happy about Patty Jenkins’ reported firing from the superhero sequel), that could also complicate matters.
In any case, stay tuned…
What do you think of the possibility of Portman collaborating with the Wachowskis again? Let us know in the comments!