Natalie Portmans performance in the psychological thriller Black Swan has made the actress a top contender for the lead in Gravity, an epic sci-fi in 3-D.
The film will be directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) and will star Robert Downey, Jr. in a supporting role. Yet the bulk of the script will go to the female lead character, who is stranded alone on a space station after satellite wreckage wipes out the rest of her crew. Up until recently, Angelina Jolie was in talks to play the part.
After Portmans performance in Black Swan generated Oscar buzz, Cuaron offered her the part without a screen test, says Jay A. Fernandez of the Hollywood Reporter.
Production is slated to begin in January, and the films budget will be about $80 million.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Terrence Malick also hopes to snag Portman for a Jerry Lee Lewis project that features Brad Pitt.
Darren Oronofskys Black Swan premiered at the Venice and Telluride festivals last week to positive reviews. So far, critics have praised Portmans performance and promoted the opinion that the actress will receive attention when awards season rolls around.
