At the age of 30, Natalie Portman already has a damned impressive resume of films under her belt, but aside from some guest appearances, she hasn’t done much in the TV arena. It looks like that’s going to change, because she’s helping head up a new ABC drama pilot based on the Judith Krantz novel Scruples. According to EW, Portman will executive produce the pilot alongside Tony Krantz, Judith’s son. While the actress has had EP credits on a couple of her films (No Strings Attached, The Other Woman), this is her first producing gig for TV.

First published in 1978, Scruples tells the story of a wealthy, previously overweight widower named Wilhelmina Hunnewell Winthrop, or “Billy,” who uses her deceased husband’s money to open a Beverly Hills clothing store called, well, Scruples. It was turned into a Warner Bros. miniseries starring Lindsay Wagner and Barry Bostwick back in 1980. Warners still holds the rights after all these years and will also be producing this version. Writers Bob Brush and Mel Harris are penning this new adaptation.

While the story doesn’t specifically suggest it, I can’t help but wonder if Portman might be thinking about starring in the pilot as well. Wagner was around Portman’s age when she played Billy in the miniseries, so the timing is right. The lines between traditionally “movie actors” and “TV actors” are also blurring more and more these days, thanks in part to high-profile cable dramas, so this might be an opportunity for Portman to give the boob tube a spin. Then again, given how busy she is on the big screen, I don’t know that she has time to commit to the small one.

Source: CinemaBlend.com

For a director who keeps his distance from Hollywood, Terrence Malick is certainly loading up on star power for his next two movies. A rep for Natalie Portman confirms that the Oscar winner is set to take her first post-Oscar (and post-baby) film roles in Malick’s next two projects, Lawless and Knight of Cups. (The news was first reported by Deadline.)

Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett will also pull double duty in both films, which are reportedly shooting back-to-back, while Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling will join the troupe on Lawless. As usual for Malick’s movies, plot details for these projects are being kept totally under wraps. (Remember how nobody really knew what The Tree of Life was about before it came out? Or even after?) So your guess is as good as ours. Will Lawless be the long-awaited Lucy Lawless biopic? Is Knight of Cups a college comedy set at the World Series of Beer Pong intercut with wordless images of dinosaurs also playing beer pong? Probably not. But you never know. Hit us with your best theories in the comments.

Source: EW.com

A year ago, Natalie Portman was the hottest actress around. The “Black Swan” star was sweeping awards and earning the sine qua non of actor heat, the “Saturday Night Live” parody. She even survived an ill-timed dorky laugh.

But Portman didn’t get to indulge in the main perk that comes from winning an Oscar — booking a big, prestigious movie. Portman was five months pregnant when she accepted the golden statuette last February, and pretty much stopped working afterward so she and costar/choreographer Benjamin Millipied could have their son, Aleph, who was born in June. She hasn’t worked since. (Portman could be seen in several movies last spring — “Your Highness” and “Thor” — but she shot those before her pregnancy.)

Could Portman soon be coming out of her baby-induced hiatus? According to a person briefed on the project who was not authorized to talk about it publicly, the actress has been courted by Lana and Andy Wachowski to star in “Jupiter Ascending,” the science-fiction movie the filmmakers aim to shoot when they finish cutting their much-anticipated “Cloud Atlas.” Portman, the person said, was seriously weighing taking the part.

“Jupiter,” a Warner Bros. project whose plot details have remained tightly under wraps, would reunite Portman with the “Matrix” filmmakers after the two collaborated on the graphic-novel adaptation “V for Vendetta” back in 2006. And “Jupiter” tentatively aims to start production in the fall of 2012, which would give the actress more time with her infant if she wanted it. A representative for Portman did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

“Jupiter” wouldn’t be the first science-fiction film Portman has expressed interest in; for a time she was set to star in “Gravity,” Alfonso Cuaron’s space-traveling tale, before dropping out. (Sandra Bullock, who won the lead actress Oscar the year before Portman, wound up with the part.)

In the meantime, Portman also could be getting busy on a more starchy subject on the other side of the camera — she’s keen on making a documentary about veganism based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book “Eating Animals,” according to items posted Wednesday. She’s also attached to “Thor 2,” but there’s no word on whether Marvel will move forward with the sequel.

Of course, the larger question is whether Portman will be able to regain the heat she had a year ago. Producers and the public often don’t bat an eye at a year at a small maternity leave. But they also have short memories — just ask Julia Roberts, who for a time slipped down the Hollywood food chain when she took time off to raise a family.

Source: LA Times Blog

Hollywood actress Natalie Portman ended her latest visit to Israel on Monday, after touring the Holy Land for almost a week.

Portman, who was born in Jerusalem as Natalie Hershlag, arrived in the country last week accompanied by her fiancé Benjamin Millepied and her six-month-old son Aleph.

One of the goals of the visit was to show off her new baby to her many relatives in Israel.

In order to avoid the paparazzi, Portman hired two bodyguards to accompany her wherever she goes. She traveled in a large car with dark windows and even checked in to the King David Hotel using a false name.

Portman and her family arrived in Israel from France, where Millepied was born and raised. During their visit, they toured the area next to their Jerusalem hotel, as well as the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv.

Portman was often seen sitting in cafés in the Israeli capital, where she kindly posed for photographs with fans and handed out gifts to childhood friends and relatives who arrived to meet her.

On Thursday morning, she ordered breakfast to her room before visiting Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market and the Western Wall, where she placed a note.

On Monday, the Oscar-winning actress left Israel and moved on to her next destination. [...]

Source: Ynetnews.com

The 2011 Oscar winner for best actress, Natalie Portman tops the 2011 list for the most-viewed actor on the annual ranking from the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com).

This year, Portman starred in Black Swan, No Strings Attached, Your Highness and Thor.

The website, a source of information about films, actors and filmmakers, released the list this week based on numbers of views received on the actors’ profile pages.

Mila Kunis, the costar of Black Swan and Friends with Benefits with Justin Timberlake, joined the list for the first time in second place.

In third, Johnny Depp, the star of Pirates of the Caribbean, slipped from the top spot, which he has held for six of the past seven years.

Emma Stone, star of The Help, Crazy, Stupid, Love and Friends with Benefits, reached fourth.

In fifth place, Chris Hemsworth of Thor debuted on the top 10 list.

Sixth is Olivia Wilde, who was featured in Cowboys & Aliens and Tron: Legacy.

Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar nominee for Winter’s Bone, is seventh. She also heads the cast of The Hunger Games.

In eighth is George Clooney, star of The Ides of March and a nominee for the Golden Globes and SAG Awards for The Descendants.

Ryan Gosling, star of Drive, Ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love, is ninth.

In tenth is Christian Bale, who won an Oscar for The Fighter and stars in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, finale to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy next year.

The stars of The Twilight Saga did not make the list for the first time in four years. -AFP Relaxnews

Source: The New Age

One of the things a studio always tries to do with big name actors who are starring in their big budget films is to keep them happy. But it looks like Marvel Studios will be working overtime in that department as Natalie Portman is reportedly furious at the studio over the firing of Patty Jenkins.

Last week, it was reported that Patty Jenkins was no longer directing ‘Thor 2’ due to “creative differences.” It seemed like it was an amicable split as it was suggested that Jenkins would probably have another chance to direct a superhero film for Marvel, it just wouldn’t be ‘Thor 2.’ Now a report from THR is indicating that Jenkins was actually fired without any warning and Natalie Portman is none too happy about it.

Portman was said to be instrumental in the hiring of Jenkins in the first place and strongly urged Marvel to employ her. Prior to this happening, she was considering taking a hiatus from acting to raise her baby boy who was just born last June. Portman decided to return in the role of Jane Foster for ‘Thor 2’ once she heard of Jenkins’ involvement. That and the idea of being part of a project that involved having the first female director at the helm of a big budget superhero movie appealed to her. So it was no wonder that Portman was livid at the studio when the firing occurred. Even though Portman is contractually obligated to film the movie, Marvel is said to be trying to smooth things over with the actress by including her in the discussions to find a replacement director.

One of the things a studio always tries to do with big name actors who are starring in their big budget films is to keep them happy. But it looks like Marvel Studios will be working overtime in that department as Natalie Portman is reportedly furious at the studio over the firing of Patty Jenkins.

Last week, it was reported that Patty Jenkins was no longer directing ‘Thor 2’ due to “creative differences.” It seemed like it was an amicable split as it was suggested that Jenkins would probably have another chance to direct a superhero film for Marvel, it just wouldn’t be ‘Thor 2.’ Now a report from THR is indicating that Jenkins was actually fired without any warning and Natalie Portman is none too happy about it.

Portman was said to be instrumental in the hiring of Jenkins in the first place and strongly urged Marvel to employ her. Prior to this happening, she was considering taking a hiatus from acting to raise her baby boy who was just born last June. Portman decided to return in the role of Jane Foster for ‘Thor 2’ once she heard of Jenkins’ involvement. That and the idea of being part of a project that involved having the first female director at the helm of a big budget superhero movie appealed to her. So it was no wonder that Portman was livid at the studio when the firing occurred. Even though Portman is contractually obligated to film the movie, Marvel is said to be trying to smooth things over with the actress by including her in the discussions to find a replacement director.

Source: ScienceFiction.com