Save Some Space On Your Wall For The Stunning 'Black Swan' Teaser Posters

We're still a couple of months away from the release of "Black Swan," but the buzz from Toronto was very strong. Both director Darren Aronofsky and star Natalie Portman have become two of the most sought-after stars in town, and both our Toronto takes on the film were nearly raves -- Kevin saying that it "might be the best film of Aronofsky's career," and the E.I.C. calling it "mostly magnificent."

This writer will be catching it next week at the London Film Festival, and the film hits theaters Stateside December 1st, but in the meantime, Empire have premiered four international teaser posters for the film. And they're glorious.

While we're as fed up of endless posts on movie blogs about minimalist posters, the four modernist-inspired, vaguely Soviet teasers are pretty outstanding, and we'd sprout wings on our back for framed copies of all four. Check them all out full-size over at Empire. Note in the U.S. the release date has shifted ever so slightly from December 1 to December 3.

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Fox Happy With Damon Lindelof's 'Alien' Prequel Script; Natalie Portman Tops Casting Wishlist

Despite rumors of budgetary troubles, and our extensive campaigning (in case you missed it, it kicked off our new "Should This Be Made?" feature last week), 20th Century Fox's prequel to the "Alien" series is moving full-speed ahead. Recent casting rumors have linked the likes of Noomi Rapace, Gemma Arterton, Carey Mulligan and Abbie Cornish to the lead role, and Damon Lindelof, of "Lost," "Star Trek" and "Cowboys & Aliens" fame, was brought on to rewrite Jon Spaihts' draft in July.

Well, it looks like Lindelof did a decent job, as Vulture report that Fox are 'thrilled' with his version, which is not only 'creatively engaging,' but has also managed to keep the set-piece count low, which will help with the budgetary wrangles -- the film's currently set at around $160 million, and Fox would prefer it to get smaller, rather than bigger.

While confidentiality clauses remain in place for everyone involved, so details remain fairly unclear, Vulture confirm that the project is set 35 years before the original, and focuses on "a female Colonial Marine general." As for who'll take that role, Vulture back up earlier claims that "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" star Rapace is a front-runner, but have added a new name to the list: Natalie Portman. Supposedly, while Scott has met with a slew of actresses (presumably including some of the aforementioned names), it's Portman and Rapace who've made a particular impression, and it's the former who's at the top of the studio's list.

With the actress looking like an Oscar nom lock for "Black Swan," and set to have a high profile in 2011 with "No Strings," "Your Highness" and "Thor," she's in high demand at the moment and, having turned down Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" and dropped out of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" in the last week, has a relatively clear slate, apart from possibly The Wachowskis/Tom Twyker's "Cloud Atlas," which she's attached to. If Portman wants to do it, than the role seems to be hers, but that's a pretty big if, unless the script is as good as Vulture suggests.

The report also confirms recent rumors that Fox are aiming for a PG-13 with the film, one of the apparent conflicts with Scott. Lindelof's draft is geared to that rating, and one source is quoted as saying "The thinking is that if the original "Alien" were released today, minus the F-bombs, you could still get a PG-13. "Alien" is a very "Jaws"-ian movie: There's no sex, and while there's lots of violence, most of it is off-camera. Maybe you'd have to cut away from certain scenes two seconds earlier, but it could be done." This, of course, suggests that everyone involved has forgotten the first film's most indelible moment, of a phallic alien bloodily ripping its way through John Hurt's chest. If the scene would retain its power by cutting away from it to stay family-friendly, then our name's Harvey Weinstein.

It's also worth reporting that, while at one stage there was talk of making two back-to-back films, there's no mention of this in Vulture's story, so it may have been cut back to one film by now. We're not that much more optimistic about "Untitled Alien Prequel" (as it's still being referred to -- apparently Fox and Scott haven't been able to agree on any of the other potential possibilities as yet) than we were before, but it is at least comforting to hear that the script is shaping up.

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Natalie Portman Will No Longer Star In 'Pride And Prejudice And Zombies,' Will Only Produce

Natalie Portman seems determined to break our tiny little geek hearts this week. First, she turned down the lead role in Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity," and now word arrives that citing scheduling conflicts, the actress will no longer be starring in the adaptation of the best-selling "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies."

This isn't the first roadblock to hit the film as earlier this week, long-attached director David O. Russell left the film after Portman couldn't agree to a start date with the director. He instead has moved on to the road-trip comedy "Old St. Louis" which will shoot next spring. Portman will stay on board the project producing under her Handsomecharlie banner, but it now remains to be seen who take over the lead role of the ass-kicking Elizabeth Bennett (let the rumors begin).

So just to recap: no Portman in either "Gravity" or "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies." But the question now is, what is the project causing a schedule conflict? Could it be the Wachowskis' "Cloud Atlas"? If so, that could go a long way in making up for passing on these two gigs.

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Natalie Portman Turns Down Lead Role In Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity'

Alfonso Cuarón's troubled, ambitious and potentially great sci-fi thriller "Gravity" will continue the search for its leading lady as Natalie Portman has officially turned down the lead role.

The news is a major bummer for the $80 million production, which can only move forward if it can find a bankable lead female star to topline the pic. Angelina Jolie was the favored choice but turned down the part twice, so Warner Bros. took a long look at their list of contenders and made an offer to Portman. It was last reported that she was in active negotiations, but clearly, she has moved on.

The question now facing the production is which direction to go in. Cuarón was willing to bring the film in on a smaller budget to get an actress of his choice, but Warner Bros., who are worried about marketing a female-led sci-fi action film (not exactly a guarantee of box office success), want a more bankable name. We imagine they'll go back and look at recognized names like Sandra Bullock, Naomi Watts and Scarlett Johansson who have been mentioned as candidates while other names linked as potential leads that have included Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, Olivia Wilde and Blake Lively.

At this point, we don't care who is cast really, we just want the film to get made. We hope that Portman's pass on the project isn't a harbinger of worse things to come. Here's hoping Cuarón and Warner Bros. can find a leading lady for the project soon. [Deadline]

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David O. Russell Bails On 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies' To Make Comedy 'Old St. Louis'; Scarjo Bails

With what will likely be the most financially successful project of his career, "The Fighter," hitting theaters this fall, David O. Russell is not lacking for a choice of projects to follow it up with. But it looks like he's walking away from one he has been linked to for the better part of the year.

NYMag reports that scheduling conflicts forced Russell's hand to exit the director's chair for "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies" so he could make the previously announced comedy, "Old St. Louis." 'Zombies' producer and star Natalie Portman apparently couldn't make the start date Russell was shooting for so he ultimately opted to leave the project and film 'St. Louis' next March.

The film is set to star Vince Vaughn who will play "a divorced traveling toy salesman who reconnects with his teen daughter after years on the road." Vaughn would play the salesman, with Scarlett Johansson eyeing the role of his lover and secretary who joins him on a cross-country jaunt. Johansson was announced earlier this year to be joining the cast, but with the film now shooting in March, her commitment to "The Avengers" has forced her out of the film. That said, the scheduling now makes it more likely that Chloe Moretz, linked to play the daughter, will be taking part in the film.

While we would've loved to see a 'Zombies' pic helmed by Russell, it's no great loss either. The director is at his sharpest when chronicling dysfunctional relationships and 'St. Louis' looks to be right in his comfort zone. In fact, even though the project has been kicking around for years with scripts by Steve Pink ("Grosse Pointe Blank," "High Fidelity" ) and Allen Loeb ("Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"), it's been given a complete overhaul by Russell who wrote a new script and will be receiving the only writing credit on the project. And at the very least, we hope it at least marks a return-to-form of sorts for Vaughn who has seriously been phoning it in for his last half dozen or so movies.

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New Promo & Set Photos Of 'Your Highness' Starring James Franco, Danny McBride, Portman & Deschanel

You've got to hand it to Universal Pictures. They've had a string of bombs, or pictures that severely underperformed in the last two years -- "Public Enemies," "Funny People," "Brüno," "Green Zone," "The Wolfman," etc. -- and still they have the balls to greenlight something like David Gordon Green's upcoming medieval stoner film, "Your Highness" which sounds like it might be the most balls-out, craziest mainstream studio film we've seen in some time (or at least since "Brüno," which ended up being a lot tamer than we envisioned).

The picture stars James Franco, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman and Justin Theroux in a bizarre, fantasy movie about an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) and his more heroic brother (Franco) who must complete a quest in order to save their father's kingdom.
In the past, Green and McBride have called the film a mix of "Krull" (the oddest film the venerable Peter Yates ever directed) and "Barry Lyndon" and right there, that hilarious and strange concoction demands you buy a ticket. Anyhow, the film will be appearing at New York Comic Con next weekend so Universal is unveiling promo and production photos (via Hitfix and Hitfix) from the film and giving thego ahead to publish various set visits from the film that took place last year in Ireland where the film was shot (more photos below)

From all accounts it's a pretty nutty film and most of the principal cast are surprised with what they got away with. "We just locked 'Your Highness,' Danny McBride recently said in an A/V Club interview. "David and I watched that and looked at each other and said, “I can’t believe people are letting us do some of the stuff we’re doing.” [Laughs.] I don’t know if I would."
Zooey Deschanel also extolled its filthy virtues recently and yes, it's R-Rated. "[It's] the dirtiest medieval comedy you will ever see," she said. "I will guarantee you that. Oh my God, it’s ridiculously dirty. I mean, it’s like the most dirty humor that you could possibly come up with."
At SXSW, Green called the film a "tough shoot" and "by far the most expensive movie, by about double anything I’ve ever done. There was huge special effects, it’s just got so many different elements working [at once]." He also noted that English actors like the great Charles Dance thought they were off their rocker when making the film which bodes well for its levels of absurdity. "We had these amazing British thespians that have worked on the stage of London who thought we were fucking retarded."

Additionally, while "Your Highness" was delayed and was supposed to hit theaters this October originally, the picture was shot for a more modest $45-ish million so Uni will have less worries on return (though the additional time they've spent in the editing room and on effects has probably added up). The picture is set for a April 8, 2011 release date and you should be hearing a full Playlist report from NYCC next weekend.

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Natalie Portman Now In 'Active Negotiations' For Alfonso Cuaron's 3D Sci-Fi Epic 'Gravity'

Following up the buzz surrounding the her performance in Darren Aronofksy's "Black Swan," Natalie Portman recently became a leading contender and was reportedly offered the lead role in Alfonso Cuaron's 3D sci-fi epic "Gravity."

Little has been heard since of the offer, but buried in a story about the project's co-writer Jonas Cuaron's latest teaming with Warner Bros. and Hollywood Gang — a mysterious, gritty thriller set in Mexico City — THR now reports that Portman is in active negotiations for the role which was declined by Angelina Jolie twice; once when the project was set-up at Universal and again when it was picked up by WB.

Cuaron was apparently clashing with the studio over the casting choice with the suits more interested in a box office queen like Sandra Bullock. On the other hand, the director was prepared to sacrifice the original budgetary plans in the region of $80 million — which included the likes of 60% CGI and a 20-minute single shot opening scene — if it meant he could cast a quality thespian like Portman to spearhead his "Castaway"-esque sci-fi epic. With "active negotiations" now underway, we presume things are at least looking up for Cuaron and the project?

We certainly hope so. While Portman has a number of other potential projects including David O. Russell's "Pride And Prejudice And Zombies" and the Wachowski's "Cloud Atlas," both of those are still in early stages, and her calendar seems flexible at this juncture. With "Gravity" bumped from its initial plan of shooting after "Sherlock Holmes 2" to accommodate co-star Robert Downey Jr., it's now looking to get in front of cameras sometime in 2011, presumably we would think, after "The Avengers" has wrapped. Either way, it's good to see "Gravity" not falling into development hell just yet.

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Ben Affleck Was In The Running To Direct 'Superman'; Natalie Portman For Lois Lane?

The latest picture to be driving the rumor mill that keeps sites like ours busy is clearly the Christopher Nolan-produced "Superman;" after months of inactivity, the project sprung into life last week with Tony Scott, Jonathan Liebesman, Duncan Jones, Matt Reeves and Zack Snyder all being named as prospective candidates to direct. Darren Aronofsky joined them last night, and now two more snippets of info have come to light — one of a director on Nolan's list who now seems to have been ruled out, the other of a potential cast member.

First up, Heat Vision report that Ben Affleck, whose star is freshly reborn in a big way after the critical and commercial success of "The Town," met on the project last week in a directing capacity (although Affleck, of course, has donned the Superman gear in the past, in his excellent performances as 1950s TV star George Reeves in "Hollywoodland"). However, it seems that Affleck is "no longer pursuing" the project — which sounds like the decision came from Affleck. While he doesn't have anything lined up after the currently-filming Terrence Malick film, and who knows when that'll wrap, the hyphenate may be keen on using his new cred to makes something more personal. Perhaps a Boston-set crime drama?... (Oh, and kudos to the commenter who called this one last week)

Secondly, Moviehole report that according to their source who has recently worked for Aronofsky, not only has the director been in discussions for the project for some time, but that Warner Bros. are keen to cast his "Black Swan" star Natalie Portman as Lois Lane in the project. The source stresses that things are still early, and we reckon that is something very important to note. Right now, we'd lay even money that all of these directors are just names on a list, that Nolan and studio are going to be talking to plenty more people, and that they will take their time to find the right person with the right vision for the job. With a tentative December 2012 release date slotted, they still have some time put the pieces together.

As for Aronofsky he's also being courted by Hugh Jackman to direct the Christopher McQuarrie-penned sequel to "Wolverine," and has a biopic of Jackie Kennedy in development, to star his partner Rachel Weisz, so he's not short of options, particularly with the strong buzz on "Black Swan." Nolan's set to meet other directorial candidates this week, so it could be anyone's. But so long as we don't end up seeing Zack Snyder's "Superman: The Legends of Ga'hoole," we don't mind who lands it...

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Natalie Portman Says She Would Do A Sequel To 'The Professional' Only If Luc Besson Directs

Looks like the ball is in your court Luc Besson.

Speaking with MTV during the TIFF press rounds for "Black Swan," Natalie Portman revealed that she would be open to doing a sequel to the director's excellent "The Professional" but only if he directed it himself. In fact, she's never read the script (titled "Mathilda") for this very reason.

"I have never read it because Luc won't direct it himself, and so I'm only interested if he [directs]," Portman said. "I told him if he would do it himself, I would do it in two seconds. But he won't, so…"

The French director has dipped in and out of retirement a number of times (his last directing gig was this year's "The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec") but it's not just his involvement that's holding things up. According to the awesomely named Olivier Megaton, the studio who controls the rights to the film isn't particularly interested. Though, who knows, that could change when the Oscar talk around Portman turns into nominations.

At any rate, the Zoe Saladana starring "Columbiana," written and produced by Besson and directed by Megaton, might be as close as we get for the time being.

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Joaquin Phoenix Returns To 'Late Show'; Casey Affleck Confirms James Gray, Ben Stiller & Natalie Portman Knew It Was A Goof

While some may have questioned how wise it has been for Casey Affleck to reveal, just as "I'm Still Here" is rolling out across the country, that it was all an elaborate Andy Kaufman-esque stunt, it may be turn out to be the best publicity the film has received yet. And with Joaquin Phoenix returning to the "Late Show With David Letterman" last night following his carefully orchestrated meltdown 18 months ago, suddenly the actor's transformation looks less like a prank and more like the stuff of Best Actor performances.

Chatting with David Letterman last night, Phoenix expressed surprise that his caricature of an actor on the skids gained as much attraction and moreover, believability, as it did. But despite reports that David Letterman himself was in on the stunt, Phoenix put that notion to rest saying that there was nothing discussed beforehand but that he and Casey Affleck trusted that the host would know the difference between an actor and a character. And he did. Letterman describes that interview saying, "It was so much fun. It was batting practice. Every one of them [one liners] was a dinger." Letterman also jokes that's he owed $1 million as his talent fee since the movie turns out not to be, really, a documentary. When Phoenix asks if they can talk in private about it, Letterman quips, "We'll go to one of your screenings." Zing.

Meanwhile, Roger Ebert and Casey Affleck have exchanged a fascinating series of emails about "I'm Still Here" where the director opens up completely about its making, why they did it, who really was in on it and just how much of the film was staged.

Among those brought into the circle of trust about their Phoenix and Affleck's exploration of media and celebrity were Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman and James Gray. As you might recall, at the 81st Oscar Ceremony, Stiller riffed on Phoenix's first Letterman appearance while presenting an award with Portman for Best Cinematography (video below). But Affleck not only confirms Stiller knew what was going on, he has high praise for the actor fully embracing what they were trying to do with "I'm Still Here" saying, " Ben was incredibly supportive. For the guy with the all time highest box office average, for someone sitting squarely and securely at the top of the heap, he was really gallant in the way he swooped into our little movie and treated us with respect and patience and complete faith. I don't know why. I think he is the real thing, and I mean by that that he does this because he likes it and likes experimenting and challenging himself and growing. And maybe he thought working with a couple knuckleheads was a way of helping himself grow as a philanthropist of the arts. Ben is a very nice guy."

But if he has kind words Stiller, his comments about James Gray, who unfortunately had his excellent "Two Lovers" opening just as Phoenix began to go off the rails, are a bit more....reserved. Responding to Ebert's question about Gray's frustration at the time that Phoenix's behavior was a distraction from the film Affleck coolly responds, "James just wanted people to see his movie. Magnolia released that as well as my movie and I don't think a whole lot of people would have seen it if Joaquin didn't have a beard and hadn't told people he was retiring. But maybe I'm wrong. James also was told what was going on." Though to be fair, Gray did eventually simmer down and admit it bothered him "from a very selfish perspective” and said that he envisions working with the actor again.

Affleck went on to reveal that when Phoenix was behind closed doors, he was his regular self, "When we were not rolling he was out of character. If he was in public he had to behave in a way that didn't contradict the character's personality." Also, all the hookers and blow? Staged. The vomiting? Real.

It's been a wild ride and certainly one of the more interesting stories of the past eighteen months whether real or fake. At the very least it gives us pause to think about how much of celebrity is constructed (most of it) and how much is real (very little). At any rate, you can watch Phoenix's return to the "Late Show" below. "I'm Still Here" is in theaters now.

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Details Revealed About The Wachowskis Mysterious 'Cobalt Neutral 9'; Duo Still Developing 'Cloud Atlas' With Tom Tykwer; May Direct It

So, which will it be: the hard R gay Iraq war romance "Cobalt Neutral 9" (formerly known as "CN9") or the more mainstream adaptation of David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas"?

That's the big question facing the directing duo of the Wachowskis, as Vulture has revealed, they are continuing to develop both projects simultaneously and will determine which will one will go first depending which one finds financing first. Even though the estimated budget on "Cobalt Neutral 9" is $20 million versus $80 million for "Cloud Atlas," if we had to bet on it, our guess would be the latter project — which has Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, and Natalie Portman attached and an offer out to James McAvoy — is the safer bet for both studios and investors. Despite previous reports linking Tom Tykwer to the film, it appears he's only writing the screenplay with the Wachowskis producing and considering helming the film themselves. So just how out there is "Cobalt Neutral 9"? In short, it centers around an American and Iraqi solider who strike up a gay love affair and then plot to kill George W. Bush. We'll let Vulture break it down for you:

First, if you don’t understand the title, don’t worry: Our spies who read the screenplay tell us it's gibberish designed to inspire debate as to its meaning; it appears nowhere in the actual script.

Secondly, part of the film takes place in the future all right — nearly a hundred years from now. But its main story is told in Cloverfield-esque flashbacks by digital archeologists sorting through “found footage” from CNN and chips from old digital cameras from the US occupation of Iraq. The heroes are indeed a gay American soldier named (with little irony) "Butch" and an Iraqi soldier turned militant. Butch is endearing, young, and a ravishingly handsome Marine. Our spies tell us that he, "just wants to fuck and kill everything" in Iraq — until, that is, he falls in love with the Iraqi.

The two meet while Butch is on a combat patrol in Iraq during the second Gulf War, and soon enough, the two are engaged in graphically-described sex (actual line from the script: "They rut like animals behind this fence") albeit while disguised in burqas. The two soldiers’ relationship blossoms, and Butch begins to get to know his lover's family. But after he inadvertently draws attention to their ancestral home, disaster strikes. This tragedy radicalizes the pair and they become convinced that the only way to rid the world of evil is to kill the architect of the invasion, the then-President of the United States, George W. Bush. And so, during one of the president’s secret sorties to Iraq, they attempt to assassinate him.

So yeah. It's ambitious, but given the graphic sex and outrageous plot, unless they can get a major star attached to one of the roles, it will be a vary hard sell, even for indie investors. Vulture indicates that the Wachowskis are certainly wealthy enough to finance the picture themselves, but we're sure even their accountants would advise against such an expensive and risky investment.

But if you expect to hear news about "Cobalt Neutral 9" again anytime soon, it might be difficult. Vulture reports that the working title of the film will be changed again, and that any interested agents must report to Warner Bros. casting executive Lora Kennedy and read the screenplay on her couch. Should the film move into production, the Wachowskis are planning to shoot in Los Angeles, Germany, and Morocco.

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