I’m guessing Aerosmith won’t be too happy about this title, but The Hollywood Reporter says that Natalie Portman is all set to star in a western for director Lynne Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin) called Jane Got A Gun. Based on a Black List script (one of the best unproduced screenplays of the year), the story “centers on a woman whose outlaw husband returns home barely alive and riddled with bullet wounds. She is forced to reach out to an ex-lover and ask if he will help defend her farm when her husband’s gang eventually tracks him down to finish the job.” More below.

This sounds pretty fantastic to me, not only because I adore Natalie Portman and think she’s an excellent actress, but because it might signal a return of the modern western into popular consciousness again. Just yesterday I wrote about how Tom Cruise is attached to star in a remake of The Magnificent Seven, so with huge A-list talent like this showing interest in a genre that has struggled to connect with our tech-savvy, fast-paced modern audiences, I’m hoping this will open the door for a lot of other cool projects that wouldn’t have been considered before.

It’s also cool that Portman is trying to work with female directors, which are sadly a rare breed in today’s market. Portman was famously not pleased with Marvel when they eventually parted ways with potential Thor 2 director Patty Jenkins, so I’m really hoping Jane Got A Gun comes together quickly and is very successful for all involved. I also think the role of the ex-lover would be perfect for LOST and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol actor Josh Holloway, but that’s just fantasy casting on my part. Who else would you like to see alongside Portman in this western?

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Though they’re technically co-directing with Tom Tykwer, the upcoming Cloud Atlas will be the first directorial effort we’ve seen from the Wachowskis since 2008′s Speed Racer. They’ve flirted with other movies, including a modern update of Robin Hood and a controversial Iraq War film called Cobalt Neural 9, but we haven’t heard anything about those films in quite some time. Now, the directing duo has a new sci-fi project called Jupiter Ascending on the horizon, and they want Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis to star.

Deadline says the plot details for this movie are being kept under wraps, but that it’s the first big sci-fi action franchise for the duo since The Matrix and it’s based on their original idea. At one point, Natalie Portman was in talks for the lead female role and was “seriously weighing taking the part,” but it’s now been offered to her Black Swan co-star Mila Kunis. She’s done solid work before, and Tatum is coming off a great comedic performance in 21 Jump Street, so I’m excited about seeing these two go to work under such iconic directors. We’ll keep you posted as soon as the Jupiter Ascending plot emerges.

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Since winning Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance in Black Swan, Natalie Portman has stepped out of the spotlight to be a mom. But now it’s time to get back to work, and the actress has set up two back-to-back projects with the same director: none other than Terrence Malick, whose Tree of Life is up for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars and has garnered him a nomination for Best Director. I think it’s safe to say there will be a certain amount of prestige attached to these films.

First up is Knight of the Cups, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and…Isabel Lucas (let’s play a game – which of these actors doesn’t seem to belong here?). Nobody knows much about this one – other than it shoots this summer – but suffice it to say that any Malick movie is going to be highly anticipated among the cinephile community. And immediately following will be a film called Lawless, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett (sound familiar?), Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, and Haley Bennett. Some filming for this was done at last year’s Austin City Limits music festival, but we’re not sure if that was just some kind of character research or if we’ll end up seeing any of that footage in the final cut.

The Playlist brings up an interesting point: though Knight of the Cups and Lawless were initially announced as individual projects, the casting of Portman, Bale, and Blanchett leaves us wondering whether there may be some connection after all. Don’t expect much as far as answers go any time soon; Malick’s projects are almost always shrouded in secrecy.

Malick clearly wants to scratch a filmmaking itch that has been building up for years by taking on so many projects this quickly. There was a five year gap between The New World and Tree of Life, and now he’s got these two projects, plus another one that stars Ben Affleck, Rachel Weisz, and Javier Bardem that’s presumably finished but still without a title or release date.

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While shooting V for Vendetta Natalie Portman gave The Wachowskis, who produced the movie, a book called Cloud Atlas. Six years later the duo are now in post-production on the Cloud Atlas movie adaptation, and while Portman couldn’t appear in the film due to her pregnancy, The Wachowskis are keen for the actress to appear in their next project which has been given the title Jupiter Ascending.

According to The L.A. Times Portman is being courted for a leading role in the sci-fi project, and she is “seriously weighing taking the part.” Plot details are being kept secret for the time being, but The Wachowskis plan to begin production on the movie in late-2012 after they’ve wrapped on Cloud Atlas.

If Portman agrees to appear in Jupiter Ascending it’ll be a busy year for her as she’s also set to appear in the Thor sequel, which may begin shooting in a few months time now Marvel have settled on Alan Taylor as director. Portman was apparently unhappy with Marvel’s decision to fire the previous director Patty Jenkins, but the actress in under contract to return so they likely found a director Portman was happy with.

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In October Marvel announced that Patty Jenkins, director of Monster and The Killing pilot, would be directing the Thor sequel after Kenneth Branagh decided against returning. Now Deadline reports that Jenkins has left the movie due to “creative differences” and Marvel is now in search of a new director.

The Thor sequel isn’t expected to start filming until next April so there’s still over 4 months for a director to come on-board and work on pre-production, but it’s never a good sign when a director exits. Earlier this year Chris Hemsworth said Jenkins “has a great take on the story and a solid grasp on that kind of universe” but something obviously didn’t work out somewhere. Deadline says the director make take on another movie for Marvel, just not a sequel.

Don Payne, co-writer of the first film and one of the writers on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, is currently working on the script and Marvel has a release date set for November 15, 2013. Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman will return to star in the film along with Tom Hiddleston.

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Marvel Studios today confirmed that Patty Jenkins will be directing the Thor sequel, which was recently pushed back from July 13, 2013 to November 15, 2013.

In addition to announcing Jenkins as director Marvel confirmed Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman will return to star in the film along with Tom Hiddleston.

Patty Jenkins directed Charlize Theron in Monster (for which Theron won an Oscar) and directed the pilot for AMC’s The Killing. Hiring a female director to take on a big budget sequel is a surprise move, but a welcomed one.

In a recent interview with Hero Complex Hemsworth approved of his new director, who is taking over from Kenneth Branagh.

“She has a great take on the story and a solid grasp on that kind of universe,” the Aussie actor said Wednesday on the set of “Snow White and the Huntsman” in eastern Wales.

Hemsworth said in his meeting with Jenkins she seemed like a filmmaker worthy of picking up the franchise’s cinematic hammer. “Branagh read every comic book he could get his hands on,” Hemsworth said. “She also looked like she had done her homework.”

Don Payne, co-writer of the first film and one of the writers on Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, is currently working on the script, and Marvel aim to begin shooting next April.

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Since setting a July 2013 release date for Thor 2 Marvel have been searching for a director to replace Kenneth Branagh, who decided against directing the sequel as he has other projects in the pipeline he wants to work on. Earlier this month we heard Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk was in talks, but now another director has entered the frame. Patty Jenkins.

According to Deadline Marvel will be making a decision soon and they may go with Jenkins, who directed Charlize Theron in Monster (for which Theron won an Oscar) and directed the pilot for AMC’s The Killing. Hiring a female director to take on a big budget sequel will be a surprise move, but a welcomed one.

Whoever takes on the sequel will have to pick up from where The Avengers finishes off, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige gave EW a few hints about the direction of the next film:

Kevin Feige recently told EW that plans were developing fast for the sequel, which he said would “take Thor literally to other worlds.” While moviegoers will next see Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-swinging hero in The Avengers next May, Thor 2 would “primarily be the journey of that character, of he and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and how the new dynamic with his father (Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins) is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds,” Feige said.

This suggests both Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman will be back (if not there characters will be).

Don Payne, co-writer of the first film and one of the writers on Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, is currently working on the script, and Marvel aim to begin shooting next April.

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It looks like Iron Man 3 won’t be the only Marvel movie on offer in 2013, as according to Deadline the studio is also aiming to release Thor 2 in the summer. Iron Man 3 will hit May 3, 2013 and Marvel have set the Thor sequel release date for July 26. Now they just need to find a new director.

Deadline states that director Kenneth Branagh, who helped the movie gross $437 million worldwide and earned positive reviews for his effort, won’t be returning. His decision not to direct the next film is apparently “mutual and amicable”, and Branagh “will likely be involved in some producing capacity”.

Chris Hemsworth will be back as Thor, and Natalie Portman has said she’s signed up for multiple films so there is a good chance she’ll be back as Jane Foster. The storyline for the sequel will probably be influenced by and follow on from the events of The Avengers, which is currently filming under the direction of Joss Whedon.

What do you want to see in the Thor sequel? And who should direct?

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Though Hesher is Spencer Susser’s feature debut, his directing career really began in 2008 with an impressive short film called I Love Sarah Jane. The short drew acclaim from all kinds of festivals and – more importantly – paved the way for his involvement with soon-to-be producer Natalie Portman; Susser sent her Sarah Jane and the script for Hesher, and the multi-talented actress was so impressed she quickly joined the project as a producer and co-star. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rainn Wilson signed on soon after, and Hesher eventually premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Gordon-Levitt’s lead performance as Hesher is a sight to behold. He’s a long-haired, foul-mouthed anarchist who loves Metallica and blowing stuff up. Hesher feels more like a force than a character; he slices through this movie like a scythe, influencing the actions of a young boy named T.J. (Devin Brochu) who recently lost his mother in a car accident. T.J.’s father (Rainn Wilson) has fallen into a depression – he was the one driving during the accident – and has turned to pills for the answer, but their only effects are inducing sleep and essentially removing all vitality from his life. After Hesher inexplicably moves in to T.J.’s house, the movie turns into a story of a bizarre friendship, a love triangle involving a grocery store cashier (Natalie Portman), and a coming-of-age tale of the difficulties of moving on after a traumatic event.

The film feels like a Sundance movie: melodramatic moments, shouting matches, dimly lit and cheaply furnished sets, and an intimate shooting style all collide to form a movie that is interesting to watch and is perhaps a bit better when digested over the course of a few days. The performances are all very strong, and Gordon-Levitt’s outrageous character will be enough to warrant a watch for his fans, but this is certainly not a movie for everybody. Susser co-wrote Hesher with Animal Kingdom writer/director David Michod, and if you’ve seen that movie, you may notice some of the same sensibilities among these two films. It’s a deliberate movie that has no problem taking its time with its characters, and though Gordon-Levitt is fantastic in it, he’s actually more of a secondary character than T.J., who is front and center with his struggles for the duration. Portman plays a mousy mashup of many characters she’s played before, but in a testament to her considerable talent, I found her performance infinitely charming to watch.

Bottom line? Hesher is a well-executed movie that’s worth checking out if you’re a die-hard JoGo Levitt or Portman fan. It’s a bit slow at parts, but Hesher’s metal moments are enough to make up for the occasional floundering element. I’m actually more interested in Susser’s current attempts to turn his Sarah Jane short into a feature film, so perhaps one day there will be a review of that full-length feature on this site. Until next time…

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Hot on the heels of Fast Five, Marvel’s latest superhero entry continues the momentum of Summer 2011. Kenneth Branagh’s Thor is a notable departure from the more reality-based Iron Man franchise; this movie spends half of its duration on Earth, but also introduces audiences to the Norse realm of Asgard. A star-making performance from Chris Hemsworth, a nicely balanced script, and an organic blending of S.H.I.E.L.D. mythology make Thor a blast to watch and one of the best films Marvel has made to date.

Who would have thought the guy from the opening scene of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek had the ability to carry an entire film? But Chris Hemsworth has insane screen presence, easily holding his own against the gravitas of veterans like Anthony Hopkins as Odin, king of Asgard. Hemsworth is jacked, absolutely believable as a badass warrior with a terrible temper. Tom Hiddleston plays Thor’s younger brother Loki*, a jealous conniving trickster competing for their father’s affection. He does a great job as the villain here, and (SMALL SPOILER ALERT) he’ll be interesting to watch as an evil force in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. I’ll go ahead and get my biggest complaint with the film over with now: Thor’s transition from hot-headed blowhard to humble servant struck me as rushed, with the screenwriters clearly trying to pick up the pace and get the action rolling again about halfway through the film.

Thor is important because it beats WB’s Green Lantern to the punch when it comes to epic space-themed superhero movies this summer. Asgard is a fantasy world, to be sure, but Branagh applies his Shakespearean experience to that world and grounds it with universal paradigms as old as storytelling itself: a king passing down his throne, betrayal between brothers, loyalty among warriors, and much more. These are themes we’ve seen countless times, and make it much easier to relate to relate to these events as they’re surrounded in otherworldly visuals. The production design of Asgard is fittingly regal, a vast empire filled with towering structures and CGI crowds. Alternating between impressive and slightly cheesy, the look of the movie is ultimately effective enough for an audience to accept the characters riding across a rainbow bridge and fighting Frost Giants.

But that’s only half of it. Once Thor is banished to Earth, he becomes a point of interest for Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, a scientist searching for a link between worlds. There’s something of a love story tossed in, but Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson this ain’t. Portman works just fine, but this is not a standout performance for her. She’s gorgeous – no surprise there - so it’s easy to see why the god of thunder would fall for her. Kat Dennings plays Darcy, an intern seemingly more concerned with making quips than contributing to Jane’s research. Thankfully, even as a character so blatantly written as comic relief, Dennings never strays into annoying territory. She’s given just the right amount of one-liners, and her quippy delivery and cutesy persona is exactly what the movie needs to balance out the sometimes overly serious drama going on back on Asgard. The success of the film is largely dependent on how believably it transitions between the two worlds, and even though the love story isn’t the most compelling aspect of this movie, the film is equally effective regardless of the setting. Stellan Skarsgard is also a fantastic addition to the cast, playing Dr. Erik Selvig, the veteran father figure on this side of the universe.

One of the things this movie does best is incorporate the characters and elements of S.H.I.E.L.D. into the story in an organic way. Katey Rich wrote a solid piece at CinemaBlend detailing the things Thor does better than Iron Man 2, and its treatment of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the standout achievement in my opinion. Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson discovers Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer, which Darcy hilariously mispronounces continuously throughout the movie) and forms a compound around it, setting up for a confrontation with Thor when he comes to retrieve it. Personally, I’m glad the actor has a bit more to work with here than in previous films. The only slightly negative S.H.I.E.L.D. comment I have was the totally unnecessary cameo of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who not only has about three lines and never fires a single shot, but basically just appears so audiences will recognize him when he shows up in the upcoming SuperTeamUp movie The Avengers in 2012.

Though the film is well balanced, the action is a bit uneven. The battle scenes on and around Asgard are much more cartoonish and outlandish than the ones set on Earth; I’ll take the practical effects used in the explosions in the Destroyer sequences over the digital effects used during fights with Frost Giants any time. The graphics are decent overall, but the crazy color scheme of the world of the gods got a little too outrageous for my tastes as the movie progressed. Also, the 3D is pretty worthless, so save your money and see the 2D version if one’s available in your area.

Marvel has accomplished their goal with Thor: the film hasn’t even hit American theaters yet and it’s already made nearly $100 million overseas, seemingly assuring a direct sequel. But more importantly for Marvel, Thor will serve as a gateway for its lesser known “magic-based” characters to find a home on film. After watching a movie about Norse gods, it should theoretically be easier for audiences to digest a movie about a powerful sorcerer like Dr. Strange, for example. But in the meantime, we can be content that Thor is a well-directed, visually interesting (far of those canted angles, eh Branagh?), exciting entry into Marvel’s quickly-expanding film library. Until next time…

*I’m just going to go ahead and assume Thor is a prequel to The Mask, since Loki is the spirit locked in the mask that gives Jim Carrey his crazy powers in that movie.

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